Sunday, August 19, 2018-The Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ Schedule of Services and Events:

Transcription

1 St. Nicholas Orthodox Church American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese Ecumenical Patriarchate 1123 East Avenue Erie, PA Parish Website: Diocesan Website: Rev. Fr. Nicholas Mihaly Rectory: (814) Cell: (203) Sunday, August 19, 2018-The Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ Schedule of Services and Events: Sunday, August 19 9:30 AM; Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Transfiguration & Blessing of Fruit Sunday, August 19 11:00 AM; Parish Board Meeting Friday, August 24 6:00 PM; Paraklis to the Mother of God Sunday, August 26 9:30 AM; Divine Liturgy Confessions are available thirty minutes prior to Divine Liturgy on the first Sunday of every month; thirty minutes before vespers on Saturday evenings; or by appointment. UPCOMING EVENTS September 4 - Adult Class Resumes September 9 - First Day of Church School & Blessing of Backpacks September 12 - Orthodoxy on Tap September 16 - Parish One Year Anniversary Celebration

2 We have finished our adult class for the summer. We will be beginning classes again in the fall. We are in need of a Sunday School Teacher for ages 8-10 and an assistant teacher for teenagers. If you are interested in helping, please see Fr. Nick. The only requirements are a love of our children and On Sunday, September 16, the Ladies Altar Society will be hosting a tureen/potluck celebration in honor of the one year anniversary of the arrival of the Mihaly Family. Please see Pat Molly or Joanne Coursin for more information. Aug 19 Elizabeth Skalko Birthdays & Anniversaries 27 Very Reverend Michael Kabel 27 Steve Stafford 31 John & Tamara (Hazuda) Kloss-42nd Anniversary 31 Theodore & Patricia (Bandy) Molly-45th Anniversary If you would like Many Years to be sung for you or a loved one, please let Fr. Nick know prior to the beginning of Divine Liturgy

3 Today we are blessing our new altar covers. The brightly colored and decorated covers for the altar, tetrapod and icon stands are representative of the glory of God and the brightness of His throne. We thank all of you who helped contribute to the beautification of our Church! These altar cloths will last for years to come and should serve as a reminder that when we enter the Church, we are leaving the earth and entering the Heavenly Kingdom. The different colors are used for different seasons of the liturgical year. In our Carpatho-Russian tradition, gold is used the most often and is used for feasts of Jesus Christ, the prophets, the apostles and the saints. Gold is symbolic of the Heavenly Kingdom and the Divine Glory of God. The second most used color is purple. Purple, being a dark color, is used during the fasting periods of Lent and Advent. It symbolizes both the suffering of Jesus Christ and His Kingship. Blue is the color that is used for the feasts of the Virgin Mary and is symbolic of the heavens. We use blue for the Mother of God because her womb is now more spacious than the heavens. Green is used during the period of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit, because it denotes life. The color that is used the least in the Carpatho-Russian tradition is red. Red is used for the Elevation of the Cross, the Beheading of John the Baptist and for feasts of Martyrs because it symbolizes the blood that was shed. We especially thank the following people for their donations of these specific items: Donor Item Lee Anthony Eric Demyanovich Debra Shufran Phyllis Tarasovich Red Set Glass Cover for Tetrapod-In Memory of his father, William Demyanovich Gold Set-In Honor of her father, Andy Shufran on Father s Day Blue Set-Offered for the Health of the Tarasovich Family

4 WEEKLY OFFERINGS Sunday, August 5, 2018 DONOR $2.00 WEEKLY CANDLES FOR HEALTH GIVEN FOR Tamara Kloss Husband John Kloss Phyllis Tarasovich Herself and Family Theodore & Patricia Molly Themselves and Family Peter & Marge Sima Nephew John Lipchik Jr. s Birthday, August 18 Jean Kramer Herself and Family John Lipchik Jr. & Kathleen Boyce Uncle Peter & Aunt Marge Sima Kathleen Boyce Families of Brother John Lipchik Jr. and Husband Gary Boyce DONOR $2.00 WEEKLY CANDLES FOR THE DECEASED GIVEN FOR John & Tamara Kloss Her Parents Very Rev. Proto. Ronald & Pani Dolores Hazuda Douglas & Jean LaBoda and Family His Father Michael LaBoda Douglas & Jean LaBoda and Family His Mother Virginia LaBoda George Yurcan Parents Wasyl & Aniela Yurcan and Deceased in Family Richard & Susanne Demchak Beloved Parents Joseph & Susan Demchak Dr. George & Kitty Kuzmishin Beloved Family Members Janet Belliveau Parents Douglas & Anne Liebel John Lipchik Jr. & Kathleen Boyce Parents John Sr. & Helena Lipchik David Lipchik Parents Steve & Ann Lipchik Phyllis Tarasovich Deceased in the Tarasovich and Kelley Families Reader David & Debra Tarasovich Grandson Carter Robert Egloff CATEGORY AMOUNT CATEGORY AMOUNT Candles Diocesan Assessment Loose Change 7.00 Grove Rentals 2, Regular Envelopes Social Hour Total Income 2, ATTENDANCE Moleben to St. Nectarios (Wed., Aug. 1): 7 Liturgy for the Feast of Prophet Elijah (Thu., Aug. 2): 9 Divine Liturgy (Sun., Aug. 5): 40

5 WEEKLY OFFERINGS Sunday, August 12, 2018 DONOR $2.00 WEEKLY CANDLES FOR HEALTH GIVEN FOR Tamara Kloss Husband John Kloss Phyllis Tarasovich Herself and Family Theodore & Patricia Molly Themselves and Family Theodore & Patricia Molly Cindy Theodore & Patricia Molly John & Donna Novak Douglas & Patricia Borkowski Themselves and Family Patricia Borkowski Birthdays of Husband Douglas (Aug. 14) & Daughter Melissa (Aug. 15) Jean Kramer Herself and Family John Lipchik Jr. & Kathleen Boyce Uncle Peter & Aunt Marge Sima Kathleen Boyce Families of Brother John Lipchik Jr. and Husband Gary Boyce DONOR $2.00 WEEKLY CANDLES FOR THE DECEASED GIVEN FOR John & Tamara Kloss Her Parents Very Rev. Proto. Ronald & Pani Dolores Hazuda Douglas & Jean LaBoda and Family His Father Michael LaBoda Douglas & Jean LaBoda and Family His Mother Virginia LaBoda George Yurcan Parents Wasyl & Aniela Yurcan and Deceased in Family Richard & Susanne Demchak Beloved Parents Joseph & Susan Demchak Dr. George & Kitty Kuzmishin Beloved Family Members Janet Belliveau Parents Douglas & Anne Liebel John Lipchik Jr. & Kathleen Boyce Parents John Sr. & Helena Lipchik David Lipchik Parents Steve & Ann Lipchik Phyllis Tarasovich Deceased in the Tarasovich and Kelley Families Reader David & Debra Tarasovich Grandson Carter Robert Egloff Theodore & Patricia Molly His Mother Mary Molly s Birthday, August 14 Theodore & Patricia Molly Alvin Irwin Sr. Douglas & Patricia Borkowski Her Parents Thomas & Ann Burdick and His Father Walter Borkowski CATEGORY AMOUNT CATEGORY AMOUNT Candles Social Hour 6.00 Loose Change Diocesan Assessment Regular Envelopes Total Income ATTENDANCE Divine Liturgy (Sun., Aug. 12): 22 JULY 2018 CHURCH YEAR 2018 YTD (11/01/17 TO 07/31/18) Income 6, Income 69, Expenses 10, Expenses 65, (Loss)/Gain (3,434.50) (Loss)/Gain 3,951.22

6 Parish Prayer List Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. James 5:16 For the Health of Fr. John Baranik, Fr. Lawrence Barriger, Fr. James Gleason, Fr. John Gido, Fr. Nicholas Palun, Fr. Michael Rustick, Fr. Jonathan Tobias, Fr. John Zboyovski, Fr. David Smoley, Pani Donna Smoley, Pani Connie Miloro, Pani Eleanor Pribish, George Arghyrou, Douglas Borkowski, Stephen Brancho, Emma Burkell, John Candia, Sandy Carlisle, Gail Collister, Robert Collister, James DeHaven, Mary DeHaven, Peter Dimitriadis, Helen Douglas, Irene Fendya, Mary Kay Gromm, Miko Jovanovich, John Kloss, Richard Koerner, Jean Kramer, Don Kuzmin, Olivia Kuzmin, Evelyn McCambridge, Mike McCambridge, Guy McIntyre, Serge Mihaly, Robert Perevuznik, Sr., Barbara Scheibeck, Irene Schwab, Elizabeth Skalko, Isabella Smith, Ignatius Thompson, Cheryl Walker, David Walker, Jake Woodworth, Katlyn Wyant, George Yurcan through the prayers of St. Nectarios the Wonderworker & St. Panteleimon the Great- Martyr and Healer For Expectant Mothers Katie McIntyre through the prayers of St. Anna, the Mother of the Virgin Mary For the Repose of Fr. Charles Sunderland, Pani Magdaline Blaschak, Pani Ann Kozar, Lawrence Beck, Helen Bires, Ann Burdick, Lousie Butts, Thomas Candia, Vera Fetchina, William Demyanovich, Ann DiMarco, Alvin Irwin, John E. Kelley, Maria Keim, Kyle Lomme, Paul Meaden, Shane Murdock, Mildred Paproski, Rade Uzunovski May their memories be eternal! If you have someone you would like to be added to the prayer list, please see Fr. Nick

7 An Explanation of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated each year on August 6/19. The feast commemorates the transfiguration or metamorphosis of Christ on Mount Tabor, when our Lord appeared in His divine glory before the Apostles Peter, James, and John. Biblical Story The event of the Transfiguration is recorded in three of the four Gospels: Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9: Jesus took the Apostles Peter, James, and John with Him up upon a mountain, and while they were on the mountain Jesus was transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and His garments became glistening white. Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ, talking to Him. Peter declared how good it was for them to be there and expressed the desire to build three booths for Moses, Elijah, and Christ. This reference to the booths could imply that this occurred during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles when the Jews would be camping out in the fields for the grape harvest; for this Feast had acquired other associations in the course of its history, including the memory of the wanderings in the wilderness recorded in the Old Testament book of Exodus. While Peter was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice came from the cloud saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." When the disciples heard this they fell on their faces filled with awe. Jesus came to them and told them to not be afraid. When the three looked up they saw only Jesus. As Jesus and His disciples came down the mountain, He told them not to speak of what they had seen until He had risen from the dead. Icon of the Feast In the icon of the Feast of the Transfiguration, Christ is the central figure, appearing in a dominant position within a circular mandorla. He is clearly at the visual and theological center of the icon. His right hand is raised in blessing, and his left hand contains a scroll. The mandorla with its brilliant colors of white, gold, and blue represent the divine glory and light. The halo around the head of Christ is inscribed with the Greek words Ὁ ὬΝ (O On), meaning "The One Who is". Christ appears in the center of the icon blessing with His right hand and dressed in bright white robes (detail).

8 The Prophet Elijah, appears on Christ's right-hand side Elijah and Moses stand at the top of separate mountain peaks to the left and right of Christ. They are bowing toward Christ with their right hands raised in a gesture of intercession towards Him. Saint John Chrysostom explains the presence of these two fathers of the faith from the Old Testament in three ways. He states that they represent the Law and the Prophets (Moses received the Law from God, and Elijah was a great prophet); they both experienced visions of God (Moses on Mount Sinai and Elijah on Mount Carmel); and they represent the living and the dead (Elijah, the living, because he was taken up into heaven by a chariot of fire, and Moses, the dead, because he did experience death). The three Apostles who accompanied Christ to the moutain, Peter, John, and James, react to the vision of Christ's Moses, who is seen holding the Ten Commandments, appears on Christ's left-hand side (detail). Below Christ are the three Apostles, who by their posture in the icon show their response to the transfiguration of Christ. James has fallen over backwards with his hands over his eyes. John in the center has fallen prostrate. Peter is kneeling and raises his right hand toward Christ in a gesture expressing his desire to build the three booths. The garments of the Apostles are in a state of disarray as to indicate the dramatic impact the vision has had on them. The icon of the feast directs our attention toward the event of the Transfiguration and specifically to the glory of God as revealed in Christ. This event came at a critical point in the ministry of our Lord, just as He was setting out on His journey to Jerusalem. He would soon experience the humiliation, suffering, and death of the Cross. However, the glorious light of the Resurrection was revealed to The garments of the Apostles are in state of disarray (detail).

9 The Apostle James reacts to the vision by falling to the ground and attempting to cover his eyes (detail). strengthen His disciples for the trials that they would soon experience. The feast also points to the great and glorious Second Coming of our Lord and the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God when all of creation will be transfigured and filled with light.

10 A Meditation on the Transfiguration of Our Lord Upon Mount Tabor, Jesus revealed to his disciples a heavenly mystery. While living among them he had spoken of the kingdom and of his second coming in glory, but to banish from their hearts any possible doubt concerning the kingdom and to confirm their faith in what lay in the future by its prefiguration in the present, he gave them on Mount Tabor a wonderful vision of his glory, a foreshadowing of the kingdom of heaven. It was as if he said to them: As time goes by you may be in danger of losing your faith. To save you from this I tell you now that some standing here listening to me will not taste death until they have seen the Son of Man coming in the glory of his Father. Moreover, in order to assure us that Christ could command such power when he wished, the evangelist continues: Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. There, before their eyes, he was transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Then the disciples saw Moses and Elijah appear, and they were talking to Jesus. These are the divine wonders we celebrate today; this is the saving revelation given us upon the mountain; this is the festival of Christ that has drawn us here. Let us listen, then, to the sacred voice of God so compellingly calling us from on high, from the summit of the mountain, so that with the Lord s chosen disciples we may penetrate the deep meaning of these holy mysteries, so far beyond our capacity to express. Jesus goes before us to show us the way, both up the mountain and into heaven, and - I speak boldly - it is for us now to follow him with all speed, yearning for the heavenly vision that will give us a share in his radiance, renew our spiritual nature and transform us into his own likeness, making us for ever sharers in his Godhead and raising us to heights as yet undreamed of. Let us run with confidence and joy to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah, or like James and John. Let us be caught up like Peter to behold the divine vision and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration. Let us retire from the world, stand aloof from the earth, rise above the body, detach ourselves from creatures and turn to the creator, to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed: Lord, it is good for us to be here. It is indeed good to be here, as you have said, Peter. It is good to be with Jesus and to remain here for ever. What greater happiness or higher honor could we

11 have than to be with God, to be made like him and to live in his light? Therefore, since each of us possesses God in his heart and is being transformed into his divine image, we also should cry out with joy: It is good for us to be here - here where all things shine with divine radiance, where there is joy and gladness and exultation; where there is nothing in our hearts but peace, serenity and stillness; where God is seen. For here, in our hearts, Christ takes up his abode together with the Father, saying as he enters: Today salvation has come to this house. With Christ, our hearts receive all the wealth of his eternal blessings, and there where they are stored up for us in him, we see reflected as in a mirror both the first fruits and the whole of the world to come. An Excerpt From A Sermon of St. Anastasios of Sinai on the Transfiguration of Our Lord

12 The Transfiguration While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" Matthew 17:5 (NIV) Based on Matthew 17:1-9 D Q E A A R J Z X Y V T H D M G P Y C S L P P J O H N E Y Y X P O J A F X B D Y Y C M R D J T K F H E H F M U I I I Q K T S V G W A W J U O C Y U C R U V I J J H E N V M M G E G N D H D I A V I J B O O L O T T G X L A O M O T Y U S A W O Z S E S L Y X E V E N E U D F D Q M Y G J S Z S O T S I I R M A P P E A R E D D A S G E X S Q Q Q Z V O R S G I K T X C C B R V W H T Q V L N E D B X H R O S I X K D L Q P I G R K V N U L W I T P G C L O T H E S SIX PETER CLOTHES VOICE JOHN LOVE MOSES GOOD WHITE ELIJAH JAMES DAYS APPEARED MOUNTAIN HIGH Copyright Sermons 4 Kids, Inc. All Rights Reserved

13 Faith & Fellowship for Young Adult Orthodox Christians WHEN: Wednesday, September 12, 2018; 7:00 PM WHERE: VOODOO BREWERY ERIE; 101 Boston Store Place, Erie, PA WHAT: An evening of food, drinks & socializing with other Orthodox Young Adults with a short presentation by Fr. Nick Mihaly, pastor of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, on John 10:10: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.