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A man who is growing cold towards God begins first of all to flee attending church. At first he tries to come to services later, and then he ceases altogether to visit God’s temple…Here in the skete we even make the rounds of the cells on feast days, so that no one evades church services. Elder Barsanuphius of Optina<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Christian today—not unlike Christians of other eras, but in ways that are continually “updated” as soci\u00adety carries on—is not told simply that he mustn’t fight the passions, that he mustn’t battle the devil: he is told that the passions are unreal, that the devil does not exist. He is told that ascesis is unnatural, that spiritual warfare is delusional. He is told that judgment is oppressive and the desire to become something de\u00adfined by another (even God!) is psychologically unhealthy. He is told that to believe in the Church’s tradition is a simplistic, pietistic adherence to the past; that he had better “think for himself.” Bishop Irenei Steenberg<\/strong><\/p>\nHuman charity is suspicious: it fears lest it may somehow give to a person who already has something, or lest it may give too much. But the Lord’s charity is not like this: “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt<\/strong><\/p>\nThe foundation of prayer is the yearning of the image towards its prototype, as of like to like. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt<\/strong><\/p>\n\nThe crucified flesh reconciles itself with the spirit and with God; whilst the flesh that is cherished, that is abundantly and daintily fed, fights hard against the spirit and against God. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt<\/strong><\/p>\nFree-thinkers and atheists say that religion, the Church, the Divine service, the sacraments and rites, were invented by men in order to keep people in fear and submission, and to maintain, morality, and, perhaps, also in order to collect revenues from them. This is how God’s mercy and His wonderful ordering for our salvation, the very incarnation, sufferings and death of the Son of God for our sakes, are blasphemed by the ignorant and free-thinkers who have lost the fear of God. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt<\/strong><\/p>\n\nOur wickedness shall not overpower the unspeakable goodness and mercy of God; our dullness shall not overpower God’s wisdom, nor our infirmity God’s omnipotence. Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt<\/strong><\/p>\ntions of the soul that are called “virtues” by the Holy Fathers. AArchbishop Averky (Taushev)<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n
Remember in Your Prayers<\/h2>\n
The Prayer List has been revamped. To bring order to the list we will do the following:<\/p>\n
\n- Names will remain on the list for two months.<\/li>\n
- If you would like to keep them on longer please mention it to Fr. Hans. We will keep the names on the list for as long as the person needs prayers.<\/li>\n
- Names will include the person who requested the prayers and the month the name will be removed.<\/li>\n
- The permanent list includes friends and members of St. Peter’s and others including shut-ins.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Were names dropped that should have remained? Please mention it to Fr. Hans. He will add them back.<\/em><\/p>\nCurrent Prayer List<\/strong> (Updated January 11 \/ Resets February 1<\/em>)<\/p>\n\nMichelene (Repya 4\/21)
\nColleen ((Repya 4\/21)
\nPatricia (Copeland 4\/21)
\nFr. Demetrios (Copeland 4\/21)
\nKondylia (Chapekis 4\/21)
\nBrian (Colis 3\/21)
\nMaria(Colis 3\/21)
\nJohn (Jacobse 3\/21)
\nMary (Jacobse 3\/21)
\nHerman (Kerr 3\/21)
\nInnocent (Kerr 3\/21)
\nNickolas (Kerr 3\/21)
\nKerr Family (Kerr 3\/21)
\nBarbara (Dusckas 3\/21)
\nMaryann (Breitenbach 3\/21)
\nIrina (Jacobse 3\/21)
\nLee Joseph (Irina 3\/21)
\nPaola (Jacobse 3\/21>
\nJohn (Katsigianopoulos 3\/21)
\nBryce (NA 3\/21)
\nDebbie (Breitenbach 2\/21)
\nMary (Marianthi 2\/21)
\nSarah (Wolffe 2\/21)
\nPauline (Jacobse 2\/21)
\nBenjamin (Jacobse 2\/21)
\nMarcie (Breitenbach 2\/21)
\nJo Ann (Breitenbach 2\/21)
\nAngela (Fred 12\/21)
\nRonald (Sovjani 2\/21)
\nKatherine (Dusckas 2\/21)
\nMarlene (Tewis 2\/21)
\nGail (Jacobse 1\/21)
\nRobert (Tewis 1\/21)
\nSergio (Mary Kazakos 1\/21)
\nMary (Semeretis 1\/21)
\nHeather (Waterman 1\/21)
\nZachary (Constantine 1\/21)
\nPeter (Foltz 1\/21)
\nAlexa (Buchanan 1\/21)
\nRebecca (Aguado 1\/2021)
\nJacob (Aguado 1\/2021)
\nBaby Mackenzie (Zafiris 12\/20
\nNolan (Zafiris 12\/20)\n<\/p>\n
Permanent Prayer List<\/strong><\/p>\n\nRae (Semeretis)
\nFran (Hansen)
\nNina (Krotov)
\nGeorge (Chapekis)
\nFranklin (Pyrrson)
\nGeorge (Chionis)
\nStamatia (Jacobse)
\nStamatia (Evelyn)
\nDemetrios (Kuchera)
\nTheodosios (Palis)
\nTheodora (Webb)
\nHelen (Rogers)
\nRobert (Smith)
\nRobert (Jarvis)
\nPresbytera Rosy (in Pakistan)
\nJames (Hord)
\nAnn (Rellis)
\nVassiliki (Kontinos)
\nVassiliki (Morekeas)\n<\/p>\n
Founders, Members, and Benefactors Departed this Life<\/strong><\/p>\nJohn (Hansen)
\nAnatoly (Kurdsjuk)
\nThareni (Brooks)
\nMilan Evanoff
\nJean (Sam)
\nEleni (Pearson)
\nRichard (Pearson)
\nFr. Stephanos (Shagoury)
\nPanagiota (Bea Chionis)
\nAnthony (Mourgis)
\nAnthony (Mankus)
\nConstantine (Houpis)
\nConstantine (Joseph)
\nMary (Jarvis)
\nPanagiota Margarita (Palis)
\nMaria (Ninos)
\nJohn (Katsigianopoulos)<\/p>\n
How should we pray for the sick? Remember them daily. Say their names (first names are sufficient) and ask God to bestow mercy and grace on them.<\/p>\n
Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time on the St. Peter website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/div>\n
Sunday Readings<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n
EPISTLE<\/h4>\n
For Sunday of the Prodigal Son<\/p>\n
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
\nRejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.<\/p>\n
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (6:12-20)<\/p>\n
\nBrethren, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything. Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food; but God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one flesh.” But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/div>\n
GOSPEL<\/h4>\n
For Sunday of the Prodigal Son<\/p>\n
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (15:11-32)<\/p>\n
\nThe Lord spoke this parable: “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. <\/p>\n
And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ <\/p>\n
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. <\/p>\n
Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid that I might make merrywith my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/div>\n
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