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
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

AUGUST 10, 2008
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
POST-FESTIVE DAY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
THE HOLY MARTYR AND ARCH-DEACON LAWRENCE OF ROME

Our Offerings
Aug. 3: $364 — Candles: $17

TODAY’S GOSPEL THOUGHT:
“HE WHO IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME!”

When our Lord spoke in parables, He often used allegory familiar to His listeners. In today’s Gospel reading, the vineyard represents Israel; the vineyard owner represents God; and the managers or tenants of the vineyard represent the political and religious leaders of the time. Just as the responsibility of the vineyard managers was to produce a profit for the vineyard owner; so was it the responsibility of the religious leaders, in the time of Jesus, to bring God’s people to fruitfulness in knowing, loving, and serving God. But they failed in this, just as the vineyard managers in the parable failed to bring a profit to the vineyard owner.

In response to this, the vineyard owner sent his servants to the vineyard owner, just as God sent the prophets into the world. However, like the prophets, the servants in the parable were rejected, mistreated, ignored, and even killed. Finally, the vineyard owner sent his son to reason with the mangers, but they killed him out of jealously. Jesus, too, was rejected and ultimately crucified at the hands of devious and jealous men.

Are we, at times, like the managers of the vineyard who rejected the Son? How often do we knowingly distance ourselves from God and His commandments? There is a pride in the human heart that urges us to take control of our own lives—even if it means disobedience to all that we know to be right and true. Our Lord tells us, “He who is not for Me is against Me.” (Matthew 12:30) When we act in such a way, we really are no different from the tenant farmers in the parable.

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION
Friday, August 15: The Dormition of the Holy Mother of God
DIVINE LITURGY @ 7:30 p.m.

Words of Wisdom from St. John of Damascus

It was necessary that she who had preserved her virginity, inviolate in childbirth, should also have her body kept free from all corruption after death.
It was necessary that she who had carried the Creator as a child on her breast should dwell in the tabernacles of God.
It was necessary that the bride espoused by the Father should make her home in the bridal chambers of heaven.
It was necessary that she, who had gazed on her crucified Son and had been pierced in the heart by the sword of sorrow, should contemplate Him seated with the Father.
It was necessary that the Mother of God should share the possessions of her Son and be venerated by every creature as the Mother and Handmaid of God.

The Dormition of the Theotokos

In all the church year, August 15 is the greatest and oldest feast in honor of the Mother of God. We have prepared for this feast with a two-week fast, and now we are called to celebrate and rejoice.

When the Holy Virgin reached the end of her life here on earth, she summoned all the Apostles to come to her in Jerusalem and told them to bury her body in the Garden of Gethsemane. However, St. Thomas the Apostle, who had to come all the way from India — where the Eastern Churches still call themselves “Christians of St. Thomas” and keep the tomb of St. Thomas as their greatest shrine — did not reach Jerusalem in time to say goodbye to the Holy Mother of God. To his great dismay, he had arrived after the funeral.

Heartbroken at not getting to see her, he went with the other Apostles to her tomb in Gesthsemane, so that he might venerate her relics. However, to their total amazement, they found the tomb empty, except for the sash or belt of Holy Virgin’s dress! (This sash is currently kept on Mouth Athos.)

When at the tomb, the Holy Mother of God appeared to St. Thomas and the others and informed them that her Divine Son would not leave her body in the earth. She told them that Jesus had commanded the angels to bring her incorrupt and pure body from the Garden of Gethsemane into the Kingdom of Heaven.

In this way — with both body and soul — she was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth and now reigns with her Son forever and ever…

Last updated: 8-Sep-2008