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, April 20, 2025

 

Welcome all visitors, please come again.

 

Fast Free

No fasting restrictions.

 

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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: Mark 16:1-8. Divine Liturgy: Epistle: Acts 1:1-7. Gospel: John 1:1-17.

Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen! 

 

Bright Week.

Holy Pascha Sunday: 11:30 amThe Agape Vespers Service. We will again proclaim the Holy Gospel in many languages at the Agape Vespers, signifying the universal message of our Lord's resurrection! We invite all of you to participate by reading in the language of your choice from the Gospel of John, 20:19-25. 

Bright Wednesday: 10:00 am Divine Liturgy. Great Martyr George. 

Bright Saturday: 6:00 pmGreat Vespers. 

 

We pray for the newly departed Ruth Zikakis. Our prayers and support are with her family.Memory to her eternal! The Burial service will be on May 3^rd at the cemetery.

† Β Α Ρ Θ Ο Λ Ο Μ Α Ι Ο Σ

ΕΛΕῼ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ

ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ - ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ

ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ

ΠΡΟΣ ΟΛΟ ΤΟ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΧΑΡΗ, ΕΙΡΗΝΗ ΚΑΙ EΛΕΟΣ

ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ ΕΝΔΟΞΩΣ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟ Τιμιώτατοι ἀδελφοὶ Ἱεράρχες καὶ τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ εὐλογημένα, Ἀφοῦ ταξιδέψαμε στὸ πέλαγος τῆς Ἁγίας καὶ Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστῆς μὲ τὸ ἔλεος καὶ τὴ δύναμη τοῦ Θεοῦ, μὲ προσευχὴ καὶ νηστεία, καὶ φθάσαμε στὸ ὁλόφωτο Πάσχα, ἀνυμνοῦμε τὸν Κύριο τῆς δόξας, αὐτὸν ποὺ κατέβηκε μέχρι τὰ ταμεία τοῦ ᾍδη καὶ μὲ τὴν ἀνάστασή του ἀπὸ τοὺς νεκροὺς «ἔκανε τὸν παράδεισο προσιτὸ σὲ ὅλους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους». Ἡ Ἀνάσταση δὲν εἶναι ἡ ἀνάμνηση ἑνὸς γεγονότος ἀπὸ τὸ παρελθόν, ἀλλὰ «καλὴ ἀλλοίωση» τῆς ὑπάρξεώς μας, «ἄλλη γέννηση, βίος ἕτερος, ἄλλο εἶδος ζωῆς, μεταστοιχείωση αὐτῆς τῆς ἴδιας τῆς φύσεώς μας»1. Μὲ τὸν ἀναστημένο Χριστὸ ἀνακαινίζεται μαζὶ μὲ τὸν ἄνθρωπο ἡ σύμπασα κτίση. Ὅταν ψάλλουμε τὴν Γ' ᾠδὴ τοῦ Κανόνος τοῦ Πάσχα, τὸ «Νῦν πάντα πεπλήρωται φωτός, οὐρανός τε καὶ γῆ καὶ τὰ καταχθόνια· ἑορταζέτω γοῦν πᾶσα κτίσις τὴν ἔγερσιν Χριστοῦ, ἐν ᾗ ἐστερέωται», τότε διακηρύσσεται ὅτι ὁλόκληρο τὸ σύμπαν εἶναι στερεωμένον καὶ πλῆρες ἀνεσπέρου φωτός. Ἡ διάκριση «πρὸ Χριστοῦ» καὶ «μετὰ Χριστόν» ἰσχύει ὄχι μόνον γιὰ τὴν ἱστορία τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου γένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ γιὰ τὴν ὅλη δημιουργίαν. Ἡ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἔγερση τοῦ Κυρίου ἀποτελεῖ τὸν πυρῆνα τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, τὸ σταθερὸ σημεῖο ἀναφορᾶς ὅλων τῶν κειμένων τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς λειτουργικῆς ζωῆς καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας τῶν ὀρθοδόξων. Ὄντως, ἡ θεολογία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας συνοψίζεται στὸ «Χριστός Ἀνέστη». Ἡ βίωση τῆς καταργήσεως τῆς δύναμης τοῦ θανάτου εἶναι πηγὴ ἀνείπωτης χαρᾶς, «ἐλεύθερης ἀπὸ τὶς δεσμεύσεις αὐτοῦ τοῦ κόσμου». «Χαρᾶς τὰ πάντα πεπλήρωται, τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὴν πεῖραν εἰληφότα». Ἔκρηξη «χαρᾶς μεγάλης» ἡ Ἀνάσταση, διαποτίζει ὁλόκληρη τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴ ζωήν, τὸ ἦθος καὶ τὴν ποιμαντικὴ δράση, ὡς πρόγευση τῆς πληρότητας ζωῆς, γνώσεως καὶ χαρᾶς τῆς αἰώνιας Βασιλείας τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ὀρθόδοξη πίστη καὶ ἀπαισιοδοξία εἶναι μεγέθη ἀσύμβατα μεταξύ τους. Τὸ Πάσχα εἶναι γιὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπο ἑορτὴ ἐλευθερίας καὶ νίκη κατὰ τῶνἀλλοτριωτικῶν δυνάμεων, ἐκκλησιοποίηση τῆς ὑπάρξεώς μας, πρόσκληση σὲ συνέργεια γιὰ τὴ μεταμόρφωση τοῦ κόσμου. Ἡ ἱστορία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας γίνεται «ἕνα μεγάλο Πάσχα», ὡς πορεία πρὸς «τὴν ἐλευθερία τῆς δόξας τῶν παιδιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ». Τὸ βίωμα τῆς Ἀναστάσεως ἀποκαλύπτει τὸ κέντρο καὶ τὴν ἐσχατολογικὴ διάσταση τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἐλευθερίας. Οἱ βιβλικὲς μαρτυρίες περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀναδεικνύουν τὴ δύναμη τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῶν πιστῶν, στὴ ὁποία καὶ μόνη φανερώνεται τὸ «μέγα θαῦμα», τὸ ὁποῖο παραμένει ἀπρόσιτον σὲ κάθε καταναγκασμό. «Τὸ μυστήριο τῆς σωτηρίας ἀνήκει σὲ ἀνθρώπους μὲ ἐλεύθερη βούληση καὶ ὄχι σὲ ἀνθρώπους ὑπὸ καθεστὼς τυραννίας». Ἡ ἀποδοχὴ τῆς θείας δωρεᾶς ὡς «διάβαση» τοῦ πιστοῦ πρὸς τὸν Χριστό, εἶναι ἡ ἐλεύθερη ὑπαρκτικὴ ἀπάντηση στὴν ἀγαπητικὴ καὶ σωστικὴ «διάβασιν» τοῦ ἀναστημένου Χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπο. «Χωρὶς ἐμένα τίποτα δὲν μπορεῖτε νὰ κάνετε» Τὸ μυστήριον τῆς Ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυρίου συνεχίζει καὶ σήμερα νὰ κλονίζει τὶς θετικιστικὲς βεβαιότητες τῶν ἀρνητῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς «ἀρνήσεως τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἐλευθερίας», τοὺς ὀπαδοὺς τῆς «φενάκης τῆς αὐτοπραγματώσεως χωρὶς Θεό» καὶ τοὺς θαυμαστὲς τοῦ συγχρόνου «ἀνθρωποθεοῦ». Δὲν ἀνήκει τὸ μέλλον στὸν ἐγκλωβισμὸ στὴν αὐτάρεσκον, συρρικνωτικὴ καὶ κλειστὴ ἐνθαδικότητα. Δὲν ὑπάρχει ἀληθινὴ ἐλευθερία χωρὶς ἀνάσταση, χωρὶς προοπτικὴ αἰωνιότητας. Πηγὴ ἀναστάσιμης εὐφροσύνης γιὰ τὴν Ἁγία τοῦ Χριστοῦ Μεγάλη Ἐκκλησία ἀποτελεῖ ἐφέτος καὶ ὁ κοινὸς ἑορτασμὸς τοῦ Πάσχα ὑπὸ σύμπαντος τοῦ χριστιανικοῦ κόσμου, μαζὶ μὲ τὴν χιλιοστὴ ἑπτακοσιοστὴ ἐπέτειο τῆς Πρώτης ἐν Νικαίᾳ Οἰκουμενικῆς Συνόδου, ἡ ὁποία καταδίκασε τὴν κακοδοξία τοῦ Ἀρείου, αὐτοῦ ὁ ὁποῖος «κατασμίκρυνε τὸν ἕνα τῆς Τριάδος, ὁ ὁποῖος εἶναι Υἱὸς καὶ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ», καὶ θέσπισε τὸν τρόπο τοῦ καθορισμοῦ τῆς ἡμερομηνίας γιὰ τὴν ἑορτὴ τῆς Ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος. Ἡ Σύνοδος τῆς Νικαίας ἐγκαινιάζει μία νέα περίοδο στὴ συνοδικὴ ἱστορία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τὴ μετάβαση ἀπὸ τὸ τοπικὸ στὸ οἰκουμενικὸ συνοδικὸ ἐπίπεδο. Ὡς γνωστόν, ἡ Πρώτη Οἰκουμενικὴ Σύνοδος εἰσήγαγε στὸ Σύμβολο τῆς πίστεως τὸν «ἄγραφον» ὅρο «ὁμοούσιος», μὲ σαφῆ σωτηριολογικὴ ἀναφορά, ἡ ὁποία παραμένει τὸ οὐσιῶδες χαρακτηριστικὸ τῶν δογμάτων τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Ὑπὸ τὴν ἔννοια αὐτή, οἱ ἑορτασμοὶ τῆς μεγάλης ἐπετείου δὲν εἶναι στροφὴ πρὸς τὸ παρελθόν, ἐφ ̓ ὅσον τὸ «πνεῦμα τῆς Νικαίας» ἐνυπάρχει ἀδιάπτωτα στὴ ζωὴ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἡ ἑνότητα τῆς ὁποίας συναρτᾶται μὲ τὴν ὀρθὴ κατανόηση καὶ ἀνάπτυξη τῆς συνοδικῆς ταυτότητάς της. Ὁ λόγος περὶ τῆς Πρώτης ἐν Νικαίᾳ Οἰκουμενικῆς Συνόδου ὑπενθυμίζει τὰ κοινὰ χριστιανικὰ ἀρχέτυπα καὶ τὴ σημασία τοῦ ἀγῶνα κατὰ τῶν διαστρεβλώσεων τῆς ἀμώμητης πίστεώς μας καὶ μᾶς προτρέπει νὰ στραφοῦμε πρὸς τὸ βάθος καὶ τὴν οὐσία τῆς παραδόσεως τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Ὁ δὲ κατὸ τὸ παρὸν ἔτος κοινὸς ἑορτασμὸς τῆς «Ἁγιωτάτης τοῦ Πάσχα ἡμέρας» ἀναδεικνύει τὴν ἐπικαιρότητα τοῦ θέματος, ἡ λύση τοῦ ὁποίου ὄχι μόνο ἐκφράζει τὸ σεβασμὸ τῆς Χριστιανοσύνης πρὸς τὰ θεσπίσματα τῆς Συνόδου τῆς Νικαίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν συνείδηση ὅτι «δὲν πρέπει νὰ ὑπάρχει κάποια διαφροὰ στὴν ἁγιότητα αὐτή». Μὲ τέτοια αἰσθήματα, γεμᾶτοι μὲ τὸ φῶς καὶ τὴ χαρὰ τῆς Ἀναστάσεως καὶ ἀναβοώντας τὸ κοσμοχαρμόσυνο «Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη», ἂς τιμήσουμε τὴν κλητὴ καὶ ἁγία ἡμέρα τοῦ Πάσχα μὲ τὴν ὁλόψυχη ὁμολογία τῆς πίστεώς μας σὲ αὐτὸν ποὺ πάτησε τὸν θάνατο μὲ τὸν θάνατο, στὸν Λυτρωτὴ ποὺ χάρισε ζωὴ σὲ ὅλους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ σὲ ὅλη τὴν κτίση, μὲ τὴν πιστότητά μας στὶς τίμιες παραδόσεις τῆς Μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας καὶ μὲ τὴν ἀνυπόκριτη ἀγάπη πρὸς τὸν πλησίον, ὥστε νὰ δοξάζεται καὶ διὰ πάντων ἡμῶν τὸ ὑπερουράνιο ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου. Φανάρι, Ἅγιο Πάσχα 2025 † Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως διάπυρος πρὸς τὸν ἀναστημένο Χριστὸ εὐχέτης ὅλων σας. 

+Bartholomew, By God's Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. To the Plenitude of the Church: May the Grace, Peace and Mercy of Christ Risen in Glory be with you All.
Dearly beloved children,  By God's mercy and strength, we have journeyed through prayer and fasting across the ocean of Holy and Great Lent, finally reaching the splendid feast of Pascha, and we praise the Lord of glory, who descended to the depths of Hades and "achieved the entrance for all to Paradise" through His raising from the dead. The Resurrection is not the remembrance of an event from the past, but the "good change" of our existence, "another birth, an alternate life, a different kind of living, the transformation of our very being." And in the Risen Christ, the entire creation is renewed together with humanity. When we chant in the 3rd Ode of the Paschal Canon, that "Now everything is filled with light heaven, earth, and all things beneath the earth; therefore, let all creation celebrate the resurrection of Christ, in which everything has been established," we proclaim that the universe is founded on and filled with unfading light. The phrases "before Christ" and "after Christ" ring true not only for the history of the human race, but also for the sake of all creation. The Lord's raising from the dead constitutes the nucleus of the Gospel, the stable point of reference for all the books of the New Testament, as well as for the liturgical life and devotion of the Orthodox Christians. Indeed, the words "Christ is Risen!" summarize the theology of the Church. The experience of the abolition of the dominion of death is a source of ineffable joy, "free from the bonds of this world." "All things are filled with joy upon receiving the taste of resurrection." The resurrection is an explosion "of great joy" and permeates the entire life, ethos and pastoral ministry of the church as the foretaste of the fullness of life, knowledge and life of the eternal kingdom of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Orthodox faith and pessimism are contradictory phenomena. Pascha is for us a feast of freedom and victory over alienating forces; it is the churchification of our existence, an invitation to collaborate for the transfiguration of the world. The history of the Church is rendered "a great Pascha" as the journey toward "the liberation in glory of the children of God" (Rom. 8.21). The experience of resurrection reveals the center and eschatological dimension of freedom in Christ. Biblical references to the Savior's resurrection demonstrate the power of our freedom as believers; it is in this freedom alone that the "great miracle" is manifested, which remains inaccessible to every oppression. "The mystery of salvation belongs to those who desire it freely, not to those who are tyrannized against their will." Accepting the divine gift as a "transition" of the believer toward Christ is the voluntary existential response to the loving and saving "transition" of the Risen Lord toward humankind. For "without me, you cannot do anything" (Jn 15.5). The mystery of the Lord's resurrection to this day continues to shatter the positivistic certainties of those who deny God as "the denial of human will," as well as the advocates of "the fallacy of self-fulfillment without God" and the admirers of the contemporary "man-god." The future does not belong to those imprisoned in a self-sufficient, stifling and narrow earthly existence. There is no authentic freedom without resurrection, without the perspective of eternity. For the Holy Great Church of Christ, one source of such resurrectional joy is also found this year in the common celebration of Easter by the entire Christian world, along with the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, which condemned the heresy of Arius, who "diminished within the Trinity the one Son and Word of God," and which established the way of calculating the date for the feast of our Savior's resurrection. The Council of Nicaea inaugurates a new age in the conciliar history of the Church, the transition from the local to the ecumenical synodal level. As we know, the First Ecumenical Council introduced the non-biblical term "homoousios (of one essence)" to the Symbol of Faith, albeit with a clear soteriological reference, which remains the essential characteristic of church doctrines. In this sense, the celebrations of this great anniversary are not a return to the past, inasmuch as the "spirit of Nicaea" exists unspoiled in the life of the Church, whose unity is associated with the correct understanding and development of its conciliar identity. Discussion on the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea reminds us of the common Christian archetypes and the meaning behind the struggle against the perversion of our spotless faith, encouraging us to turn toward the depth and essence of Church tradition. The joint celebration this year of the "most holy day of Pascha" highlights the timeliness of the subject, the solution of which not only expresses the respect of Christianity for the decrees of the Council of Nicaea, but also the awareness that "there should be no differentiation in such sacred matters." With these sentiments, filled with the light and joy of the Resurrection, while proclaiming "Christ is Risen!" with jubilation, let us honor the chosen and holy day of Pascha with a heartfelt confession of our faith in the Redeemer, who trampled down death by death and granted life to all people and all creation, through our faithfulness to the sacred traditions of the Great Church as well as through sincere love for our neighbor, for the glorification by us all of the heavenly name of the Lord. At the Phanar, Holy Pascha 2025 +Bartholomew Fervent supplicant for you all to the Risen Lord.

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

As we rejoice in the Resurrection of Christ, we pray that His light will illuminate your path with hope, peace and love.
May this special time bring you closer to your loved ones, and may the blessings of the season shine upon you and your family. Philoptochos wishes you and your loved ones a blessed and joy - filled Pascha! Kali Anastasi! In His Service, Sophia.

 

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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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