{"id":7161,"date":"2018-09-11T06:38:47","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T10:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=7161"},"modified":"2018-09-11T06:38:47","modified_gmt":"2018-09-11T10:38:47","slug":"st-peter-newsletter-september-11-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-newsletter-september-11-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter Newsletter September 11, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross
\nGreat-Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised<\/h2>\n

Martyrs Victor and Sosthenes of Chalcedon
Martyr Melitina of Marcianopolis<\/h4>\n
\n\"St.<\/p>\n

St. Euphemia the Great Martyr<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Who was the Great-Martyr Ephemia?<\/h4>\n

Severian suffered by the weight of the stones,<\/em>
\nHanging he rejoiced, tearing his feet from earth.<\/em><\/p>\n

Saint Euphemia lived in the 3rd century AD. She was the daughter of pious parents. Her father was a senator named Philophronos and her mother was Theodosia. She was born in Chalcedon, located across the Bosporus from the city of Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul). From her youth she dedicated her life to Christ and practiced the virtues of prayer, fasting and chastity.<\/p>\n

The governor of Chalcedon, Priscus, had made a decree that all of the inhabitants of the city take part in sacrifices to the pagan god Ares. Euphemia was discovered with other Christians who were hiding in a house and worshiping the Christian God, in defiance of the governor’s orders. Because of their refusal to sacrifice, they were tortured for a number of days, and then handed over to the Emperor for further torture. Euphemia, the youngest among them, was separated from her companions in the hope that she betray Christ if she was on her own. She was promised worldy riches but refused to deny Christ. She was subjected to particularly harsh torments, including the wheel, in hopes of breaking her spirit but the wheel miraculously stopped and an Angel of the Lord ministered to her wounds.<\/p>\n

The govenor then ordered that the saint be cast into a fiery furnace. Two soldiers, Victor and Sosthenes, led her to the furnace, but seeing to fearsome angels in the flames, refused to carry out the order of the governor and became believers in the God Whom Euphemia worshipped. Boldly confessing that they too were Christians, Victor and Sosthenes bravely went to suffering. They were cast into the arena to be eaten by wild beasts. During their martyrdom, they cried out for mercy to God, asking Him to receive them into the Heavenly Kingdom. A heavenly Voice answered their cries, and they entered into eternal life. The beasts, however, did not even touch their bodies.<\/p>\n

Saint Euphemia, cast into the fire by other soldiers, remained unharmed. Ascribing this to sorcery, the governor gave orders to dig out a new pit, and filling it with knives, he had it covered over with earth and grass, so that the martyr would not notice the preparation for her execution but here too she remained unhurt.<\/p>\n

Finally, they sentenced her to be devoured by wild beasts at the circus. Before her martyrdom, Saint Euphemia implored God to deem her worthy to suffer terribly for His Name but when she was cast into the arena, none of the wild beasts attacked her. Finally, one of the she-bears gave her a small wound on the leg, from which flowed the pure blood of the martyr, and immediately the holy Great Martyr Euphemia gave her spirit to the Lord. During this time there was an earthquake, and both the guards and the spectators ran in terror, so that the parents of the saint were able to take up her body and reverently bury it not far from Chalcedon.<\/p>\n

A majestic church was afterwards built over the grave of the Great Martyr Euphemia.<\/p>\n

Source: OrthodoxWiki<\/a> website.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/div>\n

Eve of Elevation of the Cross Divine Liturgy, Thursday, September 13, 2018 at 6:30pm<\/h2>\n
\n\"Car\n<\/div>\n

Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. <\/p>\n

The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole.<\/p>\n

Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, “Lord have mercy.” <\/p>\n

It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.<\/p>\n

 <\/div>\n

Community Luncheon on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 12:00pm<\/h2>\n
\n\"Join\n<\/div>\n

You are invited to join your St. Peter’s friends for lunch and fellowship at 12 noon on Thursday, September at 12:00pm. <\/p>\n

Barbara Dionysopoulos and friends are preparing a delicious meal for all our members. Come and join us to enjoy some good food and the company of your friends. Make some new friends too and get to know other parishioners.<\/p>\n

Reservations are required!<\/em> Please call Barbara at 239-826-1655 or sign up in the Social Hall after Divine Liturgy.<\/p>\n

The cost is $5 per person.<\/p>\n

 <\/div>\n

Sunday School Has Started!<\/h2>\n
\n\"Sunday\n<\/div>\n

Parents: Please note that Sunday School started on Sunday, September 9 immediately following Holy Communion. Children will take communion first and go directly to Sunday School.<\/p>\n

Georgia Katsigianopoulos, our Sunday School director, will have registration forms available following the Divine Liturgy on Sundays.<\/p>\n

This year will be a good year with important lessons planned. Your children will learn important things about our Orthodox faith and Orthodox Church. <\/p>\n

One other very important<\/em> point: Our society is in a decline. The moral and characters values that children need to learn to become strong adults are not longer taught by the society. Parents need to take extra measures to make sure the souls and minds of their children a protected and formed properly. One way to help them is to bring them to Church and Sunday School consistently.<\/p>\n

 <\/div>\n

Interfaith Charities Needs Food, Clothing, Towels, and Bedding<\/h2>\n
\n\"Support\n<\/div>\n

Interfaith Charities<\/a>, the local assembly of churches that helps the poor in our area, needs:<\/p>\n