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
FATHER THOMAS O’CONNELL, PASTOR
FATHER DEACON RON VOLEK, PASTORAL ASSISTANT
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH
307 BLACK OAK RIDGE ROAD PO BOX 817
SEYMOUR, TN 37865
PHONE: 865-609-1081
www.hrbcc.org

Slava Isusu Christu! Slava Na Niky!
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

Divine Liturgy begins at 4 p.m. Every Sunday
Ninth Hour Prayer precedes Liturgy at 3:30 p.m.

Potluck supper follows Liturgy on the third Sunday of the month
Also at this time non-perishable foods and items for those in need

SEPTEMBER 30, 2007 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
THE HOLY MARTYR GREGORY, BISHOP OF ARMENIA

Our Offerings
Sept. 23: $247 — Candles: $12

FEAST OF THE PATRONAGE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
CELEBRATED ON OCTOBER 1

Monday, October 1, is the Feast of the Patronage of the Mother of God. Jesus Christ knew human nature very well; therefore, He left us to His Holy Mother to protect us from evils as she protected her Divine Son when he was a small baby. In God’s loving providence, we also have a model and comfort in Mary, for she is our spiritual Mother whom God has exalted above all the angels and saints.

As our spiritual Mother, she has our best interests at heart, and we can always approach her with the confidence and the assurance that she will intercede for us. According, we pray for her intercession:

“O Immaculate Mother of God, we believe and profess you are truly the Mother of God and that in your deep love for God’s people, you are a fountain of mercy; the consolation of the afflicted; a haven for the lost; and a powerful and constant advocate before Christ...

“Truly there is no help or refuge for humanity besides you, O Merciful Lady. No one who implores God through you is ever forsaken. For this reason, we beseech your inexhaustible goodness: Open the gates of mercy and intercede for us!”

October is Respect for Life Month: Prayer for Life

Pope John Paul II concluded his Gospel of Life encyclical with this prayer:

O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life: Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of Life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives, and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

The Akathist Hymn is to the Byzantine Church what the Holy Rosary is to the Latin Church. Unfortunately, many Byzantine Catholics neglect to pray it. Composed by St. Romanos the Hymnographer, it is made up of beautiful prayers praising the Holy Theotokos and her precious son, Jesus, in the Incarnation. Try praying the Akathist for all the unborn babies murdered in their mothers’ womb through the horrendous act of abortion.

Prayer to St. Therese
Troparion: Tone one

“O Holy Therese, you became sublime through your humility and flew on the wings of your longing for God. When you arrived in the Eternal City, you wore the crown of virginity, appeared before your Divine Spouse, and kept your promise to remember those who have recourse to you. You shower upon the world the roses of mercy and grace. Since you multiply miracles, intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.”

PASTORAL PONDERINGS

There is a Jewish story about Rabbi Joshua, the son of Levi and his trip to Rome in the third century. He was astounded to see the magnificence of the buildings, especially the care lavished upon statues which were covered with exquisite clothes to protect them from the summer heat. As he was admiring the beauty of Roman art, a beggar plucked at his sleeve and asked for a crust of bread. The sage looked at the statues and turning to the beggar in rags said: "Here are statues of stones covered with expensive clothes and here is a man created in the image and likeness of God covered with rags. A civilization that pays more attention to statues than to human beings shall surely perish." Telling the parable of Dives and Lazarus in today's gospel Jesus asks us the same question: What are our statues, our priorities? The poor and powerless, the illiterate, the homeless, the ill? Or ourselves, our pleasures and our luxuries?

On a lighter note, there once was a parish church badly in need of repair. At a special meeting of the congregation, Mr. Murphy, the richest man in the church, announced he would give $50. At that moment a hunk of plaster fell from the ceiling, hitting Mr. Murphy on the head. He corrected himself by saying: "I really meant $500." Then a lone voice in the back of the church cried out: "Oh, Lord, hit him again!"

As we begin the first phase of the Renew program Why Catholic, let us continue to pray for those involved in the small groups and for the success of the program.

—Father Thomas O’Connell

Last updated: 9-Oct-2007