Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
We are forging ahead with the Fall Theological Seminar, so please join us either in person or online, not only this coming Wednesday at 7pm, but each and every Wednesday night between now and November 9. We’re talking about next steps in our building program, and we want to hear from everyone. To make that easier, Fredrick L. and Matt H. have created a link you can use to send in your comments (please see the emailed version of The Happy Priest for the link). Of course, you can also talk to Baker Galloway, Mike Brown, Will Hampton, or Father Aidan Wilcoxson in person or contact any of those folks via email.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, September 21 and Friday, September 23
Daily Services
Monday, September 19 to Friday, September 23
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 will be back at the online chanter’s stand offering the Hours and stream them to Zoom. The schedule is below:
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.
St. John Trapeza Readings
Also, Fr. Andrew, Matthew Groh, and Seth Hart are now broadcasting The St. John Trapeza Readings on Telegram every weekday at 12:00 p.m. The session starts with a short prayer, followed by a 20 minute reading. The first book they are reading is The Life in Christ by St. Nicholas Cabasilas.
If you would like to listen in, use this link to join the Telegram link shared in the emailed version of the newsletter.
Tuesday, September 20
Orthodoxy 101 7pm
Please see the login details in the emailed version of the newsletter to join Zoom meeting
Wednesday, September 21
The Fall Theological Seminar 7pm
Please see the login details in the emailed version of the newsletter to join Zoom meeting
Thursday, September 22
The Bible Study 7pm
Topic: St. John the Forerunner - Bible Study
Please see the login details in the emailed version of the newsletter to join Zoom meeting
Saturday, September 24
St. Thomas School 4 pm
Great Vespers at 6 pm
Sunday, September 25
Orthros 8am
Typika with Holy Communion at 315 E Ave D in Killeen 10am
Between Orthoros and the Divine Liturgy, there will be a baptism and a family will be made catechumens; please arrive early to join us for these Holy Mysteries
Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour at Noon
ST THOMAS SCHOOL
On Saturday, September 24, DeAnne Maisano will lead the discussion of Chapter Seven in Volume Two, “God in The New Testament” https://theforerunner.squarespace.com/blog/2021/5/9/orthodox-christianity-vol-iii-ch-2. In order to participate online, send an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org by this coming Thursday, September 22; you will also need to keep your camera on during the session.
An Announcement from The Myrrhbearers
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the laws of Christ.”
~Galatians 6:2
Few things in this life are more difficult to bear than the loss of a cherished loved one. And the loss becomes even more difficult to live with when there has been no Orthodox spiritual closure, or no closure at all. With this in mind, Fr. Aidan and Fr. Andrew have blessed the Myrrhbearers to offer the service of the Akathist for the Departed to all parishioners who find themselves in one of these situations. This is a gift that can help bring peace and healing when so many other things cannot.
In addition, the Myrrhbearers Mercy Meal team can offer additional support by providing an intimate meal (either at the church or to take home) under certain circumstances. Our ministry is in its fledgling stages, and though it may be possible in the future to accommodate requests for this in all situations, we are currently able to provide the following support:
Mercy Meals
To be served at the church for a maximum of 20 people immediately following the graveside service (within a reasonable distance from the church) after the Orthodox funeral for a departed Orthodox Christian parishioner of St. John’s.
Take Home Meals
To feed immediate family members whose non-Orthodox departed relative chose NOT to have a funeral service or memorial of any kind. This will be sent home with the family after the Akathist service.
Akathist Service
Served for the non-Orthodox family member of a St John parishioner when there HAS been a funeral and/or memorial service. No meal is offered in this instance.
Light Refreshments
To be sent home following the Akathist service for families who have suffered an early miscarriage. The Church’s prayer service for an infant lost at a later stage may be different, and support for this can be addressed in individual circumstances.
We will shortly have a form available in the Myrrhbearer’s section of St. John’s website that will allow you to communicate your particular situation to the clergy. Once that has been blessed, it will be passed along to us and we will coordinate with you on the details. More detailed information about this topic will be on our website page in the coming weeks, and we’ll keep you posted on that, as well as any changes or updates to the guidelines above.
The offering of the Akathist and communal support is an act of mercy, and a beautiful way we can bear each other’s burdens. We hope it provides you with comfort, and hope in the universal resurrection!
Coming Up
Fall Theological Seminar
Here’s the schedule of topics for the rest of the Fall Theological Seminar. Remember, we’re focusing on how each aspect of our life together connects to the Divine Liturgy. That means each and every topic is important, so please do your best to join us in person or online.
Wednesday, Sept 21 The Library and The Bookstore
Wednesday, Sept 28 Landscaping and Parking
Wednesday, Oct 5 Fellowship Hour
Wednesday, Oct 12 Music
Wednesday, Oct 19 Church School and Adult Education
Wednesday, Oct 26 Offices, Work Spaces, Storage
Wednesday, Nov 2 The Chapel and The Temple
Wednesday, Nov 9 Iconography
OUR MOMENT OF GRACE AND COURTESY
When the priests are processing through the nave during the Great Entrance, everyone is welcome to touch their vestments as an act of prayer. However, please do not grab hold of the vestments as this could cause an accident. Parents and grandparents, please be sure that your children understand that they are to simply hold out their hand and touch the vestments rather than try to hold on to them.
Things That Make Priests Happy
Blessing David and Karen M. on their 13th anniversary; hearing that Stephen G. is giving the bees lots of pep talks; going to Great Vespers at St Sophia; blessing Henri W.’s big bag of acorns; talking with Kyle D. and Rigel T. about food trucks and the importance of package recognition; offering the services for St Ninian of Galloway; admiring a photo of our granddaughter Eden’s leopard gecko, Benny; talking Halloween decorations with Wesley St. and Nick C. ; standing under a flowering tree, looking down at all the petals that had fallen on the sidewalk, and enjoying all the crushed colors.
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 William Miller; our ferret-legging team took bronze at the International Put ‘Em Down Derby, and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.