Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic Church

Sunday of Zacchaeus

January 26, 2020

Sunday of Zacchaeus Our Venerable Father Xenophon and His Wife Mary; Our Holy Father Joseph, Archbishop of Thessalonica. January 26, 2020 Schedule of services for the week of January 27 - February 2 Wednesday, January 29 – The Translation of the Relics of the Holy Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer 7:00 PM – Great with Lytia Thursday, January 30 – The Three Holy Fathers, The Great Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom; The Holy Hieromartyr Hippolytus, pope of Rome 9:00 AM – Divine Liturgy Saturday, February 1 – Pre-feast of the Encounter; Our Holy Father Gregory the Theologian, archbishop of Constantinople 9:00 AM – Divine Liturgy 5:00 PM – Great Vespers with Lytia Sunday, February 2 – The Encounter of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ with the Righteous Simeon and Anna; Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee; Our Venerable Father Xenophon of Constantinople, Mary, his wife, and their sons, Arcadius and John 7:45 AM – Festal 9:00 AM – Divine Liturgy For all parishioners We welcome all visitors and guests. Please join us in our hall for refreshments and fellowship after the Divine Liturgy! 1st All Souls Saturday Valentine’s Fund for Seminarians Saturday, February 15th is First All Souls Saturday. Between now and February 9th we will There will be a Divine Liturgy at 9:00 AM for all our be collecting contributions to benefit our beloved departed followed by a Panakhyda. Special Seminarians. This is to help them cover envelopes are included in your box of envelopes. various expenses such as personal care Please write the names of all those you wish to be items and other items not covered by remembered and place in the basket in the Narthex. I their Eparchies. encourage all to attend the Liturgies and Panakhydas for our beloved deceased. Ethnic Foods preparation this week: Looking Ahead: Monday - 10AM Kolač Tuesday - 10AM Paska v Feb. 2nd –TheEncounterofOurLordwiththe Friday - 10AM Butter Lambs Righteous Simeon and Anna; Publican and Pharisee. First Sunday of the Lenten Triodion. Strong men needed! v Feb. 15th –1st All Souls Saturday v Feb. 16th –MeatfareSundayPotluck The new carpeting for the v February 23rd –CheesefareSunday;Forgiveness church will be installed Vespers following social on February 5 - 6. v February 24th –TheGreatFastBegins Bruce Bitsko needs at least 3 (day of strict fast) strong men on February 4th to v March 7th –2nd All Souls Saturday v March 14th –3rd All Souls Saturday move all pews and furniture v March 25th –SundayoftheHolyCross from the church and then v March 21st –4th All Souls Saturday again on February 7th to v March 25th –Annunciation move things back. v March 28th –AkathistSaturday v April 5th –FlowerySunday Please talk to Bruce about volunteering! v April 12th – Pascha Thanks in advance! The Three Hierarchs in the Service of the Feast Lenten Triodion The service of the feast beautifully praises and Next Sunday, we begin using the “Lenten glorifies the Three Hierarchs for their fervent love of Triodion” which is the service book of the God and neighbor, their unwavering faith, their Byzantine Churches that provides the texts for significance for holy Church, their illustrious virtues, the divine services for the pre-Lenten weeks of wisdom and intercession. “Basil – divine intellect,” we preparation, , and Great an Holy sing in the aposticha of the Small vespers service, Week. It is called the triodion because the “Gregory divine voice, John most beautiful lamp. canons appointed for during this period May they be glorified, these three distinguished are composed of three odes each. representatives and ministers of the Trinity.” In the The weeks of preparation, and especially the aposticha of the Solemn or Great Vespers service we Sunday gospel readings, serve to exercise the sing: “O instruments of the Holy Spirit, and trumpets of mind, whereas the fasting of Great Lent focuses divine thunder, O lightnings of preaching, O golden, on the body, and Holy Week's services exercise lightbearing, resplendent lamps of God: O most the spirit. blessed Basil, O most wise Gregory and O most venerable John, implore Christ our God to save those Weeks of preparation who honor you.” The three weeks that commence on the fourth Sunday prior to Great Lent constitute the weeks In the sticheras of Vespers, Matins, and in the canons of preparation. Each has its own distinct theme we find eulogistic and lofty expressions and parallels which is expressed in the Gospels readings with which the Church expresses its admiration, appointed for the Divine Liturgies on these days: respect, praise and veneration of the Three Hierarchs. 1. Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee (Luke Here are some of the expressions: “men of God”, 18:9-14), “chosen vessels”, “pillars and support of the Church”, 2. Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11- “defenders of the Trinity, fortresses of piety”, “divine 32), and and wise teachers”, “instruments of the Holy Spirit, 3. Sunday of the Last Judgment (also called veritable trumpets, orators of the word”, “earthly angels, heavenly men”, “distinguished vessels of the Meatfare Sunday; Matt 25:31- 46). Spirit, solid defenders of the faith, pillars of the Church, 4. Sunday of Forgiveness (also called support of the faithful, consolation of all sinners”, Cheesefare Sunday; the expulsion of Adam “oceanic streams, overflowing fountains, livingwater from Eden is also a theme of this day); Matt pouring faith, limpid gems, earthly luminaries, 6:14-21. ecclesiastical helmsmen, trees rich in fruit, treasuries The Church eases us into the Lenten fasting of grace, mouths of Christ.” discipline during this period. The week following the Sunday of the Publican and Having before her eyes their greatness, merits and Pharisee is fast-free. The week following the significance before God, holy Church invokes the Prodigal Son is a normal week -- we fast as usual faithful to give fit praise to the Three Hierarchs: on Wednesday and Friday. In the week “Having come together with songs of praise, O lovers following Meatfare Sunday, no meat is eaten; of feasts, let us praise Christ’s sanctifiers and the glory eggs, fish, and dairy are permitted on any day. of the Fathers, the pillars of the faith, teachers and Forgiveness Sunday brings the period of defenders of the faithful. Let us hail each of them in preparation to an end. The next day, Clean turn: Hail, luminary of the Church, immutable pillar, O Monday, begins Great Lent. The Vespers wise Basil! Hail, O heavenly mind and great hierarch, Gregory the Theologian! Hail, O goldenvoiced John, service served on the evening of Forgiveness splendid preacher of penance. P spirituallywealthy Sunday includes the Rite of Mutual Forgiveness fathers, never cease to pray to Christ in behalf of those and is the first service of Great Lent. who with faith and love observe your sacred and sublime feast.” – Adapted from Orthodoxwiki.org SUNDAY OF ZACCHAEUS “Today salvation has come to this house, Zacchaeus was truly a sinner. Everyone for this is what it means to be a son of knew this for they had said: “Look, He has Abraham. The Son of Man has come to gone to the house of a sinner as a guest.” search out and save what was lost.” He forcibly collected taxes from the poor in (Lk. 19, 910) order to curry favor with Caesar. There was a great rift between him and the rest of Jericho was a wellknownhistoric city, a society. He lived a very lonely life for no commercial crossroads and financial one wanted to associate with him. center. One day Jesus came here in order Zacchaeus felt this in his heart and soul to preach the Word of God followed by a and thus he said to Jesus: “Lord! I will give huge mass of people. Zacchaeus, a tax half of my belongings to the poor and collector, heard about the arrival of the anyone I have defrauded, I will repay Wonderworker and wanted to see Him. fourfold.” This pleased Jesus and He said Being a short man, he climbed up on a to Zacchaeus: “Today salvation has come sycamore tree and waited. Jesus, walking to this house.” past him, said: “Zacchaeus! Today I must Who of us cannot relate to Zacchaeus? be at your house.” Have we not all felt the pangs of Zacchaeus was amazed that the conscience? We often feel the need to Wonderworker knew his name. He invite Jesus into the house of our soul and immediately went home to prepare for the heart, and yet we lack the courage to do arrival of the Savior. Jesus, entering so. Many times we hear an invitation from Zacchaeus’ house, said: “Today salvation Jesus Who wants to come into our house. has come to this house,” meaning that He wants to come as a friend, a member God’s grace had descended on of the family or even as a rival who needs Zacchaeus’ house, for, upon the Savior’s to come into our home. Most often this arrival, Zacchaeus had repented and occurs when misfortune falls upon us, promised to change his life completely. He when we face a crisis and are in need of declared that he would “give half my help. At that time we are so close to Him belongings to the poor and anyone I have and He is close to us. Let us think about defrauded, I will repay fourfold.” this! Has this happened recently, perhaps even yesterday? Grumbling is caused by misery and it can be put aside by doxology (giving praise). Grumbling begets grumbling and doxology begets doxology. when someone doesn’t grumble over a problem troubling him, but rather praises God, then the devil gets frustrated and goes off to someone else who grumbles, in order to cause everything to go even worse for him.You see,the more one grumbles, the more one falls into ruin. Sometimes the devil deceives us and makes us unable to be pleased with anything; however, one can celebrate all things in a spiritual manner, with doxology, and secure God’s constant blessing. –ElderPaisios Spiritual Counsels,Volume 4 - Family Life A Meditation on MLK Jr, the Sanctity of Life, and Our Own Cowardice By Rev. Anthony Perkins in The Sounding Adapted from http://myocn.net/meditation-mlk-jr-sanctity-life-cowardice/ Jan 13, 2015 The Lord God stands in the midst of the These are not political issues; they are Divine Council and judges among the moral ones. Our apathetic indulgence of gods. “How long will you rule unjustly, and such a demonic system shows just how show partiality to the wicked? Defend the little we have done to become perfect as poor and fatherless, maintain the rights of God is perfect through Jesus Christ. We the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the are not just called to do good when it is weak and needy; deliver them from the convenient or when it matches our political hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 81:1-4; this is convictions or personal opinions – but the first Psalm we sing to proclaim the every second of every day. We are called Resurrection on Holy Saturday) to live and suffer for what is holy, right and One of the things that we often forget is true; even to die for it if need be. Instead, how incredibly offensive the civil rights we excuse injustice with clever words (e.g. protests were to many Americans (not just “choice”, “freedom”, “necessity”, and to Southerners – there was plenty of “economics” – both liberals and outrage elsewhere!). But it was right and conservatives have them). Even if we have just to cause offense because the status- not participated in this wicked system, what quo was wicked. What truths are we afraid have we done to oppose it? To ameliorate to proclaim, not out of fear of arrest, its terrible consequences? Have we cared lynching, or assassination, but out of fear for the fatherless? Supported the single of offending someone’s feelings or going mother? Healed the mother who has against the politics of our community? Just aborted her child? Have we taught the how deep does our cowardice go? Which youth of our country (and the children in side are we on, exactly? our families) the truth about chastity, We are like the gods the Lord condemned marriage, and the value of human life? If in the midst of His council. We have failed to not, how are we going to break this cycle? defend even the most vulnerable among us. We must repent, we must pray, and most Who is more vulnerable than our children? of all, we must serve. And what do we – the citizen-rulers of this To quote an article by Andrew Estocin; country – do to protect them? One out of “Martin Luther King Jr. and Archbishop every five is intentionally put to death before Iakovos [who marched with him] both birth (more than a million a year). Of the knew that the human person as the image children we allow to see the light of day, one and likeness of God was a truth worth out of every three lives in a home without a breaking the law, fighting and (in Rev. father (24 million), and one out of five lives King’s case) ultimately dying for. in poverty/“food insecurity” (16 million). [And Christianity in America needs this type of don’t even get me started on unnecessary courage today more than ever.” wars, an inconsistent justice system, We may need that, but my fear is that we creeping totalitarianism, and atheistic have become a nation of self-indulgent fervor.] All of these do injustice to the cowards. I would love to be proven wrong. sanctity of life and the dignity of persons we are supposed to love. Posted by the Orthodox Christian Network. You can find the Orthodox Christian Network on Google+

Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic Church 2235 Galahad Road San Diego, CA 92123-3931 Fr. James Bankston, Administrator Fr. Deacon Jonathan A. Deane Rectory/Office: 858-277-2511 Social Hall/Ethnic Foods: 858-268-3458 Email: [email protected] Website: www.HolyAngelsSanDiego.com Facebook: Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic Church

Bless, O Lord, the worship and Stewardship of your faithful servants: Last Sunday: attendance: 72; Adult tithes: $1350.00; Theophany: $50.00; Loose Change: $48.10; Non-Parishioner Donation: $3650.00; Total: $5098.10

Vocation Icon: This week (January 26): Lang Family Next week (February 2): open Please sign up in the narthex to host the vocation icon. All those requesting Holy Mysteries must be parishioners for at least six months.

Mysteries of Initiation: Requires Pre-Baptismal instruction. The Mysteries of Initiation are celebrated on Saturdays or Sundays within the Divine Liturgy. At least one sponsor must be a Catholic and the other a practicing Christian. Both sponsors must present documentation that they are in good standing with their church.

Mystery of Crowning: Requires Pre-Marriage instruction. Consult Fr. James at least six months prior to making wedding plans. Marriages cannot be celebrated during the fasting seasons of the Church.

Funerals: Contact Fr. James.

Liturgy, Panachyda and Eternal Lamp Intentions: Schedule with Fr. James. It is “holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead” (2 Maccabees 12:46) especially on the 9th and 40th days, and on the anniversary of their falling asleep in the Lord.

Holy Mystery of Confession: Saturdays from 6PM (following Vespers). Also available before or after all services or by appointment. Confessions end 15 minutes prior to services.

Sick calls / Holy Anointing / Hospital Visits: Requested by parishioner, friend, or family.

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Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 10:AM - 5PM. Please call ahead to make sure Fr. James is on-site. Call anytime in case of an emergency.