Conception of the Forerunner and Baptist John
Martyr Raidos of Egypt; New-martyrs Nicholas the Grocer and John of Brachorion;
Venerable Xanthippa and Polyxena of Spain

Welcome to All Saints. It is our joy to greet visitors.

Nourishment of the Soul: “The more we serve others with no agenda, the more we sanctify ourselves.”
His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH

“There is nothing so weak as a large group of unrighteous men. There is nothing so strong as one man who keeps the commandments of God.” – – St John Chrysostom
Coffee Hour: Scheduled contributors this Sunday are those whose last names start with I-Z.

Orthodoxy 101: Journey to Fullness is a new course that includes a weekly 20-minute DVD presentation featuring Orthodox Evangelist and Ancient Faith Radio personality Fr. Barnabas Powell, followed by discussion. Steve and April Blair lead the discussion and welcome and encourage you and your friends to attend.

Church Etiquette

Entering the Church Late
The time to arrive at church is before the service starts. If you arrive after the Divine Liturgy begins, try to enter the church quietly – and observe what is happening. If the Epistle or Gospel is being read or the Little or Great Entrance is taking place,wait until it is finished to quickly find a seat. If Father is giving the sermon, please take a seat in the back until he has concluded. While circumstances occasionally prevent us from arriving on time, the best way to avoid these issues is to practice arriving a little early each week. It goes without saying that we should never give in to the temptation to ponder our neighbor’s tardiness. If our mind is dwelling on his/her arrival time, then our mind is not in the Divine Liturgy.

Talking during Church
It’s great to see our friends at church! However, we come to church primarily to enter into the heavenly worship of God. The time to have conversations with family and friends is at coffee hour after the Divine Liturgy. Talking in church will likely be distracting to our neighbor who is trying to worship God. Also, unless we are an emergency worker on-call, we should leave our cell phones in the car or at home. As we seek first the Kingdom of God and lay aside all earthly cares, text messages and friendly phone calls can wait.
Food Pantry: The shelves have empty spots each Sunday, so keep up the good work of helping those who turn to us for help.

Festival Postcards are available for you to take and share with friends, family, classmates, fellow workers, or whomever you wish to invite.
… Our Annual Festival on Fairfax draws near. There is a Festival meeting today. All are invited to attend to see how to be involved before and during the festival on October 6th.

THIS WEEK

Tuesday, September 25: Gospel of St. John Bible Study at the Webb’s home 7:0 0 – 8:30
Wednesday, September 26: Daily Vespers at 6:00
Thursday, September 27: Bible Study at Becky’s home at 3:00
Friday, September 28: Akathist to the Protection of the Theotokos at 6:00
Saturday, September 29: St. Mary’s Festival in Greenwood – Noon – 7:00
Saturday, September29: Great Vespers at 5:00 – O101 at 6:00 & SOYO – 6:00 – 8:00
Sunday, September 30: Matins at 9:00; Divine Liturgy at 10:00

LOOKING AHEAD

Three Festivals – Three weekends!
A wonderful opportunity to support our Orthodox brothers and sisters!
• This weekend is the St. George Festival in Fishers! Festivities conclude Sunday at 5:00pm.
• St. Mary’s in Greenwood is hosting their first festival next Saturday and Sunday, September 29th and 30th, beginning at noon.
• Our own annual Festival on Fairfax on October 6th is from 11:00 to 5:00. Please note that our festival is the first Saturday this year and not the second.

FAMILY NOTES
There are no Anniversaries, Birthday Celebrations or Name Day Remembrances on our All Saints calendar this week. Now is the time to add yours for the 2019 calendar updates! Please leave them on Marcia’s desk or email her at lbald3368@aol.com.

Memory Eternal: Peter James (16th); Mark; Dean; Kh. Charlotte Smith; Adrian (Olga’s brother)

Prayer List: Impey and Tudorica families; PJ Boyle’s family; Alice & Marvin; Charles; Vicki; Linda’s sister Dee; Mary Ann; Griggs family; Alexander family; Emilija (difficult pregnancy); Sharon Catherine; Lillian Purcell; Eileen; Leanne; Ashlee W; Kh. Kristina & Anthony; Vivian; Paul; Caden, Dylan & Maddie; Cathy; Sitto; Elias; Waded; Neva; Bill; Lonnie; Fr. George; Iva Lee & Jim; Adrian T; Nancy & Shalayna; Hannah & Ty; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; those suffering in the drug crisis in the USA; Those suffering in Syria and the Middle East; safety in public places and in our schools; Metropolitan Paul; Archbishop John; our church and our nation

Order of Approaching the Cup during Holy Eucharist: the Choir and Pre-School class go first, followed by each row from front to back. Ushers will assist.

Receiving the Eucharist: We invite you to receive the Holy Eucharist if you are an Orthodox Christian who has prepared yourself through fasting, prayer, and recent confession. If you are not Orthodox, or are Orthodox but have not prepared, we invite you to receive a piece of the blessed bread in the wooden bowls held by the altar servers at the front of the church.

Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings

Prokeimenon: “The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord.”
Verse: “O God, hear my prayer.” (Psalm 63:10,1)

Epistle: The Reading is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (4:22-27)
(For the Conception of St. John the Baptist)

Brethren, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married.”

Gospel: The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according St. Luke. (5:1-11)
(For the First Sunday of Luke)

At that time, Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And He saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, Jesus asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Thy word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish, which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

Divine Liturgy Variables for Choir and Parish responses

Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 8
From the heights Thou didst descend, O Compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.

Apolytikion of the Conception of St. John the Baptist – Tone
Rejoice, O thou barren one who hadst not borne until now; * for lo, in all truth thou hast conceived the lamp of the Sun, and he shall send forth his light * over all the earth, which is afflicted with blindness. * Dance, O Zachariah, and cry out with great boldness: * The one to be born is the blest Prophet of God Most High.

Kontakion for Ordinary Sundays – Tone 2
O Undisputed intercessor of Christians, O Mediatrix who is unrejected by the Creator; turn not away from the voice of our petitions, though we be sinners. Come to us with aid in time, who cry unto thee in faith, for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.