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 8, 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: Luke 24:36-53. Divine Liturgy Epistle: Hebrews 1:10-14, 2:1-3. Gospel Mark 2:1-12. 

We pray for those who celebrate their birthday. Хρόνια πολλά & ευλογημενα! March - 6 Nandini Ananth, 7 Anya King. 

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. 

If you know someone who would like to rent church apartment please see Ike Nestopoulos or Fr. Zenoviy. Thank you.

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.

Sunday, March 15 - General Assembly meeting, following Divine Liturgy.                                                             

Sunday, March 28^th Trisagion in memory of Amalia Stratakos - 40 days.

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 9 - 3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 

Tuesday, March 10 - 3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 

Wednesday, March 11 - 3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 6:00 PM - Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.  

Thursday, March 12 - 3:00 PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. 

Friday, March 13 - 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 14 - 3:00PM Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. NO VESPERS. 

Sunday, March 15-8:45 AMOrthros/Confession 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy Every Sunday we commemorate Christ's resurrection. Day of Fasting.

 

Fasting is Divine Grace. From Conversation with Elder Dionysius Ignat (1909 - 2004) He was a Romanian monk who was recently canonized as Saint. He became a monk on Mount Athos at age 17, living 78 years as a hermit and spiritual father at the Cell of Saint George - Colciu. He was canonised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2025  

Q: Fr. Dionysius, tell us about fasting. Christians do not follow the fasts as well today as they used to. Everyone fasts as he wants.  

A: Indeed, everyone fasts as he wants. But not everything happens as we would like... The fasts were established by the Holy Fathers at the Seven Ecumenical Councils, and, if we observe them, we are given great Divine grace. If you do not follow them, then we start saying things like: "Ah, the Apostles' Fast! Yeah, it is not so important. The Dormition Fast! I mean, the Theotokos knows that we cannot fast Great Lent! It is just too long seven whole weeks!" And so, you fabricate all kinds of excuses for yourself, and you completely walk away from the fasts. But if there is not fasting, there is nothing! After all, fasting is Divine grace... And look, fasting has already been diluted long ago. When I was a boy, in school, people fasted in Great Lent only in the first week and in Holy Week, and in the interval in between them, they allowed themselves to eat everything. But if this is far from the truth, and if you have departed from the truth, it means we have already begun to limp. First, you are hobbling on one leg, then on both, until you are saying: "Oh, God knows! I am going to live like everyone else." Do you see? You have to have a little attention; a little attention and God will help us. 

Q: Indeed, what kind of Christian is it that does not respect fasting? Then it does not matter of what faith you are. You say you are a Christian, but if you do not fast, then how do you differ from a pagan? 

A: Do you see how evil progresses? The Catholics have not fasted, and they justify themselves with proofs from Scripture, as they understand it, as if fasting weren't necessary at all. But the Catholics were at the Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils, since there was no division between us then - however, little by little they reached the point where they no longer fasted. I was talking with a Catholic nun in Romania, and she told me: "If I am able, then I do not eat meat on Holy Friday - if I am able; and if not, then I eat meat." On Holy Friday, when the Savior was lifted up on the Cross, Catholics say there is nothing wrong with eating meat! They also were Orthodox Christians like us [at one time] and look what happened. I am telling you this as an example. After all, look, when someone starts to come down from a mountain, he practically runs; for when you walk down, it is more difficult to stop. It gets to the point where someone says: "Why should I fast? Scripture says: 'what comes out of the mouth... defiles a man' but 'what goes into the mouth' does not defile him" (Mt. 15:11). Yes, it is so, and it is not so. All of the fasts were established by the Holy Fathers so that, in fasting, you might diminish your passions. You observe the fast by honoring the Savior's passion: "I fast because the Savior suffered for me," and so on. But, in the state that humanity is in now, what else can we expect?  

Q: People say you cannot fast now because if you fast and do not eat meat, you will not be able to do physical work. 

A: You see, people think this way, but it is a delusion. It is a deception of the enemy, because human nature is full of passions now. And if the passions settle into the mind, heart, and thoughts of a man, they become second nature. If they become second nature, then he begins to say: "If I do not eat meat, I will die. That is all there is to it." And with such thoughts, he truly will die! But it is not true. This is a passion imposed by the tempter, who manages the storehouse of all evils and throws the seed of evil deeds at us, into our hearts and souls. And if our nature inclines towards one of these evils that he throws at us, then he will henceforth "help" us with this evil. You want to drink vodka - he will "help" you with it! You want to eat a little more sumptuous food - he will also "help" you with this, until the evil has settled into your soul. You want to tell a lie - he will "help" you with it, until the passion takes root, until it sprouts; and if it sprouts, then it already takes root in your heart and soul. And if it has taken root, then this root becomes a second nature, and you are already convinced that if you do not eat or drink what you want, you will die. But it is not true! This is the work of the tempter. That is, the passion that entrenched itself and took root in the human heart is harder to uproot. Therefore, the Holy Fathers teach that every evil thought that exists in our hearts and souls is evident, and we must be certain that it is from the tempter and make haste to our spiritual father and tell him: "This is what my mind tells me, Father. My mind inclines to this and that"- so your spiritual father may instruct you as the grace of the Holy Spirit enlightens him. And by doing so, you disgrace the enemy; because if you do not go to confession, then the passions he introduced into your heart and soul will destroy you. /November, 9 +2002/ 

"If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or subdeacon, or reader, or singer fails to fast throughout the forty days of Holy Lent, or on Wednesday, or on Friday, let him be deposed from office, unless he has been prevented from doing so by reason of bodily illness. If, on the other hand, a layman fails to do so, let him be excommunicated" (Canon 69 of the Holy Apostles. Canons 29, 56, and 89 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, Canons 49, 50, and 52 of the Council of Laodicea, Canon 15 of St. Peter of Alexandria, Canon 1 of St. Dionysius of Alexandria, and Canons 8 and 10 of St. Timothy of Alexandria.

Today, March 8 - Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas.  This divine Father, who was from Asia Minor, was from childhood reared in the royal court of Constantinople, where he was instructed in both religious and secular wisdom. Later, while still a youth, he left the imperial court and struggled in asceticism on Mount Athos, and in the Skete at Beroea. He spent some time in Thessalonica being treated for an illness that came from his harsh manner of life. He was present in Constantinople at the Council that was convened in 1341 against Barlaam of Calabria, and at the Council of 1347 against Acindynus, who was of like mind with Barlaam; Barlaam and Acindynus claimed that the grace of God is created. At both these Councils, the Saint contended courageously for the true dogmas of the Church of Christ, teaching in particular that divine grace is not created, but is the uncreated energies of God which are poured forth throughout creation: otherwise it would be impossible, if grace were created, for man to have genuine communion with the uncreated God. In 1347 he was appointed Metropolitan of Thessalonica. He tended his flock in an apostolic manner for some twelve years, and wrote many books and treatises on the most exalted doctrines of our Faith; and having lived for a total of sixty-three years, he reposed in the Lord in 1359.  His holy relics are kept in the Cathedral of Thessalonica. A full service was composed for his feast day by the Patriarch Philotheus in 1368, when it was established that his feast be celebrated on this day. Since works without right  faith avail nothing, we set Orthodoxy of faith as the foundation of all that we accomplish during the Fast, by celebrating the Triumph of Orthodoxy the Sunday before, and the great defender of the teachings of the holy Fathers today. Ἀπολυτίκιον:Ὀρθοδοξίας ὁ φωστὴρ, Ἐκκλησίας τὸ στήριγμα καὶ διδάσκαλε, τῶν μοναστῶν ἡ καλλονὴ, τῶν θεολόγων ὑπέρμαχος ἀπροσμάχητος· Γρηγόριε θαυματουργὲ Θεσσαλονίκης τὸ καύχημα κήρυξ τῆς χάριτος· ἱκέτευε διὰ παντός, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.  

 

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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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