St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School News Українська Католицька Phone: 973-779-0249 * Fax: 973-779-6309 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.stnicholaschool.com Церква Св. Миколая CHRIST IS RISEN ! * INDEED HE IS RISEN !

FATHER’S DAY REMEMBRANCE LITURGY Pastor: Rev. Andriy Dudkevych We will soon celebrate Father's Day. Certainly, all

of you have started to make special plans for this Pastoral Care: day. We would like to remember our fathers, both In emergencies, please call Fr. Andriy living and deceased, in the Divine Liturgy which will

directly - mobile 267-269-4990 if you, a family be celebrated on Father’s Day, June 21. In addition, member, or someone you know who cannot there will be a Panakhyda for all the deceased attend church, is homebound, fathers following the Liturgy. hospitalized, or gravely ill and will need the Eucharist or Anointing of the Sick. ДЕНЬ БАТЬКА - ПОМИНАЛЬНА ЛІТУРГІЯ DO NOT WAIT TO THE LAST MINUTE. Скоро ми будемо святкувати День Батька. Напевно ви почали робити плани на цей день. Church Mailing Address: Ми хочемо запросити вас і зробити цей день 60 Holdsworth Ct. особливим для кожного в нашій парафії. Ми Passaic, NJ 07055 будемо молитися на Св. Літургії за здоров’я і Phone: 973-471- 9727 Боже благословення для наших батьків, а також в поминальній панахиді згадувати тих батьків, FAX: 973-473- 7197 www. stnicholasucc.org які відійшли у вічність. email: [email protected]

Pyrohy: 973-778-9734 A gentle reminder that our Parish School: Parish expenses will continue during this Sr. Eliane, SSMI - Principal difficult time. Kindly mail your weekly Phone: 973-779-0249 : 973-778-0208 contribution to the St. Nicholas parish office at 60 Holdsworth Court, Cantors : Passaic, NJ 07055. Anatoli Dolyk - Ukrainian Mykietyn - English Mail-in,Drop-off Parish Collections 31-May-20 CВЯТІ ЛІТУРГІЇ: DIVINE LITURGIES: Неділя: 8:30 р., [АНГЛ]. Sunday: 8:30 am, [ENG] 10:30 р.,[УКР] 10:30 am, [UKR] WeeklyDonation 1,595 На будні: 7:00 р., Weekday: 7:00 am, School 75 Субота: Saturday: 8:00 р., і 5:00 пп. 8:00 am, & 5:00 pm. Renovation 20 Свята:9:00 р., і 6:00 пп. Holy Days: Diocesan 2 9:00 am, & 6:00 pm. Ascension 20 St. JohnBaptist 5 СПОВІДЬ: Перед Св. Літургіями - в Суботу вечером. Ss. Peter/Paul 5 Неділі - Святочні дні. Peter's Pence 8 CONFESSIONS: Before Liturgies - Saturday evening. Total: $1,730.00. Sundays & Holy Days.

A PRAYER FOR THOSE SUFFERING PERSECUTION Pyrohy - March 2020 - $ 2,240.00. t. Nicholas t. Ukrainian

Lord, bring an end to tragedy and suffering. Deliver Your Church and Your faithful people from every evil with Your mighty

S hand. Help us, O God, for You were crucified and died for the salvation of all. Help us, that among us, and in all the world, hatred may be replaced with love, unrest may be replaced with peace, and sorrow may be replaced with happiness, that we have a peaceful life as Your people and live as brothers and sisters with one another. Remember our enemies, those who hate us and oppress us, and repay them not according to their deeds, but rather give them reason and understanding, ac- cording to Your great mercy, so that they may see that evil cannot bring good. You are the God of mercy, goodness and the ЗАПРОШУЄМО НА КАВУ Lover of mankind, and unto You we ascribe glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the , now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Sunday - June 7th - Sunday of All - Неділя Всіх Святих 2020 “The Vibrant Parish - A Place to Encounter the Living Christ” “Жива Парафія - Місце зустрічі Живого Христа ” Sunday - June 7th - Sunday of All Saints - Неділя Всіх Святих МОЛЕБЕН В ЧЕСТЬ ХРИСТА SUNDAY OF ALL SAINTS * Epistle - Hebrews 11: 33; 12:2 ~ Gospel - Matthew 10: 32-33 10:30 am God's Blessings for our Parishioner God's Blessings for Luba Cholhan Family в місяці червні The is one who has heard the Gospel call to put God first in their lives. We may be proud that we go to church, pray, or fast. So did the Pharisee in Christ’s God's Blessings for Anna & Euhen Neporany Parents & Family буде служитися parable. The saint, however, is a person who is ready to put everything else aside to focus on God and His love for us. “He who loves father or mother more кожної than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). The spiritual son of St the New Monday - June 8th Theologian, Nicetas Stethatos, says that there are three kinds of people in the world: “the carnal man, who wants to live for his own pleasure, even if it harms середи та п’ятниці others; the natural man, who wants to please both himself and others and spiritual man who wants to please only God, even if it harms himself” (cited in Tito No services о 7:00 вечора. Colliander’s Way of the Ascetics, 5).

* Tuesday - June 9th Catholics and Orthodox Christians are sometimes criticized by people because of the reverence we show to the saints. Critics may feel that we ignore the Lord, 8:00 am +Stefan Kapitula Perohy Ladies MOLEBEN IN preferring to pay homage to favorite saints. Seeing how some believers act, we may understand why some Protestants and others may feel as they do. Some HONOR OF devotees of the saints lavish more praise on the saints than on Christ. While such behavior may be misguided, an appropriate devotion to the and Wednesday - June 10rd other saints is not. For us, the saints are the “proof” that the Holy Spirit truly came upon the Church at Pentecost. The holiness of their lives points to the grace CHRIST THE of the Holy Spirit powerfully working in our world. The saints reveal to us the “face” of the Holy Spirit manifest in the Church. For this reason Byzantine Churches 8:00 am +Maria Kosciolek Anna Perun LOVER OF celebrate the Feast of All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost. In the Epistle to the Hebrews we read of a number of Old Testament figures renowned in

Israelite history for their righteous lives or powerful deeds. The selection read at today’s Divine Liturgy does not mention any of the individuals named in the Thursday - June 11th MANKIND will be served on epistle (some of whom are not the most praiseworthy by modern standards). Rather it begins with the point made in conclusion: that some were powerful and 8:00 am +Regina Michel (with Panakhyda) Family defeated their enemies while others were tortured and put to death. Still others lived righteous lives in hiding and “wandered in deserts and mountains, living in Wednesdays and caves and holes in the ground” (Hebrews 11:38). In either case nothing they could do could bring them eternal life. That would only become possible through Friday - June 12th Fridays at 7:00 pm Jesus Christ and His Church. As the biblical author explains, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 8:00 am +Mary Bilogan (with Panakhyda) Walter & Karen Halenowsky throughout the since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would then be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40). We can conclude that the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer far exceeds the glory won by the rulers, soldiers and prophets of Israelite history. We can also strive to draw close to the Saturday - June 13th One who is everywhere present, filling all things. (excerpt from homilies of the Eparchy of Newton, Melkite Greek Catholic Church)

8:00 am God's Blessings for Ostapiak Family Walter Ostapiak The Fast and the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul God's Blessings for Christopher Zazulkewycz Mother History - Wikipedia Having rejoiced for fifty days following Pascha (Easter), the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostles began to prepare for their departure from Jerusalem to Sunday - May 14th - 2nd Sunday after Pentecost - 2-га Неділя після зіслання Св. Духа spread Christ's message. According to Sacred Tradition, as part of their preparation, they began a fast with prayer to ask God to strengthen their resolve and to be with them in their missionary undertakings. 10:30 am God's Blessings for our Parishioner & School Graduates The scriptural foundation for the Fast is found in the Synoptic Gospels, when the Pharisees criticized the apostles for not , Jesus said to them, "Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." In the immediate sense, Christ was referring to his being taken to be crucified; but in the wider sense it is understood in terms of his Ascension Pastor’s Corner. Church Donations into heaven and his commission to preach the Gospel, which can only be accomplished with prayer and fasting. Please note, the suspension of public services at our parishes contin- We sincerely thank our parishioners The tradition of the Fast has existed at least since Leo I (461 AD), as is evidenced by his homilies, though it has subsequently been forgotten in the West. ues. Meanwhile, we will continue with LIVESTREAMED LITURGIES. The Fast is thought to have been instituted out of thanksgiving to God for the witness of the apostles of Christ. With this Fast, believers express their thanks for who mail or deliver their weekly the apostles' endurance of persecution during their mission. Join our live streamed Sunday services at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook envelopes to the Parish Office when WHEN DOES THIS FAST BEGIN? at https://www.facebook.com/adudkevych or It appears that in the fourth and fifth centuries this fast began on the day after Pentecost, the last day of the feast. This is still the custom in the Armenian Church https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPXwNRVaK84Ija7TXZxu-CQ they’re unable to come to Divine which fasts for the week of Pentecost. Something of this practice survives in our custom of the “kneeling prayers” offered at vespers on the afternoon of Pente- Liturgy. Even in these times of so cost. With these prayers kneeling is resumed as the common practice of prayer which had been suspended during the paschal feast. Later Pentecost was ex- tended to last one week. As a result this Fast begins on the day following the Sunday of All Saints, the octave of Pentecost. As St. Symeon of Thessalonica, "LIGHT A CANDLE" many changes, suspensions and wrote in the fifteenth century: “For one week after the descent of the Holy Spirit, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution composed by Clement, we cele- Do you miss lighting candles in church during the current COVID-19 "Stay At disruptions, our bills to run our Parish brate, and then during the following week, we fast in honor of the Apostles.” Home" time? Now you can have a real candle lit for you during daily and week- Having celebrated the feast of feasts, the Lord’s Pascha, and Pentecost fifty days thereafter, we are about to embark upon the Apostles’ Fast, which this year and School still need to be paid. begins on June 8, 2020 and ends with the commemoration of the Feast of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul on June 29. days services at St. Nicholas Church. At this time while we are not physically able be in the church, we are praying at If you are financially able, please The Apostles’ Fast is a prescribed fasting period of the Church, lasting from the day after the Sunday of All Saints to the 29th of June, the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. The fast of the holy Apostles is very ancient, dating back to the first centuries of Christianity. We have the testimony of St. Athanasius the home but dearly miss the ability to do so in our parish's spiritual home. And continue to support our us. You may Great, St. of Milan, St. Leo the Great and Theodoret of Cyrrhus regarding it. The oldest testimony regarding the Apostles’ Fast is given to us by St. one of the first things most people do upon entering the Church is to light their Athanasius the Great (†373). mail your donations, drop them off at candle and offer prayers for one’s personal needs or that of a family member or The spiritual benefit derived from the Apostles’ Fast is great. Saint Leo the Great noted that, “After the extended feast of Pentecost, the fast is particularly need- friend. We also light candles to pray for divine protection and safety as an affir- the office or put them in the mailbox ed in order to cleanse our mind by ascetic labors, and to make us worthy of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Saint Leo also reminds us, “In the Apostolic canons mation of our trust in the "Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16:16). slot in the front of the Parish Office. inspired by God Himself, the have, at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, established first and foremost that all virtuous labors begin with fasting.”

• Even though we are not able to light a candle ourselves during this time, it is Last week we received $3,043 in Periods of fasting such as the one upon which we are about to embark are not, as some in the West would have us believe, exercises in mortification or pen- still possible to have a candle lit for you! ance but the divinely inspired method to gain mastery over the self and conquer the passions of the flesh. It is to liberate oneself from dependence on the things Offer a donation to have electrical or a beeswax taper candle lit for you during donations to support our parish. of this world in order to concentrate on the things of the Kingdom of God. It is to give power to the soul so that it would not yield to temptation and sin. According Thank you for your continued support to St. Seraphim of Sarov, fasting is an “indispensable means” of gaining the fruit of the Holy Spirit in one's life (cf. Conversation with Motovilov), and Jesus Him- the next service along with a prayer for the name(s) you submit. Donations can self taught that some forms of evil cannot be conquered without it (Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29) be directly sent to the St. Nicholas Parish address with a notation/candles. and understanding. Thank you and God bless you! Neglecting the fast is not the only pitfall to be avoided however. Those who fast may be tempted to judge those who do not fast, thus losing the efficacy of their Stay well and God bless! labors. We should not concern ourselves with what others are doing but concentrate on our own spiritual life. Fasting periods, particularly the Apostles’ Fast, assist us in avoiding the spiritual pitfalls to which we are so accustomed after the ascetical struggle of Great Lent and the joyous celebration of Pascha.

Church open for private prayer. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles received the fullness of the revelation of truth because the Lord Christ had prepared them for the advent of the Comforter. We are getting closer to being open but I ask for your continued As the preeminent apostles, Saints Peter and Paul were the guardians of that truth which was to be passed on to the faithful. Saint Seraphim of Sarov tells us, patience. Since only the and his cantor assistants are allowed to “The true aim of our Christian life consists of the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ's sake, are the only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God.” enter the church for the foreseeable future, we wanted to give you the opportunity to PRIVATELY pray in the church. We know from Holy Scripture and Tradition that the Holy Spirit does not abide in a vessel that is not being purified. Saint Luke of Crimea notes, “For could the Holy Spirit possibly abide in an impure heart that is filled with sin? As smoke chases away the bees, as stench repels all people, so does the stench of the hu- Following the Archbishop’s directives our Church will be open for man heart repel the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives only in pure hearts, and only to them does he grant He Divine grace, His holy gifts, for He is the ‘Treasury of private prayer on Saturday, from 10 am to 4 pm. Limited number of good things’—all the true and most precious goods that the human heart could possibly possess. Could the impure heart receive them? Could the heart that is sinful and deprived of mercy and love possibly receive the grace of the Holy Spirit?” visitors at one time (no more than 10) according to NJ state guidelines and social distancing (minimum of 6 feet between visitors) to be This is precisely why, in her wisdom, the holy Church offers us the period of the Apostles’ Fast soon after Pentecost and just prior to the feast of the Holy Apos- tles Peter and Paul who were worthy to receive the Holy Spirit. If the aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, we must engage in the struggle observed. Wearing of masks required for all those making visit. Faithful through fasting and continual prayer. It is only then that we may acquire the Holy Spirit and can properly appreciate and be joyous in the feast of the Holy Apos- from at risk groups as identified by CDC/NJ DEPARTMENT tles Peter and Paul. (Excerpt from homily of Bishop Thomas and Peter Schweitzer- Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese) OF HEALTH should remain at home.