St Macrina

The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother, For you took up the Cross and followed Christ. By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away, But to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal. Therefore your spirit, O Holy Mother Macrina, rejoices with the Angels! (Trop. 8)

The Byzantine Church commemorates today St. Macrina, recalled as “Our venerable mother, sister of saint Basil, the great.” It has been said that the family is where the seed of sanctity is planted and that saints beget saints. This is true for Macrina and her family: she is a saint among a family of saints. For us, Macrina is a certain guide to a deeper communion with the Most Holy Trinity. Holiness is possible.

Macrina was the older sister of the saints Basil and Gregory. After the early death of her husband, Macrina devoted herself to the education of her younger brothers. It was at this time, also, that she took up the monastic life, and it was due to her influence that her brothers learned the value of the spiritual life and dedication to the service of the Church.

The mother of this remarkable family, St. Emelia, guided a small community of nuns on the family estate in Pontus. Macrina succeeded her mother as the head of the monastery, and in time founded other communities for women.

She spent her last days (she died in 380) with her brother, St. Gregory, the bishop of Nyssa. The funeral oration he said over his sister is a moving testament to the love and esteem not only of a brother, but also one of many who were spiritually enriched by her example. Macrina was buried with her parents.

(NS)

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 7/16/17  6th Sunday after Pentecost
9:00 a.m. +Michael and Anna Lipcan requested Barbara and Patrick Bagley
10:30 a.m.  For the people of the parish

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

Monday, 7/17/17  Holy Great Martyr Marina
8:00 a.m. +Lillian and James Ryzewski (Pan.) requested by Jane Ryzewski

Tuesday, 7/18/17  Holy Martyrs Hyacinth of Amastris and Emilian
8:00 a.m. +Paraskevia Paluha requested by Jaroslaw Paluha

Wednesday, 7/19/17  Venerable Mother Macrina, Sister of Saint Basil the Great
8:00 a.m. +Theodore & Maria Kuchnij requested by Jaroslaw Paluha

Thursday, 7/20/17  Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah
8:00 a.m. +Theodore & Ellen Paluha requested by Jaroslaw Paluha

Friday, 7/21/17  Venerable Father Simeon, the Fool for Christ and the Prophet Ezekiel
8:00 a.m. +Mychajlo Kuchnij requested by Jaroslaw Paluha

Saturday, 7/22/17  Holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal-of-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene
8:00 a.m. no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 7/23/17   7th Sunday after Pentecost
9:00 a.m. +Francis Dmyterko (11th anniv.) requested by the Family
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!

1. WELCOME ALL NEW PARISHIONERS! New parishioners are always welcome in our parish. If someone wishes to join, please contact Father Iura Godenciuc at 203 865-0388 or our financial secretary Natalie Chermak at 203-468-0367.

2. The vigil light in the sanctuary is burning this week to the Glory of God in memory of +Helmut Horn offered by Olha Pospolita.

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

4. FOOD DRIVE: Judy Ellis leads the mercy project which provides food items to the needy. A container is in our church vestibule for non-perishable food. This collection will be taken every week. Father Iura will distribute the food to those in need. Thanks for your generous support.

5. ROOF REPAIR FUND: Please make a generous contribution to allow us to repair the leaking roof of the Church Hall and other roof structures adjoining the Church and the Hall. These roofs must be repaid to prevent serious water damage to our property and we cannot pay for them from regular weekly collection. Roof Repair Fund envelope are available in the vestibule of our church for your special sacrificial gift. Thank you for helping to keep our physical structures in good condition for our use today and for the next generation tomorrow.

6. UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY: Will be celebrated this year on Sunday, August 27, 2017The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. A proclamation Ceremony will take place on the New Haven Green at noon. The Annual Independence day picnic will commence at 1:00 p.m. at the Church Hall and Church garden. All are invited.

7. PARISH COUNCIL MEETING: Will take place on Monday, August 7, 2017 at 6:00 p.m., in the Church Hall. Main Topic. Coordinate with the KofC plans for the Independence Day Picnic. All are invited to attend.

8. KofC: The Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, August 7, 2017 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.

Blumenthal to give update on Ukrainian Soldiers’ care

Tomorrow, the Honorable Richard Blumenthal, the senior U.S. Senator of Connecticut, will be at Saint Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, to update us on the efforts to provide the appropriate care for wounded Ukrainian soldiers in the USA.

The meeting will follow the 10:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy on Sunday, July 16th.

The Divine Liturgies on Sunday: 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Join us for worship and to listen to the Senator.

Have mercy on me, Lord – 6th Sunday after Pentecost

In this Gospel, Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic man before healing him. It is a manifestation of God’s infinite mercy, but there is today and probably always has been, a rigorism which is uncomfortable of forgiveness without conditions.” It is, of course, quite reasonable to expect that one condition for forgiveness would be repentance and, really, that must be assumed. After all, Jesus’ preaching of the Gospel begins, “Repent (metavoite, “change your minds”), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)” (Read on the Sunday after Theophany) We are always free to reject God’s forgiveness. However, it is strange that in the gospel stories of forgiveness, “repentance” is downplayed. When our Lord forgives the woman caught in adultery, he does not ask, “Do you repent for your sin?” but instead interrogates her accusers. Only after they are gone and the woman is spared, does he say, “Go, and sin no more.”

The greatest model of forgiveness is the parable of the Prodigal Son. It is true, as a rigorist might point out, the loving Father does not go out to seek his son, but waits until he repents – that is, returns home. However, the son had prepared a little speech of repentance, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son. (Luke 15:21)” However, the Father completely ignores his little speech, it is of small consequence, and he restores him to the fullness of his inheritance. God’s mercy knows no limits. Also, in this gospel, the Lord does not ask the paralytic, “Have you repented of your sins,” but, without preamble, when he asks for physical healing, God says, “Courage! Your sins are forgiven.” Again, I am not saying that repentance is not necessary, just that it is striking how little the inspired writers make of it, in order to emphasize the infinite mercy of God. Perhaps this uneasiness about repentance comes from a fear that people will misinterpret God’s mercy, or maybe it comes from human hubris that the process of forgiveness depends first on our human will, on our repentance.

Jesus and the demoniacs

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Romans 10:1-10; Matthew 8:28-9:1

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus encounters two men in the Gadarene territory who are possessed by demons, by evil. The evil is distressed, and says, “Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” They knew that at the end there would be a judgment in the last days, but thought they had the right to stay in these men’s bodies until then. However, evil cannot abide in the presence of God, and so they must leave before the “appointed time” and destroy another evil – the unclean animals forbidden to the Jews. Can we say that Jesus is no longer with us as he was in the Gadarene territory. Has he left us to go to sit at his Father’s right? But St. Paul tells us that the presence of Jesus is not a geographical problem, “Who will go up to heaven? Who will go into the abyss? – to bring Jesus here. The mysteries of the descent into Hades and the Ascension are mysteries of God’s relationship with us, and so St. Paul says, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. (Romans 10:8).”

Christ is with us, and evil cannot abide in his presence. He must be present both in our souls, in the center of our being, and also outside in our witness to others, in our lips or in any way that we communicate.

It’s not enough to be a “secret” Christian nor to be a hypocrite, saying “Lord, Lord,” but not believing. Only then can obstacles to our spiritual growth and progress be removed. Remember, the demoniacs were so savage that no one could travel by that road. Evil is so savage that it blocks our way to God, and God alone can remove that block.

For an interesting read on the Gadarene demonics, see Michael Willett Newheart’s book, ‘My Name is Legion’: The Story and Soul of the Gerasene Demoniacs (Interfaces, Liturgical Press, 2004). He follows, however, the Markan account.

Commentary from the Fathers:

The Demons Cried Out. Cyril of Alexandria: The divine nature of the only begotten Son was already scorching the demons in unspeakable flames. Christ was shutting up the fiercest demons in blocked roads. He was undoing the devil’s tyranny. “You have come before the time,” they cried out. For they knew from the Scriptures that Christ was going to come and would judge them. Treating the incarnation as if it had happened at the wrong time, they pled that he had come in an untimely way. This misrepresentation is not surprising. In their deceptiveness, they did not hesitate to say even this. Yet, although they know that vengeance is to fall upon them, they still say haughtily, “What have you to do with us?” They know that the final Judge in fact has a score to settle with them, inasmuch as they had broken his commandments. Fragment 101.

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 7/09/17 5th Sunday after Pentecost
9:00 a.m. Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Romans  10:1-10
Gospel: Matthew 8:28-9:3, Tone 4

Monday, 7/10/17 Venerable Father Anthony of the Monastery of the Caves, Kyiv
8:00 a.m. no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, 7/11/17 Repose of Blessed Olga (Olha), Princess of Kyiv, named Helen in Holy Baptism
8:00 a.m. +Iwan Sowa (Pan.) requested by Bohdan Sowa

Wednesday, 7/12/17 Holy Martyrs Proclus and Hilary
8:00 a.m. no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 7/13/17 Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel
8:00 a.m. no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 7/14/17 Holy Apostle Aquila
8:00 a.m. no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 7/15/17 Holy Grand Prince Vladimir (Volodymyr), Equal to the Apostles, named Basil in Holy Baptism
9:00 a.m. +Fr. Vladimir Levitzky (Pan.) requested by Joseph M. Levitzky

Sunday, 7/16/17 6th Sunday after Pentecost
9:00 a.m. +Michael and Anna Lipcan requested by Barbara and Patrick Bagley
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

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

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

1. WELCOME ALL NEW PARISHIONERS! New parishioners are always welcome in our parish. If someone wishes to join, please contact Father Iura Godenciuc at 203 865-0388 or our financial secretary Natalie Chermak at 203-468-0367.

2. The vigil light in the sanctuary is burning this week to the Glory of God in memory of Rodion Palazij offered by Dionizia Brochinsky.

3. ROOF REPAIR FUND: Please make a generous contribution to allow us to repair the leaking roof of the Church Hall and other roof structures adjoining the Church and the Hall. These roofs must be repaid to prevent serious water damage to our property and we cannot pay for them from regular weekly collection. Roof Repair Fund envelope are available in the vestibule of our church for your special sacrificial gift. Thank you for helping to keep our physical structures in good condition for our use today and for the next generation tomorrow.

4. K of C: The Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, July 10, 2017 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.

5. FOOD DRIVE: Judy Ellis leads the mercy project which provides food items to the needy. A container is in our church vestibule for non-perishable food. This collection will be taken every week. Father Iura will distribute the food to those in need. Thanks for your generous support.

6. Whale Watch Saturday, August 19, in Plymouth, MA: Carl Harvey is organizing this event. It promises to be a nice way to enjoy each other’s friendship and to appreciate nature. For more information, contact Carl at crharv3841@optimum.net OR at 203-389-6076 OR 203-530-8232.

7. UKRAINIAN DAY FESTIVAL: The 50th Anniversary Ukrainian Day Festival will take place on September 10, 2017, on the grounds of St. Basil Seminary, Stamford. The Festival will begin with Divine Liturgy at 11:00 a.m., to be followed by ethnic Ukrainian Foods and traditional BBQ foods. There will be a program of entertainment in the afternoon for all to enjoy. Please come and join us for this milestone event. Advance admission and raffle tickets are available for purchase in the church hall. Please see Luba Dubno if you wish to purchase tickets.

Meeting with Blumenthal postponed

Christ is among us!
 
A meeting with the Honorable Richard Blumenthal, the senior US Senator of CT, oringinally scheduled for this Sunday morning, has been postponed until Sunday, July 16th at 11:45 a.m.
 
The Senator is working to aid severely wounded Ukrainian soldiers by providing advanced treatment for them in U.S. military hospitals.
 
Please join us on July 16th in the church hall.