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
CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!
DIVINE LITURGY BEGINS AT 4 P.M. EVERY SUNDAY
December 28, 2003
Divine Liturgy Intention: If you would like the Divine Liturgy offered for a loved one, deceased or living, please give your offering to Father O’Connell and obtain a Liturgy intention card from William Gogar. Please write down the intention so it can be printed in the bulletin.
Our Offerings
Vigil of the Circumcision of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, Our Holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in
Cappadocia
Come and celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil with us:
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, here at the church.
CONGRATULATIONS!
To Father O’Connell on his 40th Anniversary in the priesthood and to the members of Holy Family Parish on their 20th
anniversary!
Truly — you are an inspiration to all of us.
Spiritual Circumcision
January 1 is the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord. During Circumcision Vespers on Dec. 31, the first Old
Testament reading reminds us of the covenant God made with Abraham: “Throughout the ages, every male among you, when he
is eight days old, shall be circumcised. Thus my covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting pact”
(Gen 17:12-13). During Divine Liturgy, the Epistle points out the new meaning circumcision has for a Christian:
“In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with
the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the
power of God” (Col 2:11-12). The Gospel tells of Jesus’ circumcision — “When eight days were
completed for His circumcision, he was named Jesus” (Luke 2:21).
The Circumcision of Our Lord mdash; perhaps because it evokes the Jewish and pre-Christian character of our rite, perhaps
because it coincides with the first day of the civil year mdash; is one of the feasts that seem to speak least to the souls of
modern Christians. However, its spiritual content is very rich. Our Lord, in submitting to the law, wants to humiliate
himself in His Flesh and to mark that He is the Flesh; His circumcision prefigured that other bloody consecration which His
Body received on the Cross. Moreover, even if we no longer have to submit to physical circumcision, we still have to submit
to a spiritual circumcision. Our covenant with God, the new covenant in Jesus Christ, must bring about in us the complete
submission of our flesh to God and the complete consecration and sanctification of our body and its natural functions
(especially those connected with the circumcised organ, which plays such an important part in the ascetic battle). And it is
not only our flesh that needs spiritual circumcision: first, and before all else, it is our heart. Circumcision of the heart
must reach all our thoughts, all our desires, all our feelings mdash; and excise everything that is in conflict with the
search for God. The great commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul and
body,” expresses what circumcision of the heart means and stresses that it doesn’t happen without effort.
Winter Weather
With winter weather upon us, there is the possibility of last minute changes or cancellations to our Divine Liturgy schedule.
The task of calling everyone associated with the mission to notify them of cancellations can be onerous. If you are willing
to be notified of changes via e-mail, please send a note in this regard to
webmaster@hrbcc.org. Having an electronic mailing list will be a great help to those
who would otherwise be working the phones.
Merry Christmas from the bulletin writers and editors!
Pastoral Ponderings
While meditating on the mystery of Our Lord’s Nativity, think of the Holy Family. When we think of family, and of our
extended church family, it is significant that Byzantines and Romans both worship at Holy Family Church. As Holy Family
Parish celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, let us give thanks for the graces received as a community of believers,
Roman and Byzantine.
History gives us a vantage point for looking ahead. Rather than looking backwards, we look forward to whatever God has in
mind for the future. Just as we are grateful for the sacrifices and labor that have preceded the present, we need to realize
that the same spirit will be necessary for whatever challenges the future holds. But the Providence of God will continue to
guide, protect, and make fruitful our future work and sacrifices.
Happy Anniversary to everyone.
—Father O’Connell
Last updated: 31-Dec-2003 |
