Weekly Bulletin

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The Danger of Heresy

      Heresy is the expression of denial or doubt regarding one or more truths of faith. Heresy can be “formal” (deliberate or obstinate) or “material (un-reflected or even unconscious).  As such, heresy is opposed to Truth.  What usually makes it so attractive, however, is that it contains elements of truth, so as to “mislead even the chosen if that were possible” (Matthew 24:24).

      At root, formal heresy is intimately related to the sin of pride, as the heretic places his personal perception of the Truth over the communal experience of the Church, which was promised the Holy Spirit to lead her to all truth (John 16:13).  It thus strikes at the very heart of Catholic life for, as Saint Thomas More put it so well, “If the Spirit of God governing the Church and leading it into all truth put us not in surety and certainty of the truth, how could He be to us as He is so named ‘Paraclete,” that is Comforter, if we were left so comfortless that we were uncertain whether the whole Church were in damnable error instead of the right faith?”

      “Heresy” comes from a Greek word meaning “picking and choosing.”  Heresy thus destroys the unity of Doctrine by taking some teachings and leaving others aside.  The process is destructive because the Catholic Faith is a seamless garment, so that unraveling one thread always results in the unraveling of the entire garment, sooner or later.  That is why Pope John Paul II, during his pastoral visit to the U.S., warned repeatedly against the American temptation to “pick and choose” what to accept and what to reject from the body of Catholic doctrine.  Even mild forms of heresy place us on a dangerous, slippery slope. 

Are you keeping up with the reading? Adult Enrichment is our adult Eastern Christian Formation program scheduled as a once-a-month “book club” type gathering.  All adults are invited!  Adults gather in the E.C.F. Center from 10:30 am to 12 noon for a presentation and discussion on scheduled readings.  Attendance at the preceding Divine Liturgy is strongly encouraged.  At class we will continue with our Series One topic “Old Testament Fulfillment in Christ and the Church” based on Father Aidan Nichols’ book Lovely, Like Jerusalem.  Child supervision is available during class – please inquire with Father in advance.  Here’s the remaining schedule for Series One:

      21 November The Fulfillment  (pages 121–138)

      19 December God and His Self-Manifestation  (pages 139–152)

      16 January God and Creation  (pages 153–166)

      20 February Typology and Conclusion  (pages 167–274). 

Pope Benedict on Respect for Life:  The logic of the modern age dictates, “Let us declare that God is dead, then we ourselves will be God.  At last we no longer belong to anyone else; rather we are simply the owners of our selves and of the world.  At last we can do what we please.”  These words clearly highlight the thinking behind the acceptance of abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research. 

Respect for Life:  Despite almost losing her psychologist’s license because of her pro-life beliefs, Theresa Burke developed an effective healing process for those women whose lives are in turmoil because of abortion.  Through Rachel’s Vineyard ministries, “the darkness and pain of abortion are shattered by the light, love, and truth of Jesus,” Mrs. Burke states. 

Christ is the Divine Physician

      The Cross is the surgeon’s scalpel that will cut out the spiritual disease in the soul.  If you had a tumor in your body, a doctor could cut you open and take it out, but it would hurt.  You can either accept the pain of the surgery and be healed, or you can let the tumor grow until it kills you (and that can hurt too).  It’s a similar thing with the spiritual life.  Christ can do spiritual surgery on you if you follow his Word and accept the Cross and the discipline and the pain of repentance and conversion.  The alternative, of course, is spiritual death.

      When Christ talks about denying yourself, taking up your cross and losing your life, he’s talking about conversion.  The word conversion is metanoia in Greek.  It means a change of mind, of heart, of your very spirit.  Metanoia is continual – it’s daily.  Because in our weakness we keep on sinning, metanoia is a whole life’s work.

      All of our spiritual practices – fasting, penance, vigils, prayers – are in the service of metanoia, in the service of conversion, perception, and our relationship with God and the world.

      “Deny your very self.”  “Take up your cross.”  Let Christ do the spiritual surgery that will heal you.  Let him excise your moral lapses, spiritual blindness, self-centeredness – your sins.  Metanoia will lead to theosis.  As you become less self, you become closer to God until you are one with God.  Then you can say as did the Holy Apostle Paul:  “I live no longer for myself, but Christ lives in me.” 

On Compulsions and Confession

      For a Catholic, perhaps the deepest prayer connection with God is in the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation.  The grace of this sacrament is a powerful, energizing force that can help one deal with compulsions and addictions.  From the very first moment that a person begins to consider that he or she would like to go to confession, that person has begun the process of reestablishing a right relationship with God, self, and others.  Generally speaking, a thoughtful preparation for receiving the holy mystery enhances one’s experience of it.  However, sacraments contain a power in themselves that transcends the human, and so one must recognize that a spur-of-the-moment celebration of the sacrament has great power too.

      Although a confession made to any Catholic priest in the world is valid and accesses sacramental grace, a person struggling with an addiction should consider the following:  Would I be comfortable enough to be radically honest if I make this confession to a priest with whom I’m familiar?  Would I feel more comfortable if I confessed to a priest I do not know and who does not know me?  Do I understand the value in having a regular confessor who has gotten to know me?  The choice of a confessor is significant because a person fighting an addition can expect to want or need to go to confession frequently.

      Often we avoid going to confession because we tell ourselves that “I am not ready to stop” engaging in a particular sin.  The most important question is “Do I want to stop engaging in a particular sin?”  Certainly, a celebration of the sacrament at a time in life when one is beginning to resolve problems is appropriate and often moving, even exhilarating.  However, as Christians we cannot forget that we can come before God in the midst of our chaos and neediness, even with the thought that “I’m not ready or able to change.”  We must remember that it is God who gives us the power to change, not ourselves.    (based on the final chapter of “Breaking Free of the Web” by Young and Klausing) 

Excerpts on “Confession” from Breaking Free of the Web (Catholics and Internet Addiction) by Kimberly Young and Patrice Klausing:  When one has not been to confession in a long time, it can be hard to get back to this most necessary practice.  When people return to going to confession, they constantly find a beautiful lifting of burdens by the grace of God.  If you approach for confession and don’t remember what to say, you can mention this to the priest and ask that he guide you through the ritual.  Most priests will assure you that this is not a barrier to going to confession and will tell you not to worry – he’ll be there to help you.  Many people have also found it helpful to give themselves some reflective time both before and after confession.  This need not be spent in a church but should be in a place that allows for some reflection.

      Most Catholics first went to confession when they were children and were taught a simple formula for confessing:  We name what we did and tried to say how many times we did it.  Just as you have outgrown the clothes you wore in 2^nd grade, you have most likely outgrown that simple formula.  The formula still works but there are other ways to confess – ways more compatible with your understanding, maturity, & particular struggles. 

More from Breaking Free of the Web

      An important “safe environment” focus this year is Internet abuse.  Church leaders, parents, and catechists are called to be vigilant in regards to their own computer use, and to be on watch for signs that a young person may be overly influenced by unhealthy aspects of Internet use.  Appropriate intervention may be necessary.  Confession is an important and necessary spiritual means to overcoming any addiction or compulsion.  Various parish bulletins over the past months have given focus to this matter.  To complete the section of Breaking Free of the Web that covers the confessing of addictions, the following is offered:

      It is important to place an addiction in proper context when confessing.  Instead of saying for instance, “I’m addicted to the Internet,” say “I’m addicted to playing games, especially gruesome war games, on the Internet,” or “I spend hours looking at images of nudes on the computer.”  Then give thought to the effects of your addiction on yourself, your family, your friends, and your job.  Do an honest assessment of how many hours per day or per week that you spend on the computer.  As accurately as possible, identify how long this problem has existed and the circumstances in which it started.  If you have made any attempts to stop, were you successful at all?  For how long?  What was driving your inability to stop, or what triggered your return to the addiction after experiencing some control?  As you stand before God and consider the mess your life has become, do you think you have any control over the addiction?  Have there been any glimmers of hope?  How have you worked prayer into dealing with your addiction?  When confessing, be sure to find trust in God’s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness – and be at peace. 

Hope and Trust in Life!

      The following paragraphs are excerpts from an article by Stephen L. Mikochik published by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities:

      “Advance directives” are declarations by which individuals provide directions for their future medical care in the event they become incompetent.  Through written “instruction directives” or “living wills,” individuals set forth their preferences for or against certain therapeutic treatments.  “Proxy directives” or “health care powers of attorney” are documents in which individuals designate an agent to make treatment decisions for them.

      An individual who is pro-life looks cautiously at both approaches described above and realizes the limits on both sides.  While advance directives cannot ensure genuinely informed consent because that requires a grasp of facts no one can truly know in advance, proxy directives emphasize the importance of self determination.  It must be understood, however, that disabled people can internalize society’s negative attitudes about their conditions and consequently choose in living wills to forgo life support.  With pain management and rehabilitation, these feelings often dissipate, especially when the worth of their lives is vindicated through meaningful employment or by families, friends, and faith communities who appreciate their gifts.  Yet they would never experience that positive change if their instructions to forgo life support became effective first.  Such directives can lie around like loaded guns ready to discharge even after that change has occurred.

      Perhaps a better approach is for both disabled and able-bodied people to complete advance directives that presume in favor of life support while permitting proxies to forgo such treatment should it become fruitless.  That is, proxies should discontinue life-sustaining measures only if death is inevitable and imminent, the measures cause intractable suffering, or the financial burden the treatment imposes on families is truly excessive in light of its limited benefit for sustaining patients’ lives.  These are called “extraordinary measures.”  N.B. receiving nutrition & hydration are not extraordinary. 

Matins is the official morning prayer of the Church.  It is perhaps the most beautiful service in the Byzantine rite, as well as the most complex.  Due to the latter, it is often neglected at the parish level.  This is unfortunate as this service together with the Vespers serve as the main teaching agent in the truths of our faith.  To disassociate them from the Divine Liturgy is to do a disservice to the Divine Liturgy as Vespers and Matins are fitting preparations for Divine Liturgy, and as, traditionally, a day with Divine Liturgy would never exclude the praying of Vespers and Matins.

      The central matins hymn is the Canon which is a series of eight poetic odes.  In the parish usually only a selection of the odes is sung.  On Sundays and Holydays when “Festal Matins” is served, a gospel reading is included.  After the reading, all the faithful come forward to venerate the gospel book along with the icon that lie on the tetrapod.

      Because it is the central service of the liturgical day, many of our other church “paraliturgical” services are a development or adaptation of Matins – Paraklis (office of prayer seeking the consolation of the Theotokos), Moleben, and the Funeral service itself for example.  Matins is a service that customarily begins in the dark of morning.  At Holy Angels, we usually begin at 8 am.  At dawn, the believer, having risen from sleep, goes first to God with praises, thanksgiving, and petitions, seeking His blessing for the new day – this new day being the expression of God’s abundant love towards us and all creation.

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Saint Francis of Assisi

      On the 4^th of October, we celebrate the memory of our Venerable Father, Francis of Assisi.

      Francis was born in 1182 to a merchant couple who imported luxurious fabrics and sold them in Italy.  His parents thought Francis would also become a successful fabric merchant.  Instead, he decided to join the second crusade and had a fancy suit of armor made for himself.  But on his first night out, he had a vision:  the Lord was sending him back.  He then faced the jeers of his neighbors, who thought him a coward.  Francis, undeterred, turned away from war to peace and vowed he would await a further sign from God.

      Francis then had a vision in which God told him to repair his Church.  Francis took this literally, and, with his own hands, began to rebuild the church where he had been praying.  But God meant a bigger Church:  Francis’ mission was to help rebuild the whole faith.

      Francis preached about humility, poverty, simplicity, and prayer to everyone, even the birds, whom he thought of as God’s special creations.  While others took up arms in the later crusades, Francis went to the Muslim leader with a message of peace.  He attempted to express God’s brotherhood by truly living by the Gospel.  But his life of poverty and wandering, while good for his soul, was hard on his body.  Although he died in 1226, the Order he founded, the Franciscan Friars, carries on his humble teachings in every corner of the globe. 

Pope Benedict on Respect for Life:  The logic of the modern age dictates, “Let us declare that God is dead, then we ourselves will be God.  At last we no longer belong to anyone else; rather we are simply the owners of our selves and of the world.  At last we can do what we please.”  These words clearly highlight the thinking behind the acceptance of abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research. 

Respect for Life:  Despite almost losing her psychologist’s license because of her pro-life beliefs, Theresa Burke developed an effective healing process for those women whose lives are in turmoil because of abortion.  Through Rachel’s Vineyard ministries, “the darkness and pain of abortion are shattered by the light, love, and truth of Jesus,” Mrs. Burke states. 

Christ is the Divine Physician

      The Cross is the surgeon’s scalpel that will cut out the spiritual disease in the soul.  If you had a tumor in your body, a doctor could cut you open and take it out, but it would hurt.  You can either accept the pain of the surgery and be healed, or you can let the tumor grow until it kills you (and that can hurt too).  It’s a similar thing with the spiritual life.  Christ can do spiritual surgery on you if you follow his Word and accept the Cross and the discipline and the pain of repentance and conversion.  The alternative, of course, is spiritual death.

      When Christ talks about denying yourself, taking up your cross and losing your life, he’s talking about conversion.  The word conversion is metanoia in Greek.  It means a change of mind, of heart, of your very spirit.  Metanoia is continual – it’s daily.  Because in our weakness we keep on sinning, metanoia is a whole life’s work.

      All of our spiritual practices – fasting, penance, vigils, prayers – are in the service of metanoia, in the service of conversion, perception, and our relationship with God and the world.

      “Deny your very self.”  “Take up your cross.”  Let Christ do the spiritual surgery that will heal you.  Let him excise your moral lapses, spiritual blindness, self-centeredness – your sins.  Metanoia will lead to theosis.  As you become less self, you become closer to God until you are one with God.  Then you can say as did the Holy Apostle Paul:  “I live no longer for myself, but Christ lives in me.” 

Truth, Freedom, and Psychology

      Our freedom is profoundly shaped by our being and by its limits.  No one shapes his own conscience arbitrarily, but we all build our own ‘I’ on the basis of a self that is given to us.  Not only are other persons outside our control, but each one of us is outside his or her own control.  A person’s development is compromised if he claims to be solely responsible for producing what he becomes.

      By analogy, the development of peoples goes awry if humanity thinks it can re-create itself through the “wonders” of technology, just as economic development is exposed as a destructive sham if it relies on the “wonders” of finance in order to sustain unnatural and consumerist growth. . . .

      One aspect of the contemporary technological mindset is the tendency to consider the problems and emotions of the interior life from a purely psychological point of view, even to the point of neurological reductionism.  In this way man’s interiority is emptied of its meaning and gradually our awareness of the human soul’s ontological depths, as probed by the saints, is lost.

      The question of development is closely bound up with our understanding of the human soul, insofar as we often reduce the self to the psyche and confuse the soul’s health with emotional well-being.  These oversimplifications stem from a profound failure to understand the spiritual life, and they obscure the fact that the development of individuals and peoples depends partly on the resolution of problems of a spiritual nature.

From paragraphs 68 and 76 of the Encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” of Pope Benedict XVI (29 June 2009) 

On Compulsions and Confession

      For a Catholic, perhaps the deepest prayer connection with God is in the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation.  The grace of this sacrament is a powerful, energizing force that can help one deal with compulsions and addictions.  From the very first moment that a person begins to consider that he or she would like to go to confession, that person has begun the process of reestablishing a right relationship with God, self, and others.  Generally speaking, a thoughtful preparation for receiving the holy mystery enhances one’s experience of it.  However, sacraments contain a power in themselves that transcends the human, and so one must recognize that a spur-of-the-moment celebration of the sacrament has great power too.

      Although a confession made to any Catholic priest in the world is valid and accesses sacramental grace, a person struggling with an addiction should consider the following:  Would I be comfortable enough to be radically honest if I make this confession to a priest with whom I’m familiar?  Would I feel more comfortable if I confessed to a priest I do not know and who does not know me?  Do I understand the value in having a regular confessor who has gotten to know me?  The choice of a confessor is significant because a person fighting an addition can expect to want or need to go to confession frequently.

      Often we avoid going to confession because we tell ourselves that “I am not ready to stop” engaging in a particular sin.  The most important question is “Do I want to stop engaging in a particular sin?”  Certainly, a celebration of the sacrament at a time in life when one is beginning to resolve problems is appropriate and often moving, even exhilarating.  However, as Christians we cannot forget that we can come before God in the midst of our chaos and neediness, even with the thought that “I’m not ready or able to change.”  We must remember that it is God who gives us the power to change, not ourselves.    (based on the final chapter of “Breaking Free of the Web” by Young and Klausing) 

Excerpts on “Confession” from Breaking Free of the Web (Catholics and Internet Addiction) by Kimberly Young and Patrice Klausing:  When one has not been to confession in a long time, it can be hard to get back to this most necessary practice.  When people return to going to confession, they constantly find a beautiful lifting of burdens by the grace of God.  If you approach for confession and don’t remember what to say, you can mention this to the priest and ask that he guide you through the ritual.  Most priests will assure you that this is not a barrier to going to confession and will tell you not to worry – he’ll be there to help you.  Many people have also found it helpful to give themselves some reflective time both before and after confession.  This need not be spent in a church but should be in a place that allows for some reflection.

      Most Catholics first went to confession when they were children and were taught a simple formula for confessing:  We name what we did and tried to say how many times we did it.  Just as you have outgrown the clothes you wore in 2^nd grade, you have most likely outgrown that simple formula.  The formula still works but there are other ways to confess – ways more compatible with your understanding, maturity, & particular struggles. 

More from Breaking Free of the Web

      An important “safe environment” focus this year is Internet abuse.  Church leaders, parents, and catechists are called to be vigilant in regards to their own computer use, and to be on watch for signs that a young person may be overly influenced by unhealthy aspects of Internet use.  Appropriate intervention may be necessary.  Confession is an important and necessary spiritual means to overcoming any addiction or compulsion.  Various parish bulletins over the past months have given focus to this matter.  To complete the section of Breaking Free of the Web that covers the confessing of addictions, the following is offered:

      It is important to place an addiction in proper context when confessing.  Instead of saying for instance, “I’m addicted to the Internet,” say “I’m addicted to playing games, especially gruesome war games, on the Internet,” or “I spend hours looking at images of nudes on the computer.”  Then give thought to the effects of your addiction on yourself, your family, your friends, and your job.  Do an honest assessment of how many hours per day or per week that you spend on the computer.  As accurately as possible, identify how long this problem has existed and the circumstances in which it started.  If you have made any attempts to stop, were you successful at all?  For how long?  What was driving your inability to stop, or what triggered your return to the addiction after experiencing some control?  As you stand before God and consider the mess your life has become, do you think you have any control over the addiction?  Have there been any glimmers of hope?  How have you worked prayer into dealing with your addiction?  When confessing, be sure to find trust in God’s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness – and be at peace. 

Hope and Trust in Life!

      The following paragraphs are excerpts from an article by Stephen L. Mikochik published by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities:

      “Advance directives” are declarations by which individuals provide directions for their future medical care in the event they become incompetent.  Through written “instruction directives” or “living wills,” individuals set forth their preferences for or against certain therapeutic treatments.  “Proxy directives” or “health care powers of attorney” are documents in which individuals designate an agent to make treatment decisions for them.

      An individual who is pro-life looks cautiously at both approaches described above and realizes the limits on both sides.  While advance directives cannot ensure genuinely informed consent because that requires a grasp of facts no one can truly know in advance, proxy directives emphasize the importance of self determination.  It must be understood, however, that disabled people can internalize society’s negative attitudes about their conditions and consequently choose in living wills to forgo life support.  With pain management and rehabilitation, these feelings often dissipate, especially when the worth of their lives is vindicated through meaningful employment or by families, friends, and faith communities who appreciate their gifts.  Yet they would never experience that positive change if their instructions to forgo life support became effective first.  Such directives can lie around like loaded guns ready to discharge even after that change has occurred.

      Perhaps a better approach is for both disabled and able-bodied people to complete advance directives that presume in favor of life support while permitting proxies to forgo such treatment should it become fruitless.  That is, proxies should discontinue life-sustaining measures only if death is inevitable and imminent, the measures cause intractable suffering, or the financial burden the treatment imposes on families is truly excessive in light of its limited benefit for sustaining patients’ lives.  These are called “extraordinary measures.”  N.B. receiving nutrition & hydration are not extraordinary.

Below are some excerpts from recent bulletins. 

Solemn Feasts of the Holy Cross and Resurrection

      Historians of the Eastern Church generally agree that two particular events gave rise to the institution of the Solemn Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross:  the finding of the Cross of the Lord in the fourth century and its recovery or return from Persian captivity in the seventh century.  The institution of the Feast of the Exaltation was first preceded by the discovery or finding of the sacred wood of the Cross upon which Christ died.  Christian tradition has transmitted to us several different stories about the finding of the true Cross, three of which are attributed to Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.

      The Feast, itself, owes its origin to the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, which was erected on Golgotha in Jerusalem by Emperor Constantine.  This solemn consecration was performed by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, on 13 September 335.  The commemoration of this dedication is maintained on the Byzantine calendar.  The day of the Anastasis (i.e. “Resurrection”) Church or Church of the Holy Sepulcher Dedication is the patronal feast for any parish or community in the Byzantine tradition that is dedicated to “Holy Resurrection.”

      On the day following the consecration, the solemn exaltation of the wood of the Cross took place.  During the elevation, the people exclaimed “Lord, have mercy!” over and over.  Since then, the Byzantine Church has maintained the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, and has imitated the beautiful ritual of raising the Cross on high and blessing the “four corners of the world” at the end of Matins! 

Christ is the Divine Physician

      The Cross is the surgeon’s scalpel that will cut out the spiritual disease in the soul.  If you had a tumor in your body, a doctor could cut you open and take it out, but it would hurt.  You can either accept the pain of the surgery and be healed, or you can let the tumor grow until it kills you (and that can hurt too).  It’s a similar thing with the spiritual life.  Christ can do spiritual surgery on you if you follow his Word and accept the Cross and the discipline and the pain of repentance and conversion.  The alternative, of course, is spiritual death.

      When Christ talks about denying yourself, taking up your cross and losing your life, he’s talking about conversion.  The word conversion is metanoia in Greek.  It means a change of mind, of heart, of your very spirit.  Metanoia is continual – it’s daily.  Because in our weakness we keep on sinning, metanoia is a whole life’s work.

      All of our spiritual practices – fasting, penance, vigils, prayers – are in the service of metanoia, in the service of conversion, perception, and our relationship with God and the world.

      “Deny your very self.”  “Take up your cross.”  Let Christ do the spiritual surgery that will heal you.  Let him excise your moral lapses, spiritual blindness, self-centeredness – your sins.  Metanoia will lead to theosis.  As you become less self, you become closer to God until you are one with God.  Then you can say as did the Holy Apostle Paul:  “I live no longer for myself, but Christ lives in me.” 

What are Vespers?  Should I attend?  The Vespers service is the first service of the liturgical day.  It is usually served at sunset.  From ancient times, the Church of the New Testament, like the Jews, observed the ending of the day with the setting of the sun.  The new day began with the lighting of the lamps of evening.  As the civil day comes to a close, believers, together with the Church, stand before God filled with gratitude.  At Vespers, we thank God for the abundant blessings He has granted to us and to all creation throughout the day just past.  With the setting of the sun, everything is led towards rest.  The evening prayer of Vespers (just like the morning prayer of Matins) is just as an official part of the Prayer of the Church as the Divine Liturgy.  Great Vespers, as opposed to (Daily) Vespers, begins a Sunday or Holyday.  The faithful should pray Great Vespers with their parish community when possible. 

Pope Benedict on Respect for Life:  The logic of the modern age dictates, “Let us declare that God is dead, then we ourselves will be God.  At last we no longer belong to anyone else; rather we are simply the owners of our selves and of the world.  At last we can do what we please.”  These words clearly highlight the thinking behind the acceptance of abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research. 

Truth, Freedom, and Psychology

      Our freedom is profoundly shaped by our being and by its limits.  No one shapes his own conscience arbitrarily, but we all build our own ‘I’ on the basis of a self that is given to us.  Not only are other persons outside our control, but each one of us is outside his or her own control.  A person’s development is compromised if he claims to be solely responsible for producing what he becomes.

      By analogy, the development of peoples goes awry if humanity thinks it can re-create itself through the “wonders” of technology, just as economic development is exposed as a destructive sham if it relies on the “wonders” of finance in order to sustain unnatural and consumerist growth. . . .

      One aspect of the contemporary technological mindset is the tendency to consider the problems and emotions of the interior life from a purely psychological point of view, even to the point of neurological reductionism.  In this way man’s interiority is emptied of its meaning and gradually our awareness of the human soul’s ontological depths, as probed by the saints, is lost.

      The question of development is closely bound up with our understanding of the human soul, insofar as we often reduce the self to the psyche and confuse the soul’s health with emotional well-being.  These oversimplifications stem from a profound failure to understand the spiritual life, and they obscure the fact that the development of individuals and peoples depends partly on the resolution of problems of a spiritual nature.

From paragraphs 68 and 76 of the Encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” of Pope Benedict XVI (29 June 2009) 

On Compulsions and Confession

      For a Catholic, perhaps the deepest prayer connection with God is in the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation.  The grace of this sacrament is a powerful, energizing force that can help one deal with compulsions and addictions.  From the very first moment that a person begins to consider that he or she would like to go to confession, that person has begun the process of reestablishing a right relationship with God, self, and others.  Generally speaking, a thoughtful preparation for receiving the holy mystery enhances one’s experience of it.  However, sacraments contain a power in themselves that transcends the human, and so one must recognize that a spur-of-the-moment celebration of the sacrament has great power too.

      Although a confession made to any Catholic priest in the world is valid and accesses sacramental grace, a person struggling with an addiction should consider the following:  Would I be comfortable enough to be radically honest if I make this confession to a priest with whom I’m familiar?  Would I feel more comfortable if I confessed to a priest I do not know and who does not know me?  Do I understand the value in having a regular confessor who has gotten to know me?  The choice of a confessor is significant because a person fighting an addition can expect to want or need to go to confession frequently.

      Often we avoid going to confession because we tell ourselves that “I am not ready to stop” engaging in a particular sin.  The most important question is “Do I want to stop engaging in a particular sin?”  Certainly, a celebration of the sacrament at a time in life when one is beginning to resolve problems is appropriate and often moving, even exhilarating.  However, as Christians we cannot forget that we can come before God in the midst of our chaos and neediness, even with the thought that “I’m not ready or able to change.”  We must remember that it is God who gives us the power to change, not ourselves.    (based on the final chapter of “Breaking Free of the Web” by Young and Klausing) 

Excerpts on “Confession” from Breaking Free of the Web (Catholics and Internet Addiction) by Kimberly Young and Patrice Klausing:  When one has not been to confession in a long time, it can be hard to get back to this most necessary practice.  When people return to going to confession, they constantly find a beautiful lifting of burdens by the grace of God.  If you approach for confession and don’t remember what to say, you can mention this to the priest and ask that he guide you through the ritual.  Most priests will assure you that this is not a barrier to going to confession and will tell you not to worry – he’ll be there to help you.  Many people have also found it helpful to give themselves some reflective time both before and after confession.  This need not be spent in a church but should be in a place that allows for some reflection.

      Most Catholics first went to confession when they were children and were taught a simple formula for confessing:  We name what we did and tried to say how many times we did it.  Just as you have outgrown the clothes you wore in 2^nd grade, you have most likely outgrown that simple formula.  The formula still works but there are other ways to confess – ways more compatible with your understanding, maturity, & particular struggles. 

Do I have the Faith?

      Faith is not simply the good, secure feeling that God exists.  Faith is a commitment to a way of living beyond good and secure feelings.  To have faith means to sometimes live our lives independent of whatever feelings may come.  Ultimately faith is not in the head or the heart but in the action of a sustained commitment.  Faith is fidelity, nothing more but nothing less.

      Perhaps more than anything else, that gift is what is needed today in our families, in our parishes, and in our world in general.  The greatest gift we can give to those around us is the promise of fidelity, the simple promise to stay around, to not leave when things get difficult, to not walk away because we feel disappointed or hurt, to stay even when we don’t feel wanted or valued, to stay even when our personalities and visions clash . . .

      Inside of any relationship – marriage, family, friendship, church community, or even a collegial relationship at a workplace – we can never promise that we won’t disappoint others, that we won’t ever mess-up, that our personalities won’t clash, or that we won’t sometimes hurt others through insensitivity, selfishness, and weakness.  We can’t promise that we will always be good.  We can only promise that we will always be there!

      This also holds true for prayer.  All the great spiritual writers give only one ultimate rule for prayer and that rule has nothing to do with method, style, or content.  It is simply this:  Show up!  Don’t ever give up!  Don’t ever stop going to prayer!  As long as you persevere in going to prayer, eventually God will break through.  Don’t ever stop trying!  That’s true for all of our relationships.

      The greatest gift that we have to give is the promise of fidelity, the promise that we will keep trying, that we won’t walk away simply because we got hurt or because we felt unwanted or not properly valued. . . .  That’s all we can promise – and that’s enough!

                                                Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI. 

Hope and Trust in Life!

      The following paragraphs are excerpts from an article by Stephen L. Mikochik published by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities:

      “Advance directives” are declarations by which individuals provide directions for their future medical care in the event they become incompetent.  Through written “instruction directives” or “living wills,” individuals set forth their preferences for or against certain therapeutic treatments.  “Proxy directives” or “health care powers of attorney” are documents in which individuals designate an agent to make treatment decisions for them.

      An individual who is pro-life looks cautiously at both approaches described above and realizes the limits on both sides.  While advance directives cannot ensure genuinely informed consent because that requires a grasp of facts no one can truly know in advance, proxy directives emphasize the importance of self determination.  It must be understood, however, that disabled people can internalize society’s negative attitudes about their conditions and consequently choose in living wills to forgo life support.  With pain management and rehabilitation, these feelings often dissipate, especially when the worth of their lives is vindicated through meaningful employment or by families, friends, and faith communities who appreciate their gifts.  Yet they would never experience that positive change if their instructions to forgo life support became effective first.  Such directives can lie around like loaded guns ready to discharge even after that change has occurred.

      Perhaps a better approach is for both disabled and able-bodied people to complete advance directives that presume in favor of life support while permitting proxies to forgo such treatment should it become fruitless.  That is, proxies should discontinue life-sustaining measures only if death is inevitable and imminent, the measures cause intractable suffering, or the financial burden the treatment imposes on families is truly excessive in light of its limited benefit for sustaining patients’ lives.  These are called “extraordinary measures.”  N.B. receiving nutrition & hydration are not extraordinary. 

Byzantine Catholics in South Carolina:  Recently the Eparchy of Passaic purchased a facility in the Myrtle Beach area as the first Byzantine Catholic Mission in South Carolina.  The property is located at 3059 Highway 90 in the Myrtle Beach/Conway area of South Carolina.  If you know of Byzantine Catholics who have moved into this area, please contact any of the following:

      Myrtle Beach/Conway area: Don and Jean Wirth  843-249-9502

      Calabash/Wilmington N.C. area Jean and Oliver Guthrie 910-579-4795

      Other areas    Fr. Conan H. Timoney 410-247-4936.

Below are some excerpts from recent bulletins. 

Solemn Feasts of the Holy Cross and Resurrection

      Historians of the Eastern Church generally agree that two particular events gave rise to the institution of the Solemn Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross:  the finding of the Cross of the Lord in the fourth century and its recovery or return from Persian captivity in the seventh century.  The institution of the Feast of the Exaltation was first preceded by the discovery or finding of the sacred wood of the Cross upon which Christ died.  Christian tradition has transmitted to us several different stories about the finding of the true Cross, three of which are attributed to Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.

      The Feast, itself, owes its origin to the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, which was erected on Golgotha in Jerusalem by Emperor Constantine.  This solemn consecration was performed by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, on 13 September 335.  The commemoration of this dedication is maintained on the Byzantine calendar.  The day of the Anastasis (i.e. “Resurrection”) Church or Church of the Holy Sepulcher Dedication is the patronal feast for any parish or community in the Byzantine tradition that is dedicated to “Holy Resurrection.”

      On the day following the consecration, the solemn exaltation of the wood of the Cross took place.  During the elevation, the people exclaimed “Lord, have mercy!” over and over.  Since then, the Byzantine Church has maintained the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, and has imitated the beautiful ritual of raising the Cross on high and blessing the “four corners of the world” at the end of Matins! 

Adult Enrichment is our adult Eastern Christian Formation program scheduled as a once-a-month “book club” type gathering.  On a selected Saturday each month, following 9 am Divine Liturgy, our adults gather in the E.C.F. Center from 10:30 am to 12 noon for a presentation and discussion on scheduled readings.  Attendance at the preceding Divine Liturgy is strongly encouraged.  We begin this year’s classes with our first discussion on Father Aidan Nichols’ book Lovely, Like Jerusalem.  Child supervision is available during class – please inquire with Father in advance.  Here’s the schedule for Series One entitled “Old Testament Fulfillment in Christ and the Church:"

      10 October The Messianic Hope  (pages 87–120)

      21 November The Fulfillment  (pages 121–138)

      19 December God and His Self-Manifestation  (pages 139–152)

      16 January God and Creation  (pages 153–166)

      20 February Typology and Conclusion  (pages 167–274). 

Truth, Freedom, and Psychology

      Our freedom is profoundly shaped by our being and by its limits.  No one shapes his own conscience arbitrarily, but we all build our own ‘I’ on the basis of a self that is given to us.  Not only are other persons outside our control, but each one of us is outside his or her own control.  A person’s development is compromised if he claims to be solely responsible for producing what he becomes.

      By analogy, the development of peoples goes awry if humanity thinks it can re-create itself through the “wonders” of technology, just as economic development is exposed as a destructive sham if it relies on the “wonders” of finance in order to sustain unnatural and consumerist growth. . . .

      One aspect of the contemporary technological mindset is the tendency to consider the problems and emotions of the interior life from a purely psychological point of view, even to the point of neurological reductionism.  In this way man’s interiority is emptied of its meaning and gradually our awareness of the human soul’s ontological depths, as probed by the saints, is lost.

      The question of development is closely bound up with our understanding of the human soul, insofar as we often reduce the self to the psyche and confuse the soul’s health with emotional well-being.  These oversimplifications stem from a profound failure to understand the spiritual life, and they obscure the fact that the development of individuals and peoples depends partly on the resolution of problems of a spiritual nature.

From paragraphs 68 and 76 of the Encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” of Pope Benedict XVI (29 June 2009) 

Evil Thoughts about People

      Some people struggle with constant evil thoughts about other people.  What can we do to rid ourselves of this sin?

      The only medicine for opposing and banishing evil thoughts and temptations about others is unceasing prayer, remembrance of death, and remembrance of God.  We should accustom ourselves to say mentally the Jesus Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  With this prayer repeated often and with attention, evil thoughts will begin to go away.  In time, with repetition and practice, the Jesus Prayer will come to us so naturally that we’ll barely have to think about saying it.

      Always remember God and reflect that He is present everywhere.  Remember that He sees all and knows all. 

On Compulsions and Confession

      For a Catholic, perhaps the deepest prayer connection with God is in the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation.  The grace of this sacrament is a powerful, energizing force that can help one deal with compulsions and addictions.  From the very first moment that a person begins to consider that he or she would like to go to confession, that person has begun the process of reestablishing a right relationship with God, self, and others.  Generally speaking, a thoughtful preparation for receiving the holy mystery enhances one’s experience of it.  However, sacraments contain a power in themselves that transcends the human, and so one must recognize that a spur-of-the-moment celebration of the sacrament has great power too.

      Although a confession made to any Catholic priest in the world is valid and accesses sacramental grace, a person struggling with an addiction should consider the following:  Would I be comfortable enough to be radically honest if I make this confession to a priest with whom I’m familiar?  Would I feel more comfortable if I confessed to a priest I do not know and who does not know me?  Do I understand the value in having a regular confessor who has gotten to know me?  The choice of a confessor is significant because a person fighting an addition can expect to want or need to go to confession frequently.

      Often we avoid going to confession because we tell ourselves that “I am not ready to stop” engaging in a particular sin.  The most important question is “Do I want to stop engaging in a particular sin?”  Certainly, a celebration of the sacrament at a time in life when one is beginning to resolve problems is appropriate and often moving, even exhilarating.  However, as Christians we cannot forget that we can come before God in the midst of our chaos and neediness, even with the thought that “I’m not ready or able to change.”  We must remember that it is God who gives us the power to change, not ourselves.    (based on the final chapter of “Breaking Free of the Web” by Young and Klausing) 

Excerpts on “Confession” from Breaking Free of the Web (Catholics and Internet Addiction) by Kimberly Young and Patrice Klausing:  When one has not been to confession in a long time, it can be hard to get back to this most necessary practice.  When people return to going to confession, they constantly find a beautiful lifting of burdens by the grace of God.  If you approach for confession and don’t remember what to say, you can mention this to the priest and ask that he guide you through the ritual.  Most priests will assure you that this is not a barrier to going to confession and will tell you not to worry – he’ll be there to help you.  Many people have also found it helpful to give themselves some reflective time both before and after confession.  This need not be spent in a church but should be in a place that allows for some reflection.

      Most Catholics first went to confession when they were children and were taught a simple formula for confessing:  We name what we did and tried to say how many times we did it.  Just as you have outgrown the clothes you wore in 2^nd grade, you have most likely outgrown that simple formula.  The formula still works but there are other ways to confess – ways more compatible with your understanding, maturity, & particular struggles. 

Do I have the Faith?

      Faith is not simply the good, secure feeling that God exists.  Faith is a commitment to a way of living beyond good and secure feelings.  To have faith means to sometimes live our lives independent of whatever feelings may come.  Ultimately faith is not in the head or the heart but in the action of a sustained commitment.  Faith is fidelity, nothing more but nothing less.

      Perhaps more than anything else, that gift is what is needed today in our families, in our parishes, and in our world in general.  The greatest gift we can give to those around us is the promise of fidelity, the simple promise to stay around, to not leave when things get difficult, to not walk away because we feel disappointed or hurt, to stay even when we don’t feel wanted or valued, to stay even when our personalities and visions clash . . .

      Inside of any relationship – marriage, family, friendship, church community, or even a collegial relationship at a workplace – we can never promise that we won’t disappoint others, that we won’t ever mess-up, that our personalities won’t clash, or that we won’t sometimes hurt others through insensitivity, selfishness, and weakness.  We can’t promise that we will always be good.  We can only promise that we will always be there!

      This also holds true for prayer.  All the great spiritual writers give only one ultimate rule for prayer and that rule has nothing to do with method, style, or content.  It is simply this:  Show up!  Don’t ever give up!  Don’t ever stop going to prayer!  As long as you persevere in going to prayer, eventually God will break through.  Don’t ever stop trying!  That’s true for all of our relationships.

      The greatest gift that we have to give is the promise of fidelity, the promise that we will keep trying, that we won’t walk away simply because we got hurt or because we felt unwanted or not properly valued. . . .  That’s all we can promise – and that’s enough!

                                                Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI. 

Hope and Trust in Life!

      The following paragraphs are excerpts from an article by Stephen L. Mikochik published by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities:

      “Advance directives” are declarations by which individuals provide directions for their future medical care in the event they become incompetent.  Through written “instruction directives” or “living wills,” individuals set forth their preferences for or against certain therapeutic treatments.  “Proxy directives” or “health care powers of attorney” are documents in which individuals designate an agent to make treatment decisions for them.

      An individual who is pro-life looks cautiously at both approaches described above and realizes the limits on both sides.  While advance directives cannot ensure genuinely informed consent because that requires a grasp of facts no one can truly know in advance, proxy directives emphasize the importance of self determination.  It must be understood, however, that disabled people can internalize society’s negative attitudes about their conditions and consequently choose in living wills to forgo life support.  With pain management and rehabilitation, these feelings often dissipate, especially when the worth of their lives is vindicated through meaningful employment or by families, friends, and faith communities who appreciate their gifts.  Yet they would never experience that positive change if their instructions to forgo life support became effective first.  Such directives can lie around like loaded guns ready to discharge even after that change has occurred.

      Perhaps a better approach is for both disabled and able-bodied people to complete advance directives that presume in favor of life support while permitting proxies to forgo such treatment should it become fruitless.  That is, proxies should discontinue life-sustaining measures only if death is inevitable and imminent, the measures cause intractable suffering, or the financial burden the treatment imposes on families is truly excessive in light of its limited benefit for sustaining patients’ lives.  These are called “extraordinary measures.”  N.B. receiving nutrition & hydration are not extraordinary. 

Byzantine Catholics in South Carolina:  Recently the Eparchy of Passaic purchased a facility in the Myrtle Beach area as the first Byzantine Catholic Mission in South Carolina.  The property is located at 3059 Highway 90 in the Myrtle Beach/Conway area of South Carolina.  If you know of Byzantine Catholics who have moved into this area, please contact any of the following:

      Myrtle Beach/Conway area: Don and Jean Wirth  843-249-9502

      Calabash/Wilmington N.C. area Jean and Oliver Guthrie 910-579-4795

      Other areas    Fr. Conan H. Timoney 410-247-4936. 

Would you like to give some time helping senior citizens?  If helping others and having a wonderful time in the process sounds like something you would enjoy, please contact Alex Medina, Assistant Executive Director of LifeHOUSE at 858-277-6460.

(Past Bulletins)

6 September 2009 

Truth, Freedom, and Psychology

      Our freedom is profoundly shaped by our being and by its limits.  No one shapes his own conscience arbitrarily, but we all build our own ‘I’ on the basis of a self that is given to us.  Not only are other persons outside our control, but each one of us is outside his or her own control.  A person’s development is compromised if he claims to be solely responsible for producing what he becomes.

      By analogy, the development of peoples goes awry if humanity thinks it can re-create itself through the “wonders” of technology, just as economic development is exposed as a destructive sham if it relies on the “wonders” of finance in order to sustain unnatural and consumerist growth. . . .

      One aspect of the contemporary technological mindset is the tendency to consider the problems and emotions of the interior life from a purely psychological point of view, even to the point of neurological reductionism.  In this way man’s interiority is emptied of its meaning and gradually our awareness of the human soul’s ontological depths, as probed by the saints, is lost.

      The question of development is closely bound up with our understanding of the human soul, insofar as we often reduce the self to the psyche and confuse the soul’s health with emotional well-being.  These oversimplifications stem from a profound failure to understand the spiritual life, and they obscure the fact that the development of individuals and peoples depends partly on the resolution of problems of a spiritual nature.

From paragraphs 68 and 76 of the Encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” of Pope Benedict XVI (29 June 2009)

LITURGICAL PRAYER SCHEDULE 

Sunday, 6 September  FOURTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

      9 am  Divine Liturgy 

                        SOLEMN FEAST of the NATIVITY of the THEOTOKOS

Monday, 7 September

      7 pm  Vigil Divine Liturgy w/ Miro.  (+George Hana by his children at “Little Sam’s Pizza”)

Tuesday, 8 September

      9 am  Festal Matins

      10 am  Divine Liturgy w/ Miro.  (Father Jonathan Decker by Robert and Kathleen Crossley) 

Wednesday, 9 September The Synaxis of the Holy Grandparents of God Joachim and Anna

      7 pm  Marian Moleben 

                        Leave-taking of the Nativity of the Theotokos

Friday, 11 September

      7 pm  Paraklis  [Patriot’s Day]

Saturday, 12 September

      9 am  Matins  [followed by “Parish Work Day”] 

                        SUNDAY before the EXALTATION of the Holy CROSS; Prefeast

      5 pm  Great Vespers

Sunday, 13 September

      9 am  Divine Liturgy [Catechetical Sunday: Blessing of Catechists, Youth Program Students]

Date                  Service                Reader                  Head Cantor

6 September       DL                       Alexa Bitsko           Rebecca Huber

7 September       VDL                     Rebecca Huber       Gary Huber

8 September       FM/DL                  Daniele Laman       Elnora Rusnak

12 September     GV                       Daniele Laman       Gary Huber

13 September     DL                       Michael Crucitt       Gary Huber.

CHRIST IS AMONG US!          HE IS AND WILL BE!

Next Sunday, an important event will take place in our parish.  The importance of religious instruction will be emphasized.  Special prayers for the Beginning of the Year will be included during the Divine Liturgy.  We will give authority to our catechists, and implore God’s Wisdom upon them and their students, for whom we will also pray.  Please note that all texts for our E.C.F. program are now available in the Book and Icon Shop.

Congratulations to Sara and David Gaccione on the birth of their daughter Avery Reese.  We rejoice with the happy parents and with Avery’s big brother Sammy, and her grandparents Cynthia and Virgil Barbat.  God grant them all many years!

Many hands make light work! Our Parish Work Day needs you!  This Saturday, 12 September, we will be cleaning all of the E.C.F. Center classrooms, the hall annex, and the hall kitchen cabinets.  Work hours are 10:30 am to 3:00 pm, and we will break at 12:30 pm for a tasty provided lunch.  We can use all sorts of helpers, even if only for an hour or two.  Our younger families and young adults are especially encouraged to come with energy and enthusiasm.  Any questions?  Please call Janet Greenwell at 619-251-3007.

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!          GLORY FOREVER!

We also pray for our government and all in the service of our country, especially our currently deployed parishioner Clay Lang at Camp Speicher in northern Iraq, as well as Parker Betts, cousin of Alexis DeNure.

Tomorrow evening and Tuesday we celebrate the Solemn Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.  Please be sure to join your parish family for the celebration of the Liturgy.  See page 2 of this bulletin for the schedule.  Divine Liturgy will include anointing with Mirovanije and reception of the blessed bread.  From the seed of Abraham, born from the tribe of Judah, from the line of King David, Mary the Mother of God was born.  From her, the Son of God was born in the flesh that he might free people from the ancient slavery of sin.  On Wednesday, we observe the Synaxis of Saints Joachim and Anna, the parents of Mary.  Their names were preserved by the ancient traditions of Christians from the Jews.

Attention Young Adults of Holy Angels (18 to 35 years of age)! You are invited to an inaugural “young adults gathering” on Sunday 4 October.  This will be held in “Father’s back yard” (Cairo Court priest’s residence; 6 to 8:30 pm) and will include a barbeque and potluck and informal sharing and spiritual learning.  Bring a young adult friend!  Married couples where both are in the age bracket are welcome.  More details forthcoming.

Byzantine Catholics in South Carolina:  Recently the Eparchy of Passaic purchased a facility in the Myrtle Beach area as the first Byzantine Catholic Mission in South Carolina.  The property is located at 3059 Highway 90 in the Myrtle Beach/Conway area of South Carolina.  If you know of Byzantine Catholics who have moved into this area, please contact any of the following:

      Myrtle Beach/Conway area: Don and Jean Wirth  843-249-9502

      Calabash/Wilmington N.C. area Jean and Oliver Guthrie 910-579-4795

      Other areas    Fr. Conan H. Timoney 410-247-4936.

Please help with Ethnic Food making this week.  Kolach making is scheduled for Friday.  Please see Lorrie Brodke for further details.

Would you like to give some time helping senior citizens?  If helping others and having a wonderful time in the process sounds like something you would enjoy, please contact Alex Medina, Assistant Executive Director of LifeHOUSE at 858-277-6460.

30 August 2009 

The Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John

      Today we conclude our commemoration of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner.  Because John had denounced Herod Antipas for putting away his own wife and marrying the wife of Herod’s brother Philip, Herod imprisoned John.  At a feast in honor of Herod’s birthday, his stepdaughter Salome danced for him.  Herod promised her anything; her mother Herodias told her to ask for the head of John on a platter.  This martyrdom is commemorated on this day because on this day a church was dedicated to commemorate the Forerunner’s beheading. 

The Deposition of the Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos

      Tomorrow we commemorate the deposition of the belt of the Theotokos.  At the time of her dormition, the Theotokos left her belt to the apostles.  This was later taken to Constantinople and kept in a sealed casket in the church of Blachernae.  In the time of the emperor Leo the Wise, the belt was placed on the Empress Zoe, who recovered from a life-threatening illness. 

The Beginning of the New Church Year (The “Indiction”)

      Tuesday, 1 September is the first day of the new church year.  The First Ecumenical Council in 325 decreed that the Church’s year should begin on September 1.  The lunar month corresponding to September on the Jewish calendar was the beginning of the civil year (cf. Exodus 12:2).  It was at this time that our Lord Jesus went into the synagogue at Nazareth and read the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... to proclaim ‘the acceptable year of the Lord.’”  (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4: 16-21).

      September 1^st is also the day of the Synaxis of the Theotokos of Miasena.  Our Venerable Father Simeon the Stylite and Joshua, son of Nun are also commemorated.

Parish LITURGICAL PRAYER SCHEDULE 

                        THIRTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST; Beheading Leave-taking

Saturday, 29 August

      5 pm  Great Vespers

Sunday, 30 August

      9 am  Divine Liturgy with Mirovanije 

Monday, 31 August  Deposition of the Venerable Belt of the Holy Theotokos

      8 am  Festal Matins 

Tuesday, 1 September Beginning of the New Church Year

      8 am  Festal Matins 

Wednesday, 2 September Holy Martyr Mammas; Our Venerable Father John the Faster

      8 am  Matins 

Sunday, 6 September  FOURTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

      9 am  Divine Liturgy

Date                            Service                     Reader                    Head Cantor

30 August                    DL                           Bruce Bitsko             Elnora Rusnak

6 September                DL                           Alexa Bitsko              Rebecca Huber.

CHRIST IS AMONG US!          HE IS AND WILL BE!

Father Robert will be away Thursday through Saturday of this week.  He may be reached if necessary by calling the priest’s residence phone number.

Catechetical Sunday is an annual observance as we resume the instruction of our parish’s students.  In two weeks we will have a special blessing of our young students and their teachers at the end of the Sunday Divine Liturgy.  The ceremony will emphasize the importance of both teaching and learning in the Christian tradition.

Eternal Memory, grant, O Lord, to the soul of your departed servant Richard Moeller who fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday, 19 August.  His funeral was this past Monday.  We extend our prayerful condolences to Richard’s son, Paul and all the Moeller family.

St. Melany Church in Tucson’s festival raffle will be held the first weekend of October.  Tickets may be obtained for a $1 donation from Father Robert, before 27 September.

The monks of Holy Resurrection Monastery and Saint Andrew’s Abbey invite you on a Pilgrimage to the Mother of God, Searcher for the Lost.  The primary day for this event will be Saturday the 26^th of September.  Matins, Procession, and Divine Liturgy begin at 9 am.  See the flyers in the narthex, go to www.hrmonline.org, or call 661-944-2178 for further details.

Summer is winding down and Labor Day is almost here!  Enjoy these sunny days and then mark September 12^th on your calendar for an important parish work day!  Many hands are needed to get our physical plant ready for a new year of ECF classes and ethnic food work.  A tasty lunch will be provided.  See Janet Greenwell with any questions.

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!          GLORY FOREVER!

Please help with Ethnic Food making this week.  Rožky making is scheduled for tomorrow.  Please see Daniele for further details.

Would you like to give some time helping senior citizens?  If helping others and having a wonderful time in the process sounds like something you would enjoy, please contact Alex Medina, Assistant Executive Director of LifeHOUSE at 858-277-6460.

23 August 2009

Leave-taking of the Great Feast of the Dormition

      Today is the last day or the “leave-taking” (otdanije in Church Slavonic) of the post-festive period of the Dormition.  As we conclude our celebration of the holyday this year, let us learn more about the Feast’s origins.

      The origin of this Feast is closely connected to the public veneration of the Theotokos from the beginning of the fourth century.  The solemn proclamation of Mary as the “Theotokos” at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (in 431) greatly enhanced her public veneration as the “Mother of God.”  This is evidenced by the fact that a few years later her divine maternity was celebrated in Jerusalem as the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God on August 15^th.  In Egypt, the same Feast of Mary was celebrated on January 18^th under the influence of Saint Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) who presided at the Council of Ephesus.  In Constantinople, the veneration of Mary’s divine motherhood was promoted by Saint Anatolius (d. 458) who also composed the first liturgical hymns in honor of the Theotokos.

      At the beginning of the sixth century, a magnificent basilica was erected over the tomb of Mary in Gethsemane.  With this, the feast of Mary celebrated on August 15^th took on a new meaning and became the solemn celebration of Mary’s death and assumption into heaven.  In some liturgical calendars of the East, the feast was not only called the Dormition but was also referred to as the Journey of the Theotokos into Heaven, or the Deposition of Mary (i.e. the interment of Mary into the grave).

      The solemn celebration of the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Pure Mother of God was extended to the entire East during the sixth century.  Since the feast had been celebrated on different days in different locales, it was decreed by Emperor Maurice (582-602) that, in the entire Byzantine Empire, the feast will be celebrated on August 15^th.  Saint Modestus of Jerusalem (d. 634), to whom the oldest extant homily of the Dormition Feast is ascribed, fully accepted the tradition of Mary’s death and heavenly assumption.

Parish LITURGICAL PRAYER SCHEDULE

                        TWELFTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST; Dormition Leave-taking

Saturday, 22 August

      5 pm  Great Vespers

Sunday, 23 August

      9 am  Divine Liturgy  [E.C.F. Youth Registration due today]

                        SIMPLE HOLYDAY of the BEHEADING of the BAPTIST JOHN

Friday, 28 August

      7 pm  “All-night” Vigil  (i.e. Great Vespers with Litija and Festal Matins)

Saturday, 29 August

      9 am  Divine Liturgy  (Robert, John, Joseph, & James Sweeney and +Richard Sweeney

                              by the Kiczek Family)

                        THIRTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST; Beheading Leave-taking

      5 pm  Great Vespers

Sunday, 30 August

      9 am  Divine Liturgy with Mirovanije

Date                           Service                                Reader                                  Head Cantor

23 August                   DL                                      Robert Greenwell                   Gary Huber

28 August                   All-night Vigil                       Robert Greenwell                   Gary Huber

29 August                   DL                                      Elnora Rusnak                       Robert Greenwell

                                GV                                                                                 Maura Kiczek

30 August                   DL                                     Bruce Bitsko                           Elnora Rusnak.

CHRIST IS AMONG US!          HE IS AND WILL BE!

Dear Parish Leaders:  Please make updates to the narthex master calendar and, as needed, the hall kitchen calendar by this Thursday, 27 August.  Please update the calendars through the 3^rd of October.  Thanks for your cooperation.

Summer Pilgrimages Approach:  The 75^th Annual Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be held at Mount Saint Macrina in Uniontown, Pennsylvania during Labor Day weekend.  More information can be found at www.sistersofstbasil.org or by calling 724-438-8644.  If you will be attending with children of any age, contact Father.

      The monks of Holy Resurrection Monastery and Saint Andrew Abbey invite you on a Pilgrimage to Valyermo.  The primary day for this event will be Saturday the 26^th of September but you are welcome to visit through the weekend.  If interested, be sure to take the latest “Light of the East” (yellow) newsletter in the narthex of the church.  It has all the pilgrimage details and other great articles.  You may also get more information at www.hrmonline.org or 661-944-2178.

The Beheading of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John is a Simple Holyday on our Church’s calendar.  We should all do our best to sanctify this holyday by attendance at the liturgy of the Church on Friday evening and/or Saturday morning.  Friday evening will be one of the few times that our parish prays the “All-night Vigil.”  This is a special service combining both Great Vespers with Litija and Festal Matins.  In modern times, the service does not last all through the night but usually ends within two and a half hours.  It is an intense yet beautiful prayer experience.  The Divine Liturgy will be offered on Saturday morning at 9 am.

      Traditionally, this holyday is observed with red vestments and Strict Abstinence as we are commemorating Saint John’s bloody martyrdom.  No abstinence is required on this day but it is highly recommended.  Our local tradition is to include in our abstinence any foods that come in the form of a “head” (i.e. cabbage, lettuce).  We also try not to eat off of plates on this particular day.

Upcoming Dates: 1 September  Beginning of the New Church Year

            13 September  Catechetical Sunday – books available

            19 September  Adult E.C.F. Classes begin

            20 September  Youth E.C.F. Classes begin

More Excerpts on “Confession” from Breaking Free of the Web (Catholics and Internet Addiction) by Kimberly Young and Patrice Klausing:  When one has not been to confession in a long time, it can be hard to get back to this most necessary practice.  When people return to going to confession, they constantly find a beautiful lifting of burdens by the grace of God.  If you approach for confession and don’t remember what to say, you can mention this to the priest and ask that he guide you through the ritual.  Most priests will assure you that this is not a barrier to going to confession and will tell you not to worry – he’ll be there to help you.  Many people have also found it helpful to give themselves some reflective time both before and after confession.  This need not be spent in a church but should be in a place that allows for some reflection.

      Most Catholics first went to confession when they were children and were taught a simple formula for confessing:  We name what we did and tried to say how many times we did it.  Just as you have outgrown the clothes you wore in 2^nd grade, you have most likely outgrown that simple formula.  The formula still works but there are other ways to confess – ways more compatible with your understanding, maturity, & particular struggles.

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!          GLORY FOREVER!

Please help with Ethnic Food making this week.  Holubky will be made on Monday and Kolach on Friday.  Please see Elnora or Lorrie for further details.

St. Melany Church in Tucson’s festival raffle will be held the first weekend of October.  Tickets may be obtained for a $1 donation from Father Robert, before 27 September.

Would you like to give some time helping senior citizens?  If helping others and having a wonderful time in the process sounds like something you would enjoy, please contact Alex Medina, Assistant Executive Director of LifeHOUSE at 858-277-6460.

16 August 2009 

A new Year – A new Beginning

      With the Feast of the Dormition comes an indication that a new church year is about to begin.  New Years Day on our Church calendar is 1 September and the months that follow hold great promise for our parish family here in the Serra Mesa community of San Diego.

      A parish family is made strong by the grace of the Holy Spirit.  That grace, however, relies on each of us doing our part to take seriously the spiritual struggle.  What resolutions do I need to make for this new year?  What addictions or compulsions have I been struggling to overcome?  How will I grow more healthy and more strong in the new year?

      With the coming of a new academic year comes the start of a new program of Eastern Catholic Formation for our adults and our youth.  Last week, details about this program were distributed to all in church.  Printed materials remain in the information center in the narthex of the church.  I=m thrilled to announce the enhancement of our Adult program with new teachers, a new method, and our new young adults group.  You and all adults are welcome at these classes and I encourage you to bring a friend.  Adults need not register for their classes.  Simply show up as you are able.

      Parents, on the other hand, are asked to register their children (4 years old through high school seniors) for the new year of E.C.F.  Registration forms are due in to Father absolutely no later than next Sunday.  He needs to order the books on the 24^th of August.

Parish LITURGICAL PRAYER SCHEDULE 

                        ELEVENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST;  Dormition Post-feast

                        Translation of the Lord’s image “not made by human hands”

Saturday, 15 August

      5 pm  Great Vespers

Sunday, 16 August

      9 am  Divine Liturgy  [followed by parish picnic at Murray Ridge Park] 

Monday, 17 August  Post-festive Day of the Dormition

      10:30 am  “Domestic Church” Prayers

      2:30 pm  Akathist Hymn in Honor of the Theotokos (Annunciation Akathist) 

Wednesday, 19 August Post-festive Day of the Dormition

      11 am  Akathist Hymn in Honor of the Theotokos (Dormition Akathist) 

Friday, 21 August  Post-festive Day of the Dormition; Holy Apostle Thaddeus

      8 am  Matins 

Saturday, 22 August  Post-festive Day of the Dormition

      10:30 am  Divine Liturgy  (50^th Wedding Anniversary Blessings:  Pat and Paula Walsh) 

                        TWELFTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST; Dormition Leave-taking

      5 pm  Great Vespers

Sunday, 23 August

      9 am  Divine Liturgy  [E.C.F. Youth Registration due today!]

Date                Service             Reader                           Head Cantor

16 August        DL                     Angie Bitsko                    Gary Huber

17 August        Akathist                                                    Elnora Rusnak

22 August        DL                     Patrick Matthew Walsh       Elnora Rusnak

                       GV                                                             Gary Huber

23 August        DL                     Robert Greenwell                Gary Huber.

CHRIST IS AMONG US!          HE IS AND WILL BE!

Preparations have begun for a new year of Eastern Christian Formation classes.  Completed registration forms for our youth (4 years old through high school senior) are due next Sunday.  Our catechists will have a special day of preparation on Saturday, 29 August, following the Divine Liturgy.  Please contact Father Robert with any questions.

Dear Parish Leaders:  Please make updates to the narthex master calendar and, as needed, the hall kitchen calendar by Thursday, 27 August.  Please update through Oct. 3^rd.

A wise parent once said “High expectations of children by parents will produce marvelous results.”  Keep up the good work, parents!

May God grant many years to his servants Patrick and Paula Walsh, united in the common life of marriage for 50 years.  They celebrate their golden anniversary this Saturday, 22 August.  Their celebration will center around the Divine Liturgy that will be held at 10:30 am on this particular Saturday.  Pat and Paula, our prayers remain with you and your children and all of your loved ones.

St. Melany Church in Tucson’s festival raffle will be held the first weekend of October.  Tickets may be obtained for a $1 donation from Father Robert, before 27 September.

Post-festive Time:  Great Feasts of our Lord and of the Theotokos have post-festive celebrations.  When these celebrations last eight days it is called an “octave.”  The Dormition feast lasts nine days.  Thus, the “leave-taking” of the Dormition is next Sunday.  The Feasts of the Baptist and of Saints Peter and Paul have one day post feasts.  The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, on 29 August, has a post-festive day on 30 August which falls on a Sunday this year.  We will receive the mirovanije anointing and the specially blessed bread on this particular Sunday.

Would you like to give some time helping senior citizens?  If helping others and having a wonderful time in the process sounds like something you would enjoy, please contact Alex Medina, Assistant Executive Director of LifeHOUSE at 858-277-6460.

Summer Pilgrimages Approach:  The 75^th Annual Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be held at Mount Saint Macrina in Uniontown, Pennsylvania during Labor Day weekend.  More information can be found at www.sistersofstbasil.org or by calling 724-438-8644.  If you will be attending with children of any age, be sure to contact Father Robert immediately as he has special instructions regarding the youth programs.

      The monks of Holy Resurrection Monastery and Saint Andrew Abbey invite you on a Pilgrimage to Valyermo.  The primary day for this event will be Saturday the 26^th of September but you are welcome to visit through the weekend.  If interested, be sure to take the latest “Light of the East” (yellow) newsletter in the narthex of the church.  It has all the pilgrimage details and other great articles.  You may also get more information at www.hrmonline.org or 661-944-2178.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Parishioners:

Some of you are aware that last week I sent out, by way of our Sunshine Committee director, Maura Kiczek, an e-mail requesting help with food for a family in need.  I and the members of this family were overcome with gratitude and joy for the generosity of our parishioners.  The bags and bags of food reminded me of the love that is ever-present in our parish family.

Such encouragement finds me grateful to God and to all of you for the goodness of this parish family, and for my being permitted to serve here.  It is my honor and blessing to lead you in prayer and in other facets of Byzantine Catholic spiritual living.  I try not to take my time with you for granted – it is a real gift!

I’m most grateful for those who are sacrificial in their stewardship to the Church.  Your giving of tithe, time, and talent is of great assistance to my ministry, and brings joy to me and the parish.

I’m so very pleased with the charitable giving aspect of our parish socials.  As you read previously in the note from Bishop Gerald, the $300+ raised by Cynthia Barbat (in memory of her mother Helen Perejda), our Social Committee members, and our ByzanTEENs for the Bishop George Seminary Fund is much appreciated.  With three men in the seminary for our Eparchy, this money is most important.

Furthermore, I desire to give proper acknowledgment for the wonderful and varied ways in which your generosity and sharing have contributed to our parish shining with the light of Christ.  On behalf of our spiritual family, I express gratitude for the efforts of all our volunteers. In particular, I acknowledge all of our parish leaders and the following “Stewards of the Season:”

• Bruce Bitsko and the members of the DeNure family for their work at the priest’s residence;
• Alexis DeNure and all those who made today’s picnic possible – and lots of fun;
• all of our hard-working ethnic food volunteers who always give their time and talent in a God-loving and generous way;
• Elizabeth Crucitt for her cleaning and repair work on our altar linens and vestments;
• Bob and Janet Greenwell for their extra efforts in moving church furniture for the carpet and pew cleaning;
• Mila, Oleh, Clint, and Bruce for their extraordinary efforts in our icon refurbishing project;
• the Deane family for immediately volunteering for church cleaning and the E.C.F. program and the social committee after joining the parish;
• Mike Laman for the parish computer database upgrade;
• our parents for their ongoing efforts to keep their children from running in the church, braiding the book ribbons, running in landscaped areas, being unsupervised, and standing on the pews with sandals or shoes;
• our parents for their special efforts in making Byzantine spiritual practices natural for their children;
• Gary Huber for directing our school of cantors, and Rebecca Huber for organizing and training our readers;
• Stanley Brodke for directing our altar servers, and Justin Espedal for his excellent work as sacristan;
• Ted Pasnak for organizing and directing our ushers and greeters;
• Janet Greenwell for her excellent work overseeing parish upkeep and the cleaning of the church, as well as for directing the social committee;
• Bob Greenwell for overseeing parish financial accounting;
• Clint DeNure, Bruce Bitsko, and Daniele Laman for their leadership roles in property maintenance, renovation, and improvement;
• Christine Galgano and Kathleen Burns for their work in our Book and Icon Shop;
• our ever-dedicated ethnic food leaders Lorrie Brodke, Bob Greenwell, Daniele Laman, Sylvia Pasnak, Elnora Rusnak, and Michael Rusnak; and
• all those listed on the back of our monthly calendars, and all those special people who work and give quietly, invisibly, and without notice.

      Peace and abundant graces to you and yours now and always!

                        Gratefully,

Stewardship in the parish first takes the form of a financial tithe but parishioners also share of their bounty by giving of time, talent, and various treasures.  This giving is crucial for the life and health of our church.

      Some people wish to donate items for use in the liturgical life of the parish.  Often these donations are made in memory of loved-ones.  Especially regarding these items donated for our church building (inside or outside), please consult Father so that your donation may be put to fitting use and that it be consistent with our parish vision and the spiritual mission of the Byzantine Catholic Church. Here=s a wish list of our parish at this time:

      New censer for liturgical services; and

      Mindfulness of stewardship and your spiritual family after you leave this world by including your parish in your will.  We should be referenced as “Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic Church; San Diego, California.”

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!  GLORY FOREVER!

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