November | 2026 | SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

6 11 2026

November 1, 2026

Saturday, October 31 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Sunday, November 1 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM Jewel Johnstone – Joseph & Kathy Niznik

Saturday, November 7 TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM John Ostrum – Gayle & Bobby Miles

Sunday, November 8 ARCHANGEL MICHAEL & AND ALL THE ANGELS

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Father, I was contemplating today’s Gospel reading (Pericope)….”the pigs” and I thought to myself, ‘I have seen the pigs in a Gospel before.’ Can you explain to me why pigs are a repetitive theme in the Bible? What do they mean? Luke 8:26-39; Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20.

I cannot answer your question without reminding you about our Church’s calendar. We are not like the Roman Catholics using their Church calendar. We have our own Calendar of Saints. We read the entire New Testament every year; all four Gospels and the Epistles. This is our calendar. Because we read all four Gospels in their entirety, when there is an event and it is in the Gospels and it is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke you will hear that event 3 times a year. If the event is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke & John you will hear it 4 times a year. The account of the man possessed at the Gerasene Boundary is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Our church year begins on September 1; however, the center of the church year is the Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter, and we begin on this day by reading from the Gospel of John 1:1. When we finish reading the Gospel of John, we then read in order; Matthew, Mark and finally Luke as we complete Lent and prepare for the Rsurrection of Our Lord once again. This notion of repition, and why are pigs so important, is not that the pigs are so important BUT the lesson is important. The lesson is that the people cared to do things the way they wanted to and they were refusing the instruction of God in their lives. The people were lacking in humility. So even when Jesus cast the devils out of the possessed man, He still was protecting the people and did not allow the devils to enter into other people, even though they were refusing him. This is the important message in this. Do I fully acept Christ as my King and God OR do I chase Jesus away and make myself my own king and god? Where was John? John was there. Why does John not record this? Your question leads into a different study of the scriptures. The Good News of Jesus Christ risen from the dead as accounted by Matthew, Mark & Luke, we call the Synoptic Gospels, a summary of Jesus’ Life on Earth, accounted through the actions of Jesus Christ and it appears that John’s Gospel is similar, but it is much deeper spiritually than the Synopitc Gospels. Because of this, he is not historically recording all of the same events as the other three. John is focused much more on Jesus Christ the Eternal Lamb of God, and Jesus Christ the Eternal King and God, i.e. our salvation. Why pigs? Pigs were forbidden to be eaten and tended by God’s faithful people. God commanded Moses very clearly that the nation of Israel was to have nothing to do with pigs. (Pigs are large animals & difficult in consume in their entirety- it is near impossible without modern refrigerators to store pig meat without it going bad and causing illness.) The nation of Israel repeatedly refuses God, and when they refuse Him trouble comes upon them, but when the nation of Israel accepts God, peace returns to Israel. You can see this played out if you read the first and second Book of Samuel and I point out especially to you that in the first book of Samuel Chapter 8, the people are demanding Samuel appoint to them a king. Samuel instructs them, you are not like other people and God is your King. The people continue to clamour for a human king and Samuel is upset by their refusal to accept God as their King. God replies to Samuel (1 Samuel 8:7), “grant the peoples’ every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting Me as their King.”

ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Father, I am contemplating making a good confession. I am taking inventory of my sins and trying to look at myself clearly. Through this act of making a good confession, do I have to consider any past sins, or remember them, or reflect upon them, even if something is terrible in my history that I have already confessed? Sins that you have already confessed in your past, you do not need to confess again. If you have repeated the same sin then you need to confess the sin because it has been repeated. The only time you need to confess a past sin is if you have purposefully not confessed it, or where trying to hide it in confession and were not being honest. Are my past confessed sins done, and not to be rehashed, over and over again? For my personal spiritual health-it doesn’t feel like the sin is gone? We must remember as we strive for heaven, that we are battling the devils in hell who know our sins because they watch us. Just as God sends us a guardian angel to lead us to heaven, the devil apes God and sends us a demon to tempt us to hell. Fortunately, devils are not diligent workers and they don’t really have any power or authority over you, especially the demon the devil sends to tempt you. Your guardian angel is completely diligent in leading you to heaven. Don’t forget that. That being said, be aware that your past sins have truly been forgiven in confession, however, because a devil was successful once in the past by tempting you into a pearticular sin, they find it easier to tempt you to sin in the same way again. In addition to that, devils know an easy way to tempt people is to cause them to doubt God’s love, to question if God truly forgave the sin. This is the perrenial work of the devil, to cause man to doubt God and to trust the devils.

PRAYER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH

O glorious St. Michael, guardian and defender of the Church of Jesus Christ, come to the assistance of the Church, against which the powers of hell are unchained, guard with especial care her august Head, and obtain that for Him and for us the hour of triumph may speedily arrive. O glorious Archangel St. Michael, watch over us during life, defend us against the assaults of the devil, assist us especially at the hour of death; obtain for us a favorable judgement, and the happiness of beholding God face to face for endless ages. Amen.

Petitions & Prayers for Our Parishioners: Donna Winsock, Sonia Dempsey, Catherine Halloway, Charles Hallaway, Louise Hubiack, Frank Udiski, Paul Hoover & James Bencho, Reader John Fedorko. 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.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri on Hope

Besides the pardon of our sins, we must confidently hope for the victory over our temptations. In order to persevere in well-doing, our confidence must not rest on our own good resolutions. When we build on the foundation of our own strength our edifice is sure to fall. To maintain ourselves in the grace of God it is necessary, therefore, to place our hope in the merits of Jesus Christ. With His assistance we shall persevere till death, even though we be assailed by all the powers of earth and Hell. There may be times when temptations are so violent that sin seems unavoidable. We must be on our guard at such times not to lose courage and give up the struggle. Our only resource is to hasten to Jesus Crucified. He and He alone can sustain us. The Lord permits that from time to time even the Saints have such storms to endure. Saint Paul says of himself: “We were pressed out of measure above our strength, so that we were weary even of life.” (2 Cor. 1:8); Twelve Steps of Holiness and Salvation, page 27.

Remembrance Day for the Victims of Holodomor (Stalin imposed Genocide) in Ukraine this year is Saturday, NOVEMBER 28, 2026 A. D.

In 1932–1933, a man-made famine, known as the Holodomor, killed 3.3–12 million ethnic Ukrainians in the Soviet Socialist Republic (The Soviet Union), included in a total of 5.5–20 million killed by the broader Soviet famine of 1930–1933. At least 4 million ethnic Ukrainians died as a result of the famine in the USSR.

PHILLIPS FAST: Please keep in mind that Phillip’s Fast begins on the day after the Feast Day of the Apostle Phillip, Sunday, November 15 and continues until December 24. It is the preparation period for the Feast of the Nativity. It is marked by fasting and abstaining from food and drink, almsgiving and prayer. Our clergy wears dark (usually red) colored vestments on weekdays during this time period and our liturgical practices remain unchanged. In the Roman Catholic Church, Advent begins its church year, prepares its members for Christ’s Coming, and is about one month in duration. It focuses on one’s prayer life and activities such as the lighting of the Advent Wreath. Its clergy wear purple, with the exception of one Sunday, when rose-colored vestments may be worn. What were we to fast from? Physical fasting means to go without food or drink for a period of time or to limit the amount of food one eats. Fasting differs from abstinence in that abstinence simply means we just don’t eat certain foods for a period of time. In more recent times, we in the Ukrainian Catholic Church have been encouraged to abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, but we are not obliged to fast, abstain- do penance or pray during the preparatory period before Christmas. We are simply encouraged to do so, for our own good.

The Altar Candles for the month of October are requested by Gail and Bobby Miles IMO Randy Yanoshak.

The Sanctuary Light was requested by Daivid Youells for Good Health for Michele Hatch.

“ANNUAL TURKEY-FEST DINNER: “ANNUAL TURKEY-FEST DINNER- Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, will host their annual Turkey Fest Dinner as a take-out only event on Saturday, November 7^th in their school hall on the corner of West Chestnut and North River Streets in Wilkes-Barre. Pick-ups will be from 12:00(noon) to 4:00pm. The event will feature our traditional turkey dinner and basket raffle. Dinners will be $16.00 for adults and $10.00 for children. Call (570) 829-3051 to make your reservation. Walk-in customers will be welcomed, but reservations are strongly encouraged. Tell your friends and family. Non-perishable food items will be collected for donation to a local food pantry.”

NOVEMBER BOOK: The Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation From the Works of St. Alphonsus Liguori Adapted from the German of Rev. Paul Leick by Rev. CorneliusJ. Wareen C.SS.R.

CHRISTMAS FLEA MARKET: Transfiguration of Our Lord Church will be having a Christmas Flea Market on Saturday, November 21^st (9am-2pm) & Saturday November 28^th (9am-2pm), and Saturday, December 5^th (9am-2pm). There will be Ukrainian Raffle Baskets. The drawing will be Saturday, December 5th at 2:00PM weather permitting. Food will be served: Pierogies, whimpies, clam chowder and more for eat-in or take-out.

Our Patriotism

Originally published in The Way on October 4, 1941 A.D., reprinted 31 Oct. 2026 A.D..

Times of war, times of stress bring added requirements upon all of us. To meet those requirements all sorts of methods are employed to strengthen patriotism. We have unusual parades, celebrations, new songs and speeches — yet the desired results are seldom reached. Why? Simply because the true source of patriotism has not been approached.

The true source of patriotism is religion. The decline of religion heralds the decline of patriotism. Many will make objections to this statement, some will even maintain that religion is the enemy of patriotism. These people are making a grave error. They are hindering the development of patriotism.

Saint Augustine, who lived in the fifth century, and who was a convert to the Christian Church from paganism, writes in Epistle 138, Chapter II, Section 15:

“Let those who declare the teaching of Christ be opposed to the welfare of the State, furnish us with an army of soldiers such as Christ says soldiers ought to be; let them give us subjects, husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants, kings, judges, taxpayers and tax gatherers, who live up to the teachings of Christ; and then let them dare assert that Christian doctrine is harmful to the State. Rather let them not hesitate one moment to acclaim that doctrine, rightly observed, the greatest safeguard of the State.”

In other words if we recognize God and His laws we shall make good citizens. God is the source of our rights and our responsibilities. The ancestors of our country laid the foundation of this great land on that truth. In the Declaration of Independence they wrote:

“We hold these truths to be self evident. That all men are created equal: that they are endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights: that amongst these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The founding Fathers of our country were most anxious to find some basis for human rights, some guarantee of human liberties. They trusted no state, no parliament, no dictator, no human power to give it to them. They went to God. This is the essence of Americanism. Now, if the essence of Americanism is the sacredness of human personality, as a creature of God, who is doing most to preserve that Americanism? Who is inculcating patriotism? Is it not the institution of God, is it not His Church?

William Penn, in his “Frame of Government” for his Pennsylvania colony, wrote:

“Governments rather depend upon men than men upon government; let men be good and the government cannot be bad; if it be ill they will cure it. Though good laws do well, men do better, for good laws may lack good men and be evaded or abolished by ill men, but good men will never suffer ill ones. That, therefore, which makes a good constitution must keep it, namely, men of wisdom and virtue; qualities that because they descend not with worldly inheritance must be carefully propagated by a virtuous education of youth.”

The answer obviously is that the forces building constructive Americanism are those that recognize God. Our patriotism is based on their recognition and because of this the Catholics are the better patriots.

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

6 11 2026

October 25, 2026

Saturday, October 24 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM God’s Blessing & Salvation for Emma Grace Davenport

Baptism, Chrismation & First Communion of Emma Grace Davenport

Sunday, October 25 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Saturday, October 31 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Sunday, November 1 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM Jewel Johnstone- Joseph & Kathy Niznik

Sung Liturgy Given by Parishioners for Father Paul Wolensky

Voices needed.

The Gospel for this Sunday is from the Evangelist Luke (Chapter 16:19-31) which is the 5th Sunday of Luke (aka Sunday After the Cross). It is the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus where Jesus contrasts the seemingly uncaring rich man and the desperately needy Lazarus. It is the old story of a rich man and poor man. Let us examine the lessons from this gospel: first, wealth did not send the rich man to hell, nor did poverty send the poor man to heaven. Rather it was their relationship to each other and God. Neither wealth nor poverty of themselves can send one to heaven or hell. Rather the decisive matter is how one lives, in wealth or poverty, and how one goes about gaining wealth or protecting oneself against losing it. The rich man would not have gone to hell if love filled his heart for God and his fellow man. The poor man, Lazarus, would not have gone to heaven if his heart had been filled with hate for the uncaring rich man, with resentment about his condition against God. The second lesson from this Parable is that heaven and hell are far more permanent realities than our journey here on earth. We should be concerned, above everything else, with the Kingdom of God and with what He requires. Our short sojourn on this earth, therefore, provides us with the unique opportunity to prepare for our eternal journey in God’s Kingdom. These two lessons and thoughts are the essence of this parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

Remembrance Day for the Victims of Holodomor (Stalin imposed Genocide) in Ukraine this year is Saturday, NOVEMBER 28, 2026.

“Do not let pass any opportunity to pray for anyone, either at his request or at the request of his relatives, friends, of those who esteem him, or of his acquaintances. The Lord looks favorably upon the prayer of our love, and upon our boldness before him. Besides this, prayer for others is very beneficial to the one himself who prays for others; it purifies the heart, strengthens faith and hope in God, and enkindles our love for God and our neighbor. When praying, say thus: ‘Lord, it is possible for Thee to do this or that to this servant of Thine; do this for him, for Thy name is the Merciful Love of Men and the Almighty.’” + St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

The Dart Test A young lady tells of one of the most valuable lessons she ever learned. Her teacher placed a large target on the wall of the classroom and told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked. The students were then given an opportunity to throw darts at the person’s picture on the wall. One student drew a picture of an annoying friend. Another student drew a picture of a teacher who gave given him a failing grade; still another drew her sister, with whom she was angry. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their target began ripping apart. The students commented to each other about how good it felt to direct all their anger at the target. “Too bad,” someone said, “we can’t do this for real!” All the other students agreed. Then the teacher removed the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the dart-riddled image of Christ. No words were necessary. The students were reminded of something we so often forget: that everyone bears the image of Christ within – even those we dislike. This is why Christ Himself tells us to “love our enemies.” We hear similar words from Jesus “do to others as you would have them do to you.” And, “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:31, 36)

PRAYER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH

OCTOBER BOOK: School of Darkness, Bella Dodd. Bella Dodd’s 1954 autobiography School of Darkness was written at the urging of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, and it recounts her conversion to Catholicism after a lifetime in the Communist Party, culminating in her baptism by Archbishop Sheen in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York.

OUR LADY OF SORROWS

The Seven Sorrows (Dolors*) of Mary:

1) The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35)

2) The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-21)

3) The Loss of Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:41-50)

4) The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Road to Calvary (John 19:17)

5) The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:18-30)

6) Jesus Taken Down from the Cross (John 19:39-40)

7) Jesus Laid in the Tomb (John 19:39-42)

Our Lady revealed to St. Bridget seven particular graces that she would grant those who honored her Sorrows:

1) “I will grant peace to their families.”

2) “They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.”

3) “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.”

4) “I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.”

5) “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.”

6) “I will visibly help them at the moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother.”

7) “I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven, and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.”

What Mary Teaches Those Who Suffer

Mary teaches us that grief is not a failure of faith. Tears do not mean that a person has stopped trusting God. Jesus Himself wept. Mary suffered. A faithful heart can be wounded and still remain open to God. She also teaches us not to abandon people during their darkest hours. We may not know what to say beside a hospital bed, after a funeral, or when a family is breaking apart. Sometimes words are too small. Our presence, patience, and prayer may become the greatest gift we can offer. Mary did not stand beneath the Cross because she was strong enough by herself. She stood there because grace held her. The same grace can hold us when we feel that we cannot take another step.

*Dolors; Latin: deep sorrow, intense suffering, heartache or grief.

PYRAMID HEALTHCARE IN DALLAS: Are asking for clothing (gently-used) donations for adult men and women especially as the cold weather approaches. Please call Father Walter at the rectory (570) 735-2262 or leave them in the vestibule. Bibles and Rosaries are also requested.

The Altar Candles for the month of October are requested by Gail and Bobby Miles IMO Randy Yanoshak.

The is no request for the Sanctuary Light this week.

BAPTISMAL ANNOUNCEMENT: On Saturday October 24^th at the 4 pm Divine Liturgy, Emma Grace Davenport, the daughter of John and Morgan Davenport, will receive the Rites of initiation; Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Communion.

SYMPATHY: Please remember in your prayers the soul of Rev. Fr. Paul Wolensky who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, October 18. May Our Lord grant him rest in the bosom of Abraham, may he be numbered among the saints, and may his memory be eternal; Vichnaya Pamyat. Our deepest sympathies are extended to the Wolensky Family.

WOMEN’S SOCIETY RUMMAGE SALE THANK YOU: The Women’s Society rummage sale ended last Sunday. Our sincere appreciation for all that contributed to this fundraiser.

HOAGIE SALE: LAST DAY TO ORDER: St. Nicholas Church, Glen Lyon, will be holding a Turkey, Ham & Cheese and Italian Hoagie Sale on Saturday, October 31^st from 11:00am to 2:00pm. The cost of each hoagie is $8.00 and a quart of vegetable soup is $9.00. Orders can be placed by calling Debbie at 570-736-6908 by Sunday, October 25^th. A bake sale will also be held with the soup and hoagie sale. A Basket Raffle is also being held to Benefit Ukraine and the church.

We are happy to report that $731 was made through the basket raffle sale and donations for the Ukrainian Relief Fund.

Raffle Winners

#1 Household Cleaning Supplies Lisa Endress

#2 Wine, Wine & more Wine Anna Magill

#3 Bathroom Glitz Monica Bergen

#4 Christmas Cheer Jessica Cook

#5 Amish Basket Sharon Kinney

#6 Cheers Pat Golden

#7 Fall Theme Donna Bonk

#8 Christmas Denise Klus

#9 Lego & Treats Shelia Dziak

#10 Drone Joe Collins

#11 Vera Bradley Ronna C.

#12 Halloween Cat Hoysen

#13 Christmas Theme Johanna Longenberger

#14 Pasta Maker Marina B

#15 Wegman’s Gift Card Jude Schappert

#16 Christmas tree Hoysen

#17 Football Theme Dallas Pollack

#18 Pysanki Mary Richelmi

#19 Pysanki Ann Marie Finley

#20 Games Anonymous

#21 Snacks & Drinks Brenda K.

#22 Earrings Lyuhov Palashchuk

#23 Wishing Well Jessica Cook

#24 Afghan Jolyn Bartoli

#25 Price Chopper Gift Card Shari Yarnell

Thank You!

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

6 11 2026

LUKE- APOSTLE

October 18, 2026

Saturday, October 17 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM Anna Dempsey – daughter, Anna Magill

Sunday, October 18 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Saturday, October 24 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM God’s Blessing & Salvation for Emma Grace Davenport

Baptism, Chrismation & First Communion of Emma Grace Davenport

Sunday, October 25 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

A CUT FLOWER CIVILIZATION

D. Elton Trueblood said once, “The terrible danger of our time consists in the fact that ours is a cut-flower society civilization. Beautiful as cut flowers may be… they will eventually die because they are severed from their sustaining roots. We are trying to maintain the dignity of the individual apart from the deep faith that every man is made in God’s image and is therefore precious in God’s eyes.”

All the precious values of our democratic society are rooted in God. Equality, rights of man, freedom to worship, etc … are connected to the fact that we are created in God’s image, that every man is loved by God Who has counted the very hairs of our head and cannot see even a sparrow fall to the ground without concern. Rights are rooted in Christian faith…Those in our country who deny God yet cling to the concept of rights are destroying the very roots which nourish and sustain these precious values. Cut off from their Christian roots, rights and values wither and die.

Emerson said once that Harvard now taught all branches of learning. “Yes,” said Thoreau, “all branches but none of the roots.” At another time Thoreau said, “There are thousands striking at the branches of evil and few striking at the roots.” This reminds us of John the Baptist who said. “Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke3:9). –Anthony Coniaris

When you wish to live piously and be a true Christian and so be saved, pray to God incessantly and beg help of Him with fervor. Just as according to His love for man God commanded us to pray and ask of Him every good thing, He also promised to give us what we ask for, and most of all what is needful for our salvation. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt 7:7-8). Know, beloved, that a Christian without prayer is as a bird without wings and as a warrior without weapons. Pray fervently, then, to Christ the Lord and give yourself to Him for direction, and He will correct and guide you to eternal blessedness according to His love for man. Only be careful and watch yourself, and seeing you care He will help you in everything. Read the Beatitudes, and the rest, often and with fervor. +St. Tikhon

Remembrance Day for the Victims of Holodomor (Stalin imposed Genocide) in Ukraine this year is Saturday, NOVEMBER 28, 2026.

In 1932–1933, a man-made famine, known as the Holodomor, killed 3.3–12 million ethnic Ukrainians in theSoviet Socialist Republic (The Soviet Union), included in a total of 5.5–20 million killed by the broader Soviet famine of 1930–1933. At least 4 million ethnic Ukrainians died as a result of the famine in the USSR.

PRAYER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, appeared six times to three shepherd children (“The Three Seers”) near the town of Fatima, Portugal between May 13 and October 13, 1917. Appearing to the children, the Blessed Virgin told them that She had been sent by God with a message for every man, woman and child living in our century. Coming at a time when civilization was torn asunder by war and bloody violence, She promised that Heaven would grant peace to all the world if Her requests for prayer, reparation and consecration were heard and obeyed. “If My requests are granted … there will be peace” Our Lady of Fatima explained to the children that war is a punishment for sin and warned that God would further castigate the world for its disobedience to His Will by means of war, hunger and the persecution of the Church, the Holy Father and the Catholic Faithful. God’s Mother prophesied that Russia would be God’s chosen “instrument of chastisement,” spreading the “errors” of atheism and materialism across the earth, fomenting wars, annihilating nations and persecuting the Faithful everywhere. “If My requests are not granted, Russia will spread its errors throughout the world, raising up wars and persecutions against the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will suffer much and various nations will be annihilated.” In all Her appearances at Fatima, the Blessed Mother repeatedly emphasized the necessity of praying the Rosary daily, of wearing the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel and of performing acts of reparation and sacrifice. To prevent the terrible chastisement at the hands of Russia and to convert “that poor nation”, Our Lady requested the solemn public Consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart by the Pope and all the Catholic bishops of the world. She also asked that the Faithful practice a new devotion of reparation on the first Saturday of five consecutive months (“The Five First Saturdays”). The heart of Our Lady’s Message to the world is contained in what has come to be called the “Secret” which She confided to the three child seers in July 1917. The Secret actually consists of three parts, the first two of which have been publicly revealed. The first part of the Secret was a horrifying Vision of hell “where the souls of poor sinners go” and contained an urgent plea from Our Lady for acts of prayer and sacrifice to save souls. The second part of the Secret specifically prophesied the outbreak of World War II and contained the Mother of God’s solemn request for the Consecration of Russia as a condition for world peace. It also predicted the inevitable triumph of Her Immaculate Heart following Russia’s consecration and the conversion “of that poor nation” to the Catholic Faith. The last part of the Secret (often called the “Third Secret”) has not yet been made public, but was written down by Lucy Dos Santos, the last living Fatima seer, in 1944 and has been in the possession of the Holy See since 1957. Most informed sources reveal that this -+ portion of the Secret concerns chaos in the Catholic Church beginning with the head, predicting widespread apostasy and a loss of faith beginning in the seventh decade of the 20th Century.

Every Evil Screams Only One Message: I am good. – Alexander Schmemann

The Altar Candles for the month of October are requested by Gail and Bobby Miles IMO Randy Yanoshak.

The is no request for the Sanctuary Light this week.

WOMEN’S SOCIETY RUMMAGE SALE THANK YOU: Thank you to everyone who contributed, made soups, baked goods, worked and came to support the rummage sale this week end. The final day, bag day, is today (Sunday) from 12-2. For $5.00 you can fill a bag with anything (if it doesn’t fit in the bag, it’s half price). Also, half price is the furniture, jewelry and front table items.

ALTAR CANDLES & SANCTUARY LIGHT: There are many weeks available for sanctuary lights and months for the altar candles. The lists are in the back of the church. They are a special way to remember our dearly departed loved ones or for special intentions.

CEMETERY: Please make sure that summer items are removed from the cemetery prior to the ground freezing in preparation for the Feast of the Nativity.

HOAGIE SALE: St. Nicholas Church, Glen Lyon, will be holding a Turkey, Ham & Cheese and Italian Hoagie Sale on Saturday, October 31^st from 11:00am to 2:00pm. The cost of each hoagie is $8.00 and a quart of vegetable soup is $9.00. Orders can be placed by calling Debbie at 570-736-6908 by Sunday, October 25^th. A bake sale will also be held with the soup and hoagie sale. A Basket Raffle is also being held to Benefit Ukraine and the church.

NOTABLE DATES: Daylight Savings Time Ends (Sunday, November 1); Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26); Myasopusna (January 31); Lent Begins(February 14), Good Friday (March 26), Easter (March 28).

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

HOLY FATHERS OF THE SEVENTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

6 11 2026

TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

October 11, 2026

Saturday, October 10 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM Generational Healing for Walski/Kormas Family

-Diane, Janice & Rita

Sunday, October 11 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Saturday, October 17 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM Anna Dempsey – daughter Anna Magill

Sunday, October 18 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
THE WORDS OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

If you are so curious and inquisitive [about God’s reasonings], wait for the final outcome and see how things turn out. And do not be thrown into confusion, do not be troubled at the start. … If a man who has been born and raised on the sea and is completely ignorant of how to care for the land is suddenly moved to the interior of the country, when he sees the wheat that has been stored away and protected behind doors and bars, and kept free from moisture, suddenly brought out by the farmer, scattered, thrown about, lying on the ground before all passersby, and not only not kept free from moisture, but given over to the mire and mud without any protection, will he not consider the wheat to be ruined and pass judgement on the farmer who did these things? But this condemnation does not come from the nature of what was done, but from the inexperience and folly of him who is not judging well, casting his ballot immediately at the outset. If he waited for the summer and saw the fields waving, the sickle sharpened, and the wheat—that has remained scattered and unprotected and rotted and ruined and given over to the mire—now raised up and multiplied, appearing in full bloom, having put away that which is obsolete, set upright with great strength, as though having guards and a watch, raising its stalk up high, delighting the beholder, as well as providing nourishment and great benefit—then he would be highly amazed that, by way of such conditions, the fruit had been brought to such abundance and splendor. Therefore, you too, O man, especially do not be inquisitive about the common Master of all men. But if you are so contentious and daring, … then wait for the final outcome of events. For if the farmer waits the whole winter, considering not what the wheat is undergoing during the time of frost, but the benefit he will get from it, much more so, before Him Who cultivates the whole world, as well as our souls, is it fitting for you to wait for the final outcome. But by outcome I do not mean only the outcome in the present life—for often it will be here, as well—but also that in the life to come. God’s economy is directed toward a single end in each of these lives: our salvation.

The Presence of God

The point is not simply to say words of prayer. The point is for the whole man to be a prayer before God. The moment you feel devoutness, contrition and the fear of God –exactly because you are aware of God’s presence– it is as if you are praying, no mat- ter where you are, no matter what you do. Your soul is attached to God. As you have the sense of God’s presence, that makes you stand in piety before Him, and saves you from being led hither, thither and yon. In order for the soul to be constantly in prayer before God, it doesn’t necessarily have to utter any words, once it has a constant sense of God’s presence, moves lovingly towards God and embraces God’s love. In this sense, our whole life has to be and can be prayer according to the words in the gospels, “pray without ceasing”.

PRAYER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH

Our Lady of Czestochowa

Saint Luke the Evangelist, according to tradition, is believed to be the original artist of this painting in which Mary is depicted holding the Christ Child. This sacred picture, enshrined and venerated at the renowned Marian Shrine in Poland, was first brought from Jerusalem through Constantinople and was bestowed to the Princess of Ruthenia. It was brought to Poland in 1382 through the efforts of Ladislaus of Opole who had discovered it in a castle at Belz. To ensure its protection, he invited the Monks of Saint Paul the First Hermit from Hungary to be its guardians.

From this time onward, the historic records of the painting are documented and authenticated by the miracles associated with the painting. In 1430, a devastating attack on the Polish Shrine resulted in tragic losses and the damaging of the holy picture. To this very day, despite the attempts to repair the damage, the slashes on the face of the Virgin Mary are still visible.

The foundation of the Monastery and Shrine in Czestochowa began with a small wooden church. Subsequent development (1632-48) led to the construction of the present day basilica and defense wall which surrounds the sacred buildings. Under the heroic leadership of the Prior of the Monastery, Father Augustine Kordecki, the Shrine withstood the attacks of the Swedish Invasion of 1655. This great victory proved to be a tremendous boost to the morale of the entire Polish nation.
As a result, King Jan Casimir, in 1656, made a solemn vow proclaiming the Mother of God to be the “Queen of the Polish Crown” and the Shrine of Jasna Gora to be the “Mount of Victory” and a spiritual capital for Poland. During the years of Poland’s partition (1772-1918) the Shrine of Jasna Gora became a vibrant link for the Polish people with their homeland. The holy painting enshrined at Czestochowa beamed as a lighthouse of hope during the painful years of national hardships and defeats.
Following the restoration of national independence in 1918, pilgrimages to the Polish Shrine grew in number and size. As World War II ended, a nation devastated by the scourges of war drew new strength and courage from the Shrine to rebuild and recover from the war. Today the Shrine of Czestochowa in Poland attracts millions of worshipers and tourists who come to honor the miraculous image of Our Lady of Czestochowa. In 1966, in celebration of the 1000th Anniversary of Poland’s Christianity, a National Shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa was dedicated in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and is under the direction of the Pauline Fathers and Brothers who also administer the Shrine in Poland.

The Altar Candles for the month of October are requested by Gail and Bobby Miles IMO Randy Yanoshak.

The is no request for the Sanctuary Light this week.

BAPTISMAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

On Saturday October 24^th at the 4 pm Divine Liturgy, Emma Davenport, the daughter of John and Morgan Davenport, will receive the Rites of initiation, Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Communion.

WOMEN’S SOCIETY RUMMAGE SALE: The Women’s Society women’s society rummage sale was held on Friday and Saturday. Thank you to all who supported it. A second sale will be held in two weeks, Oct 16th, 17th and 18th. As always, help will be needed.

– Additional household items will be accepted this week.

-Flyers are in the back of the church, if you know of a business that will display it, please take one.

-Pass the word to your friends and family

-Come to the sale, we will be making soup, haluski and baked goods.

MOVIE: IT’S THIS SUNDAY!! The movie is at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church and is The Monuments Men. Everyone is welcome, including children. THE MOVIE DAY IS THIS Sunday, October 11 after Divine Liturgy at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church about 11:45AM. The movie will begin about 12:30PM and runs about 1 hour & 45 minutes.

CEMETERY: Please make sure that summer items are removed from the cemetery prior to the ground freezing in preparation for the Feast of the Nativity.

HOAGIE SALE: St. Nicholas Church, Glen Lyon, will be holding a Turkey, Ham & Cheese and Italian Hoagie Sale on Thursday, October 31^st from 11:00am to 2:00pm. The cost of each hoagie is $8.00 and a quart of vegetable soup is $9.00. Orders can be placed by calling Debbie at 570-736-6908 by Sunday, October 23. A bake sale will also be held with the soup and hoagie sale. A Basket Raffle is also being held to Benefit Ukraine and the church.

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 in this world, as is Your Will. 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.

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

6 11 2026

October 4, 2026

Saturday, October 3 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM Olympia Pasicznyk- Ss. Peter & Paul Women’s Society

Sunday, October 4 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Saturday, October 10 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM Generational Healing for Walski/Kormas Family

-Diane, Janice & Rita

Sunday, October 11 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Now a good means of walking in God’s presence is to picture Our Lord as present with us wherever we may happen to be. We may think of Him at times as a little babe in the crib of Bethlehem; as a poor exile on His way to Egypt; as an apprentice in the workshop of Nazareth; a man of sorrows who was condemned a criminal to suffer and die; as scourged and crowned and crucified. St. Teresa praised this practice very much. It is necessary to observe, however, that in this pious exercise we must avoid all straining of the imagination, which is apt to be very fatiguing and might possibly be injurious.

Seeing With the Eyes of Faith

Another and better means of walking in the presence of God is based on the truths of holy faith. It consists in seeing God with the eyes of faith and being thoroughly persuaded that He is present and a witness of our actions. It matters not that we are unable to see Him with our bodily eyes; we cannot see the air around us, and we never doubt for a moment that it exists and that without it we could not possibly live. We do not see God, but faith tells us He is everywhere present. The Apostle St. Paul says: “In him we live and move and are.” (Acts 17:28). This is an easy practice and is not tiring to the mind. It is sufficient to make little acts of faith such as the following: My God, I firmly believe that Thou art here present. With this may be joined acts of love, of conformity and of good intention.

Seeing God In His Creatures

Still another beautiful practice is that of seeing God in His creatures. The beauties of nature such as the rising and setting of the sun, a magnificent landscape, a majestic river, a garden of beautiful flowers are so many reflexes of the beauty of the Creator. The thought of a learned or handsome or holy man can lead us to admire the wisdom and beauty and sanctity of God and return Him thanks for permitting His creatures to share in His holy attributes.

Beholding God Within Ourselves

The most perfect method, however, of keeping alive the thought of God’s presence consists in beholding God within our very selves. It is not necessary to ascend to Heaven to find the Lord God; we need only to recollect ourselves, and we shall find Him within us. He who, at prayer, pictures the Lord at a great distance from him is preparing for himself a source of abundant distractions. St. Teresa says: “I never really knew what it meant to pray well until the Lord Himself taught me the proper way to converse with Him. I entered within my very self and found this practice exceedingly profitable for my soul.” God is within us in a different manner from what He is in other creatures; in us He dwells as the Lord in His temple and in His house. “Know you not,” says St. Paul, “that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). And our Divine Saviour Himself has said: “If anyone love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.” (John 14:23). Endeavor, therefore, to reanimate your faith in this consoling truth. Humble yourself profoundly before so exalted a Majesty who deigns to dwell within you. Excite yourself to frequent acts of confidence, of oblation and of love towards the boundless goodness of God. St. Catherine of Siena tells us that she built a little cell in the innermost part of her soul; there she entertained herself in loving converse with her God. Once, when speaking of this presence of God in our heart, St. Teresa said: “Those who withdraw into the little heaven of their soul, where He who created them is enthroned, can be certain that in a brief space of time they will have advanced far on the road to perfection.” The happiness of the elect in Heaven consists in seeing and loving God. Our happiness here on earth must likewise consist in loving and seeing Our Lord, not indeed face to face as the Saints and angels do, but by means of the light of faith. Thus we begin in this valley of tears, this earthly exile, the life of the blessed in Heaven, a life of endless joy in the fruition of the vision of God. This article is taken from a chapter in The School of Christian Perfection by Saint Alphonsus Liguori which is available from TAN Books.

PRAYER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH

When St. Anthony, the hermit, saw the world full of the snares of the devil, he cried out : “Who can escape so many dangers?” He heard a voice say, “Anthony, humilty alone walks securely; he who goes with head bowed down, need not fear to fall into these snares.” In a word, if we do not become children-not of course in age, but humility-we cannot, as our Savior said, enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “Learn of me, for I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) The proud man has no peace nor rest, for he is seldom, if ever is treated in a mannercorresponding to the exalted opinion he has of himself.

Who Is Our Lady of Kibeho? The Apparition That Prophesied a Genocide

On the evening of November 28, 1981, in a small Catholic boarding school in the hills of southwestern Rwanda, a seventeen-year-old girl named Alphonsine Mumureke was serving tables in the school dining hall when a voice called her name. She walked toward the corridor to see who was there, and she encountered a woman of extraordinary beauty — a young, luminous Black African woman surrounded by radiant white light, who spoke to her with a gentleness that Alphonsine would spend the rest of her life trying to describe. That encounter was the beginning of one of the most remarkable and theologically urgent events in the history of modern Christianity. Over the following years, two more of Alphonsine’s schoolmates — Nathalie Mukamazimpaka and Marie-Claire Mukangango — would receive their own apparitions. Thousands of witnesses would attend the public ecstasies and emerge shaken. The visionaries would describe visions so terrible that observers who heard their accounts wept and prayed aloud. And ten years after the visions ended, approximately 800,000 people would be slaughtered in Rwanda in one hundred days — a genocide so precise in its horror that those who remembered the Kibeho visions recognized in it exactly what the Mother of God had shown her visionaries and begged them to help her prevent. Our Lady of Kibeho is unique in the history of approved Marian apparitions in several ways. She is the first and only officially approved apparition in Africa — confirmed by Bishop Augustin Misago in 2001 and recognized by the Vatican. She appeared not as a European woman but as a young Black African woman, in the face and features of the people she came to. She did not give a message of gentle consolation; she gave a message of urgent, prophetic warning that the world — and Rwanda in particular — faced catastrophic consequences if it did not repent. And she gave a specific devotional request that had fallen into neglect: the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, a profound prayer meditating on the suffering of the Mother of God that she said was urgently needed for a world in spiritual peril. The specific devotion Our Lady requested at Kibeho — the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows — is a devotion oriented entirely toward suffering. It asks its practitioner to sit with the sorrows of the Mother of God, to enter into them, to meditate on them, and to find in them not escape from suffering but a way of bearing suffering with love and without despair. This is a specific theological gift to a Rwanda that would need to bear enormous suffering in 1994 and afterward — and to a world that needs, in every age, a way of bearing the suffering that comes to men who love truly in a world broken by sin. The Seven Sorrows is not a prayer for the removal of suffering. It is a prayer for the transformation of suffering. It asks the practitioner to stand with Mary at the foot of the Cross, where the worst thing in the world is happening and where love does not abandon its post. That is what Rwanda needed in 1994 — people who could stand at the foot of their particular cross and not run. And it is what every person in every situation of suffering needs: not the promise that it won’t hurt, but the company of a mother who has been through the worst and who is still standing.

The Relevance of Kibeho’s Message Today Our Lady’s message at Kibeho — repentance, prayer, penance, love, and the urgent need for conversion before catastrophe — is not dated by time or place. Every element of it speaks with equal force to the contemporary world. The warning about a world moving away from God, about the organization of common life in ways that exclude love and dehumanize neighbor, about the consequences of ethnic hatred and the failure of reconciliation — these are not messages for 1981 Rwanda alone. They are messages for every society, in every era, that has organized itself along the lines of fear and hatred rather than love. The mother who came to Rwanda in 1981 with tears on her face is still weeping. She is still asking for the same thing she asked for then. She is still available to those who ask her for help

The Altar Candles for the month of October are requested by Gail and Bobby Miles IMO Randy Yanoshak.

The is no request for the Sanctuary Light this week.

WOMEN’S SOCIETY RUMMAGE SALE: The Women’s Society women’s society rummage sale was held on Friday and Saturday. Thank you to all who supported it. A second sale will be held in two weeks, Oct 16th, 17th and 18th. As always, help will be needed.

– Additional household items will be accepted this week.

-Flyers are in the back of the church, if you know of a business that will display it, please take one.

-Pass the word to your friends and family

-Come to the sale, we will be making soup, haluski and baked goods

MOVIE: WHY not have another movie afternoon at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church? The movie is The Monuments Men. Children are welcome. THE MOVIE DAY IS NEXT Sunday, October 11 after Divine Liturgy at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church about 11:45AM. The movie will begin about 12:30PM and runs about 1 hour & 45 minutes. If you would like to donate a potluck, please let Lisa know at 570-574-1016.

ONE MILLION CHILDREN PRAYING THE ROSARY 2026: From October 1 to 7, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is inviting children, families, schools, and parishes around the world to take part in “One Million Children Praying the Rosary.” This year, the initiative will unfold as a worldwide week of prayer, beginning with a vigil in Rome on October 1 and culminating on October 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

STRIVE TO BE ONE IN A MILLION!

CEMETERY: Please make sure that summer items are removed from the cemetery prior to the ground freezing in preparation for the Feast of the Nativity.

NOTABLE DATES: Daylight Savings Time Ends(Sunday, November 1); Thanksgiving(Thursday, November 26); Myasopusna(January 31);Lent Begins(February 14), Good Friday (March 26), Easter (March 28).

Prayer to the All-Holy Theotokos

By One Who is in Trouble and Affliction

O mine all-good Queen, mine all-holy hope, receiver of orphans and assister of strangers, helper of the unfortunate and protection of the afflicted! Thou seest my peril, Thou seest my tribulation: I am beset by temptions on every side, but there is no one to help me. Wherefore, do Thou Thyself help me, for I am sick; feed me, for I am a stranger; guide me, for I am lost; heal and save me, for I am beyond hope. I have none other help, I have none other intercession or consolation, save Thee, O Mother of all who are troubled and heavily burdened. Wherefore, look upon me, a sinner in affliction, and cover me with Thine all-holy omophorion, that I may be delivered from the evils which compass me round about, and may continually praise Thine all-hymned name. Amen -From the Akathist to the Protection of the All-Holy Theotokos

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

6 11 2026

September 27, 2026

Saturday, September 26 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Sunday, September 27 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM Olga Morgenfruh- St. Vladimir’s Parishioners

Saturday, October 3 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM Olympia Pasicznyk- Ss. Peter & Paul Women’s Society

Sunday, October 4 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

The Miracle of the Virgin Mary at the Church of Blachernae
POKROV-celebrated Thursday, October 1, 2026
Constantinople in the Year 911 AD

A Brief History of the Miraculous Apparition (1)

In the year 911 AD, Constantinople was under military threat and the people were praying for God’s help in the Blachernae Church in the suburb of the city. It was in this church that the omophor or veil of the Virgin Mary was reserved as a most precious relic. The church was crowded for an all-night vigil. Andrew, the future Saint known as a fool-for-Christ, was there, along with his disciple Epiphanius. At about four in the morning, Andrew and Epiphanius had a vision of the Virgin Mary: She entered through the church doors, escorted by St. John the Forerunner and St. John the Theologian and preceded by a host of angels. She stopped at the ambo (the great stair-cased pulpit in the center of the church) and knelt there, praying fervently and with tears. She then entered the altar and prayed again and finally removed Her veil and held it out over the faithful as She ascended from them. They concluded from Her presence that Her intercession would be the protection to the faithful in this hour of trial. And so it happened that the feared military menace was averted. This Miraculous Manifestation and happy consequences are celebrated by the Eastern Catholic Church on Thursday, October 1^st.

The word Pokrov (Покровъ) comes from Church Slavonic and means literally veil, cloak or covering. In Slavic languages, the word carries both the meaning of “covering” and “protecting” — a semantic doubleness that reveals the theological heart of the feast already in its name. In the Hebrew of the Old Testament, the word seter (veil) also means, in its figurative sense, protection and shelter. The veil of the Mother of God is therefore not merely a piece of cloth spread over an assembly — it is the visible sign of an invisible reality: the maternal protection of the Theotokos over the faithful who seek her intercession.

PRAYER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

O Most Holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affections for the passing joys of this earth, I may long for the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforth all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed toward this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our Divine Lord Jesus, and to the Holy and Immaculate Mother of God. Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady in Time of Trouble

Holy Virgin Mary, you are reigning in glory, with Jesus, your Son. Remember us in our sadness. Look kindly on all who are suffering or fighting against any difficulty. Have pity on those who are separated from someone they love. Have pity on the loneliness of our hearts. Have pity on the weakness of our faith and love. Have pity on those who are weeping, on those who are praying, on those who are fearful. Holy Mother, please obtain for all of us hope and peace with justice.
Amen.

SAINT ANDREW FOOL FOR CHRIST

Saint Andrew the Fool for Christ is one of the best-known saints of the East — and, at the same time, one of the least understood. His feast is known to most Ukrainian Catholics chiefly through its link to the vision at Blachernae, the foundation of the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God. Beyond that central liturgical moment, however, his Life is seldom read in full, and his place within the Tradition of folly for Christ — the place, that is, in which one comes to understand what a salos is — remains unclear to most readers.

The scriptural ground: the folly of the Cross

Folly for Christ is not an invention of later monasticism; it grows from a deep scriptural root: the word of the holy Apostle Paul concerning the folly of the Cross. The whole paradox of the salos phenomenon is already contained, in seed, in the opening chapters of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Paul sets down from the very beginning a reversal that will stand at the foundation of the entire ascetic struggle: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). What the world reckons folly — a crucified God, victory through defeat, glory through dishonor — is, for the faithful, the very saving power. And Paul carries the reversal to its limit: “Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1:20), only to conclude: “the foolishness of God is wiser than men” (1:25). Here lies the key. There are two wisdoms and two follies, set crosswise: the wisdom of the world, which before God is folly, and the “folly” of God, which is the true wisdom. The salos takes upon himself precisely this position: putting on visible folly before the world, he confesses that he has chosen the other wisdom. His folly played out in the marketplace is a living icon of the folly of the Cross — a scandal to them that perish, salvation to those who understand it. And the verse from which we set out carries this reversal into the very flesh: “We are fools for Christ’s sake… we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace… Being reviled, we bless… we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things” (1 Corinthians 4:10-13). Paul here describes the apostolic life itself, but in terms that will become, letter for letter, the programme of the salos. He does nothing other than carry to an extreme, literal expression what the Apostle called the very condition of a servant of Christ. For this reason the salos phenomenon, however unusual, is no exotic appendix to the Catholic tradition, but a living-out to the very end of a central apostolic word. The fools for Christ took with full seriousness, down to the last consequence, what many Christians read without flinching. The first to embody this apostolic word in a complete Life, preserved whole, was Saint Simeon of Emesa, in the sixth century; Saint Andrew, across the centuries, treads the same path.

The encounter with the tradition of the fools for Christ — saloi in Greek — produces in most readers a first reaction of bewilderment. How is it that these men and women, who hid their holiness beneath an appearance of madness, sleeping in refuse and at the edges of roads, letting themselves be beaten, spat upon, and dragged through the streets, come to be honored by the Church alongside the great teachers of the world, alongside martyrs and venerable ascetics? It seems a paradox. And yet, if we look closely at the teaching of the Fathers on humility, the paradox dissolves. Humility is, by consensual patristic witness, the foundation of all the virtues. Saint Anthony the Great, founder of Eastern monasticism, left the word that remains to this day the touchstone of the spiritual life: “I saw all the snares of the enemy spread out over the earth, and groaning I said: who then can pass through these? And I heard a voice saying to me: humility.”

The whole work of the enemy can be passed through by a single virtue, and that virtue is humility.

The Altar Candles are requested by David Youells IMO Mary Ann Youells for the month of September.

The is no request for the Sanctuary Light this week.

WOMEN’S SOCIETY RUMMAGE SALE: The Women’s Society will be hosting a Rummage Sale, Soup, Haluski and Bake Sale on October 2nd & 3rd in the church hall. Your help and support is greatly needed. A second sale will be held on October 16th, 17th and 18th.

Many have asked how they can assist.

Here are several ways you can help:

1. Pick up a flyer from the back of the church and ask a local business or establishment if they would be willing to display it.

2. Bake items to donate to the bake sale.

3. Donate gently used items for the rummage sale.

4. Volunteer your time-workers are needed throughout the sale.

5. Attend the sale and enjoy some delicious food while shopping for great items.

6. Donate a basket for the Basket raffle. All the proceeds will be donated to the Ukrainian Relief Fund.

Thank you very much for your generosity and support.

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM REPAIR: A few weeks ago the air conditioning system in the hall broke. We had it repaired this week and the cost was $6,614. Donations to offset this unexpected bill would be greatly appreciated.

LONGBRANCH, NJ: Father will be on retreat from September 28- October 1.

MOVIE: WHY not have another movie afternoon at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church? The movie A SECRET. No flying monkeys though! Children are welcome. THE MOVIE DAY IS NEXT Sunday, October 11 after Divine Liturgy at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church about 11:45AM. If you would like to donate a potluck, please let Lisa know at 570-574-1016.

NOTABLE DATES: Daylight Savings Time Ends(Sunday, November 1); Thanksgiving(Thursday, November 26); Myasopusna(January 31);Lent Begins(February 14), Good Friday (March 26), Easter (March 28).

Prayer to the All-Holy Theotokos

By One Who is in Trouble and Affliction

ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Why are there bells on the incensor?

The bells represent the apostles calling the people to Jesus Christ. There should be 12 bells with the ringer removed from one, this one represents Judas who lost his voice when he betrayed Jesus and fell silent. We are supposed to be standing when the King, Jesus Christ enters and because the holy doors are supposed to be closed for much of the liturgy, the people would not necessarily be able to see what is happening at the altar, so when the people hear the bells they know it is time to stand. In addition, some people have commented, “Father, we have seen anyone swing the incenser like you do.” What the priest does before incensing the church is first stand in front of the altar and make a sign of the cross with the incenser. Some priests do it Roman Catholic style with their hand while holding the incenser, I swing the incenser so that the incenser boat, with the incense, makes the sign of the cross, first the vertical pole swinging up and then the cross beam and now it is time to incense the entire church.

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

SUNDAY AFTER THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

6 11 2026

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

September 20, 2026

Saturday, September 19 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM John Ostrum- Louise Hubiak

Sunday, September 20 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Saturday, September 26 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Sunday, September 27 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM Olga Morgenfruh- St. Vladimir’s Parishioners

ASK FATHER A QUESTION? This past Monday was Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Father, what is the significance of the two thieves that were crucified with Christ? The answer comes from Practical Theology, by Peter Kreeft, published by Ignatious Press 2014, Page 240, (in summary). Pope Leo I observes: two thieves were crucified, one on His right and one on His left, to set forth by the very appearance of the gibbet(cross), that separation of all men that shall be made in his hour of judgement. And Augustine on John (7:36) : /The very cross if you mark it well was a judgement –seat; for the judge being set in the midst, the one (thief)who believed was delivered, the other who mocked Him was condemned. This is an example of Divine Providence, God at work even now. Existence and judgements and our choices in this life, while temporary, have eternal consequences. Jesus in the middle of mankind, rightly judges our actions done in our free will as in harmony with His law and love and compassion for others and even ourselves. The most obvious understanding of the two thieves is that the way of the one thief, even to the mockery of Christ, leads to Hell. The way of the second thief, who is repentant of his failing, and Christ’s law and love, is the way that leads to salvation. Heaven and Hell, are chosen by us through our actions with our free will, a wonderful and terrifying responsibility given to us. Clearly, Christ is in the center, He is the great divider, “I have not come to bring peace but a sword.”(Matthew 10:34). Jesus even points this out to Pilot on which the irony seems to be lost in Pilot’s mind. (John 19:10-11). Jesus’s position of Judge, as position of all men is physically shown by His being in the center between the two thieves, like the King at the Last Judgement, who has the sheep to His right hand and the goats on His left. (Matthew 25:32). Note well, Jesus is not to the right or left of either thief, but in the middle, one is on His right and one is on His left, we apply this to our public life as well (politics means public living). Does this mean that the most decisive question in the world is what we think of Jesus Christ? No. The most decisive question in the world is what Jesus Christ thinks of us, i.e. me?! Do I choose to honestly follow Christ or am I merely pretending to follow Christ? Am I the repentant, or am I the unrepentant thief mocking Christ? I get to chose which thief I am.

MOVIE: As fall looms ahead and the days get shorter & cooler…… WHY not have another movie afternoon at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church? The movie A SECRET. No flying monkeys though! Children are welcome. THE MOVIE DAY IS Sunday, October 11 after Divine Liturgy.

Divine Providence by St. John of Tobolsk

What is Providence? It is one of the basic characteristics of God – to see all that is going on, was going on, and will be going on in the future as though it is the present, and to have omnipotent concern for safeguarding all creation and wisely managing all its manifestations. St. John Damascene describes it thus: “Providence is Divine will which maintains everything and wisely rules over everything.”…..

PRAYER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH

CONCEPTION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (September 23)

This came to pass fifteen months before the birth of Christ, after the vision of the Angel that Zacharias, the father of the Forerunner, saw in the Temple while he executed the priest’s office in the order of his course during the feast of the Tabernacles, as tradition bears witness. In this vision, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and said to him, “Thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John” (Luke 1:13). Knowing that Elizabeth was barren, and that both he and she were elderly, Zacharias did not believe what the Angel told him, although he had before him the example of Abraham and Sarah, of Hannah, mother of the Prophet Samuel, and of other barren women in Israel who gave birth by the power of God. Hence, he was condemned by the Archangel to remain speechless until the fulfilment of these words in their season, which also came to pass (Luke 1:7-24).

The Altar Candles are requested by David Youells IMO Mary Ann Youells for the month of September.

The is no request for the Sanctuary Light this week.

WOMEN’S SOCIETY RUMMAGE SALE: The Women’s Society is holding a Rummage Sale (soup and baked goods will also be sold) October 2^nd and 3^rd at the church hall. A Basket Raffle for Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine will also be held. Help is needed to assure this fundraiser is successful. Here are some ways you can help. – donate gently used household items – make a basket for the raffle

– bake goods are needed on the two days of the sale – come and support the sale!!

“PASTIE SALE. Saints Peter & Paul, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, North Wilkes-Barre is taking orders for Pasties for pick-up on Saturday, September 26^th, 2026. Our Pasties are made with seasoned ground beef and potatoes wrapped in a pie crust pastry and are available with or without onions. Pasties are $9.00 each and Gravy is available for $1.00 for an 8 oz. cup. Call (570) 829-3051 to place your order. (Please specify with or without onions.) Pick-up from 2:00 to 4:00pm in our School Hall, corner of North River and West Chestnut Streets, Wilkes-Barre. Remember, when Baba cooks… everybody’s happy!”

LONGBRANCH, NJ: Father will be on retreat from September 28- October 1.

Father a Question? I know that you publish many the Book of Psalms (one at a time) in the bulletin….. Who wrote them? Why do they alternate, some joyous and some not? Some I understand and some are confusing? For nearly three thousand years, every situation in a Jew’s life has been reflected in the chapters of the [Psalms]. This was the Book of which the [Lord], said to King David, “One day of your songs and praises is more precious to Me then the thousands of offerings that will be offered by your son Solomon.” In illness and in strife, in triumph and in success, the Jew turns to his [Book of Psalms] and lets David become the harp upon which his own emotions sing or weep. Small wonder that when the Chofetz Chaim, as an old man was presented with his mother’s ancient Book of Psalms, it’s pages swollen with her tears, he was overcome with emotion. The opening paragraph of The Artscroll Tehilliam, publishers preface letter by Rabbi Zlotowitz. Page vii.

The psalms were written by King David and they were prayed daily by Jesus Christ. All Jews from the time of the temple and until today pray the psalms every single day. A faithful Jew will read the psalms daily, for each of the thirty days of the month there is a prescribed reading. On the first day of the month, the faithful Jew will go back to the beginning and start with Psalm One all over again. The reason you see the alternating emotions of joy and weeping is because David, in writing the poetry of the psalms, was expressing the emotions he was feeling. David’s emotions were more than merely personal, but expressing the emotions of the whole nation. These emotions are also true for us as well, because David recognized that this was a spiritual battle fought constantly between David and Devil. The Devil would do anything and use anyone to lead astray anyone and everyone possible from God and worship of God. So when God’s enemies attacked, David wept. When the nation of Israel, was successful against her enemies in faith to God, David and the nation rejoiced. The reason you re-read them every month, even though the words don’t change, our present-day situation changes and God is speaking to us in our present time. The reason some are confusing, is perhaps, it is not speaking to our heart in our present situation or you are unaware of the historical situation David is referring to in that particular psalm. You might not be aware, but the temple service was full of prayers from the psalms. That is the origin of the Divine Liturgy and the Roman Catholic Mass. Jesus Christ fulfills the psalms.

Next week’s Question : Catholics are followers of Christ- Jesus and the Apostles are Jews, Father I am a little confused. Can you clarify this for me?

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” –Isaiah 40:8

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

SUNDAY BEFORE THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

6 11 2026

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

September 13, 2026

Saturday, September 12 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Sunday, September 13 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM  Olha Zherebetska – Mariya Palashchuk

Monday, September 14 EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS(Myrovania)

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

Saturday, September 12 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

4:00 PM John Ostrum- Louise Hubiak

Sunday, September 13 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

8:30 AM God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners

SEPTEMBER 11 FACTS: 19 Muslim men hijacked four fuel-loaded U.S. commercial airlines bound for west coast destinations. This terrorist attack on the United States was orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. A total of 2,977 people of many nationalities were killed in New York City, Washington, DC, and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in this terrorist attack. At the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, 2,753 people were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were intentionally crashed in the north and south towers. Of those who perished during the initial attacks and the subsequent collapses of the towers, 343 were New York City firefighters, another 23 were New York City police officers and 37 others were officers of the Port Authority, again from many different backgrounds. The victims ranged in age from two to 85 years. Approximately 75-80 percent of the victims were men. At the Pentagon in Washington, 184 people were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building. Near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 40 passengers and crew members aboard United Airlines Flight 93 died when the plane crashed into a field. It is known that the hijackers crashed the plane in that location, rather than their unknown target, after the passengers and crew attempted to retake control of the flight deck. As of September 2015 A.D., 1,640 of 2,753 WTC victims’ remains have been positively identified.

On October 2001, the United States Congress passed a joint resolution designating that every September 11th be observed as “Patriot Day.” The resolution requests that U.S. government entities and interested organizations and individuals display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day and that the people of the United States observe a moment of silence in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In 2009, a presidential proclamation declared that Patriot Day is also a “National Day of Service.” The proclamation calls on Americans to “participate in community service in honor of those our Nation lost, to observe this day with other ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services … to honor the innocent victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.”

The angels come at the time of the Divine Liturgy to fill the Cathedral to celebrate with the priest. The Angels actually perform the Liturgy with him. In the procession the Gospel is preceded by altar servers carrying candles representing the angels. John Chrysostom reports an incident with a priest who witnessed a large number of angels clothed in bright robes luminous like the sun. He said he was carried up to the altar offering their help, bowing their head in great respect, and then surrounded the Holy Table. At times they stood in silence and others chanted liturgical hymns along with the chanters uplifting their melody. (Gregory Hiermonk, The Divine Liturgy Commentary, p178)

ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Father, why do we exalt the Holy Cross on September 14? Don’t we have Exaltation of the Cross on Easter? Why do we put roses on the cross and what do they symbolize? All the Saints and Instruments of Salvation and God’s Creation are remembered in the calendar of the martyrs. The church venerates the cross in honor of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross conquering sin and death and offering salvation to all men. If you are curious why September 14, THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE was consecrated on September 13, 335 A.D. This church was built on the place where Christ was crucified on the cross. The Synaxis of the Consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was September 14 and the tradition of the Church followed in venerating the Holy Cross on this date. Roses are generally used, but it can be any red flower, because Christ poured out his blood to atone for our sins. Roses are preferred if feasible, because it is viewed as the most pure and pleasant fragrant flower. Nearly every miracle testified by the Church and Saints, the people tell of smelling roses. The flowers around the Cross represent the apostles who died witnessing Jesus, this is why you will find eleven flowers around the cross to represent the faithful apostles and that none where lost except the one destined to be lost

Iconography of Archangels and Angels in Orthodox Christianity

Within the Church tradition, the vivid representation of archangels and angels speaks volumes about their venerated status. Their depictions serve multiple purposes, and it’s fascinating how these images are woven intricately into the fabric of my faith. Firstly, icons act as portals, bridging the gap between the divine and the earthly realms. When I stand before an icon, the belief is that I’m in the presence of the entity it represents. The striking images of archangels, often clad in elaborate warrior garb or bearing symbols of their roles, don’t just adorn the walls of the churches for aesthetic reasons. They are there to remind worshippers of the ever-present protection and guidance these celestial beings provide. The iconography does more than just depict their likeness; it makes the angel present and also teaches. For instance, Archangel Michael is frequently illustrated stepping on a defeated serpent, a powerful show of his role as a protector against Satan. Archangel Gabriel, famously depicted announcing the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary, carries the lily or the trumpet, signifying purity and the divine message. As we delve deeper into the iconography, we learn that colors, symbols, and postures are not randomly chosen. They’re steeped in theology. The use of gold, for example, isn’t just to exhibit wealth or beauty; gold leaf in icons signifies the uncreated light of God, setting a background in which the angels stand as beings of light.

Here are some key elements in angelic iconography:

Halos: Signifying sacredness and divine light of Christ radiating out.
Wings: Representing swift obedience and the ability to traverse the heavenly and earthly domains.
Specific colors: Each carries a meaning; blue for the heavenly, red for divine life, and green for earth and rest.

Understanding these symbols enriches my engagement with the icons, as each visit to a church becomes a nuanced lesson in theology and the sacred mysteries that envelop these heavenly messengers. Indubitably, the iconography of archangels and angels isn’t just about veneration; it’s also about edification and connection. In silent contemplation before these holy images, there is a sense of being part of a grander narrative, one that transcends the present and connects me with the divine.

Honoring Archangels and Angels in Orthodox Worship

In the Church, honoring archangels and angels during worship is a deeply ingrained tradition. Icons are integral in these practices, often strategically placed within the church and used during specific liturgical services to facilitate veneration.

The liturgy of the Church is abundant with references and prayers directed to archangels and angels. During the Divine Liturgy, the presence of angels is invoked, acknowledging their unceasing worship of God and beseeching their intercession. Hymns such as the Cherubic Hymn are sung, uniting the church’s congregants with the hosts of angels.

The Great Doxology includes praises sung directly to angelic beings
Feast days dedicated to archangels, particularly the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and All Angels, intensify this veneration

www.orthodoxchristianity101.com

The Altar Candles are requested by David Youells IMO Mary Ann Youells for the month of September.

The is no request for the Sanctuary Light this week.

– donate gently used household items

– make a basket for the raffle

– bake goods are needed on the two days of the sale

– come and support the sale!!

LONGBRANCH, NJ: Father will be on retreat from September 28- October 1.

MOVIE: As fall looms ahead and the days get shorter & cooler…… WHY not have another movie afternoon at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church? The date is yet to be determined- the movie A SECRET. No flying monkeys though!

The Sign of the Cross

In exploring why we make the sign of the cross in the Church, it’s crucial to dive into the rich layers of it’s meaning. The gesture is not merely a religious routine but a silent proclamation of faith deeply embedded with meaning.

For starters, the cross itself is paramount in Christian belief, representing the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind. By marking ourselves with the cross, we are aligning with Christ’s suffering and resurrection. It’s a physical manifestation of our acceptance of His gift of eternal life.

The motion of the sign is significant too. When I touch my forehead, then my chest, followed by my shoulders, it’s a reminder of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This act reinforces the core Christian doctrine every time it’s performed.

Additionally, the four points touched during the sign symbolize the universal love of God:

Forehead: I call to mind God’s blessing
Chest: I invite the truth of Christ into my heart
Right shoulder: I acknowledge His strength and justice
Left shoulder: I embrace His mercy and compassion

I also can’t ignore the protective aspect of the sign. For centuries, the Church have been marking themselves with the cross to ward off evil and to seek divine protection in their daily lives. It serves as a shield, an ever-present reminder that God is with us.

Furthermore, the physical act of bowing as we make the sign serves as a gesture of humility and worship, It is acknowledging our smallness in the face of the divine. By physically lowering ourselves, we elevate God’s status in our lives.

The sign of the cross in the Church is indeed a silent yet profound declaration of what we stand for. It’s an embodiment of doctrine, worship, and supplication that unites us in a common identity. Every time I make the sign, it’s a reaffirmation of my commitment to follow Christ’s teachings and to lead a life reflective of His love and sacrifice.

The Gesture of the Sign of the Cross

When delving into the depths of the Church, there is a profound significance behind the routine gestures, particularly the sign of the cross. It’s more than just a physical movement; it’s a powerful prayer, a consecration of the body and spirit.

To create the sign, place your thumb, index, and middle fingers together, reminding you of the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Place your remaining two fingers down to the palm, representing the dual nature of Christ as both God and man. This configuration teaches volumes without speaking a word.

Then, touch your forehead and move to the abdomen, the right shoulder followed by the left shoulder. This motion not only conveys reverence but also engraves the Truth onto yourself. Each point touched during the sign echoes a pillar of faith – the head for belief, the stomach for spiritual nourishment, and the shoulders for strength to bear the yoke of Christ. The priest offers you the cross, and following his hand, we willfully take the cross upon ourselves.

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

HOLY FATHERS OF THE SEVENTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

SUNDAY AFTER THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

SUNDAY BEFORE THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

Related Websites

Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Archives