Sunday Services: Orthros-8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy-10:00 a.m. Sunday School after Distribution of Holy Communion. Holy Day Services As announced in weekly bulletins.
Ushers:
11/13 - Brian Farr & L. Papadimitriou
11/20 - C. Zouboukos & Chuck Odom
11/27 - Chris Cora & T J Hare
Altar Servers: (Please note that if any altar servers are in church and see that no alltar servers are here you are of course asked to serve in the altar).
Epistle Reader:
11/13-John Mark Harris
11/20-Adam Farr
11/21-Presvitera Bonnie
11/27-Carl Boschert
Prosphoro:
11/13 - Soula Nikolis - Trisagion for Bill (3 months) Nik(4 years).
11/20 - Patti Farr
11/21 - Dimitra Papadimitriou
11/27- Jean Hare
The sign up page is updated and all Sundays from October through Dec 25th are available.
To sign up to bake prosphoro click on this link. https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/266988023009644063/false#/invitation
Orthros starts at 9:00 a.m.
Liturgy starts at 10:00 a.m,
Coffee Hour: Fresh Brewed coffee and snacks.
Sunday school classes meet after the dirstribution of Holy Communion.
Philoptochos and our Sunday School ministries are collecting hygiene/homeless care items and canned goods to donate to the Gateway Rescue Mission Center in Jackson..Please bring the items to church and place them in the bin allocated for the Gateway Rescue Mission Center.
Looking Ahead-Mark Your Calendars:
11/13 - Fall Parish General Assembly - Philoptochos Thanksgiving Luncheon - Join Us.,
11/15 - Nativity Fast Begins
11/16 - Bake sale packaging 10:00 am till ???
11/20 - Baks sale packagin after Liturgy
11/21 - Baking cookies and packing - 10:00 am More date will be announced
11/21 - Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple Liturgy at 5:30 pm
11/24 - Thanksgiving - Church office closed,
12/2 - Sunday School outing to see the Bellhaven Singing Christmas Tree
12/6 - Feast of Saint Nicholas - Liturgy at 5:30 pm
12/9 - Pastry sale pick up 4:30 - 6:00 pm
12/10 - Pastry Sale pickup 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
12/10 - GYRO Drive through 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
12/13 - Philoptochos Christmas Party - time and place TBA - Dirty Santa (bring an ornament or decoration - $10-$15 limit)
12/18 - SundaySchool Christmas Program - Parish Coucil Elections
12/24 - Eve of Nativity of Christ - Services
12/25 - Nativity of Christ - Christ is Born - Glorify Him!
GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA
Sunday November 13, 2022
Call to Order with prayer – Reverend Proto-presbyter Andrew Koufopoulos
Election of Chairperson
Election of Secretary
Approval of the Minutes from the prior Parish Assembly
Pastoral Report
Financial Reports
Approval 2023 Budget
Stewardship Report
Election of the Election Committee
Election of the Audit Committee
Any other items for the betterment of the Parish
Adjournment
Closing Prayer – Father Andrew
Join us for the Philoptochos Annual
Thanksgiving Luncheon on Sunday November 13th after Liturgy and stay to participate in the Fall Parish General Assembly,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/269685419794311/ or go to our church web page
www.holytrinitysaintjohnjackson.org and click on the link
We are grateful to those who have contributed and continue to contribute their donations through the mail or by the two secure on-line options both of which can be found on our web page. The light a candle say a prayer link below or the Donate Button on the bottom of the home page https://holy-trinity-st-john-the-theologian-greek-orthodox-church-jac.square.site
November Birthday Celebrations: Alex Valsamakis-November 3rd,Ted Thompson-November 7th, Elena Zouboukos-November 7th, Erynn Sturgon-November 8th, Kristina Zouboukos-November 9th, Constantine “Costa” Zouboukos-November 10th, John Mark Harris-November12, James Glisson-November 14th, TJ Hare-November 15th, Constantine P. Zouboukos-November 19th, Miles Alex Graham-November 19th, James "Buddy" Fowler-November 22nd, Nick Valsamakis-November 25th, Sophia Childers November 28th, Peter Efstratiou-November-29th Please let us know of any errors or omissions.
Our Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian Prayer List:
"Remember Lord, those whom each of us calls prayerfully to mind" Lexi Kountouris, Stella Grivas (Father Andrew's mother in Dunnsville VA), Andrea & Kevin Brown (Father Andrew's sister and brother in law in New Hampshire), Chuck Odom, Nicholas & Dianna Psaris, Chris Grillis, Lambryne Angelo, Paula Fowler, Victoria Lepsa (Cristina Nica's mother in Romania), Tatianna Koufopoulos Quick of Phoenix Arizona, Maria Costas, Dot P
This greatest and most beloved of all Christian orators was born in Antioch the Great in the year 344 or 347; his pious parents were called Secundus and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at the age of twenty, she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder sister in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. John received his literary training under Anthragathius the philosopher, and Libanius the sophist, who was the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanius was a pagan, and when asked before his death whom he wished to have for his successor, he said, "John, had not the Christians stolen him from us." With such a training, and with such gifts as he had by nature, John had before him a brilliant career as a rhetorician. But through the good example of his godly mother Anthusa and of the holy Bishop Meletius of Antioch (see Feb. 12), by whom he was ordained reader about the year 370, he chose instead to dedicate himself to God. From the years 374 to 381 he lived the monastic life in the hermitages that were near Antioch. His extreme asceticism undermined his health, compelling him to return to Antioch, where Saint Meletius ordained him deacon about the year 381. Saint Meletius was called to Constantinople later that year to preside over the Second Ecumenical Council, during which he fell asleep in the Lord. In 386 Bishop Flavian ordained John presbyter of the Church of Antioch. Upon his elevation to the priesthood his career as a public preacher began, and his exceptional oratorical gifts were made manifest through his many sermons and commentaries. They are distinguished by their eloquence and the remarkable ease with which rich imagery and scriptural allusions are multiplied; by their depth of insight into the meaning of Scripture and the workings of God's providence; and, not least of all, by their earnestness and moral force, which issue from the heart of a blameless and guileless man who lived first what he preached to others. Because of his fame, he was chosen to succeed Saint Nectarius as Patriarch of Constantinople. He was taken away by stealth, to avoid the opposition of the people, and consecrated Patriarch of Constantinople on February 28, 398, by Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who was to prove his mortal enemy.
At that time the Emperor of the East was Arcadius, who had had Saint Arsenius the Great as his tutor (see May 8); Arcadius was a man of weak character, and much under the influence of his wife Eudoxia. The zealous and upright Chrysostom's unsparing censures of the lax morals in the imperial city stung the vain Eudoxia; through Theophilus' plottings and her collaboration, Saint John was banished to Pontus in 403. The people were in an uproar, and the following night an earthquake shook the city; this so frightened the Empress Eudoxia that she begged Arcadius to call Chrysostom back. While his return was triumphant, his reconciliation with the Empress did not last long. When she had a silver statue of herself erected in the forum before the Church of the Holy Wisdom (Saint Sophia) in September of 403, and had it dedicated with much unseemly revelry, Saint John thundered against her, and she could not forgive him. In June of 404 he was exiled to Cucusus, on the borders of Cilicia and Armenia. From here he exchanged letters with Pope Innocent of Rome, who sent bishops and priests to Constantinople requesting that a council be held. Saint John's enemies, dreading his return, prevailed upon the Emperor to see an insult in this, and had John taken to a more remote place of banishment called Pityus near the Caucasus. The journey was filled with bitter sufferings for the aged bishop, both because of the harshness of the elements and the cruelty of one of his 310 guards. He did not reach Pityus, but gave up his soul to the Lord near Comana in Pontus, at the chapel of the Martyr Basiliscus (see May 22), who had appeared to him shortly before, foretelling the day of his death, which came to pass on September 14, 407. His last words were "Glory be to God for all things." His holy relics were brought from Comana to Constantinople thirty-one years later by the Emperor Theodosius the Younger and Saint Pulcheria his sister, the children of Arcadius and Eudoxia, with fervent supplications that the sin of their parents against him be forgiven; this return of his holy relics is celebrated on January 27.
Saint John was surnamed Chrysostom ("Golden-mouth") because of his eloquence. He made exhaustive commentaries on the divine Scriptures and was the author of more works than any other Church Father, leaving us complete commentaries on the Book of Genesis, the Gospels of Saints Matthew and John, the Acts, and all the Epistles of Saint Paul. His extant works are 1,447 sermons and 240 epistles. Twenty-two teachers of the Church have written homilies of praise in his honour. Besides his feasts today and on January 27, he is celebrated as one of the Three Hierarchs on January 30, together with Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian.
It should be noted that, because September 14 is the Exaltation of the Cross, the Saint's memory has been transferred to this day.
This Apostle, one of the Twelve, was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and was a compatriot of Andrew and Peter. He was instructed in the teachings of the Law, and devoted himself to the study of the prophetic books. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus called him to the dignity of apostleship, he immediately sought out and found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1.45). Having preached Jesus the God-man throughout many parts of Asia Minor, and having suffered many things for His Name's sake, he was finally crucified upside down in Hierapolis of Phrygia.
The Nativity Fast is one of four main fast periods throughout the ecclesiastical year. Beginning on November 15 and concluding on December 24, the Nativity Fast gives individuals the opportunity to prepare for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior in the Flesh on December 25. By abstaining from certain food and drink, particularly from meat, fish, dairy products, olive oil, and wine, as well as focusing more deeply on prayer and almsgiving, we can find that the primary aim of fasting is to make us conscious of our dependence upon God.
Of these most illustrious Martyrs of the city of Edessa in Syria, Guria and Shamuna contested during the reign of Diocletian, in 288; after many tortures, they were cast into prison, then beheaded. Saint Habib, a deacon, contested in the days of Licinius, in the year 316, and was burned alive; he was buried with Saints Guria and Shamuna. The three have one common feast, and it is always together that they are portrayed in icons and invoked by the faithful. On account of a renowned miracle they worked, they are invoked for help in marital difficulties. A certain Goth had come with the Roman army to Edessa and was quartered in the house of a pious widow named Sophia. The Goth asked Sophia for the hand of her daughter, Euphemia; after resisting for a long time, Sophia at last agreed. When it was time for the army to return home, Sophia made the Goth vow by the power in the holy Martyrs Shamuna, Guria, and Habib, to keep Euphemia as the apple of his eye. As he was nearing his home, however, the treacherous man revealed to Euphemia that he already had a wife. Euphemia was compelled to serve the Goths wife, who dealt with her mercilessly. After extreme sufferings, which included being sealed alive in a tomb and left there to die, Euphemia was miraculously conveyed to Edessa, to the very shrine of the holy Martyrs whose surety they had taken, and was reunited with her mother through their holy prayers.
This Apostle, who was also called Levi, was the son of Alphaeus and had Galilee as his homeland. A publican before being called by Christ, he became one of the Twelve Apostles, and an Evangelist. While still in Palestine, he wrote his Gospel first in Hebrew, being also the first of all to write the Gospel. When he is depicted in icons, there is portrayed next to him the likeness of a man, one of the symbolic living creatures mentioned by Ezekiel (1.10), which, as Saint Irenaeus writes, is a symbol of our Saviour's Incarnation.
Saint Plato contested in martyrdom in 266, when Agrippinus was proconsul. He was from the city of Ancyra in the province of Galatia.
The Divine Scriptures do not tell us with any certainty when the Prophet Obadiah lived nor what was his homeland. Thus, some say that he is that Obadiah who was Ahab's steward, who, because of Jezebel's wrath, hid one hundred prophets in a cave and fed them with bread and water (III Kings 18:4), and that he later became a disciple of Elias the Prophet about 903 B.C. But others surmise from the words of the same prophetical book that he is somewhat later than Joel (celebrated on Oct. 19). He is also called Obdiu, or Abdiu, or Obadiah; his name means "servant of God." His book of prophecy, which consists of only one chapter, is ranked fourth among the minor Prophets.
Hymn of Pentecost:
O blessed are You, O Christ our God. Who by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them, made the fishermen wise, and through them illumined the world. And unto You the universe was ever drawn. All glory to You O Lord.
Hymn of St. John the Theologian
O Apostle, beloved of Christ our God, hasten to deliver a defenseless people. He that allowed thee to recline in His breast, receiveth thee bowing in intersession. Implore Him, O Theologian, do dispel the persistent cloud of the heathen, and ask for us His peace and great mercy.
Eleventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:14-25
At that time, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. And he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me." Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!" The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Prokeimenon. First Tone. Psalm 48.3,1.
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall bring forth understanding.
Verse: Hear this all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 7:26-28; 8:1-2.
Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever. Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord.
8th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 10:25-37
At that time, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live."
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
8th Sunday of Luke
h Sunday of Luke
2 Corinthians 5:1–10
Luke 9:57–62
At the Last Supper, Christ had washed the feet of his disciples, saying to them: “For I gave you an example, that ye be doing even as I did to you [for] a slave is not greater than his lord, nor a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:15–16).
The Lord here gives us a radically different understanding of authority. In the Gospel, in the Christian faith, in the Church, authority is identified with service.
The worldly order of things can be described as a pyramid, with a small number of powerful people at the top ruling over the majority at the bottom. Christ, however, as St Sophrony of Essex says, turns this pyramid on its head, and places himself at the peak of the pyramid — in other words, at the bottom, below everyone else — and says, “Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whosoever doth wish to become great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever doth wish to be first among you shall be your slave — even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:26–28). The first is no longer the one who is above the others, but the one who puts himself below all others in order to support them.
And today’s epistle reading shows us how the apostles — the first bishops and leaders of the Church — put this authority of service into practice. St Paul says today that, “God showed forth the apostles as last, as condemned to death…We are fools…but ye are wise…We are weak, but ye are strong. Ye are held in honour, but we are dishonoured…we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are being buffeted, and never at rest…we became as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all” (1 Cor. 4:9–13).
As the filth of the world! That is what it means to have authority in the Church. This is why our clergy are dressed in black, “as condemned to death” — not only at formal church events and functions, but (at least traditionally) at every moment. It should be a sign of how the priest as died to himself in order to live exclusively in order to serve and minister to his neighbour and his spiritual children. This is how “I begot you through the Gospel”, as St Paul says. Even in the Divine Liturgy, the bright vestments do not serve to put the clergy on display, but rather make them disappear into the iconography of the Liturgy, without any form of individual expression.
Of course, this spirit of service also has to be put into practice in the lives of all Christians. In the same way that St Paul says that the clergy become the spiritual fathers of the faithful through service, people more generally become the neighbours of their fellow man.
When the doctor of the Law in today’s Gospel asks the Lord, “who is my neighbour?”, the Lord replies with the parable of the Good Samaritan, a man who put his own life at risk, and who sacrificed his time, effort and wealth to help a man with whom he had no connection — neither familial, ethnic, or religious — a man who most probably considered him inferior because of his background, given that Jews at that time had no dealing with Samaritans.
Looking at today’s readings, then, let us reconsider our relationship with others and with society in general. What is it I am trying to achieve in life? What is it I am seeking to gain? Am I here to serve or to be served? And at every moment, let us judge our actions against the two exhortations which conclude today’s reading: the exhortation of St Paul — “I beseech you, keep on becoming imitators of me” — and the exhortation of the Lord — “Go on thy way, and be doing in like manner”.
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