Daily Scripture Readings

HOLY GHOST RUSSIAN ORTHODOX GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH 1510 East Main Street, Bridgeport, CT 06608 PO Box 55339 Phone: (203) 334-5700 Archpriest Michael Westerberg Parish Administrator Mark Curran, Parish President (203) 526-8863 (Cell Emergency cases, i.e., funerals, hospitalizations, home visitations, etc.) Barbara Dulin, Parish Council (bulletin) (203) 452-0776 moparbarb@gmail.com Website: www.holyghostbpt.org FEBRUARY 11, 2018 Daily Scripture Readings MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 3 John 1:1-15 Luke 19:29-40, 22:7-39 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Jude 1:1-10 Luke 22:39-42, 45-23:1 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Joel 2:12-26 Joel 3:12-21 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Jude 1:11-25 Luke 23:2-34, 44-56 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Zechariah 8:7-17 Zechariah 8:19-23 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 Romans 14:19-23, 16:25-27 Matthew 6:1-13 Services SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m. 1 Corinthians 8:8-9:1 (Epistle) 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 1

1 Corinthians 8:8-9:1 (Epistle Cont d.) 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. 1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Matthew 25:31-46 (Gospel) 31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? 40 And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. 41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. 44 Then they also will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? 2

Matthew 25:31-46 (Gospel Cont d.) 45 Then He will answer them, saying, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. AN IMPORTANT REMINDER from our Parish President It is Flu (Influenza) Season, and we extend our prayerful best wishes to those who have contracted influenza and are suffering through it. May God bless your prompt and full recovery! However, we do make this request: IF YOU ARE SICK, OR ARE ONLY JUST NOW FEELING BETTER, PLEASE, DO NOT COME TO CHURCH. Also, if the flu has afflicted those closely around you, and you have been exposed to the flu virus, please, also, consider not attending Church. The best way to stop the spread of influenza is ISOLATION. Flu is spread by direct contact with those who have the virus, by contact with things infected people have contacted, and by means of airborne droplets (mists) of infected body fluids spread by such occurrences as sneezing. Studies show that if you have had the flu, you can still be contagious and transmit the virus up to TEN days after the onset of symptoms. That means you yourself can be feeling much better, and, yet, you can still be contagious. Also, you can be asymptomatic (not feel sick) and still carry and spread the flu virus. This is true in as many as 50% of flu cases--you have the flu virus in your system, you are passing it on to others, but you yourself don't ever feel sick. So, the point is, please, exercise caution. Show respect for your fellow parishioners (and coworkers, colleagues, fellow students, friends, and family) and stay home, in appropriate solitude, if you think you might be carrying the flu virus. Some people insist on not curtailing their usual activities when they are sick, to demonstrate how "tough" and "committed" they are ("Nothing will stop me! ). However, there is nothing heroic or praiseworthy about making other people sick. Isolation stops the transmission of influenza. If you are carrying the flu virus (or any other highly contagious illness), please, limit your contact with others. That's the respectful and proper thing to do. Also, please inform those you know who might not have access to this bulletin or computer. Thank you! With Love in Christ, Mark Curran CANDLE DESK SCHEDULE February 11 LoveAnn Curran, Tim Savisky February 18 Barbara Dulin, Frank Kaputa * Reminder: There will only be two individuals assigned at the candle desk on Sunday mornings. Please check with the candle desk each week to see if additional help is needed. PARISH PRAYER LIST Steven Semenkovich, Anna Sidoriak Jean Clark nursing home (may be back in hospital at some point) 3

COFFEE FELLOWSHIP February 11 Joe Curran, Jerry Kopko, & Bob Denhup February 18 Jackie Jankura REMINDER TO PLEASE SIGN UP FOR COFFEE HOUR REMINDERS HOLY WATER is available at the front of the church. There will not be any house blessings this year. TO THE PARISH MEMBERSHIP OF HOLY GHOST from Fr Michael Westerberg, our Parish Administrator The season of Great Lent will begin on Monday, Feb. 19. As the Parish Administrator, allow me to update you regarding the liturgical services that will be provided and the times for personal confession that will be offered. With the input of Fr John Hopko, our dean, Fr John Kreta, our chancellor, His Eminence Archbishop Nikon, Fr Steven Belonick, your former pastor, and myself, a schedule has been established. Although Fr Steven s condition has not changed, he has stated his willingness to assist in the Lenten schedule as much as he is able. I bring this to your attention because his willingness to extend himself given his condition should be met with your willingness to make every effort to participate in the services of this holy season. His Eminence, along with our chancellor, is very concerned with Fr Steven s health and has instructed him, in no uncertain terms, that he is to be VERY careful, and if he is tired or unwell, even on short notice, he is not to serve, even if that means that the liturgical service in question needs to be cancelled, again, even at the "very last minute." About this caveat, they made themselves very clear. Having said this, here is the proposed schedule: 1. A substitute priest will cover all Sundays during Great Lent through Palm Sunday and Holy Pascha. 2. Following the Liturgy on Sunday, February 18, the substitute priest will serve Forgiveness Vespers and the Rite of Forgiveness. As our church teaches, it is expected that all members of the community will begin the Lenten season together by participating in the Rite of Forgiveness. 3. On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday of the first week of Lent (Feb. 19, 20, 22), Fr Steven will preside at the Canon of St Andrew of Crete. The service will begin at 6:30 pm. 4. On Wednesday of the first week of Lent (Feb.21), Fr Steven will also preside at the Liturgy of the Presanctified beginning with hours at 5:30 pm. On Friday of the first week of Lent (Feb.23), a substitute priest will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified at 9 am. 5. No personal confessions will be heard during the first week of Lent. 4

6. Personal confessions will begin to be heard during the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth weeks of Great Lent only on Tuesday mornings from 10:30 am to 12 noon and on Thursday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm. GIVEN FR STEVEN S CONTINUED WEAKNESS, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST WEEK OF LENT FOR YOUR CONFESSION, THAT IS THE WEEK OF MARCH 26. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT FR STEVEN WILL NOT HEAR CONFESSIONS DURING HOLY WEEK, THAT IS THE WEEK OF APRIL 2nd. 7. For those who work, Confessions will be available with Fr Steven by appointment on Saturdays, March 3 and 10th. 8. Presanctified Liturgy will be celebrated by Fr Steven throughout Lent on Wednesdays, starting with hours at 5:30 pm. On Friday mornings, Presanctified Liturgies starting at 9 am by a substitute priest. 9. A special schedule for Holy Week will be provided in due time. Fr Steven will NOT be serving any Holy Week services or Pascha. A substitute priest will be assigned. Thank you for your attentiveness to these announcements. The diocese is doing all it can to provide the care to Holy Ghost Church during the Lenten season that it so richly deserves. If you should have any questions, you may always contact me through your parish President, Mark Curran. Yours in Christ, Fr Michael Westerberg, Parish Administrator THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING is scheduled for today! Please attend! Thank you! LENTEN SOUP FUND RAISER A reminder that orders are being accepted for soup and will be taken prior to the sale date, in order to give our cooks an exact amount of how much soup to make. We are still in need of 5 more cooks to complete this fund raiser. Sign-up sheets are available downstairs. Thank you to those who have signed-up so far. TALENT PROJECT Sue Maugeri will be starting the Talent Project again this year and asks that everyone try to complete their project and hand in their funds before August 18 in order to record it during the current church year. If anyone is looking for ideas, please see Susan. She has a list of previous projects that may help many to choose a project. FR DAVID S SERMON (reminder) is now available on our website, www.holyghostbpt.org. Click on the Media tab and select Weekly Sermon. LENTEN RETREAT reminder On behalf of the CT Deanery of the Diocese of New England, Fr. James Parnell would like to invite all of our clergy and faithful to join them on February 24th, 2018 ("Clean Saturday" - the first Saturday of Great Lent), at All Saints Orthodox Church in Hartford, CT for a day-long Lenten retreat for Orthodox Christian adults in the New-England area. The retreat is entitled: Becoming Fire - Christian Living in Turbulent Times," and will be led by Dr. Al Rossi from St. Vladimir's Seminary. Please RSVP to frjames@allsaintshartford.org. 5

Fr. Vadim and Matushka Elena Pismenny have relocated to Russia here is their address: Russia, Moskva 117342 ul. Butlerova, d.24, kv. 15 Elena Pismennaya i Vadim Pismenny The transliterated version should work fine, but the original is as follows: Россия, Москва 117342 ул.бутлерова, д.24, кв.15 Елена Письменная и Вадим Письменный DEPARTED FROM THE PARISH METRICS (February 11 February 17) FEBRUARY 11 John Mikita (20) 1917, Leonty Shmigelsky (1 yr.) 1918, Spiro Vessiel (30) 1918, John Guman 1922, Andrew Duchak (18) 1931, Michael Kondrasky (18) 1949, Anna Jankura Kasper (72) 1953. FEBRUARY 12 Joseph Gorbach (26) 1918, Mary Boldusoff (52) 1968, Julius Babina (84) 1975, Michael Popadic, Jr., 1976. FEBRUARY 13 John Ilik (75) 1936, Anna Kurimsky (82) 1972, Anna Naiden Hukola (77) 1972, John Mellish, Sr., (67) 1975, Alexandra Cymbalak Breyan (85) 1978, James Choomak (79) 1987, Catherine Samoilick (87) 1988. FEBRUARY 14 Anna Jankura (2 mos.) 1908, Nikita Shvaiko (34) 1919, John Toby (49) 1927, Anna Kasper (34) 1944, Joseph Kuncevich (62) 1951, Simeon Pisaretz (66) 1955, Rosalie Tymniak (79) 1976, Anna Bobko (74) 1979. FEBRUARY 15 Margaret Grabchak (4 yrs.) 1900, Ignati Turko (53) 1933, Anna Babey (56) 1935, Anna Jankura (69) 1942, James Lozhitsky (65) 1948, Artemy (Andrew) Kish (69) 1965, Dimitry Kostick 1971. FEBRUARY 16 - Catherine Sekersky (20) 1897, Stephen Zagorulko (88) 1977, Maria Romantschenko (88) 1986. FEBRUARY 17 - Andrew Dirga (2 yrs) 1913, Justina (Anna) Bukoch (64) 1961, Michael Zinovenko (66) 1970, Nicholas Bychkowski 1984, Eugenia Dirga (87) 1998, Helen Breyon 2007. BIRTHDAYS Myra Babina (February 15), Elaine Pollock Kusheba (February 16), Fr. John Pawelchak (February 17), Thaddeus Holt (February 17). ANNIVERSARIES None listed. The Benefit of Light Afflictions, St. John of Kronstadt When the enemy does not succeed in hindering the Christian upon the path of salvation by means of afflictions, oppression, poverty and various other privations, maladies, misfortunes, then he rushes to the other extreme: he fights against him by his own health, tranquility, softness, the weakness of his heart, the insensibility of his soul to spiritual blessings, or by the opulence of is outer life. O, how dangerous is tis last condition! It is more dangerous than the first state - the state of affliction, oppression, of sickness, etc. In such a state we easily forget God; we cease to feel Hi mercies; we slumber and spiritually sleep. While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumber and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him. (Matt 25:5-6) But in affliction we involuntarily turn to God to be saved; we constantly feel that God is the God of our salvation the God Who save that He is our life, our breath, our light, our strength. Thus, it is better for the Christian to live in some or other kind of affliction. 6