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Liturgy Intentions
June 22, 2014
Frank Mileweski—Frank Passo
Mary Marmo—Boots Zaydon
June 29, 2014
Karen Cherocjak—Tony and Kathie
Barrett
E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://melkitescranton.org Webmaster: Sal Zaydon
June 22, 2014
Tone 1 and Orthros Gospel 2 2nd Sunday After Pentecost
The call of the First Apostles
Liturgy Schedule: Saturday Vesper Liturgy 4 pm Compline Thurs. 8:30PM
Sunday Orthros 8:55 am Sunday Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
Holy Confession—before Saturday Liturgy, after Compline and by appointment
Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church 130 North Saint Francis Cabrini Avenue
Scranton, PA 18504
Rev. Father Michael Jolly— Pastor 570-213-9344 Reader Michael Simon Reader John Fitzgerald
Parish Office 570-343-6092
Parish Notes:
Compline will not be sung during June Saturday Vesper Liturgy will resume June
28th.
We are currently in the Fast of the Apostles which runs from the 18th until the 28th (refer to page 11 for details)
The Sponsorship letters for the foodfest have been mailed., please return asap. Anyone who would like to sponsor but did not get a letter, please see Betsy. 570-383-9433
The Qurban consecrated at today’s liturgy was baked by Mary Clark
Reserve the Dates:
Food Festival August 9 & 10
Grape Leave Rolling July 19th
Kibbee Preparation August 2
Today’s Cover Icon: The Calling of the Apostles, Mosaic, San Marco, Santa Maria Assunta in Venice
You and me together, says Jesus, we can show all those people trapped in their own nets of working, eating, consuming, together we can show them that there’s more for them, for all of us. There are people everywhere living in darkness, and we can show them the light—the light of heaven, all around them, beckoning them to live in love, to build peace and justice, to practice kindness and generosity. We can capture their hearts and together bring healing and good news to them all. Put down your nets, and follow me.
The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
Antiphons
First Antiphon R. Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior save us
Tone 2
Pg.
11
Second Antiphon R. O Son of God, Who are risen from the dead, save us who sing to You Alleluia
Tone 2
Pg.
12
Hymn of incarnation Tone 4 Pg. 13
Third Antiphon R. Resurrectional Troparion
Tone 1
Pg. 15
Hymns
Resurrectional Troparion Tone 1 Pg. 15
Troparion of St. Eusebios Richly enlightened by the wisdom of the Spirit, you illumined the language of faith for us, O
illustrious Eusebios.; then as a bishop, you wisely overcame error as you fought for the Trinity.
O blessed Father, entreat God to save us all!
Tone 4
Troparion of St. Joseph Tone 2 Pg. 20
Kondakion of All Saints O Never failing...
Tone 4 Pg. 21
Prokiemenon (Tone 1) Psalm 32:22,1 May Your kindness, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in You.
Stichon: Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting.
Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans 2: 10-16 BRETHREN, Brethren, glory, honor and peace to everyone who does good works, first to the Jew, then to the
Greek, since with God there is no favoritism.
For all those who have sinned without the Law will perish without the Law, and all those who have sinned
under the Law will be judged under the Law. (Before God, indeed, it is not those who hear the Law who are
just, but those who follow the Law who will be justified. When the Gentiles who do not have the Law do by
nature what the Law commands, while they do not have the Law, they are their own law: they show the work of
the Law written in their hearts. The conscience bears witness to them, even when conflicting thoughts accuse or
defend them) on the day when God will judge the hidden secrets of men according to what I preach, through
Jesus Christ.
Alleluia (Tone 1) Psalm 17:48,56 O God, You granted me retribution and made peoples subject to me and saved me from my raging enemies.
Stichon: Therefore I will proclaim You, O Lord, among the nations and I will sing praise to Your name.
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 4: 18-23 At that time as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and
his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). And He said to them, “Come, follow
Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left the nets and followed Him. And going farther
on, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with Zebedee their
father, mending their nets; and He called them. And immediately they left their nets and their father, and
followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of
the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
The Hieromartyr Eusebius, Bishop of
Samosata, stood firmly for the Confession of
Faith proclaimed at the First Ecumenical Council at
Nicea in the year 325. For this he underwent
persecution by the Arians, being repeatedly deprived
of his see and banished. The emperor Constantius
(337-361), patron of the Arians, learned that St
Eusebius kept a conciliar decree regarding the
election of the Orthodox Archbishop Meletius to the
See of Antioch. He commanded him to give up the
decree. The saint boldly refused to do as ordered. The
enraged emperor sent a message that if he did not
give up the decree, then his right hand would be cut
off. St Eusebius stretched out both hands to the emissary saying, “Cut them off, but I will not give up
the Decree of the Council, which denounces the
wickedness and iniquity of the Arians.” The emperor
Constantius marveled at the audacity of the bishop,
but did not harm him.
During the reign of Justin the Apostate (361-363),
even more difficult times ensued, and an open persecution against Christians began. St Eusebius,
having concealed his identity, went about in the garb
of a soldier across the whole of Syria, Phoenicia and
Palestine, urging Christians to the Faith. He
established priests and deacons in desolated churches,
and he consecrated bishops who renounced the Arian
heresy. After Julian the Apostate’s death, he was
succeeded by the pious emperor Jovian (363-364),
during whose reign the persecutions stopped.
Returning from exile, St Meletius (February 12)
convened a local Council at Antioch in the year 379
on the advice of St Eusebius. Twenty-seven bishops
participated, and it reaffirmed the teaching of the
First Ecumenical Council. The Arians signed the
conciliar definition, fearing the steadfast defenders of
Orthodoxy, the holy hierarchs Meletius, Eusebius and
Pelagios, who had great influence with the emperor.
After the death of Jovian the Arian Vanlentus (364-
378) came to power.
The Orthodox were again subjected to persecution. St
Meletius was banished to Armenia, St Pelagius to
Arabia, and St Eusebius was condemned to exile in
Thrace. Having received the imperial decree, St
Eusebius left Samosata by night so as to prevent
tumult among the people that esteemed him. Having
learned of of the bishop’s departure, believers
followed after him and with tears entreated him to
return. The saint refused the entreaty of those who had come, saying that he had to obey the authorities.
The saint urged his flock to hold firm to Orthodoxy,
blessed them and set off to the place of exile. The
Arian Eunomios became Bishop of Samosata, but the
people did not accept the heretic. They would not go
to the church and avoided meeting with him. The
heretical Arian perceived that it was impossible to
attract the independent flock to him.
The emperor Gracian (375-383) came upon the
throne, and all the Orthodox hierarchs banished under
the Arians were brought back from exile. St Eusebius
also returned to Samosata and continued with the task
of building up the Church. Together with St Meletius
he supplied Orthodox hierarchs and clergy to Arian
places. In the year 380 he arrived in the Arian city of
Dolikhina to establish the Orthodox bishop Marinus
there. An Arian woman threw a roof tile at the holy
bishop’s head. As he lay dying, he asked her for wine
and requested those around not to do her any harm.
The body of St Eusebius was taken to Samosata and
was buried by his flock. The saint’s nephew,
Antiochus, succeeded him and the Samosata Church
continued to confess the Faith, firmly spread through
the efforts of the holy Hieromartyr Eusebius.
Among Today’s Saints
What do we mean by religious liberty?
Religious liberty is the first liberty granted to us by God
and protected in the First Amendment to our
Constitution. It includes more than our ability to go to
Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It also
encompasses our ability to contribute freely to the
common good of all Americans.
What is the First Amendment?
The First Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights states the
following: "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances."
What does "shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion" mean?
This phrase, known as the "Establishment Clause,"
started out as a prohibition on Congress' either
establishing a national religion or interfering with the
established religions of the states. It has since been
interpreted to forbid state establishments of religion, to
forbid governmental preference (at any level) of one
religion over another, and to forbid direct government
funding of religion.
What does "prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
mean?
This phrase, known as the "Free Exercise Clause,"
generally protects citizens and institutions from
government interference with the exercise of their
religious beliefs. It sometimes mandates the
accommodation of religious practices when such
practices conflict with federal, state, or local laws.
Devotions and Readings for this week
June 23 Holy Woman Martyr Agrippina Romans 7:1-13 Matthew 9:36-10:8
June 24 Nativity of the Prophet and Forerunner, John the Baptizer
Romans 13:11-14:4 Luke 1:1-25, 57-68, 76, 80
June 25 Holy Woman Martyr Febronia Romans 8:2-13 Matthew 10:16-22
June 26 Holy Father David of Thessalonica Romans 8:22-27 Matthew 10:23-31
June 27 Holy Father Samson the Hospitable Romans 9:6-19 Matthew 10:32-36, 11:1
June 28 Transfer of the Remains of the Holy Unmercenary Physicians Cyrus and John
Romans 3:28-4:3 Matthew 7:24-8:4
June 24
Nativity of the Holy Prophet,
Forerunner and Baptist, John
Harbinger
of the Sun
OUR CHURCH CALENDAR remembers many events in
Christian history: martyrdoms, ecumenical councils,
miracles, and even earthquakes. There are only three
births celebrated, however: that of the Theotokos
(September 8), the Nativity of Christ Himself (December
25) and the birth of St John the Forerunner (June 24).
We do not know where or when this feast was first
observed, but it is mentioned in writings of fourth- and
fifth-century Fathers in both East and West (Saints
Ambrose, Augustine and John Chrysostom). The oldest
shrine of the Forerunner, at Ain-Karem, home of his
parents Zachariah and Elizabeth, was destroyed during
the fifth-century revolt of the Samaritans against
Byzantine rule. In the sixth century the French Council of
Agde (506) declared this feast a “holyday of obligation” –
not surprising, considering the esteem in which Christ
Himself considered John (see Mt 11:11).
John’s Conception Foretold
The Gospel story of John’s conception and birth, which is
the Biblical basis of this feast, is found in Luke 1. We
read that John’s father, Zachariah, was a priest “of the
division of Abijah” (Lk 1:4). According to the custom of
the day, priests were enrolled in various groupings or
divisions which took turns serving in the temple for two
weeks at a time. The Gospel says that, while Zachariah
was offering incense in the temple, the angel Gabriel
appeared to him and announced that Elizabeth,
Zachariah’s wife, would bear him a son, who was to be
named John.
Zachariah could not understand how this could be, as
both he and his wife were up in years. Because of his
reluctance to believe, Zachariah was told by the angel,
“Behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the
day these things take place, because you did not believe
my words which will be fulfilled in their own time” (Lk
1:20). And so it happened.
John and Elijah
The angel tells Zachariah that his son would go before the
Lord “in the spirit and power of Elijah, to ‘turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the
just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Lk
1:17).
In this promise we find an echo of the following prophecy
from the Book of Malachi, the last of the Old Testament
prophetic books. “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and
the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and
strike the earth with a curse” (Mal 4:5-6). In some
arrangements of the Bible, these are the last words of the Old
Testament, pointing it forward to the Messianic Age to come.
Believing Jews held that Elijah would come to prepare the
way for the Messiah. Many saw John as “Elijah,” the
fulfillment of that prophecy, foretelling to all the coming of
Christ. As the Lord Himself said about John, “If you are
willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Mt 11:14).
The Forerunner Is Born
The Gospel story of John continues with the narrative of his
birth: “Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered,
and she brought forth a son. When her neighbors and
relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy
to her, they rejoiced with her. So it was, on the eighth
day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they
would have called him by the name of his father,
Zachariah. His mother answered and said, ‘No; he shall be
called John.’
“But they said to her, ‘There is no one among your relatives
who is called by this name.’ So they made signs to his father
—what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing
tablet, and wrote, saying, ‘His name is John.’ So they all
marveled. Immediately his mouth was opened and his
tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God” (Lk 1:57-64).
St Augustine saw Zachariah’s muteness as symbolic of the
time before Christ and viewed his release as an image of its
passing. “The release of Zachariah’s voice at the birth of
John,” he wrote, “has the same significance as the tearing of
the veil of the Temple at the crucifixion of Christ. His tongue
is released because a voice is being born… the voice of one
crying in the wilderness.”
The Canticle of Zachariah
The Gospel records as Zachariah’s praise of God a beautiful
hymn which has found a place in the liturgy of both East and
West. Often given the title “Benedictus” (from the first word
of the Latin translation), this hymn is for the most part a string
of verses from the psalms and other Old Testament texts. It
glorifies God for His greatness and for the love He has shown
to His people.
“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and
redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation
for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the
mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world
began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from
the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to
our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath
which He swore to our father Abraham: to grant us that we,
being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve
Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our
life” (Lk 1:68-75).
At this point the hymn begins to make specific reference to
John. He is described – with what some have called the clarity
of hindsight – as prophet, forerunner, and preacher of
repentance. These are, of course, the qualities which the
Gospels attribute to John during his ministry at the Jordan.
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His way
to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission
of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which
the Orient from on high has visited us; to give light to those
who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet
into the way of peace” (Lk 1:76-79).
In our liturgy this canticle is added to the hymn of the Virgin
at the ninth ode of orthros during the Fasts.
The One from the East
The word anatole, translated above as Orient, would be used
repeatedly in our hymns referring to Christ. Sometimes it is
translated as Dayspring, or as the One who rises. We hear it in
the Christmas troparion (“to recognize in You the One who
rises from on high”). In the troparion “Dance, O Isaiah” sung
at crownings and ordinations the word is translated as “His
name is Orient.”
The word anatole literally means sunrise and, by extension,
the East (where the sun rises). It invokes the image of the
rising sun, which itself is an image of Christ. He is the
Dayspring, the Sunrise, of God’s saving plan for us. As the
sunrise brings the promise of a new day, the appearance of
Christ brings the assurance that the Kingdom of God is now at
hand. As we sing in the exapostilarion of Christmas, “From on
high our Savior came, the rising Sun who shone from the
East.” And John is the herald of that rising Sun.
You have heard that it was said by them of old time, ‘Thou shalt not kill; and who-
soever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment’: But I say unto you: whosoever
is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
According to Saint Peter of Damascus, the commandments of Christ are precious gifts that can deliver our souls from
both traps of the enemy and those of our own making by teaching us to be watchful about our inner state (On Discern-
ment). Doing as Christ suggests in the area where our free will is strongest—the attention we give to a thought— in
turn makes keeping the ancient commandments of the law as epitomized in the Ten Commandments nearly effortless.
This is especially clear in Christ’s commandment about anger. As Saint John Chrysostom notes, “He who is not
stirred up to anger, will much more refrain from murder; and he who bridles wrath will much more keep his hands to
himself. For wrath is the root of murder. And you see that he who cuts up the root will much more remove the branch-
es; or rather, will not permit them so much as to shoot out at all…. for he that aims to avoid murder will not refrain
from it equally with someone who has put away even anger; this latter being further removed from the
crime” (Homily 16 on Matthew).
And yet how can one refrain from becoming angry, when becoming angry seems like and certainly feels like not only
a natural response in many situations, but sometimes the right response. Again, we need to slow down and look with-
in. Cognitive theorists have already done so and provided a sequence of steps leading from an unhappy occurrence to
an angry reaction that can be seen in the following flowchart:
Something distressing happens that seems to be caused by the negligence, deficiency, or even malevolence of an of-
fender. This makes us feel bad about ourselves, often wounding our overweening pride and exposing our demanding
neediness. We feel that there is a wrong that needs to be made right. We become angry and in anger we retaliate.
Fathers, such as Abba Isaiah, suggest that it is possible to not become angry with our brother if we understand that
anger is a dispute based on a lie and on ignorance (The Gerontikon, PG 65.180). We are not as important as we think
we are and others are often not as malevolent or negligent as they seem. We cling so tightly to what boosts our egos
or makes us feel good that anything that pries us from these false idols can enrage us. The problem, then, is not really
the event that distresses us, but our inner passions that besiege us. According to Saint Maximus, if we would only
despise glory and pleasure, every pretext for anger would be cut off (Chapters on Love, 75). Put in positive terms this
means that we can avoid anger by embracing distressing situations as opportunities for humility and ascetic hardship,
which can allow us to continue to move forward in peace towards an even greater virtue, being love itself. “Love,”
according to Saint Isaac the Syrian, “does not know how to be angry or provoked or passionately reproach any-
one” ( Homily 5). In other words, the fathers envision another pathway that starts in the same turmoil but ends not in
a readiness to attack, but in a willingness to love. If we were to schematically present this patristic pathway it would
look something like this:
What is of prime importance is that at the point of distress we learn another way of interpreting the situation con-
sidering the aim of the Christian life and welcoming the labor for virtue that is placed before us, learning as Saint
John Chrysostom wrote, “to snuggle up to virtue, even though she causes us pain and to spurn vice, even though
she gives us pleasure” (Homily on Acts 17). And if that aim seems too high for us in our slothful and indulgent
state, we can at least turn to the words of our Savior as a rock upon which to build our house. For example, Saint
Barsanuphios suggests that we courageously endure every distress by establishing ourselves firmly on the encour-
aging words of the Lord: “In the world ye shall have distress; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world” (Letter 22). If we chart out that cognitive pathway, we again find ourselves reaching the blessed harbor of
love:
The watchful and committed Christian always has choices, beautiful, inner choices of the heart, which can lead to
places of peace, harmony, and love. They begin by listening to our meek Lord’s commandments that may seem to
go beyond the limits of human possibilities, because in fact they do. Through His commandments, we do indeed go
through the fire of insults and through the water of disgrace, but He brings us to a place of refreshment (Psalm
65:12, LXX). And suddenly our inner world and our outer interactions are radically and wonderfully changed:
where there was not only anger, but also a readiness for violence, now there is “the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding” (Philippians 4:9) and “the love of Christ, which exceeds all knowledge, so that we might be filled
with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
Educational Event Schedule ~ Summer 2014
National Melkite Convention 2014 (note that Chicago
is in the Central TZ (subtract 1 hour if you are
attending the convention)
Friday, July 4
11:00 a.m. EDT ~ Finding Christ’s Peace within
Yourself and Others in the Midst of Stress w/ Rev.
Malek Rihani
12:15 p.m. EDT ~ Keeping Christ’s Peace in your Daily
Life w/ Fr. Fouad Sayegh (Arabic)
2:00 p.m. EDT ~ How to Practice Peacefulness:
Centering Prayer and Meditation Drs. Philip &
Kay Metres
Saturday, July 5th
11:00 a.m. EDT ~ Having Christ’s Peace as You
Prepare Teens for the Road Ahead w/ Deacon
William Nijm
12:15 p.m. EDT ~ Christ’s Peace in the Midst of
Persecution: Yesterday and Today w/ Deacon
Sabatino Carnazzo
Live Broadcast @ https://melkite.org/live-
broadcast
——————————————————————-
Saturday, August 9
7:00 PM EDT Body & Soul: A Study of the Dormition
of the Mother of God-Rev. Deacon Sabatino
Carnazzo
Live Broadcast @ https://melkite.org/live-
broadcast
Saturday August, 30
5:45 p.m. EDT Baptized into Christ: A Biblical Church
Tour in the Melkite Tradition—Rev. Deacon
Sabatino Carnazzo
Live Broadcast @ https://melkite.org/live-
broadcast
Fast of the Holy Apostles By Archpriest Ayman Kfouf
Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese
Origins of the Fast of the Apostles The Fast of the Holy Apostles is dated back to early
years of the church. The first evidence of this fast is
found in the writings of St. Athanasius the Great
(†373). In his letter to Emperor Constance, he writes:
"During the week following Pentecost, the people who
observed the fast went out to the cemetery to pray."
Some 20 years later, St. Ambrose (†397) writes: "On
the days following his ascension into heaven, however,
we again fast" (Sermon 61).
The famous pilgrim Egeria mentioned the Apostles'
Fast also in her fourth-century-writing which records
that "on the day following the feast of Pentecost, a
period of fasting began". In the same period, the fourth
century, the Apostolic Constitutions prescribes: "After
the feast of Pentecost, celebrate one week, then
observe a fast, for justice demands rejoicing after the
reception of the gifts of God and lasting after the body
has been refreshed."
Until the second half of the 3rd century, the Fast of the
Holy Apostles was linked to Pentecost and lasted only
for one week (Apostolic Constitutions). Later on, after
the martyrdom of the apostles Peter and Paul and
following the development of the commemoration of
their death around the year 258, the Apostles' Fast
became linked to the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on
June 29. Consequently, it became a fasting period of
preparation for the celebration of the feast of the great
apostles. St. Symeon of Thessalonica (†1429) explains:
"The Fast of the Apostles is justly established in their
honor, for through them we have received numerous
benefits and for us they are exemplars and teachers of
the fast ... For one week after the descent of the Holy
Spirit, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution
composed by Clement, we celebrate, and then during
the following week, we fast in honor of the Apostles."
Subsequently, the duration of the Fast of the Holy
Apostles changed from one week to a variable period
depending on the date of the Feast of Pascha (Easter).
Duration of the Fast of the Apostles The fast of the Holy Apostles starts on the second
Monday after Pentecost. The duration of this fast
varies, depending on the date of Pascha (Easter). The
rule is that the Fast starts on the second Monday after
Pentecost and ends on June 29, on the feast of Saints
Peter and Paul. According to the new calendar, the
Apostles' Fast could last as short as 8 days and as long
as 30 days (42 days according to the old calendar).
Fasting Rules of the Fast of the Holy Apostles
The Fast of the Holy Apostles is not as strict as the
Fasts of Pascha and the Nativity of Christ; rather it is
more lenient in its duration and rules. The current rules
of fasting, during the Apostles' Fast, were established
first for the monks of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves
by Metropolitan George of Kiev (1069-1072). These
rules are still practiced today amongst most Orthodox
Christians with minor variations, depending on the
jurisdiction.
The rules are: 1- Red meat, poultry, and dairy products are not
allowed during the entire fasting period in all
weekdays.
2- Fish, wine, and oil are allowed on all days except
on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Conclusion The Apostles fast has emerged since the very early
days of Christianity. It is honored and preserved in the
Church as a part of our Holy Tradition. Like all Fasts
in the Orthodox Church, the Holy Apostles' Fast aims
to help us put on the "armor of light" to against the
attacks of the enemy that may befall during our
spiritual journey to become united with God through
His grace. No better words may express the
importance of fasting in our life like the words of St.
Abba Isaac the Syrian who says, "... since fasting is a
weapon established by God ...the human race knew no
victory before fasting, and the devil was never defeated
by our nature as it is: but this weapon has indeed
deprived the devil of strength from the outset... As soon
as the devil sees someone possessed of this weapon
(fasting), fear straightway falls on this adversary and
tormentor of ours, who remembers and thinks of his
defeat by the Saviour in the wilderness; his strength is
at once destroyed and the sight of the weapon given us
by our Supreme Leader burns him up. A man armed
with the weapon of fasting is always afire with zeal. He
who remains therein, keeps his mind steadfast and
ready to meet and repel all violent passions."
The sound of the bells calls our attention to the act of
worship, the flash of the gold and shine catches our eyes
and the glow of the coal invites us to also have a soul
filled with ardent love for Christ ready to sing and offer
up such prayers as the censer does before the Lord's Altar,
a place of sacrifice as our hearts also should be.
What is the reason for the use of incense in the
services?
The use of incense dates back to ancient times but the
origin is uncertain. It helps raise the mind and heart to
God as the smoke also rises. Just as particular scents in
life bring the mind back to a summer day with the cut
grass or rain so too does the use of incense in one of
many ways usher the senses towards worship of God.
Ancient Jewish practices:
Incense was used as a perfumed offering on the altar of
incense in the time of the Tabernacle and in the First and
Second Temple periods, being an important component of
priestly liturgy in the Temple in Jerusalem. The incense
offered in the Temple is described in the Book of Exodus
as a mixture of stacte, onycha, galbanum and
frankincense.
Melkite Usage:
The incense spreading in the church "symbolizes" the
prayer of the faithful sent up to God and at the same time
it is a symbol of the Grace of the Holy Spirit mysteriously
embracing them. Scripturally we see in the book of
Psalms.
Psalm 140:2 ,"Let my prayer be set forth before You as
incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice."
Incense is also described as being used in heavenly
worship, offering the faithful a foretaste of what is to
come.
Revelation 5:8 - "Now when He has taken the scroll, the
four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls
full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
Revelation 8:4 - "And the smoke of the incense, with the
prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the
angel's hand."
A Prayer before censing by a priest: "We offer onto Thee,
O Christ our God, this incense for an odor of spiritual
sweetness which do Thou accept upon Thy most heavenly
altar, sending down upon us in return the Grace of Thy
Holy Spirit." Listening to this prayer we understand that
the smoke visible to everybody denotes the invisible
presence of the Lord’s Grace, which is sanctifying the
faithful.
Annual Old Fashioned Chicken
BAR-B-QUE
Sunday June 29, 2014
Saint Mary’s Byzzantine
Catholic Church
Mifflin and Linden Streets
Scranton
11a—4P
Adults $12.00
Children (under 10) $6
Prayer
Requests
Rev. Deacon John Karam
Rev. Basil Samra
Rev. Michael Skrocki
Rev. Father David White
Rev. Deacon Richard Downer
Rev. Deacon Gregory Haddad
Rev. Deacon Joseph Daratony
The Weekly Quiz Which of the following Early Church Fathers has never been formally canonized:
Irenaeus of Lyon
Justin Martyr
Origen
Ignatius of Antioch
Last week’s answer: Q. Andrew and Philip told Jesus that some
Greeks were wanting to meet him. Why were the Greeks in Jerusalem?
A. They came to worship at the feast.
Parish Calendar
June
18-28 Fast of the Apostles (see page 11)
29 Feast of Peter and Paul
July
3-6 49th Annual Melkite
Convention—Chicago Il
19 Rolling the Grape Leaves
Michael Abda Jennifer Evans
Marie Barron Yolande Haddad
Nikki Boudreaux Niko Mayashairo
Lucille Bsales Mary McNeilly
Jayne Buckley Mary Lou Mooty
Chris Carey Marie Patchoski
Dr. Frances Colie Ruth Sirgany
John Colie Charlie Simon
Mark Dillman Kennedy Stevenson
Margaret Dillenburg Jane Warn
Carol Downer James Zaydon
All those Serving in our Armed Forces
The Christian Community in the Middle East
Sacrificial Giving
June 8
Weekly $ 433 .00
Candles $ 4.00