Saturday, March 1 SUNDAY OF CHEESEFARE
4:00 PM Joseph Wyatt Evans, who is Baptized today.
Sunday, March 2 SUNDAY OF CHEESEFARE
8:30 AM ✞Dennis Kachmarsky- Teresa Popowycz
3:00 PM Forgiveness Vespers @ Transfiguration of Our Lord Church
Friday, March 7 LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS
5:00 PM
Saturday, March 8 1st SUNDAY OF LENT
4:00 PM ✞Juliann O’Brien- Helene Sirak
Sunday, March 9 1st SUNDAY OF LENT
8:30 AM ✞Mary Kulyn- Gloria & Stephen Udiski
Remember, there are no weekday Liturgies during the
Great Fast. Communion is distributed as part of the
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
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Transfiguration of Our Lord:
Saturday Liturgy is 6:00 PM
Sunday Liturgy is 10:30 AM
LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS Wednesday at 6:30PM
ASK FATHER A QUESTION…….Father, if the focus of our Eastern faith is “Resurrection” and not the “Agony of the Cross” why have Lent at all? The Feast of Resurrection does not come without the journey that precedes it. Lent is a forty day period to remind us that the journey to salvation begins with preparation (i.e. prayer, fasting, alms giving, contemplation). If you notice the calendar in the back of the church, placed by Father Walter, this provides all the readings for Matins (morning prayer) and Vespers (evening prayer) throughout all of Lent and Holy Week. You will see that we read the following books almost in completion; Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Proverbs and Isaiah. Just as you being a long journey in this life by first looking at a map and charting the path you will take and perhaps write out your directions, Lent is likewise our spiritual preparation for the journey to heaven. You will notice that in Genesis and Exodus there is part of the history of the salvation of mankind. In Isaiah, you will notice that the history of salvation is told in completion, what has been done, what is being done, and what will be done. If we follow these directions, in humility, we will end up in heaven. If we ignore these directions, in human arrogance, we will end in hell. Lent in preparing for our resurrection is a surrendering of our will to the will of God. We especially prepare for the Feast of all Feasts, Resurrection of Our Blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, just as we are preparing for Judgement Day, our Eternal Feast of Resurrection which is our planned last step of our life’s journey.
PLEASE HELP………………………………………
WOMEN’S SOCIETY FLEA MARKET & PARISH SALE: The Women’s Society is holding a rummage, soup and bake sale March 14, 15 & 16. Please pass the word about our rummage, soup and bake sale. The sale will be March 14th, 15th (half price day) and 16th (bag day). If you know of a business that will display a flyer please get one to them, they are on the table in the vestibule.
WOMEN’S SOCIETY MEETING: The Women’s Society will hold their March meeting on Tuesday, March 4th at 6PM in the church hall, NEW MEMBERS WELCOME. Plans for the upcoming March 14, 15 & 16 rummage sale will be discussed. If you are unable to attend the meeting, and are able to help with the sale, please contact Anna Magill, 570-239-9263. Fliers for the rummage sale are in the vestibule. If you have a place of business that will display it, please take one.
BAKE SALE HELP: We are seeking your donations of baked goods for our bake sale. Our organization is known for offering exceptional baked treats.
BOOK(S) OF THE MONTH FOR MARCH:
GREAT LENT- Journey to Pascha
Alexander Schmemann ISBN: 0-913836-04-4
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: On The Road To Pascha
Marianne C. Sailus Eastern Christian Publications http://www.ecpubs.com
MYOSOPUSNA 2025: Thank you to everyone who supported Transfiguration of Our Lord’s Myasopusna Dinner.
HOAGIE & SOUP SALE: St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church is holding a Vegetable Soup, Turkey Hoagie, Ham & Cheese Hoagie, Italian Hoagie and Bake Sale on Thursday, March 13th from 11AM to 4PM. The cost of the hoagie and quart of soup is $8.00. Orders can be placed by calling Debbie at 570-736-6908 by Sunday, March 9th. A Basket Raffle to benefit Ukraine and the Church will be held at the same time.
LENT: Remember, the first day of Lent is a day of fast from Meat and Dairy Products. Lent begins with Forgiveness Vespers, Sunday, March 2nd at 3:00 PM at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church. The first full day of Lent will begin on Monday, March 3rd. The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts at Ss. Peter & Paul Church will be on Fridays at 5:00pm and at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church on Wednesdays at 6:30pm.
THE FIVE SATURDAYS OF THE DECEASED (SOROKUSTY): The Church Typikon designates the five Sorokousty/ Saturdays of the Deceased for 2025 as February 22nd; March 15th, March 22nd, March 29th and June 7th. It is a tradition of our Holy Church to commemorate the memories of our beloved deceased at Matins of the Deceased (Parastas) on these five Saturdays of the year. There is an envelope in your box for Sorokousty. Or write a note and put it in the basket.
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.
SING-CON 2025: Save the date if interested. The date for SING-CON 2025 is October 23-26, 2025, at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Perth Amboy, NJ. SING-CON is seminar on learning and practicing our Church’s Chants, i.e. hymns and liturgies in song.
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.
Last week’s homily you pointed out that the four Sundays before Lent and that through Lent we relive our own journey like Moses, through this life and it got me to thinking what this Journey is all about. I don’t know what this Journey is about, can you explain some more? Our Journey through this life has a final destination, if you desire to be eternally with God in heaven then follow Jesus in everything that you do. That is the point of Lent that just as Jesus recapitulates the journey of Israel from Egypt to the promised land as a “type” of journey of mankind through this life to the Resurrection. You may feel as some people do, that you are just repeating the same steps year after year, but I assure you that it is not the same – if you put an honest effort into making a holy lent. The big picture, journey, and the path that Christ shows us to be successful is that of all mankind from Genesis Chapter 1 verse 1 through to the Resurrection of Christ and the final judgement and the triumphant entry of all the holy ones into heaven as found in the Book of Revelation. For example, in the beginning God created everything and then finally God creates man. Through man whom the devil tempts to sin successfully, sickness, suffering and death enter God’s creation. As we journey through our life as the nation of Israel journeyed through the desert, we are changed by this experience.
The Great Fast is our penitential preparation for the great feast of Pascha (Passover). As such, it is one of the most ancient parts of liturgical year. It’s forty days symbolizes the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert, while the Divine Liturgy of the PreSanctified Gifts is the fulfillment of the promise of the mana as St. John wrote, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.’(John 6:32)” I the Great Fast, we imitate Jesus our Lord, who fasted 40 days in the desert following His Baptism. The feast of Pascha was also the time for baptisms, and so the Great Fast was a time of preparation for baptism. Our observance of the Great Fast, therefore, is our renewal of our baptismal fervor when we first came to Christ.
The Altar Candles for March are requested by the by The Udiski Family IMO Michael Kane.
The Sanctuary Light for this week is requested by Carol Kosek IMO the Bosack Family.
BAPTISM: Joseph Wyatt Evans will be Baptized, Christened, and receive First Holy Communion on Saturday, March 1st at the 4:00PM Divine Liturgy. Joseph is the son of Joseph and Colleen Evans.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 