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, January 25, 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 21:14-25. Divine Liturgy Epistle: Hebrews 7:26-28, 8:1-2. Gospel: Luke 19:1-10.

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.

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.  

Memory Eternal! Αιώνια η μνήμη του! January - 25 Sophia Lambrou, 25 - Maria Lambrou.

We pray for those who celebrate their birthday. Хρόνια πολλά & ευλογημενα! January - 23 Katerina Papachryssantou, 25 Jeff West, 26 Nicolas Lambrou, 27 Margy Nestopoulos, 27 Giovana King, 27 Maria Georgantonis, 28 Christin Greven, 31 Mark Franck.   

A Note from Parish Council: Many thanks go out to the thoughtful and generous donor who offered $10,000 for special projects if our community could match that amount. In response, and through many donations large and small, twice that amount was raised and, to date, the special projects fund has been tripled! As a result, the kitchen floor has been replaced, the altar project is underway and the bell tower project is seeking estimates. Our wonderful community is blessed to have members who give of their time, talent and resources. Thank you! 

Happy New Year 2026! Time to renew your Philoptochos membership or join for the first time. Dues remain at a minimum amount of $25 to cover our chapter's membership to the Metropolis and Archdiocese Philoptochos.
A new coffee hour calendar has been posted. Please take a look and sign up alone or with a friend(s) so we can continue this warm, wonderful tradition.
Mark your calendar for Sunday, February 8 to wear something RED. This small effort is encouraged by our National Philoptochos during American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. This specific initiative called Go Red For Women is to help raise awareness for the no. 1 cause of death for women: cardiovascular disease.

Monday, February 2 - 10:00 am Divine Liturgy. Presentation of our Lord. 

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, January 26 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. 

Tuesday, January 27 - 3:00 PM Jesus Prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."

Wednesday, December 28 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" Day of Fasting. 6:00 PM. Prayers near Miraculous Icon Mother of God "The Tender Heart" St. George's Orthodox Church in Taylor, PA.  Every Wednesday we remember when Judas betrayed Christ. 

Thursday, January 29 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." 6:00 PM. Akaphist to the Theotokos. Following the service you will be anointed with the holy oil from Kardiotissa miracle icon. 

Friday, January 30 - 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, January 31 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" 6:00 PM. Great Vespers/Confession. Reading the life of the Saints.Catechism classes following the Vespers. 

Sunday, February 1 - 8:45 AM Orthros/Confession.10:00 AM. Divine Liturgy. Every Sunday we commemorate Christ's resurrection.  

Today, January 25 we commemorate Saint Gregory (Nazianzus) the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople, an ecumenical father and teacher of the Church. He was born into a Christian family of eminent lineage in the year 329, at Arianzos. His father, likewise a Saint Gregory, was Bishop of Nazianzos, but of these two father and son, the son is the Saint Gregory Nazianzus encountered in Patristic theology. His mother, Saint Nonna (+ 374) prayed God for a son, having given a vow to dedicate him to the Lord. As was revealed to her in a dream, she accordingly named her first born Gregory. When the son learned to read, his mother presented him with the Holy Scripture. Saint Gregory received a quite complete and extensive education: after working at home with his uncle Saint Amphylokhios, an experienced teacher of rhetoric, he then studied in the schools of Nazianzos, Caesarea Cappadocia and Alexandria. Then for the finishing touches to his education, the Saint set off to Athens. 
The saint spent six years at Athens, and there studied rhetorics, poetics, geometry and astronomy. Together with Saint Gregory, there also studied there Saint Basil, the future Archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia (+ 379) Their friendship, formed while still back in school in Caesarea, flourished in a deep spiritual closeness. But their acquaintance with Julian, the future emperor (361-363) and apostate from the Christian faith, soon turned into implacable enmity. In the year 358 Saint Gregory quietly quit Athens and returned to his parents at Nazianzos. And here he at almost 30 years of age received Baptism from his father. At the suggestion of Saint Basil he withdrew into the wilderness, so as to asceticism alongside him. But at the demand of his father, Saint Gregory returned to Nazianzos in 361 and received the dignity of presbyter. Sensing however, that solitude and silent prayer were immeasurably closer to his liking than pastoral activity, Saint Gregory again hastened into the wilderness to Saint Basil. There in the wilderness he strengthened in spirit, found the wherewithal to return to his flock and properly do his duty. And there soon befell Saint Gregory the hard task of reconciling the bishop with his flock, which condemned their pastor for signing an ambiguous interpretation of the dogmas of the faith. Saint Gregory gave the flock time for expression of feelings first, and then he convinced his father to openly acknowledge his mistake. After this, and uttering a sermon on the need for reconciliation, Saint Gregory accomplished his intent. Sainted Basil the Great made Saint Gregory bishop of the city of Sasima, but in order to assist his dying father, Saint Gregory remained at Nazianzos, and for a certain while after the death of his father he guided the flock of this city.

Upon the death of the Constantinople patriarch Valentus in the year 378, the Antioch Council invited Saint Gregory to help the Constantinople Church, which at this time more so than at others was ravaged by heretics. Having received the consent of Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory came to Constantinople upon the Patriarchal throne. In the year 379 he began to serve and preach in a not-large house church of his kinsmen. He named this church "Anastasis" ( "Resurrection), believing that in this small church he would begin to resurrect Orthodoxy. Heretics ruled everywhere whether they be Arians or Appolinarians. And the more loudly resounded his preaching, the more fully increased the gathering in church, and by this more bitterly grew the opposition of the heretics. On the night of Pascha 21 April 379, when Saint Gregory was making Baptism of the newly-illumined, a mob of armed heretics burst into the church and showered an hail of rocks upon the Orthodox, killing one bishop and wounding Saint Gregory. But the fortitude and mildness of the saint were his best armour, and his words regathered the Orthodox.

In the year 381 at the Second Ecumenical Council, Saint Gregory was confirmed in the dignity of Constantinople Patriarch. Upon the death of the Antioch Patriarch Meletios, Saint Gregory presided at the Council. Hoping to reconcile the West with the East, he offered to recognise Paulinos as Antioch Patriarch. But with the arrival of those who earlier had acted against Saint Gregory on the side of Maximos particularly Egyptian and Macedonian bishops, they did not want to acknowledge the saint as Patriarch of Constantinople. Saint Gregory decided to sacrifice himself for the peace of the Church: "Let me be as the Prophet Jonah! I was guilty for the storm, but I would sacrifice myself for the salvation of the ship. Grab hold and throw me. I was not happy when I ascended the throne, and gladly would I descend it". Having explained to the emperor about his wish to quit the capital, Saint Gregory appeared again at the Council, in a farewell address asking it to let him depart in peace.
In the year 389 he died, on 25 January, being honoured by the Church with the title "Theologian" bestown also on that beloved disciple of Christ the holy Evangelist and Apostle John.
The body of Saint Gregory was buried at Nazianzos. In the year 950 the holy relics were transferred to Constantinople into the church of the Holy Apostles. Later on part of the relics were transferred to Rome. The Orthodox Church, terming Saint Gregory a second Theologian and mystery insightful luminous writer of the Holy Trinity.

Wisdom of the Saints.  

"We should have the same attitude toward all of our fellow men. We must not classify people, saying, "This one I like but so-and so I do not." By doing so, you will have declared war on the other person and that person will not tolerate you. Even though you may not have given any outward sign of dislike by word or gesture, you have done so by your thoughts and that is enough." /Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica/

"Let none of you turn deserter. Let your baptism be your armor; your faith, your helmet; your love, your spear; your patient endurance, your panoply." /Saint Ignatius of Antioch/

"In storms and squalls we need a pilot, and in this present life we need prayer; for we are susceptible to the provocations of our thoughts, both good and bad. If our thought is full of devotion and love of God, it rules over the passions." /Venerable Isaiah the Solitary of Seeds and Palestine/

"My whole life is a battle between me and me - between as I am and me as God wants me to be" /Saint Nikolai Velimirovich/

"It is better to eat meat and drink wine and not to eat the flesh of one's brethren through slander." /Abba Hyperechius/

"Pray rather with an humble heart, and do not make yourself a den of thieves by indulging in indecent thoughts and desires, that you might not be ashamed in the day of judgement when men's secrets will be revealed." /Saint Ephraim the Syrian/

 

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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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