(901)
274-4119
www.stjohnmemphis.org
V.
Rev.
Pastor
Assistant Pastor
V. Rev. Fr. Basil Cushman Rev. Fr. Donald Berge
Associate
Pastor Attached
GREAT
VESPERS ORTHROS and
Saturday,
Antiochian Orthodox
“…the
Disciples were called
Sunday
of the Paralytic
Epistle: Acts
The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered this morning by Laura Graham.
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
The Orthodox Church understands the Eucharist, or
Lord’s Supper, to be – among other things – the paramount expression of
Sunday -
Teen Group - Meeting with Seniors,
Monday - First Hour,
Tuesday - Third Hour,
- Men’s Lunch,
- Catechumen & Inquirers Class,
- Choir,
Wednesday - Third Hour,
- Vespers,
- Parish Meal,
- Wednesday Teaching,
- Parish Council Meeting,
Thursday - Third Hour,
Friday -
First Hour,
-
Third Hour,
- Stay & Play Group will meet in the
fellowship hall after third hour.
- Sixth
Hour,
Saturday -
Ninth Hour and Great Vespers,
Sunday - Orthros,
-
- Divine Liturgy,
Divine
Liturgy Sunday,
May 17th ,
PRIEST: Fr.
Nicholas HOMILY:
Fr. Nicholas
DEACONS: Dns. James & Charles READER:
HOLY BREAD: Sue Ingram USHER:
ALTAR SERVERS: Ethan, J. Morgan, Luke L., Deon
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 10: Apostle Simon Zelotes;
Venerable Laurence of
May 11: Hieromartyr Mokios, priest in
May 12: Germanos, patriarch of
Constantinople, Epiphanios, bishop of
May 13: Virgin-martyr Glykeria of Heraklea; Sergios the Confessor;
Venerable John the Georgian, founder of Iviron
monastery on Athos and Venerable Euthymios, George
and Gabriel of Iviron monastery; Venerable-martyrs of
Iviron monastery.
May 14: Martyr Isidore of
May 15: Achilles, bishop of Larisa; Venerable Pachomios the Great; Martyr Barbaros
the myrrh-streaming of Corfu; Isaiah, bishop of Rostov; Andrew the hermit; Titos, bishop of Crete; Demetrios,
prince of Moscow.
May 16: Venerable Theodore the Sanctified, disciple of Pachomios the Great; Alexander, archbishop of
May 17: Apostle Andronikos and Junia of the Seventy; Anthanasios
the New, bishop of
**For
reading material on the saints for this week, visit the display in the church
library.
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Sunday Acts
9:32-42 John
5:1-15
Monday Acts 10:1-16 John 6:56-69
Tuesday Acts
Wednesday Acts 14:6-18 John 7:14-30
Thursday Acts
Friday Acts
Saturday Acts 12:1-11 John 8:31-42
Sunday Acts
11:19-26, 29-30 John 4:5-42
- ALMS-GIVING –
Diocese of
Michael Bittle Fund – Holy Trinity
Orthodox Church –
Pray for our catechumens: In
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 (
Catechumen and
Inquirers’ class will meet this week
on Tuesday at
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
ST. PAUL SKETE – A workday is scheduled for
Saturday, May 23rd from
Antiochian Women of St. John’s Calendar
Book Club – Tomorrow,
May 11th at
The Heart of the Family by Elizabeth Goudge
Upcoming Books:
June 8th ~ Hind’s
Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
July 13th ~ The
NEXT SUNDAY!! Bridal Shower for Sally Elliott – May 17th,
Antiochian Women of
are invited to a Bridal Shower
for Sally Elliott
NEXT Sunday, May 17th
from
at the home of
Sally & Jason are registered at:
Macy’s – Bed, Bath & Beyond - Target
If you are interested in participating in the group gift,
please contact
LIBRARY LINES – Today
is one of those Sundays between Pascha and Pentecost when the commemoration is
for a person not specifically mentioned in the account of the Passion. Read
about these special Sundays in Alexander Schmemann’s
Celebration of Faith series, The Church
Year and in Michel Quenot’s The Resurrection and the Icon.
Why
is the account of the Paralytic so important that it is given a Sunday so soon
after Pascha? Fr. Schememann comments on
the Paralytic’s words, “I have no man,” in The
Church Year from the above mentioned series. See also St. John Chrysostom’s Homilies (#46-47)
for his account of this man’s encounter with Christ. Excerpts from more
of St. John Chrysostom’s writing on the Paralytic are also recorded in The Fathers of the Church
(REF/PAT/COM/CHR) and The Bible and the
Holy Fathers (REF/PAT/COM/MAN).
Sts.
Cyril and Methodios (5/11) are known as equal to the
apostles and enlighteners of the Slavs. Equal-to-the-Apostles is a special
title given to some saints in recognition of their outstanding service in the
spreading the Gospel, which is comparable to that of the original Apostles.
Among others who have been given this distinction are Mary Magdalene, Nina, Thekla,
Helen and Constantine, Nicholas of Japan and Great Prince Vladimir.
Sts.
Cyril and Methodios devised a Slavonic alphabet and
translated books used in celebrating the divine services and almost the entire
Old Testament. They were frequently opposed by the German bishops who insisted
the services be done in Latin.
See
icons of Sts. Cyril and Methodios and the Paralytic
and accounts of their lives in St. John Library.
Teen Group Events
Today, May 10th – Meeting with Seniors,
Next week, May 17th – Meeting with Middlers,
From
the Fathers
A brother questioned an old
man saying, “What good work should I do so that I may live?” The old man said,
“God knows what is good. I have heard it said that one of the Fathers asked
Abba Nisterus the Great, the friend of Abba Anthony,
and said to him, ‘What good work is there that I could do?’ He said to him,
‘Are not all actions equal? Scripture says that Abraham was hospitable and God
was with him. David was humble, and God was with him. Elias loved interior
peace and God was with him. So, do whatever you see your soul desires according
to God and guard your heart.’”
“Stint your stomach and you
will certainly lock your mouth, because the tongue is strengthened by an
abundance of food. Struggle with all your might against the stomach and
restrain it with all sobriety. If you labor a little,
the Lord will also soon work with you.”
- St. John Climacus
“An old man said to a
brother, ‘The devil is the enemy and you yourself are the house. The enemy
never stops throwing all that he finds into your house, pouring all sorts of
impurities over it. It is your part not to neglect throwing them outside again.
If you do not do this the house will be filled with all sorts of impurities and
you will no longer be able to get inside. But all that the other begins to
throw in, you should throw out again little by little, and by the grace of
Christ your house will remain pure.” - Desert
Father on spiritual vigilance
“We were created for eternal
life by our Creator, we are called to it by the word of God, and we are renewed
by holy Baptism. And Christ the Son of God came into the world for this, that He should call us and take us there, and He is
the one thing needful. For this reason your very first endeavor and care should
be to receive it. Without it everything is as nothing, though you have the
whole world under you.” - Abba Epiphanios