Volume 49; Number 52 December 29, 2013
Welcome, O Christ! (part 1)
Out of burning love, Thou didst descend from heaven;
From eternal beauty, into monstrous pain;
From eternal light, into the thick darkness of evil.
Thou didst extend Thy holy hand to those choked in sin.
Heaven was amazed, the earth quaked.
Welcome, O Christ! O ye peoples, rejoice!
Out of burning love, by which Thou didst create the world,
As a slave Thou didst humble Thyself to loose the enslaved,
To restore the house that Adam destroyed,
To enlighten the darkened, to unloose sinners.
Love that knows not fear or humiliation.
Welcome, O Christ, O Master of Salvation!
Holy Bishop Nikolaj
Dobro došo, Hriste! (prvi deo)
Iz ljubavi žarke Ti se c neba spusti,
Iz večne krasote u rugobu muke,
Iz večne svetlosti u mrak zlobni, gusti,
Davljenim u grehu pruži svete ruke.
Začudi se nebo, zemlja zatrese se:
Dobro došo, Hriste! Ljudi, radujte se!
Iz ljubavi žarke, kojom svet sotvori,
Ko rob se ponizi, da roblje odrešiš,
Da obnoviš kuću što Adam razori,
Da mračne prosvetiš, grešne da razrešiš.
Ljubav ne zna straha niti poniženja.
Dobro došo Hriste, Vladiko spasenja!
Sveti Vladika Nikolaj
READINGS FOR Sunday 27th Sunday after Pentecost/ Holy Forefathers
Epistle: Col. 3:4-11. Reader: Catherine Munich Gospel: St. Luke 14:16-24.
Excuses?
In today’s Gospel reading, we reflect on something that is very common in our daily life — excuses. How many times have you been given an excuse? You are depending on an associate, and you receive an excuse. You ask your children to complete household chores and you receive an excuse. The delivery didn’t make it on time and you receive an excuse. Now, consider God’s commitment to you in that He gave His only begotten Son for your salvation. He provides no excuses but just asks that we follow Him as good and faithful stewards of His Church. Make your commitment to Christ in the upcoming year without any excuses. Remember “That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”
READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY: Epistle: Heb. 11:9-10, 17-23, 32-40; Gospel: St. Matt. 1:1-25
Remembered at the Litany for the Departed today are: DANYL OUSS; MOMCILO SUBOTIC; DONALD (Danilo) MILOSEVICH; NADA MILOSEVICH (req. by family); SLAVKO and ADRIJANA MARIJANAC (req. by Zorica Marijanac); GEORGE & HELEN ENGEL, EFTIN & VASILKA STEVANOFF (requested by Peter Stevanoff); and all the recent victims of violence and natural disasters. May their memory be eternal!
SOUP ON SUNDAY Today we again gather to have delicious homemade soup. Today’s soup is Vegetable, and it is posno. A bowl of soup with bread is $5.00. Proceeds go to renovation of the Ladies Room in the Church Hall.
DEPOSITS FOR CHRISTMAS PIGS Those of you who ordered roasted pigs for Christmas should have submitted your $50.00 deposit already. If you have not handed in your deposit, please give it to Popadija Vickie after Divine Liturgy today, or arrange to bring your deposit to the parish home as soon as possible. 823-2846. Please Note: Roast pig pick up will be SUNDAY, JANUARY 5 after Divine Liturgy.
OLD HALL TABLE SALE. $10. See Parish Council President Sofia Wuslich.
WARM CLOTHING NEEDED The International Preparatory School is in need of warm clothing: coats, hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, pants, etc. for its students. Clean and washed “gently used” clothing is accepted New clothing is also welcomed. Last day for donations is Sunday JAN. 5.
PROTO MIODRAG DJURICH was our parish priest from 1951 to 1970. He was born on July 30, 1913. He fell asleep in the Lord on January 2, 1970, and was buried on January 5. We are taking the opportunity of the Anniversary of his passing to remember him with a Parastos next Sunday at the end of the Liturgy. Please stay to the end next Sunday to honor the memory of our dear Proto Miodrag. Vjecnaja Pamjat!
Orthodox college students are invited to join the Facebook page: BuffalOCF
REMINDER FROM OUR CHARITY FUND If you know of someone in our parish who is need at this holiday season, please contact Fr. Rastko. We should all be concerned with the well-being of our fellow parishioners. Call Fr. Rastko at 823-2846.
BAKE SALE 2013 was a great success! Tortas, nut and poppy seed rolls are available each Sunday after Church.
CONFESSIONS before the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas) will be heard each Saturday night after Vespers, and before each Divine Liturgy. If you want to have your confession heard on a Sunday morning, please call Fr. Rastko in advance so he can schedule a time for your Confession. Confessions will be heard before Christmas Vigil from 8:30-9:30 PM on JAN 6th, but will not be heard after the Vigil this year. NO CONFESSIONS should be heard on Christmas morning except in rare cases. Plan ahead and schedule your Confession prior to this great feast. Call Fr. Rastko if you have any questions.
PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING SOLDIERS IN YOUR PRAYERS: Thomas Vukcevic; Benjamin Pappas; Paul Campbell, Michael Rapasky; Brady Sexton, Jeffrey Izo, Michael Greenwood, James Koch, Adam Paich, John Stanz, Peter Mrvos, Michael Antecki, Matthew Ross, Steven Marrocco, Dane Gaynor. These soldiers are remembered at the Proskomedia (Service of Preparation) before every Divine Liturgy. If you have names to contribute to this list of servicemen serving overseas, please share them with Father.
A separate mailing which includes a calendar of services for Christmas through Theophany, including all of January and the St. Sava celebration, will be mailed out with the Christmas donation envelope. Please watch for this mailing and mark your calendars, so you can attend as many of these special services and events as possible.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Week of SUNDAY, Dec 29, 2013, through SUNDAY, Jan 5, 2014
We are in the Christmas Fast. Every day is a fast day.
Sunday Divine Liturgy & Church School 10 AM; Soup on Sunday; 40-day Parastos for Donald Milosevic.
Saturday Church Cleaning and Decorating for Christmas (help needed to beautify the church for the Feast); Vespers & Confessions 6 PM.
Sunday Divine Liturgy & Church School; Parastos for Proto Miodrag Djurich; Serbian Father’s Day; Roast Pig pick up.
COMING EVENTS
January 6 Christmas Eve-Badnje Vece– Vesperal Divine Liturgy 10 AM; Vigil Service, with burning of the Badnjak: 9:30 PM; Confessions heard before Vigil services 8:30-9:30 PM, by appointment only.
January 7 Nativity of our Lord/Bozic Liturgy 10 AM
January 8 Synaxis of Most Holy Theotokos Liturgy 10 AM; Vespers 6 PM
January 9 St. Stephen the First Martyr/Sveti Stefan Liturgy 10 AM-This is the Feast Day of our Parish Church
January 19 Theophany: Liturgy and Great Blessing of Water 9:00 AM
January 27 Joint Slava: St. Stephen & St. Sava. ALL ARE WELCOME. Look for the sign up sheet next week.
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! — HE IS AND SHALL BE!
ХРИСТОС ЈЕ ПОСРЕД НАС! — И ЈЕСТЕ И БИЋЕ!
Izgovori?
U današnjem Jevanđelju se mnogo spominje što mi svakodnevno koristimo u životu a to su – izgovori. Koliko puta vam je neko dao izgovor za nešto što je trebao da uradi? Vi zavisite od nekoga a on vam jednostvano da neki izgovor. Kada pitate decu da urade nešto u kući vi jednostavno dobijete izgovor. Dostava pošiljke nije došla na vreme i kompaija vas nazove i da vam neki izgovor. Sada se zapitajte o Božijem obećanju koje je dao nama kada je rekao da će da pošalje svog Jedinorodnog sina da postrada za naše spasenje. On se nikada nije pravdao nekim izgovorima nego od nas samo traži da ga pratimo kao dobri i verni Staratelji Njegove Crkve. Obavežite se Hristu u novoj godini bez izgovora. Setite se “da nijedan od onih zvanih ljudi neće okusiti moje večere.”
ST. PANTELEIMON COMMITTEE Please pray for the health of all our ailing brothers and sisters.
Litany of Fervent Supplication: PETER VRANJES; KAREN KOVACEVIC; DEBORAH ADYMY (Pgh); Matushka LAURA SCHMIDT (PA); ANNA WEAVER; SAMUEL KORACH (OH); MARY DANAKAS; LARISSA MAJSTOROVIC (PA); WADE (VLADIMIR) McFARLAND (rehab); JOVANA MARJANOVIC; DUSAN KANTAR; KIMBERLY HENSLEY; TANJA TRIFKOVIC; KATIE RAPASKY; SCOTT & MAXINE SMATLAK (PA); JOHN CIPOLLA Jr: GLADYS HODYNSKI (Absolute); HELEN BROWN (AutumnView); MELANIE ROZWOOD; ANNA SREMCEVIC; CARLY SERRA; LAUREN TASSEFF; LORRAINE ROWLEY (NC); GORDANA NENADOVIC (FL); MIRJANA PAVLICA; GEORGENE STEVANOFF (Orch Hts)); RESA WILLIAMSON (CO); MILKA KARLOVIC; PAUL JUST (NC); OLGA TRACY (TX); SHARON LUTHER (FL); HELEN & EDMUND BIGGS; MICHALENE CONTI (FL); DRAGAN REZNICAK (W.Va); MARTHA PAVLAKIS; STOJAN KOSOVAC (Hamilton); ANNABELLE SAUER; ANNA TONARELY (FL); MILENKO ZDJELAR; ERIKA TIEM (Germany); CARL HEINZ BLASHKE (Germany); DUSAN CURUVIJA.
Proskomedia: EVELYN & VLADIMIR POPOVIC; FR GEORGE ASWAD; FR. JOHN NEHREBECKI; FR. DAVID VERNAK; FR ZVONIMIR KOTORCEVIC; FR GEORGE YATSKO; FR. ROMAN BRAGA (MI); PAULA HUGHES; NADINE DeMARCO; JOHN & JOAN MUNICH; MILAN PAJIC; LJUPKA PALAVESTRA; KELLY PAVICH; CHRISTINE KMITCH (FL); DAN BOLAM; MARSHA YUNKE; FR. RASTKO; BILJANA OPACIC; KATHERINE LIPPARD; TONIKA TODOROVICH; STEPHEN TODOROVICH; MILE ZDJELAR; DANIEL PAVICHEVICH (CA) VLADIMIR JOVIC; VALU TUMPALOFF; NICOLE DICIOCCIO; JOHN LABOVSKY; MILKA BOSILKOVSKI; MICHAEL VUJAKOVICH; NADA ZDERO; NICHOLAS SKIRPAN; DANIEL METZ; KARL STEFANOVICH; JAMES & JOANN RADITIC; HELEN PARKER (Weinberg); BRANKO GUSKIC; CONRAD & MARY JEAN TOEPFER; KATHRYN FREDERICK; DAVID PRELJEVA; JOSEPH YORK; HENRY DARMSTEDTER; ANNA VIRUET; MILOVAN TUCO; MILAN JOVIC; STEVO SIMIC; NANCY HEALY; GEORGE & CAROL KOVACEVIC (NC); LINDA MORAN (MN); JACQUELINE FUELLHART; PATRICIA WILSON; MAURIE & JAMES JACHIMIAK; DON BIVOLCIC (AR); JOANN PANEK; VERA & MARK MARKOFF; DARINKA NEDELKOV (home); RAMON MURPHY; MATTHEW BARUSIC; VUKICA STOJANOVIC; MILENA CORHASANOVIC; PETAR TUCO; IRENE FRUHAUF; DALE HAUSER; NICHOLAS KOKOT (FrBakerMan); MOTHER ANA; BASIL KORBUT; JOHN STANZ; LYDIA SALEH; VIDOSAVA TOSKOVIC; MISS MARY KORACH (FrBakerMan); YUBA BELICH (OrchHts); MARTIN DARMSTEDTER; LEISELOTTE SILJEGOVIC; DRAGANA SALOM (IL); ROBERT SETTER; CHRISANTE GASSETT; ZARKA POPOVIC (CA); ROBERT BOLLER; WAYNE & THOMAS JOUSMA; MARGE SPANO, ANTHONY DIPIANO; JEANETTE STANLEY; MARY KAROLEWSKI; MARIJA TRBOJEVIC (IL); GALE MAUS (FL); ROSANN TEDEROUS; ISO BJELANOVIC; DUSAN SAMARDZIJA; DRAZEN JOKANOVIC; MARY PARILLO (MA); WYATT & TONY LAMB; CAROL MAGARIS; KATHY HANNY (FL); JANE GLASS (Hamburg); ANNAME GRACER; DANIEL DiCIOCCIO; JOANNE HAMILTON; CHRISTINE MADEJ (MA); LEISA WHEELER; DIANE & RONALD KUKAVICA; MILJAN VANOVAC; MIKI STIPANOVICH (IN); RICHARD WYSE; ARLENE SCHMITZ; PETER MITICH; DUSKO VANOVAC; ANASTASIA HILES (PA); CATHY SMILINIC; OLGA YANDRICH (Pgh); STEPHEN ENGLE; DOROTHY BARON (PA); DANIELLE WILLIAMS; PATRICIA MALETICH (OH); RICHARD CARNEY; JENNIFER POPOVICH; DAVID DONALD (PA); LJUBICA JEVTIC; MARY BETH BUNTICH (NM); FR. SRBOLJUB BULICH (Belgrade); FR ALEXANDER ATTY; FR. MILAN ZOBENICA; FR. HERMAN SCHICK; FR. MILADIN GARICH; FR. MICHAEL ZAPARYNIUK (FL); FR. DENNIS PAVICHEVICH; JOANNE MARKEY; JOSEPH ROZWOOD Jr; ROSE GARDINA; ELAINE DAMINSKI; PAULA RUSSIAN (FL); GREGORY SMITH (DC); DAN NEARY; MARGARET NIGRELLI; ADAM BREVNER(LI); RICHARD LOCKWOOD; CHRISTINE MARX (IL); ARTHUR REIS; VERA SREDANOVIC (CA); RONALD BEDE (OH); MARY LOU BREMMER; HELEN TANNER (FrBakerMan); and any ill or hospitalized parishioners we may have missed.