Brothers and Sisters,
Christ is Risen!
This coming Wednesday, May 29, is the Feast of Mid-Pentecost, which means we are now half way through the Paschal Season—and that’s a good time to assess how we are doing: Have we started back with our Wednesday and Friday fasting? Have we been attending the Divine Services on a regular basis? Are we participating in any of the adult education events at the parish? We probably ought to also check and see if we’re caught up on our stewardship commitment and consider whether it’s time to, once again, start participating in the Mystery of Holy Confession.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, May 29, and Friday, May 31.
Daily Services
Monday, May 27 - Friday, May 31
Orthros 5 am
Vespers 5 pm
(Please 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, and will resume reading "The Ethics of Beauty" at some point this week. The schedule is M-F at 12pm.
Also, our online team will now be reading the Daily Synaxarion on the #synaxarion channel.
Tuesday, May 28
Parish Council 7pm in the Parish House
Orthodoxy 101 at 7pm in the Long Hall (also on Discord)
Wednesday, May 29
Pascha Book Study at 7pm
Thursday, May 30
Bible Study, Old Testament Edition at 7 pm on Discord
Liturgy Choir Rehearsal at 7 pm in the nave
Saturday, June 1
St Thomas School at 4pm
Great Vespers at 6pm
Sunday, June 2
The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
Orthros 8 am
Divine Liturgy 10 am
Fellowship Hour Noon
Tuesday, June 4
Orthodoxy 101 at 7pm in the Long Hall (also on Discord)
Thursday, June 6
Bible Study, New Testament Edition at 7 pm on Discord
Memorial Service
At our memorial service, we prayed for the soul of Walter S.; a longtime member of our community. Many of you know Taras, his son, who has also been a member of St. John's. Taras experienced some computer issues over the last couple weeks, so was not able to complete his father's memorial bio. Look for it in an upcoming Happy Priest!
St. Thomas School
On Saturday, June 1, we will we have one of our popular Practical Saturday Classes. Father Aidan will lead the discussion of liturgical etiquette. We will be talking about entering and exiting the nave, lighting candles, reverencing icons, supporting children, clothing, receiving the Gifts, and anything else that comes up. This Saturday will be an In-Person Only Session, so plan on joining us in the nave of The Long Hall at 4pm.
Finance Update
Thanks to your faithful support and the mercy of the Most Holy Trinity, we finished up April with a surplus of $17,000. That brings the surplus on the year to $48,000, which is a great place to be as we head into the summer. Nevertheless, just this past week, we were told that we will need to replace one of the AC units for the Long Hall, so, just as parish expenses are an on-going matter, so generosity needs to be an on-going part of our spiritual disciplines. If you want to know where you are in your financial commitment to our community, just check out the information on REALM. If you have questions, just check with any of our Finance Folks, Arun J., Jennifer R., or Ray W.
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 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
Please remember that the bread you receive after communion and after reverencing the cross has been blessed at the altar. That means we all need to make sure that we pick up whatever crumbs may fall on the floor. Parents and grandparents need to watch their children and grandchildren and assist them in this important and respectful work. Once the crumbs have been picked up, you may consume them or simply take them outside and scatter them for the birds.
an unworthy priest,
aidan