Bulletin for 9 August 2016--11th 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 the Transfiguration of the Lord (Tone7)

You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, showing your disciples as much of your glory as they could hold.

Let your eternal light shine also upon us sinners, through the prayers of the Mother of God.

O Giver of Light, glory to You.

9 August 2015—11th Sunday after Pentecost.  Holy Apostle Matthias.  Fourth Day of Celebration of the Transfiguration.  (Tone 2)

Readings    Apostolos:  1 Corinthians 9:2-12                                                                                  Gospel:  Matthew 18:23-35

10:30 am    Orthros (Morning Prayer)

11 am          Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom for the health and salvation of Theresa Ramsey, Elias Atallah, Leila Abdallah, Cameron Maldonado, Zaina, Gary, Paul Keriotis, 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, Paul, 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 Samira Khouri Jadah (Joe & Latife Khouri), Joseph Peter Sawaya (2 years by the Family), Bashar Jameel, Annie, Nickolas Nakfoor (Dani & Claude Fawaz), and Louis Zarka (Elaine & Edward Rashid).

15 August 2015—Great Vespers will not be celebrated.

16 August 2015—Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost.  Celebration of the Dormition of the Theotokos.  Holy Martyr Diomedes. (Tone 3)

Readings    Apostolos:  1 Corinthians 15:1-11                                                                               Gospel:  Matthew 16:16-26

10:30 am    Orthros (Morning Prayer)

11 am          Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in memory of Bashar Jameel, Nickolas Nakfoor (Joseph & Maha Mondalek), Louis Zarka (Dr & Mrs Michael Raad), and Vicki Bailey.

Music for Today

1. Troparion of the Resurrection in Tone 2, Liturgikon, page 183.
2. Troparion of the Transfiguration, in Tone 7, p. 241.
3. Troparion of the Apostle Matthias, in Tone 3.
4. Troparion of St Joseph, in Tone 4, page 30A.
5. Kontakion of the Transfiguration, in Tone 7, page 242.
    
   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 70 people attended the Liturgy.  Our offering totalled $1604 in the ordinary collection, $65 for stole offerings, $13 for candles, and $190 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.
   The Parish Pastoral Council Will Meet Tomorrow Night
   The Parish Pastoral Council will meet on Monday 10 August at 6:30 pm in the parish hall.
   Our Lady of Redemption Invites You to Their Festival on 15-16 August
   Our Lady of Redemption Melkite Church in Warren, MI, invites everyone to their Feast Day Festival on Saturday and Sunday 15 and 16 August, featuring food, music, dancing, and Middle Eastern cultural activities.  Saturday 3 to 11 pm and Sunday 1 to 9 pm.  29293 Lorraine Ave., Warren, east of Van Dyke Rd., north of 12 Mile Rd.  For more information, call 586-751-6017.  If you would like to go on Saturday, contact Simone Ayoub.
   Collection to Support Church School Will Be Next Sunday, 16 August
   Please give generously to support our church school in the special collection on Sunday 16 August.  You will find a yellow envelope for this purpose in your box of offering envelopes.  The collection will help pay for school supplies such as pens, paper, books, and craft materials, as well as treats for special occasions.
   Our Lady’s Fast Begins; Celebrate the Dormition Next Sunday, 16 August
   The Great Feast of the Dormition of Our Lady the Theotokos falls on 15 August every year, commemorating the miraculous reception of her body and soul into heaven at the time of her death (her “falling asleep,” which is dormition in Latin and coemesis in Greek).  From 1 August through 14 August (except on 6 August, the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord), the Church observes a fasting period in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos.  You are strongly encouraged to fast from midnight to noon and to abstain from eating meat during this time.  Because the actual feast day falls on Saturday this year, we will transfer our celebration of the Dormition of the Theotokos to Sunday 16 August.
   NAMY Meeting and Cookout at Fr James’ House on Monday 17 August
   All members of St Joseph’s NAMY are invited to the rectory (Fr James’ house) on Monday 17 August for a cookout.  We will also have our regular monthly business meeting to finalize our calendar of events for the year, choose officers for the year, and plan for a regional NAMY retreat in October.  And we will look at the parish Vision Statement and discuss what it means for the young people of St Joseph’s.  The time will be announced soon and everyone will be notified by phone or text or email or in person, or all of these methods.
   Prayer for Peace and Persecuted Christians Planned for 14 September
   St Joseph Church will invite Christians from many different churches in Lansing to a service of prayer for peace and the protection of persecuted Christians in the Middle East on Monday 14 September at 7 pm.  Speakers will inform people about what is really happening to Christians in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.  More details will be announced soon.  Be sure to invite everyone you know to this community prayer service.
   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.
   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.  Please contact Fr James to find out what church items are available for sponsorship.

The Bible Readings for the Dormition of the Theotokos

Because the Holy Dormition is not recorded in the Bible, but comes down to us in the Holy Tradition of the Church, the Epistle and Gospel readings for the feast don’t refer directly to Mary.  But they help us to understand her importance in God’s Plan of Salvation.  The Apostolos, from St Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (chapter 2, verses 5-11), talks about the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of All People, as a human being.  He emptied Himself and was born as a man and became humble and obedient, even to the point of death on the Cross.  Therefore He was glorified and exalted by God, so that every knee “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” should bend to honor His holy name.  The reading from the Gospel according to St Luke (chapter 10, verses 38-42 and chapter 11, verses 27-28) is the story of Mary and Martha, familiar from almost every feast of the Theotokos.  It is read not because the Mary in the story is Mary the Mother of God, but because Mary in the story sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to Him.  She gives all her attention to the Word of God, which is what Mary the Theotokos did, and which Jesus says is the only thing that is needed.