Sunday of the Man Born Blind

May 9, 2010

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So he went and washed and came back able to see. (John 9:5-7)
The Church presents a poor man who was born blind. The Jews believed that his blindness was God’s punishment for some sin. Christ declared that his misfortune was not punishment, but an act of divine providence “that the goodness and wisdom of God may become known to the world through the sufferings of men”. (My Divine Friend)
“O Christ, I, who am spiritually blind, Come to You as the man born blind did, saying in repentance: You are a radiant light to those who dwell in darkness.” Kondak of the Sunday
ASCENSION THURSDAY – May 13, 2010
“And (behold) I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then he led them (out) as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. Luke 24: 49-51
The feast of the Lord’s Ascension always falls on a Thursday, on the fortieth day after Christ’s resurrection. This is one of the principal feast days of our Lord and therefore, has a post-feast of nine days. It celebrates the memory of Christ’s Ascension into heaven and underscores its significance for Christ and for us. St. John Chrysostom, in his homily on the Ascension says: “Today the human race is completely reconciled with God. The ancient battle and enmity have disappeared. We, who were unworthy to live even on earth – are now lifted up to heaven. Today we become heirs to the kingdom of heaven, we, who do not even deserve earth, we ascend to heaven and inherit the throne of the King and Lord. Human nature, against which the cherubim guarded paradise, is now raised up above all the cherubim.” Julian J. Katrij, OSBM, A Byzantine Rite Liturgical Year

DIVINE LITURGY / SERVICES SCHEDULE
Sat. May 8 – 4:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy – Youth of Our Parish
Followed by a short Moleben to the Mother of God
Sun. May 9 – 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy – God’s Blessing for Parishioners
Followed by a short Moleben to the Mother of God
Mon. May 10 – NO SERVICES
Tues. May 11 – NO SERVICES
Wed. May 12 – NO SERVICES
ASCENSION OF OUR LORD (Obligation)
Thurs. May 13 – 6:30 p.m. Divine Liturgy & Myrovania
†Sophie Kreitzer – Antonishak Family
Fri. May 7 – 9:00 a.m. †Walter & †Anna Hrynkiw – Walter S. Hrynkiw
Sat. May 8 – 3:45 p.m. Recitation of the Rosary
4:00 p.m. †Louise Morika – Mr. & Mrs. Peter Morika
Followed by a short Moleben to the Mother of God
Sun. May 9 – 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy – God’s Blessing for Parishioners
Followed by a short Moleben to the Mother of God
Divine Liturgies for St. Vladimir (Edwardsville)
Saturday 6:00 p.m. English – Sunday 10:30 a.m. Slavonic

Christ is Risen! – Indeed He Is Risen!

WELCOME – To all who are tired and need rest; to all who mourn and need comfort; to all who are friendless and need friendship; to all who are discouraged and need hope; to all who are hopeless and need sheltered love; to all who sin and need a Savior; and to whomsoever will, THIS CHURCH OPENS WIDE ITS DOORS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. To all who are worshipping with us today – WELCOME!
REMINDER – KNEELING – As is our custom, from Easter until the Pentecost the faithful will stand at services during those times when they would normally kneel. In this way we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. For those whom, due to health concerns, standing for long periods is not possible, sitting is permitted.
LITURGY REQUESTS – We ask that if you have dates on which you would like a liturgy offered that you make those requests as early as possible. Request for liturgy dates will be assigned in the order in which they are received. Contact the rectory office to make your requests.
STAYING IN TOUCH – If there is anyone who is regularly unable to attend liturgy but would like to keep in touch with what’s going on in the parish, please contact the rectory office about receiving a copy of the bulletin through the mail.
ASCENSION THURSDAY – Liturgy for this Holy Day of Obligation will be celebrated on Thursday, May 13th at 6:30 p.m. Myrovania will follow the Liturgy.
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS – Birthday Greetings to Stephen Mykulyn (5/12). May God grant him long life, good health and happiness. MNOHAYA BLAHAYA LITA! – KRISTOS VOSKRES!
MOTHER’S DAY CARNATIONS – This weekend we will again support the efforts of the Pro-Life Center in defending human life by participating in the 32nd Annual Carnation Drive. All proceeds will aid mothers and babies. Suggested donation is $1.
PRESENTATION OF FLOWERS TO THE HOLY THEOTOKOS – We ask that the children of the parish attending Liturgy participate in the presentation of flowers to Our Most Holy Mother before the Liturgy. The Children will process into church along with the Initiates and present flowers before the icon of the Blessed Mother.
CHILDREN TO RECEIVE HOLY MYSTERIES – This weekend, two of our young parishioners will receive sacraments of Christian initiation. Alexander Mykulyn will receive the Mystery of Reconciliation (Penance) and Allyse Filipowich will receive Holy Eucharist and Mystery of Reconciliation. They will be joined by the following youth from St. Vladimir’s who will also receive here. Ricky and Rachel Woodich will will receive Holy Eucharist and Mystery of Reconciliation and Laura Woodich will receive Holy Eucharist. We ask God’s blessings on them on this important day. May they enjoy long life, good health and happiness. MNOHAYA BLAHAYA LITA! – KRISTOS VOSKRES!
CAKE & COFFEE SOCIAL – Please join us in celebrating the Youth of our parish at a Cake and Coffee Social, following the English Liturgy.
COUNCILS TO MEET – Member of the Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils are asked to attend a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 18th at 6:30 p.m. in the church basement.
L.U.C. NEWS: MAY MEETING ANNOUNCED – Saints Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, 20 Nottingham St., Plymouth, will sponsor the next meeting of the North Anthracite Council of the L.U.C., on Sunday, May 16, 2010. Prayer Service begins at 2 p.m., with meeting and fellowship social to follow. Everyone is welcome at our meetings: members, parishioners, friends, and neighbors. Members, please plan to attend, and please bring along a new member! We are also reaching out to members who have not attended in a while – please come to our May meeting! We miss you! SS. Peter & Paul Church & Hall in Plymouth are air-conditioned & handicap accessible.
PENTECOST GRAVE BLESSING SERVICES A Panakhyda and blessing of graves will be held on Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. at our parish cemetery on Blanchard Street in Plains. Envelopes may be deposited in the collection next weekend, on Pentecost or offered at Cemetery.
CEMETERY RULES & REGULATIONS – Out of respect for all parish families and their deceased members, these rules and regulations were designed for the uniform appearance, ease of maintenance, safety, and cleanliness of our cemetery. Please give your full co-operation. All decorations, including unplanted and artificial flowers, must be removed before March 31 or be subject to removal. Christmas decorations must be removed by January 31. All stone, metal, and other borders around monuments or memorials are prohibited. Only low borders, one inch above ground level, are permitted in front of hillside graves in order to prevent erosion. No shrub or tree planting is allowed. Loose stone and / or gravel are prohibited on any grave plot. Persons causing any damage to cemetery property will be liable. No dumping on the cemetery grounds or beyond the perimeter. No walking pets through the cemetery. No trespassing on cemetery property after hours. Cemetery hours are 7:00 AM to sundown. These Rules Effective Immediately.
TRADITIONAL UKRAINIAN DINNER – Sunday, May 16, 2010, from 3:00 to 7:00 P.M.: The Presentation of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church will host “A Traditional Ukrainian Dinner” at its social hall, 1564 Allentown Road, Lansdale (Towamencin Township), PA. Enjoy generous portions of tasty homemade Ukrainian ethnic foods and baked goods: Pyrohy (Ukrainian pierogies); Holubtsi; Ukrainian Kielbasa Sausages, Sauerkraut, Breads, Beverages, and Desserts. Also, enjoy displays and demonstrations of Ukrainian folk arts and crafts by artists: Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter Eggs); Vyshyvanky (embroidery) and Gerdany (beadwork jewelry), all of which will be available for purchase. Tickets are $10.00 per person at the door with seating in the social hall. For advance tickets or more information, call Mike at (215) 715-4871.Take-outs are available.
RETREAT HOUSE – Interested in getting away from it all and meeting God in the quiet of nature? Information about the St. Clare Retreat House at the Holy Dormition Friary in Sybertsville, PA is available in the vestibule of the church.
ST. VLADIMIR CENTENNIAL – You are cordially invited to attend the Centennial Anniversary of the founding in 1910 of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, Sunday, July 18, 2010. Solemn Divine Liturgy at One Thirty in the afternoon in Saint Vladimir’s Church, 70 Zerby Avenue Main Celebrant will be His Grace, The Most Reverend Stefan Soroka Metropolitan – Archbishop of Philadelphia. Centennial Jubilee Banquet will follow at The Knights of Columbus, 59 Parry Street, Luzerne. Roast Chicken-Breaded Pork Chop-Veal Parmigiana. Open Bar starting at 3:30 p.m. Beer & Soda only. Dinner at 4:30 p.m. Banquet Tickets Adults $39.00 children under seven years free children seven and over adult price. Advance tickets may be purchased by sending a check with full payment for the amount of guests attending to: St. Vladimir Centennial Banquet C/O Helen Nazarek, 70 Zerby Avenue, Edwardsville, PA 18704 (make checks payable to St. Vladimir” Centennial Banquet) for more information call Helen at 570.655.2815 or Diane Stelmack at 570.817.6790.  For seating purposes, please print the first and last name of each guest.  ABSOLUTELY NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR. NO RESERVATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT PAYMENT IN FULL. The very last day to purchase banquet tickets is July 11, 2010. All ticket sales are final – no refunds.
FROZEN PYROHY AVAILABLE – Several dozen individually frozen pyrohy remain from our March Lenten Sale. They may be purchased after liturgies or by contacting Stephen Mykulyn 825-0902. $5.50 / DOZEN
BEQUESTS TO YOUR PARISH – Please remember SS. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church with memorial gifts and in your will.
RENOVATION FUND – Should you wish to make a contribution to this fund please use the “Special Collection for Renovations to the Church Complex” envelopes that are available in the back of the church.
PRINTED COPIES OF ‘THE WAY’ ARE AVAILABLE IN THE VESTIBULE

The Story of Mother’s Day
The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600’s, England celebrated a day called “Mothering Sunday”. Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter), “Mothering Sunday” honored the mothers of England.
During this time many of the England’s poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the “Mother Church” – the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.
In the United States Mother’s Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother’s Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.
In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother’s Day on the second anniversary of her mother’s death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother’s Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother’s Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother’s Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother’s Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. (source http://www.holidays .net)

When you thought I wasn’t looking
from A Book of Thanks for Mom
Mary Rita Schilke Korzan
When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You hung my first painting on the refrigerator
And I wanted to paint another.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You fed a stray cat
And I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You baked a birthday cake just for me
And I knew that little things were special things.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You said a prayer
And I believed there was a God that I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You kissed me good-night
And I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
I saw tears come from your eyes
And I learned that sometimes things hurt —
But that it’s alright to cry.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You smiled
And it made me want to look that pretty too.
When you thought I wasn’t looking
You cared
And I wanted to be everything I could be.
When you thought I wasn’t looking —
I looked …
And wanted to say thanks
For all those things you did
When you thought I wasn’t looking.
Mary Rita Schilke Korzan (c)1980

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!