Saint Basil Seminary
195 Glenbrook Road, Stamford
~11:00am –Divine Liturgy
~12:30pm –Food Court Opens
~2:30pm –Outdoor Concert
~5:00pm-8:00pm — Zabava-Halychany Band
Advance Tickets: $5.00 per person/at the Gate: $10.00 per person.
Tickets are available at the church hall following the Divine Liturgies on Sunday. See Luba.
Blessing of Herbs and Flowers on the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God –August 15
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy tonight, Father Iura blessed herbs and flowers brought by the faithful for our feast. Why is this part of our Tradition?
Holy Tradition reveals to us that the Apostles, with the exception of St. Thomas, were transported mystically to Jerusalem in order to be with Mary, the Mother of God –the Theotokos– as she about to repose, and to be present at her burial. When the Apostle Thomas arrived the next day, the Apostles opened the tomb so that he could pay her reverence. The opened tomb revealed the body of the Virgin was missing, and filled with herbs and flowers interpreted as the sweet fragrance of Paradise. The faithful see this a certain sign of Mary’s purity and holiness.
Her passing is commemorated as the Dormition (the falling asleep) which is observed on August 15 preceded by a preparatory fast. The death of Mary’s body doesn’t last as she is believed to be body and soul, physically living the Most Holy Trinity in heaven.
As part of our celebration of Dormition, therefore, the priest blesses herbs and flowers which are used and kept in the homes. The blessing recalls for us the numerous cures and healings given to us by an extraordinary grace bestowed by the Mother of God. Holy Tradition and practice tells us that the herbs are used as natural medicine. During times of family strife or illness, it is a pious custom to place the flower petals in the house censer, together with the incense, and cense the whole house with it.
“Come, all you ends of the earth, let us praise the blessed passing of the Mother of God. She delivers her sinless soul into the hands of her Son; through her holy Dormition, the world is given new life.” (Stichera at the Litija)
The feast of the birth of John the Baptist is sometimes called the summer Christmas, so also the Dormition (falling-asleep) of the Mother of God might be called the summer Pascha. In both these feasts the cosmic change accomplished by the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God is seen in the lives of human beings, for in Christ the order of mortality is overturned. In the mystery of Mary’s falling-asleep, we see our sinfulness is over-written by the sinless one, who in obedience turns over her “sinless soul” to the incarnate God.
The Gospel today is a story not about Mary, the Theotokos, but about Mary of Bethany, but the words addressed by God to her sister Martha become iconic for all human beings: “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Luke 10:42). What has she chosen? To sit at the feet of our Lord, to put Jesus at the center of her life, and to listen to him. This is Mary’s eternal mission, as she tells the stewards at the wedding in Cana: “Do whatever he (Jesus, her Son) tells you” (John 2:5). This is the mystery the ends of the earth celebrate today, for it has transformed the meaning of human life, and “through he holy Dormition, the world is given new life.”
Mediation by Archpriest David Petras
On Wednesday, August 15, Church celebrates feast of The Dormition of Our Holy Lady, The Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary (a Holy Day of obligation).
The Divine Liturgy will be served:
9:00 a.m. (in Ukrainian) with the Blessing of flowers and with Myrovann
7:00 p.m. (in English) with the Blessing of flowers and with Myrovann
***Bring herbs and flowers for blessing at the Liturgy as is traditional.
Dance with joy, O peoples! / Clap your hands with gladness! / Gather today with fervor and jubilation; / sing with exultation. / The Mother of God is about to rise in glory, / ascending from earth to heaven. / We ceaselessly praise her in song as truly Theotokos. (Troparion, Tone 4)
Today the universe dances with joy at your glorious memorial, / and cries out to you, O Mother of God: / “Rejoice, O Virgin, pride of Christians!” (Kontakion, Tone 4)
We ought to attend to the highlighted portions of the above verses!
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Matthew 19:16-26
The Word of God: “it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven” We must not soften this saying in any way. We must ask: what does it mean to be rich? Wealth is relative. The poorest person in a first world country today has access to more gadgets and health care than the very richest at the time of Jesus. We see the problem of riches in the reaction of the young man. He cannot put faith in the Son of God, he cannot respond to the presence of God, because his heart is in his many possessions. (v. 22) Jesus teaches, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). But the rich in spirit cannot love God more than themselves, and it is a simple reality that if they cannot love God, they cannot love their neighbors, created by God. Mary therefore declares, “The hungry he has filled with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. (Luke 1:53) And Abraham tells the rich man in hell, “you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. (Luke 16:25) And James admonishes his flock, who honored a rich man, “Are not the rich oppressing you? And do they themselves not haul you off to court? Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?” (James 2:6-7).
Make no mistake: riches are a scandal and an obstacle to our communion with God. Yet, in the end, Jesus always gives hope. The one who multiplied the loaves, the one who walked on water, the one who cured the boy the disciples could not cure, the one who forgave the servant who owed an impossible sum of money, the same can even do the greatest miracle and save a rich man, as the gospel today ends, “for God all things are impossible.” But it is much, much better for us if we hears the words of the Lord transfigured into glory on Mt. Tabor and who is risen from the dead. In him alone is all glory, life and love for all creation.
Meditation by Archpriest David Petras
Glory to Jesus Christ
Sunday, 8/12 12th Sunday after Pentecost
8:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Gospel: Matthew 19:16-26, Tone 3
Monday, 8/13 Our Venerable Father Maximus the Confessor
Tuesday, 8/14 The Transfer of the Precious Relics of Our Venerable Father Theodosius, Hegumen of the Monastery of Caves at Kiev
Wednesday, 8/15 The Dormition of Our Holy Lady, The Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary (Holy Day of obligation)
9:00 a.m. (in Ukrainian) Stefan Pospolita (15th Anniv., Pan.) requested by Olga Pospolita
~Blessing of flowers with Myrovann
7:00 p.m. (in English) For the people of the parish
~Blessing of flowers with Myrovann
Thursday, 8/16 Post-feast of the Dormition; the Holy Martyr Diomedes
Friday, 8/17 Post-feast of the Dormition; the Holy Martyr Myron
Saturday, 8/18 Post-feast of the Dormition; the Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus
9:00 a.m. Roman Charandiuk (Pan.) requested by Parania Daniw
Sunday, 8/19 13th Sunday after Pentecost —Post-feast of the Dormition; the Holy Prophet Samuel
9:00 a.m. Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 16:13-24
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-42, Tone 4
Christ is in our midst!
WELCOME NEW PARISHIONERS! New parishioners are always welcomed in our parish. If someone wants to register with our parish please contact Father Iura Godenciuc at 203-865-0388 or our financial secretary Natalia Chermak.
DIVINE LITURGY: Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls are available in the church hall.
VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Laura Smith in memory of Catherine Silva.
We have frozen Ppyrohy for sale while supplies last. More information can be read here: https://stmichaelukrainian.org/pierogies/
Sestretsi members, parishioners of Saint Michael the Archangel Church as well as friends are cordially invited to attend our “Officer’s Luncheon” to be held on Sunday, September 16, after the 10:30 Divine Liturgy. Luncheon will be held at the Biagetti’s Restaurant , 77 Campbell Ave., West Haven, CT. Price $20.00 per person. Please see additional information shown in the vestibule. See Maria Sobko, Treasurer for more information.
STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL
REMINDER: Please don’t forget to donate for the Charities Appeal. Please make your check payable to the BYZANTINE RITE DIOCESE OF STAMFORD. Please DO NOT MAIL the form to the chancery office in Stamford. We sincerely ask all parishioners to make generous contributions. Thank you for your generosity and may God reward you!
The Niagara Frontier Council will be hosting the 79th Annual Convention of the League of Ukrainian Catholics on October 5-7, 2018 at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Amherst, NY. This year we celebrate the 85th Anniversary of the founding of the League of Ukrainian Catholics in Chicago in 1933. We hope you will be with us at this special anniversary in some way. Either join us at the Convention, or at your homes in prayer especially on Sunday, October 7 when we will be streaming Liturgy from St. Nicholas in Buffalo at 10:30 AM. For Hotel Reservations, you can call the hotel directly at (716)839-4040. Hyatt place reservations at 1-888-492-8847. Reservations can also be made online at: https//buffaloamherst.place.hyayy.com/bufzaglouc2018.html. Group: League of Ukrainian Catholics. The room rate is $124.00 per night. The deadline for hotel reservations is September 6, 2018.
Here’s John Burger’s second interview article with Patriarch Sviatoslav. Burger met with His Beatitude at the KofC meeting in Baltimore. John is a parishioner of St Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Church (New Haven).
Sviatoslav Shevchuk: From Soviet soldier to world religious leader
On Thursday, August 9, 2018, Myron Teluk, 66, fell asleep in the Lord following a courageous battle with an aggressive cancer for two years. Myron had been living in Canterville, Virginia, and was a parishioner at St. Michael the Archangel Church (New Haven).
May the Holy Theotokos and Saint Michael the Archangel assist Myron in Eternal Life and give comfort to his family and friends.
Eternal memory.