Many years! to Pope Benedict XVI and our own Metropolitan Archbishop William C. Skurla

Today, on the Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul, Metropolitan Archbishop William received his omophorion (pallium) from His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.

May God grant Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop William and all of the Latin Catholic Metropolitans who received the pallium today peace, health and happiness for many blessed years!

Our Liturgical Glossary: "Pentecostarion"

Pentecostarion – a liturgical book containing the proper hymns for Vespers, Matins, and other services throughout Pascha and to the Sunday of All Saints; this term is also used to designate the 50-day period from the Sunday of Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday.
[The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pgs. 465-466]


Pentecostarion – A liturgical Book containing all rites from Holy Saturday to All Saints Sunday.
[Greek Catholic Dictionary, Rev. Basil Shereghy, S.T.D. and Rev. Vladimir Vancik, S.T.D., Pittsburgh Byzantine Diocesan Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1951, pg. 55]

Propers & Hymns - Third Sunday After Pentecost - June 17, 2012

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Third Sunday After Pentecost (Sunday, June 17, 2012) are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Epistle - Romans 5:1-10
Gospel - Matthew 6:22-34

A Happy Father's Day to all of our fathers and grandfathers (and our spiritual fathers, too)!

Notable Feast Days - Month of June

We have two feast days of note in the month of June:

Sunday, June 24 - Feast of the Nativity of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, a solemn immovable (fixed date) feast which falls on a Sunday this year [propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for Sunday and the Feast Day are available on the For the Faithful resource page]

Friday, June 29 - the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Prime Apostles (Holy Day of Obligation) [propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) to be posted soon!]

Propers & Hymns - Second Sunday After Pentecost - June 10, 2012

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Second Sunday After Pentecost (Sunday, June 10, 2012) are available on the For the Faithful resource page [archived].

Epistle - Romans 2:10-16
Gospel - Matthew 4:18-23

What's a "Sunday After Pentecost"? - click here

Please join us in prayerful worship this coming Sunday (guests are always welcome)!

Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship - Saturday

Saturdays are dedicated to the All Saints and to the Faithful Departed

Apostles, martyrs and prophets, * bishops, venerables and righteous saints, * you have finished the course and have kept the faith. * Since you can approach the Savior with confidence, * we ask you to beseech His goodness on our behalf, * for the salvation of our souls.

[Troparion of the Saints, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 411]

O Lord, in your goodness, remember your servants * and forgive whatever sins they committed in their life; * for no one is sinless but you alone. * You have the power to grant rest to the departed.

[Troparion for the Departed, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 412]

Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship - Friday

Fridays are dedicated to the Precious, Holy, and Life-Creating Cross

Save your people, O Lord, and bless your inheritance. * Grant victory to your Church over evil, * and protect your people by your cross.

[Troparion of the Cross, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 410]

Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship - Thursday

Thursdays are dedicated to the Holy Apostles and to Our Holy Father Nicholas of Myra (Patron Saint of the Byzantine Catholic Church)

O holy apostles, intercede with the merciful God * that he may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

[Troparion of the Cross, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 409]

Your life has shown you to your flock as a rule of faith, * an image of gentleness, and a teacher of 

moderation. * You acquired greatness through humility * and wealth through poverty. * O father 

and archbishop Nicholas, * intercede with Christ our God to save our souls.

[Troparion of St. Nicholas, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 409]

Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship - Wednesday

Wednesdays are dedicated to the Precious, Holy, and Life-Creating Cross and to the Most Holy Theotokos

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

[Prokeimenon of the Theotokos, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 408]

Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship - Tuesday

Tuesdays are dedicated to the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

The memory of the righteous is celebrated with praise, * but for you, O Forerunner, the Lord’s 

testimony is enough. * You were shown to be more honorable than the prophets * since you were 

deemed worthy to baptize in the waters the Lord you had proclaimed. * Therefore, you fought for 

the truth, * and with joy proclaimed the good news to those in Hades, * that God has appeared in 

the flesh * to take away the sins of the world and to grant us great mercy.

[Troparion to the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 407]

Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship - Monday

Mondays are devoted to the Holy Angels.

Leaders of the heavenly armies * although we are unworthy, we always beseech you * to fortify us by your prayers * and to shelter us beneath the wings of your sublime glory. * Watch over us who bow to you and cry out fervently: * deliver us from danger, * for you are the commanders of the powers on high.

[Troparion to the Holy Angels, The Divine Liturgies of Our Holy Fathers John Chrysostom and Basil The Great (People's Book), The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church Sui Juris of Pittsburgh, USA, 2006, pg. 406]

Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship - Sunday

Sundays are always a commemoration of the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is fitting that we commemoration the Paschal Mystery as a regular part of our faithful obligation as Eastern Catholics.

Byzantine Cycles of Worship - The Weekly Cycle

Byzantine worship is characterized by various cycles. As part of its structure, each day of the week has a given liturgical focus - the weekly cycle of commemorations - in which each weekday is dedicated to a particular mystery, event or personage in salvation history.

This week we will feature the Weekly Cycle of Byzantine Worship as part of our blog posts.

We are given "commons" for the days of the week, used when there is no other solemn feast to be observed. Commons are parts of the Divine Liturgy that consist of texts common to an entire category of saints, such as Apostles or Martyrs, or persons (e.g. the faithful departed). The term is used in contrast to the ordinary, which are those parts of the Divine Liturgy that are reasonably constant, or at least selected without regard to date, and to propers, which are the parts of the Divine Liturgy that vary according to the date, either representing an observance within the Liturgical Year (another one of the Byzantine Cycles of Worship), or of a particular saint or significant event.

Propers & Hymns - Sunday of All Saints - June 3, 2012

Propers, hymns and hymn selection (order of worship) for the Sunday of All Saints are available on the For the Faithful resource page.

Please join us for Sunday worship on this special Sunday, on which we commemorate all the saints, known and unknown.