Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
Happy Feast!
On Tuesday, June 29, we will celebrate the Feast of our Patriarchate, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. We will serve Great Vespers on Monday, June 28, at 7:00 p.m. (and that Monday will be the only day of the Apostle’s Fast this year) and then we will offer Orthros at 7:00 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. on the 29th. Come honor the Princes of the Apostles and the Patrons and Protectors of our Patriarchate, the Great City of God, Antioch and All the East.
On Wednesday, June 30, at 7:00 p.m., we will offer an Unction Service. Details available in the emailed newsletter.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Monday, June 28 (One Day Apostle’s Fast), Wednesday, June 30, and Friday, July 2
Daily Services
Monday, June 28 to Friday, July 2
Orthros 5am;
Vespers 5pm
Check the schedule for the festal services. 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-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.
Monday, June 28
Great Vespers for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 29
The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul
Orthros at 7:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, June 30
Unction Service at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 3
St. Thomas School at 4:00 p.m.
Great Vespers at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 4
The Second 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 3, Baker Galloway will continue leading the discussion of Chapter 7, The Iconographic Tradition in Byzantium, pgs. 149-184.
The following link will provide a summary of the material that will be covered:
www.theforerunner.org/blog/2021/6/5/orthodox-christianity-vol-iii-chp-6-early-christian-painting
See the emailed newsletter for Zoom login info.
Financial Update
Thanks to your generosity and to the grace and mercy of the Most Holy Trinity, we ended May with a surplus of $3200. That brings the budget surplus for the year to $47,500. And that’s a really good cushion to have, especially as we head into the summer. However, please be aware that we are still working on renovating the parish house from this past winter’s storm and we still hope to begin work on a new parking lot in the fall. So, check REALM or with the Finance Guys to make sure you are current on your giving and, if you are, please give a little more to assist those folks who haven’t been able to give as much as they had hoped.
Church School
We are planning to have Church School during the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022! We will begin the fall semester on Sunday, September 12, and it will run through Sunday, December 5. We will begin the Spring Semester on Sunday, January 9, and it will run through, Sunday, May 15.
However, this year, a number of things about our Church School program will be different and we will need your assistance in order to make everything work.
First of all, we need your prayers. We still need one teacher and one assistant and the parish house renovations are not yet complete. Please be praying that volunteers will be forthcoming, that the parish house flooring will be installed quickly, and that all the furniture and equipment will be in place soon. If, during your prayers, you are inspired to teach or assist or help with the renovation, then, by all means, get in touch with Father Aidan, and we will put you to work.
Second, we need your cooperation. If you are the parent of a child ages three through twelve, then we need you to click on this link https://forms.gle/XZ7dG9jgrGjwdRbg9and fill out a registration form for each of your children by Sunday, June 27 (THAT’S TODAY!).
Finally, we need your understanding and patience. Because we now have so many children, we no longer have enough space for everyone to meet at the same time. That means that we will divide each of the three Levels of Church School (Level I, ages 3-6; Level II, ages 6-9; Level III, ages 9-12) in two. One group will meet on the first and third Sundays of the month, from 8:15 a.m. through 9:30 a.m. One group will meet on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, from 8:15 a.m. through 9:30 a.m. Obviously, we want to keep all families together in one group and on the same Sundays, but we won’t know what the exact numbers will look like until all the registration forms are in—so please submit those forms as quickly as possible.
Also, speaking of patience and understanding, as you no doubt read in the recent letter about masking that was sent to the parish, our teachers will each set the masking policy for their own classroom. That means some classes may do things differently than other classes. Nevertheless, since our teachers work very hard, it is only fair to allow them to have the final say when it comes to the issue of masks. If you have questions about that approach, just check with Father Aidan.
Apart from serving the Divine Liturgy, educating our children and young people is the most important responsibility we have as Orthodox Christians. With your prayers, cooperation, and your patience and understanding—and with the grace of the Most Holy Trinity—we will do a great job with Church School in the coming year.
Coming Up
This coming Sunday, July 4, is the first Sunday of the month and that means it will be Blessing Sunday. So, if you have an icon or a cross or a prayer rope or a new car that you would like to get blessed—or if you are going to be taking a trip during the coming month—just meet over at the chanter’s stand following the Divine Liturgy and we will get you all fixed up.
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 night 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 turn-out for our parish feast day this past month, so let’s be sure and support the other communities in the area.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
There are any number of reasons why people find themselves in the narthex and kitchen during liturgy. Some people have children that they need to calm. Some people have fellowship hour responsibilities. Some people have social phobias. Some people get tired. However, if you do end up in the narthex and kitchen during liturgy, we ask that you continue to participate in the service by remaining as quiet as possible. You can listen to the service over the sound system in those areas. So, even if you can't be in the nave, you can still help us all maintain our focus during the 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 Della Frey. Our corporate headquarters features a dirigible mooring mast so we can easily disembark from our Zeppelin airship and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.