SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church

PALM SUNDAY

APRIL 2, 2023

Saturday, April 1 Blessing of Palms & Willow Branches (at the beginning)

 Myrovania – Anointing with Holy Oil

4:00 PM           God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners

Sunday, April 2 PALM SUNDAY –  Myrovania – Anointing with Holy Oil

8:30 AM ✞ Mary Ann Youells – Dempsey Children

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Monday, April 3       6:30 pm  Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts – NANTICOKE

Tuesday, April 4

4:00 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts – Plymouth

Wednesday , April 5       6:30 pm  Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts – NANTICOKE

Thursday, April 6 HOLY THURSDAY

3:00 PM Matins of the Holy and Saving Passion of our Lord

Friday, April 7 Good Friday 

 1:00PM Vespers with the Placement of the Holy Shroud. 

Saturday, April 8 HOLY SATURDAY 

1:00 PM Blessing of Easter Food Baskets in parish hall 

6:00 PM Service at the Grave, Resurrection Matins, Divine Liturgy, Blessing  of Artos, Myrovania. 

Blessing of Paschal Food. 

Sunday, April 9 EASTER SUNDAY – EASTER DIVINE LITURGY

              11:30AM Divine Liturgy-Resurrection of Our Lord

*Continued here: Surely He should have raged at the sinners who nailed him to the tree. Surely He should have raged at us for the evil we do, the evil we do both knowing and unknowing, Yet compassion is there in the first words that He utters.  He intercedes for us before the Father.  Compassion that called Him into being in his mother’s womb Compassion that compelled Him to the cross Compassion that brings incredible, unbelievable grace

Compassion that echoes through the centuries to all who participate in the killing of Christ: 

Compassion that cries out from the cross: 

     “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing”

It is us, me, who is the “they,” when I sin I nail Jesus Christ to the cross.

SATURDAY OF LAZARUS   Saturday before Palm Sunday

Jesus Christ wrought many miracles during His lifetime but none was so rich in its effects as the resurrection of Lazarus.

This miracle marks the apex of Christ’s self-revelation.  The magnitude of this miracle and the publicity attending it were the immediate causes of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

May this great and wonderful miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus strengthen also our faith in the divinity of Christ and in our own personal resurrection. That same Christ, who raised the four-day Lazarus from the dead, in His own time, will raise us also to a life of eternal happiness. He Himself assured us of this when He said: “I am the Resurrection and Life. Whoever believes in me, even though he dies, shall live!”

The meaning of Palm Sunday

 The Jews wanted to see their messiah in power and glory.  Accordingly they recognized by raising Lazarus from the dead that Jesus Christ was the Messiah so they  rejoiced at His entry into Jerusalem, like a king in victory, at this all of Jerusalem was thrown into commotion saying: “Who is this?” But the crowds kept on saying: “This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.’”  

The honor given to Christ lasted for only a brief moment, for His betrayal by Judas, His rejection by the Priests and the people, His condemnation by all the Jewish leaders, His passion; the way of the cross and crucifixion, followed in quick succession. These very same people who, on Sunday cried out, “Hosanna”, within a few days would be crying out: “Crucify Him.”

Palm Sunday teaches us the instability of worldly glory (men) and the vanity of earthly happiness. Joy and sadness here on earth are inseparable. If we wish a share in the triumph of Christ in heaven, we must first undergo a Passion Week and a Golgotha with Him here on earth. Only then, will we be able, like Him, to enter into everlasting triumph, joy and resurrection.

THE LAST WORDS OF JESUS

THE FIRST WORD                                        Luke 23:33-34 

     When they came to the place called “The Skull”, they nailed Jesus to the cross. About those crucifying Him, Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father!  They do not know what they are doing.” 

Meditation on the First Word

“They do not know what they are doing” 

They do not know?  They …who killed Jesus?

Who is “they”?

It is so easy to name others, to blame others, the Romans, the crowd, Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas they all played their part and conspired against Jesus or simply followed orders to maintain the peace to keep Jesus’ kingdom from infringing on theirs. And yet where are we when Jesus’ kingdom infringes on ours?  On our peace and our order? On our prosperity and our security?

Where are we when the victims of our peace cry for justice? 

When those disenfranchised by our order call for compassion?

When the hungry and the lonely beg us to share our prosperity our security, our power? 

Where are we when Christ is crucified among us? 

Continued

Transfiguration of Our Lord schedule

Holy Monday, April 3, 6:30 PM  The Presanctified Liturgy

Holy Wednesday, April 5 6:30 PM  The Presanctified Liturgy with Anointing,

Confessions. 

Holy Thursday, April 6 6:30 PM Matins of the Holy and Saving Passion of our Lord. 

Good Friday, April 7 5:30 PM Vespers with Placement of the Holy Shroud. 

Holy Saturday, April 8 

PASCHA, April 9 7:00AM Service at the Grave, Resurrection Matins, Divine Liturgy, Blessing of Artos, Myrovania

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SANCTUARY LIGHT:  The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn this week April 1 – April 8 by Michaelene Ostrum in memory of  her father Michael Sirak. 

ALTAR CANDLES: The Altar Candles are requested to burn for all services for the month of April by Michaelene Ostrum in memory of her father Michael Sirak.

HOLY WEEK – Please remember that help is needed to participate in the Holy Week services. Holy Thursday, 3:00 PM, Good Friday 1:00 PM and Resurrection Services Holy Saturday, 6:00 PM. Help will be needed to set up the grave after the Holy Thursday evening services. Try to lend a helping hand. Sign up sheet is in the vestibule for Adoration. Spend some time with God. Can you give one hour with HIM. 

dONATION: The Women’s Society of our parish donated $1000 toward our UGI bill for the pole lights in the parking lot. An error on UGI part billed our parish with a large bill of over $2000 because they never sent a bill for the lights. Our office was under the impression that they were billing us through the Church bill. They discover the error after the lights were not working and that is the story. Sorry to say.

Appreciation: Thank you to those who brought Willow branches and also those helped tie the Palm & Branches. Your help is always appreciative. God’s blessing. 

FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel

MARCH 26, 2023

Saturday, March 25 FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

4:00 PM ✞Anna Dempsey – Dempsey Children

Sunday, March 26        FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

8:30 AM     God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners

Wednesday, March 29 At Transfiguration of Our Lord, Nanticoke, PA

6:30 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts       

Friday, March. 31 SS Peter & Paul, Plymouth, PA

4:00 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts   

Saturday, April 2           Blessing of Willow branches and Palm 

4:00 PM                      Myrovania – Anointing with Holy Oil

God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners

Sunday, APRIL 2           PALM SUNDAY- Myrovania – Anointing with Holy

           8:30 AM                  ✞ Mary Ann Youells – Dempsey Children

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SIGN UP SHEET IS IN THE VESTIBULE FOR ADORATION OF THE GRAVE.PLEASE TRY TO SPEND AN HOUR WITH THE LORD 

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THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

MARCH 25^TH 

This feast was established to commemorate the election of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God’s only begotten Son, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Mary consented freely to the proposal of the Angel who brought her the happy news in the name of the Blessed Trinity.

At the moment of the angel’s annunciation, the Son of God begins the first moments of earthly life in the womb of the Most Pure Virgin Mary. From this momentous fact the privileges of Mary – those of divine motherhood and virginity – clearly emanate. 

The date, March 25^th, was selected for this feast because it occurs exactly nine months before the feast of the Nativity of our Lord on December 25. In addition to this, there existed an ancient tradition that March 25^th marked not only the incarnation of the Son of God, but also both the creation of the world and the death of Christ on the Cross. 

The chief source of this joy is the incarnation of the Son of God and our salvation: “…The virginal womb receives the Son, the Holy Spirit is sent down, and the Father on high is well pleased. Through the Universal Will, reconciliation is effected for all.  Let us, who have been saved in it and through it, sing with Gabriel to the Virgin: “Rejoice, O full of grace, for our salvation, Christ our God took our human nature from you and joined it to Himself. Therefore, implore him to save our souls.”

The Christians should rejoice at the Incarnation of the Divine Word and the elevation of Mary to divine Motherhood, which raises her above the highest rank of the Angels.

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The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful 

and has nobody to thank

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Each day has a new door. It is up to you to open it. 

Lord, help me to remember that my life is my choice. 

Bless me with wisdom and give me guidance as I make my choices.

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It is hard to think of our problems when we are smiling. 

Lord, may I brighten my day as I share my smiles

INSTEAD OF “IT IS TRULY RIGHT:In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices: the angelic ranks and all mankind. Sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, virgins’ pride and boast, from whom God is made flesh and became a little Child; and He who is our God before all ages, He made your womb a throne, and He made it wider that all the heavens. In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices. Glory be to you.

SANCTUARY LIGHT:  The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn the week of  

March 25 – April 1 by Ann Beshada for a special intention .

GRAVE SET UP: The grave for Easter will be set up on Thursday, April 6^th after the matins service.  Help is needed for this project; try to be present to lend a hand. Thanks.

WILLOWS BRANCHES: If you are donatingWillows branches for Palm Sunday, please bring them to the church at your convenience.  Palm Sunday is next week.

COMPUTER: The Church office is in need of a new computer. The present one cannot download the necessary items. Mike Shipula has been working on it and said the only solution is to purchase a new one and would be kind enough to set it up. The cost for this would be around $500. If anyone would be kind enough and willing to donate toward this purchase, please contact Ann Beshada. Thank you

Tying of Palm: Willow branches & Palms will be tied together for Palm Sunday on Thursday, March 30th at 1:00 PM in the church hall. Your help would be appreciated. 

Cleaning of Church: Many thanks to the women and men who cleaned the church this past week for the Holy Days. Thank you may God you. 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

MARCH 19, 2023 A. D.

Sunday, March 19 – 8:30 AM  – FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

✞Michael Kane – Udiski Family

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Wednesday, Marc22– 6:30 PM

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts –At Transfiguration of Our Lord, Nanticoke, PA

Friday, March 24 – 4:00 PM – Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts – SS Peter & Paul, Plymouth, PA

Annunication of the Blessed  virgin mary

Saturday, March 25 – 9:00 AM  At Transfiguration of Our Lord

Anointing with Holy Oil – Myrovania – God’s Blessings for America

FIFTH  SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

Saturday, March 25 – 4:00 PM  – God’s Blessing and Good Health for all Parishioners.

Sunday, March 26 –  8:30AM – FIFTH  SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

Anna Dempsey – Anna Magill & Dempsey Family

Transfiguration of Our Lord Weekend Liturgies:

Saturday 6:00 PM – Sunday 10:30

EASTER

Definition:

In Christianity, the Easter celebration is The Resurrection of Jesus, which happened three days after he was buried, having been crucified by the efforts of Priests and Rabbis and the Roman authorities just outside the eastern gate of Jerusalem.  Easter takes place at the same time as Jewish Passover and, as such, is not a fixed date but is a “moveable feast.”  Because of its connection to Passover, Easter is also sometimes referred to as Pascha, a word that appears in both Latin and Greek but comes from the Hebrew Pesach, or Passover, so now this is the Eternal Passover into Eternal Life.

Setting the Date

    Before 325 AD, Christian communities celebrated Easter on a variety of different days of the week, but the Council of Nicea, called together by Emperor Constantine, issued the “Easter Rule” which standardized Easter observance to the first Sunday after the first full moon (known as the paschal moon) on or after the vernal equinox. This “full moon” is not defined in a scientific manner, however – it is an “ecclesiastical full moon” and the “ecclesiastical vernal equinox” is always on March 21st. This means that Easter always occurs on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th, signaling the end of the season of Lent.

Traditions

    In actuality Easter is a week long celebration.  Easter Sunday is just one day in the liturgical calendar, in reality preparations for Easter take place throughout the 40 days of Lent and it plays a central role in the following 50 days up to Pentecost, known as the Easter season.  Indeed Easter is the central day in the entire Catholic calendar. 

    Easter is the oldest Christian celebration aside from the Sabbath, it wasn’t always the same as what people currently think of when they look at Easter services.   These celebrations commemorated both Jesus’ death and his resurrection at once, whereas these two events have been split up between Good Friday and Eastern Sunday today. 

Easter is treated not simply as a commemoration of events that occurred at one time in the past. Instead, Easter is regarded as a living symbol of the very nature of Christianity, we are transported across time to that One Eternal Sacrifice, God’s Lamb on the Cross.  Just as Jesus passed through death and after three days rose from the dead so too will we.

SANCTUARY LIGHT:  The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn this week March 18– 25 by The Udiski Family in memory of Michael Kane.

ADORATION: The sign-up sheet for the hours of Adoration on Good Friday – Holy Saturday will be in the vestibule next week. Please try to give one hour of your time to spend at the grave of Our Lord. It is sad that some have to spend more than one hour because of the lack of participation.      

TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD: Transfiguration of Our Lord will hold a flea market on March 24^th, 25^th and 26^th.  Saturday the 25^th will have food, potato pancakes and pierogi will be available.

SOUP AND HOAGIE SALE: St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 153 E. Main St., Glen Lyon is sponsoring a Vegetable Soup and Turkey, Ham & Cheese or Italian Hoagie sale, plus a bake sale on Thursday, March 23, 2023 from 11 am to 4 pm in the church hall. The cost of each hoagie is $8.00 and a quart of soup is $8.00.  Place your orders by calling Deb by this Sunday, March 19^th. A Basket Raffle will also be available for the proceeds to benefit Ukraine. 

SECOND SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

SUNDAY OF Our Holy Father Gregory Palamas

March 5, 2023

Saturday, March 4

4:00 PM ✞Rita Rentko – Donna & Nelson Warren

Sunday, March 5  SECOND SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners

 Wednesday, March 8 Transfiguration of Our Lord, Nanticoke, PA

6:30 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

 Friday, March 10 SS Peter & Paul, Plymouth, PA

4:00 PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

    Saturday, March 10

4:00 PM ✞Anna Koprowski – Peter & Nancy Restraino

    Sunday, March 11 THIRD SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

Veneration of the Cross

      8:30 AM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners

Second Sunday of Lent

The second Sunday of Lent is called “Sunday of the palsied Man.” Men must repent for their sins. If they want to be forgiven Christ cannot heal our soul if we do not repent for having offended God by our iniquities. The Church leads us in pious exercises of prayer and fasting because our weakness can be healed by them. 

The prayer of St. Ephrem

“O Lord and Master of my life, 

drive from me the spirit of discouragement,

negligence, ambition and idle talk. (Prostration).

“Grant me, your servant, the spirit of 

chastity, humility, patience and charity. (Prostration)

“Yes, my Lord and King, grant me to see my

own sins, and not judge my brother, for 

you are blessed forever, and ever. Amen.” 

(Prostration)

FIRST SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

FEBRUARY 26, 20023

Saturday, Feb. 25        

4:00 PM       ✞Annetta Rudeski – Donna & Donald Winsock

Sunday, Feb. 26                  FIRST SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

8:30 AM                    God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners

Wednesday, March 1      Transfiguration of Our Lord, Nanticoke, PA

               6:30 PM               Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts           

Friday, March 3               SS Peter & Paul, Plymouth, PA

          4:00 PM      Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts   

Saturday, March 4             

           4:00 PM             Rita Rentko – Donna & Donald Winsock

Sunday, March 5            SECOND SUNDAY OF THE GREAT FAST

8:30 AM            God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners

THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY

The first Sunday of the Great Fast is called the Sunday of Orthodoxy. What do we mean by “orthodoxy”? The word “orthodoxy” stems from the Greek words “orthodoxia” (orthos=right; doksa=belief) which signifies the true faith and the true worship of God. We are not speaking here of orthodoxy as we understand it today as being separated from the Catholic Church, but orthodoxy, as applied to the whole Church of Christ. The orthodoxy that we celebrate this Sunday is the orthodoxy professed by the entire Church of Christ of the first centuries in the battle against the heresy of Iconoclasm (Gr – eikon=image; klastes=a breaker; – an image breaking heresy). The Sunday of Orthodoxy is a festival for the whole Church, both Eastern and Western with the return of icons for worship in the churches. It is the festive celebration of the decisive victory over Iconoclasm and other heresies agains Jesus Christ whom is both God and man.

The purpose of this feast is to pay solemn public homage and veneration to the holy icons of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Mother of God, and all the Saints. 

The Church of Christ deeply respects and honors the holy icons as it also does holy relics, especially because icons are windows into heaven. The Church places them  for public veneration and recommends that we venerate them, publicly and privately in our homes, and wear small icons around our necks in the form of little crosses or medals. 

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Resolutions for Avoiding Misery

Choose to love — rather than hate
Choose to smile — rather than frown
Choose to build — rather than destroy
Choose to persevere — rather than quit
Choose to praise — rather than gossip
Choose to heal — rather than wound
Choose to give — rather than grasp
Choose to act — rather than delay
Choose to forgive — rather than curse
Choose to pray — rather than despair

THE GREAT FAST

We are obliged to fast – that is, we are obliged to refrain from sin, and from giving in to our evil inclinations. Fasting is being in control of our appetites so we become strong to resist devils plans to lead us to hell through our appetites.  We are also obliged to pray and to do good deeds. In reality then, the most important goal of the Great Fast is our spiritual renewal especially in living.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts:

Already in the first centuries there was a custom during the Forty Days Fast to omit the celebration of the Divine Liturgy because, at that time, it was still linked with agape, that is the Love Banquet, and this was not in keeping with the spirit of fasting. Furthermore, the Divine Liturgy is a joyful mystery; for this reason, its celebration is limited to Saturday and Sunday. On the other days of the week to give the faithful an opportunity to receive Holy Communion it was added to the Vespers (Evening Prayer) from which the name, Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts comes. It is a Vespers service combined with the reception of Holy Communion, which was previously consecrated, hence, the name of Presanctified Gifs. 

The Council of Laodicia (c.364) prescribed: “It is not permitted during the Great Fast to offer up the Bread (that is the Holy Liturgy), except on Saturday and Sunday” (rule 49). The Sixth Ecumenical Council of Trullo (691) decreed: “On all the days of the Great Fast, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday, and the feast of the Annunciation, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts must be celebrated. “ (rule 52).

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SUNDAY LITURGIES DURING LENT:

WHY DO THEY SEEM LONGER?

Our Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church prescribes that the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is to be celebrated on all of the Sundays of Lent, instead of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.  

St. Basil’s Liturgy is older and has longer anaphora prayers than the St. John Chrysostom Liturgy, and is celebrated ten times during the church year:  the five Sundays of Lent (not Palm Sunday), Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, Christmas Eve, Epiphany Eve, and on the actual Feast of St. Basil which we celebrate on January 1st.

SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary Light has no request this week. 

PRAYERS: Please remember in your prayers those who are in Nursing Facilities, at home and those in the hospital. 

WOMEN’S SOCIETY: The first meeting will be held, after the 3 month absence, on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 in the Church Hall at 6:00 PM. New members are needed for this parish organization. Please think about joining at this meeting. 

CHURCH ENVELOPES: if you should know anyone who did not pick up the envelopes that remain and are able to deliver them to that person, please help in this matter as it very costly to send them through the mail. Thank you