January 26, 2025 A. D.
SUNDAY AFTER THEOPHANY
Saturday, January 25 THIRTY-SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
4:00 PM ✞Stanley Giza- Stanley & Renee Giza
Sunday, January 26 THIRTY-SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
8:30 AM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Saturday, February 1 SUNDAY OF ZACCHEUS
ENCOUNTER OF OUR LORD WITH SIMEON
Blessing of Candles
*****1st Saturday of the month Liturgy at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church at 8:00AM*****
4:00 PM God’s Blessings and Good Health for all Parishioners
Sunday, February 2 SUNDAY OF ZACCHEUS
ENCOUNTER OF OUR LORD WITH SIMEON
Blessing of Candles
8:30 AM ✞Paul & Marian Rose- Stephen Udiski
✠☼✠☼✠☼✠☼✠☼✠☼✠
Transfiguration of Our Lord:
Saturday Liturgy is 6:00 PM
Sunday Liturgy is 10:30 AM
ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Father, first, I must say I do not go to communion on a regular basis. How often should one go to communion? I feel “incorrect” not going to communion without going to confession. Confession however, seems to be like “Sin, Confess, Repeat”…. and seems to lack a depth of repentance. Can you help me with this? Perhaps I have the wrong perspective on this? Is the forgiveness I hope to receive something I give myself? I understand Absolution, the problem seems to be with me, not the sacrament. PRIEST: WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF ABSOLUTION? PARISHIONER: Forgiveness of sins. Perhaps, an adjustment in your perspective would help. Absolution is not merely a forgiveness of sins, but literally means from the Latin, “to untie you from the devil or to unchain you from the devil” which is the result of sin. Perhaps, your feeling incorrect is from a viewpoint on your life and your sins as a sense of not taking serious your behaviors-in other words- to take a sincere approach to your Sacramental Life. If you truly believe in God, and truly try to follow His commandments, and recognize that the devil and his fallen angels (demons) have been watching you intently all your life, and they know your weaknesses and will tempt you to break the commandments even in the most minor way either directly or through the interaction with other people. So yes, you might feel like your life is a revolving door and once you are at peace after having sinned you then recognize your action as a sin- which perhaps in that moment you did not desire or intend to do. So you grasped this when you reflect back on your day, week, or life in examining your conscience and perhaps you feel frustrated or hopeless, but this is truly not the case with the sacraments. The devil will tempt you even with these feelings. The question to ask when you examine your conscience and you live your life and even in the confessional (with the priest), is “Are you truly sorry for these sins?” and “Are you actively trying to NOT repeat these sins?” If the answer is “Yes” then you have truly received forgiveness from God. So the question is “Do you lack a depth of repentance or is there something else going on?” The answer to this could be that you might need a spiritual director, we all need a spiritual director in our lives, especially the clergy. I am guessing by our discussion so far, you need a spiritual director in your life. I have not heard my entire life and I doubt many others people have as well, that a spiritual director was even an option. Your spiritual director does not have to be a priest or nun, but someone who is further along the path of holiness than you are. In training for a sport, you seek out someone who has mastered that sport, so you too, should we seek a spiritual director who excels in the path of holiness. The point of this is, your spiritual director would assist you with your prayer and devotional life to help you grow in closeness and love of God so that you don’t feel so much that you are in a revolving door of Sin, Confess & Repeat. Your spiritual director will give you “prayer exercises” to help you. Yes, you might commit the same sins again but hopefully less often and with a greater resolve you will remain sin-free. Now about receiving communion, we should receive communion as often as possible and we should do this with a clear conscience. The simple reason is the receiving of Holy Communion is the action that finishes Confession and prepares you for heaven. If you should die today… you would desire a clean conscience for none of us knows the hour of our calling. “All have sinned. All have fallen short of the glory of God.”-Roman 3:23
(The above account is true. The question was asked by a parishioner. The names have been changed to protect the sinner. Any resemblance to the Parishioner sitting next to you is a coincidence.)
Prayer For Peace in Ukraine
Heavenly Father, Your Son taught us “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.” We fervently pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that you inspire men to become peacemakers. May mankind seek reconciliation and peace as is Your Will in this world. May tranquility be restored to all nations and especially Ukraine. God, Our Father, we beseech You to comfort the suffering, heal the wounded, and accept the souls of the dearly departed into Your heavenly kingdom. May the Most Holy Mother of God extend Her Mantle of Protection over Ukraine and the whole world. May each of us always live our lives as instruments of Your peace, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
MYOSOPUSNA 2025: Transfiguration of Our Lord Church is pleased to announce that dinner tickets are now available for our Annual Myasopusna Festival, held at the church’s banquet hall, 240 Center Street, Nanticoke, on Sunday, February 23, from noon to 4 pm. The Myasopusna (Meatfare) Festival is the parish’s pre-lenten celebration, preceding the Great Fast. Dinner (a platter of holuptsi, kobasi, pyrohy, borscht, black bread and butter, and a homemade dessert) will be served from 12:30 to 2:00 pm, followed by live Ukrainian dance performances by Kazka and Saint Mary’s Ukrainian Dancers. A variety of Ukrainian crafts will be on display and for sale. Dinner tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance, no tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets can be purchased by calling Helen (735-4654) and leave a message or Lisa (574-1016). Invite your friends and neighbors!
UKRAINIAN PYSANKY CLASSES: Classes are being offered by St. Cyril’s Church in Olyphant. March 2nd and March 16th, with two classes each day: 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m. Students will learn about this beautiful Ukrainian tradition. The cost is $25 per person, with supplies included. Class size is limited, and registration is required. Contact: Tammy Budnovitch 570-766-1919 to register for this parish fundraiser held at St. Cyril’s Parish Hall, 207 River St., Olyphant.
James 3:1-10, Mark 11:11-23
The Lesson on the Fig Tree
The Lord took away His Blessing from the fig tree which was rich with leaves but had no fruit, and it dried up. This is a lesson in action. The fig tree represents people who in appearance are in a good state, but in essence are not worthy of approval. Who are these people? They are those who eloquently discourse about faith, but do not have that faith; they hold the objects of faith in the intellect only. They are those whose outward behavior is proper but their feeling and dispositions are very improper, and they manifest proper works only to hide their impropriety from people. Whenever possible, they do not do these works. For example, such a person give alms when someone asks them him in front of people, but ask him in private and he berate you. He goes to church to pray to God, prays in sight of everyone, and prays at home as well, so as to not bring shame upon himself before his household. But as soon as he is alone, he does not even make the sign of the Cross on his brow. He does not have any idea about turning to God with the mind and the heart. Let us pray that God will not allow us to be like that, for then we will not escape the judgement pronounced over the fig tree.
-St. Theophan the Recluse
The Altar Candles for the month of January are requested by Helene Sirak IMO her son Michael.
There is no Sanctuary Light requested for this week.
*****The next several weeks are available if someone would like to offer a
Sanctuary Light petition.******
CHURCH ENVELOPES: The 2025 envelopes and calendars are available in the vestibule.
PARISH FORMS: Our Parish is updating our Parishioner Forms. The forms are in the vestibule. Please complete the form and return it. There will be a folder you can put it in on the table.
BLESSING OF HOMES: If anyone wishes to have their home blessed, please use the envelope in your collection box or leave a note in the collection basket. Also please let Father know if a visit during daytime hours is possible. No donation is required-even though the envelope says requested amount.
In one of his homilies the holy Hiero-Confessor Luke of Crimea noted, “Why did Christ curse the fig tree? To teach us that we should tremble when we hear about it… We should not be deceived by the thought that our Lord is infinitely merciful and good and will surely forgive our sins. Many, many deceive themselves with this hope, and in this parable, and above all through the cursing of the fig tree, we learn that the Lord is not always infinitely merciful.” {i. e. the Lord will not forgive the unrepentant sinner.}
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 