Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church 146 Third Avenue, Rankin, PA 15104 Pastor: Very Reverend Nicholas Ferencz, PhD Cantor: Professor Jerry Jumba Parish President : Carole Bushak
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever! Slava Isusu Christu! Slava vo v’iki!
Rectory Phone: 412 271-2725. E-mail: [email protected] Hall Phone: 412-294-7952 WEB: www.stmichaelsrankin.org
27TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST DECEMBER 13 (NOVEMBER 30), 2020
Sun. Dec 13 27th Sunday after Pentecost. 10th Sunday of Luke. Apostle Andrew the First-called 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Panachida: Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh – 40 day Memorial Sat., Dec. 19 Our Holy Father Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycaea. 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Sun., Dec. 20 28th Sunday after Pentecost. Read 12th Sunday of Luke. Bishop Ambrose of Milan 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy. Panachida: December Perpetuals: 12/1 Joseph Hrabchak. 12/5 Anna Vorobok. 12/18 Lois Hrabchak. 12/20 Anna Belanchik
Holy Mystery of Confession: I will be available for Confessions after the Divine Liturgy, when the church is more private. Or, you can make an appointment and we will arrange an appropriate time. Please just contact me. PEOPLE STUFF Prayer List: Deceased: Metropolitan Maximos. Kalliope and Michael Condolian. Steve Bournios Living: Father Joe Cervo. Father George Livanos. Father Patrick. Mother Christophora and the nuns of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Kristina Anatakis. Dana Andrade. Gloria Andrade. Gregory Michael Aurilio. Georgia B. Chastity and Jeff Bache. Brandon. Walter Bolbat. Donald Bodnar. Jaime Budesa. Barbara Bournios. Nicholas Burkhart. Barbara Chappie. Rebecca, David & Bradley Noah Cozad. Mary Ann Crouse. Delores Cubakovic. Martha Danchak. Christina Duranko. Nicholas Duranko. George & Margaret Dorogy. Breanne Glass. Dorothy Glass. Eddie Gombos. Jennifer Hartrick. Joseph Hlavac. George Hrabchak. Raymond Hrabchak. Shirley Hrubic. Zhensan Huang. Kevin and Karen Ianni. Gary Ingelido. Andrea Kerkentzes. Glenn Lesko. Jeanne Lesko and family. Bobby Malackany. Marina. Joan Martell. Sharon Mascilak. Ed McCreanor. Jake McLaughlin. Zoe Mehalik. Helen Mihalik. Teresa Onuska. Frank Palmieri. Millie Phillips. Robert Petro. Anna Senich. Bernice Siudak. Terry Slezak. Milton and Thelma Supak. Diana Terezis. Bobby and Dee Triffanoff. Josh Walendziewicz. Paul & Valerie Yednak. Edward Yoon. Jeanne and Jim Zajac. Prosphora Bakers: Trudy Trifanoff. Delores Cubakovic and their intentions. Also: Chase Vlad, Gianna Vlad, Laura, Sharita, all who have contracted the virus, all who care for them, and all First-Responders, and all who are working in the Health and Medical Fields during this time of crisis. We especially ask for your prayers for those afflicted by the CoVid 19 virus: Jeanne Lesko and family (now recovering); George and Margaret Dorogy; Jim and Jeanne Zajac. George is in St. Clair Hospital at the time of this writing; everyone else is at home dealing with the virus as best they can.
Page 1 of 4 Congratulations and God Bless! To all those born in December: 12/3 William Sovick. 12/9 Derek Chappie, Noah Bradley Cozad. 12/11 Robert Bache. 12/14 Jason Mazza. 12/16 Jan Bache. 12/21 Ray Vargo. 12/30 Andrea Sovick. 12/31 Elsie Ingelido. Many, blessed and spiritually fruitful years! Congratulations and God Bless! To all those married in December: 12/8 William and Andrea Sovick. 12/11 Robert and Jan Bache. Many, blessed and spiritually fruitful years! F(E)ASTING Next Feast is the Feast of Our Holy Father Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycea. Saturday, December 19/6. Divine Liturgy is at 9 AM. Filipovka – Christmas Fast goes until Christmas Eve, Dec. 24/Jan. 6. It is called Philip’s Fast because it begins the day after the Feast of St. Philip the Apostle on Nov. 14/27. ! The Traditional Fast requires fasting from meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine for the Fast, with these exceptions: Fish, wine and oil are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, and oil and wine are allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The fasting rules permit fish, and/or wine and oil on Apostle Andrew (Nov. 30/Dec. 13), Great-martyr Barbara (Dec. 4/17), St. Nicholas (Dec. 6/19), St. Spiridon and St. Herman (Dec. 12/25), St. Ignatius (Dec. 20/Jan. 2), etc. There is no fast on the Feast of the Entrance (Nov. 21/Dec. 4). The Nativity Fast is not as severe as Great Lent or the Dormition Fast. ! CHRISTMAS EVE is a Day of Fasting from Meat and Dairy in preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Our Lord – this is why it is called the “Paramony,” a word which means “Preparation”. On this day no solid food should be eaten until the first star is seen in the evening sky. That’s why the Vilija or Holy Supper traditionally begins when the first star is seen. ! No dispensation has been granted by the diocese from fasting on Dec. 24, 25, 31, or Jan. 1 (civil calendar). PARISH STUFF New! 2021 Church Calendars are in! You can pick yours up in the church hall. 2021 Church Envelopes should be available shortly. Update! Christmas Decorations in the Church After asking around and getting a number of thoughts, we have decided to modify the church decorations this year. We will be cutting back a bit for this year, so don’t be too surprised when you come to church for Christmas. Update! Historic Religious Properties Grant. You may recall that one goal that we had this year was to apply for this Grant from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. We have spent most of the year gathering the information we needed to support our application. The application was successfully submitted a couple of weeks ago (this year’s deadline was December 4). Let us hope and pray that our application is accepted! Building and Repairs Donations which are available for upcoming repairs to date are $4762! DIOCESE, DEANERY AND ADDITIONAL STUFF New! St. Nicholas Day Charity Benefit for Christ the Saviour Seminary. Even though there will be no deanery party this year, we are still giving our deanery donation to the seminary in honor of St. Nicholas. A number of folks here have already made a donation, and we thank you for your generosity. If you haven’t yet, and are looking for some ideas, here is a suggestion to consider: donate the $35 that we paid for a ‘dinner ticket’ last year. There is no dinner, but unlike last year where we had to pay a portion of that to cover the cost of the actual dinner, this year all of it will go to support the Seminary. We will collect for the next couple of weeks, and then send our total on to the deanery. Reminder! The 2021 ACRY Lots-O-Luck are now available for $25 each. Please see Carole Bushak for yours!
Page 2 of 4 The DDD Campaign for 2020 is on! Gifts of $100 or more are asked. Checks are payable to: “Distinguished Diocesan Donors.” Donations can be sent directly to the Diocesan Chancery, 312 Garfield Street, Johnstown, PA 15906. May the Lord bless you and yours during these stressful times. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST. NICHOLAS THE WONDERWORKER, ARCHBISHOP OF MYRA IN LYCAEA (CONTINUED). From the St. Nicholas Center, https://www.stnicholascenter.org How Nicholas Became a Bishop (Continued) A very long time ago, after the Bishop of Myra died, the other bishops in Lycia gathered to select the new bishop for the See of Myra. As they met, they discussed and prayed, but could not discern who would be the right choice. One night, the oldest and wisest bishop heard a voice in the night telling him to watch the doors of the church the next morning before matins. The first person to enter the church by the name of “Nicholas” was to be the new bishop. This wise bishop shared his vision with the others, urging them to pray while he waited at the doors. As the time for morning prayer drew near, the first person to come was a young man. The waiting bishop asked, “What is your name?” “I am Nicholas,” came the reply. “Nicholas, servant and friend of God, for your holiness you shall be bishop of this place,” said the bishop. Nicholas protested he was not worthy to be named bishop. He said he was too young and inexperienced for such great responsibility. All the bishops said it was God’s will for Nicholas to be the new bishop. They brought him into the church and placed him in the bishop’s seat. There he was to be consecrated the new Bishop of Myra. Now Nicholas was still a layman, not ordained yet as a deacon or a priest. (Unusual though it was for a non-ordained person to be nominated to the position of bishop, two sources corroborate the story. Because it is so unusual – there are only two other such known cases—Saint Ambrose and Saint Severus – it adds credence to the story as it is not something that would be made up). Nicholas promised to bring the Gospel of Christ to the people and defend the faith from all those who would attack it. Nicholas and the Temple of Artemis After Constantine became emperor, persecution of Our Gifts to God and our Church Christians came to an end. All the Christians who had been December 6, 2020 imprisoned under Diocletian and Galerius, including Bishop Attendance 16 Nicholas, returned home. In Lycia the pre-Christian religious Communions 12 traditions of ancient Greece and Rome were still followed. Collections When a new religious faith takes the place of another there Monthly 90.00 is often conflict, as one person’s god becomes another’s Sunday 1852.00 demon. As a defender of the Christian faith, Nicholas was at All Votive Candles 152.00 odds with these ancient practices, epitomized in the worship Building Maintenance 95.00 of the Greek goddess Artemis, the most prominent deity in Diocesan Membership 36.00 Lycia. There, Artemis, a daughter of Zeus, was recognized as Christmas Candles 75.00 a particularly powerful virgin fertility goddess. Food Pantry 170.00 Mask Donation 30.00 Bishop Nicholas worried that some of his people might St. Nicholas Seminary Offering 25.00 slip back into their old ways, visiting the shrines and Major Building Repairs 50.00 Artemis’ temple to make sacrifices and seek protection. He Total Offerings: 2575.00 believed the worship of the old gods was demon-inspired and that, as bishop, he was responsible to safeguard the people. Update: Building and Repairs Donations The temple of Artemis in Myra was the most impressive and which are available for upcoming repairs to stunningly beautiful structure in all Lycia. It occupied large date are $4762! God bless your generosity!
Page 3 of 4 grounds, with beautiful plantings and an inner court with columns, an altar, and the goddess’ statue. Nicholas set about with great force and zeal to destroy these shrines, driving away demons, and bringing calm to the land. Legends tell of fierce warfare between Nicholas and Artemis, conflict which lasted all of the saint’s life and even beyond. Nicholas attacked this great temple with tremendous might and vigor, absolutely determined to bring about its total ruin. The very foundations were uprooted from the ground, so complete was the destruction. It is said that the fleeing demons inspired the people’s awe of God. Famine Relief or The Miracle of the Grain During a famine in Myra, Bishop Nicholas worked desperately hard to find grain to feed the people. He learned ships bound for Alexandria with cargoes of wheat had anchored in Andriaki, the harbor for Myra. The good bishop asked the captain to sell some of the grain from each ship to relieve the people’s suffering. The captain said he could not because the cargo was “meted and measured.” He must deliver every bit and would have to answer for any shortage. Nicholas assured the captain there would be no problems when the grain was delivered. Finally, reluctantly, the captain agreed to take one hundred bushels of grain from each ship. The grain was unloaded and the ships continued on their way. When they arrived and the grain was unloaded, it weighed exactly the same as when it was put on board. As the story was told, all the emperor’s ministers worshiped and praised God with thanksgiving for God’s faithful servant Nicholas. Back in Myra, Saint Nicholas distributed grain to everyone in Lycia and no one was hungry. The grain lasted for two years, until the famine ended. There was even enough grain to provide seed for a good harvest. Bishop Nicholas Loses His Cool At The Council of Nicaea In AD 325 Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, the very first ecumenical council. More than 300 bishops came from all over the Christian world to debate the nature of the Holy Trinity. It was one of the early church’s most intense theological questions. Arius, from Egypt, was teaching that Jesus the Son was not equal to God the Father. Arius forcefully argued his position at length. The bishops listened respectfully. As Arius vigorously continued, Nicholas became more and more agitated. Finally, he could no longer bear what he believed was essential being attacked. The outraged Nicholas got up, crossed the room, and slapped Arius across the face! The bishops were shocked. It was unbelievable that a bishop would lose control and be so hotheaded in such a solemn assembly. They brought Nicholas to Constantine. Constantine said even though it was illegal for anyone to strike another in his presence, in this case, the bishops themselves must determine the punishment. The bishops stripped Nicholas of his bishop’s garments, chained him, and threw him into jail. That would keep Nicholas away from the meeting. When the Council ended a final decision would be made about his future. Nicholas was ashamed and prayed for forgiveness, though he did not waver in his belief. During the night, Jesus and Mary his Mother, appeared,* asking, “Why are you in jail?” “Because of my love for you,” Nicholas replied. Jesus then gave the Book of the Gospels to Nicholas. Mary gave him an omophorion, so Nicholas would again be dressed as a bishop. (Other versions of the story have Jesus and Mary with Nicholas appearing in a dream to Constantine and to all the bishops along with Nicholas). In the dream, they give the Book of the Gospels and an omophorion to Nicholas, convincing Constantine and the bishops that Nicholas should be reinstated as Bishop of Myra.Now at peace, Nicholas studied the Scriptures for the rest of the night. When the jailer came in the morning, he found the chains loose on the floor and Nicholas dressed in bishop’s robes, quietly reading the Scriptures. When Constantine was told of this, the emperor asked that Nicholas be freed. Nicholas was then fully reinstated as the Bishop of Myra. The Council of Nicaea agreed with Nicholas’ views, deciding the question against Arius. The work of the Council produced the Nicene Creed which to this day many Christians repeat weekly when they stand to say what they believe. (There is more story yet to come!)
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