Together in the Holy Trinity One Faith, One Church, One Future! Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church 2030 Old Alabama Road Roswell, Georgia 30076 Parish Office: 770-993-0973 or 404-227-5401 Fr Steven Galuschik Deacon James Smith, Administrator Deacon Michael Tisma Email: epiphanybyzantinechurch@gmail.com Website: www.epiphanybyzantinecatholic.org February 19, 2017 Sunday of the Last Judgment Meatfare Divine Liturgy Confessions Collection Capital Campaign Saturday, 5:30 PM Sunday, 10:00 AM Holy Days, 7:30 PM Saturday, 4:30-5:00 PM Sunday, 9:00-9:30 AM Last week: $2,088.00. God bless you for your generosity. Pledges to Date: $16,612.00 Received to Date: $15,777.00 Thought for the Week... "In a world full of so much ugliness, liturgy must be a rest for the soul, a repose where the soul can breathe. It is a glimpse of God's glory and a glance upon the Face of God. But we shouldn't stay with just a glimpse... what is behind beauty is the glory of God revealed to us. Heaven opens in liturgy. Beauty in liturgy costs time, love, care, commitment. We must take time for preparing the liturgy, looking for the beauty of the flowers, the songs, the space, the incense, the candles. All this is an expression of love and beauty is one way to God. It can never be separated from goodness and truth. Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna Meatfare and Cheesefare Sundays. As is our custom here at Epiphany, we prepare ourselves as a family and Christian community for the holy season of the Great Fast. Today we observe the Sunday of Meatfare, traditionally the last day we eat meat products until Pascha. Please stay and join us for our pot-luck meat luncheon after the Sunday Divine Liturgy. This observance is to be understood in the light of the meaning of preparation. The Church begins now to adjust us to the great effort which she will expect from us during the season of the Great Fast. She gradually takes us into that effort knowing our frailty, foreseeing our spiritual weakness. Next week after the Sunday Liturgy we will observe the Sunday of Forgiveness, Cheesefare, the last day we traditionally partake of dairy products. Please plan to stay and join us for our pot-luck luncheon. Be sure to sign-up in the narthex to bring your favorite cheese dish to share. While the complete abstinence from meat and dairy products is no longer required for every day of the Great Fast (except on those days when it is prescribed), we are encouraged to fast, to give alms, to avail ourselves of spiritual exercises, and to make special acts of repentance as often as possible. Regulations for the Season of the Great Fast Simple Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but permits the use of eggs and dairy products. All faithful who receive the Eucharist are obliged to observe simple abstinence on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the Great Fast. Strict Abstinence (fasting) forbids the use and consumption of all meat, eggs and dairy products. All faithful who receive the Eucharist are obliged to observe strict abstinence on Pure Monday, February 27 (the first day of the Great Fast) and Great and Holy Friday. Calendar for the Great Fast. To assist all of us as we journey through the Great Fast to the glorious day of Pascha, numerous spiritual exercises and liturgies have been scheduled for this season of repentance and introspection. Be sure to take a special Lenten Calendar home so we can come together as a parish family to do our best for our Lord in giving up a little extra time from our busy schedules to be with Him during these weeks of preparation. A Reflection on Today s Gospel On the past two Sundays, our focus was placed on God s patience and limitless compassion, of His readiness to accept every sinner who returns to Him. On this third Sunday, we are powerfully reminded of a complementary truth: no one is so patient and so merciful as God, but the God of love is also a God of righteousness; when Christ comes again in glory, He will come as our Judge. This Sunday sets before us the eschatological dimension of the Second Coming of the Savior. But judgment is not only in the future. Here and now, each day and each hour, in hardening our hearts toward others and in failing to respond to the opportunities we are given of helping them, we are already passing judgment on ourselves. This Sunday is also a reminder of love. When Christ comes to judge us, what will be the criterion of His judgment? The parable of the Last Judgment answers this with just one word: love not a mere humanitarian concern for abstract justice and the anonymous poor, but concrete and personal love for the human person the specific persons that we encounter each day in our lives. Christian love is the possible impossibility to see Christ in another person, whoever he or she is, and whom God, in His eternal and mysterious plan, has decided to introduce into my life, be it only for a few moments, not as an occasion for a good deed or an exercise in philanthropy, but as the beginning of an eternal companionship in God Himself. Protropresbyter +Alexander Schemmann
Our Spiritual Journey through the Bright Sadness of the Great Fast For Eastern Christians, the Great Fast is a time for slowing down, for taking ourselves to account, in order to be spiritually prepared for the greatest feast of all to come, the glorious day of Pascha. It is a time when the Church withdraws from the New Testament and focuses on the Old; it is a time when we long for the Holy Eucharist. In a larger sense, the Great Fast is a permanent dimension of the Church as a pilgrimage. It opens our eyes to the things we do not see and reminds us that our life in the Church is both fast and feast, as expectation and fulfillment, as humility and glory. This journey imbues us with a bright sadness, since we see far, far away, the destination: the joy of Easter and the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom. This vision makes the Great Fast s sadness bright. This beautiful expression, bright sadness expresses a truth that defies logic: the profound mingling of joy and grief. It is a chance for us to remember before the dawn the sin that took Jesus to the cross. The Great Fast reminds us of a truth often forgotten: Jesus took our place on the cross; He went alone to be punished, separated from God and deserted by His friends. The Great Fast calls us to recall and experience our part in the sufferings of Jesus. We face our humanity during these days; we learn that sin still dwells in us, that we still carry darkness; we remember that we, like his disciples, would have fallen asleep as our Lord prayed in the garden and that we also would likely have denied knowing Him as He silently accepted death for us. The Great Fast shows us that before the Resurrection comes crucifixion; before crucifixion comes prosecution; before prosecution comes betrayal, doubt, fear, rebellion and sin. +Father Alexander Schmemann reminded us: The [Great Fast] is a school of repentance. It teaches us what is repentance and how to acquire the spirit of repentance. It prepares us for and leads us to the spiritual regeneration, without which "absolution" remains meaningless. It is, in short, both teaching about repentance and the way of repentance. And, since there can be no real Christian life without repentance, without this constant "reevaluation" of life, the [Great Fast] is an essential part of the tradition of the Church. Bright sadness may be the most powerful and important experience we can know as parishioners of Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church. It brings to our mind and heart, in the most direct and personal way, the ultimate purpose of our life and the object or end of our most passionate desire. It reminds us of who we are, as beloved children of God, created in His image, who loves us with a love without limit and who invites us to glorify and enjoy Him forever. This year, let us make that extra effort to come together as a parish family, as the Christian community to which God has called each one of us, to focus on the bright sadness of the Lenten spring. The pastoral team has developed a program of liturgical and spiritual exercises to encourage us all to set aside our earthly cares so that we can rejoice in the light of God who came into the world to save us to share, not merely as parishioners, nor even just as friends, but rather as brothers and sisters in Christ, united forever in the eternal communion of saints to share in the glory and joy of Pascha which brings us to life everlasting. The Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 PM Since the Eucharist is by its very nature a festal celebration, the joyful commemoration of Christ s Resurrection and presence among His disciples, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on weekdays of Lent is forbidden. But twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Church prescribes the evening celebration of the Liturgy of the
Presanctified Gifts during which communion with the Holy Gifts consecrated on the previous Sunday is distributed. These days being days of strict fasting are "crowned" with the partaking of the Bread of Life, the ultimate fulfillment of all our efforts. Lenten Suppers Friday, following the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts We are continuing our parish tradition of meatless pot-luck suppers on the Fridays of the Great Fast. These light meals offer us the chance to come together in a relaxed setting as a Christian community to share time together in the name of our Lord and to encourage each other on our Lenten journey. Spiritual Reading and Reflection Friday, 6:30-7:15 PM Saint Jerome reminds us to "Always keep a holy book in your hands, that it may nourish your soul by devout reading." The benefits of spiritual reading are many. Not only does it instruct us and aid our prayer, but reading and prayer are the arms by which sin is conquered and paradise is won, said Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Spiritual reading also lifts up our minds to the world of the Spirit and opens before us the door of heaven to taste how good the Lord is. So think of joining our Book Club this Lent. We will come together each Friday of the Great Fast as a group to share our impressions of and insights into The Way of the Disciple by Father Simeon, OCSO (formerly Erasmo Leiva- Merikakis) of Saint Joseph s Trappist Abbey. In this outstanding short book, Father Simeon shows us the way to an intimate companionship with Jesus and to how to become wet clay in the hands of God so that He can transform us into the persons He wants us to be. Just commit to reading each week one chapter and come a little earlier to church. Let Fr. Deacon Michael know of your interest so he can order enough copies of the book for all participants to use and keep in their own library; a free-will offering to defray the cost of the book would be appreciated. Sunday Meditations and the Third Hour Sunday, 9:15 AM Try to come a little early to church to share a meditation on the theme and Gospel of each Sunday of the Great Fast. These short gatherings are designed to offer some extra food for thought, encouragement and strength from God s word to fight the spiritual battles which often face us during the weeks of the Great Fast. Following the meditations, we will celebrate the Third Hour of the Church s Office. This small office recalls the Holy Spirit s descent upon the apostles. One of the three psalms that are read is the 50th: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me take not Thy holy Spirit from me and upon me with Thy free spirit. (Psalm 50: 10-12). Prayers are said to thank God for sending the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, beseeching Him also to bestow the gift of the Spirit s presence upon us for the works of that day. The Third Hour is a reminder that the life of the faithful Christian remains empty without the inner presence of the Spirit. He is the One who provides inner peace and power. He is the One in Whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Epiphany of our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church Roswell, Georgia
All Souls Saturday February 18, 2017 10:00AM Dear Parishioners, As Byzantine Catholics, we believe that intercessions for those who have fallen asleep in the Lord are possible through the fervent prayers of those remaining on earth. We are a Church made up of both the living and the departed. In our liturgical calendar, Saturdays are dedicated, in a special way, to prayer for the deceased. When commemorating our departed, we constantly implore God to give them eternal rest since, according to the Scriptures, to enter into God s rest means to join Him in an eternal life of happiness. In accord with this, the Eastern Church has, since the ninth century, established a special day of prayer for the departed known as All Souls Saturdays. In the Byzantine Liturgical Year there are five All Souls Saturdays namely, Meat Fare Saturday, the Second, Third and Fourth Saturdays of the Great Lent, and the Saturday before Pentecost. We are restoring this venerable practice of our Church to our parish, Epiphany of Our Lord. On Saturday, February 18, 2017, the first All Souls Saturday of this liturgical year, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10:00 AM for the deceased members of our families. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a Panachida will be served during which all the names are read aloud. Following the memorial service, a specially prepared ritual dish of wheat, honey, fruit and nuts called koliva is blessed and shared by all to recall the words of our Lord: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, I produces much grain (John 12:24). Just as wheat must be buried to grow and have new life, so we as Christians believe that the Christian will be raised in a new body in the resurrection. There is a special envelope for All Souls Saturday in the box of offering envelopes. Please place the names of your deceased family members along with your alms in this or another envelope and place it this weekend s collection basket or give it to one of the deacons. If you are unable to attend Liturgy this weekend, send your names to epiphanybyzantinechurch@gmail.com. This way the list of those remembered can be drawn up before Saturday to be included in the commemorations. Members of the family are encouraged to attend these services on the All Souls Saturdays; by our presence and by our personal prayers, almsgiving and receiving Holy Communion we strengthen the bond of love with our departed loved ones and indeed keep their memory everlasting! It is of great consolation for us, the surviving friends and relatives of our faithful departed, to be able to help them and thus remain united to them by a bond of everlasting love. Please try to attend the All Souls Saturday commemorations at our parish on February 18 at 10:00AM. + + + + + One of the most venerable traditions of our Church is the commemoration of the departed in our liturgical prayers. It is the constant teaching of the Church since Apostolic times that the departed can be helped by our prayers, offerings and good deeds. Our Holy Father among the Saints, John Chrysostom (+407), reminded us in speaking of the faithful departed: Let us assist them according to our power. Let us think of some advantage for them, small though it be, but let us assist them. How and in what way? By praying for them, by asking others to pray for them, and by constantly giving alms to the poor in their behalf! (Homily on Philippians 3, 4) He also told us: Not in vain did the Apostles order that remembrance should be made of the dead in the awesome Mysteries [i.e. the Liturgy]. They knew that great gain resulted to them
(the deceased), and great benefit. For when the whole assembly [of the people] stands with uplifted hands and that awesome Sacrifice lies displayed, how shall we not prevail with God by our entreaty for them? And this we do for those who have departed in faith! (Homily on Philippians 3, 4) The custom of offering prayers and sacrifices for the departed comes to us from the Old Testament. Holy Scripture praises the custom as holy and wholesome or pious, as is written in the II Book of Maccabees, ch. 12, v. 45: It is therefore, a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins. In the Catholic Church, the commemoration of the dead is considered as one of the main works of mercy. St. Paul prayed for his devoted friend Onesiphorus that the Lord grant him mercy as he stands before God s judgment seat. (II Tim. 1:18) All the early Liturgies of the Church, including the most ancient one, the Liturgy of St. James, contain a prayer for the departed. In the Liturgies of St. Basil the Great (+379) and St. John Chrysostom prayers for the deceased are also included. The Apostolic Constitutions (4th century) prescribed that during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, the deacon should remind the faithful to pray for the deceased. Therefore, the Fathers of Vatican II rightly decreed that the Church from the very first centuries of Christianity has cultivated the memory of the dead with great piety and offered prayers for them. (Constitution on the Church, n. 50.) In the Byzantine Rite, we commemorate the deceased every day at the Divine Liturgy immediately after the Consecration with the petition: Remember, O Lord, all those who have departed in the hope of resurrection unto eternal life, and grant them rest where the light of Your face shines. (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) From the beginning of Christianity, local churches kept registers of their living members as well as those who departed. These registers, known as diptychs, were folding tablets made of wood, ivory, or precious metals artistically decorated with carvings and bound together by rings. These were used in Church to commemorate the living and the dead at the Divine Liturgy since the fourth century. This venerable custom was transmitted to us by our ancestors as a part of our beautiful spiritual Byzantine heritage. On Meat-Fare Sunday we liturgically commemorate the Last Judgment (Mt. 25:31-46). Therefore, on the previous day, we, in our charity, intercede with the merciful Judge for the deceased that they be placed at His right hand when He will come to judge the living and the dead. Every year, then, before Meat-Fare Saturday the families give the lists of their departed loved ones to the church with an offering so that they are mentioned at the services held for the deceased on the All Souls Saturday. In the burial service according to the Byzantine Rite, the Church places the following words on the lips of the deceased, as we sing the hymns prescribed in bidding our departed loved one our final farewell: Come all you that love me and bid me farewell, for I shall no longer walk with you nor talk with you, since I am going to my Judge, Who shows no favors and rewards or punishes everyone according to his deeds. Therefore, I beg and implore all of you, pray for me continually to Christ our God that, on account of my sins, I may not be doomed into the place of affliction, but rather be granted a place where the light of life is shining! The custom of announcing the names of the deceased during the liturgical services, as stated above, can be traced back to the first centuries of Christianity. Already in the fourth century, the practice was strongly defended by St. Epiphanius (+403) as a firmly established tradition in the Church. In his Panarios, he writes: Concerning the ritual of reading the names of the deceased, what can be more useful or suitable; what can be more worthy of admiration? (Panarios 75, 8). St. Gregory of Nazianzus (d. 390), after celebrating the funeral services for his brother Caesarius, concluded his eulogy with the following words: Part of my funeral gift is now completed. The remainder we will pay by offering every year, as long as we live, our honours and memorials for him! (Oration VII, 17) We also should emulate St. Gregory by remembering our departed loved ones, especially during the All Souls Saturdays, as long as we live, and point out to those coming after us the wholesomeness of this beautiful and praiseworthy custom of praying for and remembering our departed loved ones. Eternal Memory! Blessed Repose and Eternal Memory!