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
January 4, 2004
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
Feast of Theophany — January 6 — Holy Day of Obligation
We will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, here at the church.
Did you miss last Sunday’s bulletin? Read it and catch all the latest announcements at our mission’s website!
www.hrbcc.org
The Feast and Mystery of Theophany
The feast of the Baptism of our Lord places before our eyes two of the greatest and most profound Truths of our faith: the
Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity and the Mystery of God become Man. At Christ’s Baptism, the Trinity was revealed and
bore witness to Christ’s divinity. At the vigil we read, “The Trinity, our God, revealed Himself to us today as
free from division, for the Father uttered the clear testimony to His Son, the Spirit descended from heaven in the likeness of
a dove, and the Son bowed His pure head to the Forerunner, and being baptized, saved mankind from bondage, since He is the
lover of mankind.” Later, we sing, “Seeing you, O Christ God, coming to him in the river Jordan, John said,
‘Why do you, who are undefiled, come to a servant? In whose name shall I baptize you? Of the Father? But you bear Him
within You! Of the Son? But You are this Son made of flesh! Of the Holy Spirit? But through Your own mouth You give Him to the
faithful! O Triune God, here revealed, have mercy on us.’”
In a profound sermon on the Baptism of our Lord, St. Proclus, patriarch of Constantinople, puts the following words into
the mouth of St. John the Baptist: “‘How dare I stretch forth my hand and place it on the head of Him who
sustains all things? How dare I touch Him before whom the choirs of angels tremble? How dare I approach Him whom the Seraphim
dare not come near? Hence with awe they cry, ‘Holy, holy, holy! Truly heaven and earth are filled with your
wonders!’ How dare I approach the Unapproachable One before whom tremble the Cherubim and all the heavenly hosts? How
dare I baptize the Creator of Nature? How dare I baptize Him to whom the Pure Virgin Mary gave birth and after giving birth
remained a virgin? I can only say: You, O Lord, are the Master, I the servant; You are the Creator, I the creature. You are
the Sun, I the star; You are the Shepherd, I the sheep; You are the Archpriest, I an earthling. I am a mortal, you are
Immortal.’”
In another sermon, St. Gregory the Theologian sketches the Mystery of the Trinity: “God is divided, so to speak, in
an undivided manner and unites in a divided manner. The Divinity is One in Three Persons, while the One is Three, in which
Three is the Divinity, or to be more exact, in which Three are the Divinity. The Father is the Father and is eternal because
He has no beginning from another. The Son is the Son and is not without beginning because He is from the Father. However, if
you understand the beginning in relation to time, then the Son also is without beginning because the Creator of time is not
subject to time. The Spirit is indeed the Holy Spirit who emanates not through birth but through origin.”
Not only on the Feast of Theophany but every morning, our Church celebrates the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Every day,
Matins begins with a sublime doxology in honor of the Trinity: “Glory be to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and
undivided Trinity, always, now and ever, and forever.”
Pastoral Ponderings: The Beatitudes of Family Forgiveness
— Blessed are those humble enough to remain human; they will thrive with healthy family bonds.
— Blessed are those who have genuine sorrow; the rest of the family will console and support them.
— Blessed are those who can admit to their mistakes; they will remain within the family’s embrace.
— Blessed are those who hunger to forgive; the family will offer them many opportunities.
— Blessed are those whose lips say, “I’m sorry;” the same will be spoken of them.
— Blessed are those whose hearts burn with generous forgiveness; they will know God’s forgiveness of them.
— Blessed are those who work for family peace; they will be counted as members of God’s family.
— Blessed are those who are willing to overcome misunderstanding; they will be given a deeper understanding of
God’s forgiving love.
—Father O’Connell
Last updated: 18-Jan-2004 |
