Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
Christ is Risen!
This coming weekend, Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6, there’s a whole lot going on. Saturday, June 5, we will be serving Orthros and Divine Liturgy specifically for those folks who continue to be at risk for the virus. Masks will be required for all those participating in those services. Masks will no longer be required on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, except in the bookstore. If you have additional questions about masks, please refer to the letter that is attached to the emailed edition of The Happy Priest or check with one of our parish council members.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, June 2, and Friday, June 4
Daily Services
Monday, May 31 to Friday, June 4
Orthros 5am;
Vespers 5pm
There will be No Daily Vespers on Monday, May 31. If you plan on attending the daily services, it’s generally a good idea to check the day before to make sure that the service will be offered. Sometimes pastoral situations require a change of plans and the service cannot be offered on that particular day.
The Hours
This week, Seth Hart will be back at the online chanter’s stand, offering the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours every day on ZOOM.
Schedule:
Monday to Friday
First Hour at 6:45 a.m.
Third Hour: 8:45 a.m.
Sixth Hour: 12:00 p.m.
Ninth Hour: 2:45 p.m.
See the emailed newsletter for login info.
Wednesday, June 2
The Pascha Book Study 7 pm
Thursday, June 3
Bible Study at 7:00 pm
See the emailed newsletter for login details.
Saturday, June 5
Orthros at 7:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m.
These services are reserved for those folks who are at risk for the virus or who are uncomfortable participating in a more crowded service. Masks will be required.St. Thomas School at 4:00 p.m.
Great Vespers at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 6
The Sunday of the Blind Man
Orthros at 8:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.
Fellowship Hour at Noon
Be sure to bring a picnic lunch and drinks and lawn chairs for your family
The Pascha Book Study
The book we are using is called Hidden and Triumphant. It’s a history of Russian iconography during the Soviet years. Normally, the book costs $29.00, but it’s on sale at our parish bookstore, Christ the Lightgiver, for just $22.
Wednesday, June 2 - Chapter 5, 6 & Appendix A
Wednesday, June 9 - Appendix A, B & C
The book study will be in person and online. The in-person group will meet in the narthex of the Long Hall until the parish house renovation is complete.
See the emailed newsletter for Zoom details.
St. Thomas School
This coming Saturday, June 5, we will continue with Volume III of the Metropolitan Hilarion’s series, The Architecture, Icons, and Music of The Orthodox Church. It is still a great time to pick up the series. Matt Groh will be leading the discussion of Chapter 5, The Liturgical Vestments of the Clergy.
The following link will provide a summary of the material that will be covered: Chp 5: Liturgical Vestments of the Clergy
See the emailed newsletter for Zoom details.
Fellowship Hour
In Orthodox communities, in America, a fellowship hour is a time after Liturgy, where coffee and a small meal are served in order to facilitate visitation among parishioners. Different communities do this differently, but, at St. John’s, a person in charge of the kitchen divides and oversees groups of parishioners who will serve the meal on a rotating basis. A team consists of a team leader and several families who come together to make a small meal, serve and then clean the kitchen in preparation for the following week. The kitchen manager, for lack of a better term, organizes the teams and prepares a schedule for service for the year. The team leaders work with their teams to come up with a simple meal and decide who will make what for that week. Ideally, this should be done at least two weeks in advance and with as small a financial outlay as possible for the team members.
Since so many of our folks have not even participated in a Fellowship Hour, due to the public health crisis, on Sunday, June 13, and Sunday, June 20, we will have Model Fellowship Hours, so everyone can see how it’s done and experience it first-hand. Some of our Fellowship Hour veterans will be making it all happen, so plan on sticking around after the Divine Liturgy.
Our parish works best with at least 12 teams. Ideally, every family in the parish should be able to participate in Fellowship hour; as serving is an excellent way to get to know fellow parishioners. But, right now, what we are looking for is team leaders. As soon as we have enough team leaders, we will have a meeting to answer any further questions. If you would like to be on a team but do not feel able to serve as a leader, please look for a signup sheet which is now in the Narthex. If you would like to be a team leader, please email Misty Wright, our hard-working kitchen manager.
Coming Up
Picnic for the Departed
Also, on the morning of Saturday, June 5, the Picnic for the Departed will be held for Bruce Khoury at 10:30 a.m. The event will be held at Cook Walden Cemetery. Everyone is encouraged to bring refreshments and lawn chairs. For additional information, contact Valerie Groh.
Northern Typika
The next Northern Typika will be on Sunday, June 6. This is for all those folks who live in the Jarrell, Temple, Belton, Harker Heights, Killeen, and Copperas Cove area, to give them a break from driving. Father Deacon Andrew Wilson will be offering the service at the home of Steve and Keri Grandalski. If you would like to participate, just get in touch with Jerry Juliano.
Feast of the Ascension
We will be celebrating the Feast of the Ascension on Wednesday, June 9, and Thursday, June 10. We will offer Great Vespers at 7:00 p.m. on the 9th, and, on the 10th, the day of the feast, we will serve Orthros at 7:00 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.
Pentecost Weekend and the Last Saturday of Souls
This year, Pentecost Weekend falls on Saturday, June 19, and Sunday, June 20. Saturday, June 19, is the final Saturday of Souls for 2021, so, if you were unable to make any of the Lenten Saturdays of Souls, please be sure and join us for Orthros at 7:00 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. Please be sure and also write the names of those that you wish to commemorate in the commemoration book that’s available in the narthex. The services for the weekend then continue with Great Vespers at 6:00 p.m. that evening, and, the following morning with Orthros at 8:00 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. We will finish up the weekend with our Pentecost Picnic during Fellowship Hour and the lovely service of Kneeling Vespers which will start no later than 1:00 p.m.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
Folks often like to get items blessed by the priest and they often like to get a blessing before a long trip. To make sure everyone has an opportunity to get a travel blessing as well as their icons, crosses, and new vehicles blessed, we perform all of those blessings on the first Sunday of each month. That means the first Sunday of each month is known as Blessing Sunday. It also means if you want to get an item blessed or have a travel blessing, you will need to plan ahead and make sure that happens on the first Sunday of the month. On that Sunday (which is this coming Sunday), everyone who desires a blessing will gather by the chanter’s stand and those blessings will be offered immediately following the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.
—
An unworthy priest,
Aidan
The Happy Priest is a publication of Life at A Dead Run Media, which is a subsidiary of One Take Productions. Our IT Guy is Jerry Juliano (“Go, Jerry, Go!”). Our Webmaster is Seth Hart; our Keeper of Lists is Father Deacon Andrew Wilson; our Roving Reporter is Ernie Merriman; our new favorite Danish Thrash Band is Thought Cod, and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.