Hymns & Propers: Sunday after the Nativity - December 30, 2012

This coming Sunday, December 30, 2012, is the Sunday after the Nativity.

We continue to celebrate the Great Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in full liturgical observance, as we are still in the octave of the Great Feast.

It is also the Sunday on which we commemorate the Holy and Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, and James the Brother of God.

Therefore, the propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha are combined with those of the Great Feast and these specific commemorations for observance on this particular Sunday.

Hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Divine Liturgy have been posted to our For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - Galatians 1:11-19
Gospel - Matthew 2:13-23

Tone of the week = Tone 6

Please join us in continuing our welcome and celebration of the Newborn King at the Church of the Resurrection!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Chant Rehearsal at 9:30AM Tomorrow!!! - Sunday, December 23, 2012

In the Parish Hall starting @ 9:30AM sharp. All are welcome!

S'nami Boh!
God is with us!

+Daniel Holodick: Patronal Feast Day Remembrance

Eternal memory!

Kontakion of the Holy Prophet Daniel (Tone 3)

Your pure heart was enlightened by the Holy Spirit so that it could be come an instrument of prophecy; you perceived distant events as if they were present. When you were thrown into the pit, you stopped the lions' mouths. Therefore, we honor you, O blessed and glorious prophet Daniel.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Chant Rehearsal Cancelled - Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sincere apologies for the late cancellation. The scheduled rehearsal for next Sunday, December 23, 2012 will take place, and all are welcome (with only two shopping days left ...)!

Hymns & Propers: Sunday of the Forefathers - December 16, 2012

Our liturgical preparation in the Nativity Fast intensifies this weekend, with the Second Sunday before the Nativity, also known as the Sunday of the Forefathers on which we commemorate all the great Patriarchs, Matriarchs and Prophets of the Old Testament.

Hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Divine Liturgy have been posted to our For the Faithful resource page. Propers for this commemorative Sunday are interwoven with propers for Sunday and days of Pascha in the tone of the week (Tone 4).

Judith Walsh will once again be at the kliros leading the responses this Sunday. Please join her and the chant group in eager anticipation of the coming of our Lord!

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-Eighth Sunday After Pentecost - December 9, 2012

This coming Sunday, December 9, 2012, is the Twenty-Eighth Sunday After Pentecost. We will also be observing (transferred from December 8th) the Solemn Feast of the Maternity of Holy Anna, Mother of the Theotokos - also known in the Latin Catholic Church as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Therefore, the propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha will be combined with those of this Solemn Feast for observance on this particular Sunday.

We also celebrate the initiation of Dotty Arola to the Byzantine Catholic Church via the Rite of Holy Chrismation. May God grant her many happy, healthy and spiritually fruitful years!

Hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Divine Liturgy have been posted to our For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - Colossians 1:12-18
Gospel - Luke 18:35-43

Tone of the week = Tone 3

Judith Walsh will be at the kliros leading the responses this Sunday. Please join her and the chant group in singing praise to God on another glorious Sunday morning at the Church of the Resurrection!

Otče Nikolaje

A blessed Saint Nicholas Day to all of our cantors named after the patron saint of our Byzantine Catholic Church!

FINAL Pre-Nativity Chant / Choir Rehearsal Schedule

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FOR MEMBERS OF OUR CHANT GROUP / CHOIR AND ANY AND ALL INTERESTED PARISHIONERS & GUESTS

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Our pre-Nativity chant group / choir rehearsal schedule is now set. Any and all interested parishioners and guests are welcome to attend and participate. We will be rehearsing both liturgical chant and traditional hymns of the season.

We will hold two rehearsals downstairs in the Parish Hall before Divine Liturgy on Sunday, December 16th and Sunday, December 23rd from 9:30AM to 10:45AM.

Please join us in preparing to receive the newborn King and Savior with all the splendor of our tradition!

Chant Group / Choir Rehearsal for the Feast of the Nativity

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FOR MEMBERS OF OUR CHANT GROUP / CHOIR AND ANY AND ALL INTERESTED PARISHIONERS
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We plan to have a rehearsal for the Great Feast of the Nativity of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (a/k/a Christmas) before Divine Liturgy on Sunday, December 23, 2012, from 9:30AM to 10:45AM in the Parish Hall (downstairs).

NOTE: there is a possibility that we will hold one additional rehearsal on a weeknight before that Sunday - stay tuned for additional information ...

Fr. Jack has requested that we lead in singing traditional carols of the season and our tradition for at least 15 minutes before Christmas Eve Compline/DL and Christmas Day Divine Liturgy. This will only be possible with (i) proper preparation and (ii) attendance of our chant group and faithful.

We hope to see you for rehearsal, and for a most joyous celebration of this Great Feast, on which we are truly reminded that indeed God is with us!

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-Seventh Sunday After Pentecost - December 2, 2012

This coming Sunday, December 2, 2012, is the Twenty-Seventh Sunday After Pentecost. There are no special commemorations or major feasts falling on this Sunday. Thus, we commemorate on this Sunday, as on each and every Sunday, the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Byzantine tradition, with reference to the liturgical hymns and propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha.

Given that the Propers are thus limited to those for Sundays and Days of Pascha in the tone of the week (Tone 2), we will not be posting an outline of hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for upcoming Nativity season.

Epistle - Ephesians 6:10-17
Gospel - Luke 18:18-27

Tone of the week = Tone 2

We will announce the opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

Judith Walsh will be at the kliros leading the responses this Sunday. Please join her and the chant group in singing praise to God on another glorious Sunday morning at the Church of the Resurrection!

+Daniel Holodick: Fortieth Day Remembrance

Troparion from the Memorial Service [Panachida] for the Faithful Departed (Tone 4)

With the souls of the just brought to perfection, give rest, O Savior, to the soul of Your servant, keeping him for the blessed life with You, for You love us all.

In Your place of rest, O Lord, where all Your saints repose, give rest to the soul of Your servant, for You alone love us all.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

You are the God who descended into Hades and loosed the bonds of those imprisoned there. Now, O Savior, give rest to the soul of Your servant.

Now and ever and forever. Amen.

Virgin, uniquely pure and immaculate, without seed you gave birth to God. Intercede for the salvation of the soul of your servant.

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost and Leave-taking of the Entrance of the Theotokos - November 25, 2012

This coming Sunday, the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, is also the leave-taking of the Solemn Feast of the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary into the Temple in Jerusalem, celebrated this past Wednesday, November 21st.

Customarily, the propers for a Solemn Feast are repeated on the leave-taking, or final post-festive day of the feast. As the leave-taking falls on a Sunday this year, the propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha in the tone of the week (Tone 1) are combined with the propers of the Solemn Feast in prescribed order.

Hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Divine Liturgy have been posted to our For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - Ephesians 5:9-19
Gospel - Luke 13:10-17

Tone of the week = Tone 1

Our opening hymn for this Sunday is taken from the oeuvre of +Professor John Kahanick, who wrote the text and lyrics for this festal hymn as set to the melody of Beautiful Holy Queen (Radujsja Carice). This hymn was included in the propers published by our Archeparchy's Metropolitan Cantor Institute for this particular feast day.

Hope everyone had a joyous Thanksgiving Day, and plan to give thanks to the Lord for the blessings bestowed upon our parish this coming Sunday!

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost - November 18, 2012

This coming Sunday, November 18, 2012, is the Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost. There are no special commemorations or major feasts falling on this Sunday. Thus, we commemorate on this Sunday, as on each and every Sunday, the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Byzantine tradition, with reference to the liturgical hymns and propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha.

Given that the Propers are thus limited to those for Sundays and Days of Pascha in the tone of the week (Tone 8), we will not be posting an outline of hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for upcoming feast days.

Epistle - Ephesians 4:1-6
Gospel - Luke 12:16-21

Tone of the week = Tone 8

We will announce an opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

Hope to see you in church for another glorious Sunday morning at the Church of the Resurrection!

Filipovka: The Christmas (Phillipian) Fast

With Vespers marking the start of the new liturgical day this evening, in Byzantine tradition, the spiritual 40 day preparation for the Great Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ begins with Christmas Fast, also known as Phillip's or the Phillipian Fast (commencing on the evening of the feast day of the Holy Apostle Phillip).

The Metropolitan Cantor Institute of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh has dedicated an entire page on their website to the Christmas Fast, with good detail on the customs and traditional fasting practices and other practices relating to the preparation for the Great Feast of the Nativity. The liturgical season of preparation is well explained on this page, including reference to the Emmanuel Moleben which has been celebrated at our parish faithfully for several years running.

Pre-festive Troparion of the Nativity (Tone 4)

Bethlehem, make ready, Eden has been opened for all.
Ephrathah, prepare yourself, for the Tree of Life has blossomed from the Virgin in the cave.
Her womb has become a spiritual paradise in which divinity was planted.
If we partake of it, we shall live and not die like Adam.
Christ is born to raise up the likeness that had fallen.

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost - November 11, 2012

This coming Sunday, November 11, 2012, is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost. There are no special commemorations or major feasts falling on this Sunday. Thus, we commemorate on this Sunday, as on each and every Sunday, the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Byzantine tradition, with reference to the liturgical hymns and propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha.

Given that the Propers are thus limited to those for Sundays and Days of Pascha in the tone of the week (Tone 7), we will not be posting an outline of hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for upcoming feast days.

Epistle - Ephesians 2:14-22
Gospel - Luke 10:25-37

Tone of the week = Tone 7

We will announce an opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

Hope to see you in church for Sunday worship!

Hymns & Propers: Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and All the Heavenly Powers - November 8, 2012

This coming Thursday, November 8th, is the Solemn Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and All the Heavenly Powers. On this solemn feast day, we commemorate the Holy Archangel Michael, leader, defender and protector, as well as all the Heavenly Powers at his command.

The Divine Liturgy for the Solemn Feast will be held at 7PM on Thursday, November 8, 2012 by the Resurrection - Smithtown, NY parish.

Hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Divine Liturgy have been posted to our For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - Hebrews 2:2-10
Gospel - Luke 10:16-22

Tone of the week = Tone 6

An opening hymn for this feast day is included, which was written and composed by +Professor John Kahanick for use at our Eparchial Cathedral in Passaic, NJ, on its patronal feast day.

We hope to see many of you, as we join the Heavenly Powers in singing hymns of praise to God, and to give thanks for the heavenly protection of the Holy Archangel Michael.

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost - November 4, 2012

This coming Sunday, November 4, 2012, is the Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost. There are no special commemorations or major feasts falling on this Sunday. Thus, we commemorate on this Sunday, as on each and every Sunday, the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Byzantine tradition, with reference to the liturgical hymns and propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha.

Given that the Propers are thus limited to those for Sundays and Days of Pascha in the tone of the week (Tone 6), we will not be posting an outline of hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for upcoming feast days.

Epistle - Ephesians 2:4-10
Gospel - Luke 8:41-56

Tone of the week = Tone 6

We will announce an opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

NOTE: Hope everyone weathered the storm without major incident, and please don't forget daylight savings time - "fall back" (or you'll have a lot of time to pray in church before Divine Liturgy)!

+Daniel Holodick: Ninth Day Remembrance

Hymns of the Deceased (Tone 5)

Blessed are You, O Lord; guide me by Your precepts.

The choir of Saints has found the Fountain of Life and the Gate to Paradise. May I also find the way through repentance. I am a lost sheep; call me back, O Savior and save me.

Blessed are You, O Lord; guide me by Your precepts.

O Lord, I am the image of Your glory which is beyond description, even though I bear the mark of transgressions. Have mercy on Your creature; O Master, in Your compassion cleanse me. Grant me the home I yearn for, and again make me an inhabitant of paradise.

Blessed are You, O Lord; guide me by Your precepts.

Grant rest, O God, to Your servant and place him in Paradise where the choir of Saints and Righteous shine like stars.  O Lord, give rest to Your departed servant, and remit all his transgressions.

Blessed are You, O Lord; guide me by Your precepts.

We praise with devotion the three-fold radiance of the One Divinity, by singing aloud: "Holy are You, Eternal Father, Co-eternal Son and Divine Spirit. Enlighten us who faithfully serve You, and deliver us from eternal fire."

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Rejoice, O pure and blessed Mother of God, for you gave birth to God according to the flesh for the redemption of all. Through you, mankind has found salvation. Through you, may we also find Paradise, O Blessed One.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory to You, O God!

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost - October 28, 2012

This coming Sunday, October 28, 2012, is the Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost. There are no special commemorations or major feasts falling on this Sunday. Thus, we commemorate on this Sunday, as on each and every Sunday, the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Byzantine tradition, with reference to the liturgical hymns and propers for Sundays and Days of Pascha.

Given that the Propers are thus limited to those for Sundays and Days of Pascha in the tone of the week (Tone 5), we will not be posting an outline of hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for upcoming feast days.

Epistle - Galatians 6:11-18
Gospel - Luke 8:26-39

Tone of the week = Tone 5

We will announce an opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

Kindly remember in your prayers our beloved Senior Cantor, +Daniel Holodick, who passed away this past Sunday, October 21, 2012. Also, this Sunday's Divine Liturgy (with Panachida) is offered in blessed memory and for the repose of the soul of +Joseph Hornyak. Vičnaja jim pamjat!

Sunday Chant Group Rehearsal Postponed

NOTE TO CHOIR / CHANT GROUP MEMBERS & FRIENDS

The rehearsal tentatively scheduled for this Sunday, October 28, 2012, has been postponed.

Members of the group are kindly asked to refer to the email sent this morning for further comments and details.

We hope to resume rehearsals in the near future, and any and all are welcome!

Hymns & Propers: Office of Christian Burial with Divine Liturgy for +Daniel Holodick - Thursday, October 25, 2012 @ 10AM

Our schedule of propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for the Office of Christian Burial with Divine Liturgy for the repose of the soul of +Daniel Holodick is now posted on the For the Faithful resource page.

Please join us in bidding farewell to our beloved Cantor, who long served his church with faith and love.

May the Lord grant rest to his departed servant, Daniel, and may his memory be eternal!

+Daniel Holodick

Our entire parish family mourns the passing of the beloved Senior Cantor, +Daniel Holodick, who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, October 21st.

Visiting hours: Wednesday 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at Fives Funeral Home, 31 Landing Avenue, Smithtown NY [(631) 360-0555].

Parastas: Wednesday evening at 7:30pm.

Funeral Divine Liturgy: Thursday, 10am at Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Church with Interment to follow at Calverton National Cemetery.

Vičnaja jemu pamjat! Eternal memory!

Hymns & Propers: Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost - October 21, 2012

Tomorrow, October 21, 2012, is the Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost, another "ordinary" Sunday in the long stretch between Pentecost and the Lenten Triodion.

Given that the Propers are thus limited to those for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 4), we will not be posting hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for upcoming feast days (including Christmas!).

Epistle - Galatians 2:16-20
Gospel - Luke 16:19-31

Tone of the week = Tone 4

We will announce an opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

Hope to see you tomorrow morning for another blessed Sunday in Smithtown!

Hymns & Propers: Sunday of the Fathers at the Seventh Ecumenical Council - October 14, 2012

This Sunday, October 14, 2012, we commemorate the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, who defended against Iconoclasm and preserved the most visible part of our expression of faith - holy icons, our "windows to heaven".

Our outline of hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Sunday is now available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - Galatians 1:11-19
Gospel - Luke 8:5-15

Tone of the week = Tone 3

We remember and pray for the repose of the soul of beloved parishioner, +George Susko, who fell asleep in the Lord this past Monday. Eternal memory!

Hymns & Propers: Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost - October 7, 2012

Our outline of the hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost - October 7, 2012 - is available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - 2 Corinthians 11:31-12:9
Gospel - Luke 7:11-16

Tone of the week = Tone 2

Please join us for another special Sunday morning at the Church of the Resurrection, as we celebrate in prayer the 95th birthday of Mary DeBaylo. Na mnóhaja i bláhaja l'ita!

Hymns & Propers: Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (Observance) - October 6, 2012

As previously announced, we will observe the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos with a Divine Liturgy to be celebrated tomorrow - Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 9:00AM.

Our outline of hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Divine Liturgy has been published and it available on the For the Faithful resource page.

The Marian para-liturgical hymn, We Hasten to Your Patronage (Pod Tvoj Pokrov Pribihajem) is most commonly associated with this feast and will be chanted at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, during the Great Incensation. This hymn is found on pages 23-24 of the Byzantine Catholic Hymnal.

Announcement for Resurrection Choir & Chanters: Updates to the "For Rehearsal ..." Resource Page

Fellow Resurrection Chanters:

Please note that the For Rehearsal ... resource page has been recently refreshed and updated.

There are two entries which are of current focus.

First, in this past Sunday's pre-DL chant rehearsal, we began working on the proper rendering of the Litanies of the Divine Liturgy as set in the People's Book. We now have a harmonized version of the responses for the Litany of Peace, the litany than begins the Divine Liturgy.

In addition, we would like to master the version of the Chant for Long Life, a/k/a "Mnohaja L'ita" referred to as the "Mukachevo" and/or "Ukrainian" version (you all recognize it as such).

Kindly let me know via email if you have any trouble accessing the files linked on the resource page.

October 1: Feast of St. Romanos the Melodist

In addition to being the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, October 1st is also the Feast of St. Romanos the Melodist, patron saint of cantors, chanters & choirs in our tradition. As such, St. Romanos is also the patron saint of our chant group and this internet-based ministry.

The icon featured here commemorates the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos (Pokrova), and St. Romanos the Melodist is depicted on the kliros beneath the Theotokos, despite having died some 355 years or so before this appearance (icons, being "windows to heaven", can transcend time). By tradition, the famous Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos is attributed to St. Romanos, and his musical and poetic talents are attributed to the intervention of the Mother of God herself.

St. Romanos served as a deacon in the Blachernae church of the Theotokos in Constantinople, the same Church in which the Theotokos later appeared on October 1, 911 (Pokrova). It was clear early on in his service that he had no real, natural talent as a reader or chanter. Nonetheless, he yearned with a strong desire to please God with hymns of praise.

The Theotokos appeared to St. Romanos in a dream with a scroll in her hand, which she instructed him to swallow. The next morning, he received a blessing from the Patriarch of Constantinople, who loved him for his great humility, and, from the ambon, chanted what became the Kontakion of the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. The congregation and clergy present were amazed by the clarity of the theology of the hymn, and his newly sonorous voice! Tradition maintains that this was the first Kontakion ever written and chanted.

The two Feasts are thus well connected, and that connection is embraced in the iconography of the greater Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos as shown above.

So, we also honor the patron of cantors, chanters and choirs on this, the day of our patron's feast, and do so most appropriately in song by chanting and reflecting on the Troparion for his feast day:

Troparion (Tone 4)

You gladdened Christ's Church with your melodies like an inspired heavenly trumpet. You were enlightened by the Mother of God and shone on the world as God's poet. We lovingly honor you, O righteous Romanus.

October 1: Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (Pokrova)

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Intercession, or Protection ("Pokrova") of the Most Holy Theotokos.

NOTE: As announced today at the Divine Liturgy and in our weekly bulletin, the feast will be observed with a Divine Liturgy scheduled at 9AM on Saturday, October 6, 2012.

A brief explanation of the origin of the feast is included in the Menaion, or book of the fixed cycle of the saints, for the month of October:

On October 1, 911, during the reign of emperor Leo the Wise, there was an all-night vigil in the Blachernae church of the Theotokos in Constantinople. Standing near the rear of the church was St. Andrew the Fool for Christ, and his disciple Epiphanius. At four o’clock in the morning, the Theotokos appeared above the people with a veil spread over her outstretched hands, as if to protect them. She was surrounded by angels and saints. Seeing this, Andrew asked his disciple, “Do you see the Queen and Lady of all is praying for the whole world?

source: Byzantine Monthly Menaion - Volume 2: October [Metropolitan Cantor Institute, Byzantine Catholic Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA, 2005]

It is said the Theotokos protected the faithful in the church that morning, and the people of the capitol city of Constantinople, from the onslaught of an invading barbarian army.

The Marian para-liturgical hymn, We Hasten to Your Patronage (Pod Tvoj Pokrov Pribihajem) is most commonly associated with this feast.

In preparation for the observance of the feast at our parish, we will publish hymns and propers for the Divine Liturgy later this week.

Hymns & Propers: Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost - September 30, 2012

Our outline of the hymns, propers and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for this Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost - September 30, 2012 - is available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Gospel - Luke 6:31-36

Tone of the week = Tone 1

Also, as a reminder, we will be holding a chant group rehearsal before the Divine Liturgy in the choir loft from 10:15AM - 10:50AM. All interested in learning more about our blessed chant tradition are welcome to attend.

Hope to see you for another special Sunday morning at the Church of the Resurrection!

Chant Rehearsal - Everyone Welcome! (Sunday 9/30/2012)

Next Sunday - September 30, 2012 - we will have a short chant group rehearsal from 10:15AM-10:45AM in the choir loft, prior to the Divine Liturgy.

We will be covering different settings in the people's book, with an emphasis on litanies and harmonization of the responses.

In addition, we will be discussing possibilities for the upcoming holiday seasons (Christmas is just around the corner!).

All parishioners and guests are welcome to attend - please join us in the choir loft before Divine Liturgy.

While we would like to add members to the group, we are most interested first and foremost in promoting good congregational singing. So please don't be shy!

Propers & Hymns: Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost - September 23, 2012

Tomorrow, September 23, 2012, is the Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost, another "ordinary" Sunday in the long stretch between Pentecost and Lenten Triodion, with no major feast days or commemorations liturgically celebrated at the Divine Liturgy. However, it is worth noting that September 23rd is the minor feast of the Conception of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist, John.

Given that the Propers for the week are limited to those proper for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 8), we will not be posting propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for upcoming feast days (with the next one being the Protection of the Theotokos on October 1, 2012).

Epistle - 2nd Corinthians 6:16-7:1
Gospel - Luke 5:1-11

Tone of the week = Tone 8

We will announce an opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

Hope to see you tomorrow morning for a blessed Sunday of celebration and fellowship!

We Bow to Your Cross, O Lord

Today we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Precious, Holy and Life-Giving Cross.

The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in Smithtown at 7PM this evening.

Propers for the feast day Divine Liturgy are found on pages 253-258 of the Peoples' Book.

The hymn "Come Now All You Faithful" (pg. 13 of the Byzantine Catholic Hymnal) would be appropriate for this feast day, chanted during the Great Incensation.

NOTE: Instead of "Holy God" (the Trisagion), "We Bow to Your Cross" is chanted. It is likely that version "B" on page 33 will be used.

We bow to Your Cross, O Lord, and we glorify your Holy Resurrection!

Never forget (9/11) ...

We prayerfully remember all those who perished in the 9/11 terrorist attacks upon New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania, and all those who bravely acted to save countless others and defend us henceforth. May the Lord God grant to each of the fallen blessed repose, in the place where the just repose, where there is no pain, sorrow, nor mourning, but life everlasting. Eternal Memory!

Propers & Hymns - Sunday Before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 9, 2012

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for this Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost - September 9, 2012 - are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Tomorrow is also a Post-festive Day of the Nativity of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, which we celebrated today (September 8th), so the propers will be carried over from the Feast, as explained below.

Further, it is the Sunday Before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Friday, September 14th), and this will also effect the propers for this Sunday.

Epistle - Galatians 6:11-18
Gospel - John 3:13-17

Tone of the week = Tone 6

During the Great Incensation, we will chant Joyfully, We Now Sing (Spivajme Veselo), a lesser-known  para-liturgical hymn traditionally associated with the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. We acknowledge the work of Fr. David Mastroberte (ACROD) and thank him for his poetic English translation, borrowed here. The melodic theme of this hymn will also be embraced later in the celebration of this Divine Liturgy, with the Cherubic Hymn chanted to the same melodic pattern. This setting was inspired by the oeuvre of Cantor & Choir Director + Gabriel Zihal, of blessed memory, who fell asleep in the Lord on July 18th of this year.

NOTE: A handout will be distributed with both of these hymns before the Divine Liturgy tomorrow.

As a reminder, for a Sunday in the festal period of a Solemn Feast of the Theotokos:

• the Troparion of the Feast is taken as well as the Troparion and Kontakion for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 6), immediately after the Sunday Troparion;
• the Prokeimenon and Alleluia for the Sunday Before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross are taken instead of those for Sunday and the Feast,
• the Magnification & Irmos for the Feast are chanted instead of It is truly proper (Dostojno jest'). Please note that we will take the Simple simple setting.

Hope to see you for another special Sunday morning at the Church of the Resurrection!

Happy *Byzantine* New Year!

Today begins the new Byzantine Liturgical Year, which runs from September 1st - August 31st.

It is the year 7521 by Byzantine reckoning!

On the first day of each liturgical year, we commemorate St. Simeon the Stylite, a monk who achieved fame for living 39 years on a small platform atop a pillar near Aleppo in Syria.

Troparion of St. Simeon the Stylite (Tone 1)
You became a column of endurance and rivaled the forefathers, O holy one, becoming like Job in your sufferings and like Joseph in your trials, like the bodiless angels, though you lived in the flesh. O Simeon, our holy father, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

For his incredible ascetic feat, he has the modern distinction of holding the all-time longest standing endurance record listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Propers & Hymns - Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost - September 2, 2012

This coming Sunday, September 2, 2012, is the Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost, yet another "ordinary" Sunday in the long stretch between Pentecost and Lenten Triodion, with no feast days or commemorations.

Given that the Propers for the week are limited to those proper for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 5), we will not be posting propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for next month's feast days.

Epistle - 2nd Corinthians 1:21-2:4
Gospel - Matthew 22:1-14

Tone of the week = Tone 5

We will announce an opening hymn just before the start of the Divine Liturgy.

Have a peaceful and restful Labor Day weekend!

Propers & Hymns - Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost - August 26, 2012

This coming Sunday, August 26, 2012, is the Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost ... and nothing else! So, it's an "ordinary" Sunday in the long stretch between Pentecost and Lenten Triodion, with no feast days or commemorations.

Given that the Propers for the week are limited to those proper for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 4), we will not be posting propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for this week, concentrating instead on preparation for next week's Simple Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist on Wednesday, August 29th and beyond.

Epistle - 1st Corinthians 16:13-24
Gospel - Matthew 21:33-42

Tone of the week = Tone 4

During the Great Incensation, we will chant the Canticle of the Theotokos (<=link to the previous post, with further links to the music resource files), taken from Sunday Matins.

As a reminder, we have chant group rehearsal from 10:15AM-10:45AM. Hope to see a few new faces along with the faithful group of chanters!

Propers & Hymns - Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost - August 19, 2012

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost - August 19, 2012 - are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Sunday is also a Post-festive Day of the Dormition (i.e. falls in the octave of this Great Feast of the Church), so the propers will be carried over from the Feast, as explained below.

Further, we will also be celebrating the joyous occasion of the Christening of Mila Dnyprowsky, with the Rite of Christian Initiation (i.e. the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Eucharist) incorporated into the celebration of Sunday's Divine Liturgy.

Epistle - 1st Corinthians 15:1-11
Gospel - Matthew 19:16-26

Tone of the week = Tone 3

During the Great Incensation, we will sing Rejoice, O Purest Mother (Veselisja, Vo Čistot'i), a well-known  para-liturgical hymn traditionally associated with the Feast of the Dormition. The melodic theme of this hymn will also be embraced throughout the celebration of this Divine Liturgy, with the Cherubic Hymn, Anamnesis Acclamation and Communion Hymn chanted to the same melodic pattern.

As a reminder, for a Sunday in the octave of a Great Feast of the Theotokos:

• the Troparion and Kontakion of the feast are taken in place of the Kontakion for Sunday, immediately after the Troparion for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 3);
• the Prokeimenon and Alleluia for the feast are taken together with the Prokeimenon and Alleluia for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 3); and,
• the Magnification & Irmos for the feast are chanted instead of It is truly proper (Dostojno jest'). Please note that we will take the Samopodoben melody (on pgs. 353-355) instead of the "simple setting".

However, as we will also be incorporating the Rite of Christian Initiation into the celebration, the Sunday Troparion, as well as the Troparion and Kontakion of the Feast, will be omitted. The Divine Liturgy will continue from the point at which the Trisagion is chanted, after the Chrismation is complete, with All You Who Have Been Baptized taken instead on the occasion of the celebration of the Rite of Christian Initiation.

As always, the reference sheet posted on the For the Faithful resource page can guide you through it. You should be able to print a copy and bring it to the Divine Liturgy, if you wish.

Hope to see you for a special Sunday morning at the Church of the Resurrection!

Propers & Hymns - Feast of the Dormition

Propers, hymns and liturgical hymn selection (order of worship) for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary - Wednesday, August 15, 2012 - are now available for review and reference on the For the Faithful resource page.

During the Great Incensation of the church and faithful - i.e. at the start of the Divine Liturgy - we plan to chant Rejoice, O Purest Mother (Veselisja, Vo Čistot'i), a well-known hymn traditionally associated with this Great Feast of the Church. The melodic theme of this hymn will also be embraced throughout the celebration of this Divine Liturgy and next Sunday.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, herbs and flowers will be blessed as per our tradition.

NOTE: As highlighted in our church calendar and above, this is a Great Feast of the Universal Church. As such, it is a holy day of obligation (day of precept) for Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholics in the United States.

Hope to see you for the Divine Liturgy this Wednesday evening (7PM)!

Propers & Hymns - Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost - August 12, 2012

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost - August 12, 2012 - are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Sunday is also a Post-festive Day of the Transfiguration (i.e. falls in the octave of a Solemn Feast of Our Lord), so the propers will be carried over from the Feast, as explained below.

Epistle - 1st Corinthians 9:2-12
Gospel - Matthew 18:23-35

Tone of the week = Tone 2

As a reminder, for a Sunday in the octave of a Feast of Our Lord:

• the special First and Second Antiphons from the Feast Day propers are chanted;
• the Third Antiphon and the Entrance Hymn are the same as Sunday, except that the phrase "risen from the dead" is substituted with a phrase reflective of the feast - "transfigured on the Mount" in this instance;
• the Troparion and Kontakion of the feast are taken in place of the Kontakion for Sunday, immediately after the Troparion for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 2);
• the Prokeimenon and Alleluia for the Feast are taken together with the Prokeimenon and Alleluia for Sunday in the tone of the week (Tone 2); and,
• a Magnification & Irmos are chanted instead of It is truly proper (Dostojno jest') - please note that we will take the Samopodoben melody (on pgs. 349-350) instead of the "simple setting".

Also, we will once again sign the para-liturgical hymn, On Mount Tabor (Na Tavori Preobrazivsja), during the Great Incensation before the Divine Liturgy (included with the propers for this Sunday) - just in case you missed it on Monday! ;)

As always, the reference sheet posted on the For the Faithful resource page can guide you through it. You should be able to print a copy and bring it to the Divine Liturgy, if you wish.

Hope to see you Sunday morning!

Traditional Hymn for the Feast of the Dormition

A choral setting (SATB) of the well-known hymn, Rejoice, O Purest Mother (Veselisja Vo Čistot'i), is now posted to our Chant Repertoire resource page (choir members please take note!).

As mentioned in a prior post, this hymn is traditionally associated with the Feast of the Dormition.

The harmony of this arrangement was based on an original setting by +Professor John Kahanick completed in June 1978, prepared along with dozens of other scores in the months before taking the kliros at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Passaic, NJ in September 1979. This setting is very much in keeping with the traditional manner in which Carpatho-Rusyn plainchant has been naturally harmonized by the faithful over the years.

While +Professor Kahanick used his own translation of the Slavonic lyrics (and assigned the English title: Now, Rejoice in Your Pure Beauty), we have used the more commonly known translation (six complete verses, with refrain) as seen in the setting included in the Marian Hymnal (1984). The first two verses of this translation also appeared in the Marian Hymn section (as #14) at the back of the older pew book, The Divine Liturgy (1978), compiled by +Msgr. William G. Levkulic of blessed memory.

The link on the resource page provides access to a *.pdf file with the score, and audio files (in *.wav format) simulating the SATB performance, as well as each of the voice parts individually. The piece is relatively easy to learn, even for a less experienced group of chanters. We hope these resources provide encouragement to "give it a go" in your parish (and to sing along at the Church of the Resurrection)!

FOLLOW-UP: A/V Highlights from the Litmanová Otpust HDL (5 Aug 2012)

The video clips of the Special Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Zvir Mountain, Litmanová, SK (5 August 2012), in chronological order:

Telegram sv. Otcovi z púte z Litmanovej 2012
A telegram from the Holy Father is read to the pilgrims of the 2012 Litmanova otpust.

Úryvok z archijerejskej svätej Božskej Liturgie v Litmanovej na hore Zvir
"An excerpt" from the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Zvir Mountain (the Litany of Fervent Supplication).

Otčenáš v Litmanovej (Zbor bl. P.P.Gojdiča)
The Lord's Prayer

Modlitba pred sv. prijímaním v Litmanovej
Prayer before Communion, and the distribution of the Holy Eucharist to the clergy.

Gréckokatolícky zbor bl. P.P.Gojdiča - K tvojmu srdcu
During the distribution of the Holy Eucharist, the choir sings a hymn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, K tvojmu srdcu. This hymn is sung to the melody of the popular and better known Marian hymn, Anhel Božij (When the Angel Came).

Gréckokatolícky zbor bl. P.P.Gojdiča - Chvalite Hospoda
During the distribution of the Holy Eucharist, the choir sings Chvalite Hospoda (Praise the Lord), a very traditional Eucharistic hymn in Carpatho-Rusyn tradition.

Gréckokatolícky zbor bl. P.P.Gojdiča - Tebe Pojem
During the distribution of the Holy Eucharist, the choir sings Tebe Pojem (We Sing to You), normally chanted during the Anaphora, after the Consecration.

Záver archijerejskej sv. Božskej liturgie a Zaámbonová modlitba
Final litany and Ambon Prayer at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.

Požehnanie na konci archijerejskej liturgie v Litmanovej
The final blessing of the Divine Liturgy, and petition for health and long life of the Holy Father. Before the customary Mnóhaja L'ita, the choir first sang the infrequently heard De Petra Svjata Mohila (On Peter's Holy Mound), chanted in honor of the Holy Father and as a symbol of our unity in the Catholic faith.

Mnoholitsvie a modlitba za sv.otca Benediktia XVI. na konci sv. liturgie v Litmanovej 2012
A continuation of the clip above, "Many Years" is chanted for Pope Benedict XVI and all hierarchs present. The Lord's Prayer is recited before mirovanje (anointing of the faithful with holy oil and distribution of blessed bread). Regrettably, the first version of Mnóhaja L'ita (the "How Dry I Am" melody) was cut off but for the last few notes at the beginning of this clip.

Záverečná reč vladyku Mons. Jána Babjaka,SJ na Litmanovskej púti 2012 
Záverečné slovo vladyku Mons. Jána Babjaka, SJ na konci sv. liturgie v Litmanovej
(2 clips) The final words, thoughts and blessings of Metropolitan Babjak following the Divine Liturgy. At the end, Metropolitan Babjak petitions for the health and long life of His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk.


P.S. My Slovak isn't that great, but I think most of this is fairly accurate. Please feel free post any necessary corrections in the "Comments" section below.

A Special Hierarchical Divine Liturgy - 5 August 2012 Litmanová, SK Pilgrimage (Otpust)

Video clips of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated as part of the annual pilgrimage (otpust) in Litmanová, Slovakia on the 5th of August 2012 were recently posted to YouTube.

The Litmanová otpust is sponsored by the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Prešov. This year, in celebration of the 1,150th anniversary of the arrival of Sts. Cyril & Methodius in the region (then known as Great Moravia), Metropolitan Babjak welcomed the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, as well as other bishops and dignitaries from neighboring Greek Catholic eparchies and Roman Catholic dioceses. As the ranking Eastern Catholic hierarch, His Beatitude served as the main celebrant.

This link (<= click here) will take you to a playlist - at the moment, the first twelve (12) clips are of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.  I will attempt to catalog them and update this post in a few hours with a list of the twelve videos in chronological event order.  By the way - some of the other ones in the playlist are worth a listen, as well, especially those featuring the voice of Hanka Servicka.

Although the clips are a bit choppy at times and the cumulative video is not a complete recording of the  Divine Liturgy, there are many "gems" that can be heard in these clips. Prostopinije at its best, courtesy of the Blessed Bishop Paul Gojdich Choir and an estimated 20,000 faithful pilgrims!

Looking Ahead - Traditional Hymns for the Feast of the Dormition

In the popular, well-circulated Marian Hymnal (light blue-colored, with stenciled icon on front cover), published in 1984 by the Byzantine Seminary Press on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the annual Uniontown pilgimage, several hymns are identified as being associated with particular Marian feast days.

Two such hymns were associated with the Feast of the Dormition in the Marian Hymnal:

1. Veselisja Vo Čistotji / Rejoice, O Purest Mother (pgs. 38-39); and,
2. Chrístíjane Pribíhajte / Christians, Join in Our Procession (pgs. 6-7)

The first, Rejoice, O Purest Mother, is the better known of the two and is also included in the Byzantine Catholic Hymnal (pg. 21).

This hymn has been a common element of the repertoire of many of our great choirs, past and present. In tribute, we will post one or two choral settings used by these choirs in the coming days (in advance of the Feast).

Propers & Hymns - Feast of the Transfiguration

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Solemn Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ (Monday, August 6, 2012), are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - 2nd Peter 1:10-19
Gospel - Matthew 17:1-9

Festal Tone

NOTE: We have prepared and included a para-liturgical hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration entitled "On Mount Tabor". The melody is taken from the hymn "Na Tavori Preobrazivsja" included in the 1969 Prešov hymnal, Duchovňi Pisňi compiled by Fr. Štefan Papp. The English lyrics are an adapted translation of those from the original hymn, prepared with the generous assistance of Susan Tychnowicz, a member of our parish choir.

Propers & Hymns - Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Tenth Sunday After Pentecost, also the Pre-festive Day of the Transfiguration (Sunday, August 5, 2012), are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - 1st Corinthians 4:9-16
Gospel - Matthew 17:14-23

Tone of the week = Tone 1

As a reminder, we will have chant group rehearsal from 10:15AM-10:45AM in the choir loft before the Divine Liturgy.

Any and all are welcome!

The Dormition Fast & August Feast Days

The traditional Dormition Fast begins today (yesterday at Vespers), and ends at Vespers on August 14th. Although "interrupted" by the joyous Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, it is a traditional time for spiritual renewal relying especially on the intercession of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. The Paraklesis (<= click for service book) is traditionally prayed during this time of preparation.

The Dormition Fast begins today with the feast of the Procession of the Holy Cross, a penitential commemoration and one of three feast days of Our Lord this month (together with the Transfiguration on the 6th and the Translation of the Miraculously Formed Icon of Our Lord on the 16th).

The Feast of the Dormition on August 15th is a Great Feast of the Church and a day of precept, or holy day of obligation, for Byzantine Catholics.

The Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th is a considered Solemn Feast.

On August 29th, we observe the Simple Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, which is the final notable feast of the Byzantine Liturgical Year (September 1 - August 31), normally the last fixed, or immovable feast day listed in the Festal Menaion.

Propers & Hymns - Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost (Sunday, July 29, 2012) are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - 1st Corinthians 3:9-17
Gospel - Matthew 14:22-34

Tone of the week = Tone 8

We welcome home our own Fr. Jack, after a hopefully peaceful vacation week!

Dormition of Holy Anna, Mother of the Mother of God

Today we commemorate the Dormition of the Righteous and Holy Anna, the mother of the Mother of God. Known principally through tradition, we understand that Anna was the daughter of the priest, Matthan, and his wife, Mary and was of the tribe of Levi and lineage of Aaron. She married Joachim, a shepherd given the task of supplying the temple of Jerusalem with sheep for sacrifices. After twenty years of marriage Ann and Joachim had no children. Once, when Joachim overheard ridicule because of their childless state, he is said to have gone into the desert to plead with God to give them a child. After a time of fasting an angel appeared to assure Joachim that he and Anna would be given a child, to be named Mary and dedicated to God. Anna died peacefully in her sleep before the Annunciation to her daughter, Mary, the Mother of God.

Troparion of Holy Anna (Tone 4)

O holy Anna, you are filled with the wisdom of God, and you gave birth to the most pure Mother, the one who gave birth to Life.  Therefore, you have been carried up in glory on this day to the blessedness of heaven, to the abode of those who exult with joy.  And now you pray, O ever-blessed one, for the forgiveness of sins for all those who honor you with all their heart.

 Anna is the patroness for conceiving children and for help in difficult childbirth. 

An "ordinary" Sunday ...

Tomorrow is the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost ... and nothing else!

What does that tell us as to what we can expect to chant at tomorrow's Divine Liturgy?

Well, as noted in prior posts, we are now in that long stretch between Pentecost and Great Lent, where we mark time based on the number of Sundays elapsed since Pentecost - the Sundays after Pentecost. This time period roughly corresponds to a segment of what our Latin Catholic "cousins" would refer to as "Ordinary Time", the sequential weeks of the civil calendar "interrupted" by the major liturgical seasons - Lent, Easter and Advent. We do not break the our count of Sundays after Pentecost for Advent (or the preparatory period of Phillip's Fast in our tradition).

There is no feast day being celebrated, nor are there any other commemorations (unlike last week).

Hence, one might call it a very "ordinary" Sunday for us!

By tradition, on such Sundays, we most often select a para-liturgical Marian Hymn to sing before the Divine Liturgy, during the Great Incensation (incensing of the church and people), honoring the Mother of God.

We chant the Divine Liturgy as in the People's Book, with nothing supplementally added.

We select available variations of the liturgical hymns in the People's Book (e.g. the Thrice-Holy Hymn; the Cherubim Hymn; etc.) largely according to preference. These selections are announced and published in advance via our postings of propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for Sundays and Feast Days.

Given that Tone 7 is the tone of the week, we take the propers for Sunday of that tone (the Troparion, Kontakion, Prokeimenon and Alleluia for the Divine Liturgy) as given in the Octoechos and provided on pages 154 - 158 of the People's Book (beginning on page 156 - At the Divine Liturgy).


We also by parish custom chant the Lord's Prayer as set to the Samohlasen (or "common" tone) melodies according to the tone of the week. So, this week we will chant the Lord's Prayer on page 72 of the People's Book (in Samohlasen Tone 7).

NOTE: Postings of applicable liturgical propers (including the Lord's Prayer) will of course continue to be made on the boards in the nave of the church, but we hope this recap and our advance postings will further assist you in anticipating the "flow" of the Divine Liturgy, navigating the People's Book more effectively and chanting more comfortably and actively.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Propers & Hymns - Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Eighth Sunday After Pentecost (Sunday, July 22, 2012) are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - 1st Corinthians 1:10-18
Gospel - Matthew 14:14-22

Tone of the week = Tone 7

We once again welcome Msgr. Tom Molloy to the Church of the Resurrection, as our guest celebrant. Our thanks! May God grant his priestly servant, Msgr. Tom, many happy, healthy and blessed years!

Feast of the Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah (St. Elias)

Please join us for the Divine Liturgy on Friday evening, July 20, 2012 at 7PM, to be followed by the blessing of cars and vehicles. 

Troparion of the Holy Prophet (Tone 4)
An angel in the flesh, the foundation of the prophets, and the second forerunner of Christ, the glorious Elijah from on high sent grace to Elisha, to cure sickness and cleanse lepers. He likewise overflows with healing for those who honor him.

What's a para-liturgical hymn?

To those with a fondness for science fiction genre, it probably reminds one of "paranormal".

Indeed, para is a prefix meaning "beside" or "beyond". In this context, it also connotes "outside".

Thus, a para-liturgical hymn is one sung or chanted outside the Divine Liturgy. Many of what we consider to be our most treasured, traditional hymns (Marian, Lenten, Christmas, Pascal, etc., including many found in the Byzantine Catholic Hymnal) are indeed para-liturgical hymns and, as such, would not be used as part of the Divine Liturgy celebration, but either beforehand or afterward. Particularly in the case of Marian hymns, some are famously chanted on pilgrimages.

Liturgical hymns are thus those that are proper to, and used in the Divine Liturgy (e.g. the Thrice Holy Hymn; the Cherubim Hymn; etc.). Unlike para-liturgical hymns, they must have very firm foundation in Scripture. Many such hymns either take lyrics directly from the Psalms, or are based on passages and have been vetted for strict conformity with Holy Scripture.

In our advance postings of propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship), everything that is outlined for use during that particular celebration of the Divine Liturgy constitutes a liturgical hymn, except for the Opening Hymn, which is often (but not always) para-liturgical in nature.

Feast of Blessed Paul P. Gojdich, Martyr & Confessor

Today we remember Blessed Paul P. Gojdich, Martyr and Confessor, who was Bishop of the Eparchy of Prešov during the Communist era.

The Seminary of the Eparchy of Prešov is presently named in his honor and memory.

Born in 1888 in Ruske Perklany in Prjashevschina to a priestly family. Though his family wanted him to go into medicine or law, he felt called to the priesthood and entered the Prešov seminary in 1907. He chose the celibate priesthood and was ordained in 1911. In 1922, he entered the Basilian monastery of St. Nicholas at Chernecha Hora. He was renowned for his long hours of prayer and for his work with the youth of the Church. In 1926, he was appointed as Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Prešov, and was ordained bishop in 1927. Through independence, war, and near famine conditions, he was a good shepherd to his people. In 1949, the Communist government of Czechoslovakia began its liquidation of the Byzantine Catholic Church, and Bishop Gojdich worked through every means at his disposal to keep his priests and people loyal to their Byzantine Catholic Church and to Rome. He was arrested in 1950, tried in a mock trial in 1951. The secret police made every effort to break Bishop Gojdich and have him recant the Union of Uzhgorod, but he remained faithful. However, his health was completely broken by the maltreatment he received, and he died in the penitentiary of Leopoldov, Slovakia (1960).
[source: Byzantine Monthly Menaion - Volume 11 (July), Metropolitan Cantor Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 2005]

A longer biography of Blessed Paul P. Gojdich, reprinted from the Byzantine Leaflet series, is available on the internet (click here).

Troparion of Blessed Paul Gojdich (Tone 4)

From your youth you loved Christ, the eternal Word. You desired to serve him quietly and in simplicity of heart, but the right hand of the Most High chose you for the bishop's throne, and made you a steadfast shepherd of his people. For the sake of faith and the unity of the Church, you offered yourself to God as a perfect sacrifice. O Father and priest-martyr Paul, pray to Christ our God for the salvation of our souls.

Eternal memory! Vičnaja pamjat, Vladyko!

Propers & Hymns - Feast of the Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah (St. Elias)

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Feast of the Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah (a/k/a St. Elias) are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 7:00PM on the feast day, Friday, July 20, 2012.

Please join us for this joyous feast and the traditional blessing of cars and other modes of transportation!

The Byzantine-Ruthenian Divine Liturgy via Webcast

For those who may wish to experience the Divine Liturgy in sister churches of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia, the opportunity now exists via webcast / streaming video on UStream.tv (internet host site).

First, Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church in McKees Rock, PA is streaming video from their church, and also have posted a few archived services, including a Divine Liturgy in Church Slavonic celebrated by Metropolitan Archbishop Jan Babjak from the Archeparchy of Prešov, Slovakia and Bishop John Pazak of the Slovak Eparchy of Sts. Cyril & Methodius of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Click here for this parish's live streaming video channel, as well as the archived videos.

In addition, the Cathedral of our Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Munhall, PA, is also streaming video via the same internet host. Click here for the Cathedral's live streaming video channel, as well as the archived videos.

The entire Enthronement Ceremony of our new Metropolitan Archbishop William C. Skurla, and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated on April 18, 2012, has been archived by the Cathedral church, and is available for replay (click here). I would encourage everyone, especially our chanters and choir members, to enjoy this video.

The Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church via YouTube

Please take note - we have links (located at the bottom of the home page) to two different YouTube channels on our blog, featuring our chant and liturgical tradition.

First, we have linked to LogosTvUzhgorod, the featured channel of the Eparchy of Mukachevo which has been very active in creating videos archiving the very vibrant life of our Mother Church. There is always of fresh supply of new and interesting videos, including most recently the blessing of an iconostasis and altar of a new church. Ever so often in these videos, one can hear some beautiful hymns that may have fallen out of common use here in America, providing a source of inspiration for us avid chanters here! It is so very nice to see this Eparchy coming fully alive again in our Church's ancestral lands. May God grant Bishop Milan and all the faithful many happy, healthy and blessed years!

In addition, we have also linked to the Prostopinije channel which features several chant and choral treasures of our tradition, including some very traditional choral works and arrangements performed by the Westminster Slavic Choir of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Byzantine Catholic Church in Trenton, NJ.

We will look to add other links as well, so stay tuned!