St Herman's Orthodox Church

Third Sunday after Pentecost

CONGRATULATIONS to Zoe Geneva Ford, new-born daughter of Malene and Joshua Ford. Zoe successively negotiated the rigors of birth and was born a healthy baby girl on Wednesday, July 2. She’ll be baptized on Sunday, Aug 10, during the Divine Liturgy.

CONGRATULATIONS to Phyllis Melgaard on her engagement to Paul Twedt of Tacoma. Their wedding will take place on Friday, July 25, at 7 pm, at St Herman’s. Reception follows downstairs.

CONGRATULATIONS to Christina Michelle Wesche, on her engagement to Emanuel Sas (younger brother of Fr Tim Sas, pastor of Twelve Apostles GOC in Duluth). Their wedding is scheduled for May 24, 2009, at St Herman’s.

CONGRATULATIONS to Marcie and Fr Bill Neumann, on the birth of their daughter, Maria, on June 13^th. (Fr Bill and Marcie will be serving St Herman’s in August so that Fr Paul and family can observe Fr Paul’s philosophy of life.)

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS, Jonathan Peasley, who left for Kirgizstan on Thursday to begin his service with the Peace Corps. Jonathan has a blog started at “deluceatquepulvere.blogspot.com”. His e-mail address while in Kirgizstan is jonathanpeasley@gmail.com

SUMMERS IN THE LIBRARY. Meet at 9 am to share reviews on books you’ve read from our St Herman’s Library. To review a book, sign yourself up on the schedule, posted on the bulletin board downstairs.

THIS WEEK. Matins at 8 am on Tuesday and Friday.

THE GREAT AMERICAN PICNIC, a fundraiser for St Herman’s, is next Saturday, July 12! Great food, lots of fun, barbershop quartet. Tell your friends! Great Vespers are at 5 pm. Picnic at 6 pm.

VACATION CHURCH SCHOOL for the younger kids as well as the older youth is being planned for July 22-24. To register your children, or to volunteer as a helper, talk to Mary Kaye.

OUR ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE to Holy Dormition Monastery is scheduled for Tues – Thur, July 29-31. Please sign the Sign-Up sheet on the bulletin board downstairs, indicating your arrival and departure time, so we can give Mother Gabriella an idea how to plan our accommodations.

A SCHEDULE OF CLEAN-UP projects has been put together by our President, Gene. Talk to him about how you can join in the fun and help out!

IT’S SUMMERTIME! That means vacation-time, when Fr Paul’s philosophy of life takes effect: “Life’s a journey. Get a life. Go on vacation!” Fr Paul and family will be on vacation from Aug 15 (Friday) to August 30 (Saturday). They’ll return for Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning, Aug 31, and for our annual Labor Day Sunday picnic that follows the Divine Liturgy. Fr Paul will also take Sunday, Aug 3, off. St Herman’s will be served on the Saturdays and Sundays Fr Paul is vacationing by Fr Bill Neumann.

Please remember, however, that the bills at St Herman’s do not go on vacation and we continue to need everyone’s faithful monetary support.

Remember also, when visiting another Orthodox parish and if you wish to receive Holy Communion, to introduce yourself to the Priest before the beginning of the service and request his permission to receive. He may or may not wish you to come to confession before approaching the chalice.

ST ELIZABETH MISSION in Eagan offers classes in Arabic, beginning in October. Cost is $100 per quarter. Flyer with details is on the bulletin board downstairs.

FROM OUR TREASURER: We could be close to paying off our OCA assessments, if parishioners remain faithful in their giving. It would be nice to get this done and over with! We have paid $3,694.00 toward our assessments, and have only $2,222.00 outstanding. We can do this!

THE SERVANT OF GOD, Nick Kostich, member of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in St Paul, passed away on July 4th in the afternoon of cancer. There will be a visitation this Monday evening, July 7, at Holy Trinity, from 7 pm - 9 pm. Memorial Prayers will be served at 830 pm. The funeral will take place at St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church on Tuesday morning, July 8, at 11 am.

Tim & Jennelle Richardson were parishioners of St Herman’s until they moved to Indianapolis years ago. Jennelle’s father fell asleep in the Lord on July 4. Remember in your prayers the servant of God, Charles. Remember also the surviving loved ones, Charle’ wife, Kay, his sons Jason and Jairus, their wives Debbi and Tammy, and of course Tim and Jennelle and their daughters.

Newly engaged couple: Christina Michelle Wesche and Emanuel Olimpiu Sas

THE BLING

Newborn Zoe Geneva Ford

On the Back of the Bulletin

One of the saints commemorated today is Saint Sisoes the Great (+ 429). He was a solitary monk, pursuing asceticism in the Egyptian desert in a cave sanctified by the prayerful labors of his predecessor, St Anthony the Great (January 17). For his sixty years of labor in the desert, St Sisoes attained to sublime spiritual purity and he was granted the gift of wonderworking, so that by his prayers he once restored a dead child back to life.

Extremely strict with himself, Abba Sisoes was very merciful and compassionate to others, and he received everyone with love. To those who visited him, the saint first of all always taught humility. When one of the monks asked how he might attain to a constant remembrance of God, St Sisoes remarked, "That is no great thing, my son, but it is a great thing to regard yourself as inferior to everyone else. This leads to the acquisition of humility." Asked by the monks whether one year is sufficient for repentance if a brother sins, Abba Sisoes said, "I trust in the mercy of God that if such a man repents with all his heart, then God will accept his repentance in three days."

When St Sisoes lay upon his deathbed, the disciples surrounding the Elder saw that his face shone like the sun. They asked the dying man what he saw. Abba Sisoes replied that he saw St Anthony, the prophets, and the apostles. His face increased in brightness, and he spoke with someone. The monks asked, "With whom are you speaking, Father?" He said that angels had come for his soul, and he was entreating them to give him a little more time for repentance. The monks said, "You have no need for repentance, Father" St Sisoes said with great humility, "I do not think that I have even begun to repent."

After these words the face of the holy abba shone so brightly that the brethren were not able to look upon him. St Sisoes told them that he saw the Lord Himself. Then there was a flash like lightning, and a fragrant odor, and Abba Sisoes departed to the Heavenly Kingdom.