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WEEKLY SCHEDULE Sunday, March 18, 2018 9:30am Divine Liturgy Saint John Climacus Panachida memory of +His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas on 7th Anniversary of his repose Pot Luck Social Wednesday, March 21, 2018 5:00pm Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts Thursday, March 22, 2018 2:00-4:00pm Church open for Prayer/Confession Friday, March 23, 2018 5:00pm Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts Saturday, March 24, 2018 7:00pm Vespers for the Annunciation at Annunciation GO Church Vestal, New York Sunday, March 25, 2018 9:30am Divine Liturgy Saint Mary of Egypt Wednesday, March 28, 2018 6:00pm Deanery Mission Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts @ Saint Michael s Binghamton, NY ALL INVITED TO ATTEND VESTAL & BINGHAMTON SERVICES! Parish Contact Information Rev. Father Daniel Mahler Presiding Priest Parish Office: 607-962-5285 Father s Cell: 607-377-0587 Canada Road: 607-936-0689 Charles (Chuck) Coons Council President/Cantor: 607-368-1309 2
Epistle Reading for the Sunday of St. John Climacus The Reading is from St. Paul s Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20 Brethren, When God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, Surely I will bless you and multiply you. And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek., Melchizedek, Melkisetek, or Malki Tzedek (/mɛl.ˈkɪz.ə.dɛk/; [1] Hebrew: ק ל כּ י צ, malkī-ṣeḏeqמ "king of righteousness"; Amharic: መልከ ጼዴቅ malkī-ṣeḏeq; Armenian: Մելքիսեդեք, Melkisetek), was the king of Salemand priest of El Elyon ("God most high") mentioned in the 14th chapter of the Book of Genesis. He brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram and El Elyon. [2] Chazalic literature specifically Targum Jonathan, Targum Yerushalmi, and the Babylonian Talmud presents the name ( asמלכי צדק) a nickname title for Shem, the son of Noah. [3] In Christianity, according to the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus Christ is identified as "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek", and so Jesus assumes the role of High Priest once and for all. Reference between the messiah and Melchizedek appears in subsequent biblical verses: Genesis 14:18-20; I Samuel 13 Psalm 110:1-10 Matthew 22:44; 26:26-28 Luke 22:19; Mark 14:22 John 6:53 Acts 2:34 I Corinthians 11:23-25 Hebrews 4:14-15; 5:6; 5:10; 6:19-20; 7:1-21. Revelation 1:6 From Wikipedia 3
Gospel Reading for the Sunday of St. John Climacus The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark Mark 9:17-31 Let us attend, At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down;; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able. And he answered them, O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me. And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, How long has he had this? And he said, From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us. And Jesus said to him, :If you can! All things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, I believe; help my unbelief! And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out? And he said to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting. They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise. 4
Fourth Sunday of Lent Commemoration of Saint John (Climacus) of the Ladder From the Prayer on the Amvon at the end of Liturgy on the Fourth Sunday of Lent Lord our God, though we are unworthy, You have deemed us worthy to stand in this holy place. Though we have nothing good to offer You, we sacrifice a humbled heart and a contrite spirit to You Who have no need of anything of ours. Because You are good, we seek from You forgiveness of our sins. Hear our worthless prayers, for You did not turn away from the Publican who humbled himself before You, but proclaimed him justified! Banish from our hearts the self-praise and boasting of the selfrighteous Pharisee. Grant us instead the compunction of the Publican and humility that would draw us to You. For You exalt: the humble, and humble the exalted. Make us worthy of the happiness of the kingdom of heaven, which You have made ready for the poor in spirit. Through the mercies of Christ, with Whom You are blessed, together with the all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen. Humility is the only thing that no devil can imitate. Obedience is the burial of the will and the resurrection of humility. Saint John Climacus Ver. Rev. Protopresbyter Frank Miloro, 48 DAYS TO THE GREAT DAY Vol. #7 The Orthodox Church: 455 Questions & Answers by Stanley Harakas Q: What is the true meaning of Luke 23:42-43? A: The true meaning of this passage is found in the example of repentance of the penitent thief who was crucified together with Christ, and in contrast with the unrepentant criminal. It is also a passage which shows the mercifulness and goodness of Christ, who not only forgave the repentant thief, but also those who crucified Him. Lord, remember me There is not question that the words of Christ are a sign of His generous when you come into response to the good thief s repentance: all he asked was to be remem- your Kingdom! bered. Much more than expected, Christ promised him a place in paradise that very day. The word paradise however, is used differently in the Bible. Here, Orthodox Bible commentators feell the word means the condition of happiness as a result of being with Christ. Paradise is identical with the Kingdom of God, which begins in this life for the believer who is in communion with Christ. The today is the direct result of the good thief s repentance. But since he is dying, he will also experience that day the foretaste of eternal life which all believers who die in Christ experience. Thus, the 11th century Orthodox Bible commentator Theophylactos comments: The thief is in paradise, that is, in the Kingdom but he has not as yet received the blessings of the final and complete inheritance. That will occur only at the Second Coming of Christ. 5
March Birthdays March 19 March 25 March 25 Paul Rodrigues Noah Coons Jason Cox od grant your servants good health, happiness, salvation for many blessed Years!! Potluck & Pantry Spice of Life Ever no ce how the right combina on of spices can take an otherwise bland dish and turn it into something exci ng, especially during Lent. Now imagine skipping out on the pepper or basil or cinnamon because your funds are limited. Next week, as we celebrate Potluck & Pantry, think about bringing spices for the Corning Community Food Pantry. As you buy seasonings for your own dishes, pick up an extra jar for someone else. Calendar Reminder Please provide any events for next month s calendar to Helen Revelas by the 20th of the month. Kissing of Icons In reverencing Holy Icons please do not kiss an Icon if you are wearing lipstick because lipstick stains are almost impossible to remove. If wearing lipstick only make a small bow and bless yourself. +His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas It is hard to believe that 7 years have passed since His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, our spiritual father and Diocesan Ruler fell asleep in the Lord. He was not only my Diocesan Bishop, but also a friend of many years, as he was to many within and outside of the Diocese. Rest in peace, Vladyko! O Lord, grant to Your servant, His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas a place where there is neither sickness, sorrow, or pain but life ever-lasting in Your Heavenly Kingdom. Memory Eternal! Vichnaja Pamjat! 6
PUSSY WILLOW WATCH! Although Willow/Palm Sunday is a few weeks away, please be on the lookout for Pussy Willows that are starting to bud and you find any please clip them and bring them to the Church. This has been a tough few months for willows and other trees and shrubs since we had warm Spring days, cold days and YES snow. Willow Palm Sunday is April 1st and Pascha April 8th. THANK YOU! Thank you to our Ladies and Gentlemen of the parish for cleaning, arranging and bringing Lenten goodies last Sunday to our Deanery Lenten Mission Vespers. It was a joy to have our Deanery and Area Clergy along with our Brothers and Sisters from the Binghamton and Elmira area join us as we celebrated our Deanery Lenten Vespers service for the first time in our new home. Our Dean, Father James Dutko was main celebrant with Father Thomas Kadlec St. Mary s Church Cheektowaga, Father James Worthington Holy Trinity Church Elmira Heights Deacon Charles Ellis and Father Dan assisting at the Altar. Afterwards good fellowship was enjoyed by all! Tyler s new mailing address: Pfc. Tyler Colburn 300 Hospital Road Fort Gordon, GA 30905 Send him a card or a note for Pascha. I know he will be thrilled to hear from you! 7
If you would like to meet with Father, please call him @607-962-5285 to arrange a time and place which is convenient for you. Emergency Sick Calls: Father is available for emergencies at any time. Please call him @ 607-962-5285 or on his cell phone @ 607-377-0587. Our Mailing Address is: 61 Canada Road Painted Post, NY 14870 Confessions are heard after Vespers on Saturday, after any weekday or Lenten service or by calling Father for an appointment. Marriages are solemnized on Saturdays. Consult Father at least six months in advance and before plans have been made for the wedding reception. Marriages cannot be celebrated during the fasting seasons of the Church. Baptisms are normally scheduled on Saturday or Sunday. Consult Father for scheduling. Two God-parents are required, at least one of whom must be Orthodox by faith and the other a practicing Christian. Church Funerals are provided for practicing Orthodox Christians who are current in their Spiritual and Financial obligations to the parish otherwise burial is from the funeral home. If you would like to schedule a Panachida for your loved one please call Father at 962-5285 The Church does not permit Cremation. His Grace, Bishop GREGORY; Protopresbyter Frank Miloro; Protopresbyter John Duranko; Protopresbyter Jim Dutko; Protopresbyter Luke Mihaly; Protopresbyter Lawrence Barriger; Protopresbyter Kenneth Bachofsky; V. Rev. Thomas Kadlek; V. Rev. Michael Kleban; Very Rev. John Baranik; V. Rev. Michael Psenechnuk; Rev. James Gleason; V. Rev. Jason Kappanadze; Father James Worthington and Family Deacon Charles Ellis; Deacon Donald Koch; Mother Ralphaela; Pani Joan; Pani Kathleen Dutko; Pani Patricia Duranko; Pani-Matka Julia Romanchak; Sally Ellis; Judy Koch; Michael Banik; Helen Verno; Eleanor Adzima; Stan Lewek; Michael & Delores Kundrat; Vasyl & Lyudmyla Hayova; Helen Coons; Anna Soraparu; Mary Benyo; Anna Chudanic; Paul Rodrigues; George Officer; Michael Matzkevich; Marlene Wheet; Mae Mary Shonak; Helen Molson; Donna Blazosky; Tom Serdula; Art Gallant; Karen Kluchonic; Nancy Murphy-Teed; Joyce Nissen; Chelsea Roman; Gloria Ewsuk; Andrew Chudanic; Tammy Pierson; Jeanne Zimmer; Denise Topichak To Jonathan Share who is serving in the United States Navy; Tyler Colburn serving in the United States Army; Douglas Linsey serving in the United States Army and to all of our men and women who are serving and protecting our country both at home and abroad. 8
11 Cross Veneration Sunday 9:30am Divine Liturgy Panachida mem Julia, Michael, Edward Brudnak Coffee Social 4:00pm Deanery Lenten Mission Service-Here MARCH 2018 12 13 14 15 5:00pm 2-4pm Church Moleben to the Open for Holy Cross Prayer/Confes sion 16 5:00pm Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts 17 9:00am All Souls Memorial Service NO VESPERS TONIGHT 18 St. John of the Ladder (Climacus) 9:30am Divine Liturgy Potluck/Pantry 19 20 21 Listings for 5:00pm Liturgy of Presanc- Next Month due to Helen R tified Gifts 22 2-4pm Church Open for Prayer/Confes sion 23 24 5:00pm Liturgy of HERE NO VESPERS Presanctified 7:00pm Feast Gifts of the Annunciation Vespers Annunciation GO Church Vestal, NY 25 Saint Mary of Egypt 9:30am Divine Liturgy Coffee Social 26 27 28 5:00pm Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts 29 30 31 5:00pm Liturgy of day Lazarus Satur- Presanctified 9:00am Divine Gifts Liturgy 10:00am Make Palm Crosses 5:00pm Great Vespers/Litija Palm Sun 9