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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
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 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
JULY 6, 2008
EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST OUR VENERABLE FATHER, SISOES THE GREAT
Our Offerings
THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
On this eighth Sunday after Pentecost, we read one of the Gospel accounts of the multiplication of the loaves.
(Matt. 14:14-22) With five loaves and two fishes, Jesus feeds a crowd of more than five thousand. This account throws
light on the Savior’s human concern and kindness: “And Jesus saw a great multitude and was moved with
compassion toward them.” It also throws light on the way men can collaborate in God’s work for Jesus makes use
of His disciples — and wants to use us — in distributing bread to the multitude. “He gave the loaves to
His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”
But above all, the multiplication of the loaves is the sign of a spiritual reality: Jesus is the food of our souls, the
living bread come down from heaven. Nor do we speak only of the gift that Jesus makes of Himself in the Eucharist. His
presence, His word, His invisible action are already a food, the true manna; of which, we can say, as did the disciples in
another part of the Gospels: “Lord, evermore give us this bread.”
In the Epistle, which is read at the liturgy (1 Cor. 1:10-17), St. Paul speaks out against the divisions and the
growth of factions, which he finds in the bosom of the Christian Church. Some say they are of Paul, others of Apollos, and
others still of Cephas. But Christ is not divided, and it is not Paul — as he himself says — who was crucified
for us.
Ecclesiastical groups must not be allowed to veil from us the face of Christ Jesus. We can develop our hidden life with
Jesus and keep it aloof from all such theological “side-taking.” The more a serious and humble work for the
church — which is the body of Christ — is blessed by Our Lord, the more any clesiastical
“agitation” becomes dangerous to us and spiritually sterile.
Paul thanks God that very few people have by baptized by him, so that they will not associate his name with the baptismal
rite. And let us, too, avoid linking our spiritual life to the name of any man, or to any human institution, “Lest
the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
Kazan Icon: Commemorated July 8 and October 22
The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is perhaps the most popular icon in all of Russian today. There is hardly a church that
does not have one. It is usually given as a wedding icon and is widely used as a family icon.
It was in the 16th century some years after Tsar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) regained the region of Kazan
from the Tartars that this icon first appeared. As Russia expanded, so did the church’s missionary work. Islam was
not easily overcome. In 1579, the Kazan Kremlin was destroyed by fire, and the Moslems said that this was because of
Allah’s wrath.
However, one night after the fire, a young girl named, Matrona, received a vision from the Mother of God. Our Lady told her
to tell the Archbishop that he was to go to a certain place and dig up her icon. No one — including the Archbishop
— took this seriously. The Mother of God then appeared to Matrona a second and even third time with the same
request. Finally, the girl and her mother went to place and dug up the icon. When they uncovered it, the icon was as bright
and beautiful as if it were new! The Archbishop repented of his unbelief and took the holy icon to the Church of
St. Nicholas. The priest at the church was named, Germogen, who later became the future Patriarch of All Russia. Also,
on that same day, a blind man was cured of his blindness. A church and convent were eventually established at the place
where the icon was found.
PASTORAL PONDERINGS
As the month of July begins, many people are either on vacation or thinking about getting away. Sometimes our work-oriented
society makes us feel guilty about taking time off. Here are a few random thoughts that might ease the cloud of guilt that
sometimes hovers over us.
St. Anthony the hermit was once day relaxing with his disciples outside his hut when a hunter came by. The hunter was
surprised and mildly shocked to see the saint taking it easy. It was not his idea of what a monk should be doing, and he
rebuked the saint. But Anthony said, “Bend your bow and shoot an arrow.” The hunter did so. “Bend it
again and shoot another,” said Anthony. The hunter did so — again and again. At last the hunter said,
“Father Anthony, if I keep my bow always stretched, it will break.” “So it is with a monk,” replied
Anthony. “If we push ourselves beyond measure we will break; it is right from time to time to relax our
efforts.”
If you have flown recently, you will enjoy this story. The Los Angeles Times published a story of a commercial airline
flight cancellation which resulted in a long line of travelers trying to get bookings on another flight. One man in the
line grew increasingly impatient with the slow moving line. At last, he pushed his way to the front and angrily demanded a
first-class ticket on the next available flight. “I'm sorry,” said the ticket agent, “First I'll have to
take care of the people who were ahead of you in line.” The irate man then pounded his fist on the ticket counter,
saying, “Do you have any idea who I am?” Whereupon the ticket agent picked up the public address microphone and
said, “Attention, please! There is a gentleman at the ticket counter who does not know who he is. If there is anyone
in the airport who can identify him, please come to the counter.” Hearing this, the man retreated, and the people
waiting in line burst into applause.
Have a good week.
Last updated: 14-Jul-2008 |
