Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost November 12, 2017 Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him Forever! Welcome to Saint Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral. We are delighted you have come to pray with us. Our Church follows the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel and passed on to us through the teachings of the Holy Apostles and Holy Tradition. Saint Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral 8141 North 16th Street, Front Sunday Divine Liturgy Phoenix, Arizona 85020-3950 Saturday 4:00 PM Office: 602.943.5379 Fax 602.997.4093 Sunday 9:00 AM Website www.stsbcc.org Weekday Services See Bulletin Served by: Most Rev. John S. Pazak, CSsR., Bishop Most Reverend Gerald N. Dino, Bishop Emeritus Very Rev. Diodoro Mendoza, Rector rectorss@eparchyofphoenix.org Rev. Joseph Hutsko, Vice-Rector huts1009@gmail.com Very Rev. Archpriest David M. Petras, Retired Msgr. Kevin McCauliffe, In Residence Deacon John Montalvo - Deacon James Danovich - Deacon Adam Lowe Sister Christopher Malcovsky, OSBM Parish Advisory Council Served by: Parish Advisory Finance Council Served by: Mary Beth Foster Sean Grimes John Surmay Dolores Sugent Patricia Marmol Ann Zlamal Joan Wolfe Nicholas Stefaniak III Luke Roll Basil Rabayda Joanie Mahar Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe
Great Vespers Vigil Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Saturday, November 11, 2017 Service begins on page 104 of the Green Book Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O My Soul Version A Pg 104 Version with melody Lamp-Lighting Psalms & Great Incensation Tone 6 Pg 149 O Joyful Light Pg 117 Holy God (Trisagion) Version A Pg 27 Prokeimenon & Alleluia Pg 153 Let us Who Mystically (Cherubikon) Version A Pg 42 Nicene Creed Version A Pg 51 Holy, Holy, Holy Version A Pg 56 We Praise You (Anamnesis) Version A Pg 58 Magnification Pg 62 Our Father Tone 6 Pg 71 Communion Hymn Version A Pg 78 We Have Seen the True Light Version A Pg 82 May Our Mouth Be Filled Version A Pg 84 Blessed Be the Name Version A Pg 88 Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Sunday, November12, 2017 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Service begins on page 11 of the Green Book 1 st & 2 nd Antiphons (Sundays) Pg 14 Hymn of the Incarnation Version A Pg 21 3 rd Antiphon (Sundays) Version A Pg 25 Entrance Hymn Version A Pg 25 Troparion of the Resurrection Tone 5 Pg 151-152 Holy God (Trisagion) Version C Pg 28 Prokeimenon & Alleluia Tone 5 Pg 153 Let us Who Mystically (Cherubikon) Version C Pg 44 Nicene Creed Version A Pg 51 Holy, Holy, Holy Version C Pg 57 We Praise You (Anamnesis) Version D Pg 59 Magnification Pg 62 Our Father Tone 6 Pg 71 Communion Hymn Version C Pg 79 We Have Seen the True Light Version A Pg 82 May Our Mouth Be Filled Version A Pg 84 Blessed Be the Name Version C Pg 88 SPECIAL SPONSORS This space is available for advertisements to help subside the cost of the bulletin. If you know of a business and/or an organization that would like to advertise in our bulletin please contact Fr. Diodoro for promotional rates. Thank you. Vital Biz Group, PLLC Strategies for Today s Business Scottsdale AZ 85258 480-526-7909 Office 602-577-4991 Cell Nicholas Stefaniak III, CPA info@vitalbizgroup.com www.vitalbizgroup.com LOUIE S ULTRA CLEANERS WWW.LOUIESULTRACLEANERS.COM Eco-friendly Dry Cleaning/ Alterations & Repairs/ Wedding Gown Preservation Leather & Suede/ Household Items 4410 W. Union Hills Dr. Glendale, AZ 85308 (623) 582-4470 10855 N. Tatum Blvd. Phoenix AZ 85028
This Week s Liturgical Schedule Sun. 11/12 Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost Tone 6 Epistle: Ephesians 2: 4-10 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37 Sat. 4:00 PM +Joseph Jr. & Josephine Krynicky by Joanne Krynicky (Fr. Diodoro) Sat. 8:45 AM Third Hour Sun. 9:00 AM Hill Betrothal & Parishioners of St. Stephen Cathedral (Msgr.Kevin) Mon. 11/13 Our Holy Father John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople p. 372 8:00 AM Jennifer Gibbons by Jennifer Gibbons (Fr. Diodoro) 2:00 PM Crowning of Marriage for Miles and Kari Hill (Fr. Diodoro) Tue. 11/14 The Holy and Illustrious Apostle Phillip p. 368 8:00 AM Myers-Madish Family by Jennifer Gibbons (Fr. Joe) Wed. 11/15 The Holy Martyrs and Confessors Gurias, Amonas and Habib p. 381 Beginning of the Phillip s Fast (Pre-Christmas Fast) 8:00 AM +Kenneth Papke by Diane Papke (Msgr. Kevin) Thu. 11/16 The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew No Morning Divine Liturgy Fri. 11/17 Our Holy Father Gregory the Wonder-Worker, Bishop of Neocaesarea p. 372 9:00 AM +Steve Mindzak (Bishop Gerald) Sat. 11/18 The Holy Martyrs Plato and Roman No Morning Divine Liturgy Sun. 11/19 Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Tone 7 Epistle: Ephesians 2:14-22 Gospel: Luke 12:16-21 Sat. 4:00 PM +Rihn Family by Judy & Jerry Rihn (Bishop John) Sun. 9:00 AM Parishioners of St. Stephen Cathedral (Fr. David) Special Intentions: Erwin Armada, Barbara Dugan, Joanie Mahar, Helen Furka, Vincent Rice, McCarthy Family, Gemma Hillman, Marti Lopez, Kathleen Linkowsky, Betty Geletey, Richard Gable, Robert King, Ann Ryan, Chris Faix, Robyn Foy and Elaine Browne May the Lord rest His healing hand on His servants and hear their requests: Mary Rabayda, Jane Walsh, Steve Durkit, Dorothy Dumnich, Richard Reese, Chris Balsz, Sr. Christopher, OSBM, Dorothy Bezeredi, Carlene Eneroth, Fred Way, Audrey Noble, Sharon White, Nancy Sandrock, Marlene Rolling, Bob Dugan, Cathy Milko, Michael Dougherty, Widad Butty, Clementina Mendoza, Nicholas Stefaniak Jr., Marie Mika, Mary Popovich, Betty Iwinski, Anne Peterson, Dan Palaschak, Michael Sherwood, Christina Toth, Alice Garcia, Liz Kol, Evelyn Sopiak, Deacon Craig Anderson, Nicholas Toth, Michelle Montalvo, Nicholas Oprendek, Dennis Milko, Karen Kol, Gabriel Papke and Dan Savas
ANNOUNCEMENTS DECEMBER FISH FRY- Our next fish and pirohi dinner will be Friday, December 1 from 5:00-7:00 PM. Please sign up to help work if you can. If you are unable to work we encourage you to come and bring your family and friends to enjoy a delicious meal. BYZANTINE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY CLASS on the Gospel of St. Matthew takes place in the parish hall foyer on Mondays from 6:00-7:15 PM. Class dates are 11/13, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11 & 12/18. There is no Bible Study Monday, November 20. The next Bible Study after that will be on Monday, Nov. 27 at 6:00 PM in the parish hall foyer. PARISH 50 TH JUBILEE COMMITTEE MEETING: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 AFTER THE 9:00 AM DIVINE LITURGY- We will have an important meeting for the Parish 50 th Jubilee. All members are asked to be at this meeting. One important bit of information to pass on is that Bishop John has requested that we move the celebration day of the Jubilee from June 2018 to a date in October 2018. CHRISTMAS BAKING ORDERS & WORK DAYS- The deadline to place orders for Christmas baked goods is Sunday, November 12. The order forms are in the parish hall on the counter where we serve coffee and doughnuts on Sundays. We will be baking the rolls on Monday, November 13 and Tuesday, November 14 from 9 AM to 2 PM. TETRAPOD ICONS NEEDED! Every day of the Liturgical year there are commemorations of feasts and saints. Our Cathedral places icons on the tetrapod to acknowledge their lives as witnesses of our Catholic faith and to be venerated. Presently, we are in need of completing our tetrapod sets. Therefore, we need 20 icons at $100.00 each to be sponsored. If you are interested, you may view each icon in the parish hall and sponsor one for a loved one. The back of the icon will have the names of whom you would like remembered. Please see Fr. Diodoro for more details. BISHOP S APPEAL- Our parish received a rebate of $8,910.00 for reaching our goal of $29,700.00. However we had to take money out of our parish funds in order to get the rebate. It is essential that all families participate in the 2018 Bishop s Appeal so that we will make our goal without having to take out money out of parish funds. The Eparchial Parish Handbook lists participating in the Bishop s Appeal as a requirement for parish membership. Participating in the Bishop s Appeal is a sign of solidarity with our bishop and our Eparchy. Thank you for your prayers and support. May the Lord reward your generosity and kindness! ONLINE GIVING COMING SOON! Please go to our parish website for more details. www.stsbcc.org CHRISTMAS LITURGICAL SCHEDULE Sunday, December 24: VIGIL OF NATIVITY OF OUR LORD (CHRISTMAS EVE) 7:00 PM- Vigil Vesper/Liturgy of the Nativity of Our Lord with Singing of God with Us Followed by Dessert in the Parish Hall Monday, December 25: NATIVITY OF OUR LORD (CHRISTMAS DAY) 9:00 AM- Divine Liturgy Tuesday, December 26: SYNAXIS OF THE THEOTOKOS 9:00 AM- Divine Liturgy 7:00 PM- Vigil Vesper Liturgy for Feast of St. Stephen (Cathedral Patron Saint) Wednesday, December 27: STEPHEN THE FIRST MARTYR 9:00 AM- Divine Liturgy Coming Events Mark Your Calendars Now Monday, November 6 - Bible Study- Byzantine Perspective: Gospel of St. Matthew at 6:00 PM Tuesday, November 7- Visitation of the Sick and Infirmed Monday, November 13- Bible Study- Byzantine Perspective: Gospel of St. Matthew at 6:00 PM Tuesday, November 14- Life in Christ: Adult Eastern Christian Formation at 6:30 PM Sunday, November 19- GCU Turkey Raffle after the 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Saturday, November 25-Marriage Prep classes at 1:00 PM Sunday, December 3- Parish Finance Board Meeting after the 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Saturday, December 9- GCU St. Nicholas Day Dinner from 5:00 PM 9:00 PM Sunday, December 10- Parish Advisory Board Meeting after the 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Sunday, December 24- Parish 50 th Jubilee Committee Meeting after the 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy
This Week s Candle Intention Tetrapod: Sutherland, Texas Church Shooting Victims and Families Our Weekly Gifts to the Lord May the Lord bless your kindness and generosity! Saturday: 4 PM: 56 / 9 AM: 101 Tithes: $1,686.73 Candles: $14.00 Building Fund: $50.00 Gift Shop: $28.00 Coffee Social: $38.00 Priest Medical Insurance: $25.00 Total: $1,841.73 We recently received a restricted funds bequest of $100,000.00 from the estate of +Dr. Richard & Sue Hill. We are most thankful to the family for this generous gift to our parish. Eternal Memory and Blessed Repose! The Christmas Fast The Christmas Fast, in preparation for the feast of the Nativity on December 25, is one of the minor fasts of the Church. This fast of forty days was introduced in the 12th century. Counting back 40 days from the feast of the Nativity, the fast begins on the evening of November 14 - the feast of the holy apostle Phillip. As a result, it is traditionally called Phillip's Fast or the Phillipian Fast (in Slavonic, Filipovka). This fast is not penitential, but is rather a fast of preparation, like the pre-communion fast. By abstaining from certain foods, we are opening up a "space" in our lives through asceticism and obedience, into which God may enter. Traditional rules of fasting Customs vary, but in general the traditional Christmas fast calls for the faithful to observe strict abstinence (no meat, fish, dairy or other animal product, wine or oil) on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, and a lesser abstinence (no meat, fish, dairy or animal products) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fish is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, but no other animal products. Several popular feasts fall during the first three weeks of the Christmas Fast: the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple on November 21, the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6, and the Maternity of Holy Anna (Conception of the Theotokos) on December 8 or 9. As a result, in many places the Christmas Fast either does not begin until December 10, or becomes stricter at that point. In the Byzantine Catholic Church, this fast may be observed voluntarily, partially or in its entirety. The final day of fasting before the feast of the Nativity is particularly strict. On this day - either December 24, or the preceding Friday if December 24 falls on a Saturday or Sunday - the Royal Hours are celebrated, and the faithful are encouraged to fast if possible until after Vespers, which may be combined with the Divine Liturgy. After this service, it is traditional in many places to hold a meal called the Holy Supper, which is meatless but festive. Liturgical preparation for the Nativity As the fast begins, there is no daily liturgical preparation for the feast of the Nativity. Instead, pre-festive prayers and hymns are added during the course of the fast. The First Announcement of the Nativity Beginning on November 21 (the feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple), the Canon of the Nativity is sung at Matins as katavasia (that is, the irmosy or theme song of the Nativity is sung at the end of each ode of the canon). This is the first liturgical announcement of the Nativity: "Christ is born! Glorify Him!" On the feast of the holy apostle Andrew (November 30), at Vespers, we hear the first pre-festive hymns: Isaiah, dance for joy: receive the word of God! Prophesy to the Virgin Mary that the bush burning with fire shall not be consumed by the radiance of our God. Let Bethlehem be prepared! Let the gates of Eden be opened! Let the Magi come forth to see, wrapped in swaddling clothes, in a manger of beasts, the salvation which the star has pointed out from above the cave: the life-giving Lord, who saves us all! These hymns become more urgent when we come to the feast of the holy archbishop Nicholas the Wonderworker (December 6): O cave, prepare yourself to receive the Mother who bears Christ within her womb. O manger, receive the Word who destroyed the sins of all. O shepherds, keep watch and then bear witness to the awesome wonder. O magi, from Persia now come, and bring your gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the King. For the Lord has appeared from a Virgin Mother; yet she bowed to him as a servant and spoke to him in her bosom, saying: "How were you conceived in me? How did you grow in me, my God and Savior?
The Prophets of the Old Testament During the month of December, we commemorate several of the Old Testament prophets: Nahum (December 1), Habbakuk (December 2), Zephaniah (December 3), and Haggai (December 16). All of these prophets preached repentance, and the coming of the Messiah in great glory. Daniel, whom we remember on December 17, was also a prophet: an apocalyptic seer who foretold an everlasting Kingdom of God,who foretold an everlasting Kingdom of God. With him, we commemorate the three young men, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, who were thrown into a fiery furnace on account of their faith in the one God of Israel, and were seen there walking about with a fourth man, "one like a son of God" (Daniel 3:92). The Fathers of the Church saw this fourth man as a prefigurement of Jesus himself, and the faith of Daniel and the three young men as a summation of the best of the saints of the Old Covenant. That is why hymns in honor of Daniel and the three youths are sung not only on their feast day (December 17), but on the two Sundays before Christmas as well. The Sundays before Christmas On the Second Sunday before the Nativity (December 11-17), the Sunday of the Forefathers, we recall the holy men and women who lived under the Old Covenant, and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. At the same time, in the Gospel st the Divine Liturgy (Luke 14:16-24), we hear our Lord tell the parable of a feast to which those who were first invited, did not come - and how the master ordered the house to be filled with those who we not, at first invited." Thus in the troparion we sing: By faith, O Christ, you justified the forefathers. Through them, you betrothed yourself to a Church from all nations. On the Sunday before the Nativity (December 18-24), the Sunday of the Ancestors, the genealogy of Jesus is read at the Divine Liturgy (Matthew 1:1-25); the Epistle, from the Letter to the Hebrews, praises the saints of the Old Testament for their faith, but says that in spite of that faith, they did not receive the promised Messiah. Instead, "God had made a better plan - a plan which included us" (Hebrews 11-40). The Pre-festive Days of the Nativity Finally, on December 20, we begin the actual pre-festive days of Christmas: Bethlehem, make ready, Eden has been opened for all. Ephrathah, prepare yourself, for the Tree of Life has blossomed from the Virgin in the cave. Her womb has become a spiritual paradise in which divinity was planted. If we partake of it, we shall live and not die like Adam. Christ is born to raise up the likeness that had fallen. (December 20) On each day, we sing hymns of the journey of Mary and Joseph to the cave, as we await the celebration of the birth of the Son of God. The Royal Hours of Christmas One final day of strict fasting awaits us. Normally, this would be the Vigil (in Greek, Paramony) of the Nativity, December 24. But Saturday and Sunday are never days of strict fasting in the Byzantine Rite (with the single exception of Great and Holy Saturday). So when December 24 falls on one of these two days, the day of strict fast is anticipated on Friday. On this day, a special service called the Royal Hours is celebrated. This service consists of the daytime services of the First Hour, Third Hour, Sixth Hour, Ninth Hour, and Typika, celebrated with special psalms and readings for the Nativity. (This service is called royal because, at one time, the Emperor himself always attended the service.) Each part of the service has an Old Testament prophecy, an Epistle reading, and a reading from the Holy Gospel. The Vigil of the Nativity Finally, we have come to the very eve of the Nativity - the Paramony or Vigil of Christmas (December 24). If it is a weekday, it is a day of strict fasting, with the Royal Hours celebrated during the day, and Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil in the evening. If December 24 is a Saturday or Sunday, the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated in the morning, and we sing the troparion of the Vigil:
At that time, Mary registered in Bethlehem with the elder Joseph, who was of the house of David. She had conceived without seed and was with child; and her time to give birth had come. They found no room in the inn, but the cave became a pleasant palace for the Queen. Christ is born to raise up the likeness that had fallen. The fast is not quite over; if there is a meal or Holy Supper in the evening of December 24, after Vespers, it is a meatless one. But we have arrived at the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. The Emmanuel Moleben In many places, it has become traditional to celebrate a devotional service called a moleben during the pre- Christmas fast. This service is not one of the fixed daily offices, like Vespers or the Divine Liturgy, and so it can be celebrated at any time of the day, and on any day of the week. This particular moleben uses the pre-festal hymns of the Nativity, and readings like those of the Royal Hours. Several different versions of this service are presently in use in the Byzantine Catholic Church. All of them emphasize the message of preparation for the Nativity - "Come, Lord Jesus!" -and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. This service can be used occasionally or weekly throughout the Christmas Fast, to help the faithful prepare for the coming feast. The version prepared by the Metropolitan Cantor Institute provides seven sets of readings, to facilitate a weekly celebration. For more information, see Singing the Emmanuel Moleben. Recommended Reading The Traditional Byzantine Celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. Byzantine Leaflet Series, No. 5. (Pittsburgh: Byzantine Seminary Press, 1976). Father Thomas Hopko. The Winter Pascha. (Crestwoord, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press,1984). An excellent account of the Christmas Fast, and the feasts of the Nativity and Theophany. Prayer for Priests Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace. We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.