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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
AUGUST 17, 2008
FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST POST-FESTIVE DAY OF THE DORMITION THE HOLY MARTYR MYRON
Our Offerings
Fallen Asleep, You have not Forsaken the World
At the time of her death, so it is believed, the Mother of God was living in the house of St. John on Mount Zion. The
twelve were preaching the Gospel in different parts of the world. But so that they might see the Virgin once again before
her death, all of them, except St. Thomas, were carried miraculously on clouds to the Holy City. Besides the twelve,
St. Paul, together with the Bishops Dionysios the Areopagite, Hierotheos, and Timothy, were also present at her
bedside.
As they stood round her, the Holy Mother commended her spirit into the keeping of her Son. Jesus, Himself, descended from
heaven and took her soul up with Him in His arms. Led by St. Peter, the other apostles sang funeral hymns in her
honor, and carried her body down to the Valley of Cedron, close to Gethsemane, where she was laid in a tomb especially
prepared for her.
A number of Jews tried to interrupt the funeral procession, one of them even attempting to upset the bier! It is believed
that his hands were cut off by an angel, but he was subsequently healed. St. Thomas arrived on the third day after the
burial. Since he was anxious to look for a last time upon the holy and pure Theotokos, the apostles opened the tomb for him
but found it empty!
Without insisting on the literal truth of every element in this account, tradition is clear and unwavering in regard to the
central point: The Holy Virgin underwent, as did her Son, a physical death. But her body — like His — was
afterwards raised from the dead. She was taken up to heaven both body and soul!
—from the Festal Menaion, Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia
GOSPEL THOUGHT by Rev. James Melnic
In today’s parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who arranged a wedding for his son. It was a
Jewish custom to invite guests to great feasts ahead of time, but without giving a definite date. When everything was
prepared, servants were sent personally to those invited with a final summons to appear at the feast.
The first portion of this parable refers to the Jewish people who were invited to be God’s chose people. When His Son
came into the world, they were called to accept and follow Him. They, however, refused the invitation. The result was that
the invitation was then extended to the Gentiles.
The second portion of the parable deals with a guest who arrived at the banquet without a wedding garment. For this, Jesus
uses two stories involving kings and garments that were familiar to the people.
The first story tells of a king who invited his guests to a feast without informing them of the date and time but asking
them to wash, anoint, and clothe themselves, and be ready for the summons. The wise prepared and clothed themselves at once
and took their places at the palace door. They believed the feast would be prepared quickly and there would not be a long
wait. The foolish, on the other hand, believed it would take a long time to complete the preparations and thought they
would have plenty of time to put on their garments later. They went about their business; but the summons came
unexpectedly, and they had no time to change.
The second rabbinical tale tells how a king entrusted royal robes to his servants. The wise took the robes and carefully
stored them away; the foolish wore the robes to work and soiled them. When the king demanded the robes back, the wise
handed them back fresh and clean; the foolish returned them stained and soiled. Jesus, no doubt, had both these tales in
mind when He spoke the parable.
PASTORAL PONDERINGS
Even though the Feast of Mary’s Assumption on August 15th has passed, the following meditation reminds us
of the salient points of the celebration.
Ten years ago a newspaper described some new guest suites at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. The hotel was
unveiling five new “First Lady Suites” in honor of five presidents’ wives. Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush provided advice on decor and memorabilia for the suites. Each suite has the
official White House portrait of, and autographed books from, the First Lady after whom it is named, as well as a brass
plate with her signature over the door. The memorabilia and special colors used in each suite reflect the individual taste
of each First Lady.
The Feast of the Assumption celebrates the day when God brought the Blessed Virgin Mary into the heavenly suite prepared
for her. Mary is the First Lady of the Church because she is the mother of God’s Son. We might wonder how her suite
in heaven is decorated. Is Mary’s official portrait there? No, there isn’t any? Any autographed books? No, Mary
didn’t have book contracts with any publishers. But Mary’s suite in heaven is decorated with what she herself
left us. It is something that best expresses the meaning of her life. It is the marvelous song of praise we call the
“Magnificat.” But Mary’s song is not about herself: It is about God’s work in and through her for
us. And so Mary sings:
He has shown the strength of his arm and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty fro their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
—Father Thomas O’Connell
Last updated: 8-Sep-2008 |
