JANUARY 7, 2024
Saturday, January 6 THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD
8:30 AM ✞Mary Ann Youells – Jeanette Casterline
Saturday, January 6 SUNDAY AFTER THE THEOPHANY
4:00 PM ✞Joyce Ultsch – George & Joanna Ultsh and
Richard & Kim Ultsh
Sunday, January 7 SUNDAY AFTER THE THEOPHANY
8:30 AM ✞Mary Kulyn – the Udiski Family
Saturday, January 13 SUNDAY OF ZACHEUS
4:00 PM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Sunday, January14 SUNDAY OF ZACHEUS
8:30 AM ✞Vera Hubick – Lousie Hubiak
sanctification of homes
Among the various petitions mentioned in the blessing of water on the Feast of Theophany is the sanctification of homes. With this we see the exorcism of demons from the family’s dwelling, the “Domestic Church,” and we recognize the priest’s loving act of protection from demons and keeping a safe harbor of peace for all the parishioners in the home blessing. We then recognize this is an act of profound love and is much greater than a mere duty or obligation upon the priest. The parishioner’s wellbeing is entrusted to their pastoral care. Theologically speaking, the blessing of homes constitutes an invocative blessing, meaning that by his prayer and by the sprinkling of the Holy Water the priest invokes God’s protection upon the home and those living in it, God is truly present.
As our souls become tainted by the sin, so also our homes, and those who enter into them, and consequently, lose God’s protective power because we have welcomed in Lucifer and his minions. Every year, then, at the Feast of the Theophany, the homes should be blessed again to secure for them God’s blessings and protection. Just as the faithful cleanse their soul of sin AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, and the church is blessed with the newly blessed water every year, so should the homes of the faithful be yearly blessed to invoke God’s blessings and protection on it and its inhabitants.
As we renew the insurance on our home every year, so we should renew our love of God, and seek His protection and blessing, which is of greater importance and more effective. As we welcome our priest during the holy season of Christmas and Theophany to bless our home, let us be mindful that he is bringing to us the “blessing of Jordan,” and that unless God protect and bless our home, we “labor in vain.”
WHY DO UKRAINIANS CELEBRATE Christmas on January 7th rather than December 25th? Many people wonder why the Ukrainian date is thirteen days later and only a few people are aware that it is related to a change from the calendar which was in use two thousand years ago and it is NOT January 7th but is in reality December 25th. This is about the Julian and Gregorian Calendars.
Tradition (that which is handed forward) plays a great part in the lives of people of Ukrainian origin and it is for this reason that they have continued to celebrate Christmas on the old calendar that would have been observed by all Christians from the time of the Church Fathers.
In the late sixteenth century the Church recognized that the equinox have moved and was not occurring on the 21st of March but on the 31st, and hence the calendar had somehow shifted. In order to “correct” this shift, in 1582 AD, Pope Gregory promulgated the rule to fix this shift for the whole Church. Thursday 4 October 1582 was followed by Friday 15 October 1582. The non-Catholic world did accept this “fix.” Different nations accepted this correction many years later and at different times. The corrected calendar called the Gregorian Calendar and the old, Julian.
SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn the week of
Jan. 6 – 13 by Michaelne Ostrum in memory of her brother Michael B. Sirak.
ALTAR CANDLES: The Altar Candles are requested to burn at all services for the Month of January by Helen Sirak in memory of her son Michael B. Sirak.
THANKS: Many thanks to all the parishioners who work to keep our parish together. No matter your contribution in helping, large or small, it is greatly appreciated.. May we all continue to work for the betterment of the Parish and have the faith to do so. God’s blessing on all those who served so faithfully.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 