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
February 22 / March 7, 2010
Third Sunday of Great Lent
No. 581
Remember to listen to the parish radio broadcast each Sunday afternoon at 12:15
on WMBS, 590 AM, Uniontown.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Recent Services
- February 25
- Great Compline was read.
- February 26
- Midnight Office, First Hour and Third Hour were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder.
- February 28
- Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour were read.
- Sixth Hour was read followed by the Divine Liturgy and Parastos.
Twenty-five people came. Seven communicants..
- Three people came for Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts. Three communicants.
- March 1
- Ninth Hour was read with reading from The Ladder.
- March 2
- Midnight Office, First and Third Hour were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder
- Ninth Hour was read with reading from The Ladder.
- Akathist to the Cross was read.
- March 3
- Midnight Office, First Hour and Third Hour were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder.
- Three people came for Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts. Two communicants.
- Small Compline was read.
- March 4
- Midnight Office, First and Third Hours were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder.
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 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
- Evenings
- 4:00 PM on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday.
- Tuesday
- 6:30 PM followed by Adult Class at 7:00 PM.
- Wednesday and Friday
- 8:00 AM Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts.
Remember Monastery Marcha with Prayers and Contributions
Important Dates
March 7 - Third Sunday of Great Lent. 5:30 PM Vespers at St. George Church, Midland
March 14 - Fourth Sunday of Great Lent. 5:30 PM Vespers at St. Nicholas Church, Monroeville
March 14 - Fourth Sunday of Great Lent. 5:30 PM at Holy Resurrection Church, Steubenville.
March 21 - Fifth Sunday of Great Lent. 5:30 PM at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church,
Carmichaels.
March 21 - Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, 5:30 PM at St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church,
Johnstown.
March 27 - Lazarus Saturday
March 28 - Feast of Christ's Entry in Jerusalem,
5:30 PM at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Mckeesport.
March 29 - Great and Holy Monday
March 30 - Great and Holy Tuesday
March 31 - Great and Holy Wednesday
If you are too busy to pray...you are too busy!
Remember the Serbian People in Kosovo and All Suffering People.
Parish Life
- · Lou Rodavich maintains an abiding interest in the St. George Church.
- · Milana Bizic is supportive of the St. George Church.
- · Thank you to parishioners attending the Lenten Vespers in Aliquippa.
- · Thank you to all helping the Kolo to bake.
- · Adult Class this coming week focusing on the Divine Liturgy.
- · Sympathy extended to the family of Steve Ratay III departed this life
this past week. Steve's parents took care of +Fred Glumsic during his illness.
Steve's sister and her family (KJ's Archery) are the closest living neighbors
to the St. George Church.
- · 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.
- · Prepare for Holy Confession and Holy Communion during Great Lent.
- · Become familiar with the saints listed on the Church calendar each day.
- · Take time to read the Bible regularly.
- · Take time to pray regularly every day.
- · Honor the fast and increase charitable giving during Great Lent.
- · Come to church during the week for the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts.
- · Donations are being accepted for Haiti. Please make checks payable to
St. George Church or the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America.
Designate for Haiti.
A Thought from Proto Stavrofor Rade Merick
Remembering that our first and primary purpose as Church is to worship God in faith and truth,
we must emphasize and nurture a vibrant and active liturgical and spiritual life in our parish.
Remembering the Great Commission of Christ to preach the Good News of salvation, we must make
teaching and outreach a primary task and purpose of all our activities. In everything we do
as Christ's Church we must be good examples of what it means to be Christian, and eliminate
anything which dishonors Christ, and us as His followers.
(
Excerpt for talk given at Diocesan Assembly, February 27, 2010)
To Consider
· The power of the Cross.
· The mystery of the Cross.
· The sacredness of the Cross.
Recent Activities of Parish Priest
February 26-27 - Attended Diocesan Assembly at St. Sava Cathedral of Cleveland.
February 28 - Went to Vespers at St. Elijah Church in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.
March 1 - Attend class on preparing grants at Waynesburg University.
Psalm 48:1
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God in His holy mountain.
Third Sunday of Great Lent
Veneration of the Holy Cross
Mark 8:34-38, 9:1
And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them,
"Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for
My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous
and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the
glory of His Father with the holy angels'. And He said unto them, "Verily I say unto you,
that there will be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death,
till they have seen the kingdom of God come with
power.
Three weeks of Great Lent are completed. Three weeks remain until the arrival of
Great and Holy Week. Believers are expected to honor Great Lent and utilize this period
of time for repentance and the benefit of the soul.
Believers are expected to increase their focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and strive
to improve their relationship with Christ. Acknowledgement of personal sin and repentance
for sins committed is expected.
Preparation for Holy Confession and Holy Communion is expected during Great Lent.
Opportunities for Holy Communion increase during Great Lent with the celebration of
the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts.
Believers are expected to prepare as best they can for Holy Confession and Holy Communion.
Partaking of the Precious Body and Blood of Christ provides for unity with Christ.
Frequent Communion sustains and increases this unity.
Great Lent is a time to assess the focus and goals of personal life.
Believers are expected to measure their goals by the standards and teachings of Christ.
Christ is the intended goal of each believer and the way of achieving the goal.
The Cross of Christ is in the middle of the church at this time. The Cross is venerated
and has a prominent place in the hearts and minds of serious believers. Believers can never
be fully appreciative of the Christ's suffering upon the Cross.
Believers do well think about their personal lives and the degree of faithfulness to
Christ and Christ's Church. Investing in Great Lent is investing in the Kingdom of God.
Believers are expected to be better at the end of Great Lent.
Believers sin everyday. Believers need to measure the amount of time and effort they
give each day to the glory of God and to honoring God in the way they live. Being able
to breath, to walk to hear, to talk are gifts from God.
God is deserving of constant praise and thanksgiving from believers. God is the source
of joy and life for serious believers. God is the source of nourishment for serious believers.
God is the only authentic source of forgiveness and new life.
Believers may get tired of the Lenten journey. Believers may question the value of
extended fasting, prayer and increased almsgiving. The way to test the value of prayer,
fasting and almsgiving is to seriously practice all three.
The way to experience joy and peace in God is to be faithful to God and to repent of sins.
The way to get rid of the weight of sin is to confess sins in Holy Confession and commit to
a new life in Christ.
The Second Coming of Christ is confessed at Holy Baptism and at each Divine Liturgy.
The Second Coming of Christ is described in the Holy Gospel.
Everyday is a day to prepare for the Second Coming.
The Second Coming can occur on any given day the Lord chooses. Woe to the believer
not prepared for the Second Coming. Woe to the believer that does not take the Second
Coming seriously.
Christ's death on the Cross is proof of His love for believers and His willingness
to die that believers may have life. Each person chooses whether to honor and follow Christ.
The choice is a free choice.
No one is compelled to be a Christian. Everyone choosing to be a Christian is expected
to honor the Christian identity and not live in ways of dishonor. Saints and martyrs set
examples for believers to follow and are sources of inspiration.
Each Christian has a responsibility to be faithful to Christ. Each person baptized
into Christ is expected to honor the teachings of Christ and His Church.
The Church provides Great Lent to strengthen and renew Christians.
The joy of Pascha reaches immeasurable proportions. The joy of Pascha replaces darkness
with light. The joy of Pascha replaces gloom and despondency and gives rise to hope.
The Resurrection of Christ established an enduring hope that cannot be defeated.
The Cross had a necessary part in the defeat of death. By dying would Jesus reveal
His power over sin and death.
Great Lent is an opportunity to carefully examine our understanding and relationship
with God. Careful examination will reveal how little we know about the greatness of God.
Careful self-examination will reveal the meager amount of time we give to thinking
about God and demonstrating appreciation to God. The way we live our daily lives reveals
the extent we are faithful to Christ and His Church.
The services of Great Lent provide the constant reminder of sin in each life and the
need to return to Christ. St. Ephraim's Prayer puts the focus on each individual and the
discipline necessary for effective use of Great Lent.
Let us invest extensively in Great Lent for the benefit of our souls.
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Carmichaels, Pennsylvania.
February 22 / March 7, 2010
Third Sunday of Great Lent.
Holy Martyrs in Eugenia.
Fr. Rodney Torbic
Back to St. George Serbian Orthodox Church,
Carmichaels - Home Page