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 MICHAEL MAPLES, ASSISTANT 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

DECEMBER 9, 2007 TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
OUR VENERABLE FATHER PATAPIUS
THE HOLY HANNAH, MOTHER OF THE PROPHET SAMUEL

Our Offerings
Dec. 2: $302 — Candles: $14

“Blessed are they that mourn...”

The Christian’s comfort in sorrow is to be found, not in the memory, but in the presence of the one we love. As the Christian is in Christ, the departed loved one is in Christ, too, only nearer to Him than we here on earth. One is on this side of the veil, the other on the other side. By coming nearer to Christ, the living and the dead come nearer to each other in Him, not in any physical manner — such as by sight or sound or touch —for that would be only to restore what is most imperfect and what death was meant to end; but, in the deep, hidden bonds that bind the souls of them that love Him together. Prayers, good works, Holy Communion, and the personal love of Jesus become the comfort of one that sorrows; not because they make one forget or benumb one’s feelings, but because through them the soul is being drawn nearer to Christ. Thus, there comes to be a deep meaning in the beatitude, “Blessed are they that mourn...”

A Woman of Faith

The Most Holy Theotokos was the first person to look forward to Christmas — from the Annunciation until Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. Imagine that you are a young Jewish woman, residing in an unimportant village in a tiny country. An angel appears and asks you to be the mother of God. How would you feel? She was told that all prophecies were to be fulfilled. She made an incredible leap of faith: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to your word.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that God has said ... because [God] is truth itself.” (1814) Mary believed Gabriel’s words because their truth was guaranteed by God. No wonder the catechism calls Mary, “The perfect embodiment of faith!”(148) Mary could not see the future. She could only put her faith in God.

Soon after Christ’s birth, Mary’s faith had to light a path through darkness: Herod’s attempts to kill Jesus, her family’s escape into exile, and her return and adjustment to a new home. As Mary taught Jesus to speak and read, watched Him grow and work and play; it must have taken great faith to see in Him the Son of God.

After Jesus began his public ministry, Mary was pleased to hear of his mighty works — even when there came criticism and opposition. Yet, through the good times and the bad, Mary believed. Even when she stood at the cross, she kept faith. And so, “The Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith.” (CCC 149)

Mary helps us believe in God, through the great events of life and the insignificant, in the triumphs and the tragedies. What we rejoice in or suffer through, Mary has celebrated or endured. “Our salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers.” In faith we await, “The coming of the Son of Man.”

Mary has marked out a path of faith. We must follow in her footsteps.

The Awesome Mystery

In preparation for the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the consoling words of Jesus, Himself, come to mind:

“God so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. It was not to judge the world that God sent His Son into the world, but that through Him the world might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

St. John Chrysostom explains this awesome mystery. “As God,” he says, “He, Christ, is truly begotten of God. As man, He is truly born from the Virgin. In heaven, He alone is the Only-Begotten of God; As man, He is truly born from the Virgin. In heaven, He alone is the Only-Begotten of the one God: On earth, He alone is the Only-Begotten of the unique Virgin.”

St. John Chrysostom continues saying: “And in what manner was the Almighty with her? He was as the craftsman who, coming on some suitable material, fashions to Himself a beautiful vessel. So Christ, finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin Mary, builds for Himself a living temple...for it was to Him no lowering to put on what He, Himself, had made. Let that “handiwork” be forever glorified for it became the cloak of its own Creator.”

In love for mankind, Jesus emptied Himself completely by voluntarily giving up the glory of His divinity to take upon Himself human nature to serve and redeem the crown of His creation - His beloved people. He came in our likeness for all to recognize Him, while still retaining His divine nature.

PASTORAL PONDERINGS

Waiting is an inevitable part of the human experience. We wait in line at the bank, at the gas pump, at the grocery store and in the doctor’s office. Waiting can bring out the best or the worst in a person, depending on what we are waiting for. Recently, thousands of consumers waited in long lines through the night and the wee hours of the morning in eager anticipation of the latest electronic gadget, the iPhone. Various toys have prompted similar bouts of waiting, as have books, like those in the popular Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. People have submitted willingly to extended periods of waiting for tickets to a concert or play or even a movie. At other times, waiting can be an experience fraught with anxiety. If one is expecting the results of a test, waiting can be burdensome and each moment seems longer than the last. Waiting to entertain a cantankerous boos or an unreasonable client for a “duty dinner” can be tinged with dread. It can also be a struggle to wait for the departure of contentious relatives who make a visit of undetermined length.

Some would say that there is a richer kind of waiting, a waiting for the fulfillment of a process already begun. For example, when seeds are planted in a garden, those who await the flowers are willing to allow them time to germinate and grow. The parents who are expecting a child know that every moment of waiting contributes to the wondrous process of bringing forth a new life into the world. Waiting, planning, loving and hoping are all part of the preparation for welcoming such a gift. Likewise, the waiting of the Nativity Fast is characterized by joy and not impatience and by hope rather than anxiety, for we know the One for whom we wait. Isaiah offers an extensive description of the long-awaited One. Endowed with the very Spirit of God, that One will be characterized by wisdom, strength and understanding. He is faithful and true and he will judge with justice. In his presence animosities will cease and a reign of peace that seems almost unimaginable will be enjoyed by those who welcome him into their lives.

Because we know the One whom we await and we are well aware of what his coming will bring to fulfillment, our waiting is actually a process of anticipating his coming by becoming like him. If he is God’s peace, we are to prepare his way be being makers of peace. If Jesus is God's wisdom and understanding, then all our dealings with one another should demonstrate this. If Jesus is God’s justice, then justice must inform our minds and hearts and be translated into deeds that defend the rights of others. In a word, the One we await dictates the character of our waiting.

—Father Thomas O’Connell

Last updated: 19-Dec-2007