Brothers and Sisters,
Christ is Risen!
This coming Sunday, May 11th, is Mother's Day, so when you call your mom or light a candle in her memory, don't forget to also do something nice for your Godmother--flowers, a card, an invitation to lunch are all nice ways to honor the woman who prays for you daily and is always there when you have a question or need some support.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, May 7, and Friday, May 9
Daily Services
Monday, May 5-Friday, May 9; Orthros 5am; Vespers 5pm (it’s always a good idea to check the day before and make sure nothing has come up to change the regular schedule). However, Fr. Andrew, Seth Hart, and many other folks continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They are now reading “The Orthodox Faith” by St John of Damascus. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
In addition to the daily Synaxarion readings posted in the #synaxarion channel on Discord, the online team is now posting daily Bible Readings that will allow you to read through the Bible in a year. These readings are posted in the #bible-365 channel.
Tuesday May 6
Inquirer’s 101 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Wednesday, May 7
The Pascha Book Study 7pm
Thursday, May 8
The Bible Study, New Testament Edition 7pm; you can access this group on Discord
Saturday, May 10
St Thomas School 4pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, May 11 Sunday of the Paralytic
Orthros 8am
Church School 8:15am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
Anniversary / Memorial Blessings
You can use the links in the email version of the newsletter to sign up for anniversary blessings and memorial services that will be offered in 2025. Please note that things have changed for 2025 to accommodate our growing parish (i.e. some were not able to get on the schedule for anniversary blessings in 2024 because all of the slots were taken).
Memorial Services, will now occur at the end of Great Vespers on Saturday, and they may only be offered for Orthodox Christians who have departed this life. If your departed loved one was not an Orthodox Christian, visit this page on our website to learn about and request an Akathist for the Departed rather than signing up for a memorial service.
Anniversary Blessings may be requested for the first wedding anniversary and every fifth anniversary thereafter (i.e. 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, etc.). They may only be offered if one of the married couple is an Orthodox Christian. Approach the solea immediately after the hymn “Blessed be the Name of the Lord” at the end of the Divine Liturgy. If you have marriage crowns, bring them with you as you come forward. Those celebrating anniversaries that are not eligible to sign up, are invited to come forward during the “Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Namedays” segment of the announcements after the Divine Liturgy.
This Weekend's Memorial Services
This past Saturday at Great Vespers, we prayed for Rdr. Nikolaus and Nadja O. Their daugher Vera, is a faithful and supportive member of St. John's in many capacities, and wrote a memorial which you can read in the email version of the newsletter. Please read her remembrance of them, so you will have a more personal connection to our departed brother and sister in Christ! This coming Saturday, we will also be praying for Bruce K., departed husband of our longtime parishioner, Pat. But you probably didn't know that in his later years, he was an aerobics instructor in Sun City! Find out more about him, and his parents Al & Lorraine, by reading the attached memorial in the email version of the newsletter. May their memories be eternal.
Coming Up
On Sunday, May 18th, we will have our next Safety and Security Rehearsal. This rehearsal will be for an active shooter event. After the Divine Liturgy, we will explain what will happen, then one of the ushers will say, in a loud voice, “Gun, Gun, Gun”, and we will all get down on the floor, just as we do during our rehearsal for a severe weather event. After ten seconds, we will all get to our feet and exit the Long Hall as we do in each of these events. Our goal is to make the rehearsal as non-frightening as possible, but the reality of the world in which we live is that we need to be prepared for this sort of scenario, so, if participating in the event is going to be too stressful, please feel free to leave before the Liturgy has ended.
On Sunday, May 18th, we will also be blessing all the new iconography in our Church School Rooms. We’ll start that service at 12:45, so, after you stroll down to the cemetery, please plan on joining us as we process through the Parish House (especially if you haven’t yet seen these beautiful images).
Speaking of blessings, on Saturday, May 24, we are going to have our annual Blessing of Animals. Tuesday, May 27 is the feast day of St Melangell of Wales; she had a special relationship with rabbits. However, there are a great many saints that have had close relationships with all sorts of animals, and the birds and the beasts and the creatures of the sea are going to be redeemed along with all of us. We already bless domestic animals when we do House Blessings each year, but bringing our pets to the parish for a blessing is even more fun. However, we want everyone--humans and pets--to participate in the blessing in a way that is safe and healthy, so we consulted with Jason F., a member of our community who's been a vet for a number of decades, and we’ve put together some guidelines for the event. Please read through them carefully:
The blessing will take place outside. Animals will not be allowed either in the Parish House or the Long Hall.
We will gather in the area between the Long Hall and the Parish House at 4:30pm on Saturday, May 24. The service will be the Ninth Hour, and it will most likely take about 20 minutes.
All small animals (cats, gerbils, lizards, guinea pigs, hamsters, snakes, etc) must be in containers, and they must stay in those containers while they are on parish property.
All dogs must be on leashes, and they must be leashed the entire time they are on parish property. Young children should not be allowed to control dogs; a responsible adult must handle the leashed dog. Also, if you have a dog that is aggressive or nervous or that does not interact well with humans or other animals, please do not bring it to the parish. We will be happy to bless aggressive and anxious dogs at their homes.
Domestic farm animals (goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, horses) are welcome, but they must remain in the trailers or vehicles in which they are transported.
There should not be any contact between any of the animals while they are on parish property.
All dogs and cats must be vaccinated. Dogs must have had Distemper (DHPP), Kennel Cough (Bordetella) and Rabies. Cats must have had Feline Distemper or upper respiratory vaccine (FVRCP) and Rabies. If you have questions about any of those vaccinations, Jason F. has indicated that he will be happy to communicate with you on our parish Discord platform. If your dog or cat does not have all those vaccination, and you would still like the animal to be blessed, you are welcome to attend the service, but the dog or cat must stay in your car. One of the priests will bless the animal while it is in the car.
Please bring water in a bottle or a bowl for your pet.
Please bring plastic bags and be prepared to clean up after your pet when they have a bowel movement.
That may seem like a lot, but it's pretty normal pet stuff, and it will ensure that our Blessing of Animals is a beautiful service that honors the Most Holy Trinity. And, notice, it is a worship service--that means we're not organizing a temporary dog park or a petting zoo. We're going to read prayers, bless all the animals with holy water, and sing some hymns. Then those of us who do not have pet responsibilities will go into the Long Hall for Great Vespers--and Great Vespers will feature hymns that have been specifically composed for the occasion. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with Father Aidan or Jason F.
On Thursday, May 29, we will wrap up the Paschal Season with the lovely Feast of the Ascension. We will offer Great Vespers at 7pm on Wednesday, May 28, and then, on the morning of the feast, we will serve Orthros at 5am and Divine Liturgy at 7am. Please join us for the celebration.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
If you are the parent or grandparent of a young child, please remember that, whether you are outside or inside one of the buildings, you must be able to see that child at all times. If you need assistance with your children, please do not hesitate to ask, but it is not enough to simply assume that others in the parish will keep track of your child. Parenting styles differ, but, please remember that, when you are at church, the expectation of our community is that your child will be in your direct line of sight at all times.
an unworthy priest
aidan