FEBRUARY 1, 2026
Saturday, January 31 SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON
4:00 PM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners
Sunday, February 1 SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON
8:30 AM UMaryAnn Youells-Paul & Dolores Hoover
Monday, February 2 ENCOUNTER OF OUR LORD WITH SIMEON
Blessing of Candles (Myrovania)
8:30 AM UWasyl Laczkoskie- Becker Family
Saturday, February 7 SUNDAY OF MEATFARE
4:00 PM UHelene Sirak – Donald & Donna Winsock
Sunday, February 8 SUNDAY OF MEATFARE
8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners
Transfiguration of Our Lord Church
Saturday Liturgy is 6:00 PM
Sunday Liturgy is 10:30 AM
Saturday, February 7: Sorokousty 8:00 AM
Saturday, February 7: First Saturday Liturgy: 9:00 AM
ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Father, why should I go to the Forgiveness Vespers? After all, I did go to the Divine Liturgy this morning, why do I have to go again today? Everything a person does has a beginning, a middle and an end. Liturgically (liturgy, meaning a public work of the people) speaking the beginning of the day is at sundown. Every holy day, and every Sunday (which is a little Pascha), begins when the sun sets. Sunday begins at the singing of “O Joyful Light” Saturday evening during vespers. Every Catholic, if possible, should attend the three main liturgical services of every Holy Day and Sunday, which are Vespers (Evening Prayer), Matins (Morning Prayer) and the Liturgy. Vespers begins the day, Matins is at the middle and public works finish with the Liturgy and the reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, Holy Communion. So, just as you should attend every Great Vespers each Sunday morning (in secular time, Saturday evening) so too should to attend the Forgiveness Vespers which begins The Great Fast. Also, when you attend all three of the services of a Holy Day, all the unique prayers for that day will tell what is happening and teach you about Salvation. The Great Fast is focused on preparing us for the Holiest of Holy Days, Pascha, and Forgiveness Vespers begins that account and prayer orders us toward the center of our salvation. We should do our best to make an honest effort toward spiritual healing of our entire body and the entire body of Christ, His Church. The focus of Forgiveness Vespers is us looking at ourselves honestly and trying to grow in love for one another. This is because we are all created in the image and likeness of God and we will succeed together and need one another to conquer sin. So, Forgiveness Vespers is a very important and critical first step in beginning The Great Fast. These services could also be considered to be working in us for healing (beginning), working (middle) and succeeding (end) when we receive the Risen Christ in Holy Communion, we are in Heaven on Earth, and the first step on this path is The Forgiveness Vespers. The call to love one another as God loves us often first entails forgiving one another for wrongs we have done to others, or forgiveness we have not granted to those who ask us. If we cannot forgive or accept forgiveness, we cannot be like God, for as St. John tells us, “God is love” (agape, 1 John 4:8). If we begin with forgiving others and accepting their offers of apology for hurting us, our offerings of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving will be more authentic and meaningful. One last comment that is always true, every Holy Day, and every day, all the services are an opportunity to be with God. Take advantage of this opportunity to turn to God and be with God.
THE FIVE SATURDAYS OF THE DECEASED (SOROKUSTY)
The Five Saturdays of the Deceased (Sorokousty) The Church Typikon designates the five Sorokousty/ Saturdays of the Deceased for 2026 as February 7th; February 28th, March 7th and 14th, and May 23rd. 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. Sorokousty Services will be celebrated at 8:00am.
FEBRUARY 1, 2026 Petitions & Prayers for Our Parishioners: John Ostrum,Donna Winsock, Sonia Dempsey, Catherine Halloway, Charles Hallaway, Paul Hoover & James Bencho. Keep them in your prayers. If anyone would like to be included in the prayer list drop a note in the basket, email the church or text Michalene Ostrum at 570-704-7079.
ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Father, I have always been perplexed by the Parable of the Prodigal Son….. it really seems like the older son got “cheated” because the younger son had a good time and then came back and said “I’m sorry.” I know there is a lesson to be taught but I do not fully understand it. Can you help me? The word prodigal means “sinful.” You are in error thinking the younger son was off having fun. He was deceiving himself that he was having fun. His so called friends were no friends at all. The people he was spending time with did not love him one bit at all. They took advantage of his father’s money, living a sinful, frivilous life. The proof of this comes when he runs out of money and famine hits the area. Would a friend abandon another friend? You know the answer to that question is: “No.” Friends never abandon each other. Yet all of these people who had a non-stop party provided for them by the prodigal son’s Father, who is clearly God, even in their sinfulness and had been receiving blessings from the Father, whether they recognize it or not, they only begin to learn their lesson when famine hits and the sinful son is forced to consider the future, perhaps for the first time. In his contemplation of the future, he starts to think correctly and recognizes finally what he thought was “fun” was no fun at all. In contemplating what might happen to him in the famine, and recognizing that the man he is slaving for, working much harder than he ever did for his father, he recognizes this man does not love or care for him even the tiniest bit. That’s when he realizes the only way out of all this trouble is to go home to his father who he now realizes loves him and to beg for forgiveness. The father because he truly loves him, forgives the son, and accepts him back, The older son was always with the father and always had the pleasure to be with his father. Every evening meal with older son is a little celebration, the son never suffered or sinned. The younger son was actually miserable and didn’t realize it. You take the parable at face value, but it is about God the Father and what it truly means to love and forgive. The parable shows what an authentic love actually is, not a modernistic, heretical concept of love. The sinful son has truly repented, that is to change how he lives, he is with the Father for all eternity, not just in the parable. You will also notice that because he already spent his inheritance, it is gone. I don’t understand Father, is the repentance complete for the younger son? Yes, the repentence is complete. If the repentence is complete then why does it seem like the younger son is still being punished? Are we still punished after repenting? The younger son is not being punished. But he only has one bedroom? The son inherited a great reward and frivilously threw it away in this life, because he did not value his father’s love. To be blunt he was stupid. He lived a stupid life because he chose to understand things only in his own way. The older son, whether he understood what he ws doing or not, in being faithful to the father, was saving his inheritance for eternal life, the great reward you receive in heaven. This does not completely answer the parable, the question or both. Come to the adult discussion group, if you still have trouble understanding this parable.
He who does not confess receives no forgiveness.– St. John Chrystostom.
Do not feel embarrassment when you confess, feel embarrassment when you sin.
– St. John Chrystostom.
The Altar Candles for the month of January are given by Michaelene Ostrum IMO her brother, Michael B Sirak.
CHURCH CALENDARS: The church calendars are here in the church vestibule.
LENT: Remember, the first day of Lent is a fast from Meat and Dairy Products. Lent begins with Forgiveness Vespers, Sunday, February 15th at 3:00PM at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church. Confessions will be from at 2:15PM until 2:45PM.The first full day of Lent will begin on Monday, February 16 and is a day of abstinence from Meat and Dairy Products for everyone who is able to do so. All Fridays are always a day of fast. Traditionally, Wednesdays are a day of fast during the Great Fast. Anything you can do extra is also indicated. Remember there are no weekday Liturgy during the Great Fast.
SOROKOUSTY SERVICES & FIRST SATURDAY LITURGY: Twelve Liturgies were given for the first Saturday of each month starting February 7 for any Families experiencing troubles in their lives and seeking God’s help from both Transfiguration of Our Lord & Saints Peter & Paul Churches. If you have such a petition for a family please feel free to share it with Fr. Walter to be included in the Saturday’s liturgy intention. The first Saturday Liturgies are celebrated at Tranfiguration of Our Lord Church at 8:00 AM. The first Saturday Liturgy is February 7 – it will start about 9:00 AM immediately following Sorokousty Services which will begin at 8:00AM. No additional donations are required to submit a petition. You also may call Lisa to submit a petition to add to the list, 570-574-1016.
MYASOPUSNA 2026
Myasopusna Dinner Celebration is fast approaching! The Myasopusna Celebration is scheduled for February 8th, 2026, the date of our Meat-fare Sunday. This event combines a delicious ethnic meal (Ham, kobasi, Halupki, pyrohy, kapusta, bosch, & dessert) with cultural dance, singing and art. This year will feature the St. Mary’s Ukrainian Dancers. Ukrainian Beer and wine will be available. Ticket price is $25 and kids are $12. Doors open at noon. Cocktail 1/2 hour is noon-12:30. Serving starts at 12:30PM and stops at 2:00PM. Tables are not reserved ahead of time. Program will start approximately 1:30PM. For tickets call 570-735-4654 or 570-574-1016 (leave message) to order advance tickets. No Tickets Will Be Sold At the Door. Take-outs are available.
PSANKY CLASSES: St. Cyril & Methodius are holding Psanky classes. These classes are artistically taught by TAMMY BUDNOVITCH on February 22 & March 1st. Pick either 12:00 or 3:00 for classes. All supplies are provided. Fee: $25. All proceeds support SS. Cyril & Methodius, Ukrainian Catholic Church. For reservations: Call Tammy 570-766-1919.
VISITING THE SICK: Do you know a homebound Parishioner who can’t make it to church and would like a visit? Please contact Father Walter at the rectory at 570-735-2262.
LITURGY INTENTIONS: If you are offering a Divine Liturgy for a specific day for your beloved or other intentions for 2026, please make sure you turn it into the rectory in order to make sure that you get the exact time that you would like.
PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do you, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 