Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

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.

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

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

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.

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.

Sviatoslav Shevchuk: soldier to world religious leader

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).

https://aleteia.org/2018/08/12/sviatoslav-shevchuk-from-soviet-soldier-to-world-religious-leader/

Myron Teluk Asleep in the Lord

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.

Divine for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ

Sunday, 8/05 11th Sunday after Pentecost
9:00 a.m. +Ann Muryn requested by Mary and Michael Muryn
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:2112
Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35, Tone 2

Monday, 8/06 The Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
9:00 a.m. Special Intention
~Blessing of Fruits

7:00 p.m. For the people of the parish
~Blessing of Fruits

Tuesday, 8/07 Post-feast of the Transfiguration; the Holy Venerable-martyr Dometius

Wednesday, 8/08 Post-feast of the Transfiguration; the Holy Confessor Emilian

Thursday, 8/09 Post-feast of the Transfiguration; the Holy Apostle Matthias

Friday, 8/10 Post-feast of the Transfiguration; the Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Lawrence

Saturday, 8/11 Post-feast of the Transfiguration; the Holy Martyr Euplus

Sunday, 8/12 12th Sunday after Pentecost —Leave-taking of the Feast of the Holy Transfiguration

8:00 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Gospel: Matthew 19:16-26, Tone 3

The Transfiguration

“Then Moses said, “Please let me see your glory!” The Lord answered: I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim my name, “Lord,” before you; I who show favor to whom I will, I who grant mercy to whom I will. (Exodus 33:18-19)”

“But the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. (1 Kings 19:12-13)”

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ (Matthew 17:1-2.5)”

In the Creed we profess at every Liturgy, we proclaim, “I believe … in one Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, the only-begotten, born of the Father before all ages. Light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in essence with the Father.” In the gospels there is no clearer revelation of Jesus as Son of God than in his transfiguration on Mt. Tabor. Moses who was unable to see the face of God on Mt. Sinai and Elijah, who was in God’s presence as “a light silent sound” today see the face of God in Jesus, His only-begotten Son. Of course, the truth was that we did not see the divine nature, but we beheld the glory of God “as much as we could bear,” (Kontakion of Transfiguration). Even in death we cannot comprehend the essence of God as he is in himself, for to do that we would have to be God. Yet today we see that we can be united in God, just as God has taken on himself the human nature. This is revealed in 2 Peter 1:3-4 and 17-18: His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. Through these, he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire …. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.” This is our hope of deification, as we sing, “Showing the change that mortals will undergo, O Lord, when they enter your glory at your second and awesome coming, you were transfigured on Mount Tabor. (Session Hymn 1, Transfiguration Matins)”

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Transfiguration and Blessing of Grapes, August 6

At both of the Divine Liturgies (9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in English) Father Iura will bless grapes and other fruit for the Feast of the Transfiguration, Monday,  August 6. It is a holy day.

Please bring grapes and fruit  blessings to observe the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Why bless grapes on this day?

On the mountain You were transfigured, O Christ God, and Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could see it; so that when they would behold You crucified, they would understand that Your suffering was voluntary, and would proclaim to the world that You are truly the Radiance of the Father (Kontakion for the Transfiguration).

The Transfiguration of Our Lord, as testified to in Divine Revelation shows us our ultimate destiny as Christians: the ultimate destiny of all men and all creation to be transformed and glorified by the splendor of God Himself.

The feast of the Transfiguration on Monday, August 6th, is a summer celebration and expectation of Great Lent, of the Eucharist, the Cross, and the Resurrection. The Church blesses grapes, as well as other fruits, on the Transfiguration as a beautiful sign of our final ­transfiguration of all things in Jesus Christ. This is a very ancient observance. We bless grapes because we bless God! The gesture of bringing and blessing of grapes points to the ultimate flowering and fruitfulness (generativity) of all creation in the Paradise; here we all will be transformed in the garden by the glory of the Lord.

Bunches of grapes are symbols of completion —especially experienced in the completion of the growing season— which has finally brought things to fruition.  Christians see in the grapes the biblical image of Jesus as the Vine. We also understand in the blessing of grapes and fruit high praise for God the Creator of all good things of the universe. So the connection between creation and Eucharist is present in these holy actions on the Transfiguration feast.

In the Bible we read of the custom of bringing fruit to the temple for consecration (Genesis 4:2-4; Ex 13:12-13; Numbers 15:19-21; Deuteronomy 8:10-14). In the New Testament the 12 Apostles brought this tradition to the Church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Later in the early centuries of Christianity, the faithful brought to the Church fruits and vegetables of the new harvest: bread, wine, oil, incense, wax, honey, etc. Some of the offerings were taken to the altar, and the balance made available to needs of the clergy and the poor.

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The Dormition Fast begins today

We Byzantine Catholics prepare for the great feast of the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos (Assumption of the BVM) on August 15 by a special fast.

There is the venerable practice of preparing oneself for the Feast, hence some of us observe the Dormition Fast. This fast is one of the four fasting seasons of the Byzantine church year. The spiritual practices are those spoken of in the Sermon on the Mount: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and forgiveness. Committed Christians do these things all year long; they are not limited to one or another time of the year. During fasting seasons we simply do them to a greater degree.

“Traditionally the Fast begins on August 1 with a special procession with the life-giving cross and a blessing of water. When Constantinople was the capitol of a Christian empire, it was the custom to carry the relic of the Holy Cross throughout the city every day of the Fast.”

In the Pastoral Guide of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA we read:

The Dormition Fast (Spasivka) begins on August 1 and lasts until the eve of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 14), inclusively.

Art. 474 – General rules governing abstinence:

Meat is to be understood as including not only the flesh but also those parts of warm-blooded animals that cannot be melted down, e.g., the liver, lungs, blood, graves, etc.

Although it is not the authentic practice of the Tradition. the meat of fish and crustaceans may be eaten, as well of those mammals, that live constantly in water, as, e.g., whales.

Dairy Products are to be understood as comprising products derived from mammals and birds, but not regarded as meat, e.g., cheese, lard, butter, milk, and its by-products, eggs, etc.

Fats of plant origin, e.g., those derived from olives, coconuts, seeds of the sunflower and of the pumpkin, may be used.

Voluntary penance, prayers for the intentions of the hierarchs of the Church, Bishop of Rome, the Major Archbishop, the Metropolitan, and the Eparchial Bishop; voluntary offerings to the Church, the seminaries, the Church in Ukraine, self-denial of alcohol, smoking, attendance at entertainment, etc., may be supplementary only with permission of a confessor. Bread and water alone is a good fast.

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