ProLife Holy Hour and Mass today at St Monica’s Church, Middletown Avenue, Northford
Holy Hour 5-6pm
Mass 6pm
Join us in prayer.
Day of Prayer for the Unborn
St Maximus the Confessor
St Maximus the Confessor is liturgically commemorated today.
“God created all things with his limitless power, brought them into being, holds them there and gathers them together and sets boundaries to them; in his providence, he links them all – intellectual beings as well as sensible – to each other as he does to himself. In his might, God draws up all the things that are naturally distinct from each other and binds them to himself as their cause, their origin and goal; and through the power of this relationship to him as source, he lets them also be drawn toward each other…No being can permanently isolate itself through its own particularity or through the drive of its nature toward some other end; rather, everything remains, in its very being, bound without confusion to everything else, through the single, enduring relationship of all to their one and only source.”
A previous post on St Maximus can be read here.
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The Ukrainian Christmas Tradition
The Knights of Columbus is hosting a presentation on Ukrainian Christmas Tradition given by Fr. Paul Luniw.
Sunday, January 26, 2-3pm
Knights of Columbus Museum, One State Street, New Haven
Eastern Europe will the focus region of the European continent January 25 and 26.
Among the events will be a presentation by Fr. Paul Luniw, pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Terryville, CT. On Sunday, January 26, at 2 p.m., Fr. Luniw will discuss Christmas customs and traditions in Ukraine. The event is free and open to the public.
The event is held in conjunction with the museum’s Christmas in Europe exhibition, which features 80 Nativity scenes from across the European continent. The show continues through February 2, 2020. Free admission and parking. Open to the public.
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Divine Liturgy for the coming week
Christ is born!
Sunday, 1/19, 32nd Sunday after Pentecost —Our Venerable Father Macarius of Egypt
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners
Epistle: 1 Timothy 1:15-17
Gospel: Luke 18:35-43, Tone 7
Monday, 1/20, Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Euthemius the Great —Civil Holiday of Martin Luther King Day
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy
Tuesday, 1/21, Our Venerable Father Maximus the Confessor
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy
Wednesday, 1/22, The Holy Apostle Timothy; the Holy Venerable-Martyr Anastasius the Persian
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy
Thursday, 1/23, The Holy Priest-Martyr Clement
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy
Friday, 1/24, Our Venerable Mother Xenia the Roman
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy
Saturday, 1/25, Our Holy Father Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy
Sunday, 1/26, Sunday of Zacchaeus —Our Venerable Father Xenophon and His Wife Maria
9:00 Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners
Epistle: 1 Timothy 4:9-15
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10, Tone 8
Parish announcements
Christ is among us!
This week’s vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Dionizia Brochinsky in memory of Dmyto Palazij.
The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America Branch 108 New Haven and St. Michael Parish will be preparing a Prosphora, a traditional Ukrainian Christmas meal, TODAY. We will have only one (1) bi-lingual Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $20.00 for adults, free for students Ridna Shkola and altar boys. We will be running a raffle. Please donate items for raffle and cakes for desert. You can buy tickets after each Divine Liturgy in the church hall or contact Anna Salemme 203-934-6520, or purchase tickets at SUMA credit Union.
House Blessings began on January 8th. If anyone would like to have their homes blessed, please fill out the form already provided and either drop it in the collection basket or return it to Fr. Iura or call the rectory. Thank you.
The next Financial Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All Financial Committee members and interested parishioners are invited.
The Knights of Columbus offers congratulations to all those members who participated in the second “Exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity” 3rd. Degree Ceremony at the KofC Museum, last Monday evening.
Sorokousty —All Souls Saturdays will be celebrated on February 15th, March 7th, March 14th, March 21st, and May 30th. 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. Eternal memory.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: January 18-25, 2020 is the annual observance to pray for unity among Christians. The theme chosen for 2020 is “They Showed Us Unusual Kindness”(cf. Acts 28:2). Throughout 2020, join Christians everywhere in praying “that they may all be one” joining our prayer with that of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray for Christian unity today, and in the days to come. For more information go to: www.geii.org
Dear Parishioners, as you can see, the Roof Repair Fund now totals $37,975.00. Thanks to your generosity, we are steadily nearing our goal of $40,000.00. Please continue with your generous donations to this restricted fund. A complete report will be issued shortly.
Adult Faith Formation
Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” Jesus told him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”
(Luke 18: 41-42)
GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN
Our father among the saints Gregory the Theologian was a great father and teacher of the Church. With Sts. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, he is numbered among the Three Holy Hierarchs. St. Gregory is also known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers.
Into the Deep Lenten mini-retreat
Join Dan Burke for an Into the Deep Lenten mini-retreat to discover the depths of prayer.
All are welcome at St. Francis Catholic Church (1755 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06053) from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 21st. Mass will begin at 8:00 AM and registration is at 8:30 AM. Light breakfast and snacks provided.
Register:
Avila-Institute.org/events for the $20 early bird special! Register after March 1, 2020 and the cost is $25 per ticket or $30 at the door.
Here is the active online registration link: https://avila-institute.
Yevshan Ukrainian Vocal Ensemble in New Haven
To learn about Yevshan visit: http://yevshan.org
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2020
As we celebrate both the mystery of baptism and the search for Christian unity through dialogue, we see the unity of the two in the sacramental mystery of our baptism: “The fact that our churches share and practice this same faith and teaching requires that we recognize in each other the same baptism and thus also recognize in each other, however “imperfectly,” the present reality of the same Church. By God’s gift we are each, in St. Basil’s words, “of the Church.” (Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, “Baptism and ‘Sacramental Economy’: An Agreed Statement, 1999). Ecumenism is the search for unity among all Christians. Unity must be established on truth, but we know that God is Truth (John 14:6).
The Truth that is God, we as human beings must state in human words. No human word can grasp the whole truth that is the Word. There are many different words and formularies, and even that which is certainly true can be expressed in different ways. Even very basically, that which was expressed in Greek, must for most of us be translated into English words! To express the truth requires hard work, understanding and discernment. The way of ecumenism is through dialogue, to strive to see in our limited human formularies what is the unchanging truth and what is not genuine. We see this especially in the dialogues between Catholics and the Oriental Orthodox Church, and also between the Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, where the differences in formulary have been recognized to be semantic and not essential.
The opposition to ecumenism, however, is fundamentalism. Fundamentalism rises from an underlying human need to be certain of one’s own self-righteousness. How I believe is right and everyone else is wrong. Deep-seated fundamentalism leads eventually to intolerance, ideology imposed on people, hatred and eventually violence. The world today is soaked through with hatred ideology and violence, with the dehumanization of “the other.” It is not a good atmosphere for the gospel of ecumenism. But as St. Paul said, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). If two people disagree, but have a good heart, they can find the common truth through dialogue. Sometimes we point to history as the taking of a strong stand, of condemning those who have the wrong “formularies,” as the righteous rejection of “heresies.”
Communion and Unity
Unity, Communion (Koinonia) Fostering the spiritual unity of Christ’s church And Promoting the Unity of all Christians (ecumenism)
From the Pastoral Letter of His Beatitude Sviatoslav Fostering and Serving Unity
The Acts of the Apostles convey a sense of profound unity which existed among the members of the first community of Christ’s disciples: “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common”.(Act 4:32). This spiritual state of being of the first Christian community can be expressed with the term koinonia (communion) which conveys unity, harmony and common life. To be Church is to abide in the communion of the Holy Spirit, the grace of our Lord Jesus, and the love of God the Father. Thus, the unity of the church is an icon of the unity of Persons of the Holy Trinity. This unity can be seen on different levels: on the level of the Universal and Particular Church, the eparchy, and the individual parish. It may happen that through our weakness and sinfulness we do not reflect this unity. Ever aware of this, we all must cherish and foster unity, preserving full communion with the successor of the apostle Peter, the Holy Father, with the hierarchy of our Church, with the local bishops and pastors who act in their name.
The parish is a community of communities. In a parish there will be various prayer groups, brotherhoods, and youth organizations. All of these are called to strengthen unity and love among the members of the parish community. By supporting one another through prayer, by sharing God’s gifts and working together in a Christ-like spirit of service, we will be able to bring to life our synodal program: “Holiness of a united people of God.” We cannot be indifferent to the fact that the descendants of the Baptism under St. Volodymyr today are divided and estranged from one another. At the Last Supper, Christ prayed to His Heavenly Father for His disciples, “that all may be one” (John 17:21). Bearing in mind these words of Christ, I sincerely ask you all today – let us pray for the unity of the Church, let us pray for the restoration of unity of all the churches of the Kyivan tradition. And above all, in the spirit of the love of Christ, let us make every effort to avoid any words or actions which could damage our brothers and sisters in Christ or offend them. Even though at times we may be subjected to mockery and pressure, let us not give in to the temptation to respond to evil with evil. May Christ’s prayer for his wrong-doers and the teaching of the Apostle of the Nations become a testament for us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21).
Our Holy Father Anthony the Great
St. Anthony the Great, also called St. Anthony the Abbott (though he was a hermit) and St. Anthony of Egypt is commemorated on January 17. He is identified as the founder of desert monasticism, though the story of his life, particularly how he met St. Paul of Thebes, who preceded him into the desert, is a study of the search for Christian perfection. This story tells how he heard the gospel about the rich young man, to whom Jesus said, ““If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). When Anthony heard this gospel, he immediately divested himself of all his possessions and went into the desert to seek Christian perfection. This is really the calling of all Christians, as Jesus commanded, “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:47)” For this we are baptized, that we might seek Godly perfection.
St. Anthony imitated Christ when he heard this gospel, and just as Jesus went out into the desert after his baptism by John, in order to foil the wiles of Satan, so, too, does Anthony go to the desert to conquer the evil passions exploited by the temptation of the devil. The monastic calling is an intensification of our baptismal calling, the renunciation of all worldly concerns to find perfection in the grace of Christ.
Therefore, in Eastern theology, consecration as a monastic (monk or nun) has been deemed a sacramental mystery, not a separate mystery, but as part of the mystery of repentance. In a similar way, Holy Orders and Marriage are also considered sacramental mysteries, because they confirm the baptismal calling in a particular vocation of life. St. Anthony, then, is a model for our life in Christ through baptism, which is called enlightenment, the perfection of the wisdom that leads us to life.
We pray, then, to our Holy Father Anthony, “Having clearly received immortality and eternal life, pray for my darkened soul to be enlightened by the light of grace, so that I may worthily praise you; for you bear the Three-fold Light, O Father Anthony!” (Matins, Ode 1).