Newsletter Oct. 4, 2022

“In ancient times before the divine sojourn of the Savior took place, even to the saints death was terrible; all wept for the dead as though they perished. But now that the Savior has raised his body, death is no longer terrible; for all who believe in Christ trample on it as it were nothing and choose rather to die than deny their faith in Christ. And that devil that once maliciously exulted in death, now that its pains were loosed, remained the only one truly dead.”
– St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation

Bill has been asking if we could have at least one more cook-out with the grill before winter gets here. Let’s combine that thought with our upcoming patronal feast day which is on Sunday this year. We can have a parish pot-luck / cookout on Sunday October 23. More details to follow as it draws near.

As you have seen, Sunday School has started up again for this year. As a reminder: please allow the children to receive Holy Communion first so that they may then proceed out for their class.

Many thanks to Vince and Shauna for running our Sunday School!

Joseph &Peggy Yadlowsky – Anniversary: 10-11
Nana Dubler – Birthday: 10-13
Anders Halseide – Birthday: 10-13
Nana Dubler – Nameday: 10-14

May God grant you many years!

Please remember that our full calendar continues to be available at our parish web site. Here is a link:
http://stjfc.org/Pages/Calendar/calendar.php

Epistle: ST. PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS 6:16-18; 7:1

Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.

Gospel: LUKE 7:11-16

At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!

FAdoption to Sonship
Fr. Lawrence Farley

In the baptismal prayer in which the priest blesses the baptismal water, there is a line that baptism will bestow upon the candidate the loosing of bonds, the remission of sins, the illumination of the soul and “the gift of adoption to sonship”. The phrase “adoption of sonship” is a reference to the words of St. Paul, who used the word to describe our salvation in Christ in Ephesians 1:5. There he sums up our salvation by saying that God “predestined us to adoption to sonship [Greek υίοθεσία/ uiothesia] through Jesus Christ to Himself”. Given that this adoption to sonship serves to encapsulate and summarize our entire salvation, we must pay it closer attention and to what it all means.

…

Knowing that being sons of God also means being co-heirs with Christ lifts a tremendous burden from us. We need no longer fret or fear when we are deprived of health, joy, family, or longevity in this life. We will receive it all in the next, inheriting the entire world and all that will be in it. As Christ’s meek, we really will inherit the earth.

Read the entire article:
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/nootherfoundation/adoption-to-sonship/