The Fall of Constantinople

The Fall of Constantinople
–May 29, 1453.

One of the worst tragedies in the history of humanity was the fall of the Byzantine Empire, which put an end to centuries of culture, philosophy, education, and morality.

The Fall of Constantinople and the Rise of the Ottomans began a new era of oppression, barbarianism, authoritarianism, and slavery.

To the defenders of the Great City, the past Emperors, Patriarchs, and Military Leaders of the Byzantine Empire: MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE ETERNAL!

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Ascension Thursday 2019

Thursday, 5/30, Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ –it is a holy day

The Divine Liturgy will be offered:

9:00 a.m. +Vira Walnycky requested by Ksenia Kuzmycz (in Ukrainian)
7:00 p.m. For the people of the parish (in English)

St. Augustine of Hippo, one the Doctors of the Church, preached:

On this day therefore, that is, the fortieth after His Resurrection, the Lord ascended into heaven.  We have not seen, but we believe. They who beheld Him proclaimed what they saw, and they have filled the whole earth:

There are no speeches nor languages where their voices are not heard.  Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world (Ps. xviii. 4, 5).

And so they have reached even unto us, and awakened us from sleep. And lo! this death is celebrated throughout the world.

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Sunday of the Man Born Blind

Hand of Jesus touching a blind man’s eye. Detail of “Two blind men cured.” Mosaic (6th century)

The story of the Man Born Blind is the third Sunday Gospel in Pascha about the mystery of baptism. This gospel is very clear, “Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his the blind man’s) eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see. (John 9:6-7)” The clay represents the anointing we receive at baptism, making us “Anointed Ones,” (Christs, or Christians) and the washing represents the washing in the water of baptism.

The blind man can then see, he is “enlightened,” the name the Church gives to baptism. Two observations: to be truly enlightened, we need humility. We need to know that only God can give us the vision we need. To do that, we cannot rely on our own “opinions,” we must hear his Word in the gospel, we must worship him with his people, we must be attentive to the voice of his shepherds in the teaching of the Church. If we believe only in ourselves, we risk condemnation, as Jesus told the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains” (John 9:41). True knowledge comes only from the Holy Spirit, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (1 John 2:20).

The second observation is that in these three weeks, our Lord calls to baptism the most unlikely people: a friendless man lying lame by a pool, a shameless woman with serial husbands, and a blind man about whom the disciples ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). Jesus responds, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him (John 9:3), thus separating the wrath of God from the judgment of sin. God truly hates evil, which brings death and failure, but he loves the sinner with infinite divine love. If we suffer because of our sins, it is because that is the “wages” of sin (Romans 6:23). We see in these three Sundays that God is merciful and wishes the salvation of all. He calls us all to enlightenment in baptism, so that we can live in the Holy Spirit and profess with the formerly blind man, now enlightened, “I do believe, Lord!” (John 9:38).

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is risen!

Sunday, 5/26, Sunday of the Man Born Blind
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
Moleben to the Mother of God

Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 16:16-34
Gospel: John 9:1-38, Tone 5

Monday, 5/27, The Holy priest-Martyr Therapontus
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, 5/28, Our Venerable Father Nicetas
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 5/29, The Venerable-Martyr Theodosia the Virgin
9:00 a.m. +Olena Godenciuc (Pan.)

Thursday, 5/30, Ascension of the Lord –a holy day
9:00 a.m. +Vira Walnycky requested by Ksenia Kuzmycz
7:00 p.m. For the people of the parish

Friday, 5/31, The Holy Apostle Hermas; the Martyr Hermes
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 6/01, The Holy Martyr Justin the Philosopher and companions
10:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for all children of Ridna Shkola

Sunday, 6/02, Sunday of the Fathers of First Ecumenical Council
9:00 a.m. +Ivan and Halyna Lobay requested by Maria Lobay
Moleben to Jesus Christ

10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
Moleben to Jesus Christ

Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18 and 28-38
Gospel: John 17:1-13, Tone 6

Parish announcements this week

Christ is risen!

This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Carl Harvey in memory of Eugenia Harvey.

The next meeting of Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will be held on Monday, June 3, 7:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All men of the parish are invited to attend.

The Panachyda service at the gravesites will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 11:00 a.m. at All Saints Cemetery and Sunday, June 9 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Lawrence Cemetery. For the Panachyda service at other cemeteries please call the rectory 203-865-0388.

Helping the poor – a work of charity: The Director of the St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter in Waterbury wrote to us requesting assistance in collecting bath soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, Q-tips, men’s underwear, for the ministry to the homeless. We will have this collection for the poor through Pentecost (June 9). These items can be put in the basket at the entrance of the church in the marked box. Paul Zalonski (of our parish) will drive the donations to the Homeless Shelter in Waterbury.

We have for sale frozen Borscht for $5.00; Cabbage and Sausage (kapusta and kovbasa) $10.00 and pyrohy (varenyky) 2 dozen $14.00. You can buy pyrohy after each Divine Liturgy or during the week if you call the rectory.

Olga Iastrubchak is offering private dance classes for children ages 3-18. Classes will be held on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. the St Michael’s church hall. For more information please contact Ola at (203) 400-4467 or email olgaiastrubchak@gmail.com

STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL

In the church vestibule are arranged the forms for the Diocesan Charitable Fund. The forms are designed for each family of our parish. Attached to the form is an envelope into which you can place your contribution. The form along with your contribution, we ask you enclose in the envelope and place it in the collection basket during church services. Please make check 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.

Awakenings —Adult Faith Formation: “Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (Psalms 34: 3)

Humankind – in the Image and Likeness of God: Jesus Christ – in the image of whom the human being was created – is the incarnate Son of God, the Second Person of God, who took on human nature. Like Christ, human beings are persons. The growth of the human being from the image to the likeness of God is a personal growth. It takes place in the context of a free relationship between human beings and God. From the state of the first Adam, described in the book of Genesis, the human being grows to the state of the new Adam – Christ the God–man. “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life giving spirit … The first man was from earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (Christ Our Pascha, 125).

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

The theme of baptism continues in this Sunday’s Gospel, re-affirming that Pascha is a feast of resurrection and of baptism, being born into eternal life. The center of Jesus’ conversation with this unnamed woman (the Church later gave her the name Photine, the “enlightened woman”) is about water. They met at Jacob’s well, a place of great tradition, a sign and a promise of God’s love and mercy for his people. Jacob’s well provided the riches of water to a desert place, the sign that God would always provide for and bless his people. However, the encounter with the woman reveals something more: Jesus is the Messiah to come, he is greater than the Patriarch Jacob. The water of Jacob’s well is only for this world, Jesus would give “the water that would become a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). This clearly refers to our baptisms, as it comes immediately after the comparison of Jesus with John the Baptist, and the baptisms done by Jesus’ disciples

We renew our baptism every time we receive Communion, and they are for life, for eternal life, from God, the giver of life. A couple of observations: as for Nathaniel, Jesus signs his ministry with intimate knowledge of the people he meets. He sees Nathaniel under the fig tree, and he tells the woman about her five husbands. In both cases, they become his disciple because of his knowledge of him. This is a theme of John’s Gospel, the shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him. Second, it should be to our wonder that Jesus always comes to the most underprivileged. To whom does he reveal the mystery of eternal life in baptism: to the paralytic who had no friends, to the woman who had led a shameful life, and came to the well at noon who no one else would be there, and to the blind man suspected of sin because of his blindness. And the disciples marvel that Jesus speaks to a woman! Not just any woman, but a heretical, decadent Samaritan woman! Are we humble enough to accept Jesus as our Messiah?

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras
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Parish announcements this week

Christ is risen!

This week vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Lydia Koziupa in memory of all the deceased of Latyk and Koziupa families.

The Sestrechi meeting will be held today after the 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy. The meeting will be held in the church hall Classroom 1.

The Panachyda service at the gravesites will take place on Saturday, June 8, at 11:00 a.m. at All Saints Cemetery and June 9 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Lawrence Cemetery. For Panachyda service at other cemeteries please call the rectory (203) 865-0388.

Next Sunday, May 26, Maksym Zastawsky, Tristan Samuel Horbaty Young and Iaroslav Nakonechnyi will receive for the first time Holy Communion. God’s Blessings be upon the children and their families!

We have for sale frozen Pyrohy (Varenyky). You can buy Pyrohy after each Divine Liturgy or during the week if you call the rectory.

Helping the poor – a work of charity: The Director of the St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter in Waterbury wrote to us requesting assistance in collecting bath soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, Q-tips, men’s underwear, for the ministry to the homeless. We will have this collection for the poor through Pentecost (June 9). These items can be put in the basket at the entrance of the church in the marked box. Paul Zalonski (of our parish) will drive the donations to the Homeless Shelter in Waterbury.

Olga Iastrubchak will be offering private dance classes for children ages 3-18. Classes will be held on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. the St Michael’s church hall. For more information please contact Olga at (203) 400-4467 or email olgaiastrubchak@gmail.com

STAMFORD CHARITIES APPEAL

In the church vestibule are arranged the forms for the Diocesan Charitable Fund. The forms are designed for each family of our parish. Attached to the form is an envelope into which you can place your contribution. The form along with your contribution, we ask you enclose in the envelope and place it in the collection basket during church services. Please make check 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 world-renowned Kyiv Chamber Choir returns to perform a Hartford concert at 7:30 p.m. on TOMORROW at St. John`s Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Ave, West Hartford, CT. Tickets are available at Ukrainian National Home (860-296-5702) or online at www.universe.com or you may call Platinum Concerts International, toll-free, at 1-877-232-9835 and at the door. For concert information, go to www.platinumconcerts.com This is a are opportunity to hear one of the world’s great choirs share ‘hidden treasures, from 1,000 years of Ukrainian sacred and folk music.

Awakenings —Adult Faith Formation: “Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad” (Psalms 34: 3).

Humankind – in the Image and Likeness of God: Every human being that comes into the world is called to grow in likeness to God – to achieve divinization [also known as deification, the process of theosis]: “God has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pt 1:4). This partaking in God’s nature constitutes human happiness. Likeness to God can be attained by us only by free choice and assent, and by cooperation with God’s grace. “Our likeness to God requires our cooperation. When the intellect begins to perceive the Holy Spirit with full consciousness, we should realize that grace is beginning to paint the divine likeness over the divine image in us.” (Christ Our Pascha, 124)

Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is risen!

Sunday, 5/19, Sunday of the Samaritan Women
9:00 a.m. +David Schwartz requested by Barbara Schwartz

Moleben to the Mother of God
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish

Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 11:19-26; 29-30
Gospel: John 4:5-42, Tone 4

Monday, 5/20, The Holy Martyr Thaleleus
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Andrue and Brandon requested by Donna Czabala Aponte

Tuesday, 5/21, The Holy Great Rulers Constantine and Helen, Equal to the Apostles
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, 5/22, The Holy Martyr Basiliscus
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Thursday, 5/23, The Holy Bishop Confessor Michael
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 5/24, Our Venerable Father Simeon
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, 5/25, Third finding of the head of Saint John the Baptist, Glorious Prophet
9:00 a.m.  No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 5/26, Sunday of the Man Born Blind
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish
Moleben to the Mother of God

Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 16:16-34
Gospel: John 9:1-38, Tone 5 

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