FEBRUARY 14, 2021
Saturday, February 13
4:00 PM God’s blessings for Gary Poullard – The Poullard family.
Sunday, February 14 SUNDAY OF CHEESEFARE
8:30 AM God’s Blessing and Good Health for all parishioners.
Wednesday, February 17
4:00 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Saturday, February 20
4:00 PM God’s blessings for Alex Szumskyj – Ulana Campbell
Sunday, February 21 FIRST SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST
8:30AM God’s Blessing and Good Health for all parishioners
THE GREAT FAST BEGINS MONDAY
Monday, February 15, 2021 marks the beginning of The Great Fast (Lent). The Great Forty-day Fast is a time when we intensify our prayers and work more to grow spiritually, and work on spiritual excersies through fasting, praying, and almsgiving (acts of charity [corporeal works of mercy]). Only through proper preparation, serious effort, can we hope to grow spiritually and properly prepare for our Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection and we need the Priest for this. Do not do this alone! The first day of The Great Fast and Good Friday are days of strict abstinence for Ukrainian Greek Catholics – we are not to eat any meat or dairy products all day long, and we should strive to limit our consumption of food. All Wednesdays and Fridays during The Great Fast are days of mandatory abstinence from all meat products. Our fasting regulations are optional only for persons older than 59 and younger than 7. Everyone else is obliged to follow the rules of abstinence of our Church.
ALTAR CANDLES – The Altar Candles have burned and will burn during the month of February for all services in memory of Michael Sirak, Olga Uhas & Fred Uhas requested by Michaelene Ostrum
BUILDING FUND: Our thanks for the donations to our Parish Building & Improvement fund in memory of Father Frank Patrylak from: The Lacey Family, Randi & Jeff Neff, Rosalie Bigus, Karen Harper and Joseph & Victoria Dilazzaro.
The donations are greatly appreciated.
Forgiveness is a wonderful way to lift yourself up and it is the best way to encourage yourself and others to do better.
Lord, grant me greater understanding and wisdom so that I can move past my problems into a new day.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2021 IS ALSO CALLED FORGIVENESS SUNDAY
Forgiveness of Sins
The forgiveness of sins can be viewed from many different aspects. The spirituality of the West tends to accentuate man’s activity in receiving the sacraments, performing good works and believing in Christ. These are all part of the total response; but Byzantine spirituality has the peculiar emphasis of seeing the forgiveness of sins effected through praise of God in repentance. Christ’s act of love in His passion and resurrection is a victory over the forces of evil and over sin itself when we turn away from sin. We share in this victory when we acknowledge it and praise the Victor. We actually enter into the Kingdom as we recognize Him, in praise, to be the source of our sanctification, and we participate in His glory and holiness when joyful praise cleanses our hearts while celebrating His victory:
We beg forgiveness for our stumbling, Christ God; because you chose, of your own free will, to ascend upon the cross in the flesh in order to deliver from the enemy’s yoke those you had created. For this reason we cry out to you in thanksgiving: ‘You our Savior have filled all things with joy when you came to save the world.’ (Feast of the Ikon of Christ)
Ss. Basil and Chrysostom, and many other Fathers of the Church, often repeat that one of the effects of praising God is to “forgive sins” “purify the soul,” “bring down the grace of God.” St. Cyril of Jerusalem insists that “by our spiritual hymns our sins are forgiven, and we sanctify ourselves.” St. Basil says “when the day is breaking (his community) sings together with one mouth and one heart the psalm of confession (Ps. 51) to the Lord, each making his own words the words of repentance and thus having his sins forgiven him.” St. John Chrysostom explains, “Psalm 141 has the effect of purifying a soul and forgiving sins. By stirring up the soul it enkindles a desire for God and a desire to turn away from sin, i.e. repentance. Once the soul has burst into flame and overflows with joy and love, sins are forgiven, go and sin no more. Where there is love, every evil vanishes from the soul. When God is thus remembered, sins are forgiven and evil destroyed.”
Confession, therefore, is not only an acknowledgement of man’s misery and of his need for help, it is a untying from the Devil and his demons, it is also (and perhaps more so) a joyful proclamation of God’s saving goodness; it is an act of worship:
My heart is ready, O God,
My heart is ready!
A day without the Lord – Is a day wasted.
Prayer for the Beginning of Lent
Jesus, beloved friend, you call us to a season
of growth and repentance.
You have high hopes for us; may we not
disappoint you.
May we see your face ahead of us,
beaming at the end of our Lenten Journey.
Give us strength and energy to run
toward you during this season.
Give us integrity and generosity in each
new challenge.
We ask this of You who lives and reign
with God the Father
In the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord said:
“If you forgive men their offences (against you), your heavenly Father will also forgive you (your offences). But if you do not forgive men their transgressions, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your transgressions (against Him).”
Un-forgiveness
Nothing is as painful, as un-forgiveness to the soul;
A heart that’s torn asunder, with forgiveness becomes whole.
A single kind word spoken means more than countless words;
The three words, “I forgive you,” are all that need be heard.
To a soul that has been wounded, like a healing, cooling balm;
Forgiveness soothes and comforts, Till at last the soul is calm.
For the soul that seeks forgiveness, when forgiveness can’t be found;
It struggles vainly everyday, to hear that simple sound.
The power in those three kind words, can heal a heart that’s broken;
But that heart cannot begin to heal, as long as words remain unspoken.
Compassion in its purest sense, reside in those three words;
The three words, “I forgive you,” Are all that need be heard.
Compassion in its purest sense, reside in those three words;
The three words, “I forgive you,” Are all that need be heard.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 