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
December 7 / December 20, 2009
Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
No. 570
Remember to listen to the parish radio broadcast each Sunday afternoon at 12:15
on WMBS, 590 AM, Uniontown.
Luke 17:19
And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."
Services Recently
- December 12
- Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour were read at St. George Church.
- Nine people came to Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Three communicants.
- Three people came to St. George Church for Ninth Hour and Great Vespers with
Five Loaves
- December 13
- Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour were read.
- Thirteen people came for Divine Liturgy. Two communicants.
Services This Coming Week - Always Call to Confirm Weekday Schedule
- Today
- Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour. Third and Sixth Hours followed by Divine Liturgy.
- Mornings
- 5:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
- Afternoons
- 5:00 PM on Monday at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church, Fairmont, W.Va.
- Wednesday
- 6:30 PM followed by Adult Class at 7:00 PM.
- Thursday
- 4:00 PM
Remember Monastery Marcha with Prayers and Contributions
Important Dates
December 20 - Children's Day (Detinjci)
December 27 - Mother's Day
December 27-30 - Youth Retreat at Shadeland
December 30 - Deacon Avakum and Abbot Paisius
December 31 - St. Sebastian
January 3 - Father's Day
January 6 - Christmas Eve
January 7 - Feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ
January 8 - Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos
January 9 - Third Day of Christmas, St. Stephen the Protomartyr and Archdeacon.
January 1 - Leave-taking of Nativity.
January 18 - Eve of Theophany
January 19 - Theophany
January 20 - Synaxis of St. John the Baptist.
January 27 - St. Sava
If you are too busy to pray...you are too busy!
Remember the Serbian People in Kosovo and All Suffering People.
Parish Life
- · The parish Annual Assembly will be held in January.
- · Honor the Nativity Fast until the Feast of the Nativity on January 7.
- · The Kolo always needs help with baking.
- · If you are not a Kolo member, please join. New members are needed.
- · Invite a friend or relative to come to church.
- · Tell your friends and relatives about the parish radio program.
- · Sympathy extended to the family of Michael Dephillips.
His mother Annice departed this life this past week.
- · Sympathy extended to the family of +Eric Zorich departed this life this past
week. +Eric's father +Eli departed this life earlier this year.
- · Remember the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, those in rehab centers,
the homebound, the mentally ill, their caretakers and the institution staffs.
- · Remember the men and women serving in the military and their families.
- · Remember the workers in mines, law-enforcement, corrections, probation and
parole and firefighters, all working in dangerous occupations.
- · If you have a question about the services or the Church, ask Father Rodney.
- · Each parishioner should take time to observe his or her Slava.
- · Prepare for Holy Confession and Communion during the Nativity Fast.
A Thought from Protopresbyter Stavrofor Dr. Nedeljko Grgurevich.
St. Sava planted an incredible sense of spiritual strength, stability, and order in the
soul of the Serbian people. He led the Serbians to a higher sphere of Christian life and
belief. Orthodoxy among the Serbs was secure, devoid of doubts and confusion, and because
of this, it was possible to create its renewal among the Serbs, a renewal which blossomed
during the Nemanja period.
(Introduction to Serbian Orthodox Church History
Johnstown, Pa. P. 67.
)
To Consider
· The Nativity Fast
· Whether each of us will conclude the fast as better Christians.
· The degree to which each of us honors the Nativity Fast.
Remember the Students at St. Sava School of Theology, Libertyville, Illinois
Recent Activities of Parish Priest
December 12 - Served Divine Liturgy in Fairmont, West Virginia.
December 16 - Attended Vespers at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, State College, Pa.
Psalm 38:21-22
Make haste to help me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me.
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 17:12-19
Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood
afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it
was that as they went, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he was
healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at
His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said,
"Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who
returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? And He said to him, "Arise,
go your way. Your faith has made you well."
Ten lepers lifted their voices to Jesus and beseeched His mercy. The ten lepers were
healed. Only one of the ten lepers took time to glorify and give thanks to God.
Everyday believers are healed by God. Everyday believers turn to God in prayer and
their prayers are heard. Everyday individuals are the beneficiaries of prayers by others.
Not everyone takes time to thank and glorify God each day.
Giving thanks and glory to God has a place in the lives of believers every day of their
lives. Believers have a responsibility to actively give thanks to God and to glorify God in
the way we live.
Holy Baptism and Chrismation provide believers with reasons to give thanks to God.
Unending opportunities to repent and begin anew in Christ are reasons for believers to
heartily give thanks to God each day
Having food on the table and a roof over their heads are reasons for believers to give
abundant thanks to God. Having the sun to brighten the day and the moon to brighten the
night are reasons to give thanks to God.
Having the ability to think, to listen, to see, to hear, to walk are reasons to joyfully
thank God. Believers will never be able to fully thank God for all God's blessings and love.
Believers will never be able to fully assess the healing power of God. The blessings and
healing power of God come to mind readily for individuals willing to look beyond themselves.
Speaking of the presence of the Lord, the holy Apostle Paul said: "In Him we live and
move and have our being."
(Acts 17:28)
Our very life emanates from God and is completely dependent on God.
We continue to live because of God. We receive our life from God. We have the opportunity
to live in God pleasing ways throughout our lives. We have the opportunity for eternal life.
The decisions we make affect our relationship with God. When we are ungrateful to God,
when we forget about the good God does for us, this is reflected in our relationships in
daily life.
When we realize the importance of God in our lives, God will be the standard for our
daily relationships. The nine lepers who were healed and went on their way denied themselves
a continued relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The single leper stopping to thank and glorify God strengthened his relationship.
The single leper expressing thanks was blessed further by the Lord Jesus Christ and
is remembered as an example for others to follow.
The Lord Jesus Christ does more than heal us. The life in Christ certainly entails
healing but it entails much more. Daily nourishment and direction come from Christ.
Daily purpose and meaning are found in Christ.
With healing comes responsibility to live in ways pleasing to God. With healing
comes the opportunity to begin life under new circumstances and with renewed vigor.
With healing comes joy in the love of God. With healing comes greater understanding
about God and the goodness of God. For the grateful to God, healing creates a greater
interest in God.
For the grateful, healing creates a new world view measured and shaped by the
understanding of God. For the grateful, the relationship with God is expected to last
forever. For the grateful, life without God would be unbearable.
The Lord Jesus Christ acknowledged the faith of the single grateful leper.
The faith of the single leper was important to his healing. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke
of the connection between the leper's faith and his healing.
Faith in God is important throughout life. Faith in God carries a believer through
the rough moments of life. Faith in God is an abiding strength in moments of joy.
Faith in God establishes unity with God in all circumstances.
The life in Christ has many different aspects all of which reflect the unity with
Christ and are measured by this unity. All thoughts and all behavior are measured
according to the standards established by Christ.
The more a believer lives in Christ, the more the believer perceives and experiences
the many dimensions of the Christian life. Christ opens new experiences for believers
taking up their cross and following Him.
Christ gives strength and mobility to believers taking up their cross and following Him.
Christ empowers believers following Him and united with Him.
Believers in Christ are confident in the face of adversity.
Believers in Christ are convinced of the message and teachings of Christ.
Believers in Christ are prepared to stand alone for the truth of Christ.
Believers in Christ are prepared to stand against sin and evil in the world.
Believers in Christ appreciate healing by Christ and use the health provided
by Christ to advance the understanding of Christ.
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Carmichaels, Pennsylvania.
December 7 / December 20, 2009
Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost.
Fr. Rodney Torbic
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