SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

ANNOUNCEMENTS for Sunday, January 17th, 2009:

Upcoming Parish Events:
-1/23/10: Youth Group Ice Skating after Vespers
-1/24/10: Ladies Guild Meeting after the Divine Liturgy.
-1/31/10: Safe Environment Follow-Up Meeting after the Divine Liturgy.

Mercy Ministry at Holy Protection of the Mother of God
What is the Mercy Ministry? Click here for an explaination of what it is, and here for the Calendar.

Youth Group
The Holy Protection Youth Group meets once a month. Keep an eye on the bulletin!

Young Adults:
-Speaker/ Discussion/ Pizza Series: Holy Protection hosts a speaker the second Wednesday of every month following the 6:30 Divine Liturgy. (All are welcome for the Divine Liturgy, Speaker and discussion for ages 18 and up unless otherwise noted.)
-Young Adult Social: Every Wednesday following the 6:30pm Divine Liturgy.

“Byzantine Basics” Adult Education: For next week: “LFL” up to pg. 74. DV chap.3
Father Michael teaches a class that covers various topics having to do with all things Byzantine Catholic on Sunday mornings at 8:30am. Join us for instruction and discussion in the main church.

Theology of the Body Classes
Contact Tanya at 303-543-7867.

Parish Celebrations:
1-17-10: Shaylee O’Loughlin’s Birthday!
May God grant you many happy and blessed years!

The Parish would like to thank:
-All those who participated in yesterdays “Picnic in the Park” with the homeless.

GCU “St. Nicholas” Lodge 144 Clothing Collection for Denver’s Poor
Our GCU Lodge is collecting clothing and other items to give to Denver’s poor. Please place any items you bring in the “St. Nicholas” Box near his icon.

Wisdom! Be Attentive!
"To ease another's heartache is to forget one's own."
-Abraham Lincoln

Theophany House Blessings:
A sign-up sheet for House blessings with the newly blessed “Jordan Water” is available on the table in the stairwell.

Online Resources for our parish:
-Website: www.holyprotection.org
-“Follow” our parish on “Twitter:” Go to www.twitter.com/holyprotection
-Prayer resources on our Facebook page at: http://bit.ly/HoProFB

Parish Photo Gallery: Nativity Play Pics now posted!
Go to www.picasaweb.google.com/holyprotectiondenver for photos from recent parish events! If you would like your own photos of parish people/events posted in the gallery, give Fr. Michael electronic copies of the photos you would like posted. (among other methods, most “photo centers” can put your photos on a CD.) “Picasa,” the website where the photos are displayed is an independent photo sharing website; it is in no way associated with our parish.

GCU Lodge # 144 Super Bowl Pool
GCU Lodge # 144 will, once again, sponsor a SB Pool to benefit our church. The big game is Feb 7th. Each square is only $2 with four chances of winning. The cumulative score for each quarter and the final score will pay $25 to the lucky winners! Cantor John will be available after Liturgy each Sunday. Our church will receive $200.

Denver Respect Life Event for the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Day of Penance and Prayer Mass
on the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Friday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m.
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
1530 Logan St., Denver
-Bishop Conley will be the principal celebrant. Following Mass,
all are invited to join the Colorado Right to Life’s March for Life
at the steps of the state capitol at noon. Eduardo Verastegui,
lead actor for the movie “Bella,” will speak at the rally.

“Culture of Life” News, Resources, and Activities
New This Week:
“The Church Perfect”
An article on valid and invalid ways of criticizing the Chruch.
Full article at: www.catholicculture.org/commentary/articles.cfm?id=418
(Articles posted/linked here may contain the author’s personal opinions and are tools for promoting thought and discussion, not only church teaching. Ask Fr. Michael if you have any questions about anything you read.)

See info. on this months Roe V. Wade events below

Sites for info. on the Heath care debate:
Bishops’ page on the issue: www.usccb.org/healthcare
Catholic Medical Association: www.cathmed.org
Archdiocese of Denver: archden.org/healthcare
Catholic News Agency: www.catholicnewsagency.com

From Alternatives Pregnancy Center:
Please pray for wisdom, direction and peace for a client who is currently determining whether to parent or place her baby for adoption. Pray for support and God's comfort during this time of decision.

News of Interest to Catholics:
News this week about…Immigration Reform, Human and Natural Ecology, Methodist-Catholic Dialogue, Heath care and Immigrants/ Abortion, and more at usccb.org/news

Stay informed about issues affecting our life and church: Now Online: Abortion and Heathcare, and other issues that need our attention. http://www.cocatholicconference.org

-See this weeks Denver Catholic Register (available in the stairwell or online at www.archden.org and click on the “Denver Catholic Register” link) for other issues affecting our Church and our lives.

12 points to consider when weighing health care proposals
See DCR Archives at www.archden.org/dcr and click on Aug. 25, Sept. 9 , Sept. 16, and Sept. 23rd for Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

Health Care Debate Considerations: From Archbishop Chaput
(Full Article at http://tinyurl.com/mgdmqk)

-First, while adequate health care for all Americans may not be seen by some as a “right” in the same sense as our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it certainly is an obligation of a just society. If we see ourselves as a civilized people, then we have a duty to satisfy the basic medical needs of the poor, the elderly and the disabled to the best of our ability. This is why America’s bishops have pressed so hard for national health-care reform for so many years, and continue to do so.

-Second, a government role in ensuring basic health care for all citizens can be completely legitimate. Historically, Americans have had a prudent distrust of government and expanding state power. But that does not justify excluding government from helping to solve chronic problems when no other solutions work.

-Third, the principle of subsidiarity in Catholic social thought reminds us that problems should be solved as modestly and locally as possible. In other words, government involvement should normally be the choice of last resort. Moreover, a proper government role in solving the health-care crisis does not necessarily demand a national public plan, run or supervised by government authorities. Real health-care reform need not automatically translate into federal programming.

-Fourth, no national health-care plan can be morally legitimate if it allows, even indirectly, for the killing of the unborn, or discriminatory policies and pressures against the elderly, the infirm and disabled. Protecting the unborn child and serving the poor are not unrelated issues; they flow from exactly the same Christian duty to work for social justice.

Retrouvaille is a program for married couples that feel bored, frustrated, or angry in their marriage. Some experience coldness and simply shut down. Others experience conflict and arguments in their relationship. Most don’t know how to change the situation or even communicate with their spouse. This program has helped 10’s of 1000’s of couples experiencing marital difficulty at all levels including disillusionment and deep misery. For confidential information about or to register for the September 25-27-2009 program, please call Bill and Arlene Newlin at 1-800-470-2230.

Opportunities to help our parish youth group!
-Will Work for Funds!: The Holy Protection Youth Group is be doing odd jobs around the church to raise funds for a trip next summer. Please make checks payable to “Holy Protection Church” and write “Youth Group” in the memo line. Thank You.

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.

A Guide for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Byzantine Catholic Church

Priest: May our Lord Jesus Christ be in your heart and on your lips that you may confess your sins worthily, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Penitent: I confess to Almighty God, one in the Holy Trinity, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to all the saints, and to you Father, my sins. My last confession was ____.
These are my sins_____.

The penitent may close with the following…

For these and all my other sins which I cannot remember or call to mind, I am sorry that I have offended God. I am sincerely repentant and promise, with the help of God, to better my life. For this I humbly ask of you, Father, salutary penance and absolution.

After giving the penitent a appropriate penance, the priest will place his epitrachilion over his head and say the prayer of absolution concluding with “Go in peace and sin no more.”

“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

Oldest known Marian Prayer

Beneath your compassion we take refuge
O Virgin Theotokos
Despise not our prayer in our need
But deliver us from danger
For you alone are pure and blessed.

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.