Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
The parish house renovation is almost complete! In the next few weeks, the movers hired by the insurance company will return all the furniture that was put in storage. We will then need to get all that back in the right place, so please be watching this newsletter for an announcement as to when we will need help with that work.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, July 14 and Friday, July 16
Daily Services
Monday, July 12, Thursday, July 15, and Friday, July 16
Orthros 5am;
Vespers 5pm
There will not be NO Daily Services on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Also, 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 and his kittens will be at the online chanter’s stand, offering the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours every day on ZOOM.
Schedule: Monday-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.
Thursday, July 15
Bible Study at 7:00 p.m.
See the emailed newsletter for Zoom login info.
Saturday, July 17
Orthros at 7:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.
These services are specifically for those folks who are not yet able to join us for the services which are more crowded. Masks are required for these services.
St. Thomas School at 4:00 p.m.
Great Vespers at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 18
The Third Sunday of St. Matthew
Orthros at 8:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.
Fellowship Hour at Noon
St. Thomas School
On Saturday, July 17, Polly Thurston will lead the discussion of Chapter 9, The Meaning of Icons.
The following link will provide a summary of the material that will be covered:
www.theforerunner.org/blog/2021/7/10/orthodox-christianity-vol-iii-chp9-the-meaning-of-icons
See the emailed newsletter for Zoom login info.
Church School
Attached to the emailed edition of The Happy Priest is a letter outlining our plans for the 2021-2022 Church School Year. The letter also contains assignments for each class and each Sunday. Please read through all of that material carefully and, if you have any questions or suggestions or concerns, get in touch with Father Aidan.
Feast of the Prophet Elias
The next celebration in the Central Texas Festal Cycle will be at St Elias. Father David Barr, the pastor, writes: “We will celebrate the Feast of the Prophet Elias this year with Great Vespers on the evening of Monday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. at our downtown Church and Orthros and Divine Liturgy on the morning of Tuesday, July 20 at our North Campus. Orthros will start at 8:30 a.m. and the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.” There was a good turnout for our parish feast day this past month, so let’s be sure and support the other communities in the area.
Parish Council Meeting
The parish council has its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 27. If you wish to speak at the meeting or place an item on the agenda, you are welcome to do that, but you also need to schedule that this week. Just speak to our president, Bessie Jacob.
The Dormition Fast
The Dormition Fast begins on Sunday, August 1, and it runs through Saturday, August 14. During this fasting season, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, wine and olive oil) is observed Monday through Friday with katalysis for wine and olive oil on Saturday and Sunday and for fish, wine and olive oil on the great feast of the Transfiguration on Friday, August 6th.
Paraclesis to the Mother of God
During the Dormition Fast, we will offer the Paraclesis to the Mother of God each weeknight at 7:00 p.m. That means there will be ten opportunities to participate in this beautiful service and that means all of us should be able to make at least one of those services between Monday, August 2 and Friday, August 13.
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
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 Marcia McGrath. When we’re yak skiing, we always remember to make sure the rope is secure before we shake the bucket of pony nuts and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.