Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church Українська Католицька Церква Пресвятої Родини Христос Раждається! Christ is Born! Славіти Його! Let us glorify Him! Merry Christmas!
THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (Mt. 2, 1-12) After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel. Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When you search for me with your whole heart - you will find me (Jeremiah 29:13) «Ви знайдете мене коли дудете шукати мене всім серцем.» (Єремія 29:13)
If you wish to offer a GIFT OF LOVE to your Pastor this Christmas, please use the envelope in your boxed set or a convenience envelope (please indicate Gift of Love ). These offerings are shared between your pastor and Archbishop Lawrence (50% each). If you use a cheque, please make it out to Fr John Mostivsky
PASTORAL LETTER OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF CANADA ON THE OCCASION OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD 2018/2019 Dear Sisters and Brothers, As we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, we do so with a sense of wonder in our hearts. The story of the birth of Jesus serves as a constant reminder of God s love for us. To express God s boundless love for us, God appears among us in the person of his own son, Jesus Christ. God with us. Emmanuel. And in this we rejoice! This year, we celebrate Christmas in the context of the 100th Anniversary of the End of World War I. On November 11, 1918, church bells rang out throughout the world as an outpouring of relief that four years of war had come to an end. We remember and honour those who served and sacrificed millions who gave with their lives that we might have peace. We remember the joy that peace brought after so much death and destruction. Jesus, at his birth, comes into the world as the Prince of Peace, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah: For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6). Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He comes into the world as the great peacemaker among humanity. He teaches in the Beatitudes, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5: 9). At his death, he tells his disciples, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you (John 14: 27). On that very first Easter, we are told: When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. (John 20: 19). Alongside other powerful names such as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Eternal Father, Jesus is given the title Prince of Peace, indicating one of His many roles the One who is the leader of peace and offers it to others. As we celebrate Jesus birth this Christmas, let us thank God for the gift of peace. And let us honour the Prince of Peace by continuing to be peacemakers in the world, starting within our own families and among our friends and neighbours. But how can we do so?
The story is told about an old rabbi once asked his students how one could recognize the time when night ends and day begins. One student asked, Is it when, from a great distance, you can tell a dog from a sheep? No, said the rabbi. Another student asked, Is it when, from a great distance, you can tell a date palm from a fig tree? No, said the rabbi. Then, the students asked, when is it? The rabbi answered, It is when you look into the face of any human creature and see your brother or sister there. Until then, night is still with us. Ah, to see brother or sister in all. This is the call of all humanity. Yet, we live in a world that is all too often filled with horrific examples of communities torn apart: hunger and starvation, ethnic cleansing, segregation, genocide, tougher immigration, and so on. Still, there is plenty of food and work for everyone in the world if we but share our common wealth and recognize that we are all brothers and sisters. We are not alone but are related with others all around the world. We belong to the family of God, and it is the love of God that binds us together. This Christmas, we remember those that fought for peace in the world. We remember the joy that peace brought, and pray for peace and a better world including places where there is conflict today: Ukraine, Syria, the Middle East, and others when we can truly call each other brother and sister. As we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, may Christ, truly bless you and your family with peace, love and joy, now and in the New Year! Christ is Born! Let us Glorify Him! Христос рождається! Славімо Його! Merry Christmas! + Lawrence Huculak OSBM, Metropolitan Archbishop of Winnipeg + Michael Wiwchar CSSR, Bishop Emeritus of Saskatoon + Severian Yakymyshyn OSBM, Bishop Emeritus of New Westminster + David Motiuk, Eparchial Bishop of Edmonton + Stephen Chmilar, Eparchial Bishop of Toronto + Ken Nowakowski, Eparchial Bishop of New Westminster + Bryan Bayda CSSR, Eparchial Bishop of Saskatoon
Christmas Day-Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The message of Christ s Nativity is as simple and as new today as it was more than 2,000 years ago: God is with us. In today s torn world, these are words of consolation and courage. Christ s birth marked the beginning of The Way on which He Himself embarked as a man: grounded in humility, stepeed in the Scriptures, centred on concern for others. Early Christians referred to their faith as The Way. Our journey is the same as theirs. It s a sojourn on earth that culminates in our arrival at the blessed dwelling awaiting us in what Pope Saint John Paul II called our Father s house. As He did with the two men walking to Emmaus, Jesus joins us along The Way, revealing His teachings and revealing Himself in the breaking of the bread. As we contemplate the infant in the crèche in the naive of our church today, we recognize the Baby Jesus as the image of the invisible God who loves us (Col 1:15) Our prayer today: Jesus, even as an infant You showed us The Way to our Father s house. Guide us on our journey. Christmas prayer and blessing Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the magi. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus sake. Amen! I hope and pray you have a joyous Christmas as we bask in the glow of God s awesome love. May the peace of the Christ child fill your hearts and the grace of God overwhelm you with joy. May your travels be safe and your homecomings be happy. Merry Christmas to all parishioners of Holy Family Parish. ~Fr. John Mostivsky
Служби Божі / Divine Liturgies Day Date Time Intention Mon Dec 24 10:00 pm За інтенції всіх Парафіян intentions of all our parishioners Tue Blessings for Coral, Tyler, Dominic, Dallas and Steven by Paulette and Leonard Terrick Dec 25 11:00 am Wed Dec 26 10:00 am Don Marcynuk by family Thu Dec 27 7:30 am Don Marcynuk by family Fri Dec 28 6:30 pm 7:00 pm Rosary Don Marcynuk by family Sun Dec 30 9:00am 11:00 am +Florence Bayda by Caroline, Martin, Anastasia, Nicholas & Adriana Pasieczka За інтенції всіх Парафіян intentions of all our parishioners CHRISTMAS GREETINGS Різдвяні вітання The Holy Family Parish Pastoral Council, extends wishes to all members that the miracle of Christmas fills your heart with warmth and love. May your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter, and goodwill, and may the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow. Wishing all parishioners a very Merry and Peaceful Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. God Bless. Христос Раждається! Christ is Born! Славіти Його! Let us Glorify Him! ЩАСЛИВОГО НОВУ РОКУ! HAPPY NEW YEAR! K of C General Meeting Jan 15, 2019 7:30 pm Crossword Puzzle Answers
Schedule of Services at Holy Family Parish for Christmas 2018/2019 Friday, December 14th 6:00 pm: Christmas Confession 6:30 pm: Rosary 7:00 pm: Divine Liturgy Monday, December 24th 10:00 pm Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy & Myrovannia (Bilingual) Tuesday, December 25th Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord 11:00 am: Divine Liturgy & Myrovannia (Bilingual) Wednesday, December 26th Synaxis of the Mother of God 10:00 am: Divine Liturgy (Bilingual) Tuesday, January 1st Feast of Circumcision of Our Lord, and Feast of St Basil the Great 10:00 am: Divine Liturgy (Bilingual) Sunday, January 6th Feast of Theophany 9:00 am: Divine Liturgy 11:00 am: Divine Liturgy (Blessing of Water) Blessing of Homes will be done on request Христос Рождається! Christ is Born! Славімо Його! Let us glorify Him!