In good relations with God

“A good interior relationship with God is an indispensable ingredient for a happy life. For only when this basic relationship is in order can all other relationships prosper. That is why it is important to learn and practice all one’s life long, from childhood on, to think with God, to feel with God, to will with God, so that love will follow and will become the keynote of my life. When that occurs, love of neighbor will follow as a matter of course. For if the keynote of my life is love, then I, in my turn, will react to those whom God places on my path only with a Yes of acceptance, with trust, with approval, and with love.”

— J. Ratzinger

The Passion of St John the Baptist

The Church recalls the event of St. John the Baptist’s death today. The following meditation helps give perspective.

Today is the memorial of the Passion of John the Baptist, who was killed by the corrupt King Herod for condemning the monarch’s illicit marriage (Mk 6:17-29). For John, this was the culmination of a life of sanctity announced by an angel even before his conception (Lk 1:11-17). This divine decree presents a curious paradox. God, being all-powerful, was able to determine the course of John’s life before his birth (ST I q. 23, a. 6), but at the same time, God respected John’s free will (ST II-I q. 6, a. 4, ob. 1). How is it that God can determine what we will freely choose?

Modern thinking often seems to suppose that freedom of the will means that our choices have no cause other than the will, as if the will depends on nothing. Thomas explains instead that the will is free because it proceeds from an interior principle, namely knowledge, that allows us to act for an end which we know (ST II-I q. 6, a. 1, 4). God did not ‘force’ John the Baptist to give up his life; rather, by his grace he enlightened John the Baptist so that he would understand the good of preaching the truth even when it endangered him. As a rather crude analogy, consider how a parent can teach a child to make good choices, not by compulsion, but by education. Keep in mind also that some knowledge is abstract, as when a smoker who is trying to quit knows that his habit is bad for him, but rationalizes that away each time he smokes. John’s knowledge was entirely practical; he knew clearly that in his situation the only thing worth doing was to tell the truth. He saw clearly the disappointment inherent in every other course, and so he was free to act for the sake of the truth.

Furthermore, there is never competition between divine and human causality. Two human agents can operate on the same level, when for example two men pull on a rope. In that case, we can ask who pulls harder, and if the men are pulling in opposite directions, maybe the rope will not move at all. But God operates on a completely different level. He is the one who created humans and ropes and set all things in motion. As another crude analogy, if I write with a pencil, both I and the pencil are equally truly causes of the writing, but in very different ways. Even though I am “in charge,” I do not force the pencil to do anything unnatural. God has even more causal power, because he created pencil-materials in the first place. In the same way, God created John the Baptist as the kind of person who would give up his life for the sake of the truth. God is the first cause on which all else depends. Nothing escapes his causal power, not even the interior life of John (ST I q. 19, a. 6, ad. 3).

You might have noticed that, left to our own devices, there are actually significant limits on our freedom. Those who struggle with sin or addiction will know well the painful cycle of repeatedly making a bad choice. If only for the briefest moment, we convince ourselves that just one more can’t hurt, and so the will continually inclines toward damaging action, misapprehended for the moment as a good. Our choices are rather dependent on our own fallen selves, and so we will not always be able to avoid deceiving ourselves and making poor choices. True freedom, then, can only be found outside ourselves, in grace given freely by God that can break us out of our own self-imposed prison. It is by such grace that John’s interior movements were so perfected that he was able to freely give his life. It is only by such divine grace, and not by some creative act of the will, that we can truly draw closer to God.

Br. Raymond La Grange, O.P.
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Parish communications

New ways to keep communication going for our parish.

Even if some are not using all the platforms, it is good to get this info out…

Follow the St. Michael the Archangel Church on our updated social media platforms!

We have recently refreshed our social media presence and invite you to connect with us for matters pertaining to the Kievan Catholic Faith, the latest news from the UGCC, updates on parish groups, as well as learn about events at the parish, others parishes and the Eparchy of Stamford.

Follow our new Twitter account to read the latest news from us: @StMichaelNH

Like us on Facebook and stay up to date on St. Michael’s news matters of Faith and parish events: @stmichaelnewhaven

Check out our updated website for information on how to get involved with the Parish community: https://stmichaelukrainian.org

Are you and your friends receiving our eNews? Sign up here: stmichaelchurchgc@gmail.com

Do you want to send your pyrohy order via email? Send it to The Pyrohy Project: orderpyrohynh@gmail.com

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:2-12; Matthew 18:23-35

This Sunday’s gospel is about forgiveness. How God forgives is compared to how we forgive one another. Jesus’ teaching is in answer to Peter’s question: “if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him.” This implies that there is a limit to forgiveness. Jesus does not reply “always,” but “seven times seventy-seven times” In Aramaic, the answers would always be concrete, and this was in reply to Peter’s suggestion of “seven.” You could keep track of seven, but not 7 x 77. It was a virtual “always.” The same is true of the parable. The king forgives his servant 10,000 talents, which was roughly 20 years of daily wages. This was translated “a huge amount,” but again the sum is concrete, it may as well have been “infinite.” Then the forgiven man refuses to forgive his brother one denarius, a day’s wages, again easily countable.

Two questions: the first is the meaning of “forgiveness.” Here it means that someone else has wronged you, and a debt is incurred. To forgive means to write off the debt, saying virtually, “You owe me nothing.” Justice becomes a simple question of mercy.

In English we have the saying, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Any debt we would owe God is infinite, since God is without limits and has given us everything that we are or possess. If God, as infinite, forgives us our debts, then we, as limited human beings, should forgive one another our very limited debts, all of which are small as compared to the infinity of God, if we are to become God-like, that is, to be saved. Why then, is simple forgiveness so difficult for us?

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras
#ByzantineCatholicNewHaven

Honoring Ukraine on anniversary

On Sunday, August 25, we will be having a ceremony in observance of the 28th Anniversary of Ukrainian Independence. This will take place after the 2nd Divine Liturgy beside the statue of the Blessed Virgin.

We need to keep the Ukrainian nation in our hearts and minds as we place the great nation under the protection of the Holy Pokrova.

Coffee and cake will be served in the church hall after the ceremony.

Sophie Ciukenda reposed in the Lord

Please remember in your prayers the repose of the soul of Sophie Ciukenda on 22 August 2019. Sophie was 94 years old. Kindly remember her family and friends who mourn her loss. May Sophie’s memory be eternal.

The Funeral Services for Sophie Ciukenda are as follows:

Sophie’s wake will be on Wednesday at W.S. Clancy Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford, CT 06405. The viewing time is 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The traditional Panakhyda Service will be prayed at 6:00 p.m., conducted by Father Ihor Midzak and Father Stepan Yanovski.

Fathers Midzak and Yanovski will serve the Funeral Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, 569 George Street New Haven, CT.

Burial will be in St. Lawrence Cemetery, Derby Avenue, Route 34,  West Haven, CT (across from Yale Bowl).

A reception follows at  Brazzi’s Restaurant at Long Wharf Terminal in New Haven, CT.

Sofie’s full obituary may be read here.

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ

Sunday, 8/25, 11th Sunday after Pentecost —The Return of the Relics of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew and the Holy Apostle Titus

9:00 a.m. Special Intention
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:2-12
Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35, Tone 2

Monday, 8/26/19 The Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, 8/27, Our Venerable Father Pimen
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 8/28, Our Venerable Father Moses the Black and St. Augustine of Hippo
9:00 a.m. +Wasyl Dobczansky requested by the Family

Thursday, 8/29, The Beheading of the Honorable and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
9:00 a.m. Special Intention

Friday, 8/30, Our Holy Fathers and Patriarchs of Constantinople Alexander, John, and Paul the Younger
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 8/31,The Placing of the Precious Sash of Our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God in Calcoprateia
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 9/01, 12th Sunday after Pentecost —Beginning of the Indiction, that is, the New Year; Commemoration of Our Holy Father Symeon the Stylite

9:00 a.m. +Ivan and Halyna Lobay requested by Maria Lobay
10:30 a.m.For our parishioners

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Gospel: Matthew 19:16-26, Tone 3

Parish announcements this week

Christ is in our midst!

This week’s vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Cathy Kolesnik for God’s blessings and health for Barbara and Patrick Bagley.

During my vacation, you can call Fr. Stepan Yanovski (203) 468-0367, or Fr. Ivan Mazuryk (203) 367-5054. Blessings, Fr. Iura Godenciuc

Today, August 25, we will be having a ceremony in observance of the 28th Anniversary of Ukrainian Independence. This will take place after the 2nd Divine Liturgy beside the statue of the Blessed Virgin. Coffee and cake will be served in the church hall after the ceremony.

We have for sale frozen pierogies (varenyky) 2 dozen $14.00, borsht $5.00, cabbage and sausage (kapusta and kovbasa) $10.00. You can buy after each Divine Liturgy.

We will make pyrohy for the Ukrainian Festival in Stamford on Saturday, September 7th. Our next pyrohy project  for regular orders will be September 14th. Please come and help. See Walter Ushchak for more information.

The Immaculate Conception Society (Sestretsi) is cordially inviting all St. Michael’s Parishioners and friends to attend its Lasagna Dinner to be held on Sunday, October 6, 12:00 noon, at our Parish church hall. Come to enjoy good food, deserts and the company of parishioners and friends. Tickets are $20.00 for adults and free admission to those under the age of 12. Tickets sellers will be announced at a later date. See the Treasurer, Maria Sobko for more information.

The final festival meeting of the CT State Ukrainian Day Committee will be held on Monday, August 26, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be hosted by: St. Basil’s Seminary, 195 Glenbrook Road, Stamford, CT. Refreshments will be served promptly at 7 p.m.

STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL

REMINDER: Please don’t forget to donate to the Charities Appeal. Forms are designed for each family of our parish. Attached to the form is an envelope into which you can place your contribution. Please enclose the form with your contribution into the envelope and place it into the collection basket during church services. Kindly make checks payable to the Byzantine Rite Eparchy of Stamford. DO NOT MAIL THIS FORM TO THE CHANCERY OFFICE. We sincerely ask all parishioners to make generous contributions.

The Connecticut State Ukrainian Day Committee wishes to invite all parishioners to attend this year’s Ukrainian Day Festival to be held on Sunday, September 8. The Festival will be held on the grounds of St. Basil’s Seminary, 161 Glenbrook Rd., Stamford, CT. Advance general admission tickets are $5.00 per person, 12 and over and are available from Luba Dubno. Tickets purchased at the gate will be $10.00 per person. We also have raffle tickets for sale 5 tickets $5.00. This festival can exist only if volunteers sign up during the day to help out. Please make that effort to volunteer.

Awakenings —Adult Faith Formation: A theologian who does not love art, poetry, music and nature can be dangerous. Blindness and deafness toward the beautiful are not incidental; they necessarily are reflected in his theology. (Card. Joseph Ratzinger)

SingCon 2019 – UGCC Music Conference – September 26-29
St. Basil’s Seminary, Stamford

Experience common prayer at liturgical services, including Vigil (Vespers and Matins) on Saturday evening and Hierarchal Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. Services will include various approaches to singing (congregational, choral, small ensembles) and be held in English with Ukrainian and Church Slavonic.

SingCon is a gathering of church singers of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in North America to promote contact with one another (networking), to learn from experienced cantors and singers in our church, to share experience and solutions to current issues in church singing, and to pray together. SingCon is organized by the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC and in 2019 will be sponsored by the UGCC Eparchy of Stamford CT. Singers and faithful of other Churches are welcome! Registration is open to everyone regardless of ability. All are welcome and encouraged to participate in this exciting conference.

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Angelic protection

Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
to Guardian Angels for Spiritual Protection

Lord, stretch out Your mighty hand and Your sublime and holy arm, and in Your watchful care look down upon me, Your creature, and send down upon me a peaceful angel, a mighty angel, a guardian of soul and body, who will rebuke and drive away every evil and unclean demon from me. For You alone are Lord, Most High, almighty and blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.