Praying on 9/11

A cross made from steel beams found in the rubble of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York stand outside St. Peter’s Church in New York Aug. 17.  (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Today is the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Let us be united in prayer for the souls lost, the families and friends who continue to mourn and for the gift of peace.

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.
We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

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50th Connecticut Ukrainian Festival

Today, the Ukrainian faithful and friends gathered to pray, have fun, and share friendship at the 50th Ukrainian Festival at St Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, CT. There were 15 CT parishes and institutions who participated in making the Fest a success.

Thanks to our parishioners, Gloria and Donald Horbaty, for their good work in leading the Fest! They have worked the festival for 50 years and were given recognition by Bishop Paul Chomnycky, OSBM.

The Divine Liturgy was served by Bishop Basil Losten with a clergy assisting. The Bishop, 87, the bishop-emeritus of the Stamford Eparchy, returned from a meeting of bishops in the Ukraine to pray with us and to represent Bishop Paul. On June 10th, Bishop Basil celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood.

Our cultural festival included music, folk dancing, Ukrainian and American cuisines, tables selling honey, garlic, books, jewelry, and arts and crafts.

Here are some pictures to give a sense of the day.

Good food, time with new and old friends made for a very lovely day to express the beloved Ukrainian culture through expressions in art, food, music and folk dancing.

May the Holy Theotokos abundantly bless all the participants.

Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross

Galatians 6:11-16; John 3:13-17

The Gospel today refers back to a story of Moses from the Old Testament:

“The Lord sent among the people seraph serpents, which bite the people so that many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you. Pray to the Lord to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord said to Moses: Make a seraph and mount it on a pole, and everyone who has been bitten will look at it and recover. Accordingly Moses made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever the serpent bit someone, the person looked at the bronze serpent and recovered. (Numbers 21:6-9)”

This is a very unusual story, almost magical where a representation of a serpent is a healing talisman. However, for the Christian believer the full meaning is revealed only in our Lord Jesus Christ. St. John tells us that just as Moses raised the serpent in the desert, so Jesus was raised on the Cross so that anyone who looked upon him was healed of their sins. The serpent in the desert was not the serpent Eve saw in the tree in Eden, who brought death into the world through sin through his lie, but it was a serpent of life, who brought healing through the truth of faithfulness to God. But this was only a foreshadowing of Jesus. Of our Lord, St. Paul said, “For our sake God made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)” The serpent in the desert was bronze, yet brought salvation from the fatal bites of serpents. Jesus is truly God and truly a man, and brings the salvation of freedom from sin and death. Yes, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. (John 3:16) ” That is why in this great feast we celebrate this week, “We bow to your Cross and glorify your holy resurrection.”

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Feast of the Birth of the Theotokos

Christians of East and West can express their gratitude for today’s feast to brought  to our awareness by Eastern monks. It was in the seventh century, this feast  of Our Lady was celebrated by Greek Christians. The narrative of Mary’s Nativity is not testified to in sacred Scripture but known only from apocryphal sources. By the end of the seventh century this feast gained acceptance in the Diocese of Rome.

Our meditation for today

The Epistle today is from Philippians, and it is about Christ, “Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. (Philippians 2:7-9)” The mystery of Mary, the Theotokos, the Birth-giver of God, is united with the mystery of Jesus our Lord, the Giver of Life to all. Every feast is a celebration of the one Paschal Mystery, how through his death on the Cross (“by death trampling upon death”) the Son of God bestowed life upon the whole world, and how, therefore, in our humiliation, in giving ourselves in love to God and, through him, to each other, we find glory in God.

Joachim and Anna were humbled and desolate, barren of children, and yet, “from infertile ground, the fertile ground is born. From her has grown the Gardener (see that Mary Magdalene mistakes the risen Christ for a gardener) of all fruit, the flower bringing life, who by the will of God nourishes the universe. (1st Troparion, Ode 3, Matins of the Pre-feast)” Today we chant that “Joachim and Anne were freed from the reproach of childlessness.” This mystery must be re-lived in the life of Christ, the child born of Mary, who dies on the Cross in desolation, so that all the universe may be freed from the “despair of death,” and find life in God.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Sunday, 9/10/17    Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross
9:00 a.m. +Michael Waselik (32th Anniv.) requestd by the Family
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Galatians 6: 14-18
Gospel: John 3: 13-17, Tone 5

Monday, 9/11/17    Our Venerable Mother Theodora of Alexandria
8:00 a.m.   no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, 9/12/17    The Holy Priest-Martyr Autonomus
8:00 a.m.   no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 9/13/17    The Holy Priest-Martyr Cornelius the Centurion
8:00 a.m.   no special intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 9/14/17    The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
9:00 a.m. +Petro and Maria Makarenko, Clementina and Stepan Lobay (Pan.) requested by M. Lobay

7:00 p.m.  For the people of the parish

Friday, 9/15/17    The Holy Great-Martyr Nicetas
9:00 a.m. +Petro and Anastazia Malyk requested by Kateryna Szymkiw

Saturday,  9/16/17    The Holy, Great Woman-Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised
9:00 a.m. +Luba Malyk requested by Kateryna Szymkiw

Sunday, 9/17/17    Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross
9:00 a.m. +Hryhorij Dubno requested by the Family
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Galatians 2: 16:20
Gospel: Mark 8: 34-9:1, Tone 6

Parish announcements this week

Christ is among us!

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

3. 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.

4. ANNUAL STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL: REMINDER: Please don’t forget to donate for the Charities Appeal. Please make your check payable to the Diocese of Stamford. DO NOT MAIL THE FORM TO THE CHANCERY OFFICE. We sincerely ask all parishioners to make generous contribution.  

5. KofC: The Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, September 11, 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.

6. VETERANS POST 33: The next meeting of the Ukrainian –American Veteran Bishop John Stock Post 33 of New Haven will be held on Sunday, September 17, 2017. We will begin the meeting immediately following the second Divine Liturgy. The meeting will be held in Classroom 2. For more information, contact the Post Commander Carl Harvey at 203-389-6076 or crharv384@optimum.net.

7. EPARCHIAL FAMILY DAY RETREAT: “The Christian Family in Today’s World” on October 1, 2017, Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, St. Mary’s Villa, 150 Sisters Servants Lane, Sloatsburg, NY. Program:  Registration, 9:00 a.m.; Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.; Lunch, 12:30 p.m.

Presentations: “The Christian Family in Today’s World!” by Father Bohdan Tymchyshyn, STD, PhD; “The Challenge of Raising Children in a Christian Way in the 21st Century” by Dr. Barbara Lutz; “Strategies for strengthening families and coping with the complexities of family life” by Father Yaroslav Nalysnyk; “How to provide spiritual care for divorced Catholics and broken families in our Eparchy!” by Fr. Martin Canavan.

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Two new seminarians for the Eparchy

Today, Father Roman Malyarchuk, the Rector of St. Basil’s Seminary (Stamford), blessed the cassocks (podryasniki) two new seminarians will wear in service of God and the Church. Pray for these our brothers, Roman Kuzmâk and Ivan Manolev. The Pídrâsnik is not simple ecclesiastical attire, but “the milk and the protection” against temptations.

Let us pray to the great and holy Mother of God for these men to receive the grace of perseverance.

Ukrainian Festival this coming Sunday

The 50th Anniversary Ukrainian Day Festival will take place on Sunday, September 10, 2017, on the grounds of St. Basil Seminary, 195 Glenbrook Road, Stamford, CT.

The Festival will begin with Divine Liturgy at 11:00 a.m. served by Bishop Basil Losten, the bishop-emeritus of the Eparchy of Stamford.  Following our Worship we have ethnic Ukrainian Foods and traditional BBQ.

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.

The Miracle of the Archangel Michael

On the Byzantine liturgical calendar, today, September 6, we have the commemoration of the miracle of the holy archangel Michael at Colossae in Chionia.

Given that our heavenly patron is the Archangel Michael, it is good for us to spend a little time on the place of Michael in the spiritual life.

It seems that we can deepen our desire for God by knowing more and more of how He works in this saints and angels.

The Divine Liturgy speaks of the Archangel Michael in this manner:

O Commander of the Heavenly Hosts,
We who are unworthy beseech you
That by your prayers you will encompass us
Beneath the wings of your immaterial glory
And protect us who fall down and cry:
Deliver us all from harm,
For you are the commander of the powers on High. (Troparion, Tone 4)

The biographers say,

In  Phrygia, not far from the city of Hieropolis, in a place called Cheretopos, there was a church named for the Archangel Michael, built over a miraculous spring.

This church was built by a  certain inhabitant of the city of Laodicia in gratitude to God for  healing his mute daughter. The holy Chief Commander Michael appeared to this man in a dream and revealed to him that his daughter would receive the gift of speech after drinking from the water of the spring. The girl actually did receive healing and began to speak. After this miracle,  the father and his daughter and all their family were baptized. In  fervent gratitude, the father built the church in honor of the holy Chief Commander Michael. Not only did Christians begin to come to the  spring for healing, but also pagans [unbelievers]. In so doing, many of the pagans  turned from their idols and were converted to the faith in Christ.

At  this church of the holy Chief Commander Michael, a certain pious man by  the name of Archippus served for sixty years as church custodian. By  his preaching and by the example of his saintly life he brought many  pagans to faith in Christ. With the general malice of that time towards Christians, and especially against Archippus, the pagans thought to  destroy the church in order to prevent people from coming to that holy  place of healing, and at the same time kill Archippus.

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