Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Pagan antiquity had festivals marking the winter and summer solstices. The Christian calendar absorbed these feasts, observing the birth of Christ in December on the shortest day, and that of John the Baptist in June on the longest day. From this day on, the sun slowly sinks from its zenith for six months, and begins its ascent again at Christmas. In the eyes of the Fathers, this solar rhythm is an expression of John’s words: “He must grow greater, while I grow smaller.”

The role of the prophet and forerunner began with John’s birth which Luke narrates with the same paradoxical circumstances of barrenness bearing fruit as Old Testament figures like Sarah, Hannah, and others. The name, John, with the dramatic details of its imposition, means The Lord has shown favor. Like other heavenly bestowed names in Scripture, it underlines his prophetic role in the history of salvation, which is to prepare for the immediate coming of the Messiah. Zachary’s canticle amplifies the meaning of his son’s name and parallels the canticle of the Theotokos.

Meditation by the New Skete Monastery

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Read: Romans 2:10-16; Matthew 4:18-23

My favorite poet is a Jesuit priest who lived in the 19th century, and wrote about our faith. His name is Gerard Manley Hopkins, and though he was unknown in his lifetime, he changed English poetry. He wrote of our life in Christ:

In a flash, at a trumpet crash,
I am all at once what Christ is, since he was what I am, and
This Jack, joke, poor potsherd, patch, matchwood, immortal diamond,
Is immortal diamond.

This is what happens in today’s Gospel. Jesus calls Peter and Andrew and John and James, ordinary fishermen, and they IMMEDIATELY follow him. They become “immortal diamond,” oh —after one weakness when they run away at Jesus’ arrest, but then finally “in a flash” by the coming of the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul witnesses: “Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).

Today, though, especially because of mass media, the greatest fear we have is of being “ordinary.” We are unsure of ourselves, and we do not want to ever admit that we are or ever have been “ordinary.” Our problem is lack of faith. We want to become “immortal diamond” on our own terms, not from God’s calling. This is the sin of Adam and Eve, we want to “do it our way.” We have no humility, we do not trust in God’s plan.

Today’s gospel tells us differently —we don’t get the fifteen minutes of false glory that the world gives, but immortal life in Christ. Today we are Simon and Andrew and James and John, hearing the voice of Jesus, “Come, follow me.” Today we hear the Lord calling us calling us to a life like his of caring for others and proclaiming the gospel, if not by words, by our actions and lives. We cannot ignore this call. And St. Paul promises in the epistle “There will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek. There is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:15-16).

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The Holy Apostle Jude

Today is the feast of The Holy Apostle Jude

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:21-23).

Have we ever been mid-identified to our embarrassment? The Apostle Jude has one line in the Gospels, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” but in asking this question he is identified by who he is not: “Judas, not the Iscariot.” Perhaps then it is fitting that Jesus answered Judas with words of God’s love, that to those who love him by keeping his commandments, “my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

In every Liturgy, we pray that we not “give you a kiss as did Judas,” but that we not be like Judas Iscariot, but like Judas, the Lord’s faithful brother, that God may dwell in us. We must hear the words written by the disciple who did not betray Jesus, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” (Jude 20-21).

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

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New Romanian martyrs

Icon of the seven newly beatified Romanian Greek-Catholic Hieromartyrs:

–Blessed Ioan Balan
–Blessed Ioan Suciu
–Blessed Vasile Aftenie
–Blessed Valeriu Traian Frentiu
–Blessed Tito Livio Chinezu
–Blessed Alexandru Rusu
–Blessed Iuliu Hoss

Holy New Martyrs of Romania, pray to God for us!

Pope Francis presided over Divine Liturgy Blaj, Romania –the heartland of the country’s Greek-Catholic Church– on Sunday, June 2, where he declared “blessed” seven of its bishops, including one cardinal. The Blesseds had died a martyr’s death in the decades following the suppression of the Eastern-rite Romanian Catholic Church in 1948.

Bishops Iuliu Hossu, who had been imprisoned in 1954 and died in hospital in 1970; Vasile Aftenie, who died in prison 1950; Ioan Balan, imprisoned 1950-54, he died in a monastery in 1959; Valeriu Traian Frentiu, who died in prison 1952; Ioan Suciu, died in prison 1953; Tito Livio Chinezu, died in prison 1955; and Alexandru Rusu, who died in prison 1963. Paul VI had made Bishop Hossu a cardinal but at his request only revealed this elevation after his death.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-06/pope-francis-romania-beatification-7-greek-catholic-martyrs.html

All Saints

Over the last fifty-some days, we have celebrated the Paschal mystery – the central mystery of our faith, from our Lord’s crucifixion, resurrection, ascension to his sending the Holy Spirit on his followers. This Sunday, after all that has been proclaimed, we add a great “Amen!” “So be it!” This “Amen” will be great only if we make it more than just words but also actions. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples that they might be witnesses to the Paschal mystery – our Lord’s death and resurrection, and the Greek word for “witness” is “martyr.”

This Sunday was originally called the Sunday of All Martyrs – because those who witnessed to Christ had to be ready to give their lives for him. Many Christians did and still do. This is what it means to be a saint – the readiness to give our lives for the Lord. Therefore the Lord says in today’s Gospel, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:32)” We should not seek to be killed for the gospel, but our priorities should be: 1) God; 2) God’s people, the “others” in our lives and 3) ourselves. Being human, and living in an individualistic society, we often reverse these priorities: 1) ourselves, no. 1; 2) others and 3) God, and putting God third is a practical atheism. We often have the misconception that to be a “saint” means only a life of misery and self-denial, but people who put their own pleasure and comfort first usually end up all “messed up.”

A saint is really someone who has their life in the right order, and so is full of the joy of the Spirit: “a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras
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All Saints Sunday

The Greek Church celebrates the great company of saints today. The Latin Church celebrates All Saints on November 1.

“The Church of Christ honors even after their death those who have lived a truly godly life. Every day of the year it commemorates the saints who departed hence on that day, leaving this mortal life. It sets the life of each of them before us for our benefit, and also shows us how each died, whether they fell asleep in peace or ended their lives in martyrdom. On this day, however, the Church gathers them all together and sends up a common hymn in their honor.”

(By St. Gregory Palamas – 1296-1358)

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 6/16, Sunday of All Saints
9:00 a.m. +Hildegard Komondy (36th Anniv.) requested by Chris Komondy
Moleben to Jesus Christ —For all fathers of the parish requested by Sestretsi

10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
Moleben to Jesus Christ

Epistle: Hebrews 11:32-12:2a
Gospel: Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38 and 19:27-30, Tone 8

Monday, 6/17, The Holy Martyrs Manuel, Sabel, and Ismael
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, 6/18, The Holy Martyr Leontius
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 6/19, The Holy Apostle Jude, Brother of the Lord According to the Flesh
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 6/20, The Holy Priest-Martyr Methodius
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 6/21, The Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 6/22, The Holy Priest-Martyr Eusebius
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 6/23, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost —The Holy Martyr Agrippina
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
Moleben to Jesus Christ

Epistle: Romans 2:10-16
Gospel: Matthew 4:18-23, Tone 1

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

This week the vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Chris Komondy in memory of all deceased members of the family.

On June 23rd, there will be only one (1) Divine Liturgy at 10:30 in both languages English and Ukrainian.

For Panachyda service at other cemeteries, please call the rectory (203) 865-0388.

We have for sale frozen borscht for $5.00; cabbage and sausage (kapusta and kovbasa) for $10.00 and pyrohy (varenyky) in 2 dozen packages for $14.00. You can buy pyrohy after each Divine Liturgy or during the week if you call the rectory.

STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL

REMINDER: Please don’t forget to donate for Charities Appeal. The forms are designed for each family of our parish. Attached to the form is an envelope into which you can place your contribution. The form along with your contribution, we ask you enclose in the envelope and place it in the collection basket during church services. Please make check payable to the Byzantine Rite Eparchy of Stamford. DO NOT MAIL THIS FORM TO THE CHANCERY OFFICE. We sincerely ask all parishioners to make generous contributions.

The newly formed Facilities Maintenance Team of St. Michael’s schedules of work sessions 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. All parishioners are invited to be a part of the team. Call Fr. Iura with your contact information.

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

Humankind – in the Image and Likeness of God: As the Book of Genesis tells us, God created the human being out of the “dust of the earth” –matter– breathing into us the “breath of life,” by virtue of which the human being becomes a “living being” (Gn 2:7). Holy Scripture portrays the Creator with the image of a potter, who moulds humankind according to his Image from the clay.  This Image (see Gn:1:27) is the incarnate Son of God: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15). Humankind is created in the image of the Son. (Christ Our Pascha, 128)

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Note: There is no fasting this week.

Sunday, 6/09, Holy and Glorious Pentecost; Our Holy Father Cyril
9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
Moleben to Jesus Christ

10:30 a.m. All deceased of Zinych and Musij family requested by Ulana and Walter Zinych
Moleben to Jesus Christ

Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11
Gospel: John 7:37-52 and 8:12, Tone 7

Monday, 6/10, Monday of the Holy Spirit; The Holy Priest-Martyr Timothy
9:00 a.m. +Mykola Tatsyuk (Pan.) requested by the Chermak Family

Tuesday, 6/11, Post-feast of Pentecost; The Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 6/12, Post-feast of Pentecost; Our Venerable Father Onuphrius the Great and Our Venerable Father Peter of Athos
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 6/13, Post-feast of Pentecost; The Holy Martyr Aquilina
9:00 a.m. +Bohdana Tretiakova (Pan.) requested by the Chermak family

Friday, 6/14, Post-feast of Pentecost; The Holy Prophet Elisha and Our Father among the Saints, Methodius
9:00 a.m. +Joseph J. Levitzky (Pan.) requested by Joseph Levitzky

Saturday, 6/15, Leave-Taking of Pentecost; The Holy Prophet Amos
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 6/16, Sunday of All Saints
9:00 a.m. +Hildegard Komondy (36th Anniv.) requested Chris Komondy
Moleben to Jesus Christ –for all fathers of the Parish requested by Sestretsi

10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
Moleben to Jesus Christ

Epistle: Hebrews 11:32—12:2a
Gospel: Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38 and 9:27-30, Tone 8