SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

ANNOUNCEMENTS for Sunday, May 4th, 2008:

Parish Events:

5-4:  GCU “St. Nicholas” Lodge 144 meeting following the Divine Liturgy.

5-4:  Youth Group Following the Divine Liturgy.

5-6:  Compline (night prayer) following the 6:30pm Divine Liturgy.

5-7:  Young Adult social following the 6:30pm Divine Liturgy.

5-11:  Youth Group Puppet show, and Ladies Guild Cake and flowers for  

          Mother’s Day.

5-18:  The Sunday Divine Liturgy will be at noon!!!

 

Congratulations:
4-28:  Brigette Grimes’ Birthday!
4-30:  John Paul Chabin’s Birthday!
5-03:  Kathleen Chabin’s Birthday!
5-06:  Mary Evanyo’s Birthday!
5-09:  Anna Bodnar’s Birthday!
5-10:  Ray and Catherine Mega’s Anniversary!
5-11:  Chris and Allie Knapp’s Anniversary!
Joe Zelasko and Elizabeth Stefanick on their Bethrothal (engagement!)
Elizabeth Stefanick on her graduation and being the Valedictorian of her class!
Alicia Wells on her graduation!
Theresa O’Loughlin on her graduation!
May God grant you all many happy and blessed years!

Yard and Bake Sale
The Ladies Guild is hosting a Yard and Bake Sale on June 6^th.  Please bring any items to sell and put them in the storage room in the basement.  Baked items can be kept in the freezer.  Thank you for your help.

Have an announcement for the parish?
If you have an announcement that you would like mentioned by the pastor after the Divine Liturgy, or put in the bulletin, please have it in Fr. Michael’s email or parish mailbox by Thursday at noon.  Thank you.

Theology of the Body Classes
For information about upcoming classes/discussion groups, please call Tanya at (303) 543-7867.

Bishop’s Appeal 2008
Thank you to all the families who have contributed to this years Bishop’s Appeal.  We are about $1000.00 short at this time.  Please continue to be generous.

GCU “St. Nicholas” Lodge 144 Clothing Collection for Denver’s Poor
Next week we especially need basic toiletries. Please place donations on the first pew in front of the icon of St. Nicholas (a patron saint of charity.)  Thank you.

Voter Information
Go to faithfulcitizenship.org to read documents from our bishops regarding voter responsibilities for Catholics.  More info. posted in the back of the church.

-Please see information about local HB 1080 and other bills that affect all Catholics at www.archden.org and posted in the hall.

His Grace Bishop Gerald Dino
May God grant to the new bishop of the Eparchy of Van Nuys, Bishop Gerald Dino, many happy and blessed years!  Bishop Gerald was ordained and enthroned as the 4^th bishop of the Eparchy of Van Nuys on Thursday, March 27^th.

Blessed Palm and Pussy Willows
It is a tradition in the church that the palms and willows that we bring home after Palm Sunday are place behind the icons in our icon corner.  This is usually done until new palms and willows are brought home the next year.  When you are done with your old palms ans willows, please do not throw them away.  Items that are blessed are not to be thrown away, but rather burned.  If you have no way of burning them, please bring them to church and we will burn them for you.

A Message from the US Bishops
Induced abortion increased the early preterm birth rate [from 24 weeks’ to 31 weeks and 6 days’ gestation] by 31.5%. Almost 23,000 children in the U.S. are born before 32 weeks as a result of the mother’s prior induced abortion. Annually, over 4,000 of these infants will die and 1,000 will have or develop cerebral palsy.

-Calhoun, B. et al., “Cost Consequences of Induced Abortion as an Attributable Risk for Preterm Birth and Impact on Informed Consent,” Journal of Reproductive Medicine, Oct. 2007, 929-937.

A message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
When all candidates hold a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods.

In making these decisions, it is essential for Catholics to be guided by a well-formed conscience that recognizes that all issues do not carry the same moral weight and that the moral obligation to oppose intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our consciences and our actions.      -“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” (nos. 36-37), USCCB, Nov. 14, 2007

A message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
As Catholics we are not single-issue voters. A candidate’s position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter’s support. Yet a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support.

---“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” (no. 42), USCCB, Nov. 14, 2007

“We pray for our government and all in the service of our country.”
Do you have any loved ones in the “service of our country?”  This includes those who serve in the military, police dept., fire dept., etc. who risk their lives everyday for the good of all.  If so please give Father Michael their names and a picture of them in uniform.  A prayer corner for them will be created in the church.

Byzantine Prayers

Morning prayer from Matins

O Lord our God: You have awakened us from sleep and have called us by a holy calling to lift up our hands at the break of day, and to render homage to your righteous judgment. Accept our prayers, devotions, requests, and adoration. Grant us, O God, an invincible faith, an unshakable hope, and love unfeigned. Bless our comings and goings, our deeds and works, our words and desires. Grant that we may come to the dawn of this day praising, singing, and blessing the lavishness of your bounty which is beyond description, for blessed is your holy Name and glorified is your kingdom, Father+, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Evening Prayer from Vespers:

Great and most high God, you alone possess immortality and dwell in unapproachable light. You made all creation with wisdom, dividing light from darkness, establishing the sun to rule the day and the moon and stars to rule the night.  You have allowed us sinners to approach your presence with thanksgiving in this present hour and to offer you evening praise.  O Lord, Lover of us all, make our prayer ascend to you like incense and accept it as a sweet fragrance.  Grant that we may spend the present evening and the coming night in peace; clothe us with the armor of light.  Deliver us from the fears of the night and from everything that lurks about in darkness.

Grant that the sleep you have given us to refresh our fatigue may be free from all illusions of the devil.  Yes, O Master of all, giver of good things, let us feel contrition as we lie on our beds, remembering your name throughout the night.  Enlightened by meditation on your commands, may we rise with gladdened soul to give glory to your goodness, offering prayers and supplications to your compassion for us in our sins and those of all your people.  Visit us with mercy through the intercession of the holy Theotokos.

Prayer Before Meals

May the poor eat and be satisfied

May those who seek the face of the Lord rejoice

And may their hearts find life.

 

Christ God, Bless the food and drink of your servants,

Those who prepare it, and those who receive it

 

For you are Holy our God and we render glory to you

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit now and ever and forever Amen

 

Prayer Before Work

O Lord Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son of your eternal Father:

You have said with your holy lips;

“Without Me, you can do nothing.”

 

My Lord, I embrace your words with my heart and soul,

And bow before your goodness and say:

 

Help me, your unworthy servant, to complete this, my present undertaking,

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Prayer in the Time of Illness

Almighty Master, Physician of our souls and bodies, who both humbles and uplifts, who chastises and heals; visit me with Your mercy in my time of illness. Stretch forth Your arm that is full of health and healing, and heal me, and allow me to leave my sick-bed. Banish my weakness and pains, heal my wounds, quench my fever, and prevent a relapse. If I am guilty of sins or transgressions, loose, remit and forgive them for the sake of Your love toward mankind. Yes, 0 Lord, heal me, Your child, through Jesus Christ our Lord with Whom You are blessed +, together with Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

 Prayer of Thanksgiving for Recovery

O Lord Jesus Christ, the Life and Strength of all who place their trust in You; Your mercies are numberless and the treasury of Your goodness is infinite. I thank You for the blessings which You have bestowed upon me, and I humbly beseech You to continue Your goodness toward me. As it pleases You to restore my bodily health, so now endow my soul with all heavenly graces and perseverance in good works. Prepare me by Your blessings in this life for the enjoyment of eternal happiness in the life to come. For to You are due all glory, thanksgiving and adoration, together with Your eternal Father + and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

PRAYER OF SURRENDER

Lord, Jesus Christ, I ask the grace to accept the sadness in my heart as Your will for me, in this moment. I offer it up in union with Your sufferings, for those who are in deepest need of Your redeeming grace. I surrender myself to Your Will, and I ask You to help me to move on to the next task that you have set for me.

Christ our God, help me to enter into a deeper union with You. Lead me away from dwelling on the hurt I feel, to thoughts of charity for those who need my love, to thoughts of compassion for those who need my care, and to thoughts of giving to those who need my help.

As I give myself to You, help me to be an instrument of your salvation to those who come to me in need.  May I find my healing in this giving. May I always accept God's will. May I find my true self by living for others in a spirit of sacrifice. May I die more fully to myself, and love more fully in You. As I seek to surrender to the Father's will, may I come to trust that He will provide me with everything that I need.  For You are Holy our God, and we give glory to You, to your eternal Father, and your life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever.  Amen.