Brothers and Sisters,
Christ is Risen!
This coming Saturday, May 25, we are going to have our annual Blessing of Animals. Monday, May 27 is the feast day of St Melangel of Wales; she had a special relationship with rabbits. However, there are a great many saints that have had close relationships with all sorts of animals, and the birds and the beasts and the creatures of the sea are going to be redeemed along with all of us. We already bless domestic animals when we do House Blessings each year, but bringing our pets to the parish for a blessing is even more fun. However, we want everyone--humans and pets--to participate in the blessing in a way that is safe and healthy, so we consulted with Jason F., a member of our community who's been a vet for a number of decades, and we’ve put together some guidelines for the event. Please read through them carefully:
The blessing will take place outside. Animals will not be allowed either in the Parish House or the Long Hall.
We will gather in the area between the Long Hall and the Parish House at 4:30pm on Saturday, May 25. The service will be the Ninth Hour, and it will most likely take about 20 minutes.
All small animals (cats, gerbils, lizards, guinea pigs, hamsters, snakes, etc) must be in containers, and they must stay in those containers while they are on parish property.
All dogs must be on leashes, and they must be leashed the entire time they are on parish property. Young children should not be allowed to control dogs; a responsible adult must handle the leashed dog. Also, if you have a dog that is aggressive or nervous or that does not interact well with humans or other animals, please do not bring it to the parish. We will be happy to bless aggressive and anxious dogs at their homes.
Domestic farm animals (goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, horses) are welcome, but they must remain in the trailers or vehicles in which they are transported.
There should not be any contact between any of the animals while they are on parish property.
All dogs and cats must be vaccinated. Dogs must have had Distemper (DHPP), Kennel Cough (Bordetella) and Rabies. Cats must have had Feline Distemper or upper respiratory vaccine (FVRCP) and Rabies. If you have questions about any of those vaccinations, Jason has indicated that he will be happy to communicate with you on our parish Discord platform. If your dog or cat does not have all those vaccination, and you would still like the animal to be blessed, you are welcome to attend the service, but the dog or cat must stay in your car. One of the priests will bless the animal while it is in the car.
Please bring water in a bottle or a bowl for your pet.
Please bring plastic bags and be prepared to clean up after your pet when they have a bowel movement.
That may seem like a lot, but it's pretty normal pet stuff, and it will ensure that our Blessing of Animals is a beautiful service that honors the Most Holy Trinity. And, notice, it is a worship service--that means we're not organizing a temporary dog park or a petting zoo. We're going to read prayers, bless all the animals with holy water, and sing some hymns. Then those of us who do not have pet responsibilities will go into the Long Hall for Great Vespers--and Great Vespers will feature hymns that have been specifically composed for the occasion. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with Father Aidan or Jason.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, May 22, and Friday, May 24. Time to get back on the wagon.
Daily Services
Monday, May 20—Friday, May 24: Orthros 5am; Vespers 5pm (In general, it’s good to remember that if you plan on attending the in-person services, it’s always a good idea to check the day before and make sure the regular schedule will be observed).
Fr. Andrew, Seth Hart, and Matthew Groh and many other folks continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They are now reading “The Divine Names” by St Dionysius the Areopagite. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
Also, our online team will now be reading the Daily Synaxarion on Discord. Just look for this channel: #synaxarion
Tuesday, May 21
Orthodoxy 101 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Wednesday, May 22
The Pascha Book Study 7pm
Thursday, May 23
The Bible Study, New Testament Edition 7pm; you can access this group on Discord
Saturday, May 25
St Thomas School 4pm
Ninth Hour and The Blessing of Animals 4:30pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, May 26
The Sunday of the Paralytic
Orthros 8am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
St Thomas School
On Saturday, May 25, Father Andrew Wilson will be leading the discussion of chapter four of Volume V entitled, “Confession”. Online access is available on Discord; like to participate online, you still need to sign-up ahead of time. Just send an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org by Thursday, May 23, to reserve your spot.
This Past Sunday’s Memorial Service
This past Sunday we prayed for Rdr. Nikolaus and Nadja O. Their daugher Vera, is a faithful and supportive member of St. John's in many capacities, and wrote a memorial biography for them, which is included in the email version of the newsletter. Please read her remembrance of them, so you will have a more personal connection to these departed brothers and sister in Christ!
A Musical Opportunity for Women
This is for all adult women who've wanted to sing with the Liturgy Choir but can't commit long-term: Come to 4 rehearsals this summer and then sing with a women-led choir for the Feast of Dormition (Thursday, 8/15) and Sunday Liturgy on 8/18! We'll be using the main music we use every Sunday, so there's very little new music to learn. We want a LARGE section of sopranos and altos! Husbands / Dads / Godfamily - please work to help your wife/daughter/Godfamily make it to sing at the following rehearsals and Liturgies while you take care of the Children:
Tuesday, 6/11 - Rehearsal, 7-9pm
Tuesday, 6/25 - Rehearsal, 7-9pm
Tuesday, 7/16 - Rehearsal, 7-9pm
Tuesday, 8/6 - Rehearsal, 7-9pm
Thursday, 8/15 - Divine Liturgy for Feast of Dormition, early morning
Sunday, 8/18 - Warmup & Divine Liturgy, starting at 8:55am
Ladies - here's what you need to do:
Let Karen M. (Choir Director) know you're interested as soon as you're able via discord or talk with her after a service.
Put the above 4 rehearsals (if you need to miss 1 that's okay, just let Karen know) and Liturgies on your calendar to sing with the Liturgy Choir.
Come sing with us!! Questions? Contact Karen!
Coming Up
Every year, we build upon the spiritual blessings that we acquire during Great Lent by participating in The Pascha Book Study. The study runs every Wednesday evening through the entire season (the final Wednesday evening, we all attend Great Vespers for the Feast of the Ascension). The group begins at 7pm, and, this year, we are working our way through the text of The Akathist for a New Temple. We’ve been reading through that long hymn for just about a year now, but, during these Wednesday evenings, we’re going to be talking about all the Biblical references and all the saints that are in the poem, and we will also be talking about what that means for our Capital Campaign which will officially begin in just a few months. That has already proven to be a lot of fun, but, on the final Wednesday evening, we will also have a very special surprise that you simply won’t want to miss, so, if you don’t already have a copy of the Akathist, pick one up at Christ the Lightgiver (start praying through it each week), and plan on joining us May 15, 22, 29, and June 5. Remember, the fun is more real when you’re really there, but, if you’re over 50 or live a long way from the parish, you can join us on Discord.
On Thursday, June 13, we will celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. We will offer Great Vespers at 7pm on Wednesday, June 12, and then, on the day of the feast, we will serve Orthros at 5am and Divine Liturgy at 7am. Join with us as we rejoice in the Entrance of Christ Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
Our iconographers have told us that our icons will last much, much longer if we will only touch or kiss the outer frame of the image. So, when you are reverencing the icons on the iconostasis or the front wall of the nave, just touch or kiss the image along the red line that runs along the outer frame--our grandchildren and great grandchildren will thank you.
an unworthy priest
aidan