St Maximus the Confessor

Father John Meyendorff called St. Maximus the Confessor the “Father of Byzantine Theology.” Though he lived long after the Council of Chalcedon, he perhaps drew out the full importance of its confession that Jesus, the Son of God was one in essence with the Father, and yet also united in essence with us in his human nature. Here we see what the gospel stories of Christ’s birth and baptism are truly revealing to us. We call the incarnation, the assumption of the Word of God of human nature, a mystery. This is because we cannot wrap our human minds around this theological reality. To form mental concepts, which we might call “ideologies” are dangerous because they skew the reality. Before Maximus, some theologians put so much emphasis on Christ’s humanity that his divinity was compromised (for example, Arianism or Nestorianism).

On the other hand, some put so much weight on his divinity that Jesus ended up as simply God “rattling around” in a human vessel. These tensions still exist today as theological thinkers try to grasp what cannot be grasped and end up with an “incredible” (in the true sense of the word) Christ. St. Maximus taught that the Son of God was a full human being, with a created human soul, human mind and human will. This has practical consequences. If indeed the Word of God is incarnate in a human body and soul, mind and will, with a human genealogy (Mary was of the House of David) and a human history. If indeed he has interacted with us in word and sight (as a human being, we can make an image, “icon” of his appearance), then all that we are and have as human beings enters into a relationship with God that transforms us into sharers of the divine nature.

And so St. Maximus teaches us: “God made us so that we might become ‘partakers of the divine nature’ (2 Peter 1:4) and sharers in His eternity, and so that we might come to be like Him (cf. 1 John 3:2) through deification by grace …. Christianity is an entirely new way of being human.”

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is Born!

Sunday, 1/20, 35th Sunday after Pentecost —Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Euthemius the Great
10:30 a.m. For the People of the parish

Epistle: Colossians 3:12-16
Gospel: Luke 18:18-27, Tone 8

Monday, 1/21, Our Venerable Father Maximus the Confessor

Tuesday, 1/22, The Holy Apostle Timothy
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy for Unity of Christians requested by Paul Zalonski

Wednesday, 1/23, The Holy Priest-Martyr Clement
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy for Unity of Christians requested by Paul Zalonski

Thursday, 1/24, Our Venerable Mother Xenia the Roman

Friday, 1/25, Our Holy Father Gregory the Theologian
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy for Unity of Christians requested by Paul Zalonski

Saturday, 1/26, Our Venerable Father Xenophon and his wife Maria

Sunday, 1/27, 36th Sunday after Pentecost —The Transfer of the Precious Relics of Our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom
10:30 a.m. For the People of the parish

Epistle: 1 Timothy 1:15-17
Gospel: Luke 18:35-43, Tone 1

Parish announcements this week

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.

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s greater by Paul Zalonski for the intention of the Unity of Christians.

House Blessings: If you would like to bless your house fill the form that is in the vestibule, drop it in the collection basket during the Divine liturgy, or call the rectory (203) 865-0388.

2019 Prosphora Rescheduled: The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America Branch 108 New Haven and St. Michael Parish will be preparing a Prosphora, a traditional Ukrainian Christmas meal, on Sunday January 27, after the only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30. Tickets are $20.00 for adults, free for students Ridna Shkola and altar boys. We will be running a raffle. Please donate items for raffle and cakes for desert. Tickets are on sale in the church hall every Sunday after both Divine Liturgies. You can buy tickets from Luba Dubno or members of UWLA Branch 108. Please buy tickets in advance.

UKRAINIAN AMERICAN VETERANS:The January 20, TODAY meeting of Ukrainian-American veterans has been cancelled.

SOROKOUSTY: will be celebrated on All Souls’ Saturdays, February 23rd , March 16th, March 23rd, March 30th , June 8th. Please take a book found in the entrance of the church, fill it out, place it in envelope, and drop it in the collection basket.

Awakenings —Adult Faith Formation

“Let the word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you. In wisdom made perfect, instruct and admonish one another. Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns, and inspired songs.” Colossians 3: 16

The Freedom of the Creator

God realizes his plan for the creation of the world through his Word: “Let there be light…let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters” (Gen 1:3,6). This creative Word reveals himself in Holy Scripture as the Son of God, begotten of the Father: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation … he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:15-17) (Christ Our Pascha, 104).

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Saints Athanasius and Cyril

Our Holy Fathers Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria are honored by the Church today.

Our Holy Father Athanasius (whose name means “Resurrection”) was the architect of the Council of Nicea. He was a pillar of the truth of Christ, showing that Jesus is the Word of God, that “all things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:3-5)” In this way, he teaches us what really happens in our baptism, we are deified, so that by sharing in the death of Christ through baptism, we share also in his glory and resurrection. St. Athanasius, therefore, explained clearly and simply what is found in Scripture: “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God” (De inc. 54, 3: PG 25, 192B.)

We should not make a fundamental mistake about deification, that, because of our faulty ideas about God’s omnipotence and omniscience, we should become proud and over-bearing, as if this were to imitate God. Instead, God revealed humility in becoming a human being, and he displayed infinite love in laying down his life for our sakes. The true God-like person, then, would be humble, patient, compassionate and loving. That is what it truly means to be a baptized Christian, an authentic follower of Christ.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Prosphora 2019 rescheduled

Christ is born!

Father Iura has decided in consultation with the various groups of the parish, to reschedule the 2019 Prosphora from this Sunday to next Sunday, January 27. The weather forecast for this Sunday is said to be difficult for the party.

The Divine Liturgy for Sunday, January 20 remains at 10:30 a.m.

The Divine Liturgy for Sunday January 27 will be at 10:30 a.m.

Peace!

Feast of the Chains of the Holy Apostle Peter

Our Lord says of Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, (Simon has confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God) but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter [the rock], and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:17-18).

The faith of Peter is the very foundation of Christ’s Body, the Church. And it is established on this impetuous, sometimes weak and imperfect human being, a man who denied Jesus, but wept in repentance, a man who walked on water but began to sink because his faith weakened, a man who was indeed to lead the Church, but only in the grace of the Spirit. Today we celebrate his chains, the imprisonment he suffered because of his faith. Therefore, he is a model for all of us – faith is our “rock,” but we are weak, we sin, we need the forgiveness and grace of God to live a Christian life. And, like Peter, we will have to suffer because of our faith. Peter likewise is the model for the whole Church, for its bishops and leaders, who often, like Peter, stumble and fall, yet on these weak human beings faith is secured by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Roman Church celebrates the chains of Peter on the 18th, and a week later, the 25th, the conversion of Saul, who from a persecutor of the faithful, was transformed by a vision of our Lord, into Paul, a great Apostle. To mark these two feasts, the Chair of Unity Octave was established, from January 18 to the 25, now called the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The Byzantine Church celebrates great Church teachers on these two days, Saints Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria on the 18th and Saint Gregory the Theologian on the 25th. It is a perfect time to pray for the necessary unity of the one faith, which can be established only on the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, founded, as it is, on our weak human powers which have divided the garment of faith and which can find union only in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Single Ukrainian patriarchate?

Is there a future “single” patriarchate in Ukraine a realistic possibility? John Burger shines some light on “a wind of hope that we are moving into new circumstances and that new opportunities will be created for dialogue and concrete cooperation for the sake of unity in action.” Will unity be possible with atholics and Orthodox?
 
Read John Burger’s article for Aleteia.

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is born!

Sunday, 1/13, Sunday after Theophany —the Holy Martyrs Hermylus and Stratonicus
9:00 a.m. +Wasyl Jureczko (40 days)
10:30 a.m For the people of the parish

Epistle: Ephesians 4:7-13
Gospel: Matthew 4:11-21, Tone 7

Monday, 1/14, Leave-taking of the Feast of the Holy Theophany; Our Venerable Fathers Massacred in Sinai and Raithu
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Maria Wysowskyj requested by Sestretsi

Tuesday, 1/15, Our Venerable Fathers Paul of Thebes and John the Hut-Dweller
9:00 a.m. +Ivan and Halyna Lobay requested by Maria Lobay

Wednesday, 1/16, The Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy and Illustrious Apostle Peter
9:00 a.m +Helen Wasylyk requested by Sestretsi

Thursday, 1/17, Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Anthony the Great
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Dr. Ckrha and Dr. Lori Rha

Friday, 1/18, Our Holy Fathers and Archbishops of Alexandria Athanasius and Cyril
9:00 a.m. +Vira Walnycky (Pan.) requested by UWLA Branch 108

Saturday, 1/19, Our Venerable Father Macarius of Egypt
9:00 a.m. +Wasyl Jureczko (Pan.) requested by UWLA Branch 108

Sunday, 1/20, 35th Sunday after Pentecost —Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Euthemius the Great
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Colossians 3:12-16
Gospel: Luke 18:18-27, Tone 8

Parish announcements this week

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.

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s greater glory by Chris Komondy for all the deceased of Komondy family.

Events

UKRAINIAN AMERICAN VETERANS:  The next meeting of the UAV Post 33 will be held on January 20. The meeting will be held in Classroom 2.

The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America Branch 108 New Haven and St. Michael Parish will be preparing a Prosphora, a traditional Ukrainian Christmas meal, on Sunday, January 20 after the only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30. Tickets are $20.00 for adults, free for students Ridna Shkola and altar boys. We will be running a raffle. Please donate items for raffle and cakes for desert. Tickets are on sale in the church hall every Sunday after both Divine Liturgies. You can buy tickets from Luba Dubno or members of UWLA Branch 108. Please buy tickets in advance.

SOROKOUSTY will be celebrated on All Souls’ Saturdays, February 23rd, March 16th, March 23rd, March 30th, and June 8th. Please take a book found in the entrance of the church, fill it out, place it in envelope, and drop it in the collection basket.

Needs

If someone would like to buy a frozen pierogies (varenyky) during the week please call the rectory at (203) 865-0388.

The organizational meeting of the newly formed Facilities Maintenance Team of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church will take place on Friday evening, January 18th starting at 6:30 p.m. During this meeting, the team will discuss what maintenance or repair projects will be worked on during this New Year. The schedule of work sessions will also be 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.

Once the projects have been determined and prioritized, the group will spend the rest of this “meeting” beginning to work on the first project. 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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