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 /607/ 245-9988

 

Sunday, June 1, 2025

 

Welcome all visitors, please come again.

 

Wednesday & Friday:

Refrain from meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. Wine and oil are allowed.

 

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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 

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Scripture Reading: Matins: Gospel Reading: John 2:1-14.  Divine Liturgy: Epistle: Acts 2:1-511. Gospel: John 7:37-52, 8:12.

We pray for those who celebrate their birthday. Happy Birthday!  May 31 Nico Fegaras, 31 Eleni Fegaras. June 5 Evangeline Georgaroudakis. 

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. 

Congratulations: Our Philoptochos Chapter Board Elections as follows:
President - Paulette Manos, 1st Vice President - Emeline Mandeville,
2nd Vice President - Kathy Karakantas, Secretary- Nandini Ananth Treasurer - Angela Teeter, Corresponding Secretary - Theresa Wells, Advisor - Sophia G. King.

Internet based Orthodox and Ancient faith radio. Timeless Christianity 24 hours a day: church music, teaching, interviews, features, convert, testimonies conference, recording and more www.ancientfaith.com

The Holy Orthodox Church, like a concerned mother, daily, at every divine service, offers up prayers for all her children who have departed for the land of eternity. When we pray for the reposed and do charitable works in their name, it is necessary, to reflect on our own death while there is still time. We should prepare now so that we will not pass into the future life of torture bound by bonds of sin. No matter how short or how long the Lord has determined that we will live on earth, there is no doubt that our entire present life is a road leading to death and to the threshold of eternity There is nothing better or of more value for us to acquire than a peaceful, blameless, repentant, and Christian end to our life. He who has lived piously will repose piously. He who has lived with the Lord will die with the Lord. He who zealously serves the Lord before death will be with the Lord after his repose. "Where I am, there shall also My servant be." If we believe that Jesus died and rose, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. Trinity Saturday: This falls on the eve of Pentecost, hence the appellation "Trinity Saturday." On the day of Pentecost (or Trinity Day), the Grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles to teach, sanctify and lead all people to eternal salvation. Therefore, the holy Church calls upon us to make a commemoration on this Saturday, that the saving grace of the Holy Spirit wash away the sins from the souls of all our forefathers, fathers and brethren, that have reposed throughout the ages and, asking that they all be united in the Kingdom of Christ and praying for the redemption of the living and for the return of their souls from captivity, she begs the Lord to "Give rest to the souls that have fallen asleep, in a place of refreshment; for the dead shall not praise Thee, O Lord, neither shall they that are in hell make bold to offer unto Thee confession. But we that are living will bless Thee, and will pray, and offer unto Thee propitiatory prayers and sacrifices for their souls." 

Wisdom of the Saints. 

"If we had no one to reproach us, to insult and persecute us, we would never have come to love our enemies. This is required of us by the Gospels, being the highest commandment among them all, given us regarding love of our neighbors."

"Well, look how parents bring a child into the world; the more they struggle to raise it, the more they love it and are attached to it. God is the same, He brought us into the world, in a way He struggled to raise us and make us what we are. Now, even if He wanted to leave us, He couldn't, because He is attached to us, as long as we continue to have a little philotimo. If we have a little philotimo, we will not lose Paradise."

"Blessed is he who ceaselessly remembers the day of his departure and strives to be ready and fearless in that hour."

"But he must have such faith that if he hears, for example, that a miracle has taken place, and the sea has emptied, and people are ploughing it with tractors and hauling the fish with trucks, he will believe it. He will not want to go and see for himself."

"Do not imagine that Divine Mysteries depend upon human morality and actions. They are holy because of the One to Whom they belong."

"If we look to ourselves, and only ourselves, we will see that we are always at fault." /Saint Paisios of Mount Athos/

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, June 2 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" 

Tuesday, June 3 - 3:00 PM. JesusPrayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" 

Wednesday, June 4 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" Day of Fasting. Every Wednesday we remember when Judas betrayed Christ. 6:00 PM. Prayers near Miraculous Icon Mother of God "The Tender Heart" St. George's Orthodox Church in Taylor, PA. 

Thursday, June 5 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner"

Friday, June 6 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Day of Fasting. Every Friday we commemorate Christ's Crucifixion. Saturday, June 7 - 10:00 AM. Divine Liturgy. Soul 

Saturday.  3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" NO VESPERS.  

Sunday, June 8 - 8:45 AMOrthros/Confession. 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy Vespers with kneeling prayers. Every Sunday we commemorate Christ's resurrection.

At the beginning of the Divine Liturgy and other Holy Services, after the prayers for peace we say this prayer: "For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord "(The Great Litany, 3rd petition). The fact that the Church gives such emphasis to this request and invites the faithful to pray for the "holy house" of God, shows how important the holy church (Temple) is in the life of every Orthodox Christian. The holy house of God is the sacred place where His children come together to connect with the Heavenly Father, and worship Him. It is there that God listens to all of His children, and where they can rest from their troubles, pains, and sorrows. Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks throughout time: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Not only are His holy churches a place of rest, but with the Scripture Readings and heavenly Sermons, He teaches the faithful, guiding them safely through their lives. With the Communion of His Holy Body and Blood He unites them, sanctifies them, and strengthens them for their daily struggles. In this, the lives of the faithful are totally linked to the House of God. They are reborn with Holy Baptism, crowned and united in the bonds of Marriage, and receive the blessing of God to begin their new lives. Until the day of their departure for Heaven, the faithful have the church as a refuge for all their spiritual needs. This is why Orthodox Christians love and honor the holy churches. Where a new parish community is forming, all members are involved in its growth. They contribute to the construction of the church, by equipping it with what it needs: sacred icons, candles, holy utensils and the like. If their church is old, they are constantly taking care to renovate it and ensure continual operation. Parishioners also supply the proper necessities for serving the Divine Liturgy, whether it is the "prosphoron" (bread), "nama" (wine), incense, oil for candles, and everything else. They willingly contribute support (large or small, depending on their capabilities) for the maintenance costs of each church. For those faithful who surround the holy church with their practical love, helping and sacrificing in order to keep them clean and decent, the Church offers special prayers everyday. One of them is: "Sanctify those who love the beauty of your house. Glorify them in return by Your divine power..." (Prayer of the 2nd Antiphon and the Dismissal Prayer of the Divine Liturgy). How great it is for Christians, who for their humble offerings receive holiness from God, and the blessing of His divine glory and power! The Church never stops praying for those who contributed to the building of the churches, or the people who continue to support them over time. This is true even of these Christians who have since reposed: "Let us again pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy church..." (Ektenia (Litany) of the Divine Liturgy, Vespers, and Orthros). Once people fully understand what this means, they rush to do all that is possible to make these offerings, for the strength of our churches. My brothers and sisters, let us surround our St. Catherine parish church with love, and be devoted to it. Each time the Priest says the prayer "For this holy house ...", or the Prayer: "Lord ,our God... look upon us and upon this holy house in Your compassion...", may we affirm these requests with all the power of our souls. 

Οι ωραιότερες ώρες της ζωής του Ορθόδοξου Χριστιανού στη γη είναι εκείνες που, ενωμένος με τους ομοδόξους αδελφούς του, μετέχει στη θεία Λειτουργία. Εκείνη την ώρα, η στρατευόμενη Εκκλησία ενωμένη με την θριαμβεύουσα Εκκλησία φανερώνεται ως ένα Σώμα για να ενωθεί με την κεφαλή της τον Χριστό με τη θεία Κοινωνία του Αγίου Σώματος και του Τιμίου Αίματός Του. Πλησιάζοντας ο πιστός το Άγιο Ποτήριο με τα Τίμια Δώρα, που κρατά ο Λειτουργός, εκφράζει τη λαχτάρα του γι' αυτή την κοινωνία, την ένωση με τον Νυμφίο της ψυχής του και του λέγει με την σχετική ευχή: "Ἔθελξας πόθῳ με Χριστὲ και ἠλλοίωσας τῷ θείῳ σου ἔρωτι". Κύριε, είναι η λαχτάρα μου μεγάλη να ενωθώ μαζί Σου· έλυωσα από τη θερμή αγάπη, από τον θεϊκό έρωτά σου, από τον ιερό πόθο να έλθεις να ενθρονιστείς στην καρδιά μου. Αυτός είναι ο κύριος σκοπός, για τον οποίο τελείται το Μυστήριο της θείας Ευχαριστίας, όπως το παρέδωσε ο Κύριος κατά τον Μυστκό Δείπνο, κατά την διάρκεια της θείας Λειτουργίας: Προσφέρουμε τον Άρτο και τον Οίνο· κατά την πιο ιερή στιγμή, της θείας Λειτουργίας, με την επίκληση του Λειτουργού, ο Θεός Πατέρας στέλνει το Άγιο Πνεύμα και τα μεταβάλλει σε Σώμα και Αίμα Χριστού· αφού μετά κοινωνήσει ο Λειτουργός, μεταδίδει τα Τίμια Δώρα στους κατάλληλα προετοιμασμένους πιστούς να κοινωνήσουν και να ενωθούν μαζί Του! Η τέλεση του ιερού αυτού Μυστηρίου της θείας Ευχαριστίας, από την εποχή των Αγίων Αποστόλων έως και σήμερα, πλαισιώνεται με Αναγνώσματα από την Αγία Γραφή και το θείο Κήρυγμα· με επίκαιρους ύμνους, δεήσεις και ευχές, με τις οποίες δοξολογούμε, ευχαριστούμε, δεόμεθα στο Θεό για όλες τις υλικές και πνευματικές ανάγκες όλων μας, αλλά και όλου του κόσμου. Έτσι η θεία Λειτουργία αποτελεί την πλέον ολοκληρωμένη προσευχή του Σώματος της Εκκλησίας. Από αυτή την κοινή προσευχή αντλούν δύναμη οι κατ' ιδίαν προσευχές των πιστών "ἐν παντί καιρῷ καί πάσῃ ὥρᾳ", που απευθύνουν όταν βρίσκονται στο σπίτι τους ή όπου αλλού. Δηλαδή η Θεία Λειτουργία εξακολουθεί και μετά να εμπνέει και να αγιάζει τη ζωή των πιστών. Γίνεται, δηλαδή, αυτό που τόσο εύστοχα έχει λεχθεί: «Η λειτουργία μετά την Λειτουργία».

 

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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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