St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Carmichaels - Bulletin 490

St. George
Serbian Orthodox Church
Carmichaels, PA

Bulletin 490 - May 26 / June 8, 2008

Chronicle of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church
Diocesan Bishop - His Grace Bishop Dr. MITROPHAN
Parish Priest - Fr. Rodney Torbic
296 Old Route 21
Carmichaels, Pennsylvania 15320
May 26 / June 8, 2008
Sunday of the Holy Fathers of First Ecumenical Council
No. 490

Remember to listen to the parish radio broadcast each Sunday afternoon at 12:15 on WMBS, 590 AM, Uniontown.

Jude 20-21

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Recent Services

June 1: Midnight Office, Matins, First Hour, Third and Sixth Hours were read immediately before the Divine Liturgy.; One person came for Matins and First Hour.; Thirty-Five people came for Divine Liturgy. One communicant.; Thirteen people attended the Akathist to the Mother of God at the Cross in the St. George Cemetery. Father Zoran Milinkovic visiting from Novi Sad Served at the Diving Liturgy and at the Akathist. Father Deacon Dragoslav Kosic served at the Divine Liturgy and at the Akathist. Father Dimitri Dimitrov served at the Akathist.
June 7: One person came for Ninth Hour, Vespers, Blessing of one Kolach and Koljivo; One person came each morning to read the Matins and First Hour.

Services This Coming Week - Always Call to Confirm Weekday Schedule

Today: Midnight Office, Matins, First Hour. Divine Liturgy. Parastos.
Mornings: Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 5:30 AM, Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour.
Afternoons & Evenings: Thursday evening at 6:30 PM immediately followed by Adult Class.; Friday and Saturday at 4:00 PM, Ninth Hour and Vespers.
Saturday: 9:00 AM Akathist for Departed, Pomen, Blessing of Graves.

Remember Monastery Marcha with Prayers and Contributions

Important Dates

June 8 - Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council
June 9-10 - Serbian Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood Annual Meeting, New York City
June-14 - Memorial Saturday
June 15 - Pentecost
June 16 - Pentecost Monday
June 16 - Holy Trinity Mission Slava, Fairmont, W.Va. at 5:30 PM.
June 17 - Pentecost Tuesday, St. Mitrophanes, First Patriarch of Constantinople
June 23 - Apostles Fast begins.
June 28 - Vidovdan
June 29 - Parish Vidovdan Program.
July 12 - Sts. Peter and Paul

If you are too busy to pray...you are too busy!

Pray for the Suffering Serbian People in Kosovo and Metohija

Parish Life

: · The newly painted parish house will be open for viewing next week during coffee hour.
: · Take time to read your Bible and pray each day.
: · If you do not have an Orthodox prayer book to use at home, please obtain one.
: · If you have not been to Holy Confession or Communion recently, it is time to prepare.
: · If you do not know your family Slava, please see Father Rodney.
: · If you do not celebrate your Slava, please begin this year.
: · Happy Slava to Holy Ascension Serbian Orthodox Church in Youngwoood.
: · Make an effort to observe the fast days of the Church.
: · You help the parish when you are a faithful Orthodox Christian each day.
: · Monetary donations are being accepted immediately and will continue to be accepted to help the needy in Kosovo. When donating, please designate the contribution for Diocesan Relief Fund. The situation is urgent and of great importance.
: · Remember the men and women working in dangerous occupations including those in the mines and criminal justice agencies, the police, correctional officers and parole agents.
: · Remember the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, those in rehab centers, nursing homes, jails and prisons. Remember the staff members and caretakers.
: · Remember the men and women serving in the military and their families.
: · Do you listen to the parish radio broadcast each Sunday or on the internet during the week? Do you tell your friends and relatives?

From the Matins of the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

Having brought together all knowledge of things of the spirit and made careful inquiry by the divine Spirit's grace, lo, like godly scribes the august Fathers wrote the celestial Symbol, the august Creed of our holy Faith, wherein they clearly teach that, like God the Father, the Word of God, is also unoriginate and is consubstantial with Him in truth. Thus did these all-blest and renowned and godly-minded ones indeed follow in manifest manner that which the Apostles taught.

(Pentecostarian Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston, Ma. 1990, pp. 3658-369. )

Remember the Students at St. Sava School of Theology, Libertyville, Illinois

To Consider

· The Great Councils of the Church.
· The use of discourse and conciliation in the Church.
· Unity in the Spirit in the Church

Recent Activities of Parish Priest
June 1 - Attended Parish Outdoor Religious Program and picnic.

Wisdom of Sirach 8:9

Do not disregard the discourse of the aged, for they themselves learned from their fathers; because from them you will gain understanding and how to give an answer in time of need.

Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

John 17:1-13

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

The Church is in the midst of the celebration of the Lord Jesus Christ's Ascension. The Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ is a time of transition. The Lord Jesus Christ's presence in human flesh on earth comes to a conclusion.

The Ascension of Jesus Christ sets in motion the time period that continues until the glorious Second Coming. The time between the Ascension and Jesus' return is unknown.

Jesus said: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Mt. 24:44) It is even difficult to view the passage of time. The Holy Apostle Peter gave a glimpse of the difficulties in time calculation.

The Holy Apostle Peter said: "With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (II Pet. 3:8) The passage of time since Jesus' Ascension can make succeeding generations lax in regards to His return.

The passing of twenty centuries can make believers in the present generation and perhaps a certain future generations inattentive to Jesus' impending return.

Being lax about Christ's return can cause laziness in faith and practices of faith. Being lax about Christ's return can cause inattentiveness to prayer and other essential practices fundamental to salvation.

Some individuals will be like the rich man who said: "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." (Lk. 12:19) Some individuals give God only a minimal amount of time.

We reap what we sow. If we invest in the Kingdom of God, we make the soundest of investments. If our interest is the eternal life spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ in the present Gospel, then God will be central to our lives.

To experience the fullness of joy in Christ, Christ must be in our minds, on our lips, in our thoughts and dominate in our hearts. To experience the peace of Christ, Christ's teachings must be fundamental to our daily lives.