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Bulletin for Sunday, March 9, 2025
Bulletin for Sunday, March 2, 2025
Bulletin for Sunday, February 23, 2025
In Memoriam Peter Gaffney 1952-2025
Please keep the soul of parishioner and website administrator Peter Gaffney in your prayers as he joined the Lord on January 28th, 2025. A steadfast and loving husband and father, Peter extended his care to his community at St. Vladimir in various roles including the critical upkeep of this website. He will be deeply missed, but would want us to continue to keep the faith, pray for Ukraine, and be assured that he is a part of the communion of saints.
Вічная пам’ять (Vichna Pam’yat)
Patriarch Sviatoslav
Christmas Pastoral Letter of His Beatitude Sviatoslav
______________________________________________
Christ is born! Glorify Him! Beloved in Christ! The Nativity of Christ envelops us with the invincible power of light and the warmth of God’s love! Today, the Son of God is born in a human body, taking on all the experiences of human life: facing poverty, rejection and enmity, the coldness of broken human relationships, and the darkness of human hatred and persecution. God comes exactly where “there is no place for Him,” where man has thrown Him out of his life space and the horizon of his own dreams. On Christmas night, the spiritual darkness created by man through the coldness of his own indifference and sin dissipates before God’s light from heaven in the Child Jesus, resting in a manger on hay. Under the angelic chant, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace…” the coldness of man’s alienation from God and his neighbour transforms into warmth by God’s drawing close to man. This is prophesied by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (9:1). At the same time, God drawing close to man in the Nativity of the Son of God gives rise to an authentic rapprochement of man with man, to authentic reconciliation and peace that comes to us from heaven. In response to God’s closeness, which warms and saves life, the shepherds say to each other: “Let us go to Bethlehem!” (cf. Lk. 2:15). They go together, seek out and find Joseph and Mary with the Child lying in the manger. Having seen the Child in the stable cave, as they were foretold, they go out and joyfully tell about the wonder they experienced. The description of this meeting breathes warmth on us. The Divine Child is for us, Ukrainians, the light of God amidst the darkness of war, the warmth of God’s closeness amidst the inhuman alienations of today. This winter, in Ukraine the enemy wants to turn darkness and cold into weapons of mass destruction, the cheapest in the world! Every night, air attacks of the aggressor methodically destroy our cities and villages, homes and their vital infrastructure, kill civilians. The enemy seeks to turn a flourishing country into an icy desert, exporting to Ukraine the wasteland of its own Siberia. What he cannot steal, he recklessly destroys; those he is unable to enslave, he kills. Wherever he goes, there is no room for anyone—neither God nor man. How much effort he puts into sowing cold, hunger, darkness, and his own spiritual emptiness! One can boldly say this about him with the words of the prophet David: “Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD? There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge” (Ps. 14:4-6). But despite the uncertainty, anxiety, mourning, and grief, we Ukrainians celebrate Christmas, as our ancestors did from generation to generation, even when we were under the rule of the godless communist regime of the last century. In the hiding places of the Carpathian forests, in exile or secretly in their homes, they lit a Christmas candle as a sign of living faith, as a sign of the presence of Christ the Saviour among us. When darkness surrounds us, the light, which is the newborn Lord, shines even brighter! He himself assures us of this: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8, 12). And then he makes each of us bearers of God’s light: “You are the light of the world… In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 5:14.16). The light of the Newborn in the soul and body of our people illuminates a place of hope and invincibility. As darkness surrounds us, may the light of Christmas that is within us become even brighter! Instead of worrying about the darkness, let us light at least one Christmas candle! When we feel cold, let us warm at least one person with the kindness of our own heart, and together we will experience the warmth of God’s love! Let us spread this Christmas light and warmth around us today. In the middle of the night of prolonged Russian aggression, we, Ukrainians, light up the invincible light of God’s truth and love with our witness. Examples of this light are the self-sacrificing service of our defenders, the self-sacrificing work of volunteers, doctors and chaplains, the numerous expressions of solidarity that we show to our neighbours in need in the daily circumstances of this calamity of war. And a particular sign of the presence of God’s light in our midst are the Centres for resilience and the treatment of the wounds of war, which were built by the efforts of our faithful and in which the most vulnerable social groups of our society find spiritual and humanitarian support. These centres, which are usually located near our communities, resemble the quiet place near Bethlehem, which St. Joseph found for Mary and in which she gave birth and swaddled the Child Jesus. In these contemporary Christmas mangers, where thanks to the glow of human solidarity during the blackouts there is electricity and you can warm up, today carols resound! There a place is provided for God, there a place is provided for every person who can not only satisfy his temporary needs but can also renew the lamp of his own heart, in order to shine unto others “with the hope to which the Lord calls us” (cf. Eph. 1:18), to be a bearer of resilience for the tired. Today the heart of every believing Ukrainian becomes a hospitable Bethlehem, where Jesus finds refuge, who comes to us in the form of our neighbour in need. It is in the hearts of the sons and daughters of our people who in their native lands or in the settlements, raise their hands in prayer to the sky and extend a helping hand to their neighbour. It is here that the common victory of Ukraine over a modern Herod, who set out to destroy our people, is forged. And so, with faith in our hearts, we can sing a song of victory over the Herods of all times: Bless us, Divine Child, Give us today your gift of love May not the power of hell ever be able To separate us from You. Bless us, for we are Your children, Christ is born, give praise! (“Na nebi zirka – In the sky a star”). On this joyful and bright day of Christmas, I greet each of you with the warmth of God’s unceasing presence. With deep gratitude in my heart, I greet our military, volunteers, doctors, energy workers, and rescuers. For several years now, you have been the bearers of hope, tirelessly protecting, supporting, and preserving the lives of our long-suffering people. I also greet our teachers and educators, who with great dedication in conditions of war not only impart knowledge to children, but also nurture in them a sense of resilience, teach them to be human, even in inhumane circumstances. To everyone who shines with a bright heart in the midst of darkness and projects the warm of kindness in the cold of war and devastation, I express my deep gratitude. I greet those who are currently on the front line, in the occupied territories, in hospitals. I especially greet those who lost their homes, and those who provided shelter to those in need, whether in Ukraine or abroad, so that they might experience some home comfort and Christmas joy. With Christ’s Nativity I wish to hasten to those who mourn the loss of the dead and the missing in action, who watch over the wounded in hospitals. I embrace those who are far from their homeland, parents who miss their children, wives who are waiting for their husbands to return from the front, and children who are praying that daddy will come home as soon as possible. From the bottom of my heart, I impart on you all my fatherly blessing, and wish each of you, from the youngest to the oldest, the true joy of God’s children, a tasty kutia, a merry celebration of Christ’s Nativity, and a happy, peaceful, victorious and blessed New Year. As long as we are able to shine and warm one another with the light of Christmas, carols and prayer, no darkness or cold will ever overcome us! Christ is born! Glorify Him!
† SVIATOSLAV
Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Bulletin 12-29-24
Divine Liturgy Guide
Sunday, December 29, 2024
Sunday After Christmas
SAT Dec 28: 4:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy + Joseph and Ester Linko by Linda Pirritano
SUN Dec 29: 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy Sunday After Christmas Blessings for his people
MON Dec 30: Anysia Martyr READ Luke 19:36-44
TUES Dec 31: 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy +Ukrainian Solders by Kenn & Karen Lilik
WED JAN 1: 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy Circumcision of our Lord & St. Basil Blessings Katrina Izak by Regina Kozel
THURS JAN 2: 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy +Joseph & Pelagia Lilik The Lilik Family
FRI JAN 3: 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy +Ihor Shablovski by Regina Kozel
SAT JAN 4: 4:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy +Anna Dacyk by Nicholas Butovich Jr.
SUN JAN 5: 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy Sunday before Theophany Blessings for His People
Collection Basket
12/21 & 12/22 $5,065
Thank you to last week’s counters
Mike Trusz & Linda Gerrity
Next Week’s Counters are:
Mike Trusz & Olenka Chandoha-Knott
HAPPY Birthday!
December 28 – January 3
No Birthdays or anniversaries
VIGIL CANDLE SPONSORS: week beginning December 28, 2024
| 1 2 3 | Hanging Eternal Lamp $10 2 Altar Vigil Candles $10 Proskomedia Candles $10 | By: Linda Pirritano For: I.M.O. + Joseph and + Esther Linko By: Michael Trusz For: I.M.O. Aunt + Yaroslava Fronckiewicz By: His loving family For: I.M.O. + Fr. Bohdan Izak (12-28-88) |
| 4 5 6 7 | 2 Tetrapod Candles $10 Jesus Vigil at Iconostas $5 Mary Vigil at Iconostas $5 St. Nicholas $5 | By: Kristen and Patrick For: Pat & Frank Waznak – Health & Blessings for 2025 By: Laskowski Family For: Health & God’s Blessings – Joseph Laskowski, Jr. By: Biloskirka Family For: I.M.O. + Nicholas and + Nadia Biloskirka By: Laskowski Family For: Health & God’s Blessings – Jeffrey Lyden & family |
| 8 9 10 | St. Vladimir Vigil at Iconostas $5 Jesus Entrance Vigil $5 Mary Entrance Vigil $5 | By: Laskowski Family For: Health & God’s Blessings – John Lyden & family By: Stella Patrick For: Health and God’s Blessings for Stephen Patrick By: Regina Kozel For: I.M.O. + Ihor Shablovsky |
| 11 12 13 14 15 | Mother of God Statue $10 Altar 7 branch Saturday $5 Altar 7 branch Sunday $5 Blessed Mother (side altar) $5 Jesus (side altar) $5 | By: Lilik Family For: Deliverance of Ukraine & Protection of her Defenders By: Servants of God For: Safety of persecuted Christians By: Servants of God For: Peace in the Middle East By: Parish Family of St. Vladimir’s Church For: Blessings, Health, Protection in the New Year to one & all By: Fr. Myron & the Faithful of St. Vladimir’s Church For: I.M.O. + Soldiers, + Civilians, + Refugees of Ukraine |
| CONFESSIONFor anyone that would like to receive the holy sacrament of confession you can let Father Myron know and set up a time either before or after Liturgy from Tuesday through Saturday. |
SAINT VLADIMIR
Mailing address: 430 N. 7th Ave., Scranton, Pa. 18503-2104
Telephones: Parish Office (570) 342-7023 Fax 342-7130
Website stvladimirscranton.org
REVEREND MYRON MYRONYUK, PASTOR Email: myronyukm@yahoo.com
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever! Slava Isusu Christu! Slava Na Viky!
Divine Liturgies: Saturday 4 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m.,
Holy Days & Weekdays see bulletin
OUR MISSION PARISH: Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Weekly Vigil Candles available for Sponsorship
Honor a loved one by sponsoring a Vigil Candle which will be lit for them for an entire week. These 7-Day candles are available with your special intention starting at only $5. Contact Helen Pagnotti to reserve yours today.
- 2025 church calendars
2025 church calendars are available near the envelopes in the back of the church. We are grateful that once again they are donated by Edward J. Chomko Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Thank you!
- Divine Liturgy requests being accepted
Divine Liturgy requests are now being accepted for 2025. Liturgies are available Mondays through Saturdays. Please fill out a request form (pink sheet) located in the back of the Church and drop it into the collection basket or give it to Fr. Myron directly. This is your chance to honor a Loved One (Living or Deceased) by requesting a Divine Liturgy in their Honor.
- 2025 church envelopes
2025 church envelopes are available in the back of the church. If there are any corrections or questions, please let Father Myron know. If you know of any home bound parishioners that cannot pick them up, please be so kind as to deliver them. Envelopes are issued only to those who have used them last year. (Within the last 12 month period).
- January 1st Holy Day
Wednesday, January 1st is a Holy Day in observance of two feasts. First, the Circumcision of Jesus, and second, the Feast of St. Basil the Great. Divine Liturgy will be held at 9:00am. Start off the New Year by coming to church and commemorating this very special Holy Day.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Christmas Carol Sing Along next Sunday in Wilkes-Barre
Ss. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre will be holding their 30th annual Christmas Carol Sing Along next Sunday, January 5th, starting at 2:00pm. Join in the singing of some very sacred, joyful and inspiring Christmas Carols. Afterwards, please join us in the lower church hall for a Christmas Fellowship Social. Please bring a friend or family member, and share the joy of Christmas with them, as we all welcome the Newborn Son of God into our hearts and homes.
- Six-month Lottery Calendar in Simpson
Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Simpson will be sponsoring a six-month lottery calendar. Each $20 calendar includes 2 numbers for the pick-3 evening drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery. Prizes include $25 on weekdays, $40 on Sundays and five $100 prizes. Calendars purchased by check will be mailed to return address. Make checks payable to Ss. Peter and Paul UGCC and mail to: P.O. Box 124, Carbondale, PA. 18407. For more information contact Marge (570) 282-5680.
- Lottery Calendar Fundraiser in Wilkes-Barre
Ss. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre will be holding a Lottery Calendar Fundraiser. The “Lottery Calendar” will be for the month of February 2025. Calendars are $5.00 each and offer the opportunity to win cash each of the 28 days of the month. Returns can be made until Sunday, January 26th. All prize money will be distributed the first week of March. See Fr. Myron to purchase these Calendars
SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS (David, Joseph & James)
First Antiphon: – Sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Third Antiphon
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Savior. Son of God, born of a virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia!
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms. Son of God, born of a virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia!
For God is the great Lord, and the great king over all the earth. Son of God, born of a virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia!
Priest: Wisdom! Stand aright!
People: Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Son of God, born of a virgin, save us who sing to You: Alleluia!
Troparion:
By Your cross You destroyed death; You opened Paradise to the thief; You changed the lamentation of the myrrh-bearers to joy, and charged the apostles to proclaim that You are risen, O Christ our God, offering great mercy to the world.
Your Nativity, O Christ our God, made the Light of knowledge dawn on the world: through it, those who worshipped the stars were taught by a star to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know You, the Dawn from on high. Glory to You, O Lord.
O Joseph, announce to David, the ancestor of God, the news of the miracle: You saw a virgin giving birth. With the shepherds, you gave praise and with the Magi you worshipped; they too were warned by and angel. Pray to Christ our God to save our souls.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
Kontakion:
Today the divine David is filled with gladness; Joseph along with James offers praises for having received a crown through their kinship with Christ they rejoice and sing of the One who inexpressively was born on earth, crying out, “O Gracious One, save those who worship You.”
Now and forever and ever. Amen.
The Virgin today gives birth to Him who is above all being; the earth offers the cave to Him whom no one can approach; Angels with shepherds give Him glory, while Magi make their way with a star, for to us is born a little Child, the preeternal God.
Prokimenon
Prokimenon: The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Verse: Bless God in the churches, the Lord from the fountains of Israel.
Prokimenon: God is wonderful in His saints, the God of Israel.
Alleluia
Lord, remember David and all his meekness.
How he swore an oath to the Lord, and vowed to the God of Jacob.
The Irmos, instead of “It is truly right”:
O my soul, magnify Christ the King born in manager. A strange and glorious mystery do I behold: the cave is heaven; the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim; the manger, a dwelling place in which is laid Christ, the God Whom nothing can contain. Singing His praises, we magnify Him.
Communion Verses
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the highest.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just; praise befits the righteous.
Alleluia (3X)
Epistle (Gal 1,11-19)
A reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians:
Brethren:
I want you to know that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions. But when [God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Kephas and remained with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord.
Gospel: (Mt 2,13-23)
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.” When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazorean.”
NEW YEAR PRAYER
Dear Lord,
We pray that this New Year will bring us closer to You.
May we take the time to get to know You.
Help us to truly celebrate the gifts You have graciously given us
and use them to serve You and spread Your word,
May we also see and love you in all the people we meet,
so that in turn, they can see You in us.
We know that all human relations take time
if they are to grow and deepen.
This is also true of our relations with You,
the Father and the Holy Spirit,
which must grow over the course of our lives.
In this new year,
let us realise that every action of ours
no matter how great or small
enables us to be in touch with You.
Let us accept You in our lives,
in the way it pleases You,
as Truth, to be spoken,
as Life, to be lived,
as Light, to be lighted,
as Love, to be followed,
as Joy, to be given,
as Peace, to be spread about,
as Sacrifice, to be offered among our relatives,
friends, neighbours and all people.
Amen.
PLEASE PRAY FOR
Please include in your prayers those members of our parish who are in hospitals, care homes, rehabilitation facilities & those who are not able to join us actively in our church community.
Mountain View
Irene Slagan
Clarks Summit Senior Living
Sophia Soniak
Home
Anastasia Korman
Andrea Geraghty
Shirley Nidoh
Home
Helen Ewasko
Katrina Izak Wilson
Jean Chomko
Julie Yevich
Charles Drumsta
Regina Kozel
Andrea Wells
Home
Mary Warholak
Dorothy Kowalchick
Mary Tucker
Michael Seechock
Steve Patrick
Bohdonna Sherpinskas
Stella Patrick
Stanley Krupinski