28 February 2021
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21 February 2021
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Sunday Bulletin - February 21, 2021
Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
Tone 4
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Great-martyr Theodore Stratelates of Heraclea
Theodore was appointed military-commander in the city of Heraclea Pontica, during the time the emperor Licinius began a fierce persecution of Christians. Theodore was arrested and subjected to torture and crucified. In the morning the imperial soldiers found him alive and unharmed. Not wanting to flee a martyr's death, Theodore voluntarily surrendered to Licinius, and was beheaded by the sword.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Archpriest Sergei (Lukianov), Archpriest Boris, Priest Anthony, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Reader Samuel, Matushka Luba, Matushka Bridget, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick), Lorraine (Guglielmi), Michael (Champion), Ron (Vroom)
Sunday, February 21st Divine Liturgy offered:
For the health of:
Lorraine (Guglielmi), by Richard Elias Guglielmi
Michael (Champion) by his Family
Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family
For the memory of:
+ newly departed Monk Christian (Lesinsky), 40th day
+ newly departed Doris (Patrick)
+ Dragan (Novakovic)
+ Nicholas (Nayko) on 2nd anniversary, by Sokoluk & WinskyFamilies
+ Justine (Staso) on 23rd anniversary, by Staso Family
+ Anna (Greenjack) by Dennis Starr
Panykhida/Parastas, offered for the memory of the +newly departed Monk Christian, +Doris, and +Hanora, +Helen, & of the departed servants of God (monthly names), offered by families. Memory Eternal! Vechnaya Pamyat!
Installation of the 2021 Council* will be at the conclusion of Divine Liturgy
Flowers on the tetrapod and on the altar are offered in memory of departed servant of God +Nicholas Nayko on his 2nd anniversary, by Alexei, Anna, Luke, Lucia, Margueritte & Amelia
Troparion When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel / the joyous message of Thy resurrection, / they cast away the ancestral curse / and elatedly told the Apostles: / Death is overthrown! / Christ God is risen, / granting the world great mercy!
Kontakion My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earthborn from their chains. He has shattered the gates of hell, and as Master, He has risen on the third day!
Epistle 2 Timothy 3:10-15 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra-what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Luke 18:10-14 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Spiritual
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The city is maintaining limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Liturgical Calendar
Schedule of Services
Fasting Reminders:
Fast Free Week, Monday February 22nd through Saturday February 27th
Upcoming: Great Lent Begins Monday, March 15th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week,
Breakfast (Country)
9 slices bread
1 pound bulk sausage
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 cups milk
6 eggs
pepper
Remove crusts from bread, break into 1-inch cubes. Place into 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over bread, layer with sausage which has been sautéed and drained. Beat eggs, milk, and pepper; pour over layers. Refrigerate overnight. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving. Crisp bacon may be used instead of sausage.
By Helen Lysak (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Barbeque Beef
2 pounds ground beef
1 large green pepper, chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped fine
1 large bottle of ketchup (about 20 oz.)
1 Tablespoon dry or prepared mustard
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
small bottle of cocktail sauce
salt to taste
Fry out hamburger. Simmer onion, pepper, celery, sugar, salt, mustard, ketchup until onions, peppers, celery and cocktail sauce are clear and tender. Pour sauce over drained hamburger and cook for 1/2 hour.
By Helen E. Patrick (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Chicken Kiev
4 large boneless chicken half-breasts
4 ounces butter softened
grated zest and juice from one lemon
1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg
4 ounces white bread crumbs
oil
Cream butter with lemon zest and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice. Shape butter into block, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until set. Remove chicken skin, flatten between sheets of plastic wrap. Cut butter into 4 pieces and place in center of each chicken filet. Fold chicken edges neatly and roll up tightly. Secure with string. Beat egg and coat chicken with egg and then bread crumbs. Put in refrigerator until set. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry chicken slowly so it gets thoroughly cooked inside as well.
By Karen Zukowksky(St. Michael Church Cookbook 2004)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to office@saintmichaelsroc.org or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Thank you
Thanks goes to the three families who each sponsor the yearly 7-day vigil candles used for the Large Lampada hanging above Royal Doors, Lamps on the Tetrapod (two), and Lamps on the Confession Table two).
Prayers & Offerings
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Candles, light of light that never fades. We are honoring your requests for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2021
Fresh Flowers on the Tetrapod and Altar: Welcome, sponsors for the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar, weekly. Donations to help defray the costs are graciously accepted. Remember loved ones, by flowers "in memory of departed" and/or "in honor of" individual/families, or anonymously. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations, are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Fundraisers
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
New in 2021 GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Cards Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Administration
Congratulations, On Sunday, February 21st, the Installation of the 2021 Council* will be at the conclusion of Divine Liturgy. Thank you to each member for dedicating time and service to our church for the upcoming year.
President: Nadine Sokoluk
Vice President: Suzanne Veres
Treasurer: Debbie Barth
Assistant Treasurer: Charles Staso
Secretary: Kenneth Koscinski
Controller: Gregory Shast
Assistant Controller: Joel Patrick
Assistant Controller: Justine Paul
Trustees:
Melaney Bedard
Thom Nickels
Denise Rutherford
Joseph Rutherford
Tatiana Saverino Sarris
Maryann Storey
Genevieve Veres
Tatiana Veres
The parish Annual Meeting reconvened at 12:30pm on Sunday, February 14th. When called at the conclusion of Divine Liturgy on Sunday January 31st, 2021, it resulted in adjournment due to lack of quorum and inclement weather, following Sunday, February 7th. Dues are currently being accepted. Parishioner collection envelopes for 2021 arrived. Thanks to everyone for continuing support and service to our parish, may you have a blessed, healthy new year!
Update Contact Information, Please send an email to office@saintmichaelsroc.org with any updates to your address, phone number(s), email address(es) and/or preferred methods of communication for you and/or your family.
Friendly Reminder, Add address, FROM <saintmichaelroc@gmail.com> to your contacts list in order for you to help these parish emails arrive directly to your inbox. Without notice, emails may be delivered into your Spam folder, so please check. Adjustments to your settings and/or filters may also be helpful.
Community & Caring
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Charitable Deductions, please consult your tax advisor/preparer before acting. The following is for information purposes only. There is a new charitable deduction option for this year only – Take advantage of the new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provision that allows individuals to take a $300 charitable deduction for 2020 filers who claim the standard deduction.
Important Reminders
ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
INCLEMENT WEATHER & URGENT UPDATES: In the event of winter weather affecting services and important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
*with respect to pandemic
For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:
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14 February 2021
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31 January 2021
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Sunday Bulletin - January 31 , 2021
Thirty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 1
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Sainted Athanasias and Cyril were Archbishops of Alexandria, who are recognized for their incessant labour in affirmation of the dogmas of the Orthodox faith and their zealous defense of such against heretical teachings. Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Archpriest Sergei (Lukianov), Archpriest Boris, Priest Anthony, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Reader Samuel, Matushka Luba, Matushka Bridget, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick), Lorraine (Guglielmi), Michael (Champion)
Sunday, January 31st Divine Liturgy offered:
For the health of
Lorraine (Guglielmi), by Richard Elias Guglielmi
Michael (Champion) by his Family
Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family
For the memory of
+ newly departed Monk Christian (Lesinsky)
+ newly departed Doris (Patrick)
+ newly departed Hanora (Smarkola)
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ Dragan (Novakovic)
+ Anna (Kowal) by Dennis Starr
The Flowers on the tetrapod and on the altar are offered in memory of the newly departed servant of God, +Doris Patrick, by her parish family and friends
Troparion When the stone had been sealed by the Jews; / while the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure Body; / Thou didst rise on the third day, O Savior, / granting life to the world. / The powers of heaven therefore cried to Thee, O Giver of Life: / Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ! / Glory to Thy Kingdom! / Glory to Thy dispensation, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Kontakion As God, Thou didst rise from the tomb in glory, / raising the world with Thyself. / Human nature praises Thee as God, for death has vanished! / Adam exults, O Master! / Eve rejoices, for she is freed from bondage, and cries to Thee: / Thou art the Giver of Resurrection to all, O Christ!
Epistle Colossians 3:12-16 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Gospel Luke 18:18-27 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?" But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Spiritual
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The city is maintaining limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Liturgical Calendar
Schedule of Services
Fasting Reminders: Wednesday February 3rd and Friday February 5th, both Fast, Fish Allowed
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week,
Tuna Quadratini
2 cans tuna in vegetable oil (6 1/2 or 7 oz. size)
1 clove garlic
1 (6 oz.) can broiled mushroom crowns
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (8 oz.) package broad noodles, cooked
2 (10 oz.) package frozen, chopped spinach, cooked
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Drain vegetable oil from tuna in skillet, reserving tuna. Add garlic, mushroom crowns (reserving mushroom liquid), bay leaf, salt, basil and Tobasco. Sauté about 10 minutes. Add mushroom liquid, tomato sauce and tuna. In foil casserole, alternate layers of noodles, spinach and tuna in sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Chill, wrap and freeze. To serve: bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove cover. Bake 15 to 30 minutes longer. A deep casserole will take longer.
By Russian Baba? (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to the office or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Thank you
Christ Is Baptized! In the River Jordan! Thanks to everyone for their help in making the Great Feast of Holy Theophany a beautiful celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. The Great Blessing of the Waters is a joyous time to begin a year anew, to take the Holy water into ourselves, into our homes, and into our lives by the Priest blessing with it to make Holy those items of which are of this world, Christ Is Baptized! In the River Jordan!
Prayers & Offerings
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Candles, light of light that never fades. We are honoring your requests for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2021
Fresh Flowers on the Tetrapod and Altar: Welcome, sponsors for the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar, weekly. Donations to help defray the costs are graciously accepted. Remember loved ones, by flowers "in memory of departed" and/or "in honor of" individual/families, or anonymously. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations, are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Fundraisers
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
New in 2021 GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Cards Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office.
Administration
The Annual Meeting, is called for January 31st, 2021. It is under consideration with respect to the pandemic. Measures and guidelines remain in place. The licensing has been obtained in order to extend the courtesy of remote audio access. As specific details become available, you will be advised, promptly. A separate email with information regarding the meeting was previously sent. Dues are currently being accepted. Parishioner collection envelopes for 2021 arrived. Thanks to everyone for continuing support and service to our parish, may you have a blessed, healthy new year!
Update Contact Information, Please send an email to the office with any updates to your address, phone number(s), email address(es) and/or preferred methods of communication for you and/or your family.
Friendly Reminder, Add address, FROM <saintmichaelroc@gmail.com> to your contacts list in order for you to help these parish emails arrive directly to your inbox. Without notice, emails may be delivered into your Spam folder, so please check. Adjustments to your settings and/or filters may also be helpful.
Community & Caring
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to the office.
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Charitable Deductions, please consult your tax advisor/preparer before acting. The following is for information purposes only. There is a new charitable deduction option for this year only – Take advantage of the new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provision that allows individuals to take a $300 charitable deduction for 2020 filers who claim the standard deduction.
Important Reminders
ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
INCLEMENT WEATHER & URGENT UPDATES: In the event of winter weather affecting services and important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
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24 January 2021
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Sunday Bulletin - January 24, 2021
Thirty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday after the Baptism of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ
Tone 8
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Venerable Theodosius the Great, the Cenobiarch (529)
The Monk Theodosios the Great lived during the V-VI Centuries, and was the initiator of common-life (coenobitic) monasteries. He was born in Cappadocia of pious parents.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Archpriest Sergei (Lukianov), Archpriest Boris, Priest Anthony, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Reader Samuel, Matushka Luba, Matushka Bridget, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick), Lorraine (Guglielmi), Michael (Champion)
Sunday, January 24th Divine Liturgy offered:
For the health of
Lorraine (Guglielmi), by Richard Elias Guglielmi
Michael (Champion) by his Family
Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family
For the memory of
+ newly departed Monk Christian (Lesinsky)
+ newly departed Doris (Patrick)
+ newly departed Hanora (Smarkola)
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ Dragan (Novakovic)
+ Gabriel (Kowal) and + Mary (Prokopczek) by Dennis Starr
+ Valentina (Kunasz) and +Samuel (Sokoluk Sr), for birthday by the Kunasz and Williams Family
Panykhida/Parastas to follow Divine Liturgy, offered for memory of +newly departed servants +Monk Christian, +Doris, +Hanora, +Helen, & memory of departed servants +Dragan, + Samuel (Sokoluk Sr) & + Valentina (Kunasz) by Kunasz & Williams Family, monthly names offered by families. Memory Eternal! Vechnaya Pamyat!
The Flowers on the tetrapod and on the altar are offered in memory of + Valentina (Kunasz) and +Samuel (Sokoluk Sr), for birthday by the Kunasz and Williams Family
Troparion of the Sunday, Tone VIII —Thou didst descend from on high, O Merciful One! / Thou didst accept the three-day burial to free us from our sufferings! / O Lord, our Life and Resurrection: glory to Thee!
Kontakion of the Sunday, Tone VIII — By rising from the tomb, Thou didst raise the dead and resurrect Adam. / Eve exults in Thy Resurrection, / and the world celebrates Thy rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!
Epistle Ephesians 4:7-13 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says:"When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"-what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Gospel Matthew 4:12-17 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The city is maintaining limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Wednesday January 27th and Friday January 29th, both Fast, Fish Allowed
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one of these three recipes this week, for Christmas Eve. In some households, kutya is served on Christmas Eve, as the first course. On the anniversary of a death or on the 40th day, kutya is blessed in church and served.
Greek Festival Fish
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. black pepper
6 2pounds total white-fleshed fish fillets such as tilapia, flounder or sole
1 (4 oz.) pkg crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 9x11 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic and sauté until tender. Add tomatoes, wine, parsley, oregano, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Place half of the sauce mixture in baking dish. Arrange fish fillets over sauce and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork. Serve immediately.
By Mat. Pat Saverino (St. Michael Church Cookbook 2004)
Christ Is Baptized! In the River Jordan! Thanks to everyone for their help in making the Great Feast of Holy Theophany a beautiful celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. The Great Blessing of the Waters is a joyous time to begin a year anew, to take the Holy water into ourselves, into our homes, and into our lives by the Priest blessing with it to make Holy those items of which are of this world, Christ Is Baptized! In the River Jordan!
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations, are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office.
The Annual Meeting, is called for January 31st, 2021. It is under consideration with respect to the pandemic. Measures and guidelines remain in place. There is a diligent effort to obtain licensing in order to extend the courtesy of remote audio access. As specific details become available, you will be advised, promptly. Dues are currently being accepted. Parishioner collection envelopes for 2021 arrived. Thanks to everyone for continuing support and service to our parish, may you have a blessed, healthy new year!
Update Contact Information, Please send an email to the office with any updates to your address, phone number(s), email address(es) and/or preferred methods of communication for you and/or your family.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information to the office.
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Charitable Deductions, please consult your tax advisor/preparer before acting. The following is for information purposes only. There is a new charitable deduction option for this year only – Take advantage of the new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provision that allows individuals to take a $300 charitable deduction for 2020 filers who claim the standard deduction.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
INCLEMENT WEATHER & URGENT UPDATES: In the event of winter weather affecting services and important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:
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17 January 2021
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Sunday Bulletin - January 17, 2021
Thirty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 7
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Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick)
Sunday, January 17th Divine Liturgy offered:
For the health of
Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family
Christopher and Melaney (Bedard) on their 25th anniversary, by John Morgan, Alexei and family
For the memory of
+ newly departed Monk Christian (Lesinsky)
+ newly departed Hanora (Smarkola)
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ Dragan (Novakovic)
+ Mary (DeMeo), 6th anniversary, by Dennis Starr
+ Samuel (Sokoluk Sr) and + Valentina (Kunasz) on their shared birthday, by Kunasz and Williams Family
The Flowers on the tetrapod and on the altar are offered in memory of +Valentina (Kunasz) and +Samuel (Sokoluk Sr), on their shared birthday by the Kunasz and Williams Family
Troparion By Thy Cross, Thou didst destroy death! / To the thief, Thou didst open Paradise! / For the myrrhbearers, Thou didst change weeping into joy! / And Thou didst command Thy disciples, O Christ God, / to proclaim that Thou art risen, / granting the world great mercy!
Kontakion The dominion of death / can no longer hold men captive, / for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers! / Hell is bound, while the prophets rejoice and cry: /”The Savior has come to those in faith! / Enter, you faithful, into the Resurrection!
Epistle 2 Timothy 4:5-8 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Gospel Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The city is maintaining limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email the office to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders:
Christmas Season/Sviatki: Fast Free now to January 17th; Monday, January 18th Strict Fast
Christmas Season/Sviatki: FAST-FREE Recipes of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one of these three recipes this week, for Christmas Eve. In some households, kutya is served on Christmas Eve, as the first course. On the anniversary of a death or on the 40th day, kutya is blessed in church and served.
Church Windows
2 sticks margarine
1 pkg. mini marshmallows, colored (or white)
1 cup chopped walnuts or crunchy peanut butter
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (12-oz.) chocolate chips
Melt chocolate chips in double boiler; add margarine. When cool, mix 1 cup chopped nuts and marshmallows. Place in greased 9 x 9 inch pan. Sprinkle with flaked coconut. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into squares.
By Mary Sumilas (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Swedish Almond Cookies
3/4 cup ground almonds, unblanched
1/2 cup soft, unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Mix ground almonds, butter, flour, salt and cream in a saucepan over moderate heat. Butter cookie sheets and sift flour on cookie sheets. Drop by the teaspoonful about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 6 cookies at a time in a moderate oven 350 degrees, 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are brown and centers are bubbling. Loosen with a thin knife or spatula and roll each cookie.
By Hanora Smarkola (St. Michael Church Cookbook 2004)
Easy Cake
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 cup cracked walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat together eggs and sugar using electric mixer. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda; blend well and beat into egg and flour mixture. Mix pineapple and nuts. Add to egg and flour mixture. Stir well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 45 minutes. Test with toothpick to see if done. Ice with cream cheese icing.
By Vera Bronsky (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to the office or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Christ Is Born! Glorify Him! Thank you to everyone for making our celebration of the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ very special. The warmth and love felt throughout the preparations, Nativity Eve Vigil and Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day made all the difference in experiencing the great joy of the Feast as celebrated. May God bless those working hands, gleeful voices and dedicated hearts for many years
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations, are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office.
The Annual Meeting, which traditionally is called the last Sunday in January, this year the date is January 31st, 2021, it is under consideration with respect to the pandemic. As further details become available, you will be advised, promptly. Dues are currently being accepted. Parishioner collection envelopes for 2021 arrived. Thanks to everyone for continuing support and service to our parish, may you have a blessed, healthy new year!
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to the office.
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
INCLEMENT WEATHER & URGENT UPDATES: In the event of winter weather affecting services and important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
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10 January 2021
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Sunday Bulletin - January 10, 2021
Thirty-First Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 6
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Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick)
Sunday, January 10th Divine Liturgy offered:
For the health of
Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family
Kenneth (Koscinski), on his birthday, by Alexei, Lucia & Amelia
For the memory of
+ newly departed Hanora (Smarkola)
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ Dragan (Novakovic), 40th day
+ Mary (DeMeo), 6th anniversary, by Sokoluk Family
Beautiful red and white poinsettias in the church are in honor of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!
Troparion of the Sunday, Tone VI The angelic powers were at Thy tomb; / the guards became as dead men. / Mary stood by Thy grave, / seeking Thy most pure Body. / Thou didst capture hell, / not being tempted by it. / Thou didst come to the Virgin, granting life. / O Lord, Who didst rise from the dead: glory to Thee!
Kontakion of the Sunday, Tone VI When Christ God, the Giver of Life, / raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery with His mighty hand, / He bestowed resurrection on the human race. / He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life, and the God of all.
Epistle Galatians 1:11-19 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother.
Gospel Matthew 2:13-23 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more." Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The city is maintaining limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email the office to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders:
Christmas Season/Sviatki: Fast Free now to January 17th; Monday, January 18th Strict Fast
CHRIST IT BORN! GLORIFY HIM! FAST-FREE Recipes of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one of these three recipes this week, for Christmas Eve. In some households, kutya is served on Christmas Eve, as the first course. On the anniversary of a death or on the 40th day, kutya is blessed in church and served.
PIROSHKI
Dough:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 pound margarine
6 Tbsp. ice water
Mix together flour and salt. Add margarine and crumble as for pie dough. Add ice water to form a ball. Refrigerate 1 hour. Roll out dough and cut into circles, large enough to hold 1 teaspoon filling. Fold over and pinch ends together, then press ends lightly with tongs of fork. Place side by side on cookie sheet. Brush with egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from sheet. Cool on rack. (Can be frozen and stored in plastic bags).
Filling (Meat):
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. margarine
Sauté until brown. Then blend in 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 1/2 Tablespoon dill weed, 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped or 1/2 cup rice.
Filling (Cabbage):
6 cups cabbage, chopped in blender (1 1/4 pound)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 Tbsp. magarine
finely chopped hard cooked egg
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. dill weed
Chop cabbage. Cover with boiling water. Drain. Toss with salt and drain for 15 minutes. In a large skillet, sauté onions in margarine. Stir in cabbage and cook slowly until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Mix in finely chopped hard cooked egg, pepper and dill weed. Cool.
By Olga Olsen (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
OLD PHILADELPHIA PEPPER POT SOUP
(Great Granny Wachter's)
4 quarts water
2 pounds beef, diced
2 pounds tripe, diced
1 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (or more to taste)
Put ingredients in a large soup pot. Cook until beef and tripe are tender.
Add:
2 cups dumplings
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. sweet marjoram
Cook for five minutes more. If needed add more water.
Dumplings:
2 cups Bisquick
water (just enough to hold together)
Roll on floured board a small amount about as thick as your little finger. Cut into small pieces.
By Helen E. Pron (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
DRIED BEEF ROLL
8 oz. cream cheese
1 pkg. dried beef, chopped
1/2 small onion
Tabasco sauce to taste
horseradish to taste
salt and pepper to taste
garlic to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Mix 1/2 package of beef with all of the ingredients. Mold and let set until firm. Roll into remainder of beef. Wrap in wax paper and chill. Serve with crackers.
By Anne Kobasa (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to the office or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations, are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office.
Call for Nominations: As we start the new year and continue our efforts to sustain and move our parish forward, now is the time to consider serving on Church Council. You will join a dedicated group of parishioners who provide insight, advise and work with Fr. Luka to grow St. Michael's parish. If you would like to serve on Council for 2021 please contact Joel Patrick, Mark Yuschak or Barbara Saverino by January 10th. Thank you.
The Annual Meeting, which traditionally takes place the last Sunday in January, is under consideration with respect to the pandemic. As details become available, you will be advised, promptly. Dues are currently being accepted. Parishioner collection envelopes for 2021 arrived. Thanks to everyone for continuing support and service to our parish, may you have a blessed, healthy new year!
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to the office.
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
INCLEMENT WEATHER & URGENT UPDATES: In the event of winter weather affecting services and important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
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3 Janaury 2021
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Sunday Before the Nativity
"On the Sunday before the Nativity, the Holy Fathers have instituted the Commemoration of the Genealogy of our Saviour Jesus Christ, in which we include not only His ancestors according to the flesh from Adam to Joseph the Betrothed of the Mother of God, but all the Righteous and the Prophets, who, by their words or deeds, announced the coming in the flesh of the Son of God." (Synaxarion)
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick)
Sunday, January 3rd Divine Liturgy offered:
For the health of
Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family
For the memory of
+ newly departed Hanora (Smarkola)
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ newly departed Dragan (Novakovic)
+ Olga (Spagnola) by her family, John and Diane Manziano
Flower Bouquet on altar is in memory of +Olga (Spagnola) at Christmas, Memory Eternal!
Troparion of the Sunday, Tone V — Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, / Co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, / born for our salvation from the Virgin, / for He willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, / to endure death / and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection.
Kontakion of the Sunday, Tone V — Thou didst descend into hell, O my Savior, / shattering its gates as almighty; / resurrecting the dead as Creator, / and destroying the sting of death. / Thou hast delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of Man, / and we all cry to Thee: "O Lord, save us!"
Epistle Hebrews 11:9-10, 17-23, 32-40 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called, "concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Gospel Matthew 1:1-25 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us." Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The city is maintaining limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email the office to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast now to January 6th, Fast Free January 7th to Jan 17th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one of these three recipes this week, for Christmas Eve. In some households, kutya is served on Christmas Eve, as the first course. On the anniversary of a death or on the 40th day, kutya is blessed in church and served.
Kutia Christmas Wheat
1 pound shelled wheat
3 quarts water
1 cup boiling water
1 cup honey
1 cup ground poppy seed
chopped nuts
Bring to boil shelled wheat in water. Simmer 3 hours. Cool. Before serving, discard starch skin and pour on 1 cup boiling water. Stir to separate kernels. Sweeten to taste with 1 cup honey. Add 1 cup ground poppy seed. Cool. Garnish with chopped nuts. Serves 12.
By Russian Baba (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Kutya on Special Days
1/2 pound barley
4 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 cup honey
2 Tbsp. ground poppy seed
2 Tbsp. chopped nuts
Boil barley in salted water until tender; strain. Pour water over and strain again. Let cool. Mix honey with poppyseed or nuts. When ready to serve pour over barley mixture or mix in.
By Carol Kauriga (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Kutya
1 pound cracked white wheat kernels
1 1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 Tbsp. poppyseed
Soak wheat in a 4 quart saucepan overnight. Drain water, then fill it with warm water until it covers the kernels and cook covered until kernels are soft (approximately 1 hour). Drain, mix all the remixing ingredients with wheat; let cool.
By Justine Paul (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to the office or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations, are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office.
Call for Nominations: As we start the new year and continue our efforts to sustain and move our parish forward, now is the time to consider serving on Church Council. You will join a dedicated group of parishioners who provide insight, advise and work with Fr. Luka to grow St. Michael's parish. If you would like to serve on Council for 2021 please contact Joel Patrick, Mark Yuschak or Barbara Saverino by January 10th. Thank you.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information to the office.
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
INCLEMENT WEATHER & URGENT UPDATES: In the event of winter weather affecting services and important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
|
27 December 2020
|
Sunday Bulletin - December 27, 2020
Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 4
|
 |
|
Week of the Holy Forefathers
On this Sunday, in preparation of the Nativity of our Lord, we remember the Patriarch Abraham and his lineage, ancestors of Christ.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Hanora (Smarkola), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia
Sunday, December 27th Divine Liturgy:
For the health of
Heiromonk Sylvester
Lucia (Sokoluk) for her name day by her Godparents
Amelia (Sokoluk) by Sokoluk Family
For the memory of
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ newly departed Dragan (Novakovic)
+ (Louis) Elias (Martin) by Sunny Vera Lawrence
+ Maria , + Stephen, + Elsa, + Dorothy, + James by Marlene Blaskevitch
Flowers in the church are in honor of Lucia (Sokoluk) for her name day, (Holy Martyr Lucia Dec 26th), donated by her Godparents, Spraznikom!
Troparion Tone IV When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel / the joyous message of Thy resurrection, / they cast away the ancestral curse / and elatedly told the Apostles: / Death is overthrown! / Christ God is risen, / granting the world great mercy!
Kontakion Tone IV My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earthborn from their chains. He has shattered the gates of hell, and as Master, He has risen on the third day!
Epistle Colossians 3:4-11 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Gospel Luke 14:16-24 Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 'For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.' "
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The state is strengthening limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast, now to January 6th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week.
Tea Wafers
1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cup flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup nuts, chopped
4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Grease two baking sheets, 12 x15-inch; chill. Cream shortening, confectioners sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add water alternately with combined flour and salt, beating well after each addition. Blend in nuts. Place half of cookie mixture on each prepared sheet, spreading with spatula almost to the edges. Mark batter in 2-inch diamond shapes with a sharp knife. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 325-degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove baking sheets from oven and cut through marked squares; cool on rack. Makes 60 squares.
By Carol Kauriga (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to office@saintmichaelsroc.org or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Thank you and warmest regards to everyone in the parish family and friends, from the Grzybowski family. They would like to thank you for all of the prayers, kind words, and loving thoughts. May God bless all of you.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:
|
27 December 2020
|
Sunday Bulletin - December 27, 2020
Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 4
|
|
|
|
Week of the Holy Forefathers
On this Sunday, in preparation of the Nativity of our Lord, we remember the Patriarch Abraham and his lineage, ancestors of Christ.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Hanora (Smarkola), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia
Sunday, December 27th Divine Liturgy:
For the health of
Heiromonk Sylvester
Lucia (Sokoluk) for her name day by her Godparents
Amelia (Sokoluk) by Sokoluk Family
For the memory of
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ newly departed Dragan (Novakovic)
+ (Louis) Elias (Martin) by Sunny Vera Lawrence
+ Maria , + Stephen, + Elsa, + Dorothy, + James by Marlene Blaskevitch
Flowers in the church are in honor of Lucia (Sokoluk) for her name day, (Holy Martyr Lucia Dec 26th), donated by her Godparents, Spraznikom!
Troparion Tone IV When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel / the joyous message of Thy resurrection, / they cast away the ancestral curse / and elatedly told the Apostles: / Death is overthrown! / Christ God is risen, / granting the world great mercy!
Kontakion Tone IV My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earthborn from their chains. He has shattered the gates of hell, and as Master, He has risen on the third day!
Epistle Colossians 3:4-11 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Gospel Luke 14:16-24 Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 'For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.' "
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The state is strengthening limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast, now to January 6th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week.
Tea Wafers
1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cup flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup nuts, chopped
4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Grease two baking sheets, 12 x15-inch; chill. Cream shortening, confectioners sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add water alternately with combined flour and salt, beating well after each addition. Blend in nuts. Place half of cookie mixture on each prepared sheet, spreading with spatula almost to the edges. Mark batter in 2-inch diamond shapes with a sharp knife. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 325-degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove baking sheets from oven and cut through marked squares; cool on rack. Makes 60 squares.
By Carol Kauriga (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to office@saintmichaelsroc.org or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Thank you and warmest regards to everyone in the parish family and friends, from the Grzybowski family. They would like to thank you for all of the prayers, kind words, and loving thoughts. May God bless all of you.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:
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20 December 2020
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Sunday Bulletin - December 20, 2020
Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 2
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Saint Ambrose of Milan
Sainted Ambrose, Bishop of Mediolanum (Milan), was born in the year 340 into the family of the Roman governor of Gaul (now France). He combined strict temperance, intense vigilance and work within the fulfilling of his duties.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Hanora (Smarkola), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow)
Sunday, December 20th Divine Liturgy:
For the memory of
+ newly departed Patriarch Irinej
+ newly departed Dragan (Novakovic)
+ newly departed Helen (Kaczmarczik)
+ Louis Elias (Martin) by Sunny Vera Lawrence
+ Nicholas (Zubko) by Sokoluk Family
+ Nicholas (Nayko) by Winsky & Sokoluk Families
+ Maria , + Stephen, + Elsa, + Dorothy, + James by Marlene Blaskevitch
For the health of
Hieromonk Sylvester
Panykhida/Parastas to follow Divine Liturgy, offered for memory of the +newly departed Helen, +newly departed Patriarch Irinej, +newly departed Dragan, and departed servants monthly names by families. Memory Eternal! Vechnaya Pamyat!
Please note: Father Luka has returned safely, from attending the funeral of his father. Father Gregory (Winsky) will be serving Divine Liturgy on Sunday, to accommodate the health and safety concerns of our parishioners. Also, in the case of emergency, please contact Fr. Luka at (239) 785-4484 or Nadine Sokoluk, by either phone number (610) 368-5251 or (610) 521-3543 or by email office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Flowers in the church for the Feast of Saint Nicholas, are in honor of all those servants, Nikolai, celebrating their name day, Spraznikohm, and in memory of those departed servants, Nikolai, of our parish, Memory Eternal!
Troparion Tone III Let the heavens rejoice, / let the earth be glad! / For the Lord has shown might with His arm,/ He has trampled down death by death. / He has become the first-born of the dead. / He has delivered us from the depths of hell, / and has granted the world great mercy!
Kontakion Tone III On this day Thou didst rise from the tomb, O Merciful One, / leading us from the gates of death. / On this day Adam exults as Eve rejoices; / with the prophets and patriarchs they unceasingly praise / the divine majesty of Thy power!
Epistle Colossians 1:12-18 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Gospel Luke 17:12-19 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The state is strengthening limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast, now to January 6th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week.
Potato Pancakes (lenten)
4 large potatoes, grated
1 medium onion, grated
3 cups flour
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
Grate the potatoes and the onion. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Put the potatoes, onions, the flour mixture in a large bowl and beat well with a fork or a hand mixer. Add water and oil to the mixture; beat well.
Prepare a frying pan with about 2 Tablespoons oil and be sure pan is hot. Make the pancakes using a serving spoon to put the batter into the frying pan. Fry on both sides (about 2 minutes each side) until crisp and golden in color. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with corn oil margarine and grape jelly.
By Tanya Kauriga (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to office@saintmichaelsroc.org or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Property Update: The heater for the hall, serves us well amidst the winter's cold. The unit went down, last week, thus needing serious attention. Thanks be to God, the heater service company was available to be onsite, and repair the unit, immediately. Schedule for services were not interrupted, by the grace of God.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
GIANT & Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Thank you and warmest regards to everyone in the parish family and friends, from the Grzybowski family. They would like to thank you for all of the prayers, kind words, and loving thoughts. May God bless all of you.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:
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13 December 2020
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Sunday Bulletin - December 13, 2020
Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 2
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The Holy Apostle Andrew
The Holy Apostle Andrew was the first of the Apostles to follow Christ, and he afterwards brought to Christ his own brother the holy Apostle Peter. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, Saint Andrew set off preaching the Word of God to the Eastern lands.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Hanora (Smarkola), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow)
Sunday, December 13th Divine Liturgy:
For the memory of
+ newly departed Patriarch Irinej
+ newly departed Dragan (Novakovic)
+ Louis Elias (Martin) by Sunny Vera Lawrence
For the health of
Andrew (Kauriga) on his name day by Family
Please note: Father Luka has returned safely, from attending the funeral of his father. Father Gregory (Winsky) will be serving Divine Liturgy on Sunday, to accommodate the health and safety concerns of our parishioners. Also, in the case of emergency, please contact Fr. Luka at (239) 785-4484 or Nadine Sokoluk, by either phone number (610) 368-5251 or (610) 521-3543 or by email office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Flowers in the church on the Feast of The Holy Apostle Andrew the First Called, are in honor of all those servants, Andrew, celebrating their name day, Spraznikohm, and in memory of those departed servants, Andrew, of our parish, Memory Eternal!
Troparion Tone II When Thou didst descend to death, O Life immortal, / Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead! / And when from the depths Thou didst raise the dead, / all the powers of heaven cried out: / O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to Thee!
Kontakion Tone II Hell became afraid, O Almighty Savior, / seeing the miracle of Thy Resurrection from the tomb! / The dead arose! Creation, with Adam, beheld this and rejoiced with Thee! / And the world, O my Savior, praises Thee forever.
Epistle Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Gospel Luke 13:10-17 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day." The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath? And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The state is strengthening limitations, citing there is a significant increase in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast, now to January 6th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week.
Copper Pennies
2 lb. carrots, sliced and cooked until tender (2 cans sliced carrots can be used)
1 large onion, cut into rings
1 large green pepper, cut into rings
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl mix all the ingredients and pour over vegetables. Let stand overnight in refrigerator. Serve chilled.
By Sandra Compo (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to office@saintmichaelsroc.org or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening, as it once did prior to the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.
Property Update: The heater for the hall, serves us well amidst the winter's cold. The unit went down, this week, thus needing serious attention. Thanks be to God, the heater service company was available to be onsite, and repair the unit, immediately. Schedule for services were not interrupted, by the grace of God.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
Shop Rite Gift Card Fundraising Program All of us are shopping for groceries to feed ourselves and our families. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite store. Details upon request, email the office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Thank you and warmest regards to everyone in the parish family and friends, from the Grzybowski family. They would like to thank you for all of the prayers, kind words, and loving thoughts. May God bless all of you.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:
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6 December 2020
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Sunday Bulletin - December 6, 2020
Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 1
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Saint Alexander Nevsky
Saint Alexander Nevsky served as Prince of Novgorod in the 13th century and is commonly regarded as a key figure of medieval Rus. He preserved Russian statehood and Russian Orthodoxy and was known for his military victories. He was canonized as a saint in 1547.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Hanora (Smarkola), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow)
Sunday, December 6th Divine Liturgy:
For the memory of + newly departed Patriarch Irinej
+ newly departed Dragan (Novakovic)
+ Helen (Karnick) birthday
+ Julia Ann (Sokoluk) anniversary by Dimirti
+ Gregory, infant (Sokoluk) anniversary by Sokoluk Family
Flowers in the church are donated in memory of Patriarch Irinej and Dragan (Novakovic), (Memory Eternal! Vechnaya Pamyat!
Troparion– Tone I When the stone had been sealed by the Jews; / while the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure Body; / Thou didst rise on the third day, O Savior, / granting life to the world. / The powers of heaven therefore cried to Thee, O Giver of Life: / Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ! / Glory to Thy Kingdom! / Glory to Thy dispensation, O Thou Who lovest mankind.
Kontakion – Tone I As God, Thou didst rise from the tomb in glory, / raising the world with Thyself. / Human nature praises Thee as God, for death has vanished! / Adam exults, O Master! / Eve rejoices, for she is freed from bondage, and cries to Thee: / Thou art the Giver of Resurrection to all, O Christ!
Epistle Ephesians 5:8-19 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
Gospel Luke 12:16-21 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." 'But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast, now to January 6th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week.
Pasta Flora
1 cup pure vegetable shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or toasted almonds (optional)
1 lb. apricot, pineapple, or cherry preserves
Cream shortening and sugar. Add juice and flavorings; blend well. Stir in flour, salt, baking powder, soda and nuts; knead slightly. Press two-thirds of dough into ungreased 9 x 13-inch pan; spread with preserves. Roll remaining dough into strips and place over preserves in lattice fashion. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
By Carol Kauriga (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to office@saintmichaelsroc.org or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Weekly Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations. Online and by mail. Donations are being accepted in multiple way including PayPal. Visit our website for details. Use online options for weekly envelope donations and special contributions. Traditional mail is welcome also. Thank you for your support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
Grocery Gift Card Fundraising Program - Do you shop at Shop Rite? All of us are shopping for groceries to feed ourselves and our families. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite store. Details upon request, email the office@saintmichaelsroc.org
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to office@saintmichaelsroc.org
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
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29 November 2020
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Sunday Bulletin - November 29, 2020
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 8
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The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew was a tax-collector for Rome, in a time when the Jews had come under the rule of the Roman empire. Matthew, acknowledging his sinfulness, recompensed fourfold anyone he had overcharged, and he distributed his remaining possessions to the poor, and together with the other apostles he followed after Christ.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Hanora (Smarkola), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow)
Sunday, November 29th Divine Liturgy:
For the memory of + newly departed Patriarch Irinej
Flowers in the church are donated in memory of Patriarch Irinej, Memory Eternal! Vechnaya Pamyat!
Troparion– Tone VIII Thou didst descend from on high, O Merciful One! / Thou didst accept the three-day burial to free us from our sufferings! / O Lord, our Life and Resurrection: glory to Thee!
Kontakion – Tone VIII By rising from the tomb, Thou didst raise the dead and resurrect Adam. / Eve exults in Thy Resurrection, / and the world celebrates Thy rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!
Epistle Ephesians 4:1-6 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Gospel Luke 10:25-37 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' " And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.' So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Dear Brothers and Sisters, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email the office to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast, now to January 6th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week.
Mushroom Barley Soup
1 cup barley
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 onion, diced
6 quarts water
1 1/2 lb. mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
4 sprigs each: fresh parsley and dill
salt and pepper
Peel and slice mushrooms and sauté in 2 tablespoons of oil. Cook barley in six quarts of water until almost tender. Skimming the starch off the top. Add more water if needed. Add carrots, celery, onion, and clove of garlic. Add can of soup, parsley, and dill. When carrots and celery are cooked, add sautéed mushrooms and cook 5 minutes longer. Add two level tablespoons of sugar (optional). Salt and pepper to taste.
By Alice DiAntonio (St. Michael Church Cookbook 1978)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe the office or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Memory Eternal, Archpriest Benedict Tallant reposed in the Lord On Saturday, November 7th - Demetrius Parental Saturday, Archpriest Benedict Tallant, rector emeritus of St. Nicholas Church in Brookside, Alabama reposed in the Lord. Fr. Benedict was one of the senior-most clerics of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, having been ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1962 by Bishop Dositheius (Ivanchenko). Fr. Benedict served as rector of St. Nicholas Church for 55 years until his retirement as rector in 2018. The clergy and faithful of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA express their sincerest condolences to the parish and family of the newly-reposed. On November 11-12, the clergy and parishioners of St. Nicholas Church in Brookside, AL bade farewell to their beloved longtime rector, Archpriest Benedict Tallant.
Weekly Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations. Online and By Mail. Donations are being accepted in multiple ways, including PayPal. Visit our website for details. Use online options for weekly envelope donations and special contributions. Traditional mail is welcome, too. Thank you for your support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
Grocery Gift Card Fundraising Program - Do you shop at Shop Rite? All of us are shopping for groceries to feed ourselves and our families. Do you recall, that we have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains, such as Shop Rite, in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite store. Details upon request, email the office.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information to the office.
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
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22 November Bulletin
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Sunday Bulletin - November 22nd, 2020
Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 7
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Saint Theoctiste of Lesbos
The Nun Theoktista was born on the island of Lezbia in the 800s. At an early age she was left a total orphan, and relatives gave her over for raising to a monastery.
Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Hieromonk Savvaty, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Monk Christian, Reader Samuel, Nadine (Schmidt), Hanora (Smarkola), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Doris (Patrick), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow)
Sunday, November 22nd Divine Liturgy:
For the memory of + newly departed Patriarch Irinej
For the health of Andrew (Kauriga) by Family
Panikhida/Parastas following Divine Liturgy in memory of newly departed + Patriarch Irinej of Serbia
Flowers in the church for Patronal Feast are donated in memory of all our dear departed Brothers & Sisters of our parish, as well as in honor of all our dear Brothers & Sisters of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish
Troparion– Tone VII By Thy Cross, Thou didst destroy death! / To the thief, Thou didst open Paradise! / For the myrrhbearers, Thou didst change weeping into joy! / And Thou didst command Thy disciples, O Christ God, / to proclaim that Thou art risen, / granting the world great mercy!
Kontakion – Tone VII The dominion of death / can no longer hold men captive, / for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers! / Hell is bound, while the prophets rejoice and cry: /”The Savior has come to those in faith! / Enter, you faithful, into the Resurrection!
Epistle Ephesians 2:14-22 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Gospel Luke 8:41-56 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' "But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher." But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week, city officials announced reaffirmation of restrictions to take effect within the city to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.
Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.
We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.
Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email the office to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number). Alternating attendance may be necessary to accommodate.
Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.
Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons
How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.
Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.
General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.
We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:
All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.
We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.
O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.
For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (239) 785-4484. Please add Fr. Luka's direct phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference.
Schedule of Services:
Fasting Reminders: Wednesday November 25th & Friday November 27th
Nativity (St. Philip's) Fast begins Saturday, November 28th to January 6th
Fasting Recipe of the Week
Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite inspirational lenten recipes. Try one this week.
Vareniki (Lenten)
5 cups flour
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
Mix flour, salt, oil, and add water gradually to make a stiff dough. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and allow to stand in refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Cut into thirds. Roll out on floured board. Cut into circles with large glass. Fill half of the circle and fold. Pinch edges together well. Put into a pot of boiling water. Boil for about 10 minutes. They will rise to the top. Remove from water and toss with onions fried in oil. Yield about 50.
Potato and Onion Filling:
3lbs potatoes and 1 large onion, diced.
Boil potatoes and mash. Add onion fried in oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Potato and Sauerkraut Filling:
5 large potatoes, 1 small can sauerkraut, 1 large onion, diced and oil.
Boil potatoes and mash. Add sauerkraut drained and chopped and onions fried in oil. Season to taste.
Prune Filling:
1 lb prunes. Boil prunes and remove pits. Cool. Treat as above.
By Carol Kauriga (St. Michael Church Cookbook 2004)
Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to the office or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." We will share one recipe per week in the bulletin. There is no limit on submissions, however, we will give priority to those whose recipe has not yet appeared. Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.
Candles, requests are being accepted for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.
Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.
A. 7-day vigils $4.00
B. Beeswax $2.00
C. Thin Taper $1.00
D. Tea Lights .50 cents
Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.
Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr Luka for details.
Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2020-2021
Memory Eternal, Archpriest Benedict Tallant reposed in the Lord On Saturday, November 7th - Demetrius Parental Saturday, Archpriest Benedict Tallant, rector emeritus of St. Nicholas Church in Brookside, Alabama reposed in the Lord. Fr. Benedict was one of the senior-most clerics of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, having been ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1962 by Bishop Dositheius (Ivanchenko). Fr. Benedict served as rector of St. Nicholas Church for 55 years until his retirement as rector in 2018. The clergy and faithful of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA express their sincerest condolonces to the parish and family of the newly-reposed. On November 11-12, the clergy and parishioners of St. Nicholas Church in Brookside, AL bade farewell to their beloved longtime rector, Archpriest Benedict Tallant.
Weekly Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations. Online and By Mail. Donations are being accepted in multiple ways, including PayPal. Visit our website for details. Use online options for weekly envelope donations and special contributions. Traditional mail is welcome, too. Thank you for your support of our parish, now and always.
Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.
Grocery Gift Card Fundraising Program - Do you shop at Shop Rite? All of us are shopping for groceries to feed ourselves and our families. Do you recall, that we have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains, such as Shop Rite, in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite store. Details upon request, email the office.
FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to the office.
Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.
Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
Fresh Flowers: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.
REMINDER ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED
URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.
Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:
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