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
March 1 / March 14, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Great Lent
No. 582
Remember to listen to the parish radio broadcast each Sunday afternoon at 12:15
on WMBS, 590 AM, Uniontown.
Romans 4:13
The promise to Abraham and his descendents, that they should inherit the world,
did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
Recent Services
- March 4
- Ninth Hour was read with Kathisma and reading from The The Ladder.
- March 5
- Midnight Office, First and Third Hours were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder.
- Three people attended Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts. Two communicants.
- Small Compline was read.
- March 6
- Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour was read at St. George Church.
- Fourteen people came for Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church
in Fairmont, W.Va. Eight communicants.
- Twelve people came for Ninth Hour and Vespers to St. George Church.
- March 7
- Midnight Office, Matins and First Hour were read.
- Third and Sixth Hours were read followed by Divine Liturgy.
Thirty-seven people attended. Twelve communicants.
- March 8
- Midnight Office, First and Third Hours were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder.
- Ninth Hour was read with Kathisma and reading from The Ladder.
- March 9
- Midnight Office, First and Third Hours were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder.
- Two people came for the Akathist to the Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow.
- One person came for the Akathist to the Cross.
- March 10
- Midnight Office, First and Third Hours were read with Kathisma
and reading from The Ladder.
- One person came for the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts.
- March 11
- 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
- Third and Sixth Hours followed by Divine Liturgy
- Warmly welcome Protopresbyter Lt. Col. Adam Yonitch.
- Mornings
- 5:30 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
- Afternoons
- 4:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday.
- Friday
- 8:00 AM Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts.
- Saturday
- 10:00 AM-Divine Liturgy-Holy Trinity Mission-Fairmont, W.Va.
Remember Monastery Marcha with Prayers and Contributions
Important Dates
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
- · Thank you to parishioners attending the Lenten Vespers in Midland last Sunday.
- · United States Army Commander Rich Menhart always remembers
the St. George Church even when he is located in a far distant country.
- · Captain Dustin Menhart and Captain Michael Dephillips from the St George Church
are also on active duty at this time and remain connected with the parish.
Anna Mae Knezovich's grandson Keith is on active duty.
Eric Rose is in the Reserves and serves as needed.
- · Fasting baked goods and help will be needed for the Lenten supper next
Sunday evening. Contact Sonia Janson regarding your willingness to help and bake.
- · Thank you to Kolo members coming to bake this past week.
- · 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.
- · Two people came for Adult Class this past Tuesday.
A Thought from Proto Stavrofor Dragan Filipovic
The Orthodox Church has a rich and varied Liturgical life. There are services for all
types of occasions. The crowning glory of that rich Liturgical life is the Divine Liturgy
itself. We are most familiar with the liturgy that is served most often during the year.
Then we have the liturgy of St. Basil the Great which is served during Great Lent and
in several of the occasions during the year. During Great Lent we have the Liturgy of
Presanctified Gifts which is served on Wednesdays and Fridays and no other time of the year.
There's also the Liturgy of St. James which is served on his feast day.
(The Shield
N. Canton, Ohio, October 2004)
To Consider
· Have we continued to grow in Christ since the time of our Baptism?
· Are we better Christians today than we were last year?
· Are we more faithful to Christ than ever before in our lives?
Recent Activities of Parish Priest
March 3 and 4 - Went to funeral home in Masontown.
March 4 - Went to Morgantown for printing purposes.
March 6 - Served Divine Liturgy in Fairmont, W.Va.
March 7 - Went to St. George Church in Midland for Deanery Vespers.
March 10 - Blessed four residences in Uniontown area.
Psalm 49:15
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me.
The Fourth Sunday of Great Lent
Mark 9:17-31
Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has
a mute spirit. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth,
gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should
cast it out, but they could not." He answered and said to him, " O faithless generation,
how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."
Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him,
and he fell to the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father,
"How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, 'From childhood. And often he
has thrown him bother into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can
do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe,
all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried
out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!" When Jesus saw that the
people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: "Deaf and
dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more. Then the spirit cried
out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many
said, "He is dead.." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we
not cast it out?" So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer
and fasting." Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did
not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son
of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after
He is killed, He will rise the third day."
Matthew 4:25-5:12
Great multitudes followed Him---from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea,
and beyond the Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when
He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those
who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil
against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your
reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent. The Holy Orthodox Church focuses on
St. John Climacus on this particular Sunday. St. John's Ladder of Divine Ascent
describes Christian development.
This is a good time in Great Lent to consider personal Christian growth. Individuals
enter the Christian life at Holy Baptism. Baptism in most instances occurs at infancy.
From Holy Baptism until departure from this life, many years can pass. The mind and
body mature as a believer grows to adulthood. The relationship with Christ is expected
to grow as each year progresses.
Unless constant attention is given to the relationship with Christ, the relationship
will not be strong and fervent. Unity with Christ remains limited unless the person is an
active believer and nourishes the mind and soul.
Believers attending church services on a regular basis benefit from being attentive
to the content of the services. The Divine Liturgy is the primary service held in parish
churches.
Individuals learn by listening carefully to the words of the Divine Liturgy including
the Epistle and Gospel readings and the sermons. Individuals learn by thinking of the words
of the Divine Liturgy. Attending Christian education classes is basis for Christian learning.
Parents do well to send their sons and daughters to church school classes. Adults do well
to attend adult education classes.
Reading the Bible, prayer books and other religious books help the developmental process.
Visiting different Orthodox churches and monasteries is a way to learn and grow in Christ.
Attending Church sponsored seminars and retreats prove beneficial for believers.
Taking time to pray seriously is a way to learn and improve the relationship with Christ.
Self-examination is necessary and helpful. Believers do well to think about their
relationship with Christ from the time of Holy Baptism and critically assess if the
relationship has improved and is stronger.
Believers do well to compare their lives against the teachings of Christ and determine
whether their lives conform to the teachings and values set forth by Christ. Does personal
life conform to the Holy Gospel?
Everyone sins and falls short of the teachings and standards set by Christ. Being honest
with the self enables a person to realize the steps necessary to move toward greater unity
with Christ.
Regular prayer and fasting are important steps toward an improved relationship with
Christ. Holy Confession and Holy Communion provide the believer with new beginnings in Christ.
Holy Confession enables the believer to discuss his or her personal relationship with
Christ with the priest and seek guidance. The believer can always ask for additional time
with the priest for further direction.
Believers need not feel alone in seeking to improve the relationship with Christ.
God hears prayers. Praying to the Mother of God, saints and martyrs as intercessors
before the Lord is a definitive action to take.
Going to the church and sitting quietly in the church is a way to collect and focus
personal thoughts about God. Standing before a holy icon in prayerful personal reflection
is also beneficial.
Believers do well to treasure Great Lent as a time for Christian growth and a time
to measure Christian development. Are we better Christians today than we were a year ago?
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Carmichaels, Pennsylvania.
March 1 / March 14, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Great Lent.
Venerable Eudocia, Martyr
Fr. Rodney Torbic
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