Parish announcements this week

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Luba Romaniw for a special intention.

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

SOROKOUSTY: The Memorial Service for All Souls will be observed on February 3 and 17, March 3 and 10,  and May 19. Please take your book of names found at the entrance of the church (or ask Father Iura for a new book), 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!

KOLIADA: Dear parishioners, in this week’s bulletin you will find special Koliada envelops. If you would like to make a donation to the Koliada (Ukrainian Christmas Carols), please enclose your donation, write your name on the envelope and drop the envelope into the collection basket during the Divine Liturgies. Thank You!

KofC: The parish KofC Council will hold its next regular meeting on TOMORROW, January  8 at 7:00 p.m. in the church hall. All men of parish are invited to attend to see what the Knights are all about and what they do and what you can do with them for your parish.

St. Michael’s Parish and UNWLA Branch 108 will hold its annual PROSFORA, traditional Christmas luncheon on Sunday, January 21, 2018. On that day we will celebrate only one Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $20.00 for adults, free for children Ridna Shkola and altar servers. We will be running a raffle. Please donate items for raffle and sweet for coffee.

VETERANS POST 33: The next meeting of the Ukrainian-American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of N.H. will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018, church hall, classroom 2 immediately following the second Divine Liturgy. For more information, contact the Post Commander Carl Harvey at 203-389-6076 or crharv384@optimum.net

Know your Catholic Faith: Christ Our Pascha, the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church is now available online in English, www.royaldoors.net. We are working to get the print edition when it is available.

Holy Theophany at St Michael’s 2018

Holy Theophany of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
Saturday, 6 January 2018

9:15 a.m. Great Compline
10:00 a.m. The Liturgy intention is for the people of the parish

~Great Sanctification of Water AND at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy there will be a Myrovannia (anointing with oil)

Blessing of Water

As a cradle Byzantine, my memories of church when I was a young boy are spotty. They touch only those aspects that somehow grasped my attention. One of these was the blessing of the water on Theophany: the solemn prayer, the priest lifting up the trikirion and thrusting it into the water, the going up to receive the holy water for our home. I don’t remember how much I understood, but this was a very powerful part of our faith.

The Christian faith does not depend on exotic substances, in magical elixirs, in secret formulas, but the Christian faith is the transformation of simple gifts of life – of water, of bread, of wine, of oil. Our water is no longer ordinary water, but it has been touched by the feet of God incarnate. Merely to see this day, merely to drink this water, merely to pray to Jesus baptized by a human hand transforms us. We need water to live, to drink it for nourishment, to wash with it to be kept clean, and now to be baptized with it for the life and cleansing of our souls as well as our bodies. The prayer for the consecration of water on Theophany may be said to be thrilling. We use words in ways we do not usually use them. The words come to the water, and all creation is transformed.

And so the priest prays: “By your will you brought forth all things from nothingness into being; by your might you control creation, and by your providence you govern the world. You created all things from four elements, and crowned the cycle of the year with four seasons. The spiritual powers tremble before you. The sun praises you, the moon glorifies you, the stars serve you. Light obeys you, the depths tremble before you, and the springs adore you. You spread out the heavens like a tent. You established the earth upon the waters. You fringed the seas with beaches of sand. You poured forth air for breathing. The angelic powers serve you; the ranks of archangels worship you; the many-eyed cherubim and the six-winged seraphim stand before you or hover over you, yet they dare not gaze at your unapproachable glory. Although you are God, boundless, indescribable, and without beginning, you came upon earth, and taking the likeness of a servant, became like one of us.”

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Schmemann at the beginning of 2018

At the beginning of a new year the following words of Father Alexander Schmemann give us much to think about:

“…What then gives meaning to a particular day, to the TODAY we live in? Is it not simply one day out of a long sequence of days that each one of us has to live through? Yet for me, as a Christian, its new and deep meaning comes from the past. It is a day related to Christ’s coming into the world, a day AFTER His coming, and thus the Christian is the one who first of all, REMEMBERS. He can forget Christ; he can wake up in the morning and think only of the petty concerns of that particular day, yet, on a deeper level, even these minor concerns become a very different experience if he remembers that he is not simply John Smith who has to do this or that, but the one to whom Christ has come, whose life Christ has assumed and has given new meaning. “Today,” however, has a second meaning, because it is also a day BEFORE Christ’s return. Thus I am always living between the two comings of Christ: the one in the past, the other in the future. And finally, the meaning of TODAY comes to me from the words of Christ, who says that He is ALWAYS with me. “And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 27:20). Past, present, future – we see that the time in which we live is not only the time of the calendar, but the time that is shaped from inside and transformed by faith, by Christian experience. It is related to the coming of Christ in the past, to His coming in the future, and to His presence now…”

Sunday after Christmas: Commemorating of David, Joseph and James

On this Sunday, we commemorate three men who had a relationship with Jesus: David, his forefather; Joseph, his foster father; and James, his brother through Joseph. Each of these man were shown mercy by God. David committed a great sin, to win the wife of Uriah, he had Uriah put into the front lines of battle, so that he was killed. The prophet Nathan brought this sin to light and David did repentance and lost his son.

Joseph found Mary pregnant and decided to divorce her, but an angel told him to take her as his wife. James was among Jesus’ relatives who did not accept him as a prophet, but after the resurrection, he repented and became the leader of the church at Jerusalem.

We might remember also three women who were among Jesus’ foremothers. Rachel was the wife of Jacob, who loved her more than Leah. However, when Jacob worked for seven years for Laban to win Rachel’s hand, Laban insisted he marry his eldest daughter Leah. Jacob then worked another seven years for Rachel. However, Rachel was barren until finally she gave birth to Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son. Jacob took his family and fled Laban, and Rachel stole Laban’s family icons. When Laban caught up with Jacob, Jacob cursed the thief of his icons, not knowing that it was his beloved wife Rachel. The curse was fulfilled when Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. Rachel is mentioned in today’s Gospel as weeping when the children of Bethlehem are massacred by King Herod, but the gospel says, “no comfort for her, for they are no more.”

We might also mention Ruth, who was a foreigner – like the Magi. She married a Hebrew man from Bethlehem who died, and Ruth followed her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, and there tricked Boaz into marriage, becoming the great-grandmother of David and ancestor of our Lord.

We might also mention Tamar, who lost her husband, whose brother refused to have children by her. She disguised herself as a prostitute and became pregnant with her father-in-law, Judah, who wanted to have her executed for prostitution until he was shown to be the father. So she, too, became an ancestor of Jesus through trickery.

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Sunday, 12/31/17 Sunday after Christmas —Commemoration of the Holy and Righteous Joseph, Spouse of the Mother of God; Saint David the King
9:00 a.m. +Michael Lipcan requested by Barbara and Patrick Bagley
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Galatians 1:11:19
Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23, Tone 5

Monday, 1/01/18 Circumcision of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ; Saint Basil the Great —New Year’s Day

10:45 a.m. Lytija and Blessing of Bread
11:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
~at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy there will be a Myrovannia (anointing with oil)

Tuesday, 1/02/18 Holy Father Sylvester, Pope of Rome
9:00 a.m.  God’s blessing and health for Ulana and Volodymyr Zinych and family

Wednesday, 1/03/18 Holy Prophet Malachi
9:00 a.m. +Paraskevia Paluha requested by Jaroslaw Paluha

Thursday, 1/04/18 Synaxis of the Seventy Holy Apostles
9:00 a.m. +Theodore and Ellen Paluha requested by Jaroslaw Paluha

Friday, 1/05/18 Vigil of Theophany; Holy Martyr Theopemptus and Theonas

Saturday, 1/06/18 Holy Theophany of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ
9:15 a.m. Great Compline
10:00 a.m. For the people of the parish
~Great Sanctification of Water AND at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy there will be a Myrovannia (anointing with oil)

Sunday, 1/07/18 Sunday after Theophany —Synaxis of the Holy and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
9:00 a.m. +Mychajlo Kuchnij requested by Jaroslaw Paluha

Nativity of the Lord (Julian Calendar Christmas)

9:45 a.m. Great Compline
10:30 a.m.  For the people of the parish
~at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy there will be a Myrovannia (anointing with oil)

(Readings for Sunday after Theophany)
Epistle: Ephesians  4:7:13
Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17, Tone 6

Parish Announcements this week

Christ is born!

VIGIL LIGHT: This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Barbara and Patrick Bagley in memory of Michael Lipcan, Sr.

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

SOROKOUSTY: The Memorial Service for All Souls will be observed on February 3 and 17, March 3 and 10,  and May 19. Please take your book of names found at 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!

Know your Catholic Faith: Christ Our Pascha, the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, is now available online in English, www.royaldoors.net

KOLIADA: Dear parishioners, in this week’s bulletin you will find special Koliada Envelops. If you would like to make a donation to the Koliada (Ukrainian Christmas Carols), please enclose your donation, write your name on the envelope and drop the envelope into the collection basket during the Divine Liturgies. Thank You!

KofC: The Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, January  8, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the church hall. All men of parish are invited to attend to see what the Knights are all about and what they do and what you can do with them for your parish.

St. Michael’s parish and UNWLA Branch 108 will hold its annual PROSFORA, traditional Christmas luncheon on Sunday, January 21, 2018. On that day we will celebrate only one Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $20.00 for adults, free for children Ridna Shkola and altar servers. We will be running a raffle. Please donate items for raffle and sweet for coffee.

VETERANS POST 33: The next meeting of the Ukrainian-American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of N.H. will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018, church hall, classroom 2 immediately following the second Divine Liturgy. For more information, contact the Post Commander Carl Harvey at 203-389-6076 or crharv384@optimum.net

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Blessed Hryhoriy Khomyshyn

Blessed Hryhoriy Khomyshyn was the Eparchial Bishop of Stanislaviv (modern day eparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk), Ukraine. Arrested for his faith twice by the Soviet secret police; deported to NKVD prison in Kiev, Ukraine. The Bishop died in prison and considered a martyr.

During the 1930s, Khomyshyn was responsible for organizing the Ukrainian Catholic People’s Party, which briefly held seats in the Sejm and Senate. He is noted as being one of only a handful of members of the Catholic hierarchy in interwar Poland to publicly oppose anti-Semitism; his tolerance towards Galician Jews.

Khomyshyn was first arrested in 1939 by the NKVD. A critic of the Soviet system, having called the occupying forces “fierce beasts animated by the devil,” he was arrested again in April 1945, and was then deported to Kiev. In prison, he was tortured and advised to renounce the Union of Brest, which he refused to do.

He died in the Lukyanivska Prison hospital (Kiev) on 17 January 1947. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 27 June 2001, as one of Mykolai Charnets’kyi and the 24 companion martyrs.

Blessed Hryhoriy Khomyshyn pray for us, our parish, and Greek Catholic Church.

Synaxis of the Theotokos

Many Byzantine feasts have a commemoration on the day after a great feast called a “synaxis,” that is, an “assembly” or “gathering” in honor of one who participated in the feast. No more honorable person could ever be found than the holy Lady, the Mother of God.

This feast of her Synaxis was actually the most ancient, the first, celebration of her memory on the church calendar, because her giving birth to the Son of God was truly her greatest glory. It was by her free will, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38),” that our God and Creator became one of us. It was certainly her joy that she gave birth to this child, but we commemorate on this day all the suffering she bore because of her choice, the near repudiation by Joseph, the persecution of her son by Herod, causing them to flee for their lives to Egypt, until, at the end, she had to endure seeing her beloved son crucified as a common criminal on the cross. So Simeon the prophet told her, “ “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:34-35)” Truly, she became by her suffering an intercessor with her Son.

We must ask if we are prepared, as St. Paul, who wrote “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body. (Colossians 1:24)” We also have the comfort of knowing, if we unite our will with that of Mary, that we, too, can become bearers of God through Communion in his Body and Blood by our own free will.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras