Divine Liturgy Schedule March 27, 2016

Transcription

1 Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church 240 Center Street Nanticoke, PA Nanticoke Rectory: (570) Fax: (570) Church WebSite: Rev. Volodymyr Popyk Cell Phone: (609) Divine Liturgy Schedule March 27, 2016 Monday, March 28 BRIGHT MONDAY 9:00 AM Healing of Mary Louise Bailey- Arlene Churnetski Tuesday, March 29 BRIGHT TUESDAY 9:00 AM Andrew Sloto- Gerri Adamchak Saturday, April 2 6:00PM BRIGHT SATURDAY Kevin Sherman- by Friends Myrovania (Anointing of Holy Oil) Distribution of Artos Sunday, April 3 SUNDAY OF SAINT THOMAS 10:30 AM God s Blessings and Good Health on all Parishioners Myrovania (Anointing of Holy Oil) Distribution of Artos Noon Baptism of Kylar Stepanski Petitions & Prayers for Our Parishioners Please pray for our Parishioners in the Nursing Homes: Catherine Lachowecz, Mary Kozmoski, Theodore Kulmatiski, Dolores Grozio Assisted Living: Mary Manson At Home: John & Mary Hoolick, John Petrochko, Dorothy Kopiak, Helen Bogdan, Dolores Miller, Arlene Czarnecki, Mary Louise Bailey, Dorothy Swiderski. Away: Leona Kobela, Irene Diakiw.

2 VELYKDEN- Easter Sunday Easter or Velykden as the principle feast of Christianity occupies the central point in the Liturgical Year in the Eastern Church. The dates of other moveable feasts depend upon it. Easter or Velykden or Big Day reminds us of the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ which occurred on the third day after His burial. Velykden is the center of all feasts, the feast of feasts. The procession around the church commemorates the procession of the myrrhbearing women to the tomb of our Savior and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Paska or the Easter bread is blessed by the priest at the end of Divine Liturgy. The Paska represents Jesus Christ. The faithful consume the Paska and that denotes their participation in Christ s glorious resurrection. The Easter eggs or psanky are eggs delicately and intricately hand-painted. The origin of the custom dates back to the earliest Easter observance in pagan Ukraine, when the painted egg represented the resurrection of nature to a new life at the coming of springtime. With the symbol of Christianity the painted egg became a symbol of man s resurrection which was effected by the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The psanky are exchanged throughout the three days of the Easter holiday with the familiar greeting Khrystos Voskres to which the recipient replies: Voistynu Voskres! The greeting means: Christ is Risen, to which the people reply: He is risen indeed. The whole week after Easter is Zahalnytsia or compact Week during which people may eat meat even on Friday.

3 EASTER PASTORAL OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY OF THE U.S.A. TO OUR CLERGY, HIEROMONKS AND BROTHERS, RELIGIOUS SISTERS, SEMINARIANS AND BELOVED FAITHFUL Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabbouni, which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary of Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, and what he told her. John 20:16-20 Today, we share a joy, a joy of wonder, a joy that comes from within, because Christ is Risen! Today, we share the same joy of the disciples to whom Mary Magdalene had brought the Good News that Jesus Christ is risen, and she has seen Him. This joy of resurrection starts from a personal encounter with risen Christ. What does it take for Mary Magdalene s tears to give way to Easter joy? Nothing less than meeting the risen Christ. Meeting the risen Savior Himself! Even this is not so straightforward. Jesus appears to her, but Mary doesn t recognize Him. But then, Jesus calls her name, Mary. She turns, and now when she looks; her world is transformed. Before her is no gardener, but the resurrected Christ, alive and free from death. Around her is no tomb of lifeless rock, but the living Savior who calls her out of darkness and into a marvelous light. After encountering the risen Jesus Mary Magdalene obeys the Lord s command to tell the news of the resurrection to the disciples. The same joy is experienced by the disciples on the road to Emmaus. This personal encounter with the risen Lord gives them courage and strength to run back to the disciples and tell them what happened on the way and how they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. On Easter morning what we celebrate is that Christ has overcome sin and evil and death. There is forgiveness and hope and new life even from the very rock bottom of suffering and despair. And so, the Easter gospel is not only about life from death, but

4 also about this encounter Mary has with the resurrected Christ. Jesus is raised, but then He also meets us. And not merely as a dazzling figure we do not recognize, Jesus meets us calls our name, opens our eyes, and invites us to see. At the Resurrection Matins we sing: Let us rise at early dawn and bring to our Master a hymn instead of myrrh, and we shall see Christ the Sun of righteousness Who enlightens the life of all. (Resurrection Matins, Ode 5). The risen Christ wants us to experience the joy of encountering Him and living for Christ and not for self the joy of being liberated from the sins which trap us in selfcenteredness and discover the blessing of Christ s self-giving love. No matter what may be happening in our lives, we can still experience spiritual joy through the love of God and living the way God made us to live, which is for self-giving love. The Easter gospel is not just about new life, but new life that comes to us. Not just Christ raised from the dead, but the risen Christ meeting us and calling our names. Easter is an encounter, a call and a summons. Go and tell what you have seen and heard. Christ is alive, and more than that He has sought us out and called us by name. Whatever our doubts and our fears, whatever our failures and betrayals, whatever the wounds we try to protect today is а new day. We are all to become witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus. We are called to bring that ray of the light of the Resurrection into the various human situations: into those happy ones, rendering them more beautiful, and into those sorrowful situations, bringing serenity and hope. In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis encourages us to experience the opening of our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society and to keep alive the desire to know how to welcome the numerous signs of the tenderness which God offers to the whole world and, above all, to those who suffer, who are alone and abandoned, without hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father s love (Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis). We know how the poor need help. We know how the sick need healing, how the oppressed need justice, how the grieving need comfort. We know how the spiritual life needs exercise, with daily prayer, meditation, study, and the companionship of kindred, seeking souls. Being people of the resurrection, graced with this knowledge, it is our

5 calling to talk to people on the road and announce the Good News of the risen Christ to them. During this period of contemplating Christ s mercy, we are reminded that Jesus not only preached mercy, but He put into action works of mercy as He assisted the poor, consoled the lonely and outcast, relieved suffering and affliction and taught the ignorant. No one person can give what they do not have, thus each one of us must know Christ personally. We need to know Him personally so that we can go out and proclaim Him to every person we encounter. Today is our time of joy and renewed evangelical spirit to proclaim the Good News of the risen Christ to others. Our parish communities should become places to encounter the living Christ! This is what Christ is inviting us to do! This is the day that Lord has made, let us exalt and rejoice in it. This is the calling to each of us, so we may bring this joy of encountering, the risen Christ to others. Will we be able to share this personal encounter with the risen Christ with our families, our friends, and people we encounter in our daily lives? Let us experience this Easter morning joy and let us radiate this joy in our lives. Let the Mercy of Christ shine in our lives and deeds! Our fervent prayer is that our Resurrected and Living Lord may bestow his peace and grace upon you and your loved ones, upon all our brothers and sisters scattered throughout the world! Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! +Stefan Soroka Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukrainians Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States

6 CHURCH NEWS PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY THE ROSARY. Rev. Volodymyr Popyk, Nataliya, Veronika & Maryan would like to wish everyone a Very Healthy, Happy & Blessed Easter! Christos Voskres! Voistinyu Voskres! Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! THERE SHOULD BE NO KNEELING DURING THE PASCHAL SEASON UNTIL PENTECOST SUNDAY. This regulation is mentioned by the Council of Nicaea, which met in the year 325, and which also set the date for Pascha. Our Father, Saint Basil the Great, explains that this symbolizes our personal resurrection as well as our calling to higher, heavenly things. SVIACHENNE DINNER: Our annual Easter Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 10, 2016 in our hall. This is a wonderful opportunity to get together as a parish family. Buffet dinner will begin at 12:30 p.m., with the traditional blessing of food and sharing of the blessed eggs. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $8.00 for our young people, ages Children under the age of 10 are free, but please make a reservation for them. Tickets are available from Gerry Adamchak, or Helen Lipowski, Deadline is Sunday, April 3. There will be no tickets sold at the door. If you are interested in donating any of the menu items, please sign the blue sheet in the back of the church. If you can help with set up, clean up, or food preparation, please contact Arlene Jennings at FOOD COLLECTION: Transfiguration Of Our Lord Parish is collecting non-perishable food products to donate to the St. Faustina Food Kitchen. Many thanks for everyone who continues to donate to the food drive. PRAYERS: Please remember in your prayers all who are in need of God s help. Remember those in the nursing facilities, hospital and at home, all the sick and the suffering. Please say a special prayer for all of our nation s soldiers and their families at home and abroad. FLEA MARKET: We are once again collecting items in the church basement for our Parish s upcoming flea market. Thank you to everyone who has contributed already!

7 HOLY THURSDAY: "Do this in memory of me" The "Last Supper" is one of the most memorable scenes of any of the Gospels' Passion narratives. Yet none of the Gospels has made such an extensive presentation of that Last Supper as John did. It spans five chapters and includes the washing of the feet and a long dialog, with questions and answers, between the master and his disciples, not unlike the traditional questions asked during a Passover meal for Jews. It also concludes with the longest prayer ever said by Jesus (chapter 17). John gives such importance to the Last Supper that we expect Jesus to take the bread, give thanks, break it, give it to his disciples, and say: "Do this in memory of me." But this doesn't happen at all. Instead, John tells us that Jesus "took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet..." This sounds different! Jesus puts himself in the position of a servant towards his disciples, thus setting an example for them to imitate (verse 15). Such instruction given by Jesus is the Johannine equivalent of the "Do this in memory of me" we find in the Synoptics. We then have here the institution of fraternal love and service as a true sacrament of Christ. In other words, deeds of love and service and celebrating the Eucharist are not opposed to one another, both are done "in memory" of Jesus. Both Eucharist and fraternal love are true sacraments of Christ. Far from conflicting, they call for each other. How do I connect prayer and action, Eucharist and service to others? GOOD FRIDAY: The Cross is the crown of victory. It has brought light to those blinded by ignorance. It has released those enslaved by sin. Indeed, it has redeemed the whole of mankind. Do not, then, be ashamed of the cross of Christ; rather, glory in it. Although it is a stumbling-block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, the message of the Cross is our salvation. Of course it is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it was not a mere man who died for us, but the Son of God, God made man. The Catecheses St. Cyril of Jerusalem (+386)

8 HOLY SATURDAY: Great and Holy Saturday is the day on which Christ reposed in the tomb. The Church calls this day the Blessed Sabbath. Moses mystically foreshadowed this day when he said: God blessed the Seventh Day! This is that Blessed Sabbath. This is the Day of Rest, on which the only-begotten Son of God rested from all His works. (Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday) By using this title the Church links Holy Saturday with the creative act of God. In the initial account of creation as found in the Book of genesis, God made man in His own image and likeness. To be truly chimself, man was to live in constant communion with the source and dynamic power of that image: God. Man fell from God. Now Christ, the Son of God through whom all things were created, has come to restore man to communion with God. He thereby completes creation. All things are again as they should be. His mission is consummated. On the Blessed Sabbath He rests from all His works. Holy Saturday is a neglected day in parish life. Few people attend the Services. Popular piety usually reduces Holy Week to one day Holy Friday. This day is quickly replaced by another Easter Sunday. Christ is dead and then suddenly alive. Great sorrow is suddenly replaced by great joy. In such a scheme Holy Saturday is lost. In the understanding of the Church, sorrow is not replaced by joy; it is transformed into joy. This distinction indicates that it is precisely within death that Christ continues to effect triumph.we sing that Christ is...trampling down death by death in the troparion of Easter. This phrase gives great meaning to Holy Saturday. -The Way

9 MARCH CANDLES The Eternal Light is given by Mrs. Margaret Yanoshak in loving memory of her husband, Russell Yanoshak. The Altar Candles are donated by Mrs. Olga Yurkowski in loving memory of her husband, Mike Yurkowski. The Proscomedia Table is given by M/M John Hoolick for all Family Birthdays. The St. Nicholas Candle is given by Lisa Placek. Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.-isaiah 26:19