Saturday, Dec. 17
4:00 PM Frances Bencho – Charles & Kimberly Demuzzia
Sunday, Dec. 18 SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS
8:30 AM SUNDAY OF THE HOLY FATHERS
God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Wednesday, Dec. 21
9:00 AM Elaine Makowski – 9th Day – Ilaria & George Krenitsky
Friday, Dec. 23
9:00 AM VAnn Phillips – Son Peter & Vivian Phillips
Saturday, December 24 ~ Christmas Eve – VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS -6:30 PM
Znamy Boh Compline Litia Service – Divine Liturgy –
Anointing of Holy Oil and Myrovania
God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Sunday, December 25 ~ Christmas Day – NATIVITY OF OUR LORD –9:00 AM
Divine Liturgy – Anointing of Holy Oil and Myrovania
God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
UKRAINIAN HOLY SUPPER: Pleas sign in for the Holy Supper covered dish to be held January 6th in the Church Hall. Some of the food will be provided by the parish. We are hoping for a full attendance to celebrate this Holy Supper.
What Christmas should Mean to Us
Christmas is a time for loving,
Holding in our hearts
All the magic and the wonder
That this blessed day imparts
It’s a time for letting bygones
Be just that, and nothing more,
Time for looking back and weighing
All we have been working for.
Christmas is a time for giving
Something more than store-bought goods,
Time for spending peaceful moments,
Walking through the quiet woods.
‘Tis a time for growing closer
While we have the time to spend,
Cherishing the precious moments
With relative or friend.
Christmas is a time for sharing
Hope and joy and sorrow,
Giving what is ours today,
But may not be…tomorrow.
‘Tis a time for recollection,
For the sands of time run fast,
Do not squander golden moments,
Do not grieve for what is past.
There’s a bright star in the heavens,
Over one small cattle stall,
And a Baby in a manger
Who has come to save us all.
And with love beyond all telling,
As He reaches out for us,
This hushed and holy moment is
What Christmas should mean to us.
CHRISTMAS EVE
The feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ is ranked among the greatest feasts of our Church Year. Therefore, holy Church, mindful of the majesty and significance of this feast, encourages the faithful to prepare by prayer and fasting for this encounter with our Savior.
The festal preparation reaches its peak on the Eve of the Nativity. It is a day of watching, prayer and fasting. The guest from heaven is about to arrive; therefore, it is necessary to prepare for his coming worthily. The Holy Eve of the Nativity has not only its own church significant services; it is also rich in symbolic rites and customs, some of which go back to pre-Christian times.
The eve of Christmas brings the Forty Days Christmas fast to a close. A strict fast is prescribed for this entire day. The whole family feels that on that day a very important heavenly guest will arrive in the evening, and therefore, a deeply festal and spiritual mood pervades the home. Our ancestors highly respected and zealously observed the fast of this day until the appearance, of the evening star.
An old Slavonic Prologue for the 24th of December contains the following spiritual exhortation to the faithful in reference to greeting the feast of the Nativity of Christ: “Take note brethren, that there is a fast on the day before this feast of the Nativity of Christ. Therefore, on this day, at the Sixth Hour (12 o’clock noon), we gather together for prayer, with love; and purity, overcoming anger, purifying carnal desires, and renouncing all evil deeds so that we may be made worthy with pure lips and an undefiled heart to partake of the Body of the Lord, that same Body which the Lord took upon Himself and willingly became poor.”
SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn the week of December 17 – 24 by Eleanor Trotsky in memory of Ann & Stanley Cmiel.
FLOWERS: The bouquet of flowers was donated this week by Ann Beshada in memory of Helen Beshada
BUILDING/IMPROVEMENT FUND: We sincerely appreciate the donations received to our Parish Building/Improvement Fund: $100 from Camp Hill Lions Club in memory of Leonard Lotrick and $100 from Helene Sirak in memory of her husband Michael Sirak and son-in-law Mark Skopek.
CEMETERY BOOKS: We are happy to announce that two more cemetery books have been purchased: One sold by Gloria Dran Elston and one from our parish. Books are still available if you are interested.
THANKS: Our thanks to Helen Sawka for her homemade crocheted lap robe and afghan she donated to our parish to be used for a chance off at our dinners. We thank you Helen for your generous time in making these items. God Bless.
Food Container: Our thanks to those who contributed to the Food for the needy. This weekend will be the last to donate your items. We pray God will bless us and keep us from hunger. The organization to be donated this food to is unknown but will be taken this week.
CEMETERY: Mr. Joseph Kozick requested that his son who is working for his Eagle honor would like to do some volunteer hours in our cemetery. The entrances have been cleaned and around the building, down the side toward the road and flowers planted. Mr. & Mrs. Kozick with their son and about 10 other scouts put in many hours and did a fine job to earn his Eagle Scout reward. Our thanks for the time and energy spent for this project. God’s Blessing!
WOMEN’S SOCIETY: The Annual Christmas party for the Women’s Society was held last Sunday. Santa paid a visit, games were played, food was served and a good time was had by all.
We do wish to thank the few members of the Society who came to clean the church on Wednesday.
If anyone would like to come on this Sunday for the setting up of the Nativity your help will be appreciated.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 