JANUARY 3, 2021
Saturday, Jan. 2
4:00 PM ✞ Anna Giza – Kathleen Miick
Sunday, Jan. 3 SUNDAY BEFORE THE THEOPHANY
8:30 AM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
This brand new year
As now you humbly pray
You had secure in our dear Lord
Each step along the way.
Wednesday, Jan. 6 THE HOLY THEOPHANY – BLESSING OF WATER
10:00 AM Great Compline – Z Namy Boh – Litia Service – Divine Liturgy
Anointing with Holy Oil
God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Saturday, Jan. 9
4:00 PM ✞Eugene Slabinski – Ron & Dortha Bienick
Sunday, Jan. 10 SUNDAY AFTER THE THEOPHANY
8:30 AM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Transfiguration of Our Lord Weekend Liturgy
Saturday 6:00 PM – Sunday 10:30 AM
Recipe for a Happy New Year.
Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past sins—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time. Into each day put equal parts of prayer, fasting, faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, kindness, love, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), contemplation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.
Anonymous
THE EPIPHANY
FEAST OF LIGHT
JANUARY 6TH
On this day, Dear Savior,
Your light shines brightly in our midst.
You are the Light of the World, the Light in our darkness, ever with us, ever showing us the way.
On this great feast of Light, when the Magi came guided by a star,
may we, like them, offer You gifts that symbolize our love for You.
May we offer You the gold of our faith, the myrrh of our repentance
and the frankincense of our devotion.
May we bow before You, Holy Savior,
as the three Wise Men did, with great and abiding joy.
On this day, may we, too, stand in Your light
and so give glory to our God. Amen.
Give a Kind Word
Do you know a heart that hungers for a word of love and cheer?
There are many such about us; it may be that one is near.
Look around you, if you find it speak the word that’s needed so,
And your own heart may be strengthened by the help that you bestow.
Never think kind words are wasted, bread on waters cast are they
And it may be we shall find them coming back to us, some day.
WATER BLESSING
On the feast of Theophany is the Great Water-Blessing of Jordan Water, for Jesus was not baptized by the Jordan but Jesus Christ who baptized the whole world through the Jordan. This sacred tradition of the Eastern Church can be traced back to the first centuries of Christianity. In the course of time, different rites developed for the Great Water-Blessing on the feast of Theophany. From earliest times our people have greatly cherished the custom of the Great Water-Blessing (Blessing of Jordan Water). The people attached great significance of the Blessed Jordan Water which they kept in their homes as something possessing great sanctifying powers.
From very ancient times the Eastern Church has regarded the sanctified Jordan water as a great sacramental, possessing miraculous powers for healing both soul and body. In a sermon on the feast of Theophany St. John Chrysostom says: “This is the day on which Christ was baptized and blessed the substance of water. For this reason, at midnight of this feast, the faithful take water home and keep it throughout the year. It is interesting to note that this blessed water is not spoiled for a long time; it remains fresh even for two or three years, and after such a long period its quality does not differ from the water recently brought from the well.” The Greek Church calls the Jordan water “mega hagisma” which signifies “something very sacred.
