Monday, June 1, 2015

Bulletin for Sunday 31 May 2015--Sunday of All Saints


SAINT JOSEPH THE BETROTHED
Melkite-Greek Catholic CHURCH
725 W. Mt. Hope Ave, Lansing, MI 48910                             517-575-6264
FMailing Address:  921 Westover Circle, Lansing, MI 48917E
Website:  www.MelkiteChurch.org            Facebook:  www.facebook.com/MelkiteChurchLansing
Rev. Father James K. Graham, Pastor                                    frjamie@earthlink.net
Rev. Protodeacon Joseph Daratony                                                              248-719-5169
Phone or email Fr James with items for the bulletin by Thursday night.
Troparion of All Saints (Tone 8)
O Christ God, your Church clothed with the blood of your martyrs all over the world, as with purple and fine linen,
cries out to You:  “Send your mercy upon your people, grant peace to your fold,
and extend your great compassion upon our souls.”
31 May 2015—First Sunday after Pentecost:  Sunday of All Saints.  Holy Martyr Hermios.  (Tone 8)
Readings    Apostolos:  Hebrews 11:33-12:2                                                        Gospel:  Matthew 10:32-38, 19:27-30
10:30 am    Orthros (Morning Prayer)
F  Churching of Jasmine Jada immediately before the Divine Liturgy E
11 am          Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom for the health and salvation of Maroun Daher, Dennis Flint, Eleanora Lindo, Max, Angel, Simone, Mikayla Slocum, Samira El-Chaer, Awatef Chahine, Raymond Rashid, Bonita Saba, Griffin Barna, Jim Covello, David Georges, Elias Atallah, Ralph Farhat, Robert Kuri, Pam Nakfoor, Isaac Salim, Iva Butler, BJ & Liz, Cam, Janice, Jeanne, Wayne, Lucy Palmer, Kelsey, Kathleen Edwards, Edgar & Katherine Fickenscher, Kamal & Eugenie Neimat, Clay Thomas, Michael Maslowski, Elaine & Eva-Genevieve Scarborough, Antonio Carvalho, Elias Haggar, Marie Dahdouh, Dn. Joe & Marge Daratony, Fr Joseph Haggar, Fr Damon Geiger, Fr James Babcock, Fr Maximos, Dn. Robert Spencer, Dn. Daniel Klockowski; in memory of Daniel Rahall (2-year Memorial by his Family), Nickolas Nakfoor (Abdo & Nadia Eljbeily), Louis Zarka (Simone Ayoub), Sandy Oade (Dana Aybout), and Michael Harmuth (Fr James).
6 June 2015—No Great Vespers.  6 pm.
7 June 2015—Second Sunday after Pentecost.  Holy Hieromartyr Theodotos of Ancyra.  (Tone 1)
Readings    Apostolos:  Romans 2:10-16                                                                                         Gospel:  Matthew 4:18-23
10:30 am    Orthros (Morning Prayer)
11 am          Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in memory of Nickolas Nakfoor (David & Loretta Kresge), Louis Zarka (Madeleine Saab & Family), Anis & Rosie Bulos and Ernest Ferrar (Jenevieve Ferrar), Georgette & Family (Georgette Haeck), Sandy Oade (Robert Nakfoor), Fr Sylvester McDermott and Michael Harmuth (Fr James).
Music for Today
1.       Troparion of the Resurrection in Tone 8, Liturgikon, page 195.
2.       Troparion of All Saints, in Tone 8, page 219.
3.       Troparion of St Joseph, in Tone 4, page 30A.
4.       Kontakion of All Saints, in Tone 8, page 220.
Kinonikon of All Saints:  “Exult in the Lord, you just.  Praise from the upright is fitting.  Alleluia.”
Our Offerings to the Lord
The collection taken in the Liturgy is part of our worship.  We offer the Lord our lives, our prayers, our gifts of bread and wine, and our financial gifts.  Last Sunday, about 60 people attended the Liturgy.  Our offering totalled only $603 in the ordinary collection, $440 for stole offerings, $80 for the new roof, and $23.25 for candles.  Not everyone can make an equal gift, but everyone can make an equal sacrifice.  Please make a generous sacrifice to support your church in proportion to the many blessings God has given you.
Last Day of Church School Next Sunday; Recognition of Graduates
Church school classes will meet next Sunday, 7 June, for the last time until the Fall.  All students who have participated in the classes with receive certificates in a short ceremony at the end of the Divine Liturgy.  At the coffee hour, all those graduating from college, high school, and lower grades will be honored with a cake.  We congratulate Sari Eid, Piere Khouri, and Vivian Nash, who are graduating from high school.  Please give the names of other graduates to Fr James by Friday of this week.
Our Lady’s Society Officer Installation Today
The newly-elected officers of Our Lady’s Society—President Nohad Eid, Vice-President Rabiah Eid, Secretary Charlene Jones, Treasurer Pat Kuri, and Corresponding Secretary Awatef Fawaz—will be installed in a short ceremony after the Divine Liturgy today, Sunday 31 May.
Our Lady’s Society Will Meet on Tuesday 2 June
Our Lady’s Society will meet on Tuesday 2 June at 7 pm in the parish hall. 
Parish Pastoral Council Will Meet on Monday 8 June
The Parish Pastoral Council will meet on Monday 8 June at 6:30 pm in the parish hall.  Discussion will include nominations for elections at the end of summer.
What Happens at the Clergy Retreat?
Some people have inquired what priests do on our annual retreat.  Do we just lie around the pool somewhere, drinking margaritas?  In fact, the retreat does include several periods of free time, because most priests seldom get enough time to sleep.  The retreat days are organized around services in the chapel, conferences and discussions, and meals in the dining room.  Every day we gathered in chapel for Divine Liturgy and prayer in the morning and in the evening.  Different priests were assigned to celebrate each service.  Over three days, we had five conferences, dealing with the demands people make on priests, the difficulty of meeting parishioners’ expectations, and the need for friends outside the parish.  One evening was devoted to sharing the news and activities (and difficulties) of the various parishes.
New Facebook Page Connects Great Lakes Melkites
At the recent Clergy Retreat, it was decided to establish a Facebook page for news of all ten parishes in the Great Lakes Region.  The page went up on Friday evening and in its first week has been liked by almost 350 people.  Find it and like it at https://www.facebook.com/GREATLAKESMELKITES.  We hope that it will help develop closer relationships among our parishes and people in this large area.
Melkite Association of Young Adults Plans National Retreat 1-5 July
The Melkite Association of Young Adults (MAYA) invites Melkites from around the country between the ages of 18 (and at least one year out of high school) and 30 to their 20th annual national retreat, at St. John’s University in Queens, NY, July 1-5.  This retreat offers an opportunity to grow in faith and fellowship.  The cost is $299, which includes a $25 membership fee, meals, transportation, and accommodations.  June 10 is the deadline for registration.  Register on the website, http://www.usmaya.org/events/retreat.  Online payments accepted.

 


Saints and Feast Days in June

     The two major feast days in June are the Nativity of John the Baptist on the 24th and the commemoration of Saints Peter and Paul on the 29th.

     Other than the birth of Jesus Christ on 25 December and the birth of Mary the Theotokos on 8 September, the birth of the holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John is the only birthday on the Church calendar.  The story of the miraculous circumstances around the conception and birth of John the Baptist can be found in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke (verses 1-80).  Because John, the Lord’s cousin, would be the one to announce Jesus to the world, to baptize Him, and to gather disciples who then followed Him, Luke begins his story of the Good News with John’s story.

     As the foremost of the Apostles, Peter and Paul are honored on the same day.  They were martyred in Rome in the reign of the Emperor Nero in the year 67.  Peter responded with his brother Andrew the First-Called when Jesus said, “Follow me.”  Later, Jesus called him the rock on which He would found His Church.  Peter was impetuous and not always quick to understand Jesus, but his faith was strong.  He preached the Gospel in Judea, founded the Church in Antioch, and ended his ministry and his life in Rome.  Paul, a Pharisee, was a zealous persecutor of the Christians until the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus and changed his heart.  Then he became an even more zealous missionary of the Good News, founding churches all over the Mediterranean world and becoming the first Christian theologian in his letters or epistles, which we still read.  Traditionally, the Church has prepared for the feast of SS Peter and Paul with a fast starting on the Monday after the Sunday of All Saints, which, this year, is tomorrow, 1 June.

     On 30 June, all of the Twelve Apostles are honored.  Other notable saints commemorated in June are St Justin the Philosopher and Martyr on 1 June, the great theologian St Cyril of Alexandria on 9 June, the Apostle Barnabas, companion of St Paul, on 11 June, and the holy Prophet Elisha, disciple of St Elias, on 14 June.

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