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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
Slava Isusu Chrisu! Slava Na Viky!
Divine Liturgy begins at 4 p.m. Every Sunday
Every Third Sunday of the Month is Food Sunday
13th Sunday after Pentecost
Divine Liturgy Intention:
Our Offerings
Sayings from the Church Fathers
“Humility has no tongue in order to speak against someone for being careless, or someone else for being
contemptuous; nor does it have eyes with which to notice another’s faults; nor again does it have ears to hear that
which does not benefit the soul. Neither does it have anything against others, except one’s own sins. Instead
humility renders one peaceful with all people for the sake of God’s commandment, and not merely some friendship.
For if one fasts for six days out of seven, and is entirely given to great toils and commandments, all of that
person’s toils outside this way of humility are in vain.“
— Abba Isaiah of Scetis, Ascetic Discourses
The Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Today is the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Prophet, Precursor, and Baptist. St. John is also known as
the Forerunner of Christ, who called St. John “the greatest of the sons of women.” He was the last of
the prophets God sent to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah.
St. John preached penance on the shores of the river Jordan in Palestine. Herod Antipas, the puppet king —
tetrarch — of Galilee, took Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and married her. While the
“austere” Pharisees did not dare condemn their ruler, St. John went to Herod’s palace and
condemned the tetrarch’s immoral union with Herodias. Instigated by Herodias, Herod locked St. John in the
royal dungeon.
Herodias wanted St. John killed, but Herod refused — partly from fear of the people and partly out of
reverence for the saintly preacher. However, on Herod’s birthday, Herodias seized an opportunity to wreak her
vengeance on the preacher.
Herod’s birthday party was a great festival, full of guests, food and drink, music and dancing. After
Herodias’ daughter Salome danced before Herod and his guests, Herod promised to give her whatever she might ask.
Prompted by her mother, Salome said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.” Through a
false sense of honor, Herod ordered his guards to behead the man, and Salome dutifully brought the saintly head to her
mother.
Today’s feast is quite old; it was introduced in the second or third century. Strict abstinence is traditionally
prescribed for today, as it is a day of sadness. Other traditions include practices such as not eating food from a plate
or anything in the shape of a head — cabbage, lettuce, apples, etc.
The Belt of the Holy Virgin
Just as frightened children cling to their mothers, we Christians instinctively turn to Our Blessed Mother in times of
trial and affliction. She is our unfailing intercessor and our “gentle protectress.” This sentiment is at the
center of a special feast celebrated Aug. 31: The Feast of the Deposition of the Belt of the Mother of God.
After her Dormition, the Theotokos left her belt to St.nbsp;Thomas. Her belt was later kept in a sealed casket in a
church in Constantinople. The casket was never opened until Zoe, the wife of Emperor Leo the Wisenbsp;(886-912), fell
ill.
Inspired by a vision, the emperor told the patriarch to open the sealed casket and place the belt upon the empress. She
recovered immediately. The present feast memorializes the event.
Let us remember that our Blessed Mother is never at a loss to come to our aid. As St.nbsp;Bernard tells us,
“whoever turns to the Holy Virgin in time of need will never remain unaided.”
Pastoral Ponderings: Reflections on an Extraordinary Event
Last Sunday’s celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the dinner that followed was a unique event in many ways.
Unfortunately, many Catholic Christians in the United States are unaware of the rich history of Catholicism that involves
both the East and the West. Pope John Paul II has characterized this relationship between Eastern and Western
Catholicism as the Church “breathing with two lungs.” The extraordinary aspect of last Sunday’s
celebration here in Seymour was the fact that both lungs can function quite admirably in the same facility.
Whatever the historical differences that have taken place during the past 2,000 years, there was a beautiful unity
between East and West, Roman and Greek, last Sunday at Holy Family during the Divine Liturgy and the dinner that
followed. The presence of two hierarchs, Archbishop Basil and Bishop Kurtz, as well as more than 125 members of both
communities gave testimony to our One Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
— Father O’Connell
Don’t Forget: Last updated: 29-Aug-2004 |
