Saturday, Feb. 22
4:00 PM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Sunday, Feb. 23 SUNDAY OF MEATFARE
8:30 AM ✞Michael Hubiack, – Ilaria Roman Krenitsky
Saturday, March 2
4:00 PM ✞Sophie Troyan from the parish
Sunday, March 3 CHEESEFARE SUNDAY
8:30 AM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
FORGIVENESS VESPERS: Sunday, March 3rd at 4:00 PM at Transfiguration of Our Lord will be the Deanery Forgiveness Vespers Celebration and will be followed with a small Lenten reception in the parish basement.
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Pope Francis Appoints Most Rev. Borys Gudziak as our new Metropolitan-Archbishop of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia. Read the article on the bulletin board in the vestibule.
This Sunday is called “miasopustna nedilia”, i.e., meatless. On this Sunday the Church presents the last judgment in order to impress her children with a salutary fear and induce them to do penance for their sins.
THE CHURCH DOMES
At first, Christians gathered for prayer and the breaking of bread in their homes, and in times of persecution it was in places where martyrs had been buried. Eventually, church buildings were erected over these burial sites. Unlike pagan temples, where there was no place for the people, Christian churches were built as places of gathering for the community. In fact, it is the community—the temple of the Living God—that sanctifies the building, not the building that sanctifies the community. An explanation for the origin of the Ukrainian word for temple (khram, translated from the Greek oikos, meaning house) is that it derives from the word for palace (khoromy). This points to the grandeur and beauty of the “house of God.” The Christian house of worship is also called church, from the Greek kyriake, which means of the Lord, that is, a building dedicated to God. The Ukrainian name sobor (unified or conciliar gathering) indicates a special place for the assembling of a Church community, headed by a bishop.
The church’s dome is a symbol of heaven, and the joining of the dome to the nave (Greek for boat) is an image of the union of Christ the Head with his Church—his Body. It also symbolizes the joining of heaven and earth in Christ’s incarnation. Ukrainian churches are usually built with one, three, or five domes. One dome symbolizes the one God, three domes the Most Holy Trinity, and five domes Christ and the four evangelists
Father, why should I go to the Forgiveness Vespers? After all, I did go to the Divine Liturgy this morning, why do I have to go again today?
Everything a person does has a beginning, a middle and an end. Liturgically (liturgy meaning a public work of the people) speaking the beginning of the day is at sundown. Every holy day, and every Sunday which is a little Pascha, begins when the sun sets Saturday evening and Sunday begins at the singing of “O Joyful Light.” Every Catholic, if possible, should attend the three main liturgical services of every holy day and Sunday which are Vespers (Evening Prayer), Matins and the Liturgy. Vespers begins the day, Matins is at the middle and public works finishes with the Liturgy and the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Communion. So, just as you should attend every Great Vespers each Sunday morning (in secular time, Saturday evening) so too should to attend the Forgiveness Vespers which begins The Great Fast. Also, when you attend all three of the services of a Holy Day, all the unique prayers for that day will tell what is happening. Now, because The Great Fast is focused on preparing us for the Holy Day of Holy Days, Pascha, and this begins that story and prayer ordering us toward our salvation, we should do our best to make an honest effort toward spiritual healing of our entire body and the entire body of Christ, His Church. The focus of Forgiveness Vespers is us honestly looking at ourselves and trying to grow in love for one another because we are all created in the image and likeness of God and we will succeed together and need one another to conquer sin. So Forgiveness Vespers is a very important and critical first step in beginning The Great Fast. These services could also be considered to be working in us for healing (beginning), working (middle) and succeeding (end) when we receive the Risen Christ in Holy Communion we are in Heaven on Earth and the first step on this path is The Forgiveness Vespers.
SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary light is requested to burn this week, February 22 – March 1 by Charles Drazba and Family in memory of MarieDrazba..
LUC Meeting: The North Anthracite Council of the League of Ukrainian Catholics will meet on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 5:00pm at Grotto Pizza, 36 Gateway Shopping Center, Edwardsville. Discussion will focus on the National Board structure, the upcoming Lenten Retreat, May bus trip to New York City and 2019 meeting schedule.
PIGGIE DINNER: Ss Peter & Paul Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Wilkes- Barre will hold a take-out Piggie / Holubtsi Dinner on Sunday, March 3rd, 2019. Dinners may be picked up between 11:30 am and 2:00 pm at the Parish School Hall, corner of North River and West Chestnut Streets, Wilkes-Barre. Dinner includes Piggies (meat stuffed cabbage), mashed potatoes, vegetable, bread and butter and dessert. Dinners will be $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for children (12 and under). Walk-Ins Welcome but Reservations are encouraged, call (570)829-3051.
PRAYERS: Please remember all the sick of the parish in your prayers. All who are in nursing facilities, hospitals or at home.
Prayer for the Sick
Father of goodness and love; hear our prayer for the sick members of our community and for all who are in need. Amid mental and physical suffering may they find consolation in your healing presence.
Show your mercy as you close wounds, cure illness, make broken bodies whole and free downcast spirits.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 