Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Christ is Born!

Sunday, 12/22, Sunday before Christmas —Sunday of the Holy Fathers
9:00 a.m. +Ivan and Martha Kootz requested by Kateryna Szymkiw
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners

Epistle: Hebrews 11:9-10; 17-23; 32-40
Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25, Tone 3

Monday, 12/23, Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ; the Holy Ten Martyrs of Crete
9:00 a.m. Friends and Benefactors of St. Gianna Center requested by Paul Zalonski

Tuesday, 12/24, The Holy Venerable Martyr Eugenia
9:00 a.m. +Stefan Pospolita requested by Olga Pospolita

Vigil of the Nativity (Today is a day of abstinence)

Wednesday, 12/25, The Nativity of Our Lord and God Jesus Christ
9:45 a.m. The God with Us service
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners
Anointing-Myrovann

Thursday, 12/26, Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God
9:00 a.m. +Vira Walnycky (1st Anniv., Pan.) requested by Walnycky Family

Friday, 12/27, Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; the Holy Apostle, First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen
9:00 a.m. God’s blessing and health for Carolina Anamaria requested by Ana Lupsac

Saturday, 12/28, Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; the Two Thousand Martyrs Who Were Burned in Nicomedia
9:00 a.m. +Michael Docknevich (Pan.) requested by Martin Docknevich

Sunday, 12/29, Commemoration of the Holy and Just Joseph, King David; James, Brother of the Lord according to the Flesh; Post-feast of the Nativity of Christ; The Holy Children, Who Were Murdered by Herod in Bethlehem
9:00 a.m. +Michael Waselik (18 Anniv.) requested by the Family
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners

Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19
Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23, Tone 4

Parish announcements this week

Christ is Born!

This week’s vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Halia Lodynsky and family in memory of Stefan Jurchak.

Schedule for New Years, Epiphany and Christmas (Julian Calendar).

  • New Year’s Day: 10:00 a.m. The Divine Liturgy
  • Holy Theophany of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ—January 6: 9:15 a.m. Great Compline and at 10:00a.m. The Divine Liturgy; 11:00 a.m. Great Sanctification of Water 
  • Christmas (Julian Calendar) —January 7: 9:45a.m. Great Compline and 10:30 a.m. The Divine Liturgy

Merry Christmas to all of our parishioners. May the blessings of the Christ Child be upon you and your families this Christmas and throughout the New Year!

With the upcoming Holidays of Christmas, New Year and Epiphany our best wishes to our bishop His Excellency Paul Chomnycky our Parishioners, Trustees, Choir Director and members of the church choir, Altar Boys, Knights of Columbus members, Sestretsi members, all Ukrainian and American Organizations in our parish, all benefactors and members of our parish that every day donate their time, work and money for good of our Church.

May the new born Jesus Christ bless our Parish.
Fr. Iura Godenciuc and Family

All donations and contributions must be received by Wednesday, December 25th to be recorded on the annual statement for the year 2019.

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, on Sunday, January 19, after the only one 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.

The Ukrainian Ridna Shkola invites children young and old to its annual St. Nicholas pageant on Sunday, December 29th at 12:30 p.m. in St. Michael’s church hall, 569 George street, New Haven. Come greet St. Nicholas on the eve of the Christmas holidays. Refreshments and gifts for all. Meet our teachers and visit our classrooms during our open house.

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Daniel: the great prophet and the three young men

The Feast of the Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Children [in the fiery furnace] has always been closely connected with Christmas. Proper for them are found on the two Sunday before Christmas and today we sing, “Come, O faithful, let us celebrate the forefeast of the birth of Christ; offering a spiritual canticle by way of a star. Let us join the Magi and shepherds in their hymns of praise: Behold, the Savior has come from a virgin’s womb to call back to himself the whole human race.”

Perhaps this was because Daniel foresaw the incarnation of the Word. He foresaw the coming of the Son of Man as a “stone unhewn by human hands,” fulfilled in the virgin birth which as a spiritual kingdom would destroy all worldly might, “whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom endures through all generations,” (Daniel 4:31) and again, I saw coming with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. When he reached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him, he received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

The three children, likewise, survived the burning furnace, and there was a fourth man standing in the flames, who protected them.” The burning fire represented the womb of the virgin, not burnt by the fire of the Godhead borne by her. Our Lord came to baptize us in the Spirit and fire. Just as the fire did not harm the three youths, so that fire of baptism does not “harm” us, but purifies us and gives us life, for in it we find life in the Trinity.

Like Daniel, the “man of desires” so we long intensely for the appearance of Christ our Savior.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

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The Holy Prophet Haggai

The prophet Haggai, in 520 B.C., preached that the temple must be rebuilt for the sake of the faith of the people. In this way he foreshadowed that Jesus, the Messiah to come, would be the Temple of the New Covenant in his body. His birth, then, is the completion of God’s promise to make his dwelling among his people.

Haggai foretells God’s consolation, “For I am with you – says the Lord of hosts. This is the commitment I made to you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit remains in your midst; do not fear! (2:4-5)”

Yet Christmas still challenges us, as Haggai immediately adds: “For thus says the Lord of hosts: In just a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.”

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

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Divine Liturgy for the coming week

Glory to Jesus Christ

Sunday, 12/15, 27th Sunday after Pentecost —Sunday of the Forefathers
9:00 a.m. For our parishioners
10:30 a.m. Anya Rohmer-Hanson (Myketey) (40 days)

Epistle: Colossians 3:4-11
Gospel: Luke 14:16-24, Tone 2

Monday, 12/16, The Holy Prophet Haggai
9:00 a.m. +Volodymyr Shpaczynskyj (40 days, Pan.) requested by Maria Wysowskyj

Tuesday, 12/17, The Holy Prophet Daniel, the Three Holy Youths Ananiah, Azaraih and Mishael
9:00 a.m. +Warwara Bodnar (Pan.) requested by Maria Wysowskyj

Wednesday, 12/18, Holy Martyrs Sebastian and his companions
9:00 a.m. +Anna Yarmolenko (2nd Anniv. Pan.) requested by Larysa Kernychna

Thursday, 12/19/19 The Holy Martyr Boniface
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Friday, 12/20, Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ; The Holy Priest Martyr Ignatius the Godbearer
9:00 a.m. +Vera Puszkar Walnycky (Pan.) requested by Christine Walnycky Floramo

Saturday, 12/21, Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ; the Holy Martyr Juliana
9:00 a.m. No intention for the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, 12/22, Sunday before Christmas —Sunday of the Holy Fathers, Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ
9:00 a.m. +Ivan and Martha Kootz requested by Kateryna Szymkiw
10:30 a.m. For our parishioners

Epistle: Hebrews 11:9-10; 17-23; 32-40
Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25, Tone 3

Parish announcements this week

Christ is among us!

This week’s vigil light is offered to God’s glory by Halia Lodynsky and family in memory of Stefan Jurchak.

All donations and contributions must be received by Wednesday, December 25th to be recorded on the annual statement for the year 2019.

PHILIP’S FAST, ПИЛИПІВКА, the pre-Christmas fast which began on November 15, the day after the feast of St. Philip, is a 40 day period of spiritual preparation for the celebration of the Nativity/Theophany cycle of the church year. Once a period of strict fasting, it has now been changed to a period of voluntary fasting and works of penance.

Prior to today’s Divine Liturgy, at 8:30 a.m. the Sestrechi will be the reading of the Akathist Hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The regular monthly meeting will be held after the Divine Liturgy, in classroom 1.

The re-scheduled meeting of Knights of Columbus Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Ukrainian Council will be held tomorrow, December 9, 7:00 p.m. in the Holy Name Room. All men of the parish are invited to attend.

Our next Pyrohy Project will be December14, 2019. We need your help to peel potatoes on Friday, December 13, and more help on Saturday, December 14, 2019. Please come and help.

The Ukrainian Ridna Shkola invites children young and old to its annual St. Nicholas pageant on Sunday, December 29th at 12:30 p.m. in St. Michael’s church hall, 569 George Street. Come greet St. Nicholas on the eve of the Christmas holidays. Refreshments and gifts for all. Meet our teachers and visit our classrooms during our open house.

Ukrainian Women’s League of New Haven, Branch 108 will be holding their annual Christmas Bazaar, Sunday, December 8, Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. On December 14 and 15 we will have baked goods. Pshenytsia (wheat) for kutia will also be available (new source, more tender). Donations of Ukrainian items would be greatly welcome. (please bring to church hall.) For more information, contact Anna Salemme (203) 934-6520 or Larissa S. (203) 248-9767.

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Our Holy Father Spiridon

St. Spiridon is commemorated with special solemnity in the Greek Church. The Synaxarion tells us, that “he led the peaceful life of a simple shepherd. He was a plain, unpolished countryman and yet without equal when it came to love of neighbor, meekness, acts of kindness, almsgiving and the practice of virtues.” He was a man of hospitality, who would break his ascetic fast to feed a stranger in need. He was a man of simple and plain words, who put to shame the vain eloquence of a prelate “who wanted to show off by altering certain words of the Gospel too common for his taste.” He was a perfect example of a saint, for through him the love of Christ manifested itself, raising the dead, stopping droughts, looking into the hearts of sinners and forgiving them. Because of his Christ-like virtues, he was called from being a shepherd of sheep in the field, to being the bishop pastor of Christ’s rational sheep in Tremithus. In this way, he was the fulfillment of the shepherds who came to Christ at his birth.

Because of his connection to Christmas, the Greek Church honors St. Spiridon with doxastichera in his office foreshadowing the feast of the Birth of our Lord, at Vespers, we sing, “O shepherds, keep watch and then bear witness to the awesome wonder,” and “Listen, O mountains, hills and all you regions around Judah; Christ is coming to save the human race which he created, for he loves us all.”

And so the doxasticheron of Matins proclaims, “O God-bearing Spiridon, light of the world, like Moses and David, whose calling you followed, the Spirit led you from an irrational flock to the rational one.”

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

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The Maternity of the Holy Anna

December 8 (December 9) THE MATERNITY OF THE HOLY ANNA

The conception of the all-holy virgin Mary in the womb of Anna is celebrated on December 9 in the Byzantine tradition, for a natural reason, that the Eastern ancients thought a girl was in the womb one day less than a boy. The [Ukrainian Catholic Church in America celebrates the feast on December 8] Ruthenian Church in America, celebrates the feast together with the Roman Church because she is the patron of the United States.

It is clear that this is a preparation for the birth of Christ on Christmas, for the first sticheron of the feast begins: “The barren Anna leaped for joy when she gave birth to Mary the Virgin who in turn will give birth in the flesh to God the Word.” Mary, the daughter of Anna and Joachim by way of natural birth is to be the temple of the Word of God incarnate for our sake and for our salvation.

The Eastern and Western Churches put the accent on different aspects of the feast. In the East, we celebrate the miracle of God taking away the barrenness of Anna’s womb. The Protoevangelium of James portrays the sadness of Joachim and Anna. Joachim lamented, “I have searched whether I am the only one who has not begotten offspring in Israel, and I have found of all the righteous that they had raised up offspring in Israel.” Anna wept, “I will bewail my widowhood, and bewail my childlessness.” (1,3 and 2,1) Two angels came, one to Joachim and another to Anna with a divine message that they would bear a child, even in their old age. When God takes away an emptiness, he fills us more than our faith can grasp, and they gave birth not only a child, but to the new Ark of God’s covenant with us. 

The Western Church, on the other hand, puts the accent on Mary’s purity from all sin from her conception, defined by Pope Bl. Pius IX in 1848 as the Immaculate Conception. The theology behind this is that the incarnation of the sinless Word of God must come from a sinless temple, the womb of Mary which was never touched by sin, even from her conception.

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