Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
If you’re looking for something to do this summer, why not pick up a couple of books from our parish library? It’s one of the best collections in the archdiocese and you might just find a volume that will change your life. You can visit the library during Fellowship Hour or access it online and reserve a book through the website. For details how to sign up, visit https://theforerunner.squarespace.com/library.
If you were not able to attend the St. Constantine Orthodox Classical School Seminar this past Saturday, July 9th, and want to know what you may have missed, you may watch the videos that were emailed version of the Happy Priest Newsletter.
OUR CALENDAR
Fasting Days
Wednesday, July 13 and
Friday, July 18
Daily Services
Monday, July 11 - Friday, July 15
Orthros 5am
Vespers 5pm
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
Seth Hart is continuing to read the Hours on ZOOM.
First Hour, 6:45 a.m.
Third Hour, 8:45 a.m.
Sixth Hour, 11:45 a.m.
Ninth Hour, 3:45 p.m.
Please see the emailed newsletter for login information.
Tuesday, July 12
Orthodoxy 101 at 7:00 p.m. at the Parish House. The group will be discussing Children in the Church through the end of July.Orthodoxy
Please see the emailed newsletter for Zoom login details.
Thursday, July 14
Bible Study at 7:00 p.m.
Please see the emailed newsletter for login information:
Topic: Bible Study
Saturday, July 16
St. Thomas School at 4:00 p.m.
Great Vespers at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 17
Sunday of The Holy Fathers
Orthros at 8:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.
Fellowship Hour at Noon
Akathist to the Mother of God of the Inexhaustible Cup Noon
ST THOMAS SCHOOL
On Saturday, July 16, Father Aidan will lead the discussion of Chapter Eleven in Volume One, “The Formation of the Canonical Structure of The Orthodox Church”.
In order to participate online, send an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org by this coming Thursday, July 14. You will also need to keep your camera on during the session.
Church Iconography
Baker Galloway has started work on the iconography for our Church School classrooms. If you would like to follow his progress so you can pray more effectively for him and for the project, just check out his blog at this link: https://theforerunner.squarespace.com/iconography-project
If you would like to know what it’s like to paint icons—or if you would like to commission an icon from Baker—just follow this link: sacredfaceicons.com.
COMING UP
The Dormition Fast
On Monday, August 1, we will begin the Dormition Fast. During this Fast, which runs through Sunday, August 14th , the eve of the great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, we observe the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, wine and olive oil) Monday through Friday with a blessing for wine and olive oil on Saturday and Sunday, and for fish, wine and olive oil on the great feast of the Transfiguration on Saturday, August 6th. If you need to modify the fast in any way, please check with your spiritual father.
Paraclesis to the Mother of God
During the Dormition Fast, we offer The Paraclesis to the Mother of God each week night between Monday, August 1 and Friday, August 13. That means, this year, there will be ten opportunities to participate in this lovely service. That also means all of us should be able to be present at least once during the fast. So, please look at your calendar and make plans to join us as we ask the Most Holy Theotokos for her intercessions.
Dormition Confession
Before the Feast of the Dormition on Monday, August 15, the Archdiocese expects all of us to make our confession. In our parish, that Holy Mystery is offered on Saturday evenings after Great Vespers or just about any other time by special appointment.
Fall Theological Seminar
This week, we all received an announcement about The 2022 Fall Theological Seminar. In case you missed that announcement, a copy of it is attached to this edition of The Happy Priest. During this year’s seminar, we will be talking about What’s Next in our building program and in the life of our parish community. This will be one of the most important things we have ever done at St. John’s and we want to hear from everyone during this process. So, please go ahead and reserve your Wednesday evenings this fall, beginning on Wednesday, August 31 and running through Wednesday, November 9.
OUR MOMENT OF GRACE AND COURTESY
Agreeing, with Sarah S., that baby equipment is getting more and more complicated; talking with John B. about The Brotherhood of the White Truck; concurring, with Mike and Linda B., that sometimes you just have to drop the water hose and run; watching Misty W. raise money and conduct a vase purge; getting a hotel recommendation from Mother Barbara; seeing so many people at the Orthodox School meeting; watching the high clouds of summer and remembering how Louis Jenkins describes them passing “like parade floats’.
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 Father Deacon Gerasimos Juliano. Our Webmasters are Lily Halsey and Seth Hart. Our Keeper of Lists is Father Andrew Wilson. Our Roving Reporter is Ulysse Merou. We’re trying out new corporate slogans (the latest: ‘Our Concepts Sing Ferociously!’), and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.