Weekly Bulletin

His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas

120 W. Seneca St. Ithaca, NY 14850 http://www.stcatherine.ny.goarch.org

TEL. 607-273-2767 e-mail: stcatherinegoc@gmail.com

Fr. Zenoviy Zharsky

 

Sunday, March 22, 2026

 

Welcome all visitors, please come again.

 

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"By changing ourselves in Christ, we are able to change the world around us"

 

Please let Father know who is in need of visiting and prayers. 

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Daily reading of the holy scripture, Saints for the day, liturgical schedule, news from the parish life, announcements and more, please read the Sunday Bulletin on the parish websitewww.stcatherine.ny.goarch.org 

Please submit to the parish priest all announcements for the church bulletin website before Thursday evening. Thank you.

Follow us on Facebook: St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church of Ithaca, NY.

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Scripture Reading: Matins: Gospel Reading: John 20:11-18. Divine Liturgy Epistle: Hebrews 6:13-20. Gospel Mark 9:17-31.

We pray for those who celebrate their birthday. Хρόνια πολλά & ευλογημενα! March - 21 Alexadros Lambrou, 22 Martin Nichols, 24 Gia Maisuradze, 26 Victoria Skezas. 

Announcement: If you didn't give names and date of your birthdays and your families birthdays please provide them. Also please give the names and dates of your family members who fell asleep in the Lord. We will pray for them. The list of the names located near the Sunday Bulletins. Thank you.

When you write your will, won't you please remember St. Catherine's Church? Such a gift will live forever as our church minister to our spiritual needs and others it's an investment in the Gospel of our Lord and life eternal.

Sunday, March 29 - Memorial in memory of Amalia Stratakos 40 days.

Memory Eternal! Αιώνια η μνήμη του! March - 20 James Poulos, 29 John Wells. 

The donation letters that you can use for taxes were sent out by email on February 22nd. If you did not receive one, that means that we do not have your complete contact information; please email the treasurer, John Franck, at st.cath.treas@gmail.com. If you do not have email, or need a copy printed out, please speak to John or any member of the parish council, and he will be happy to get you a copy in person or by mail.

 

Liturgical Schedule:  Daily 3:00 PM. Let's pray Jesus Prayer for 10 minutes straight saying,"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." 

Monday, March 23 - 3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 

Tuesday, March 24 - 3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 

Wednesday, March 25 - 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy. Annunciation of the Theotokos. Greek Independence Day.  3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting.  

Thursday, March 26 - 3:00 PM JesusPrayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 

Friday, March 27 - 3:00 PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 6:00 PM Salutations to the Theotokos. Reading the life of the Saints.Catechism classes following the service. 

Saturday, March 28 - 3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 

Sunday, March 29 - 8:45 AM Orthros/Confession 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy Every Sunday we commemorate Christ's resurrection. Fasting

 

Philoptochos is collecting toiletries (and other items on the list provided on flyer) to support to the Women's Opportunity Center through Lent. Please see flyer or Angela Teeter for more details.

Wednesday, March 25 Annunciation of the Theotokos. Our gathering in church in honour of the Most Holy Theotokos inspires to say of Her a word of praise, of benefit also for those come unto this church with solemnity. It comprises a praise of women, a glorying of their gender, which glory is brought it by Her, She who is at one same time both Mother, and Virgin. O desired and wondrous gathering! Celebrate, O nature, that wherein honour be rendered to Woman; rejoice, O human race, that wherein the Virgin be glorified. "For when sin did abound, grace did superabound". The Holy Mother of God and Virgin Mary hath gathered us here, She the pure treasure of virginity, the intended paradise of Second Adam, the locus, wherein was accomplished the co-uniting of natures, wherein was affirmed the Counsel of salvific reconciliation.
Whoever is it that ever saw, whoever heard, that within a womb the Limitless God would make habitation, Whom the Heavens cannot circumscribe, Whom the womb of a Virgin limited not!?
He born of woman is not only God and He is not only Man: This One born made woman, being the ancient gateway of sin, into the gateway of salvation: where evil poured forth its poison, bringing on disobedience, there the Word made for Himself a living temple, from whence the arch-sinner Cain sprang forth, there without seed was born Christ the Redeemer of the human race. The Lover of Mankind did not disdain to be born of woman, since this bestowed His life. He was not subject to impurity, being settled within the womb, which He Himself arrayed free from all harm. If perchance this Mother did not remain a Virgin, then that born of Her might be a mere man, and the birth would be no wise miraculous; but since She after birth remained a Virgin, then how is He Who is born indeed not God? It is an inexplicable mystery, since in an inexplicable manner was born He Who without hindrance went through doors when they were locked. When confessing in Him the co uniting of two natures, Thomas cried out: "My Lord, and my God!" (Jn. 20: 28). The Apostle Paul says, that Christ is "to the Jews indeed scandal, and to the Gentiles yet folly" (1Cor.1: 23) they did not perceive the power of the mystery, since it was incomprehensible to the mind: "for had they understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory" (1 Cor. 2: 8). If the Word had not settled within the womb, then the flesh would not have ascended with Him onto the Divine Throne; if for God it were disdainful to enter into the womb, which He created, then the Angels too would have disdained service to mankind.

That One, Who by His nature was not subject to sufferings, through His love for us subjected Himself to many a suffering. We believe, that Christ not through some gradual ascent towards the Divine nature was made God, but being God, through His mercy He was made Man. We do not say: "a man made God"; but we confess, that God was incarnated and made Man. His Servant was chosen for Himself as Mother by That One Who, in His essence did not have mother, and Who, through Divine foresight having appeared upon the earth in the image of man, does not have here father. How one and the same is He both without father, and without mother, in accord with the words of the Apostle (Heb 7:3) If He be only a man, then He cannot be without mother but actually He had a Mother. If He be God only, then He  cannot be without Father but in fact He has the Father. And yet as God the Creator He has not mother, and as Man He has not father.
We can be persuaded in this by the very name of the Archangel making annunciation to Mary: his name is Gabriel. What does this name mean? it means: "God and man". Since That One about Whom he announced is God and Man, then his very name points beforehand to this miracle, so that with faith be accepted the deed of the Divine dispensation.
To save people would be impossible for a mere man, since every man has need in the Saviour "for all, says Saint Paul, have sinned, and come short the Glory of God" (Rom 3:23) Since sin subjects the sinner to the power of the devil, and the devil subjects him to death then our condition did become extremely hapless: there was no sort of way to be delivered from death. That One, Who by nature is Lord, did not disdain human nature, enslaved by the sinister power of the devil, the merciful God would not accede for it to be forever under the power of the devil, the Ever-Existing One came and gave in ransom His Blood; for the redemption of the race of man from death He gave up His Body, which He had accepted of the Virgin, He delivered the world from the curse of the law, annihilating death by His death. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law".

Thus know, that our Redeemer is not simply a mere man, since all the human race was enslaved to sin. But He likewise is not God only, non-partaking of human nature. He had body, since if He had not clothed Himself in me, He then likewise should not have saved me. But, having settled within the womb of the Virgin, He clothed Himself in my fate, and within this womb He perfected a miraculous change: He bestowed the Spirit and received a body, That One only indeed dwelling with the Virgin and born of the Virgin. And so, Who is He, made manifest to us? The Prophet David doth point it out for thee in these words: "Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord" But tell us even more clearly, O prophet, Who is He? The Lord is the God of Hosts, says the prophet: "God is the Lord, and hath revealed Himself unto us" "The Word was made flesh" (Jn. 1: 14): there were co united the two natures, and the union remained without mingling.
He came to save, but had also to suffer. What has the one in common with the other? A mere man cannot save; and God in only His nature cannot suffer. By what means was done the one and the other? Wherein that He, Emmanuel, being God, was made also Man; both this, that what He was, He saved by, and this, that what He was made, He suffered as. Wherefore, when the Church beheld, that the Jewish throng had crowned Him with thorns, bewailing the violence of the throng, it said: "Daughters of Zion, go forth and behold the crown, of which is crowned He of His mother" (Sng. 3: 11). He wore the crown of thorns and destroyed the judgement to suffering from the thorns. He Only is That One both in the bosom of the Father and in the womb of the Virgin; He Only is That One in the arms of His Mother and in the wings of the winds (Ps. 103 [104]: 3); He, to Whom the Angels bowed down in worship, at that same time reclined at table with publicans. Upon Him the Seraphim dared not to gaze, and at the same time Pilate pronounced sentence upon Him. He is That One and Same, Whom the servant did smite and before whom did tremble all creation. He was nailed to the Cross and ascended to the Throne of Glory, He was placed in the tomb and He stretched out the heavens like a skin (Ps. 103 [104]:2) He was numbered amidst the dead and He emptied hell; here upon the earth, they cursed at Him as a transgressor, there in Heaven, they exclaimed Him glory as the All-Holy. What an incomprehensible mystery! I see the miracles, and I confess, that He is God; I see the sufferings, and I cannot deny, that He is Man. Emmanuel opened up the doors of nature, as man, and preserved unharmed the seal of virginity, as God. Here it clearly indicates the Holy Virgin and Mother of God Mary. Let cease all contention, and let the Holy Scripture enlighten our reason, so that we too receive the Heavenly Kingdom unto all eternity. /Saint Proklos, Patriarch of Constantinople/ 

Lazarus Saturday, April 4 - After the Divine Liturgy, children and their parents are invited to make Crosses for Palm Sunday. 

Please let us know if you can provide Greek lessons for adults.

Greek Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated annually on  March 25^th that commemorates the start of the War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821. It marks Greece's modern rebirth, honoring the struggle for freedom with parades, ceremonies, and cultural celebrations, coinciding with the Feast day Annunciation of the Theotokos. On Greek Independence Day, Greeks greet each other with "Chronia Pola" Χρόνια Πολλά, meaning "many years" or "long life". This acts as a festive greeting for holidays. Another common expression, particularly during parades or to show patriotic fervor, is "Zito i Ellas" or "Zito i Ellada" Ζήτω η Ελλάς/Ελλάδα meaning "Long live Greece"

Holy Passion Week services.

Palm Sunday, April 5 - 8:45 am Orthros. 10:00am Divine Liturgy. 6:00 pm Bridegroom Service. Day of Fasting.

Holy Monday, April 6 - 6:00 pm Bridegroom Service. Strict Fast.

Holy Tuesday, April 7 - 6:00 pm Bridegroom Service. Strict Fast.

Holy Wednesday, April 8 - 6:00 pm Holy Unction. Strict Fast.

Holy Thursday, April 9 - 10:00 am Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil. Commemorating the Last Supper. Strict Fast. 6:00 pm The Passion Service.

Holy Friday, April 10 - Decorating the Kouvouklion. Strict Fast. 3:00 pm Apokathelosis Service. 7:00 pm The Lamentations Service.

Holy Saturday, April 11 - 10:00 am Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil. 11:15 pm Orthros of the Resurrection. Strict Fast.

 

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Methods of Giving:

Cash and checks can be brought to the church and put in the donation baskets.

 

Checks made out to Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church can also be mailed to:

St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church

120 W. Seneca St Ithaca, NY 14850

 

When you write your will, won't you please remember St. Catherine's Church? Such a gift will live forever as our church minister to our spiritual needs and others. It's an investment in the Gospel of our Lord and life eternal.

 

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