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
August 16 / August 29, 2010
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
No. 606
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
- August 21
- Twelve people came to Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Fairmont,
W.Va. for Divine Liturgy. Two communicants.
- Two people came to St. George Church for Ninth Hour and Vespers.
- August 22
- Matins and First Hour were read.
- Third and Sixth Hours were read followed by Divine Liturgy.
Twenty-two people attended. One communicant.
- August 25
- One person came for Matins and First Hour.
- Three people came for the Akathist to Jesus Christ.
- August 26
- One person came for Matins and First Hour.
Services This Coming Week - Always Call to Confirm Weekday Schedule
- Today
- Matins and First Hour. Third and Sixth Hours followed by Divine Liturgy
and Blessing of Kolach and Koljivo
- Mornings
- 5:30 AM Matins and First Hour on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
- Afternoons
- 4:00 PM Ninth Hour and Vespers on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday.
- Tuesday
- 6:30 PM Akathist followed by Adult Class.
Remember Monastery Marcha with Prayers and Contributions
Important Dates
Today - St. George Kolo Slava-Covered Dish Dinner and Program.
September 4 - St. Nikodim Chapel Slava at Diocesan Center
September 5 - Leave-taking of Feast of Dormition
September 11 - Beheading of St. John the Baptist
September 19 - Miracle of Archangel Michael
September 21 - Nativity of the Theotokos
September 25 - Leavetaking of the Nativity of the Theotokos
September 27 - Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
September 30 - Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love with their mother Sophia.
October 4 - Leavetaking of the Elevation of the Cross
October 14 - Protection of the Mother of God
October 19 - Holy Apostle Thomas
October 27 - Venerable Mother Parasceva the Serb, St.Petka
If you are too busy to pray...you are too busy!
Remember the Suffering Serbian People in Kosovo and Metohijia
and All Suffering People Everywhere
Parish Life
- · Thank you to all being a part of the Kolo Slava today.
- · Congratulations to the newly ordain priest Father Christopher Rocknage.
- · Sympathy extended to the family of +Dimitri Evanoff recently departed this life.
- · Congratulations to Phil and Christina Sivak and family on the birth of son Maksim.
- · The parish oral history project will be considered by the Farah Foundation
in September.
- · Three people came to Adult Class this past week. Class this week is Tuesday.
- · 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 practices of the Church and want to learn more,
ask the priest and come to Adult Class.
- · If your home has not been blessed and you want it blessed, contact the priest.
- · If you have not been married in the Church and want your marriage blessed,
contact the priest.
- · Bring a friend to church. Come to church during the week as often as possible.
A Thought from + His Eminence Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER
Let us teach our children and youth that they too are the beneficiaries of all the labors
and loving endeavors of your father and forefathers. Teach them to nourish and cherish what
we hold holy and dear. May God grant to you who are parents the blessing and joy of having
worthy descendents who will take pride in their Serbian Orthodox Faith and live by its
precepts; in their culture and heritage, and who will be patriotic responsible Orthodox
Christian citizens of our beloved America.
(
Twenty Fifth Anniversary Book-Eastern American Diocese, Edgeworth, Pa. 1988
)
Remember the Students at St. Sava School of Theology, Libertyville, Illinois
To Consider
· The continued celebration of the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
· The prayerful intercessions by the Mother of God.
· The miracles attributed to the Mother of God.
Recent Activities of Parish Priest
August 21 - Went to Fairmont, West Virginia for Divine Liturgy.
August 22 - Went to St. Sava Church in Mckeesport for ordination dinner of new priest
Christopher Rocknage.
August 23-24 - Attended funeral of +His Eminence Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER in Chicago.
August 26 - Visited parish family in Greensboro.
Psalm 75/76:11
Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them;
Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 22:1-14
And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: "The kingdom of heaven
is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to
call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again he
sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, 'See, I have prepared my dinner;
my oxen, and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.'"
But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.
And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the
king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers,
and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but those
who were invited are not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find,
invite to the wedding." So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together
all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a
wedding garment. So he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding
garment?" And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, " Bind him hand and foot,
take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping gnashing of teeth."
For many are called, but few are chosen.
The Holy Gospel is proclaimed throughout the world. Individuals everywhere are invited
to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and to live according to His teachings. Many individuals
commit to Christ at Holy Baptism. Not all baptized individuals remain faithful to Christ.
It would certainly be interesting to do a study on the amount of baptized individuals who
take their Christian commitment seriously throughout life.
The world would be a much different place if every Christian took his or her baptismal
commitment seriously. If every baptized adult would be serious about his or her Christian
identity, crime would be reduced. If every adult Christian were serious in following Christ,
immoral and unethical behavior in the workplace and in government would not be tolerated
and allowed to be so prominent as it is today. If every adult Christian would be serious
in following Christ, work production would improve and relationships in families and in
communities would improve. If every Christian world leader were serious about his or her
Christian identity taken on at baptism, relationships between nations would improve.
Unfortunately, we have a world in which Christ is taken seriously only by a very small
percent of the people. Christ invites all to the wedding feast. All have the opportunity
to feast at the table of the Lord. All believers have the opportunity to prepare to receive
the Precious Body and Blood of Christ. Too many diverse interests keep many of the baptized
from following through on their original commitment to Christ. Too many diverse interests
preoccupy the thoughts of non-Christians and prevent them from becoming Christians.
Individuals heeding the call of Christ experience the joy of His presence and the
reassurance of His care. Individuals heeding the call of Christ and dining at the
liturgical wedding feast have their souls nourished beyond expectation. The Divine
Liturgy is a feast that continues throughout the year and will continue until the
glorious Second Coming of Christ. The nourishment provided by Christ is never exhausted.
As Christ once said: "Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...they shall be filled."
(Mt. 5:6)
Weddings feasts are intended to be joyous occasions. Individuals heeding the invitation
to feast in Christ's Holy Church experience nourishment that can only occur as a result of
Divine action. Nourishment by Christ exceeds individual expectations and testifies to the
authenticity of Christ at work. The fruits of the lives of the saints and martyrs through
the centuries witness to Christ's work in their lives. Saying "yes" to Christ is a personal
decision that affects not only the person but the rest of the world. With each person saying
"yes" to Christ and being serious about that "yes" the world improves as does the individual.
We do not live in isolation. We live in relationships with others. Our relationship with
Christ defines our relationships with others as well. If we are not serious about Christ,
we will not be serious about our relationships with others.
We cannot heed the teachings of Christ and apply them in our personal relationships if
we do not love Christ and follow Christ. Christ's invitation to follow Him is a constant
invitation at every moment of every day. The wedding feast is always ready. Christ is
always present to celebrate life with us and to give us new life in Him. We can always
benefit from saying "yes" to Christ at every moment of our lives. Believers do well to
consider the degree they say "yes" to Christ during the course of a day. Believers do
well to consider the degree they say "no" to the ways of Christ during the course of the day.
Our personal interests and priorities are revealed in the way we use our time, our
talents and resources. God sends out invitations for us throughout the day and throughout
the year. We need to listen carefully to our heart, mind and soul to determine if we are
listening carefully and responding accurately to the calls from God. We will not be anxious,
uneasy or despondent if we are heeding the calls from God. We find peace, hope and strength
in God and in saying "yes" to God.
When we say "no" to God, we put ourselves in peril. When we say "no" to God, we deny
ourselves the eternal. When we say "no" to invitations from God, we substitute temporary
interests and pleasures in place of Him of immeasurable and lasting value. Today is the
day to say "yes" to every invitation from God. Everyday is the day to say "yes"
to invitations from God.
Saying "yes" to God's invitations is personal verification of one's belief in God
and a personal valuing of the invitations. We demonstrate that God is the highest priority
and value in our lives each time we take the time to say "yes."
Wedding feasts are memorable. When we feast with the Lord, it is everlasting.
St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Carmichaels, Pennsylvania.
August 16 / August 29, 2010
Foureenth Sunday after Pentecost
St. Eustatius II, Archbishop of Serbia. Sts. Roman and Raphailo of Banat.
Fr. Rodney Torbic
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