ST.
JOHN
ORTHODOX CHURCH
1663 TUTWILER AVENUE
(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
Acts 11:26
3rd Sunday of the Great Fast
Adoration of the Precious and Life-Giving
Cross
Epistle: Hebrews 4:14-5:6 Gospel: Mark
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
The Orthodox Church understands the Eucharist, or
Lord’s Supper, to be – among other things – the paramount expression of
Sunday - Vespers,
- Teen Group, Game Night
Monday - First
Hour,
- Great Compline,
Tuesday -
Third Hour,
-
Men’s Lunch,
- Parish
Council Meeting,
-
NO Catechumen/Inquirers
Wednesday - Third Hour,
- Presanctified Liturgy,
Thursday -
Third Hour,
-
Friday -
Third Hour,
- Paraklesis,
-
Akathist,
Saturday -
Prosfora Baking Workshop,
- Prayers for the Departed,
- Ninth Hour and Great Vespers,
Sunday - Orthros,
- Divine
Liturgy,
- Soup Kitchen,
- Vespers,
- Teen Group – Meeting with the Middlers
Divine
Liturgy Sunday, March 14,
PRIEST: Fr.
John HOMILY: Fr. John
DEACONS: Dns. Charles & Tim READER:
HOLY BREAD: Mindy Williams USHER:
ALTAR SERVERS: Caleb, Luke S., Alex, Joe, & Jake
COFFEE HOUR: Frank & Betsy Larker, Mary Ann Cocccaro
WELCOME
TEAM: Brandon Maas and
New
arrivals
Congratulations to the
Cameron’s and the Longa’s! Michael Walton Cameron was born Wednesday and weighed nine pounds and one
ounce. Elliott Luis Longa was
born Thursday and weighed seven pounds.
As of this writing, all are doing well.
COMMEMORATIONS
March 7: The Hieromartyrs
of Cherson: Basil, Ephraim, Eugene, Kapiton, Elpidios, Agathodoros and Aetherios; Venerable
Laurence; Venerable Paul the Simple, disciple of Venerable Anthony the Great.
March 8: Theophylaktos,
bishop of
March 9: The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.
March 10: Kodratos
of
March 11: Sophronios,
patriarch of
March 12: Venerable Theophanes
the Confessor of Sigriane; Gregory the Dialogist,
pope of
March 13: The translation of the relics of Nikephoros, patriarch of
March 14: Venerable Benedict of Nursia; Euschemenos, bishop of Lampsakos.
- ALMS-GIVING –
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Rachels’ Kids,
Inc. |
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, Buddy Taylor, Margaret Layman, Chris Hodges, Judy Smith (Julie Sanderlin’s mother), Shirley Gore (
NO Catechumen/Inquirers class on Tuesday.
NO Choir this week.
Prosfora Bakers Needed - We are currently in need of more prosfora bakers. Anyone interested is encouraged to
attend a demonstration beginning at
Soup Kitchen – As a parish, we will again serve next Sunday, March
14 at the soup kitchen at First Presbyterian Church on
Nave Work
Day – Saturday, March 20 – We will
need plenty of volunteers to help clean the nave in preparation for Pascha.
Parish Council Reminder – The Parish Council will meet Tuesday, March 9 at
Coming in April
– The Orthodox
Parish Life Conference 2010 – The Parish Life Conference, hosted by St.
George –
Lenten Handouts – There is a new handout available downstairs
entitled “Fasting Abundantly”. It can be
found in the parish hall along with the other handouts for Great Lent.
CD’s for Lent
Available in the Bookstore - If you
have never listened to Orthodox CDs for Lent, consider these English language
titles located in the bookstore. A Russian chant style by St. Vladimir Seminary
Choir entitled Presanctified Liturgy
is available as well. St. Vladimir has 3 other offerings of music: Chant,
Vigil and Rejoice (hymns about
the Theotokos).
Teen Group
Events
Today, March 7 – Game Night
NEXT WEEK, March 14 – Meeting with Middlers
Lenten Meal following Presanctified
Liturgy
(please
remember to sign up by
This week’s meal will be offered by
Minted Potatoes Fattoush Hummus
& pita Roasted Vegetables with rice
Lenten Alms-Giving –
For the remaining weeks of the Great Fast we have an
opportunity to add to the food pantry. There is a bucket just outside the food
pantry door in which to leave these specific items:
Sunday,
March 14 – Cans of Fruit and Individual Serving Fruit/Applesauce
Sunday,
March 21 – Toiletry Items – Toilet Paper, Lotion, Soap, shampoo, toothbrushes
Sunday,
March 28 – Rice, Beans, Pasta, Cereal & Boxed
Meals
More Lenten Alms giving opportunities – Collection boxes for coins are on the tables in the
parish hall. In addition to the boxes
used for years (Food for Hungry), we have boxes available for collecting for
the Memphis Food Bank. The food bank is very well run and serves the
great needs that exist in our community.
As always, this is an excellent way to let your children participate in
alms giving.
Antiochian Women of
Women’s Teaching
Thursday, March 11,
Prosfora Workshop & Prayers for the Departed
Saturday, March 13 from
Fr. John Troy will lead
us in the Akathist for the Departed. Coffee
will be provided.
April 9 – Join us for
lunch following Sixth Hour prayers
Order
Chocolate
Crosses for Pascha
and support the
St. Thekla
Convent at
Many of you have sampled Fran
Tylavsky's handmade chocolates and mints at
Fran will be taking orders
after Liturgy on Sunday, March 14 and by email at ftylavsky@uthsc.edu until
Sunday March 21.
aa LIBRARY LINES aa
The Cross is the focus of our
attention many times throughout the year. In September we commemorate a
specific event, the finding of the true Cross. During Lent we remember the
great significance the Cross plays in our salvation. In Great Compline, we beseech the “invincible and ineffable power of
the precious and life-giving Cross, forsake not us sinners.” Today is the Sunday of the Veneration of the
Cross. We look to it and find
encouragement in our journey at the halfway point through Lent. Read about the
history and traditions surrounding feast days of the Cross in A Dictionary of Greek Orthodoxy, Great Lent by
Alexander Schmemann and Sermons on the Major Holy
Days by Anthony M. Coniaris.
Many martyrs are commemorated
individually; however, there are several groups who are remembered not only on
their feast days, but throughout the year as the Church prays. The Forty
Martyrs of Sebaste are commemorated March 9.
They were a band of soldiers who were distinguished for bravery. During the
reign of Licinius in 313, they were imprisoned for
refusing to sacrifice to idols. As punishment they were cast into a lake during
severely cold weather. A warm bath-house was erected on the shore to tempt
them. One could not withstand the cold and ran on shore. As a great light
hovered over them and crowns appeared over their heads, one of the guards
joined them in the water and asked God to add him to their number, making him
worthy to suffer with them. They were
then led out of the lake and their legs were broken. Their bodies were burned
and the bones tossed into the lake. Three days later they appeared to the bishop
and told him to gather their remains at night and bury them with honor. These
men are just one example to us of
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Sunday Hebrews 4:14-5:6 Mark 8:34-9:1
Monday Genesis
Tuesday Genesis 9:8-17 Proverbs
12:8-22
Wednesday Genesis
Thursday Genesis
Friday Genesis 12:1-7 Proverbs
Saturday Hebrews 6:9-12 Mark
Sunday Hebrews
From
the Fathers
“Just as the thieves are hidden in
shady areas to rob the passerby, thus the devil hides in enjoyments to overcome
our soul.”
~ St. Basil the Great
“Whoever loves the Lord remembers
Him always, and this memory of the Lord gives birth to prayer. If you do not
remember the Lord, you will not pray; in the absence of prayer the soul
languishes without the love of God. For it is through prayer that we feel the
grace of the Holy Spirit. Prayer saves man from sin, for a praying mind is busy
with God and stands in humility before the Lord, whom the soul recognizes.”
~ St. Silouan
“I won't conceal the fact that,
though once you prayed from the heart, it is hardly possible to pray that way
constantly. Such prayer is given by God or is inspired by your Guardian Angel.
It comes and goes. It does not follow, though, that we should give up the labor
of prayer. Prayer of the heart comes when one makes an effort; to those who do
not strive, it will not come.” ~
St. Theophan the Recluse
“Abba Macarius
while he was in
~ From Sayings of the Desert Fathers