Today’s Epistle and Gospel come with great meaning for all of us. The Epistle is short and each verse spells out a great truth to take to heart in our spiritual lives.
We are foremost of sinners, and hence this should be a cause of genuine deep heartfelt humility, and abiding compunction in us. Then thankfully St Paul reminds us that with great patience and to show his power Christ has saved us.
And finally that this should lead to praise in us to the Immortal and Invisible King of Ages.
It is also appropriate that the first miracle we read after the Sunday after the Theophany when we contemplated Christ as Light, is the cure of a blind man. He regained sight at the physical level but his glorifying God shows that he understood (had in-telligence, that he could ‘read into’ who Christ was), the result was seeing with this light of his intelligence he gave Glory to the Immortal King of Ages St Paul spoke of in his doxology of praise ending today’s epistle reading.
News of the parish: It appears that Omicron is sweeping among us, as I write this newsletter I have just been made aware of our three Cantors who are under the weather. I am sure that they will be back with us next week. However, yesterday was a small change in the matrix with an evening 6.30pm Liturgy, and without a Cantor, we managed to sing glory to the King of Ages. So please, be patient today and we will do our best and trust that choirs of Angels will present our homage to the Most High.
House Blessings: Please do sign up as this is an important part of being a Byzantine Catholic. I heard from many of the faithful when I was in Dallas that they were so pleased to have the priest visit. It also presented and occasion for the kids to see Father out of vestments and see a different side to him. Already, blessing homes has meant a chance to stop father and ask questions about the faith and the world around us.
I would also like to draw your attention to the feasts of important Saints in the East.
Monday: Anthony of the Desert: considered the father of Monks. It was said that the Theibade was ‘peopled with monks.’ Think of what that meant having this cloud of intercessors worshipping God in spirit and in truth. What a source of grace for the Church, a source continuing to our day through the gift of Monastics praying for us.
Tuesday: Sts. Athanasius and Cyril. The former who defended the Divinity of Christ and stood out alone against the Arians, and the latter who spoke so highly of Mary as Theotokos.
Friday: Maximus the Confessor who died in 662. His commentaries on the early 6th-century Christian Neoplatonist Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and on the Greek Church Fathers considerably influenced the theology and mysticism of the Middle Ages.
Announcements
- HOUSE BLESSINGS: Please sign up or call me. The deadline will be February 9th.
- Looking ahead: All Souls’ Saturdays: Following the Byzantine Catholic tradition, five Saturdays are set aside for the remembrance of the departed members of our families and of our friends. This year, the first All Souls Saturday is February 19th. Using the envelope provided in your packet or on a sheet of paper, please submit the names of those you wish to have remembered at the Divine Liturgy / Panachida on these five Saturdays. Only write the first names of the individuals to be commemorated; if the list of names is the same as last year, simply write “same as last year,” or write “add the following names to my list.”
- Prayer requests. Fr Francis & Pani Kim settling in to their new parish amidst a tight lockdown. Fr. Michael, Fr. Marcus, Fr. Chris, Fr. Randall, Fr. Michal, Fr. Patrik, Sr. Patricia, Margaret, Gary and Ingrid, Margaret, Slawomir and Oceana, Darlene, Becky, Alexis, Marion, Curtis, Ronald, Jeannine, Taylor, Lorrie, Frances, Alex, Leroy, Michael, Thomas, Carol, Michael, Jennifer, John, Elizabeth, Judy, Ruth, Dimitri, Christie, Viktoria, Emily, Margaret, Patricia. Nadezda, Dan, Doug, Oliver, Nola, Theresa.
- Tithes and Donations. Last Sunday, we received in tithes $, donations $, gift shop $, hospitality $, candles $. Thank you for your generosity, may God bless you always. The collection amounted to $.
- Calendars: 2022 Liturgical Calendars are available after Divine Liturgy & upon request.
Liturgical schedule
Because of Omicron and our shortage of Cantors, this schedule may change where things will be simplified, e.g. an Akathist sung instead of a Divine Liturgy. I will do my best to text all who regularly attend services during the week as things unfold.
Sunday, Jan 16 – 34th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone 1 – 8:30 confessions, 9:30 Divine Liturgy
Weds, Jan 19 – 5pm confessions, 6pm Divine Liturgy/Akathist
Thurs, Jan 20 – 6:30 am Divine Liturgy
Friday, Jan 21 – 6:30 pm Divine Liturgy
Sunday, Jan 23 – 35th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone 2 – 8:30 confessions, 9:30 Divine Liturgy. Cantor: Tim, Reader Victor
For Confession, please call Fr. Christopher for an appointment, or come 30 minutes before or after scheduled services. If you desire Spiritual Direction then please see Fr Andrews for an appointment during the week so as to allow everyone an opportunity on Sundays for Confessions. Please consider those traveling from long distances.
St. Philip the Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church 