St. John the Baptist, Parish Bulletin
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Parish Council President: Mr. Robert Onysko (607) 755-4085
Choir Directors: Mrs. Melodye Onysko (607)754-4085 melCNM@yahoo.com
Mrs. Nancy Tarcha (607)798-7591

Diocesan Website: www.uocofusa.org
Parish Web Page: www.stjohnuoc.org
Eparchial Archpastor: Archbishop Antony (732) 356-0090, Email: uocofusa@aol.com
Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Zinoviy - John Zharsky (607) 797-1584, Email: stjohnuoc@yahoo.com

Welcome all visitors of St. John’s. We are happy to see you again.

Sun. Dec. 16, 2007, 8:20 - 8:50 am. Reading of the Hours/Confession. 9:00 am. Divine Liturgy. Tone 4. Prophet Sophonias (635-605 b.c.) Hieromartyr Theodore, archbishop of Alexandria. Prayer for travelers. St. Nicholas play. 6:30 pm. Jr. UOL meet at the hall and travel to Broome Developmental Center to carol or meet at BDC at 7pm. Everyone is welcome. Nativity Fast

Mon. Dec. 17 - Great - martyr Barbara and Martyr Juliana at Heliopolis in Syria. Hebrews 8:7-13. Mark 8:11- 21. Fast Day.

Tue. Dec. 18 - 9:30 am. Akathist to Christ Emmanuel. 6:30 pm. Festal Vespers. St. Sabbas the Sanctified. Hebrews 9:8-10, 15-23. Mark 8:2-26.

7:00 pm. Choir rehearsal. Fast Day

Wed. Dec. 19 - 10:00 am. Divine Liturgy. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, archbishop of Myra in Lycia. 6:00 pm. Bible Study. Hebrews 13:17-21. Luke 6:17-23.. Fast Day.

Thu. Dec. 20 - St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan. St. Bassa of Jerusalem. Hebrews 10:35-11:7. Mark 9:10-16. Fast Day

Fri. Dec. 21 - 9:30 am. Akathist to the Mother of God. St. Patapius of Thebes. St. Valerius, bishop of Trier. Hebrews 11:8, 11-16. Mark 9:33-41. Fast Day

Sat. Dec. 22-4:30 pm Great Vespers / Confession The Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos Colossians 2:8-12 Luke 2:20-21, 40-52 Fast Day

Sun. Dec. 23 - 8:20 - 8:50 am. Reading of the Hours/Confession. 9:00 am. Divine Liturgy. Tone 5. 10:45 -11:30 am. Sunday School. Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes, and Eugraphus of Alexandria. Prayer for travelers. Fast Day.

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Priest: Let us be attentive! Peace be with you all! Reader: And with your spirit! Priest: Wisdom! Reader: The Prokimen in tone 4. O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! / In wisdom hast Thou made them all! Verse: Bless the Lord, o my soul! O my God, Thou art very great! Priest: Wisdom!

Reader: The reading from the letter of Apostle Paul to the Colossians. Priest: Let us be attentive

Reader: Brothers, therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Priest: Peace be with you reader. Reader: And with your spirit. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Verse: Go forth, prosper and reign, because of truth and meekness and righteousness. Verse: You love righteousness and hate iniquity.

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Happy Birthday: Dec. 17 Irene Kanazawich, 18 Grace Hopkins,

20 Anne Kinney, 21 Ann Bycz.

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Thank you all for your donations for St. Herman’s Monastery last Sunday. It was collected $343.00 dollars. The monastery primarily helps indigent men (although homeless women and children also partake of the meals) by feeding and clothing them, as well as providing emotional support and access to health and social services.

The Downtown and Orchestra. 25^th Annual Presentation. Handel’s Messia.

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Ninety years ago, on 22 December 1917, when the Ukrainian Orthodox Church observes a major event in salvation history, the fledging Ukrainian National Republic of that time established the general Secretariat of External Affairs.

We are pleased to inform you that His Excellency Oleh Shamshur, Ambassador of Ukraine and his colleagues of the Diplomatic Corps, having consulted with me, have deemed it most appropriate to observe this Ninetieth Anniversary on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - the feast of the Conception of the Theotokos in the womb of Righteous Anna, with an appropriate Thanksgiving “The Boha Xvalym…” service and requiem Services on the sacred grounds of our Church center, South bound Brook/Franklin Township, New Jersey. You, venerable Father and the members of your parish, are most cordially invited to be present and participate in the following: 12:00 Noon Moleben to be celebrated for the health and well being of all members of the Ukrainian Diplomatic Corps in the USA and throughout the world. Present for the Moleben will be at least 40 members of the Ukrainian Diplomatic Corps from offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Wreath-laying ceremonies and the singing of “Vichna pamyat” at the gravesites of His Excellency, Andrij Livitskyj, President in Exile and Stepan Vytvytsky, Secretary of State for External Affairs.

An Academic presentation at the Memorial Church Community Hall following the liturgical rites. The Consistory will provide a luncheon for all present. I reiterate, Venerable father, that you and your parish family are most cordially invited to join us in these events, honoring the memories of those laid the foundation for Ukraine’s total independence by conscientious service under often very trying conditions, in offering profound prayers for the success of those who serve in the Diplomatic Corps today and in gratitude for the gift of freedom, which Ukraine enjoys today.

Finally, we ask that you bring a suitable representation from your parish and that you advise us - by calling Pani Dobrodyka Irene Estocin at the Consistory - as to how many people will comprise the representation so that we can prepare for lunch. Please contact us no later that noon - December 17, 2007.

In Christ’s all-embracing love, +Antony Archbishop.

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Tattoos and Orthodoxy: Who of our readers has not experienced something similar to the following? You walk into a convenience store to buy a loaf of bread. Ahead of you at the check out counter there is a middle aged man in a sleeveless shirt. His arms and seemingly the rest of his entire upper body are covered by the most colorful and varied tattoos. You try not to share, but the sight of this “art” disgusts you none the less. The man makes his purchase and departs. It is your turn at the cashier, where you are met by a pleasant young lady. You look up at her and notice that she is “adorned” by various piercing in her nose, ears and even her eyelids. It is painful to look at her. You pay for your loaf of bread no longer looking at her and depart as quickly as you can.

We live in a free society. Everyone has the right to do whatever one wants with one’s body, disfigure it any way one pleases. But is this proper? Is it permissible for an Orthodox Christian to pierce his or her body, to discolor it with tattoos? Our initial feeling, the one we had at the convenience store counter, tells us that it is not. But why is this? Can we support our inner innate revulsion to such physical disfigurement with some rational explanations and arguments? It turns out that we can.

First of all, there is a direct and clear prohibition of this in Holy Scripture. In the third book of the bible, Leviticus, we read the following; “Ye shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord” (19:28)

Further, if we look at the history of tattoos and piercing we can clearly see that there is a direct correlation with paganism. Here is what Terry Watkins, an internet researcher, has to say about this in his article entitled “Tattoo.. Ye Worship Ye Know Not What.” Throughout history the tattoo bears the mark of paganism, demonism, Baal worship, shamanism, mysticism, heathenism, cannibalism and just about every other pagan belief known. The tattoo has NEVER been associated with Bible Believing Christians. And whenever and wherever, in history Christianity appears-tattoos disappear. The only exception -20^th century, lukewarm, carnal, disobedient Christians. The birth of the tattoo has always borne the fruits of pagan religion and mysticism. Without exception, research after research, study after study, book after book, the roots of the tattoo never waves” (www.biblebelivers.com/watkins_tattoos).

Piercing and tattooing are not without their medical hazards. The high risk of transmission of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B and C, tetanus, and HIV during these procedures has been clearly defined and extensively documented by the CDC. A good example of this is the 1961 hepatitis B outbreak in New York City after which the tattoo was outlawed there until 1997, when it was again legalized. Up to this very day the American Red Cross will not allow you do donate blood for 12 month after you have had a piercing or tattoo applied. You are too high a risk as a transmitter of hepatitis or HIV to the recipients of your blood.

If this is not enough, let us consider the following. The Church teaches us that in the life to come, our bodies will be resurrected and reunited with our souls. What do we know about these bodies which the righteous will have after the general resurrection? First of all, in essence these bodies will be the same bodies which we possess now. The holy apostle Paul tells us: For this corruptible (body) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (flesh) must put on immortality (1 Cor. 54:53) Furthermore, the holy fathers of the Church tell us that the bodies of the righteous will be like the body our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ after the His glorious resurrection. They will be transformed, more spiritual bodies, but they will retain characteristics that they had in the previous life. When after His resurrection our Lord appears to His disciples, they are terrified and afraid because they suppose that He is a spirit. Yet He reassures them by saying: behold my hands and my ! feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have (Luke 24:39) He is able to walk through locked doors (John 20:19) yet the disciple recognize that this is without a doubt their Teacher before them. Our Lord eats a piece of fish and some honeycomb in the presence of His disciples (Luke 24:42) yet He is capable of vanishing out of plain sight (Luke 24:31) Most notably, when the Apostle Thomas is told that the Lord is risen, he responds with his famous words of doubt: Except I shall see in His hands the print of nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe (John 20:25) In eight days the Lord once again appears to the disciples and removes all doubt from Thomas’ heart by saying: “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27)

The Lord’s resurrected Body was a transformed, more spiritual body, yet it retained the scars from His passion upon the cross. The imprint from the nails on His hands and feed from being nailed to the cross and the scar from the wound inflicted by the Roman soldier from which came blood and water are clearly visible. Does it not stand to reason then, that any marks with which we imprint our bodies, any holes we make in our flesh with pins and nails will be visible on our resurrected bodies? These will be remnants, scars of sinful, defiling behavior. And we know that nothing defiled can ever enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Now I know that this note will be read by some faithful who at some point in their life, impetuously decided to get a tattoo or piercing. The Lord is merciful. There is no sin of which if we sincerely repent that the Lord will not grant remission. If one has a tattoo that can be removed without risking one’s health, it should be removed. If one has those nails or pins in some part of their body, they should be removed at once. Then one should go to their spiritual father and ask God forgiveness for this sin in Holy Confession and He will forgive, for He is merciful. And those of us who have been contemplating tattooing the name of our girlfriend or boyfriend on our ankle or putting that spike through our nose, let us once and for all realize that this is not pleasing to God. / Source “Orthodox Life” magazine/

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Future Event. Please mark your calendars.

Mon. Dec. 17 - 7:00 pm. Board meeting.

Tue. Dec. 18 - 5:00 - 6:30 pm. Volunteer to Sarah Jane’s Soup Kitchen, to help people of need in our area. Father, Pani Nataliya, children, Alexis Oryhon. If you would like to be added to the list of volunteers please call Beth Harendza 321-3685.

Fri. Dec. 21 - 12 Noon - 6:00 pm. St. Michael’s Annual Christmas Holubtsi and Pirohi Sale. Place all orders by calling 729-0261 by December 19.

Sat. Jan. 5 - 3:30 pm Jr. UOL baking cookies at the hall for college students. Everyone please bring cookie dough to bake.

Mon. Jan. 7 - Day of Christmas (Nativity of Our Lord) Divine Liturgy will start at 9:30 am. Following Liturgy Christmas breakfast will take place.

Sat. Jan. 12 - St. John’s Ukrainian Social Club 2008 Malanka.

Thu. Jan. 24 -7:00 pm. Sr. UOL meeting.

Feb. 1, 2, 3 - Our parish UOL chapters will host Sr. and Jr. National U.O.L. Executive Board Meetings.

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Pray for the sick: The Lord said: “Do unto others as you would want them do unto you.” So if we will be sick, we will ask help from God, we will ask priests and people to pray for us. In order for the Lord to listen to us when we are sick, we need to pray for those who are sick. O Lord our God, Who by Your Word alone healed all diseases; Who cured the Mother-in-law of Apostle Peter; Who chastises with pity and heals according to Your goodness; Who are able to put aside every malady and infirmity: Do You the same Lord, now relieve Your servants: Archbishop Vsevolod, Fr. Michael Michalopolos, Charles Ellsworth, John Tylko, Helen Rucky, Paul Chebiniak, Evelyn Kanazawich, Robert Kocak, Audrey and Eugene Klym, Michael Hovancik, Kevin Terpak, Emilia Lewkowicz, Mildred Charnetsky, Mary & Walter Gulachok, Mary Gormish, Olga Gooley, Mary Ford, John and Mary Mihalko, Margaret Klish, Marlyn Klish, Cypryan Klish II, Sophia Malowicky, Genevieve Sadowitz, Michael Sr. Duby,! Anne and Karen Girnis, Julie Sadowitz, Catherine Dobransky, Pelahia Kit, Stephania Moroz, Mildred Bogdan, Wasyl Krawecki, Meghan Scannell, Olga Drost, Marion Kaspryk, Nicholas Corba, and cure them of the sicknesses which grieves them; lift them up from their beds of pain, sending down upon them Your mercy; and if it be Your will, give to them health and a complete recovery. For You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, and to You we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Dear parishioners at an emergency if you can’t reach Father at the rectory, you can call him on his cell phone 245-9988.

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Please let Father know who is in need of visiting, prayers or receiving of sacraments. Visits can be any time.

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Please give Father any information or announcements that you would like to publish in the Sunday’s bulletin, before Friday of that week. This way all parishioners will know about St. John’s events. Thank you.

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Dear brothers and sisters for those who do not attend confession (repentance)

and Holy Communion, please participate in these sacraments. This is for your own salvation, for the remission of sins and life everlasting. Please do not wait till the last minute, it could be too late. We never know when God will call us.

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JULY 30 - AUGUST 3, 2008. 61 ANNUAL UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX

LEAGUE CONVENTION AT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN JOHNSON CITY, NY. “THE LIGHT OF CHRIST ILLUMINES ALL” COME AND ENJOY SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

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