ST. GREGORY S DIVINE SERVICES FOR THE WEEK Friday, June 29 The holy, glorious and chief apostles Peter and Paul 7:00 P.M. Divine Liturgy Birthday Blessings for Pat Tichi, given by daughter Sharon Opal Supplications will be offered for +Martha Sepety, given by Sharon Opal Saturday, June 30 Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles 5:00 P.M. Vigil Divine Liturgy Sunday, July 1 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 9:10 A.M. Third Hour 9:30 A.M. Divine Liturgy The Epistle Reading will be Romans 12:6-14 and the Gospel will be Matthew 9:1-8. Supplications will be offered for +Martha Sepety, given by Cindy Sepety. Following the Divine Liturgy, please join us in the Church hall for refreshments and Christian fellowship. ON THE SAINTS The Church is the body of Christ, His bride, the world to come, and the temple of God. The members of His body are all the saints. However, not all of the saints who will please God have yet appeared, nor yet is thus complete, nor the world to come yet filled. I say this about God's Church. There are, though, many unbelievers in the world today who will believe in Christ; many sinners and debauched who will repent and change their lives; many undecided who will be persuaded. There are many, a great many, up to the sound of the last trumpet, who will prove well-pleasing to God and who have not yet been born. All those who are foreknown by God must be born, come into being, before the world beyond our world, the world of the Church, of the first-born, of the heavenly Jerusalem, is filled up. Then shall the end come and the fullness of the body of Christ be complete. - St. Simeon the New Theologian
WE MUST BE READY AND GO NOW. THE FIELDS ARE READY- NOW. One morning, my lawn was full of dandelions. They were beautiful. Most people hate them. My neighbors had treated their lawns, as there were but a few dandelions there. For anyone who likes dandelion salad, or indulges in what I have heard as dandelion wine, my yard was ready that morning for gathering. Little did I know what ahead just a few hours later. That day, we left for but a few hours, it was one of the hotter days of the season thus far. Upon our return, these beautiful little yellow dandelions had all at once turned white and were gone POOF. And dried to their white harvest parachutes which were blown away, spreading their love! Probably into my neighbor s yard. St. Gregory s Prayer List Kindly remember in your prayers our parishioners and friends who struggle with sickness, pain, hardship, or any special need: William Christoff, Joseph Mehalik, Stephen Morovich, Theresa Lokes, and Julie Trbovich. If you would like to add your name or the name of a loved one to this list, please contact the parish office via phone or email. In the Church vestibule, you are invited to add the names of the sick and any other intentions you would like to be remembered in our Prayer Intention book. Are you planning to travel during the summer months? Remember to contact the Parish Office for locations of Byzantine Catholic Churches and any Eastern Catholic Churches across America or in the world. Those who have access to the internet go to: www.parishesonline.com Or you may try: www.masstimes.org When you travel, please remember to visit our parishes, and to participate in Divine Worship according to our Liturgical tradition. Announcements Friday: Holy Apostles Peter and Paul On Friday, June 29 th, we commemorate the glorious and all-praised leaders of the Apostles Peter and Paul. To honor these holy Apostles, Divine Liturgy will be celebrated Friday evening, June 29 th, at 7:00 p.m. Please come and be part of this celebration as we honor the first in prominence among the Apostles, and teachers to the Universe. Summer Bible Study Consider joining us at St. Gregory s for a Bible Study with seminarian Nathan Adams. He will be leading us through the second letter of St. Peter. In this study we will be focusing on how to prepare for the day when we meet the Lord face to face. If you want to learn more about how we should, and should not think and live in preparation for Day of the Lord, then this Bible-study is for you. Sign up for this upcoming Summer Bible Study, which will begin in our Church hall on Tuesday, July 17 th, at 7:00 pm. This three week Bible Study will be taking place on Tuesday nights: July 17 th, July 24 th, and July 31 st. Byzantine Catholic Family Day at Kennywood The upcoming Byzantine Catholic Family Day will take place on Thursday, July 26 th, at Kennywood Park. Discounted park tickets ($24 for non-seniors, $14 for senior citizens - age 55+, and $10.00 for senior citizens - age 70+) are available (through Monday, July 9) through the secretary of our local GCU lodge, Mike Pillar (phone: 412-854-5063 or email: mikepillar@comcast.net). To order tickets for the Luncheon ($15), which follows the cultural program, please contact the parish office. Haven t Seen Someone in a While? Visit them or give them a call or an email. It is nice to hear from a friend from Church. Let them know that you miss seeing them and hope that everything is okay. Deacon Program New Applicants The admissions process for the 2019 Deacon Formation Program is now open. Men 30-60 who are discerning a call to service in the Church are encouraged to apply. Deadline for registration form is July 8 th, 2018. Classes for the first year of the 4 year program will be held June 16 29, 2019 at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary. A two week residency is required each year. Please submit the registration form and once received, candidates will then be mailed an application packet. For any further inquiries, please see Deacon Michael, or email vocations@archpitt.org, or phone the Office of Vocations at (412) 231-4000 or (412) 480-4508.
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist The Gospel reading from St. Luke. 1: 5 relates that the righteous parents of St John the Baptist, the Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth, lived in the ancient city of Hebron. They reached old age without having children, since Elizabeth was barren. Once, St. Zachariah was serving in the Temple at Jerusalem and saw the Archangel Gabriel, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. He predicted that St. Zachariah would father a son, who would announce the Savior, the Messiah, awaited by the Old Testament Church. Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. He had doubts that in old age it was possible to have a son, and he asked for a sign. It was given to him, and it was also a chastisement for his unbelief. Zachariah was struck speechless until the time of the fulfillment of the archangel's words. St. Elizabeth came to be with child, and fearing derision at being pregnant so late in life, she kept it secret for five months. Then her relative, the Virgin Mary, came to share with her own joy. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, was the first to greet the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. St. John leaped in his mother s womb at the visit of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Son of God incarnate within her. Soon St. Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and all the relatives and acquaintances rejoiced together with her. On the eighth day, in accordance with the Law of Moses, he was circumcised and was called John. Everyone was amazed, since no one in the family had this name. When they asked St Zachariah about this, he motioned for a tablet and wrote on it: His name is John. Immediately his tongue was loosed, and St. Zachariah glorified God. He also prophesied about the Coming into the world of the Messiah, and of his own son John, the Forerunner of the Lord (Luke. 1: 68-79). After the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the worship of the shepherds and the Magi, wicked king Herod gave orders to kill all male infants. Hearing about this, St. Elizabeth fled into the wilderness and hid in a cave. St. Zachariah was in Jerusalem and was doing his priestly service in the Temple. Herod sent soldiers to him to find out the abode of the infant John and his mother. Zachariah answered that their whereabouts were unknown to him, and he was killed right there in the Temple. Righteous Elizabeth continued to live in the wilderness with her son and she died there. The child John, protected by an angel, dwelt in the wilderness until the time when he came preaching repentance, and was accounted worthy to baptize the Lord. St. Gregory Flea Market Fundraiser On Saturday, August 4 th from 8:00 am 3:00 pm St. Gregory s is hosting our 9 th Annual Flea Market Fundraiser in the Church hall. With your support, this will be a major fundraiser for our Church s needs. We are asking everyone to clean out your closets, garages, playrooms, and basements and donate these items for this worthwhile event. You may bring your items to church before and after the Divine Liturgy beginning SATURDAY, JULY 7 th. The last day to bring your items to church is SUNDAY, July 29 th. Please bag the items by categories (books, toys, holiday, tools, etc.) and place them in the back of the church hall where category signs will be posted. Following is a list of possible items: Books (NO encyclopedia sets) Lamps Jewelry Small Furniture Puzzles & Games DVDS, CDS, 45 s Toys Baby Items (strollers, etc.) Kitchen (dishes, glassware, etc.) Sports Equipment Tools Household items Purses Linens (Bedding, Tablecloths, etc.) Holiday (NO Christmas trees) Home Décor Infant & Childrens Clothing ONLY (NO adult clothing) NO ELECTRONICS (This includes TV s, computers, printers, monitors, stereos, speakers) **There will be no presale of items. **Any teen who would like to help with the Flea Market can earn community service hours. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer for this fun event, please contact: Michele D Angelo at 412-835-7378 or jdangelo5@verizon.net. Leslie Coval at 412-343-9755 or llcoval1@verizon.net Dorothy Mayernik at 412-310-0521 or dk-may@verizon.net Thank you in advance for your support!
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