Divine Liturgy for Holy Week 2019

Glory to Jesus Christ

Sunday, 4/14, Flowery (Palm) Sunday —The Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem

8:45 a.m. Lytija and Blessing of Bread
9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish

Blessing of Pussywillows and Anointing

10:30 a.m.All deceased members of UNA branch 414 requested by the UNA branch 414

Epistle: Philippians 4:4-9
Gospel: John 12:1-18, Tone 6

Great Monday, 4/15, Holy Apostles Aristarchus and Pudens
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy

Great Tuesday, 4/16, Holy Martyrs Agape, Irene and Chionia
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy

Great Wednesday, 4/17, Our Holy Bishop Simeon
7:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts

Great Thursday, 4/18
7:00 p.m. Vespers with the Divine Liturgy and the Proclamation of the Passion Gospels

Great Friday, 4/19 —a day of strict fast and abstinence –NO meat or dairy products
4:00 p.m. Great Vespers with the Laying Out and Veneration of the Holy Shroud

Great Saturday, 4/20
8:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy

4:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
6:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods

7:00 p.m. Prayers at the Tomb

Sunday, 4/21, Resurrection of Our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ

9:00 a.m. Procession and Paschal Matins
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Blessing of Artos
Blessing of Easter Foods

Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8
Gospel: John 1:1-17, Tone 1

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

This week the vigil light is offered God’s glory by Margaret and Stuart Maybury in memory of Pauline Kurylo.

A special THANKS to Rudolph Brezicki for donating the beautiful pussywillows for today’s Palm Sunday.

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. Please come and join in this beautiful tradition of our Church.

Olga Iastrubchak will be offering private dance classes for children ages 3-18. Classes will be held on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. in St Michael’s church hall. For more information please contact Olga at (203) 400-4467 or email her at olgaiastrubchak@gmail.com

The Knights of Columbus have available for sale a freshly cooked batch of 2 quarter pound tasty recipe kovbasa and cabbage meals for $10.00 each or a 2lb. vegetable only mix for just $6.00. These meals may be purchased in the church hall, please see Walter Ushchak.

The traditional Easter parish “SVIACHENE” will be held on May 5, following the Divine Liturgy. We will celebrate only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. We will be running a raffle. If you would like to donate any items to be raffled, please bring them to our church hall on Sundays before our “Sviachene” or on Sunday, May 5. Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth from 12 to 18. Free for altar boys, and under 12. Also we ask you to donate cakes for desert. We trust that all parishioners will join this parish gathering and through their presence attest to cherishing in our hearts a love for one another which builds our PARISH FAMILY.

The world-renowned Kyiv Chamber Choir returns to perform a Hartford concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 20, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford. Tickets are available at Ukrainian National Home (860-296-5702) or online at www.universe.com or you may call Platinum Concerts International, toll-free, at 1-877-232-9835 and at the door. For concert information, go to www.platinumconcerts.com This is a are opportunity to hear one of the world’s great choirs share ‘hidden treasures, from 1,000 years of Ukrainian sacred and folk music.

The organizational meeting of the newly formed Facilities Maintenance Team of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church took place on Friday evening, January 18th. The schedule of work sessions was also established for the entire year so that plans can be developed for doing all the projects and arrangements made for the purchase of required supplies and equipment. The usual time frame for the work sessions will run from 6:30 to about 9:30 p.m. There will be occasions when it is necessary to work later than 9:30 to complete some of the projects. All parishioners who would like to become part of the team should leave your contact information with Fr. Iura after the Divine Liturgy. Forms for providing your contact information can be found in the vestibule of the church.

Awakenings —Adult Faith Formation: “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1: 27)

Humankind – the Crown of Creation  “Lord … what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than God, and crown him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet” (Ps 8:1, 4-6). With these words Holy Scripture extols humankind.The Lord God set humanity to govern creation: “Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” (Gen 1:26). (Christ Our Pascha, 118)

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5th Sunday of the Fast – St Mary of Egypt

This Sunday of the breathtaking life of Saint Mary of Egypt is commemorated and presented to us sinners as an example of heroic hope in the mercy of the Lord and the heights it can raise us to.

The boundlessly sinful woman who took all in lust now boundlessly gives herself to Love. Our unity with Christ is a wedding that gives life, rather than take away. She exemplifies the beauty of Catholic sexuality, and in that light sheds even greater light on the “no-no’s” of the Church that everyone in their worldly thinking sees as discrimination. We don’t look at the No’s as if they were the meaning of our life. We don’t look at what we must not do but what we should be doing and always in better ways! Fear of death is an imperfect way of avoiding sin (just as in Confession’s contrition). It is LOVE that must draw us to God, and naturally this means away from any disfigurement (sin) of His Image in us and the beauty of His works.

Saint Mary reflects the harrowing difference between a sterile taking away of someone else’s treasure for our pleasure (her previous life) vs. the fertile and life-giving love that draws us out of ourselves to give this self to another as the height of our Matrimonial unity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of Matrimony’s purpose as being two things: to get yourself and the other to Heaven, and participating in God’s creating act by making souls for Heaven. It doesn’t talk about “he’s handsome and I get butterflies” or “she’s pretty and I like her”. These are natural feelings and beautiful in the right place. However, to follow them as the primary source and goal of our sexual love is a blasphemy against the Sacrament of Matrimony and our Crowning as mutual martyrs for the sake of Love. It is like saying “I am not a Christian, I see the Eucharist, I don’t think about God but I receive Him because the Host tastes good.” What a blasphemy and a sorrowful misunderstanding of the treasure unfolding in the Sacrament!

Saint Mary of Egypt who had known the entirety of worldly pleasures and a sexuality given to lust, finally in one moment of Grace understood that the true Love everyone is called to have and experience is the One hanging on the Cross. She represents a soul that crucifies itself and all the worldliness within it to be raised in Christ from the tomb of sin. And the means for this is always the Cross. A soul that crucifies its plans and picture-perfect future to raise that “unplanned” life growing in her womb. A soul that crucifies its pride and false expectations of what it “deserves” in order to refrain from insulting but rather raising the other. A soul that crucifies its pleasure and rest to stick with its family and maintain a tiresome job to raise the kids. So on…

I was going to say that this Sunday is the last Sunday before Palm Sunday and Pascha which are both feasts. But I had forgotten that every Sunday is a feast. Every illness, every struggle, every sigh is a joy for the Christian. Every Sunday we had seen was preparing us for the Resurrection. We were learning that the Cross is our Salvation, that we can climb the ladder of sanctity through ascetical effort rooted in Christ, and that the highest way maintaining all other efforts is the Asceticism of Humility and Love that removes all that is prideful in us. Today, Saint Mary’s life reminds us that nobody is farther than the reaches of Hope and Mercy, and that for all of us who had thought we were, it takes one. moment. of. humble. repentance. If you go to Confession today, or call a priest “for a chat about things”, or start the Fast today, or wherever you are right now in the spiritual life begin an honest effort, then you too will prepare your soul to lay all its false garments hiding the shame of our Fall before Christ. You too will remove the old garment of disobedience and lay it before the New Adam who will be crucified by His perfect obedience naked on the Cross, recalling the First Image when we were free, unashamed of our nakedness, and walking with the Lord in Eden. You too will call to Him: “Hosanna!”

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 4/07, 5th Sunday of Lent –Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt
9:00 a.m. Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45, Tone 5

Monday, 4/08, Holy Apostle Herodian and other apostles

Tuesday, 4/09, Holy Martyr Eupsichius

Wednesday, 4/10, Holy Martyrs Terrence and Pompeius

Thursday, 4/11, Holy Priest Martyr Antipas

Friday, 4/12, Our Venerable Father Basil 
7:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

Saturday, 4/13, Holy Priest Martyr Artemon

Sunday, 3/14, Palm Sunday

8:45 a.m. Lytija and Blessing of Bread
9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
~Blessing of Pussywillows and Anointing

10:30 a.m. All deceased members of UNA Branch 414 requested by UNA Branch 414
~Blessing of Pussywillows and Anointing

Epistle: Philippians 4:4-9
Gospel: John 12:1-18, Tone 6

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory in memory of Frances Dmyterko requested by the Family.

SESTRECHI: the next meeting will be held today after the 9:00 Divine Liturgy.

CANCELLATION: Due to scheduling conflicts, the April 8th Parish Council meeting and the KofC meeting are cancelled. The next scheduled meeting dates will be announced.

LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS will be on Friday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Our next PYROHY PROJECT will be Saturday, April 13. We need your help on Friday to peel potatoes and especially on Saturday to make Pyrohy (varynyky). Please come and help. See Walter Ushchak for more information.

Olga Iastrubchak will be offering private dance classes for children ages 3-18. Classes will be held on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. the St Michael’s church hall. For more information please contact Olya at 203-400-4467 or email olgaiastrubchak@gmail.com

Kovbasa and Cabbage Meals: The Knights of Columbus Have available for sale a freshly cooked batch of 2 quarter pound secret, tasty recipe kovbasa and cabbage meals for $10.00 each or a 2lb. vegetable only mix for just $6.00. These meals may be purchased in the Church Hall, please see Walter Ushchak.

Knights of Columbus raffle tickets are being sold in the church hall after each Divine Liturgy. 1st Prize is $5,000.00!!! The tickets are $10.00 each. Please see Michael or Mary Muryn to purchase your tickets.

SVIACHENE: The traditional Easter parish “SVIACHENE” will be held on May 5, following the one (1) Divine Liturgy. We will celebrate only One Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. We will be running a raffle. If you would like to donate any items to be raffled, please bring them to our church hall on Sundays before our “Sviachene” or on Sunday, May 5. Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth from 12 to 18. Free for altar boys, and under 12. Also we ask you to donate cakes for desert. We trust that all parishioners will join this parish gathering and through their presence attest to cherishing in our hearts a love for one another which builds our PARISH FAMILY.

The 16th Annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Ukrainian National Association- Branch 414, will be held on Sunday, April 14 (Palm Sunday), 12 noon, on the rectory grounds for children from 0 to 14. Participants are asked to bring a basket for collecting eggs. Contact Gloria Horbaty or see flyer.

The world-renowned Kyiv Chamber Choir returns to perform a Hartford concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 20,  at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Ave, West Hartford, CT. Tickets are available at Ukrainian National Home 860-296-5702 or online at www.universe.com or you may call Platinum Concerts International, toll-free, at 877-232-9835 and at the door. For concert information, go to www.platinumconcerts.com. This is a rare opportunity to hear one of the world`s great choirs share ‘hidden treasures, from 1,000 years of Ukrainian sacred and folk music.

The organizational meeting of the newly formed Facilities Maintenance Team of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church took place on Friday evening, January 18th. The schedule of work sessions was also established for the entire year so that plans can be developed for doing all the projects and arrangements made for the purchase of required supplies and equipment. The usual time frame for the work sessions will run from 6:30 to about 9:30 p.m. There will be occasions when it is necessary to work later than 9:30 to complete some of the projects.

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Blessed Josaphata Hordashewska 100th anniversary

The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church have designated April 7, 2019 – April 7, 2020 as a special Jubilee Year marking the 100th Anniversary of the passing into eternal life of Blessed Josaphata Hordashewska, the co-foundress of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate.

The official opening of the Jubilee Year for Blessed Josaphata will take place on Sunday, April 7, in Lviv.

For more information, visit the website of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate.

George Weigel to speak in New Haven

A lecture will be given this Monday, April 8 at 7:00 pm by author George Weigel from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, on his new book The Fragility of Order, Catholic Reflections on Turbulent Times (2018). This includes Ukraine as part of the lecture. This event will take place at St. Mary’s Parish, 5 Hillhouse Parish, New Haven. A reception will follow.

You may register at the Thomistic Institute.

George Weigel has been a great advocate for the work and life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Recently, he wrote an appreciative essay on Archbishop Borys Gudziak that can be read here.

All meetings at the Parish on this day have been canceled to allow parishioners to take advantage of this unusual opportunity.

Helping the poor-a work of charity

Helping the poor —The Director of the St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter in Waterbury wrote to us requesting assistance in collecting bath soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, Q-tips, men’s underwear for the ministry to the homeless. We will have this collection for the poor through Pentecost (June 9).

These items can be put in the basket at the entrance of the church in the marked box.

Can we follow the example of the Lord who exhorted us to care for the poor? Let us follow the holy example of the Venerable Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky who heroically lived a life of Christian virtue with his commitment to the poor. Pray to Venerable Metropolitan Sheptytsky for guidance in living a holy life.

Paul Zalonski (of our parish) will drive the donations to St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury Homeless Shelter in Waterbury (www.svdpmission.org).

From Evangelicalism to Byzantine Christianity

A recent online interview about a family of Evangelical Christians who came to Byzantine Christianity through a relationship with the pastor of a Kyivan Church in Richmond, British Colombia. Thanks to God’s Grace and the great work of Jesuit Father Richard Soo the parish is growing (with a large number of Chinese people).

The article: “Bridging Protestantism and Eastern Catholic Orthodoxy.”

May the Holy Theotokos and all the saints continue to move hearts and minds to be in relation with Jesus Christ and His Church.

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ

Sunday, 3/31, 4th Sunday of Lent —St John Climacus —Parish Mission
9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
10:30 a.m. +Bohdana requested by Lubomyr Chermak

Epistle: Hebrews 6:13-20
Gospel: Mark 9:17-31, Tone 4

Monday, 4/01, Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt

Tuesday, 4/02, Our Venerable Wonderworker Titus
9:00 +Ivan and Halyna Lobay requested by Maria Lobay

Wednesday, 4/03, Our Venerable Confessor Nicetas

Thursday, 4/04, Our Venerable Fathers Joseph the hymnographer and George

Friday, 4/05, Holy Martyr Theodulus
7:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts

Saturday, 4/06, Our Holy Father Eutychius
9:00 a.m. +Valentyna Kulish (Pan.) requested by Halia Lodynsky

Sunday, 3/07, 5th Sunday of Lent —Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt
9:00 Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45, Tone 5