) Weekly Liturgical/Service Schedule Sunday After Theophany Jan. 8-9, 2011 Sat. Jan. 8 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+Egon DeZubay, req. by Magda DeZubay) Sun. Jan. 9 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+Mary Jane Platek, req. by Marilyn Shandrick) Sixth Hour Service Jan. 13, 2011 Thurs. Jan. 13 12 noon Sixth Hour 34 th Sunday after Pentecost Jan. 15-16, 2011 Sat. Jan. 15 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy (+John Shovlin, III, req. by Charles & Vern Tarasovic) Sun. Jan. 16 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (+Helen Czyrnik, req. by Joseph Matolyak Seminarian Thomas Slosky Blogspot Sem. Tom Slosky has set up a blog site to keep everyone updated on his seminary progress. The blog site is http://asacrificeofpraise.blogspot.com/ GCU District #1 Enjoy & Entertainment Books Available GCU District #1 is again offering Enjoy & Entertainment books for purchase. To order books, please call John Tomko (412-835-3048) or Mike Pillar (412-854-5063). Men s Club Meeting St. Gregory s Men s Club will be having a meeting this Sunday, January 9 immediately following the Divine Liturgy in our church hall. The results of the Christmas kolbasi sale will be discussed. All Men s Club members are encouraged to attend. Orientale Lumen (Light of the East) Television Eastern Christian Publications has also recently launched an internet television website to promote a greater knowledge of the Eastern Christian Churches and their traditions and heritage in the West. The website is www.oltv.tv. For those Christians of the West and the East who wish to learn more about the various Eastern Christian Churches, this website will be very helpful. 2011 January 2 1. Envelopes $ 990.00 2. Loose 33.00 3. Candles 30.00 4. Debt 0.00 5. B.C.W. 0.00 6. Flowers 0.00 7. Initial 113.00 8. Men s Club Transfer 2,538.00 9. Insurance Reimbursement (Roof) 1,036.05 Total Deposited $4,740.05 Weekly Envelopes 2@ 50 = 100.00 2@ 35 = 70.00 3@ 30 = 90.00 9@ 25 = 225.00 15@ 20 = 300.00 2@ 15 = 30.00 11@ 10 = 110.00 5@ 5 = 25.00 Total 50 $ 990.00 Average = $ 19.80
2010 December 25 1. Envelopes $ 0.00 2. Loose 91.00 3. Candles 65.00 4. Debt 0.00 5. B.C.W. 0.00 6. Flowers 0.00 7. Christmas 3,860.00 Total Deposited $4,016.00 Christmas Envelopes 1@ $ 1,000 = $ 1,000.00 1@ 200 = 200.00 9@ 100 = 900.00 1@ 75 = 75.00 1@ 60 = 60.00 17@ 50 = 850.00 1@ 35 = 35.00 7@ 30 = 210.00 10@ 25 = 250.00 7@ 20 = 140.00 8@ 10 = 80.00 4@ 5 = 20.00 Total 68 $ 3,860.00 Average = $ 56.75 Average needed per week to meet expenses prior to fund-raising (based on last year s total expenses including debt reduction expenses) = $2529.28 2010 December 26 1. Envelopes $5,280.00 2. Loose 27.00 3. Candles 32.00 4. Debt 1,205.00 5. B.C.W. 18.00 6. Flowers 10.00 7. Scrapbook Raffle 105.00 8. Cook Book Sale 3.00 9. Nutroll Sale 33.00 Total Deposited $6,713.00 Weekly Envelopes 1@ $ 4,000 = $ 4,000.00 1@ 200 = 200.00 7@ 50 = 350.00 1@ 35 = 35.00 1@ 30 = 30.00 13@ 25 = 325.00 9@ 20 = 180.00 2@ 15 = 30.00 6@ 10 = 60.00 6@ 5 = 30.00 Total 48 $ 5,280.00 Prayer Breakfast for Life A prayer breakfast for life will be held on Sat., Jan. 15, 2011 at 10 a.m. at the Comfort Inn, 699 Rodi Road, Penn Hills. Cost for the breakfast is $15 each. The guest speaker is
Rev. John Patterson. For more info, or to purchase tickets, please call 412-531-9272. Annual Blessing of Homes during Feast of Theophany In the tradition of the Byzantine Church, homes are usually blessed during the time of the Feast of Theophany. Just as Christ s baptism (which we participate in through our own baptism) regenerated the human race and healed our wounded, sinful human nature, we also baptize our homes with the holy water which has been blessed on the feast, so that our homes may be places of spiritual renewal, love, and healing for our families. In the original Byzantine tradition, every parishioners home was blessed (they were all done immediately after the feast day liturgy, when the priest walked from house to house in the village blessing each parishioner s home). However, due to the fact that not everyone lives in a small village surrounding the local Byzantine church anymore, and the priest cannot walk in a few hours around to bless all parishioners homes, this blessing is now optional. However, Fr. Tom is very happy to come and bless your house, if you so desire, according to the Byzantine ritual of house blessing. Fr. Tom will be scheduling house blessings beginning on the feast day itself, January 6 and anytime thereafter (preferably in the post-festive time of the feast). To schedule a house blessing, please call Fr. Tom at the rectory - 412-835-7800. 22 nd Annual Ukrainian Malanka (New Year s Eve Celebration) The Ukrainian-American community s 22 nd annual Malanka will be held on Sat., Jan. 15 from 7:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the Ukrainian-American Citizens Club, on the corner of Mansfield Boulevard and Walnut Street in Carnegie. The best in American Top 40 s and Ukrainian dance music will be provided by Fred Yasnowsky and his Musical Collection Band from Youngstown, OH from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Pre-paid tickets will be available through Monday, Jan. 13 th. Tickets are just $15 pre-paid, or $20 at the door. Children and young people through college: just $1 at the door. (Please note: Tickets purchased or called in after Monday, Jan. 13 will be at the $20 price). However, once the fire code capacity is met, ticket sales will end, so please buy your tickets as soon as possible. An a la carte kitchen serving Ukrainian foods will be open beginning at 7:30 p.m. Noisemakers and New Year s Eve favors will be provided. Ticket sellers: Halyna Lutsiv at 412-481- 1865 or Yurko Honchar at 412-429-1536. Table reservations are being handled by Debra Walenchok at 412-276-4007. Table reservations will be accepted only for paid ticket holders, on a first called, first reserved basis. This Week s Reflection: Theophany and Free Will God reveals His Son in the silence of our soul. Why might God do this? One reason is that communion with God requires our active participation. Our will must be conformed to God's will. Take the Holy Scriptures. Many passages are not clear cut and we have to struggle to make sense of them. When we look at the Lord's life as recorded in scripture for example, we always see an ambiguity. Almost everything Our Lord did demands an interpretation that we must provide. Our inner orientation -- our capacity to see and understand -- must be developed in order to see who the Lord really is. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes continually saw the work of Jesus but concluded He was a malefactor. Those with purity of heart saw the same works but concluded that Jesus was the Son of God, the Good God who loves mankind. Which ones are we? Meditate on the Troparion (hymn) of the Theophany: Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You, calling You Beloved; and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world. If we experience the Theophany within ourselves, we will see the Lord all around us. The psalmist says "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament declares His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). If we listen on the inside, we will see clearly what lies on the outside. The senses are freed and clamor of the world loses its power over our minds and hearts so that the Lord might reveal Himself to us more and more. (Excerpt from home page of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America) Eastern Christian Publications Eastern Christian Publications, the company that produces our weekly bulletin covers, has a wide variety of Eastern Christian spiritual, liturgical, and historical books, CD s, and DVD s available for purchase. They have an online catalog available at their website: ecpubs.com. To request a catalog by mail, please call 703-691-8862 or write to Eastern
Christian Publications, P.O. Box 3909, Fairfax, VA 22038-3909. St. Gregory of Nazianzus Byzantine Catholic Church 2005 Mohawk Road Upper St Clair, PA 15241 412-835-7800 724-317-6986 (cell) Pastor: FATHER THOMAS J. WESDOCK Email: saintgregorychurch@gmail.com or frthomas2000@gmail.com ECF Classes: Sundays 10:45-11:45a.m. Confession: By appointment & Saturday at 3 p.m. Marriage: at least six months notice; Pre-Cana classes from the Archeparchy Cantors: George Tichi, Michael Pillar, Sylvia Bender, Jeremy Mayernik ECF Coordinator: Carol Planitzer at cplanitzer@comcast.net or 724-969-4122 Youth Ministry: Michael Kiss at jandmkiss1@comcast.net or 724-693-8983 Church Founding & Historical Committee: Gerri Luchok (412-835-7570), Nancy Romza (724-745-2274), or Helen Utlak (412-835-3757) Bethany Ministry: Jennifer Kehm at nkehm@aol.com or 724-941-5352 Parish Nurse: Dorothy Mayernik at dorothymayernik@comcast.net or 412-310-0521 Fr. Tom s Communion Visitation List If you know of any parishioners who are sick and unable to come to church for an extended period of time, please inform Fr. Tom, so he can call them up and see about putting them on his home communion visitation schedule. Thank you. Single, 21 & Over (or know someone who is) Looking for a new way to meet people, make friends, and share good times with others? Check out the Catholic Alumni Club. The group offers parties, picnics, hiking, volleyball, tennis, softball, dinners, trips, scripture study, community service, bowling, cultural and many other great events. For more information, visit our website: www.cacpittsburgh.org, or call 412-341-4070. donations (non-perishable food items or monetary donations) for the Pittsburgh-area poor. Items and monetary donations collected will be forwarded to the South Hills Interfaith Ministry for distribution in the South Hills and Greater Pittsburgh area. Greatly needed items include: spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables (green beans, peas, corn, carrots, spinach etc.), cereals and diapers. Your help in this endeavor is greatly appreciated! St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church Choir Recordings St. Nicholas B. C. Church choir in Barberton, OH is selling recordings of Byzantine Catholic liturgies and hymns. CD s for sale include seasonal chants of the Eastern church, Church Slavonic Divine Liturgies, and ecumenical presentations featuring Byzantine Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant choirs. For more info: 330-825-2979 or by e-mail: rbenya@neo.rr.com Please Take Care of Pew Books Just a reminder to take care of our church s pew books. Please do not allow children to rip pages and pull and fray ribbons. These books are expensive, so please take care of them! Free Income Tax Assistance Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) will be available at the South Hills Bible Chapel, 300 Gallery Dr., McMurray, PA 15137, beginning Tues., Feb. 1 through Fri., April 15. Regular hours are weekdays, 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. There are no appointments, only walkins. Gallery Drive is located 6 miles south of the South Hills Village on the west side of Route 19, across from the Sears Service Center. Follow signs 0.4 mile to the VITA entrance. Volunteers will assist taxpayers with Federal, PA and local wage tax returns and real estate/rent rebate and PACE applications. Please bring: W-2 s, all 1099 s, (e.g. interest and dividend statements, social security, and pension statements), totals of itemized deductions, (e.g. medical, taxes, charitable, and misc.) and social security cards for you, your spouse and dependents. Don t forget copies of your 2009 federal and state tax returns, real estate tax receipts and receipts for large purchases such as cars. For direct deposit of refund, have bank account and routing numbers. Please do not contact the Bible Chapel regarding VITA. Donations for the Poor Collection Container During the four fasting seasons of the Byzantine Catholic Church Year, a blue specially marked container will be located in the narthex (vestibule) of the church to collect