Bulletin for Sunday 26 July 2015--Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

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 St Ann, the Mother of the Mother of God (25 July, Tone 4)

O divinely wise Ann, you carried in your womb the pure Mother of God, who gave birth to Life.

Wherefore you now have been carried up joyfully to the inheritance of heaven,

to the abode of those who rejoice in glory.

O blessed one, obtain the forgiveness of sins for those who fervently honor you.

26 July 2015—Ninth Sunday after Pentecost.  Holy Hieromartyrs Hermolaos and his Two Companions; Holy Martyr Paraskeve.  (Tone 8)

Readings    Apostolos:  1 Corinthians 3:9-17                                                                                  Gospel:  Matthew 14:22-34

10:30 am    Orthros (Morning Prayer)

11 am          Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom for the health and salvation of Larry Grissom, Theresa Ramsey, Elias Atallah, George El-Hage, Cameron Maldonado, Nadia Badawi, Zaina, Gary, Charlotte Senno, Fares Eid, Maroun Daher, Dennis Flint, Eleanora Lindo, Max, Angel, Simone, Mikayla Slocum, Awatef Chahine, Raymond Rashid, Bonita Saba, Griffin Barna, Jim Covello, David Georges, Ralph Farhat, Robert Kuri, Pam Nakfoor, Isaac Salim, Iva Butler, Alessandra, 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 Basil Samra, Fr Maximos, Dn. Robert Spencer, Dn. Daniel Klockowski; in memory of Bashar Jameel (Thamer Jameel & Family), Benjamin Russell (the Eid Family), Samira El-Chaer, Nickolas Nakfoor (Thom & Ruth Hourani), and Louis Zarka (John & Saideh Bulos).

1 August 2015—Parish Picnic, 12 noon.  No Vespers.

2 August 2015—Tenth Sunday after Pentecost.  th Sunday after Pentecost.  Transfer of the Remains of the Holy Protomartyr the Archdeacon Stephen. (Tone 1)

Readings    Apostolos:  1 Corinthians 4:9-16                                                                                  Gospel:  Matthew 17:14-23

10:30 am    Orthros (Morning Prayer)

11 am          Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in memory of Nickolas Nakfoor (Elias & Minerva Haidamous), Louis Zarka (Elaine & Edward Rashid), Fr Basil Adcock (17 years), and Helen Serra.

Music for Today

1. Troparion of the Resurrection in Tone 8, Liturgikon, page 195.
2. Troparion of the Holy Martyrs, in Tone 4.
3. Troparion of St Joseph, in Tone 4, page 30A.
4. Kontakion of the Theotokos, in Tone 2, page 31.
    
   Today is Youth Sunday
   Thanks today to the youth of the parish who will read the Apostolos, greet worshippers, and offer hospitality.
   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 80 people attended the Liturgy.  Our offering totalled $1070 in the ordinary collection, $10 for stole offerings, $58.75 for candles, and $100 in new roof pledges.  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.
   Congratulations to Matthew & Reem Mekhayel, Crowned in Marriage
   The servants of God Matthew Mekhayel and Reem Abbawi received the Holy Mystery of Crowning in Marriage in St Joseph Church on 25 July at the hands of Fr James, Fr Michel Cheble of Our Lady of Redemption Melkite parish in Warren, and Fr Jerry Ploof of St Thomas Aquinas Latin parish in East Lansing.  Congratulations to them, to their parents Monib & Naly Mekhayel and Tarik & Ban Abbawi, to their witnesses Daniel Mekhayel and Raneen Abbawi, and to all their families and friends.  May God bless them with many years together in health and happiness, peace and prosperity, love and faith!
   Memory Eternal:  Bashar Jameel
   The beloved servant of God, Bashar Jameel, brother of our parishioner Thamer Jameel, slept in the Lord on Wednesday 22 July.  He will be remembered in the Divine Liturgy today.  Our deepest sympathy to his family.  May God have mercy on his soul and may his memory be eternal!
   Memorial Panel in the Narthex Will Be Brought up to Date
   The Memorial Panel in the narthex of the church has not been brought up to date in several years.  The Parish Pastoral Council has approved a plan for engraving additional plaques for memorial gifts.  The names of parishioners who have died since the panel was last updated will be added and other memorials may also be requested.  A form will soon be available for providing the information for each plaque.  There is an absolute limit of 26 characters per plaque for names and messages.  The deadline for submitting information will be 1 October.  At that time, all the requested plaques will be removed, engraved, and replaced.  If anyone wishes to make an additional memorial gift, please contact Fr James to find out what church items are available for sponsorship.
   Fr James Thanks Everyone for Birthday Celebration
   Many, many thanks to everyone who contributed to the wonderful celebration of my birthday last Sunday—the card and gift, the abundant and delicious lunch, and the splendid cake.  May God bless all of you and grant you many years!
   Thanks for Helping Refinish the Deck at the Rectory

Thank you to Tony Daher, Beshara Geadaa, and Metri Souri for preparing the deck at the back of the rectory for repainting by power washing and sanding, and for replacing a damaged step.  Thanks also to Chuck and Adam Rahall for volunteering to help.  Although we didn’t need them for this project, there will soon be another one!

Come to our Parish Picnic on Saturday 1 August

The Parish Pastoral Council invites everyone to St Joseph’s annual Parish Picnic on Saturday 1 August.  It will be held on the lawn under the trees at the home of Chuck and Dalida Raad, 3061 Sandhill Road, Mason, starting at 12 noon.  Hamburgers and hotdogs will be provided.  Please bring a dish to share and drinks of your choice.  Enjoy games for children, teens, and adults.  For directions, call Dalida at home, 517-337-9110, or on her mobile phone, 517-331-6113

Celebration of the Transfiguration on Wednesday 5 August at 7 PM

The Church celebrates the Transfiguration of the Lord on 6 August.  This feast commemorates Jesus’ taking of Peter, James, and John with him to Mt Tabor, where they beheld as much of His divinity as they were able to bear.  The Transfiguration, with the presence of Moses the Giver of the Law and Elias the greatest of the Prophets conversing with Jesus, confirms His identity as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, True God and True Man.  It prefigures for us our own transfiguration by union with God after death and at the consummation of all things.  It is customary to bless grapes on this feast day, for they also are transfigured into wine, which can become the Blood of Christ in the Mystery of the Eucharist.  We will celebrate this Great Feast with a combined Vespers-Liturgy at 7 o’clock in the evening of Wednesday 5 August.

August Meetings.  Parish Council Postponed to Second Week of the Month

• Our Lady’s Society will meet on Tuesday 4 August at 7 pm in the parish hall.
• The Parish Pastoral Council will meet on Monday 10 August at 6:30 pm in the parish hall.

Enrich Your Faith on the Internet

The internet offers many opportunities for faith enrichment.  But it is important to choose wisely; some do not offer authentic Eastern Christian information.  These are recommended:  “Every Home a Monastery” by Jessica Archuleta at www.everyhomeamonastery.com, “Coffee With Sister Vassa” at www.coffeewithsistervassa.com, and the website of our Eparchy of Newton at www.melkite.org .  Sister Vassa is also on YouTube and Facebook, and Jessica Archuleta, who writes from the perspective of an Eastern Catholic mother, also is on Facebook.