The Three Pillars of Lent Are Fasting, Good Works (Almsgiving), And
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ST ANDREW UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 2015 LENT AND EASTER (PASCHA) SCHEDULE REMINDER: NO WEEKDAY MORNING LITURGIES DURING LENT Schedule is subject to change – Please check weekly bulletin for updates DATE TIME COMMENTS Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Every Wednesday 6:30pm Starting February 18 After Sorokousty – List of first names Sorokousty (Saturday 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 9:00am only (please use envelope morning Liturgy) 3/21, 3/28 Liturgy dated February 1, 2015) Annunciation of BVM Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30pm (English) Holy Day of Wednesday, March 25 at 9:30am (Ukrainian) Obligation HOLY MISSION With Fr Yaroslaw March 27, 28, 29 Times will be listed in the weekly bulletin. Shurdrak (Retired) Saturday, March 28 Normal weekend Liturgy schedule – Blessing Palm Sunday Sunday, March 29 of willow branches at all Liturgies Holy Monday March 30 6:00pm Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts Holy Tuesday March 31 6:00pm Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts Holy Wednesday April 1 6:00pm Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts Vespers with Liturgy of St Basil the Great & Washing the Feet Time to be Holy Thursday April 2 (Thursday services held at St announced Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral) Matins and Reading of 12 9:00am Good Friday Gospels April 3 (No dairy or meat Vespers; Exposition and 5:00pm permitted on this Veneration of Shroud day.) CONFESSION April 4 1:00pm to 2:00pm – Saturday only 9:00am Vespers; Divine Liturgy St Basil 3:00pm Blessing of Baskets (Ukr) Holy Saturday April 4 5:00pm Blessing of Baskets (Eng) All Day No meat products Resurrection of Our Resurrection Matins with Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom Lord, Jesus Christ 7:00am with Myrovanya (Ukrainian with Pascha (Easter) April 5 Choir) Divine Liturgy of St John (No fasting during 11:00am Chrysostom with Myrovanya Bright Week only.) (English) EVENTS/ACTIVITIES – Mark your Calendar! More Details to Follow: PASKA SALE – Saturday, March 21 AND Saturday, March 28 DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY – Sunday, April 12 PARISH EASTER DINNER/SVIACHENE – Sunday, April 26 FIRST RECONCILIATION – May 3 MOTHER’S DAY – Sunday, May 10 PENTECOST SUNDAY – Sunday, May 24 The three pillars of Lent are Fasting , Good Works (Almsgiving) , and Prayer … This year, let Lent make a difference in your life! 2015 GREAT LENT AND PASCHA It’s always a good practice to pray before we contemplate repentance and get serious about Great Lent. So let’s begin with the Lenten prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian (source: www.stsophiaukrainian.cc) O Lord and Master of my life, drive from me the spirit of indifference, despair, lust for power and idle chatter. Instead, bestow on me, Your servant, the spirit of integrity, humility, patience and love. Yes, O Lord and King, let me see my own sins and not judge my brothers and sisters, For You are blessed for ever and ever. Amen. The four weeks which precede Great Lent are considered preparatory, a forerunner to Lent. These four weeks, along with the eight weeks of Lent, are characterized by the Church as Triodion, meaning "thrice-hymns", a name which has no bearing on the substance of Lent itself. The four weeks preceding Lent are known as: Sunday of the Tax Collector and Pharisee (from the Parable), Sunday of the Prodigal Son (from the Parable), Sunday of Meat (the Final Judgment), Sunday of Cheese (Adam's expulsion from Paradise). The Six Sundays of Great Lent are Sunday of Orthodoxy, St Gregory Palamas, Veneration of the Cross, St John of Climacus, St Mary of Egypt and Palm Sunday. Which is then followed by Holy Week. The Easter cycle then lasts from the Sunday of St Thomas (Sunday after Easter) to the Sunday of All Saints. The period from Easter to Pentecost is 50 days. LENT is a time for us to grow prayerfully, personally, and powerfully in our relationship with God. Great Lent is a 40-day period when we prepare ourselves for the Great Resurrection. During this time we follow the footsteps of Jesus who spent 40 days and 40 nights in the desert…our goal is to meet the risen Lord Jesus, who reunites us with God the Father. During Great Lent, the Church teaches us how to receive Him by using the two great means of repentance – prayer and fasting. This year, imagine that this Lent is going to be different from every other Lent you ever experienced…imagine that God is going to help transform our lives, leading us to greater freedom, greater joy, and deeper desire for love and service. This can be a wonderful season of grace for us if we give ourselves to it. Lent is about God’s great desire to bless us. (Source: Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 5) Preparing for Confession (Reconciliation) – During Lent we are called to reform our lives and become holy. We do this by focusing on God through prayer, treating others well, and changing our negative behavior. Confession is not only a spiritual cleansing, but a spiritual awakening. We must acknowledge our sins and take responsibility for our actions and consequences. To make a good confession, five things are necessary: (1) examine your conscience thoroughly; (2) be sincerely sorry for your sins; (3) resolve to amend your life; (4) confess your sins to the best of your ability; and, (4) complete the penance given to you. (Source: same as above) What’s in a Name: Pascha or Easter? The theological name for the Feast of the Resurrection is Pascha. From its form, we can see that the Greek word comes from the Hebrew Pesach (Passover). Christ’s saving passion, death and resurrection are the fulfillment of the Passover of Israel into freedom. Pascha is the new creation, the eighth day on which all things are made new. We read the Prologue to St. John’s Gospel (John 1: 1-17) on this day, emphasizing the new beginning. Many European languages use the original term: Pascua, Pâques, etc., since in Latin, the season is called Tempus Paschale. While Easter will probably remain the common designation for the season in the English-speaking secular world, it seems appropriate for Christians to use the more theological term Pascha, especially when referring to the celebration of the mysteries of our salvation. (source: www.stsophiaukrainian.cc) .