Third Week of the Great Fast

The first half of the Great Fast tells us the stories of Adam and Eve and their children, and the flood of Noah. It is a story of the creation of a perfect world and how that has been marred by human sin. It tells of the end of paradise, “The Lord God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. He expelled the man, stationing the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword east of the garden of Eden, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23-24)” Today, however, begins a new story, and we sing, “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. For you, O my Savior, stood and called out to those in Hades: Enter again into paradise.”

The tree of life, which Adam and Eve attempted to seize against the will of God, is the tree of the cross. And the fruit of this tree is the Body of Christ, which we receive in Holy Communion :for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.” We receive it together with his Holy Blood, “shed of the life of the world,” for today’s Gospel tells us, ““Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) Today we understand the words of our Lord, “ “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. (John 6:53)”

The Romans crucified thousands of people, many of whom were innocent. Yet of all these people, only our Lord Jesus Christ is remembered. This is because it is not the method of torture, nor the gruesome of his death that matters, but the infinite love that shone forth from his sacrifice on the cross. This is what is important for us, we may not have to die in such a painful or unjust way, but we do have to be united in the love that God shows forth on the cross. This is what it means “to take up the cross.” I personally think that for each and every one of us, it means denying for ourselves something that we crave very earnestly, a painful self-denial, if you will, for the sake of true deifying love for God and for others. This is why the cross, originally an instrument of torture and shame, has become for us the trophy of salvation. The joy of the Fast is that through God’s love we come to the fullness of life.

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Bitter Harvest to shown

On Sunday, March 19th, there are 2 FREE showings of the recent film, “Bitter Harvest” on the Holodomor at St Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall (569 George Street, New Haven, CT) at 12:30 and again at 2:30pm.
Some Ukrainian food will be for sale before the 12:30 showing of the film.
 
The film, “Bitter Harvest,” is a love story set in the time of Ukraine’s Holodomor (1932-33). It is directed by George Mendeluk. Visit: bitterharvestfilm.com
 

****Note to parents: The film is rated R (violence and brief suggestive scenes).

 The showing of “Bitter Harvest” is sponsored by St Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, The Ukrainian Heritage Center of New Haven, and Knights of Columbus Council 16253.

Our Liturgy

In our Church, the Divine Liturgy is served according to three orders, those of the bishops, Saint John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great, and that of the Presanctified Gifts. Ordinarily it is the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom that is celebrated. The liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated 10 times a year, namely: on all five Sundays of Great Lent, on Great and Holy Thursday, on Great and Holy Saturday and on the feast of St. Basil the Great. From Monday to Friday during Lent, as a sign of the anticipation of Christ’s Pascha and the glorious second coming, the Church does not offer the Eucharistic oblation, that is, the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom or St. Basil the Great. (Christ Our Pascha, 393)

Parish Town Hall meeting scheduled

The parish town hall meeting originally scheduled for March 26th is canceled. It is rescheduled for May 7th. There will be just one (1) Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00 a.m. and said in English and Ukrainian.

Immediately following the Liturgy, the Annual Parish Meeting will begin in the Church Hall.

Mark your calendar and plan to come.

Second Sunday of the Great Fast

Paralytic ManThe Epistle to the Hebrews begins today: ““At the beginning, O Lord, you established the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; and they will all grow old like a garment. You will roll them up like a cloak, and like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” In the first part of the journey we call the Great Fast, we remembered first the story of creation, and how God found it very good. But at the end of these two weeks, we heard that because of our sins, “The Lord regretted making human beings on the earth, and his heart was grieved. So the Lord said: I will wipe out from the earth the human beings I have created. (Genesis 6:6-7)” What is the inspired Scripture telling us – that the human race is completely broken and dysfunctional because we have refused to follow God’s loving providence? The Gospel (Mark 2:1-12) becomes a key hinge in this story. The paralytic man lowered through the roof is a symbol of our crippled, broken and dysfunctional human race. Fortunately, there are still some who know this and want to help heal it – the four friends who lower the broken man through the roof. And the healing follows, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’” (v. 5) We are broken and sinners, but if we can have faith, creation can be made good again – this is our hope. Sin is an offense against God, so those who do not have faith grumble, “Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (v. 7) Who but God alone can repair the damage done by rebellion against his plan? And so this story is key in the Gospel, Jesus is God, the Son of the Father, as he created the world, and is always “the same.,” he alone can repair the damage. To prove this, he makes the man to walk again. But Jesus is also a human being, and as such, has imparted the power to forgive sin to the Church, which is his body, and in which we find healing and forgiveness. This is truly a mystery beyond expression. Yet a further point can be made.

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St. Gregory Palamas honored today

Gregory of PalamasOn this Second Sunday of Great Lent the Church honors St. Gregory Palamas. He’s remarkable saint and theologian. Here is a taste:

“We believe that at the Transfiguration He manifested not some other sort of light, but only that which was concealed beneath His fleshly exterior. This Light was the Light of the Divine Nature, and as such, it was Uncreated and Divine. So also, in the teachings of the Fathers, Jesus Christ was transfigured on the Mount, not taking upon Himself something new nor being changed into something new, nor something which formerly He did not possess. Rather, it was to show His disciples that which He already was, opening their eyes and bringing them from blindness to sight. For do you not see that eyes that can perceive natural things would be blind to this Light?

Thus, this Light is not a light of the senses, and those contemplating it do not simply see with sensual eyes, but rather they are changed by the power of the Divine Spirit. They were transformed, and only in this way did they see the transformation taking place amidst the very assumption of our perishability, with the deification through union with the Word of God in place of this.”

St. Gregory Palamas, Homily on the Transfiguration (http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/38767.htm)

“At once he appears like a flash of lightning.
Do my words seem blasphemous?
Then open your heart to him and let yourself receive
the one who is opening to you so deeply.
For if we genuinely love him,
We wake up in Christ’s body
Where all our body
All over, every most hidden part of it,
Is realized in joy in Him,
And he makes us utterly real.”

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

During Great Lent the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great is prayed at Divine Liturgy and not the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom.

Sunday, 3/12/17   Second Sunday of Lent —Commemoration of St. Gregory Palamas
9:00 Pro Populo
10:30 Thanksgiving Divine Liturgy requested by Maria Wysowskyj

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

Monday, 3/13/17  —Transfer of the Relics of Our Holy Father St. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople
8:00 a.m.  No special intention for the Liturgy

Tuesday, 3/14/17 —Our Venerable Father St. Benedict of Nursia
8:00 a.m. +Helen Wasylyk requested by Sestrichi

Wednesday, 3/15/17 —The Holy Martyr Agapius and the Six Martyrs with Him
9:00 a.m.   Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

Thursday, 3/16/17 —The Holy Martyrs Sabinus and Papas
8:00 a.m. +Rosemary DeFilippo (Pan.)

Friday, 3/17/17 —Our Venerable Father Alexis, Man of God
7:00 p.m. Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

Saturday,  3/18/17 —Our Holy Father Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem
8:30 a.m. All deceased of Parish
9:00 a.m. Sorokousty

Sunday, 3/19/17 Third Sunday of Lent —Veneration of the Holy Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ — First Parish Mission
9:00 a.m. +Gregory Dubno requested by Luba Dubno
10:30 a.m. Pro Populo

Epistle: Hebrews 4:14-5:6
Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1, Tone 3

Parish announcements this week

1. Sorokousty: will be celebrated during Lent on All Souls’ Saturdays, March 18, April 1, June 3. 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!

2. Lenten Parish Mission: On Sunday, March 19 and April 9 , we will have Father Robert Markovitch giving a Mission in our parish. I would like to see all of our parishioners participate in this Mission in order to prepare themselves spiritually for the upcoming Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Pysanka —Ukrainian Easter Egg Workshop —will be held on Sunday, April 2, 2017 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 heritage. Free to parish youth and Ridna Shkola students. See flyer for details or call Gloria Horbaty (203)269-5909 for information. Sponsored by: UNWLA,  Branch 108, the Heritage Center and the CT Ukrainian American Historical Society.

4. The Ukrainian National Association, Branch 414, New Haven, will hold their 14th Annual EASTER EGG HUNT on Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 12 noon on the church grounds. For information contact Gloria Horbaty at (203)269-5909.

5. The next meeting of the Ukrainian American Veterans, Bishop John Stock Post 33 of New Haven will be held on Sunday, March 19, 2017. We will begin the meeting immediately after the second Divine Liturgy. The meeting ill be held in Classroom 2. For more information, contact the Post Commander Carl Harvey at (203) 389-6076 or crharv3841@optimum.net.

6. Our next Pyrohy Saturday will be on Saturday, March 18, 2017. We need your help also on Friday 17 to peel potatoes. Please come and help.  See Walter Ushchak for more information.

7. Sales: cabbage with sausage for $10.00 per container, stew with meat and mushrooms for $8.00, pierogies in bags for $12.00 or in container for $5.00.

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