ST. JOHN ORTHODOX CHURCH

 

1663 TUTWILER AVENUE

MEMPHIS, TN 38107

(901) 274-4119

www.stjohnmemphis.org

 

V. Rev. Fr. John Troy Mashburn, Jr.                                   Rev. Fr. Nicholas Meyers

Pastor                                                                          Assistant Pastor

 

    V. Rev. Fr. Basil Cushman                                                Rev. Fr. Donald Berge

Associate Pastor                                                                      Attached

 

GREAT VESPERS                       ORTHROS and CHURCH SCHOOL    DIVINE LITURGY

Saturday, 6:00 p.m.                                     Sunday, 9:00 a.m.                      Sunday, 10:00 a.m.

 

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

“…the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch!”

Acts 11:26

 

 

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

May 3, 2009

Epistle: Acts 6:1-7         Gospel:  Mark 15:43-16:8

                                                                                                                               

The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered this morning by Mary Ann Coccaro.

 

Welcome to all those visiting St. John Orthodox Church.  We are honored by your presence.  It is our sincere desire that your participation today in the Divine Liturgy will draw you closer to Christ and His Church.

 

If you are from a non-Orthodox background you may see new things such as icons, incense, the sign of the cross, the veneration of saints, and a great deal of standing.  These can be perplexing to the uninitiated eye.  Rest assured that everything we do has a solid biblical foundation and a long history among Christian people.  Please feel free to participate where you feel comfortable, and feel equally as free only to observe when you prefer.

 

The Orthodox Church understands the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, to be – among other things – the paramount expression of Christian unity.  While it is our deepest hope that Christendom will one day fulfill Christ’s desire for true unity among all those who claim His name (John 17:21), the unfortunate reality of our day is that the various segments of Christendom are not unified with the historic Orthodox faith.  Since participation in the Eucharist expresses a unity with all the dogma and practice of the Orthodox Church, non-Orthodox guests do not receive Holy Communion.  The Holy Eucharist is reserved for those members of the Orthodox Church who have prepared themselves by prayer, fasting, and recent confession.  All visitors and unprepared Orthodox are invited to partake of the blessed bread as they come forward to venerate the cross at the end of the Liturgy.  Thank you for your understanding.

 

 

ST. JOHN CALENDAR                                        May 3rd – May 10th (Wed. & Fri. Fast)

Sunday            - No Teen Group

Monday          - First Hour, 6:45 a.m.

Tuesday          - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

            - Men’s Lunch, 11:45 a.m.

            - Catechumen & Inquirers Class, 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday     - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

            - Vespers, 5:30 p.m.

            - Parish Meal, 6:15 p.m.

            - Wednesday Teaching, 7:00 p.m.

            - Parish Council Meeting, 7:45 p.m.

Thursday        - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Women’s Teaching, 10:00 a.m.

Friday             - First Hour, 6:45 a.m.

                        - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Stay & Play Group will meet in the fellowship hall after third hour.

            - Sixth Hour, 12:00 p.m.

Saturday         - Ninth Hour and Great Vespers, 5:50 p.m. 

Sunday            - Orthros, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Church School, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.

 

Divine Liturgy                                                                             Friday, May 8th , 9:00 a.m.

PRIEST:                       Fr. John                                    HOMILY:        Fr. John

DEACONS:                 Dns. Tim & James                    READER:        Billy Srantom

HOLY BREAD:           Mindy Williams                         USHER:          

ALTAR SERVERS:     Any who can

 

Divine Liturgy                                                                        Sunday, May 10th , 10:00 a.m.

PRIEST:                       Fr. John                                    HOMILY:        Fr. John

DEACONS:                 Dns. Charles & Tim                  READER:        Jack Turner

HOLY BREAD:           Laura Graham                          USHER:           Aaron White

ALTAR SERVERS:     Caleb, Luke S., Misha, Joe

 

Dates to remember:     May 28 – Ascension

June 7 – Pentecost                    June 10-14 – Parish Life Conference

 

FASTING NOTE:  With the blessing of the Synod of Antioch, a katalysis for fish, wine and oil is granted for all Wednesdays and Fridays of the Pentecostarion (the period between Pascha and Pentecost).

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMEMORATIONS

 

May 3: Martyrs Timothy the Reader and his wife Maura of Egypt; Peter, archbishop of Argolis; Ekumenios, bishop of Trikala; Venerable Luke of Mt. Stirion; repose of Venerable Theodosios of the Kiev Caves, founder of Russian Monasticism.

 

May 4: Venerable-martyr Palagia of Tarsus; Athanasios, bishop of Corinth; Venerable Nikephoros the Solitary of Athos.

 

May 5: Great-martyr Irene of Thessalonika; Venerable Euthymios, bishop of Maditos in Thrace.

 

May 6: Righteous Job the long-suffering; Venerable Seraphim of Mount Domvu; translation of the relics of Sabbas, first archbishop of Serbia.

 

May 7: The commemoration of the apparition of the sign of the Cross over Jerusalem (351 AD); Martyr Akakios the centurion at Byzantium; Venerable Kodratos; Venerable Neilos the myrrh-streaming of the Great Lavra on Athos; Venerable Neilos of Sora; Venerable-martyr Pachomios of Athos; repose of Venerable John of Beverly; Priest Alexis, confessor and defender of Orthodoxy in America.

 

May 8: Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian; Venerable Arsenios the Great.

 

May 9: Prophet Isaiah; Martyr Christopher of Lycia; Venerable-martyr Nicholas; translation to Bari of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, archbishop of Myra in Lycia.

 

May 10: Apostle Simon Zelotes; Venerable Laurence of Egypt.

 

**For reading material on the saints for this week, visit the display in the church library.

 

 

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS       May 3 – May 10

            Sunday                         Acts 6:1-7                                Mark 15:42-16:8

            Monday                       Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60                  John 4:46-54

            Tuesday                       Acts 8:5-17                              John 6: 27-33

            Wednesday                  Acts 8:18-25                            John 6:35-39

            Thursday                      Acts 8:26-39                            John 6:40-44

            Friday                          Acts 8:40-9:19                         John 6:48-54

            Saturday                       Acts 9:20-31                            John 15:17-16:2

            Sunday             Acts 9:32-42                            John 5:1-15

 

 

 

 

 

- ALMS-GIVING –

St. John Alms Fund                            St. John Camping Fund

St. John Food Pantry             St. John Seminarian Fund

Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Mission Fund

Michael Bittle Fund – Holy Trinity Orthodox Church – Little Rock, AR

St. Paul Mission Station – Tupelo, MS

 

 

Pray for our catechumens:  In Memphis - Maria Cartagena, Maria Brackey, Lisa Martin, Barbara McWilliams, Jill Healy, Priscilla Neale, Misty Duke and David Twombly. In Tupelo - Shane Davis, Justin & Brandy Williams, Leah Hardy, Adam Clay, Casey & Jessica Hardy (Davis) and Justin Stevens. In Hernando – Donald Estes.

 

Please remember in your prayers: His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP, His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN, Archimandrite Roman Braga, Rev. Fr. Mikhail & the faithful of Spaso-Pargolovo (St. Petersburg), Buddy Taylor, Margaret Layman, Chris Hodges, Judy Smith (Julie Sanderlin’s mother), Shirley Gore (Judy Terry’s mother),  Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan’s mother), Mary Clark, Hannah Snowden (pregnant), Shanna Massouh (pregnant), Ann Hicks (Dianna Hildebrand’s mother), Sue Ingram, Charles Ingram, Ted & Patty Greathouse (Shelley Snowden’s parents), Laura Greathouse, Reuben & Earlene Snowden (Gene’s parents), Joyce Bittle, Allen Sudduth (Paul’s father), Helen Robbins (Sheila Sudduth’s mother), Paul Sudduth, Brendan Healy (Jill’s son), and Eliot Twombly (David’s nephew).

 

 

ST. JOHN COMMUNITY:

 

Catechumen and Inquirers’ class will meet this week

on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

 

Church Website – We would like to be sure everyone knows that there is an up-to-date calendar on the church website.  You can even click on a particular event and there will sometimes be additional details. http://www.stjohnmemphis.org/calendar.htm

 

Parish Life Conference – Several people are planning to attend.  It would be helpful to let Fr. John know if you are planning to do so.  If you have not contacted him already, please let him know if you are planning to be a participant at the conference.

 

Parish Life Conference assistance for Teens - As Joshua has requested elsewhere in the announcements, the teens are raising money to assist in attending the Parish Life Conference.  Those who receive assistance will participate in the Oratorical Festival at the conference.   As of today, we have received $620 in donations toward their goal. 

 

 

 

 

 

Antiochian Women of St. John’s Calendar

 

Women’s Teaching ~ THIS Thursday, May 7th at 10:00 a.m.

At the home of Anne Dugan

 

Book Club – Monday, May 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Kh. Pamela Mashburn

The Heart of the Family by Elizabeth Goudge

Upcoming Books:

June 8th ~ Hind’s Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

July 13th ~ The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

 

Bridal Shower for Sally Elliott – May 17th, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

 

 

LIBRARY LINES       Every Sunday between Pascha and Pentecost is a special commemoration.  Surprisingly not every one is related to a person specifically mentioned in the account of the Passion of the Lord.  Read about them all in Alexander Schmemann’s Celebration of Faith series, The Church Year and Michel Quenot’s The Resurrection and the Icon.

            Can you name all of the Myrrhbearers?  Do you know that Sts. Joseph of Arimathea (7/31) and Nicodemas (8/2) are also numbered with the holy women? Do you know each of their connections to Christ?  Read their stories in The Life of the Virgin Mary The Theotokos and Married Saints of the Church.  Look for Alexander Schmenann’s chapter on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women in his Celebration of Faith series, The Church Year.

            Wednesday we remember Job (5/6).  As we learned on Holy Friday, he was a fifth generation descendent of Abraham. He is an icon to us of faith and patience in the face of grief, poverty, rejection and bodily suffering. The Book of Job is considered a masterpiece of world literature, and we rejoice in his story because he is a picture of Christ. He is remembered at Pascha as the later verses of the Book record that he will “rise again with those whom the Lord resurrects.”

            Saturday we commemorate the Prophet Isaiah (5/9). On Holy Saturday and Pascha we sang, “Isaiah saw the never-setting light of the compassionate manifestation to us as God, O Christ. Rising early from the night he cried out, ‘The dead shall arise.’ Those in the tombs shall awake.  All those on earth shall greatly rejoice.” He also prophesied the virgin birth and the suffering of Christ which were gloriously put to music by George Handel in “The Messiah.”  Isaiah died a martyr’s death and his relics are on Mt. Athos. 

 

Teen Group Events

 

Today, May 3rd – No meeting

 

Next Week, May 10th – Meeting with Seniors

 

 

Pro-life Corner:

            There has been no small outcry over President Obama’s selection as the keynote speaker to the 2009 Notre Dame graduating class.  As an ardent supporter of abortion, his selection to receive an honorary degree and to speak has caused a great deal of consternation among the university’s alumni and supporters. 

            Mary Ann Glendon, the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, a member of the editorial and advisory board of First Things, and the former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 2007 to 2009, has refused to accept the prestigious Laetare Medal from Notre Dame, citing Obama's support for abortion.  In a letter to the president of the university, she said the following:

            “A commencement . . . is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice. . . It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.” 

            Copies of the entire letter are in the parish hall and on on the bulletin board should you wish to read it.

            Additionally, a Notre Dame alumni group is reporting that approximately 900 members will not be giving $8.2 million in donations to the school in protest to the Obama appearance.  As of April 29, 2009, over 344,000 individuals had signed the petition at NotreDameScandal.com — opposing the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement, and copies began to be delivered to Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the Board of Trustees and the Board of Fellows as they prepared for scheduled meetings on Friday, May 1, at Notre Dame.

 

 

 

 

Dear Parishioners,

Christ is risen,

As June approaches, and with it, the Parish Life Conference, the Teens are making their plans to participate. As always, the cost is high, and we are forced to try to find ways to offset the expense. To that end, we would like once again to solicit donations from the faithful of the parish.

This year, every teen who benefits from the generosity of their fellow parishioners will undertake to prepare an oration, and participate in the Oratorical Festival at the Parish Life Conference. This is an excellent opportunity for teenagers to grow to know their Faith better, by finding a way to put into their own words the teachings of the Church. In addition, before the teens present their orations at the PLC, they will also present them to our parish, so that those here who are interested may see them speak.

Please consider helping us, either by sponsoring a particular youth and helping to cover his/her costs, or by making a donation to Teen Group for the Parish Life Conference.

Yours in our risen Lord,

Joshua

 

 

The Women of St. John

 

are invited to a Bridal Shower for

Sally Elliott

Sunday, May 17th from 1 – 3 p.m.

at the home of Reem Mansour

 

Sally & Jason are registered at:

Macy’s – Bed, Bath & Beyond - Target

 

If you are interested in participating in the group,

please contact Sarah Hodges – sphodges@gmail.com

 

From the Fathers

“Blessed the one who is always full of spiritual joy and has not grown slack in bearing the Lord’s good yoke, for he will be crowned with glory.”                                         - St. Ephraim the Syrian

 

“God is not only to be known in His blessed and incomprehensible being, for this is something which is reserved for His saints in the age to come. He is also to be known from the grandeur and beauty of His creatures, from His providence which governs the world day by day, from His righteousness and from the wonders which He shows to His saints in each generation. . . When we consider that He numbers the raindrops, the sand of the sea and the stars of heaven, we are amazed at the grandeur of His nature and His wisdom.”              - St. John Cassian

 

“There (in a book by St. Macarius of Egypt) it is written, ‘One must force oneself to pray, even if one has no spiritual prayer.’ And, ‘In such a case, God, seeing that a man earnestly is striving, pushing himself against the will of his heart (that is, his thoughts), He grants him true prayer.’ By true prayer, St. Macarius means the undistracted, collected, deep prayer that occurs when the mind stands unswervingly before God. As the mind begins to stand firmly before God, it discovers such sweetness, that it wishes to remain in true prayer forever, desiring nothing more.”           - St. Theophan the Recluse

 

“The demons are sleepless and immaterial, death is at hand, and I am weak. Lord, help me; do not let Thy creature perish, for Thou carest for me in my misery.”    -St. Peter of Damascus

 

“Where poverty of spirit is perceived, there is also the sorrow that is full of joy.”                        - St. Symeon the New Theologian