Brothers and Sisters,
Christ is Risen!
At this Saturday’s session of St Thomas School, we are continuing our First Saturday of the Month Practical Orthodox Stuff Class (is that Name great, or what?). Our topic for March is Spiritual Reading, and it’s going to be led by one of the Directors of The St Thomas School/popular You Tuber/PhD in Philosopy/Soon To Be A Dad, Jared Henderson. Reading is actually one of Jared’s big interests, so if you have ever wondered what to read and how to read in order to draw closer to the Most Holy Trinity, this is the session for you. We will meet in the Long Hall at 4pm; we don’t do online links on these first Saturday sessions, so plan on showing up an getting all your questions answered in person.
And, speaking of Hendersons, there will be a baby shower for The Other Director of The St Thomas School/No Way You’re Getting Me on You Tube/Soon to be PhD in Philosophy and Mom, Mengyu, this coming Sunday, May 7, following Fellowship Hour. Please see the link to the even in the emailed version of the newsletter.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, May 3 and Friday, May 5
Daily Services
Monday, May 1 -Friday, May 5:
Orthros 5am
Vespers 5pm
Seth Hart and friends will be at the online chanter’s stand offering the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours this week.:
1st hour: 6:45 a.m.
3rd hour: 8:45 a.m.
6th hour: 11:45 a.m.
9th hour: 3:45 p.m.
Join the Daily Hours on Discord.
St. John Trapeza Readings
Fr. Andrew, Seth Hart, and Matthew Groh and many other folks continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They are currently reading Commentary on Psalm 118 by St Theophan the Recluse. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
Please see the emailed version of the newsletter for the link to join the Trapeza Readings on Discord.
Tuesday, May 2
Orthodoxy 101 7pm
You can access the group on Discord.
Wednesday, May 3
The Pascha Book Study 7pm
You can access the group on Discord using this link in the emailed version of the newsletter.
Thursday, May 4
The Bible Study, The New Testament Edition 7pm
You can access the group on Discord using this link in the emailed version of the newsletter.
Saturday, May 6
St Thomas School 4pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, May 7 The Sunday of the Paralytic
Orthros 8am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
Since this is the first Sunday of the month, it is Blessing Sunday, so if you’re going to be traveling during May or if you have icons, prayer ropes, and crosses to be blessed, just show up at the chanter’s stand after liturgy for those prayers. But the first Sunday of the month is also Claim Your Stuff Sunday; that means you need to check the Lost and Found Box in the kitchen because it will all go to Goodwill after Fellowship Hour is over.
st. thomas school
On Saturday, May 6, Jared Henderson will be teaching on Spiritual Reading. We don’t provide online links to these first Saturday sessions, but the remote connection will once again be available next week.
mEMORIAL GARDEN UPDATE
Currently, the stones that parishioners may place in the Memorial Garden have been reserved for these three circumstances:
A departed parishioner of St. John’s who either has no grave, or it is more than 100 miles from the church
In memory of infants who departed this life before birth, under any circumstances
Departed immediate family members who were Orthodox, and whose graves are out of state
However, as we are a parish comprised primarily of converts, this leaves a noticeable void for those who have lost a non-Orthodox family member who chose to have no grave, or it is too far to visit regularly. So, to provide a place for these parishioners to remember their loved one, the St. Joanna Myrrhbearers are opening the garden to St. John members who have an immediate non-Orthodox family member who either has no grave, or it is out of state. Immediate family members include parents, brothers and sisters, and children. Our wish is to provide a place where all of us can place a small stone in remembrance of those we love, and pray that their memories be eternal. We ask that anyone in this circumstance who would like to purchase a stone speak with the Myrrhbearers first. You can contact Becky Thurner for more information.
coming up
The Pascha Book Study is now in it's third week; it will meet each Wednesday night at 7pm through May 17. This year’s study is structured just like the Fall Theological Seminar; we will have a series of presentations that will focus on our new temple, but we will also be talking about men’s issues and women’s issues and how, as women and men, we will interact with one another in our new temple. Please plan on joining us, either in person or on Discord, for what promises to be a very important time in the life of our community.
We’ve already started getting ready for the next steps in our Building Program, and the way we’re doing that is through Prayer and Fellowship. When it comes to prayer, we’re asking everyone to purchase a copy of The Temple Akathist and to offer that service at home once a week. Copies are available at Christ the Lightgiver Bookstore. And while you’re picking up your copy of that service, if you don’t already have an icon of St Eanswythe of Folkestone, please get one of those, as well. St Eanswythe has been, for many years, the Patroness of our Building Program, and she’s the focus of our fellowship efforts—because what we want everyone to do is invite some friends over once a month to share a meal and to offer The Temple Akathist and then to post a photo of that fun on Discord.
On Saturday, May 27, we will have our First Annual Blessing of Animals. May 27 is the Feast Day of St Melangel of Wales; she had a special relationship with rabbits. But a great many other Orthodox saints have also had close relationships with bears and whales and mice and leopards and lions. We're not going to be blessing any whales or leopards, but, if you have a pet that you would like to have blessed, just bring your animal up to the parish, and we will bless them all before Great Vespers--and then, in the service of vespers we will listen to some very special hymnography about how all animals will be sanctified through our love of the Most Holy Trinity. Dr Jason Foster, a member of our parish who has been a vet for many years, is providing with some really helpful guidelines for this event, and we will share those with you as we get closer to May 27. But right now, go ahead and enter that date into your phone and plan on joining us for this beautiful service.
OUR MOMENT OF GRACE AND COURTESY
On Saturday evening, we offer the Mystery of Holy Confession. While folks are waiting to participate in the mystery, we play a recording of the Pre-Communion Prayers in the narthex. So, if you wish to visit with friends or introduce yourself to visitors during this time, please do so out on the porch. This will allow the people who are going to make their confession to prepare properly.
Things That Make Priests Happy
Talking with David M. about Mikhail B; listening to the deacons talk about their beard regimens (one likes peppermint; the other prefers citrus); hanging out at Handel’s with John W. (I recommend the super-dooper triple chocolate); hearing about Roxanne S.’s new job opportunity; learning that, in medieval England, an early morning liturgy was called a ‘glutton mass’ because you didn’t have to fast very long; hearing all the great Talent Show music; rolling down the car window and watching the wind wave through the long grass and the flowers bobbing on the swell.
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 Christian Perez; our Webmasters are Lily Halsey and Seth Hart; our Keeper of Lists is Father Andrew Wilson; our Roving Reporter is Upshur Clampette; we’re just crazy about our new spirulina donuts, and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.