Byzantine Catholic Mission
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Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission |
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O ye incorporeal angels who stand before the throne of God, luminous with the brilliance thereof and everlastingly shining with radiance. As secondary luminaries, entreat Christ, that He grant unto our souls peace and great mercy. O immortal messengers of the truly incorruptible Life, ye most blessed ones who received life from the first Life, ye have become holy beholders of the eternal Wisdom, full of light, and reflecting lamps shown forth as is meet. O ye archangels and angels, principalities, thrones, dominions, six-winged seraphim, and divine, many-eyed cherubim, instruments of wisdom, virtues and powers most divine. Pray ye to Christ, that He grant our souls peace and great mercy. Archives:
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HOLY RESURRECTION BYZANTINE CATHOLIC MISSION
GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY FOREVER! We welcome all visitors among us always! We hope you find our worship true and reverent and our people here friendly and cordial. If you are seeking a spiritual home, we would be honored by your presence in our family. We are glad you chose to worship with us. A very warm welcome to Father Andrew Deskevich, from PA, for coming down to celebrate Divine Liturgy for us. May God grant you many years in peace, health, and happiness. November 17, 2002 - 26th Sunday after Pentecost - Commemoration of St. Gregory, who studied theology under Origin in Caesarea of Palestine (233-238). Consecrated bishop of Caesarea, he was instrumental in turning that formerly pagan city into a Christian city. He died of old age in 270. Today's Divine Liturgy is offered for the health of George Lemak, Uncle of Mary Ann Grant and the repose of the soul of Betty Forde, mother of Patricia Forde. Next Divine Liturgy - Sunday, December 15, 2002, at Holy Family Catholic Church, beginning at 3.30 PM. (Note the time change; the Akathist prayer at 3 PM.) VIGILS (READER'S SERVICE) VESPERS, MATINS, AND THE FIRST HOUR 1) Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God, Wednesday evening at 8:00 PM (November 20). 2) Feast of St. Nicholas, Thursday evening at 7:00 PM (December 5). On Saturday evenings at 6:30 PM, Byzantine Vespers are prayed here at Holy Family, when there is no Divine Liturgy that weekend. Everyone is welcome to attend. PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS THE SICK MEMBERS OF OUR MISSION: FATHER THOMAS O'CONNELL, JOANN CUDDY, DOLORES ANTCLIFF, AND STEVE ANTCLIFF. If you would like the Divine Liturgy offered for a loved one who is deceased or living, please give your offering to Father and obtain a Liturgy intention card from William Gogar. Please write down the intention so it can be put in the bulletin. Tithes - October 20 - $864.00 Candle Money -$4.00 CHRISTMAS FAST Please keep in mind that on November 15th, the Christmas fast begins. It is our duty to keep a penitential spirit during these times of fasting, even though the Church has not bound us under Her obligatory law to keep any particular type of fast. But each Christian is bound to behave in a manner befitting the season, and to do voluntary acts of fasting and penance according to his/her means and ability. Remember, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, according to St. Paul. Therefore, we all have need of penance for sin. And the better we are as Christians, the more need to fast and pray that our efforts might be able to help others in their struggle against sin. ENTRANCE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD INTO THE TEMPLE The feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God Into the Temple praises and glorifies God for His plan of salvation. God prepares for Himself a holy dwelling place. The Byzantine Church never tires of praising the Mother of God for her role in our salvation. She is called the "Heavenly Tabernacle" in the Kontakion of the Feast, and the "Living Tabernacle of God" in the Hirmos. She is given these titles because in her womb the Word of God has taken flesh and dwelt among us. Her body is the living tabernacle of the Incarnate Word, and through her, God has taken on our human nature and elevated us to become "Sharers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). God, Who is beyond our reach and beyond our grasp, comes to dwell among us. This is God's plan, and in the Virgin Mary, this plan of salvation was achieved. In the Icon of the Entrance of the Mother of God, Mary is shown as a young girl being escorted to the Temple by her parents, Joachim and Anna. She is also accompanied by the holy virgins carrying candles. In all the icons of the Presentation, the High Priest greets the holy family at the entrance of the temple. The presentation into the temple is the main event, so the figures of the holy family and the High Priest are predominant. The Church honors the Virgin Mary as the God bearer,(in Greek, Theotokos) the one who, in God's plan of salvation, would give birth to God the Word. In the upper corner of some icons the Virgin Mary is seen already seated in the Temple, and being cared for by the Angels. Thus, Mary, the young girl, is not only presented but also participates in the very task of her temple life. Through the Icon, we celebrate and share this mystery in the life of the Virgin. Sayings from the Church Fathers Render all honor to every man... because of the fact that God deigned to receive human nature into the closest union with His Divinity, so that he became God-Man. Therefore, looking upon any man, think, "The Lord was in every respect similar to this man, excepting sin"... St. John Kronstadt (My Life in Christ, Part I, Holy Trinity Monastery, pg. 138) Giving Thanks There is a legend about two angels who were once sent down from heaven. Each angel was given a basket and went from place to place collecting the prayers that people said. When all the prayers were collected, the angels noticed that the basket of one angel was very heavy while the basket of the other angel was very light. “What did you have in your basket?” asked one angel of the other. The angel with the heavy basket replied, “I was sent to collect the prayers of all the people who said, ‘I want,’ ‘I need,’ or ‘Please give me.’” The angel with the light basket replied sadly, “I was sent to collect all the ‘thank you’ prayers from all the people whom God has sent a great blessing.” Do we remember to thank the Lord for all the blessings He has given us? While many people will be observing a special day of thanks on Thanksgiving we must remember to give thanks to God every day. Even unanswered prayers deserve our gratitude because, when we pray, God gives us not merely what we want, but, rather, what we truly need. We need to be grateful during times of trial and adversity as well. During such times we find ourselves intimately connected to Christ our Lord. The venerable martyrs, Saint Stephen and Saint Irenarchus, whose feast we also celebrate on Nov. 28, were able to rejoice at the time of their own persecution. They saw their suffering as an imitation of Christ and as a means of drawing even closer to Him. Whatever our situation may be, let us give thanks. Last updated: 31-Jan-2003 |
