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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 RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!
Divine Liturgy begins at 4 p.m. Every Sunday
Potluck supper follows Liturgy on the third Sunday of the month
MAY 13, 2007
Our Offerings
A VERY HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL OUR MOTHERS!
ATTENTION! HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION
Choose Life...
On this Mother’s Day, when we pay tribute to women who choose or have chosen life for their unborn babies, it is
startling to note that motherhood is becoming a downsized occupation. The Human Life Institute has recently published
statistics showing that global depopulation, rather than overpopulation, is now “the enemy,” with 79 countries
dying of birth rates below replacement level (2.1 babies per woman).
Let us pray...for all pregnant women this Mother’s Day—that they realize that a miracle of love grows inside
them—we pray to the Lord.
MOTHER’S DAY
On this Mother’s Day, we extend sentiments of the deepest gratitude to all mothers. May Mary, the Mother of God, ever
protect you and guide you toward your just reward. May our mothers always be with us, if not in the flesh, at least in spirit.
We love our mothers on this day and everyday, even though we may be separated by miles or by the mysterious separation of
death. Even in death, they are still very special people in our lives.
May God bless you, dear Mothers, and give you many, many years of much happiness and good health...You deserve the best of
everything!
If your mother has passed on to her Creator, may she now enjoy the full measure of the love that she gave all her life.
We may need Mother’s Day, but we need our mothers even more.
Mothers
by Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty
The most important person on earth is a mother.
She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral.
She need not.
She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral -
a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body...
The angles have not been blessed with such a grace.
They can not share in God’s creative miracle to bring new saints to heaven.
Only a human mother can!
Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature:
God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation...
What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this: To be a mother?
The Sunday of the Man Born Blind: Gospel Thought
Of all the Sunday gospels of the Paschal Season, a new aspect of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is brought before us today
for its theme speaks of “light.” Light is so elemental in our lives that it is often taken for granted. Through
light, we are able to see things and know what they are. In fact, we might say that things come to be through light. Without
light (sunlight) - nothing would be!
Everything we say about light is true of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection. Everyone lived in darkness of sin and death before
the coming of Jesus. Jesus is the true “light” of the world.
In His light, we are able to see all things as they are. Through His light, we are able to believe that He is the Son of God,
that He has indeed resurrected, and that He has given us a share in His new life. Jesus made all things new through His
resurrection. In today’s gospel, the man born blind sees light to the first time when he is cured by Jesus. We, too,
have been cured by the light of Jesus.
Remember the words of Jesus: “I am the Light of the world!”
PASTORAL PONDERINGS
On June 9th of this year the Diocese of Knoxville will ordain twenty-nine men to the order of the Permanent
Diaconate. Among those to be ordained in this ceremony is Dean Burry from Holy Family. In view of the fact that many people
are unaware of the role of the deacon, we will in the next several weeks present information relevant to this division of the
Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Historically, the beginning of the order of deacons is traced back to the story in Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:1-6). In
that Scriptural reference there was the need for assistants for the Apostles in the distribution of food. It should be
remembered that at that time in the development of the Church all were living a common life. So it would seem that the
institution of the diaconate was a very practical solution to a problem that had developed as the Church grew in its
membership. Very early in the history of the Church, deacons were understood to hold a special place in the community along
with bishops and priests. The role of all ordained ministries is to be modeled on the life of Christ, and that of deacons
especially was and still is that of Christ the servant.
It would be a mistake, however, to interpret the servant role too literally as one of “waiting on tables”. One of
the seven first deacons, Stephen, was stoned to death because of his bold preaching of the Gospel (Acts 6:8-15). He is
the first recognized martyr of the church, and his feast day is celebrated on December 26. Of the remaining seven, very
little is known except that their ministry quickly broadened to preaching and spreading the Gospel message.
Next week we will look at the history of the diaconate during the past centuries and how it has developed in recent times to a
restored sense within the modern Church structure.
Last updated: 14-May-2007 |
