Sunday of the Prodigal Son February 16, 2014 Saturday Welcome: We the people of SS. Peter & 3:15 PM Confessions

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1 Ss. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church /Assumption B.V.M. Church 131 North Beech Street, Mount Carmel, Pa Very Reverend Archpriest Michael Hutsko, Pastor Rectory Church Hall Web Site- sspeterandpaulmc.org - stsppmc@ptd.net - Fax Prayer Line: Louise Cuff Eleanor Stebila Louise Troyan Please notify the rectory office if you or a loved one is hospitalized or admitted to a nursing home. Office Hours: Mon. Tues. Fri. - 9:00 AM 3:00 PM Wed. Thurs. 9:00 AM -12:00 Noon 1 st Collection: Candles 2 nd Collection: Regular Offering Sunday of the Prodigal Son February 16, 2014 Saturday Welcome: We the people of SS. Peter & 3:15 PM Confessions Paul/Assumption Churches, are a catholic 4:00 PM + Philip Huratiak req. by Wife, Catherine Sunday Sunday of the Prodigal Son 8:15 AM Confessions 9:15 AM For the Parishioners 11:00 AM at Assumption B.V.M. Church + Joseph & Anna Sedor req. by Daughters, JoAnne, Andrea, & Mary Monday :00 AM + Charles Kent req. by Ss. Peter & Paul Altar Rosary Society Tuesday No Divine Liturgy Wednesday :00 AM For the Deceased of Our Parishes Thursday :00 AM + Mary Ann McCullough req. by Pearl Hutsko & Family Friday :00 AM + Donna Phillips req. by Ed & Louise Cuff Saturday :00 AM + Michael Rudock, Sr. req. by Daughter, Anne Steffanick & family 3:15 PM Confessions 4:00 PM For the Parishioners Sunday Sunday of Meat Fare 8:15 AM Confessions 9:15 AM + John & Helen Cheddar req. by Son, Joseph 11:00 AM at Assumption B.V.M. Church + Francis Jurgill req. by Wife, Barbara community that worships God, spreads the Good News of Christ, and serves those in need. Come into the house. Bring all you are, no need to check your failures at the door. There are no perfect people here. You are invited: come. Come in seeking, come in wondering, come in hurting. Come into this house of companionship and compassion. Come in. You are welcome here. SS. Peter & Paul/Assumption Churches open their doors to you. Upcoming Events: Mark your calendars and plan to support the following events. February: February 19 Pyrohy Sale February 20 Pyrohy Sale March: March 2 Altar Rosary Society Sunday March 3 First day of the Great Fast - strict fast March 8 1 st Pysanky Class 5:00 PM March 9 Holy Name Society Sunday March 9 Ss. Peter & Paul Church Spaghetti Dinner 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM Church Hall March 22 9:00 AM - Second Annual Friendship Breakfast March 24 6:00 PM Vigil of the Annunciation of the Theotokos Ss. Peter & Paul Church- Solemn Holy Day March 25 Annunciation of the Theotokos Solemn Holy Day March 29 Halupki Sale Pick-up 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Ss. Peter & Paul Church hall March 30-3:00 PM Stations of the Cross Beginning of Lenten Mission Ss. Peter & Paul Church - Social to follow Office Closed: Ss. Peter & Paul/Assumption B.V.M. Church office will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2014 in observance of President s Day. The church office will reopen on February 18, 2014 at 9:00 Sunday Social: Sunday social is held at Ss. Peter & Paul Church immediately after the 9:15 AM Divine Liturgy. All are welcome. Donations are appreciated. AM.

2 In Your Prayers: Please remember to pray for the sick and the infirm of our Parishes. Please Remember: To pray for vocations to the Holy Priesthood and religious life. Rosary Intention: For the week of February 16, 2014, for the sick and the infirm of our parishes. Ss. Peter & Paul Replenish Fund Donations as of February 9, 2014: Total To Date Replenishing Fund Donations: $ 41, Ss. Peter & Paul Church Rebuilding Fund Donations: $ In Memory of + Donna Phillips by Husband, Donald Phillps, Jr. $ In Memory of + Donna Phillips by Mother, Olga Anelauskas $ In Memory of + Donna Phillips by Charles Lucas Rebuilding Fund: $25.00 Matthew & Andrea Lupotsky Boyer s Care & Share Program Report: Ss. Peter & Paul Church has received a check from Boyer s Food Market on January 27, 2014 in the amount of $ which represents 1% of Ss. Peter & Paul Church purchases from June 2013 through December Thank you for supporting this program. Please continue to use your Boyer s Key card as every little bit helps our parish. Ss. Peter & Paul Church FYI Snow Removal Cost: The cost of snow removal paid thus far from November 26, 2013 to February 9, 2014 was $2, Thank you to everyone who has generously donated using your snow removal envelopes. It is greatly appreciated. Assumption B.V.M. Church FYI Snow Removal Cost: The cost of snow removal paid thus far from November 26, 2013 to February 9, 2014 was $ Thank you to everyone who has generously donated using your snow removal envelopes. It is greatly appreciated. Pyrohy for Sale: Ss. Peter & Paul/Assumption B.V.M. Churches have extra pyrohy for sale. Please see any pyrohy worker or call the office at during normal office hours if you wish to purchase pyrohy. Ss. Peter & Paul Church Lector Schedule: Sat. February 15-4:00 PM Ed Cuff Sun. February 16-9:15 AM Faythe Timmins Sat. February 22-4:00 PM Ellen Goretsky Sun. February 23-9:15 AM George Ann Katchick Assumption B.V.M. Church Lector Schedule: Sun. February 16-11:00 AM Bryce Fiamoncini Sun. February 23-11:00 AM Bryce Fiamoncini Donations for Calendar Year 2013: Anyone wanting a print out of their 2013 donations may contact the church office at during normal office hours, and one will be sent to you. Next Pyrohy Sale: The SS. Peter & Paul/Assumption Pyrohy Sale will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 starting at 9:00 AM, and on Thursday, February 20, 2014 starting at 8:00 AM. We are still in need of help in all aspects of this project please try to devote some of your time and talents to this project. All are welcome. Thank you. Marriage Annulment Presentation Workshop: On Monday, February 17, 2014, at 6:30 PM, St. Michael Church in Frackville, PA, will host the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia which will offer a presentation explaining the work of the Tribunal and the process of annulments. It is open to anyone seeking an annulment, having questions as to their marital status or just want to learn of this ministry offered by the Church Staff of the Tribunal will be available for private consultation after the presentation. For more information, please contact the tribunal at or by at metropolitantribunal@catholic.org.. Please make note of change in time from 7:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Bulletin Requests: Any requests or any information to be placed in the bulletin must be in writing and submitted to the church office by 12:00 Noon on Mondays.

3 Sunday of the Prodigal Son Troparion: Angelic powers were upon Your tomb and the guards became like dead men; Mary stood before Your tomb seeking Your most pure body. You captured Hades without being over-come by it. You met the Virgin and granted life. O Lord, risen from the dead, glory be to You! Kontakion: Glory be to the Father, Son, and to the Holy Spirit: Now and ever and forever: Amen. When I foolishly separated myself from your Fatherly glory, * I squandered in wickedness the riches You had given me. * So now I cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal Son, saying: * I have sinned before You, O merciful Father; * receive me, repentant, and make me as one of Your hired servants. Prokimenon: Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance. V. Unto You I will cry, O Lord my God, lest You turn from me in silence. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! He who lives in the aid of the Most High, shall dwell under the protection of the God of heaven. V. He says to the Lord: You are my protector and my refuge, my God, in Whom I hope. Alleluia (3x) Communion Hymn: Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest. Alleluia! (3x) Epistle: 1 Cor 6: Gospel: Lk 15:11-32 Mystery (Sacrament) of Repentance: Is available before each Divine Liturgy on Saturday, 3:15 PM to 4:00 PM and on Sunday in Ss. Peter & Paul Church, 8:15 AM to 9:00 AM, and at Assumption B.V.M. Church on Sunday at 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM in the confessionals. Prayer for Renewal Almighty Lord, we bow our heads in prayer And beseech You to rebuild our House of God. The psalmist reminds us, Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Dear Lord, rebuild this house and guide the hands of the architects, the contractors, the laborers; May they perfect the imperfections, as they recreate and renew this church, our Heaven on earth, where we gather to lay aside all cares of life. Almighty Lord, we are also reminded that we too are temples, living temples of the Holy Spirit. During this time of re-creation and renewal May our imperfections also be perfected. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit renew in each of us our faith and our love of God and each other. May we spiritually become the children of God we are called to be Christian faithful who are forgiving and caring, and welcoming. And may our patrons, Saints Peter and Paul, always inspire us through their courage and example to faithfully hear the Word of God and live it. Religion Classes: Religion classes are held at SS. Peter & Paul Church on Monday evenings from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM. All children from pre-school age to 8 th grade are encouraged to attend. Children receiving the Sacrament of Penance/Holy Communion in Calendar Year must attend these classes. Registration forms are available. If you have any questions please contact Christine Bogner at Pysanky Classes: Classes in traditional Pysanky decorating will be held Saturdays, March 8 th, 15 th, 22 nd, and 29 th at 5:00 PM in the hall at Ss. Peter & Paul Church. These classes will be taught and demonstrated by Rose Demsko, a locally renowned pysanky artist and instructor. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn and continue our very beautiful tradition of decorating eggs for Easter. Classes are free of charge, through the generosity of Mrs. Demsko. She will provide all instructional materials, including dyes and styluses. Those attending are asked to bring several of your uncooked eggs to decorate. Space is limited. Please call the rectory office at during regular business hours for more information, or to reserve your spot before March 2 nd. Thoughts to Ponder. Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.

4 2014 Deanery Lenten Services: All services begin at 3:00 PM Sunday, March 2-- Forgiveness Vespers- Protection of the Mother of God, McAdoo Sunday, March 9 Stations of the Cross Patronage of the Mother of God, Marion Heights Sunday, March 16 Stations of the Cross St. Nicholas s, St. Clair Sunday, March 23 Stations of the Cross- St. John s, Maizeville Sunday, March 30 Stations of the Cross Ss. Peter and Paul, Mt. Carmel Sunday, April 6 Stations of the Cross St. Michael s, Hazelton Sunday, April 13 Stations of the Cross St. Nicholas, Minersville Everyone is welcome to attend these services. Please join us. Lenten Confession Schedule: Listed below is the schedule for Lenten confessions. Confessions are heard from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in each church. Monday, April 7 Assumption B.V.M. Church Fr. Fesniak Ss. Peter & Paul Church, Mt. Carmel - Msgr. Melnic Msgr. Grabowsky Please take advantage of this opportunity to receive the Mystery of Forgiveness prior to the Celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord Deanery Stations of the Cross: SS. Peter & Paul Church March 30, 2014 at 3:00 PM Social will follow. We are in need of home-made baked goods and desserts for this social. All donations are appreciated. Lenten Mission: A Lenten Mission will be presented to our parish community by Father John Szada, Jr. beginning on Sunday, March 30 th through Wednesday April 2 nd. Please join us for this Lenten Mission. Altar Flowers: Altar flowers can be sponsored weekly for $30.00 per arrangement. Parishioners can sponsor these flowers in Memory of a loved one, or for any occasion. Anyone interested in sponsoring flowers may call Church Repairs Update: This winter has made it virtually impossible for any substantial repair work to continue on our church. We have not been at a complete standstill however. In the last couple of weeks the Department of Labor and Industry has approved the plans for our elevator/lift and issued permits for installation. Currently, the lift and all mechanical parts are being manufactured by Lift Arts Company in Allentown. We are hoping for installation to begin in early March. Our new HVAC system has been running well since before Christmas and has efficiently kept the church comfortable through the coldest days of this winter. The glycol heating system installed at the front entrance and handicap ramp has had several adjustments made and is working effectively as well. The new exterior lighting has been completed and truly enhances the beauty of our church. To date, we have now made payments totaling $617, for contracted work completed. Additionally, we paid $5, for driveway wall repairs which I ve shared with you already and now $25, for electrical work beyond the original contract. Included in the extra electrical costs are the 4 new light standards, re-locating and encasing exterior in-ground wiring and updating boiler room wiring to bring it up to code along with several other items. Total investment in our building repairs now stands at $648, We have no additional change orders at this time and do not anticipate any. The remaining balance on our contract is: $82, which includes the 10% retainage we are holding until the work is satisfactorily completed. If you have any questions whatsoever regarding the work completed or work yet to be done, please feel free to ask me. I d be happy to share any and all information with you. Spaghetti Dinner: A Spaghetti Dinner will be held at Ss. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall, 131 N. Beech Street, Mount Carmel, Pa. on March 9, 2014 at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Dinner includes - Salad, Spaghetti, Homemade sauce and Meatballs, & Dessert. Take outs available bring your own containers Adults - $8.00 Children under 12 - $4.00 Advance ticket sale is appreciated call the church office at or Louise Cuff at

5 Halupki/Pigeon Sale: Our Lenten pigeon sale will be held on Saturday, March 29 th. Our pigeons make a great addition to your Easter Sunday Dinner or for a quick anytime meal. They are delicious and nutritious. Order forms are available in the bulletin, in the vestibule of our churches, and in the parish office. Pigeons can be ordered baked or unbaked (either can be easily frozen). Prices are: $18.00 a dozen, $9.00 a half-dozen or $1.50 each. For more information, or to place an order please call the rectory office at during business hours. Pre-orders only please. Take-out orders only. Please complete the order form below and return it to the Church office or deposit in collection basket on or before March 21 st. Thank you for your support of this project. SS. Peter & Paul Church 131 N. Beech Street Mt. Carmel, Pa Halupki/Pigeon Sale Order Form Please specify baked or unbaked Name: Address: Phone Number: Baked or Unbaked Dozen Halupki $18.00 Baked or unbaked 1/2 Dozen Halupki $9.00 Baked or unbaked One Halupki $1.50 Additional juice Friendship Breakfast: Our Second Annual Friendship Breakfast will be held on Saturday, March 22 nd. We begin with Divine Liturgy celebrated at 9:00 AM with breakfast immediately following. All parishioners and friends are invited to join us and to bring along a friend.to begin this Lenten Saturday in communal prayer and then share a delicious hot breakfast with friends. Our guest speaker this year will be Sr. Thomas Hrynewich SSMI. Sr. Thomas is currently Principal of St. Nicholas School in Minersville. She has also served her community and our church in various and interesting assignments through the years. Her experiences include: Superior of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, Chancellor of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia, Member of the Marriage Tribunal, Superior /Director of St. Joseph s Home for the Aged, Educator and Catechist in various parishes throughout our Archeparchy. Sr. Thomas has also addressed various professional groups, has given number retreats and days of recollection and assisted in the seminary formation of dozens of priests who serve in our parishes. There is no charge for the breakfast, all we ask is that you call the office at and let us know if you re planning to come so we can make adequate preparations. Be a friend bring a friend make a friend on that day. See you there! Halupki Work Schedule: The schedule for preparing Halupki for Ss. Peter & Paul Church Halupki Sale is as follows: Coring of Cabbage, March 25- starting at 9:00 AM Boiling of Cabbage, March 26- starting at 9:00 AM Prepare Halupki, March 27 & 28 - starting at 9:00 AM Halupki can be picked up on March 29, 2014 between 10:00 to 12:00 Noon in the Church Hall. We are in need of people to help with this project. Please lend some of your time to make this fundraiser a huge success. Thank you in advance for your support. Ss. Peter & Paul/Assumption B.V.M. Churches Collecting Food Donations: Ss. Peter & Paul/Assumption B.V.M. Churches are continuing to collect food items to be donated to the Mount Carmel Area Food Bank. Please continue to donate to the less fortunate in our community. Thank You!

6 The Second Sunday of the Triodion: Sunday of the Prodigal Son Introduction The Sunday of the Prodigal Son is the second Sunday of a three-week period prior to the commencement of Great Lent. On the previous Sunday, the services of the Church began to include hymns from the Triodion, a liturgical book that contains the services from the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the tenth before Pascha (Easter), through Great and Holy Saturday. As with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the theme of this Sunday is repentance, and the focus on the parable of the Prodigal Son leads Eastern to contemplate the necessity of repentance in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Biblical Story The name for this Sunday is taken from the parable of our Lord Jesus Christ found in Luke 15: The parable is the story of a man and his two sons. The youngest of the sons asks his father to give him his inheritance. The father does this, and soon after the son leaves and journeys to a distant country (vv ). After the younger son arrives, he squanders all of his possessions with prodigal living. Within a short period of time, he wastes everything. A severe famine comes, but he has nothing and falls into great need (vv ). He is able to find work feeding swine, but this does not improve his situation. The Scriptures say, He would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, but no one gave him anything (vv ). The parable says that in the midst of his dire conditions, he came to himself. He realized that his father s hired servants have enough to eat and food to spare, while he perishes with hunger. He says, I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants (vv ). He arose and returned to his father. But as he approached, his father saw him at a great distance. The father had compassion on his son, ran to meet him, embraced him, and kissed him. The son admitted his sinfulness and his unworthiness to be called a son, but in his joy at the return of his son, the father called his servants to bring the best robe, a ring for his son s finger, and sandals for his feet. He also called for the fatted calf to be killed for a feast. He exclaimed, For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found (vv ).

7 While they were feasting and celebrating the return of the prodigal son, the older son comes and inquires about what is happening. He is told that his brother had returned and that his father has received him with a feast. The older brother becomes angry and will not go in to the feast. The father comes out and pleads with him, but the older son answers by saying he has been faithful to his father for many years and yet the father never gave him the opportunity for such feasting. He expresses his anger and jealousy over his brother who was received in such a manner after he squandered his inheritance (vv ). The father responds by telling his oldest son, You are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found (vv ). The parable of the Prodigal Son forms an exact icon of repentance at its different stages. Sin is exile, enslavement to strangers, hunger. Repentance is the return from exile to our true home; it is to receive back our inheritance and freedom in the Father s house. But repentance implies action: I will rise up and go (v. 18). To repent is not just to feel dissatisfied, but to make a decision and to act upon it. In the words of our Lord, we also learn of three things through this parable: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God s compassion. The reading of this parable follows the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own sinful condition, we might come to our senses and return to God through repentance. For those who have fallen into great despair over their sins thinking that there is no forgiveness, this parable offers hope. The Heavenly Father is patiently and lovingly waiting for our return. There is no sin that can overcome His love for us. Finally, this parable offers us insight into the world in which we live. It is a world where the activities of people are disconnected and not ordered toward the fulfillment of God s divine purpose for life. It is a world of incoherent pursuits, of illusory strivings, of craving for foods and drinks that do not satisfy, a world where nothing ultimately makes sense, and a world engulfed in untruth, deceit and sin. It is the exact opposite of the world as created by God and potentially recreated by his Son and Spirit. There is no cure for the evils of our age unless we return to God. The world in which we live is not a normal world, but a wasteland. This is why in the Slavic tradition of the Eastern Church the reading of Psalm 137 is added to the Matins service for this and the following two Sundays. This nostalgic lament of the Hebrew exiles states: "By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept as we remembered Zion. On the willows we hung our harps, for how could we sing the Lord s song in a strange land (Psalm 137). Here we can see the challenge of life in this world and the alienation from God that can happen when sin reigns in our lives. As a result of sin in our lives, we lose the joy of communion with God, we defile and lose our spiritual beauty, and we find ourselves far away from our real home, our real life. In true repentance, we realize this, and we express a deep desire to return, to recover what has been lost. On this day the Church reminds us of what we have abandoned and lost, and beckons us to find the desire and power to return. Our Heavenly Father is waiting and ready to receive us with His loving forgiveness and His saving embrace.