Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Read: Romans 15:1-7; Matthew 9:27-35

The Gospel for this Sunday can be summarized: Jesus went about doing good, healing the sick and revealing God’s love for all. St. Paul tells us the Jesus did this out of his goodness, not to please himself, not to glorify himself. From love for us, he took insults upon us upon himself. St. Paul concludes, “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). In this way, we can heal one another’s spirit. Today’s epistle and gospel, then, tell us what love for one another really is. There is a condition, though, we must be open to God’s love. What does Jesus ask the blind men? “Do you believe I can do this?” If they believed they could be healed, then they also believed they needed healing, unlike the hypocritical Pharisees, to whom Jesus says, ““If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains” (John 9:41). They, in bitterness and unfaithfulness, hurl the insult at Jesus, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34).

We are blind to the image of God in the other when we “demonize” them, and in reality, makes ourselves into demons. We should, instead, heal one another and not condemn.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

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 the glory of God by Christopher Komondy in memory of the deceased members of his family.

AFTER DIVINE LITURGY: Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls are available in the church hall.

SPECIAL SHARE IN THE EUCHARIST: You are invited to offer a donation for a week, month, or year the bread and wine that will become the Body and Blood of our Lord. The requested donation for one week is $20.00. Donors/Intentions will be listed. Mary’s lamp also available for offering. $10.00 a week.

We have frozen pyrohy for sale while supplies last. More information can be read here: https://stmichaelukrainian.org/pierogies/

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS: The Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will hold its next regular meeting TOMORROW, Monday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. in the church hall. All men of the parish are invited to attend.

St. Gianna Center needs your help! The Center which assists at-risk pregnant women need diapers sized 3, 4, 5. Your donation would be greatly appreciated. A box is left at the front door of the church.

PARISH HALL BAZAAR: The Knights of Columbus will sponsoring a Parish Bazaar/tag sale scheduled for the weekend of August 25-26. This two-day event will enable parishioners to sell off their un-needed, surplus belongings. Parishioners have several choices as how to do this. 1) Rent a table for the weekend for $20.00, sell whatever you want for what you want. 2) Donate the items. The Knights of Columbus members will sell the items. Larger items will be considered for consignment. The Knight of Columbus will run the kitchen and sell food. A simple lunch menu will be provided. Reservations for the table rental can be made by placing a reservation note into the collection basket at Divine Liturgy. Checks should be made out to the Knights of Columbus. Please address any questions to Andy Bamber.  

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 7/8 —7th Sunday after Pentecost, The Holy Great Martyr Procopius
9:00 a.m. Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Romans 15: 1-7
Gospel: Matthew 9:27-35, Tone 6

Monday, 7/9 —The Holy Priest-Martyr Pancratius, Bishop of Tauromenia

Tuesday, 7/10 —Our Venerable Father Anthony of the Monastery of the Caves in Kyiv

Wednesday, 7/11 —Repose of Blessed Olga (Olha), Princess of Kyiv, named Helen in Baptism
8:00 a.m. +Ivan Sowa (Pan.) requested by Bohdan Sowa

Thursday, 7/12 —The Holy Martyrs Proclus and Hilary
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Natalie and Liubomyr Chermak

Friday, 7/13 —Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel

Saturday, 7/14 —The Holy Apostle Aquila

Sunday, 7/15 —8th Sunday after Pentecost, Commemoration of the Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils; The Holy Grand Prince Vladimir (Volodymyr), Equal To The Apostles, named Basil in Baptism
9:00 a.m.  +Michael and Anna Lipcan requested by Barbara and Patrick Bagley
10:30 a.m. For people of the parish

Epistle: Corinthians 1:10-18
Gospel: Matthew 14:14-22, Tone 7

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Read: Matthew 9:1-8

The greatest human tragedy is sin, because “the wages of sin is death.” Sin is what robs us of life and of love. Sometimes we do not know what sin really is and we identify it with our human weaknesses and failings. But the true core of sin is pride, which fills us with self-righteousness (we don’t need God) and hatred for others (God’s creatures). Therefore, the paralytic man comes before Jesus and Jesus tells him, “Courage !! Your sins are forgiven.” 

The paralytic man was seeking a physical cure, but was unaware that a greater healing was needed, and that both physical and spiritual healing comes not from our own strength, but from God. Yet there is even a greater mystery here: the mystery of the Incarnation. By taking on human nature, the Word of God has brought the divine authority of forgiveness into the human race. Hear what the people exclaim, “the crowds were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings.” We continue to receive healing and forgiveness through the body of Christ, which is his Church (Ephesians 1:22-23). We must allow this forgiveness to change our lives and to walk in the path of faith, hope and love. 

This same story is also told in the gospel of Mark (2:1-12), which is read on the Second Sunday of the Great Fast, a season of forgiveness, and which supplies additional details about the cure.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

The July prayer intention of Pope Francis

Let us join our prayer with that of the Pope’s for this intention:

That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

Prayers for all of our priests of the Stamford Eparchy, in particular our pastors and those who serve as our spiritual fathers and priest-friends.

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 7/01/18 6th Sunday after Pentecost  —The Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian

9:00 a.m. +Rosemary and Michael Waselik requested by the Family
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Romans 12:6-14
Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8, Tone 5

Monday, 7/02/18 —The Placing of the Precious Robe of Our Most Holy Lady and the Mother of God in the Church at Blachernae in Constantinople

9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Stefaniya and her family requested by Stefaniya Tsitaridis

Tuesday, 7/03/18 —The Holy Martyr Hyacinth

9:00 a.m. +Ivan and Halyna Lobay (Pan.) requested by Maria Lobay

Wednesday, 7/04/18 —Independence Day of the USA and Our Father Andrew of Jerusalemite, Archbishop of Crete

Thursday, 7/05/18 —Our Venerable Father Athanasius of Athos

Friday, 7/06/18 —Our Venerable Father Sisoes the Great

Saturday, 7/07/18 —Our Venerable Father Thomas of Maleum and Acacius mentioned in the Ladder of Divine Ascent

Sunday, 7/08/18 7th Sunday after Pentecost —The Holy Great Martyr Procopius

9:00 a.m. Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Romans 15:1-7
Gospel: Matthew 9:27-35, Tone 6

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 the glory of God by Christopher Komondy in memory of the deceased members of his family.

AFTER DIVINE LITURGY: Dear parishioners and guests, after each Divine Liturgy, coffee and hard rolls are available in the church hall.

SPECIAL SHARE IN THE EUCHARIST: You are invited to offer a donation for a week, month, or year the bread and wine that will become the Body and Blood of our Lord. The requested donation for one week is $20.00. Donors/Intentions will be listed. Mary’s lamp also available for offering. $10.00 a week.

We have frozen pyrohy for sale while supplies last. More information can be read here: https://stmichaelukrainian.org/pierogies/

PARISH HALL BAZAAR: The Knights of Columbus will sponsoring a Parish Bazaar/tag sale scheduled for the weekend of August 25-26. This two-day event will enable parishioners to sell off their un-needed, surplus belongings. Parishioners have several choices as how to do this. 1) Rent a table for the weekend for $20.00, sell whatever you want for what you want. 2) Donate the items. The Knights of Columbus members will sell the items. Larger items will be considered for consignment. The Knight of Columbus will run the kitchen and sell food. A simple lunch menu will be provided. Reservations for the table rental can be made by placing a reservation note into the collection basket at Divine Liturgy. Checks should be made out to the Knights of Columbus. Please address any questions to Andy Bamber.  

STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL
In the church vestibule are arranged the forms for the Diocesan Charitable Fund. 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 Diocese of Stamford. Please DO NOT MAIL this form to the Chancery Office. We sincerely ask all parishioners to make generous contributions. Thank you for your generosity and may God reward you!

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The Holy Pre-Eminent Apostles Peter and Paul

Gods’ love, mercy and compassion shine forth most clearly in the feast of these two apostles. Peter was enthusiastic in his faith in Christ, “Peter said to him, ‘Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.’ And all the disciples spoke likewise. (Matthew 26:35)” When the trial came, however, Peter did deny Christ three times, and all the apostles, except one, ran out of fear. Yet Peter wept for his weakness, and his weakness turned to strength, though not of his own human power, but by the grace of God. For when he confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Lord told him: “Simon Peter said … ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus said to him in reply, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father,’ (Matthew 16:16-17) and it was on this rock of faith that the Church was established.

Likewise, Saul closed his eyes to the truth, and persecuted Christians. But even as he was seeking Christians to persecute, the grace of God transformed his life, “On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:3-6). It is the great Apostle Paul who later tells us: “[The Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). This is Christian faith: in weakness there is strength, in foolishness there is wisdom, in death, there is life.

This the world does not understand. Today, as we honor these pre-eminent apostles, we, too, pray, “O God of mercy, love and compassion, give me the gift of your Spirit for strength in faith and hope and love, and that I may also show love, forgiveness and compassion to my neighbor.”

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 6/24/18 5th Sunday after Pentecost —The Nativity of the Honorable and Glorious Prophet John, Forerunner and Baptist of Christ

9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish —Moleben to Jesus Christ
10:30 a.m. God’s blessing and heath for Irene Hladkyj requested by the Family —Moleben to Jesus Christ

Epistle: Romans 10:1:10
Gospel: Matthew 8:28-9:1, Tone 4

Monday, 6/25/18 —The Holy Venerable-Martyr Febronia

Tuesday, 6/26/18 —Our Venerable Father David of Thessalonica

9:00 a.m. +Angelina Fidek (40 days, Pan.) requested by Roman and Oksana Markovych

Wednesday, 6/27/18 —Our Venerable Father Samson, Host of Strangers AND Commemoration of Bishop Nykolai (Nicholas) Charnecky and the Twenty-Seven Other New Blesseds of the Church of Rus`-Ukraine Beatified in 2001

Thursday, 6/28/18 —The Transfer of the Relics of the Holy Unmercenaries Cyrus and John

Friday, 6/29/18 —The Holy, Glorious, All-Praiseworthy and Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

9:00 a.m. (Liturgy in Ukrainian) God’s blessing and health for Ciprian
7:00 p.m. (Liturgy in English) For people of the parish

Saturday, 6/30/18 —The Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles

Sunday, 7/01/18 6th Sunday after Pentecost —The Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian

9:00 a.m. +Rosemary & Michael Waselik requested by the Family
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Romans 12:6-14
Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8, Tone 5