Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission

Icon of the Archangel Gabriel

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.

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HOLY RESURRECTION BYZANTINE CATHOLIC MISSION
PASTOR: REV. THOMAS O'CONNELL
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH
307 BLACK OAK RIDGE ROAD PO BOX 817
SEYMOUR, TN 37865
PHONE: 865-609-1081
www.hrbcc.org

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY FOREVER!
SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU! SLAVA NA VIKY!

DIVINE LITURGY BEGINS AT 4 P.M. EVERY SUNDAY
NINTH HOUR PRAYER BEGINS AT 3:30 P.M.

January 18, 2004
32^nd Sunday After Pentecost
Commemoration of Our Holy Fathers Athanasius and Cyril

Bio: Sts. Athanasius and Cyril

St. Athanasius is one of the four great doctors of the Byzantine Rite. He is called “The Father of Orthodoxy.” He opposed the Arians with admirable zeal and endured exile for 46 years. He died in AD 373.

In opposition to the Nestorians, St. Cyril taught that the divine and human natures in Christ are united in one person. He also taught that the Blessed Virgin ought truly to be called The Mother of God. He presided over the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in AD 431. He died in 444.

Divine Liturgy Intention:
Alex Polityka, living

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
Jan. 11: $365 — Candles: $19
God Bless You For Your Generosity

SOHL (Sanctity of Human Life) Annuncements

This Thursday, Jan. 22, is the 31^st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s infamous decision to legalize abortion in Roe v. Wade.
In The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II says, “We need to bring the Gospel of Life to the heart of every man and woman to make it penetrate every part of society. [This] involves making clear all the consequences of the Gospel. These can be summed up as follows: Human life, as a gift of God, is sacred and inviolable. For this reason procured abortion and euthanasia are absolutely unacceptable. Not only must human life not be taken, but it must be protected with loving concern” (Sections 80-81).
Biblical teachings on the sanctity of human life:
- Psalm 139:13-16: For You created my inmost being: You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the Earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.
- Jeremiah 1:4-6: The word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
- Galatians 1:15: But when God, Who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me...

The helpless, voiceless, unique human beings that rest peacefully and confidently wombs of their mothers need to be protected and given the opportunity to live. The sanctity of human life must be protected everywhere &mdash especially in the mother’s womb.

Jesus, the Model

Jesus is the best model of a caring person. Jesus used a variety of caring techniques, depending on the persons and circumstances. He considered the specific situation and problem.

At times Jesus listened to people carefully without giving much outward direction or counseling. At other times He spoke decisively. He encouraged people and supported them. But He also challenged and confronted them when necessary. He accepted those who were sinful and those who were in need of help. But he also demanded repentance, obedience, and a new attitude.

Caring persons should learn to listen attentively, to understand the situation and problem from the other person’s perspective. They should try to encourage, pray for, and assist that person according to their own abilities and within their own means.

Caring involves loving someone as we love ourselves. “Love your neighbor and yourselves.” To care for others involves love. It is more than “liking” a person. A sincere love is the main ingredient for any kind of effective caring.

Pastoral Ponderings: St. John Chrysostom on Fate and Free Will

Here is a quote from St. John Chrysostom I find interesting. St. John blasts the notion of predetermined fate while glorifying the great wisdom and providence of our Creator:

We are directed by free will and not, as some say, subjected to the compulsion of inescapable fate. For if fate were the cause of our actions rather than our free will, what justification have you for whipping the slave who is a thief? Why, if your wife has committed adultery, do you take her to court? When you do stupid things, why are you ashamed? Why are you intolerant of accusations and regard it as an insult if anyone calls you an adulterer or a fornicator or a drunkard or suchlike? The myth of a compelling destiny is nonsense. Our lives are subject to no unavoidable fate. Everything, as I have argued, points to the beauty of free will.

Enough theology for today.

Speaking of today, this is the beginning of The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Furthermore, here in the United States, there is a civil observance this weekend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Christian unity as well as racial harmony should be given a prominent place in our prayer lives this coming week.

—Father O’Connell

Last updated: 18-Jan-2004