42 MARTYRS OF AMORIUM The Holy 42 Martyrs of Amorium (†845) — Passion-bearers Constantine, Aetius, Saints Peter & Paul Theophilus, Theodore, Melissenus, Callistus, Basoes and 35 others with them — were prominent officers and notables of the Byzantine city of Amorium, one of Byzantium's Byzantine largest and most important cities at the time, who were seized following the capture and systematic destruction of the city in 838 AD by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mu'tasim, then taken as hostages to Samarra (today in Iraq) and executed there seven years later for Catholic Church refusing to convert to Islam. Their feast day is celebrated on March 6. Amorium was an episcopal see (bishopric) as early as 431, and was fortified by the Emperor Zeno, but did not rise to prominence until the 7th century. Its strategic location 431 GEORGE STREET * BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA 15104 * TELEPHONE (412) 461-1712 in central Asia Minor made the city a vital stronghold against the armies of the Arab Webpage: https://stspeterpaulbcc.com/ Caliphate following their conquest of the Levant. E-male: [email protected] The city was first attacked by the Arabs in 644, and taken in 646. Over the next two centuries, it remained a frequent target of Muslim raids (razzias) into Asia Minor, ADMINISTRATOR: FATHER VITALII STASHKEVYCH especially during the great sieges of 716 and 796. It became the capital of the theme of Anatolikon soon after. PARISH OFFICE: 4200 HOMESTEAD DUQUESNE RD, In 742-743, it was the main base of iconoclast Emperor Constantine V against the usurper Artabasdos. In 820, MUNHALL, PA, 15120 an Amorian, Michael II, ascended the Byzantine throne, establishing the Amorian dynasty. This began the period of TELEPHONE: 412-461-1712 the city's greatest prosperity, when it became the largest city in Asia Minor. CONFESSIONS: 30 MINUTES BEFORE LITURGY However due to its' status as the native city of the reigning dynasty, in 838 AD the Caliph Al-Mu'tasim launched a campaign specifically against the city, which was captured and razed. Sunday, March 1st, 2020 Tone 5 Page:146/220 During the war between the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus the Iconoclast (829-842) and the Saracens, the Saracens managed to besiege the city of Ammoria. As a result of treason on the part of the military commander SCHEDULE OF DIVINE SERVICES FOR THIS WEEK: Baditses, Ammoria fell, and forty-two of its generals were taken captive and sent off to Syria. During the seven years of their imprisonment they tried in vain to persuade the captives to renounce Christianity Sunday 03/01/20 20 11:00 AM 1st Sunday of The Great Fast +Stephen Ference and accept Islam. The captives stubbornly resisted all their seductive offers and bravely held out against terrible By Jeanette Ference threats. After many torments that failed to break the spirit of the Christian soldiers, they condemned them to death, Friday 03/06/20 20 06:30 PM 42 Martyrs of Ammorium Liturgy of Presanctified Gift hoping to shake the determination of the saints before executing them. The martyrs remained steadfast, saying that Panachida for All Souls Saturday the Old Testament Prophets bore witness to Christ, while Mohammed called himself a prophet without any other nd Sunday 03/08/20 20 11:00 AM 2 Sunday of The Great Fast +Olga Savko witnesses to support his claim. By David, Steven, Cathy NOTES FROM THE CANTOR’S MEETING 2/22/20 SICK AND SHUT-INS Please remember in your prayers our parishioners who are sick, The meeting was moderated by Deacon Jeffrey Mierzejewski of the Metropolitan Cantor Institute. The purpose homebound, hospitalized, living in nursing facilities, or need of the meeting was for Cantors to have an opportunity to present and discuss their needs and desires concerning our your prayers for their personal intentions: church singing, talk about what has worked in our different parishes, meet other cantors, and learn about church Andrew Cencarik, Don Downey, Phillip Fall, Anna D. Fialkovich, Mark Fialkovich, Benjamin music education and publications planned for the coming year. Kaefer, Jr., John Kopay, Jr., Sylvia Kopay, Mary Anne Ference Mistick, Richard Paloscko, One issue brought up was “How can we get the people who do not open their books and sing to open their Nancy Pcolar, Bob Newton, Rebecca McCullough, Will McCullough Shirley Carmoney Torbich, books and sing”. One suggestion was to have a meeting of the people and explain what their responsibility is while Marie Churley, Joanne Skinta, John Gegick and Those serving in the Armed Forces. attending Liturgy. Another issue had to do with the reciting of the Creed and the Our Father instead of singing the prayers. **If you have a family member in the hospital or other facilities, and would like us to remember A new Funeral Service book with music is in the works. Many cantors do not know the funeral service. There them in prayer, contact Father Vitalii and we will be glad to publish their name in the bulletin – even if they are was a suggestion that a funeral is an opportunity for the church to increase the membership in the church. Funeral not a parishioner of Saints Peter & Paul Parish. attendees may want to come to a Sunday service and try us out. There was also talk about including harmonizing in the Liturgy. DIVINE SERVICES ATTENDANCE By Andy Novotny The attendance for Sunday, February 23, was 51. The Lord Calls us to do God's Will. Pray that you may know God's Will in your life; especially, if you have the inclination that you are being called to the ordained or consecrated life. If you think God is calling you to be a priest, religious or deacon, contact Fr. Vitalii Stashkevych. PRAY FOR VOCATIONS The Byzantine Catholic Serra Club of Pittsburgh is an organization that fosters and promotes priesthood and religious vocations in the Byzantine Catholic Church. They also support Seminarians, Priests and Religious Sisters in their sacred ministry. The Byzantine Serra Club meets monthly. If you would like to join, call William Kress 412-761-1499 or email [email protected] Join the Serrans in their work to ensure the future of our Church. THIS WEEK’S USHER TEAM - Team C OUR GIFTS TO GOD AND OUR CHURCH, FABRUARY 23, 2020: SUNDAY OFFERING $ 701.00 LOOSE CASH 25.00 CHILDREN’S COLLECTION 4.00 CANDLES 42.00 MONTHLY 120.00 BCW 15.00 HOLY DAY 10.00 EASTERN EUROPE COLLECTION 25.00 TOTAL $ 942.00 CATHOLIC TEACHING INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT: BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES II. THE RESURRECTION - A WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY Author: Qohelet; Date Written: 970-225 BC Christ's Resurrection is an object of faith in that it is a transcendent intervention of God himself in creation and Ecclesiastes is a Wisdom book that explores life from a pessimistic perspective. history. In it the three divine persons act together as one, and manifest their own proper characteristics. the Father's While Proverbs proposes salient points of wisdom to be followed, Ecclesiastes power "raised up" Christ his Son and by doing so perfectly introduced his Son's humanity, including his body, into exposes the utter futility of human life without God. Qohelet (pronounced KO-HEL- the Trinity. Jesus is conclusively revealed as "Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his ET), the author of Ecclesiastes, cries "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" (1:2). Resurrection from the dead". St. Paul insists on the manifestation of God's power through the working of the Spirit Traditionally, Qohelet is identified with King Solomon as "son of David and king in who gave life to Jesus' dead humanity and called it to the glorious state of Lordship. Jerusalem," (1:1) but the book does not mention Solomon by name. Some scholars As for the Son, he effects his own Resurrection by virtue of his divine power. Jesus announces that the Son of posit a much later date for the book because of certain linguistic features. man will have to suffer much, die, and then rise. Elsewhere he affirms explicitly: "I lay down my life, that I may The book examines many issues, but the focus is on where human beings spend their energies. Qohelet rejects take it again. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." "We believe that Jesus died and rose three goals which people regularly pursue: knowledge, money and pleasure. Each one is "vanity and a striving after again." wind" (1:14). While he acknowledges the usefulness of knowledge and wisdom (7:12), Qohelet rejects seeking them The Fathers contemplate the Resurrection from the perspective of the divine person of Christ who remained as vain (1:17). The accumulation of wisdom and knowledge is merely a human undertaking when what God really united to his soul and body, even when these were separated from each other by death: "By the unity of the divine desires from us is obedience (12:13). nature, which remains present in each of the two components of man, these are reunited. For as death is produced by Work and money also play a central role in the book. Qohelet observes how people spend their days working the separation of the human components, so Resurrection is achieved by the union of the two." and toiling, but never seem to gain from it. Everyone seems stuck in a useless pattern of striving. Even those who achieve material success often find that they don't get to enjoy the fruits of their labor (6:2). Qohelet's observations III. THE MEANING AND SAVING SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION line up with the curse of toil that Adam received after the Fall (Gen 3:17).