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

Ñåðäå÷íî â³òàºìî íàøèõ ãîñòåé, ÿê³ ìîëèëèñü ñüîãîäí³ ç íàìè. Áóäåìî ðàä³ áà÷èòè Âàñ ó íàñòóïíó íåä³ëþ. Íåõàé Âàñ îáåð³ãຠÃîñïîäü

Sun. Feb. 24, 2007, 8:20-8:50 am. Reading of the Hours/Confession.

9:00 am. Divine Liturgy. Tone 6. Sunday of the Prodigal Son. St. Theodora wife of Emperor Theophilus the Iconoclast. St. Vsevolod and wonderworker of Pskov (1138). It is a day when all of the youth of our church are to bring a friend to church in order to spread knowledge about our faith. Please do not limit this event only to the juniors. Prayer for travelers. Jr. UOL meeting 10:45-11:30 am. Sunday School

Mon. Feb. 25 - 9:30 am. Panahida in memory of Marianne Lawryk. 6:00 pm. Bible Study St Alexis metropolitan of Kyiv Rus 1John 2:18-3:10 Mark 11:1-11

Tue. Feb. 26 - 6:30 pm. Choir Rehearsal. St. Martini monk in Palestine and Sisters Zoe of Bethlehem and Photina, virgin. 1 John 3:11-20. Mark 14:10-42.

Wed. Feb. 27 - 9:30 am. Akathist to the Mother of God. St. Cyril, Equal-to-the-Apostles, teacher of the Slavs.1 John 3:21-4:6 Mark 14:43-15:1. Fast Day

Thu. Feb. 28 - 7:00 pm. Service for peace and reconciliation. Apostle Onenimus of the Seventy. 1 John 4:20-5:21. Mark 15:1-15.

Fri. Feb. 29 - 9:30 am. Akathist to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Martyr Romanus of Mt. Athos. 2 John 1:1-13. Mark 15:22-25, 33- 41. Fast Day.

Sat. March 1 - 9:30 am. General Panahida. Memorial Saturday. 4:30 pm. Great Vespers /Confession. Great martyr Theodore the Tyro. 1 Corinthians 10:23-28. Luke 21:8-9, 25-27, 33-36.

Sun. March 2 - 8:20 - 8:50 am. Reading of the Hours/Confession. 9:00 am. Divine Liturgy. Tone 7. St. Leo the Great bishop of Rome. Meat-Fare Sunday. Prayer for travelers. 10:45 -11:30 am. Sunday School.

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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 6. O Lord, save Thy people / and bless Thine inheritance! Verse: To Thee, O Lord will I call. O My God, be not silent to me! Priest: Wisdom!

Reader: The reading from the first letter of Apostle Paul to Corinthians.

Priest: Let us be attentive

Reader: Brothers, all things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immortality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? God forbid. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For the two, He says, shall become one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immortality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immortality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, ! and you are not your own. For you were bough at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. Priest: Peace be with you reader.

Reader: And with your spirit. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Verse: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most-High will abide in the shadow of the heavenly God! Verse: He will say to the Lord: “My Protector and my Refuge; my God, in whom I trust!”

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Happy Birthday: Feb. 24 Melinda Holicky, 24 Mariann Kocak, 24 Melissa Dino, 27 John Jr. Maliwacki, 28 Charles Sarnoski.

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Dear parishioners if any of you would like to volunteer to be in charge of advertising for our parish Ukrainian Festival, please see Mark Hatala. Thanks to Kristi Gorick for all your work in advertising Ukrainian Day Festival and Church events previously. Also thank you Tammy Chebiniak for being our

St. Mary’s Sisterhood treasurer for so many years and thank you Bob Dobransky for cleaning the Church over the years.

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My grandma is always there for me. She does all my wash and she cooks the best chicken soup. She takes me shopping and to church. My grandpa is the bestest! Whenever I need help with my homework, he is there. He teaches me new things and taught me how to play cards! He takes me anywhere I need to go. We also joke around after each ride he gives me by saying, “I’m putting it on your bill!”

I love them both very much! They are the only grandparents I have and they are the only ones I’d want. They are the best. They are Mary and Walter Gulachok. /May God bless all grandparents like Mary and Walter/

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² ÏÐÎÑÒÈ ÍÀÌ… Ó Á³á볿 ñêàçàíî, ùî ïåðøèì íàñ ïðîñòèâ Áîã. Õðåñíà ñìåðòü Éîãî áóëà ðîçïëàòîþ çà íàø³ íåñïîêóòîâàí³ ãð³õè. Îñü ÿêå íåéìîâ³ðíå çà ðîçìàõîì ³ ãëèáèíîþ ïðîùåííÿ.

Âèñíîâîê òóò îäèí: ßê ñàì îòðèìóºø â³ä Áîãà ïðîùåííÿ áåç ì³ðè, òàê ³ ³íøèì ñâî¿ì êðèâäíèêàì äàâàé ìîæëèâ³ñòü âêóñèòè â³ä Áîæîãî ïðîùåííÿ, ÿêå öüîãî ðàçó âæå ÷åðåç òåáå âèëèâàºòüñÿ. Õðèñòîñ ñêàçàâ ó÷íÿì: ’’Óâàæàéòå íà ñåáå! Êîëè çãð³øèòü òâ³é áðàò, äîêîðè éîìó, ³ ÿê â³í ïîêàºòüñÿ ïðîñòè éîìó. ² êîëè ñ³ì ðàç íà äåíü â³í çãð³øèòü ïðîòè òåáå é ñ³ì ðàç ïîâåðíåòüñÿ äî òåáå òà é ñêàæå: ’’Êàþñü’’, ïðîñòè éîìó’’ (Ëóêà 17:3-4)

Áîã ç ëþáîâ’þ â³äìîìîâëÿº â ïðîùåíí³ òèì, õòî íå çáèðàºòüñÿ êàÿòèñÿ ³ çì³íþâàòèñÿ, òèì ÿê³ ñâ³äîìî ³ âïåðòî â³äìîâëÿþòüñÿ âèçíàâàòè ñâî¿ ãð³õè. Õî÷à Éîãî öå äóæå çàñìó÷óº.

Ïðîñòè íàì î Áîæå … ç ö³º¿ ìîëèòâè ïî÷èíàºòüñÿ äåíü, ç íå¿ ïî÷èíàºòüñÿ ñí³äàíîê, ç íå¿ ïî÷èíàºòüñÿ äîðîãà, íà ÿêó ëþäèíà õî÷å ñòàòè ëåãêîþ ³ î÷èùåíîþ, ùîá íåñòè ñâîþ íîøó.

Òîä³ ³ ò³ëüêè òîä³ ìè íàñì³ëþºìîñü ïðîñèòè ó Áîãà ïðîùåííÿ - ò³ºþ ì³ðîþ, ÿêîþ ïðîùàºìî ñàì³

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This year's Sunday of Orthodoxy Vesper service will take place at Ss. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Endicott on Sunday, March 16 at 4:00 PM.

The Pan-Orthodox choir will be directed by Melodye Onysko. Rehearsals are as follows: 1) Sunday, March 2, St. John's at 4:00 PM

2) Sunday, March 9, Annunciation Greek Orthodox, at 4:00 PM

3) Sunday, March 16, SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox at 2:30 PM.

Our guest speaker will be Fr. Matthew Moriak, pastor of Holy Spirit Orthodox Church in Manville, NJ. Fr. Matthew received his Bachelor's degree from the Newhouse School of Communication at Syracuse University and his Masters of Divinity degree from St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary. He was active as head counselor for the youth programs at Camp Nazareth, and is editor of "Daylight," a publication of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox diocese

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THE PARABLE OF THE PRODICAL SON

In placing its great stress on the reconciling God’s love, the parable does not say very much about the son’s struggle to conquer his pride, to subdue his own will. But we know about that conflict, because the parable has its echo in our lives; we know how difficult it can be to yield ourselves up to God’s love sometimes. And yet our estrangement from God, like our human estrangements and alienations, is a progressive thing, it requires of us at some point to overcome our pride. We are free to do as we will in this life -God does not abrogate our freedom even with His love but when we elect, in that freedom, to go against the law of God, then there follows a slow and gradual paralysis of the will that makes it more and more difficult to choose the good. In the companion lesson for today, from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, it is stated so clearly: “I am free to do anything, you say. Yes, but not everything is for my good. No doubt I am free to do anything, b! ut I for one will not let anything make free with me” (1 Cor. 6:12)

We need only remember the first prodigal, Adam, who in his freedom rebelled against God. But instead of repenting, he tried to make God out to be the cause of his fall. “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me,” he protests, pointing at Eve. And Eve in her turn points to the serpent, disclaiming responsibility for her own actions. In his refusal to repent of evil, man subjects his will to a paralysis and finds himself progressively unable to do what he knows to be good. St. Philaret once said, “Man locks up within himself the springs of divine grace.”

The parable of the prodigal is an account of the greatness of God’s love. But it is more than that. It is also an account of that homesickness of which the human heart is uniquely capable. What is all the unrest and dissatisfaction in our souls but a longing for former, better surroundings, for the homeland which the first Adam willfully abandoned and the Second Adam, as Paul calls Christ, loving reopened. What is all our sorrow but a lament for the image which the fallen Adam disfigured and the Risen Adam came to restore.

The time now upon us is the time when the loving Church urges us to reflect on our estrangement. Reminding us in the simple parables of these pre-Lenten Sunday of the infinite love with which we are loved of God, she speaks gently of repentance and reconciliation: urges each to resolve, “I will arise and go to my father,” and then knowingly points the way. It is the season when the awareness comes to us anew that we are sons of god, accepted when we are unacceptable, purified when we are impure, raised up when wee are fallen, saved when we are lost.

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ALL SAINTS CAMP! Help Wanted!

All Saints Camp is looking for kitchen staff and maintenance staff for the upcoming 2008 camping season! Positions are limited so get your application in now. Positions currently needed:

All positions are full time and paid. They require the Applicant to be of working age (min 15yrs old) and have the necessary working papers or work visa. If applying for Lifeguard position, certification must be current.

If you are interested in working with our wonderful All Saints Camp encampments and campers, contact Stephen R. Sheptak, ASC Manager for an application at (724)712-1364.

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Baked Blessing! We need your Spring Specialties for the Variety Booth, March 15. Please bring to the hall Friday, March 14. Any questions call Jennifer Hatala 723-9435 or Carolyn Hatala 748-4380. Thank you!

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Outback Steakhouse fundraiser Saturday March 1st 12noon - 2pm at Outback Seakhouse on the Vestal Parkway. Tickets are $10.00 and include steak or chicken, baked potato, caesar salad, bread, cheese cake and soda, coffee or tea. All proceeds to benefit the 61st UOL Convention. See any Sr. UOL member to purchase tickets. Thank you.

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Future Event. Please mark your calendars

Tue. Feb. 26 - 8:00 am. Rolls baking.

Fridays Feb. 29, March 7, March 14, March 21. St. Michael’s on Clinton St. Great Annual Lenten Pirohu Sales: Lunches Served from 11:00am. -1:00 pm. Order before Friday 729-0261

Wed. March 5 - 7pm - 61st UOL Convention meeting

Sat. March 15 - 11:00 am. - 1:00 pm. St. John’s Easter Bake Sale. Call 775-0922 or 729-5231 (after 3:00 pm) Specialty baked goods, cookbooks and gifts also available!

Mon. March 17 - 7:00 pm. Parish Counsel meeting.

Tue. March 18 - 5:00 pm. Volunteers to Sarah Jane’s Soup Kitchen, to help people of need in our area Carolyn, Adam and Benjamin Hatala, Phil Harendza. If you would like to be added to the list of volunteers please call

Beth Harendza 321-3685

Thu. April 3 - 7 pm. Sr. UOL meeting.

April 27 - Celebration of the Sacrament of First Confession on Easter Sunday.

2008 College and Young Adult Mission Trip to Ukraine. Sponsored by the UOC of USA and Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund. The dates to serve Christ and His Church are May 28 - June 15

Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. The High School Mission Trip to St. Johns the Compassionate Mission in Toronto, Canada will take place August 10-17. Applications Deadline March 1.

April 4-6 “Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother” All Saints Camp, Emlenton, PA. Speakers Metropolitan Constantine, Fr. John Nakonachny, Fr. John Haluszczak.

UOL Lenten Retreat April 11-13. St. Francis Retreat House, Bethlehem, PA. Retreat will focus on the Services of Holy Week. Speakers Archbishop Antony and Archimandrite Daniel. A subsidy is available for those Junior and Young Adult UOL members who apply for the subsidy. Registration must be

postmarked by March 1. For applications please see Father or Pam Scannell.

Ukrainian Orthodox Church Camping Programs. Diocesan Church School Camp: June 21 - July 5,Children age 9-13. Teenage Conference 50^th Anniversary Year, July 6 -19, Teenagers Ages 13-18. Mommy & Me/Daddy & Me Camp August 4-8, Children 4-8 and Parents. Staff members needed for all encampments. Consecration Celebration of All Saints Camp Chapel June 22.

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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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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: Fr. Michael Michalopolos, John Tylko, Mary Tarcha, Paul Chebiniak, John Glowa, Evelyn Kanazawich, Robert Kocak, Audrey Klym, Michael Hovancik, Kevin Terpak, 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, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit now and ever and unto ages of ages Amen

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Patron ads for the convention yearbook are $5.00 and can be given to Julie

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Please let Father know who is in need of visiting, prayers or receiving of

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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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