Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

Communing from the Body and Blood of the Master during the period of spiritual combat.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is attributed to Saint Gregory the Dialogist (†604), Pope of Rome, but in actuality, it is not the work of one individual, but is a composite work coming down to us from Holy Tradition.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, which consists of the Service of Vespers and the Communion of the Faithful with the Holy Gifts. It is commonly celebrated daily in monastic communities, and on Wednesdays and Fridays in parishes, with Holy Bread—that is, the Body of Christ—which has been intincted in the Holy Blood and consecrated at the preceding complete Liturgies on Saturdays or Sundays. The Presanctified or “abridged” Divine Liturgy (since it is affixed to Vespers), is normally celebrated in the late afternoon, when Christians, having fasted until that time, commune, afterwards eating a meal of dry foodstuffs (dried fruits and nuts).

The celebration of the Divine Liturgy, because it is festive and Resurrectional in character, is not allowed during Great Lent and the somber period of the fast, according to ancient tradition and the forty-ninth Canon of the Synod of in Laodiceia [336]. However, from their side, the faithful children of the Church, engaged in the abstemious struggle of the Great Fast and having a clear and particular need for reinforcement by the Holy Mysteries during this period of intensive spiritual combat, desired to commune as often as they could, since Holy Communion was indeed their life and sustenance.

For this reason, so that the faithful not be deprived of the Holy Eucharist on the weekdays of the Great Fast, but that they might be able to commune from the Presanctified Holy Bread [the Body if Christ], the Church, by way of the fifty-first Canon of the Fifth-Sixth [Quinisext] Synod [692], appointed that the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts take place on the weekdays of the Great Fast.

Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite [†1809], in his Rudder, citing the Byzantine canonologist Matthew Blastaris [fl.14th century], reminds us that the faithful resemble wrestlers, and just as wrestlers cease their matches in the afternoon to take nourishment in order to strengthen themselves for the upcoming bout, so the faithful commune from the Body and Blood of the Master during the period of spiritual combat in the Great Fast, that they might be reinvigorated and reinforced by the Lord, thus to continue their match against the passions and the spiritual enmity of the devil with renewed powers and more valorously.

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Thursday of the Second Week

To inspire our prayer today, here are 2 texts from the Liturgy and a reflection on them.

Matins:
This is the season for repentance, the struggle of the Fast. It gains eternal life for us if we stretch out our hands to do good. For nothing is better for the salvation of our souls than to share with the poor; and almsgiving together with fasting free us from death. Let us dearly love this rich treasure which can bring salvation to our souls.

Vespers:
Of old our first parents did not fast from the tree of knowledge according to the command of the Creator, and they received death as the fruit of their disobedience. They were deprived of the tree of life and the sweetness of paradise. Therefore, O faithful, let us fast from perishable food and our deadly passions, so that we might acquire life from the divine tree of the cross, and return with the good thief to our ancient homeland, through the mercy of Christ our God.

Reflection:
The Great Fast is Christ as the way of life. He came that we might have life in abundance, which means fasting “from perishable food and deadly passions.” Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Does that mean God does not want us to “know” about good and evil. No, what it means is that we do not define good and evil for ourselves, but only according to God’s commands. The fast often meditates of the tree of life – it is Christ who said, “I am the vine and you are the branches (see the icon). The third Sunday of the Cross gives us access to the tree of life, which is the cross, and the fruit of which is Holy Communion. A second reflection: can we “buy” eternal life? Apparently so, for the price is “to share with the poor, and almsgiving” that frees us from death.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Liturgy of the Liturgy of the Presanctified AND Pysanka

Friday, February 23, the lenten Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be offered at 7:00 p.m. in English and Ukrainian. This is a great way to “get into” spirituality of Great Lent.
 
Looking ahead:
 
PYSANKA – Ukrainian Easter Egg Workshop will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in the church hall from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
 
It is open to youth and adults, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your children and grandchildren to learn their beautiful heritage.
 
Free to parish youth and Ridna Skhola students.
 
Call Gloria Horbaty 203-269-5909 for information.

Monday of the Second Week

Prayer and meditation
Matins:
Wondrous indeed is the weapon of prayer and fasting. To Moses it revealed the Law, and as a sacrifice it inflamed the zeal of Elijah. By keeping it we faithfully cry out to the Savior: Against you alone have we sinned, have mercy on us.
 
Vespers:
Let us keep a spiritual fast: let us break every hypocrisy; let us flee the traps of sin; let us forgive the offenses of other, so that our sins might also be forgiven. Thus we shall all be able to sing: May our prayer rise like incense before you, O Lord.
 
Reflection:
At every Vespers we sing, “Let my prayer rise like incense.” Why do we want our prayers to rise – so that God may accept them and grant us forgiveness. This is the vertical dimension, but it is not effective without the horizontal dimension, we must forgive one another. The true meaning of a spiritual fast is an insisting on this theme during the Great Fast.
 
Meditation by David Petras

First Sunday of Great Lent – Defense of Holy Icons

“Since the invisible One became visible by taking on flesh, you can fashion the image of Him whom you saw. Since He who has neither body, nor form, nor quantity, nor quality, who goes beyond all grandeur by the excellence of His nature, He, being of divine nature, took on the condition of a slave and reduced Himself to quantity and to quality by clothing Himself in human features. Therefore, paint on wood and present for contemplation Him who desired to become visible.”

St. John of Damascus
On the Divine Images

This Sunday is called the “Sunday of Orthodoxy” because it commemorates the restoration of the Church’s teaching on making images (icons) of our Lord and the saints in the year 843. Before that, it was the Sunday of the Commemoration of the Holy Prophets. This explains the Gospel, Phillip witnesses to Nathanael: “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” This is our goal in the Great Fast – to find our faith in Jesus. The Great Fast was the training period for those about to be baptized, and it was a time for the whole community to rediscover its faith.

Along the journey to Holy Week, we read especially from the book of Genesis and from Isaiah to guide us to Christ, who will perfect his covenant with us by his death and resurrection. This is why, in the Apostolic reading, we remember Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and all the prophets. It was all for Jesus, “Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:39)” How, then, should we keep the Fast? Hebrews tells us: “since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 2/18/18  First Sunday of Lent —the Sunday of Orthodoxy —Our Holy Father Leo, Pope of Rome
9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
10:30 a.m. +Dario Aponte requested by Czabala and Aponte Family

Epistle: Hebrews 11:24-26; 32-40; 12:1-2
Gospel: John 1:43-51, Tone 4

Monday, 2/19/18 The Holy Apostle Archippus

Tuesday, 2/20/18 Our Venerable Father Leo, Bishop of Catania

Wednesday, 2/21/18 Our Venerable Father Timothy of Symbola
11:00 a.m. Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
+Panachyda Ivan Kyzyk(11th Anniv.,) requested by Halya Lodynsky

Thursday, 2/22/18 The Discovery of the Relics of the Holy Martyrs at Eugenius
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Iura

Friday, 2/23/18 The commemoration of the Holy Priest Martyr Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Zirca Godenciuc
7:00 p.m. Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

Saturday, 2/24/18 First and Second Finding of the Precious Head of the Holy, Glorious Prophet and Forerunner John the Baptist
9:00 a.m. +Gregory Dubno (Pan.) requested by the Dubno Family

Sunday, 2/25/18 Second Sunday of Lent —Commemoration of St. Gregory Palamas
9:00 a.m. +Gregory Dubno requested by Luba Dubno
10:00 a.m. All Souls Day – Sorokousty
10:30 a.m.  For the people of the parish

Epistle: Hebrews 1:10-2:3
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12, Tone 5

Parish announcements this week

Christ is among us!

1. VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Alexis Hickerson in memory of +Robert Hickerson.

2. Reposed in the Lord: +Frances Harvey. Please remember her in your prayers. ETERNAL MEMORY!

3. Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls are available in the church hall.

4. The Annual Meeting of the Ukrainian National Association Branch 414 will be held on Sunday, February 25, 2018, at 12:00 noon in St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall.

All members are invited to attend in order to elect a delegate to attend the convention in May of 2018.

5. SOROKOUSTY: will be celebrated next Sunday, February 25 at 10:00 a.m. 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. Let us remember all our loved ones who have gone to their heavenly reward. Eternal Memory!

The next All Souls commemoration will be on March 4 and 11, and May 19.

6. Replica of the Shroud of Turin will be displayed in St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church, East 7th Street in NYC from February 17th to February 25th of this year. Father Emilian Dorosh invites all faithful to take opportunity to venerate God by praying by the Shroud of Turin.

7. By the threefold discipline of fasting, prayer and almsgiving the Church keeps the Great Fast/Lent from Monday, February 12, after the Cheesefare Sunday to the day before Easter, Holy Saturday, March 31.  The following regulations apply, in general to all Ukrainian Catholics of the Stamford Eparchy between ages 21 to 60: Abstinence from meat and dairy products on the first day of the Great Fast, February 12, and Good Friday, March 30. The following regulations apply, in general, to all Ukrainians Catholics of the Stamford Eparchy between ages 14 to 60: Abstinence from meat is to be observed on all Fridays of the Great Fast. Abstinence from meat is suggested and encouraged on all Wednesdays of the Great Fast. The following are exempt from abstinence: 1. The poor who live on alms; 2. The sick and the frail; 3. Convalescents who are returning to their strength; 4. Pregnant women, and women who are nursing their children; and 5. Persons who perform hard labor. Meat is to be understood as including not only the flesh, but also those parts of warm-blooded animals that cannot be rendered, i. e., melted down, e.g., the liver, lungs, blood, etc. meat gravy or soup made from meat is included in this prohibition. 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, eggs, etc.  Eucharistic Fast: A fast of one hour from food(prior to service begging time) should be kept by those receiving the Eucharist at the evening celebration of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, as well as, the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great.

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Friday of the First Week of the Great Fast

The readings from Genesis on the Fridays of the Great Fast point like an arrow to the covenant made on Good Friday, when our Lord gave his body and blood as a new covenant for the life of the world.

The first and second Fridays tell of the breaking of covenants, of the covenant with Adam and Eve when they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and of the decision of God to destroy the human race because of its wickedness. The third Friday is the renewal of the covenant with Noah, and the fourth Friday is the covenant with Abraham. On the fifth Friday, Abraham replaces the disobedience of Adam and Eve with obedience to God in the sacrifice of his beloved son. However, God does not want this sacrifice, though he allows his only-begotten Son to die on the cross for the salvation of the human race. The sixth Friday, the funeral of Joseph, looks forward to the burial of Christ, who through his death will trample upon death.
This is our Fast, it is the making of a new covenant with God. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were expelled from paradise, and stationed a cherub with a fiery sword to guard the way to the tree of life. Four curses were imposed on Adam and Eve, on Eve, pain in childbirth, and servitude to her husband, on Adam, hard labor and death.

In the new covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ, the curse is abrogated, as the Kontakion of the Third Sunday of the great Fast proclaims, “No longer does the flaming sword guard the gates of Eden, for the tree of the cross has come to quench it wondrously. The sting of death and the victory of Hades have been driven out.”

The curse is truly abrogated, but in God’s mystical and wondrous way. In childbirth, the woman still suffers pain, but her anguish gives way to joy because of new life (John 16:21), the marital relations between man and woman are now marked by mutual love and respect, in the subtle reading of Ephesians 5:9-19, the harshness of labor is eased by the sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9). Death remains, and even the Son of God must suffer death (“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hands on a tree,” (Galatians 3:10, quoting Deuteronomy 21:23).

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Ukrainian National Association Branch 414 to meet

The Annual Meeting of the Ukrainian National Association Branch 414 will be held on Sunday, February 25, 2018, at 12:00 noon in St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall.

All members are invited to attend in order to elect a delegate to attend the convention in May of 2018.