-

. St. Joseph the Betrothed

Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church
5000 N Cumberland, Chicago, IL 60656
Fr. Volodymyr Kushnir . www.stjosephukr.com stjosephucc@gmail.com Fr. Tom Glynn . Fr. Mykola Buryadnyk - Pastor . -

God is With Us, Understand All Ye Nations, and Bow Down Before Him! , , , , !

To Our Reverend Clergy, Reverend Religious, Seminarians, and Faithful, Christ is Born! Once again, we Ukrainian Catholics recall with affection and devotion the Birth of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. "The Word was made flesh and Continued on page 4
No. 51 -1-

, , , a! , , ' , . " . 5
18 December 2011

An Excerpt from The Winter Pascha by Fr. Thomas Hopko

he joy of the Messiah's appearance abounds in the Church's liturgical services of the Winter Pascha. When the "Hail" of the angelic salutation is translated "Rejoice," as it often is in the church services since in Greek that is what it literally means, there is an even greater presence of the "good news of great joy" for the faithful, since they, together with the whole of creation, are greeted with this salutation again and again in the songs of the festal celebration.
Let creation exceedingly rejoice, For the Creator fashions himself as a creature. And He who was before all things now manifests Himself as God newly revealed. Let the wise men go to meet Him with their gifts; Let the shepherds clap their hands in faith at the wonder; and let mortal men join the angels with rejoicing.1 Be joyful, O earth! Behold, Christ draws near to be born in Bethlehem. Be glad, O sea! And dance for joy, O company of prophets, For today you behold the fulfillment of your words. Rejoice, all you righteous! Let the kings of the whole earth sing with rejoicing, And let the nations be in exceeding joy! Mountains, hills, and valleys, Rivers, seas, and the whole of creation: Magnify the Lord who now is born. Rejoice, O Virgin, The Theotokos who of the Holy Spirit Has borne life into the world For the salvation of all!2

Christ's "joy fulfilled in themselves" (Jn 17:13). They are people whose joy, which no one can take away, is literally full and complete (Jn 15:11; 16:22, 24). In his famous book For the Life of the World, Father Alexander Schmemann speaks about the joy of Christians. From its very beginning, he says,
Christianity has been the proclamation of joy, of the only possible joy on earth. It rendered impossible all the joy we usually think of as possible. But within this impossibility, at the very bottom of this darkness, it announced and conveyed a new allembracing joy, and with this joy it transformed the End into a Beginning. Without the proclamation of this joy, Christianity is incomprehensible. It is only as joy that the Church was victorious in the world, and it lost the world when it lost that joy, and ceased to be a credible witness to it. Of all the accusations against Christians, the most terrible one was uttered by Nietzsche when he said that Christians had no joy.3

One of the most devastating accusations that can be made against Christians is that they have no joy. Joyless Christians are a contradiction in terms. People who are bitter, complaining, condemning, accusing, dissatisfied and depressed are certainly not Christians. They can only be people whose life is untouched by grace, people whose existence is confined to the suffocating limitations of "this world" whose "ruler" is the devil and whose "form... is passing away" (Jn 12:31; 1 Cor 7:31). They cannot possibly be those who belong to Christ and the kingdom of God. For Christians by definition have
No. 51 -2-

Father Alexander goes on to say that before Christians can do anything else with all of their "programs and missions, projects and techniques," they "must recover the meaning of this great joy." he says that joy "is not something one can define or analyze. One enters into joy. 'Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord' (Mt 25:21)." And one nters into this joy, this exceeding great joy, he insists, only by entering into the liturgical, eucharistic life of the Church herself. here, and only here, as in the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and His Epiphany in the world, can a person partake of that joyful reality for which the world itself was created in the beginning.
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Compline of the final day of the prefeast of the Nativity, December 24. 3 For the Life of the World, p. 24.

18 December 2011

Pastoral Letter

hen we look at the Nativity icon, we recognize the Jesus Whose Birth went largely unrecognized by His own people. Who would have suspected that an unwed virgin would give birth to God? Though a King, the Child was not born in a palace, but rather in a cave whose cold was warmed only by the breath of lowly beasts. The darkness of the cave reflected the darkness of the world into which the Light of the World was born; a star piercing the night borrowed His light, a light only recognized by a few gentile astrologers. Angelic choirs sang of peace, a song heeded only by shepherds living on

Bishop Richard: The Child would be rejected by His own people... the fringes of society; the society would know no peace, however, as a jealous tyrant prepared to spill the blood of in- nocent children within his realm. The Child would be rejected by His o w n people, a fact forewhich the Baby lay are eerily similar to the shroud and sepulcher in which He would lie. Yet it was by His own death that He would give life to an ungrateful people. Christ has offered that life to the children of Kyivan Rus for over a thousand years, to the Ukrainian Catholics of the United States for more than a century, to the faithful of the St. Nicholas eparchy for fifty years. For seventyfive years, His enlightenment has been offered to the children of Chicago at St. Nicholas School. More recently, His Resurrection has shone forth in the resurgence of our Church on its native soil, and in the vitality of the forty-one year old Ukrainian-born primate of our Church who so recently graced us with his presence. At the end of this year of celebrations, we once again celebrate Christs coming. May we recognize Him not only in the joy of our gatherings and in the pomp of our liturgies, but also in the myriad places to which He brings His hidden presence, for God is with us!
18 December 2011

shadowed in the gift of funerary myrrh; moreover, the feedbox and swaddling clothes in
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Continued from Page 1.

dwelt among us: and we have seen His Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father" (Jn, 1,14). Once again, our merciful Lord brings us to the Feast of the Nativity giving us another occasion to greet one another with His praises. Once again we give thanks for you to the Lord God and rejoice with you on this solemn Day. Christmas is a very visible sign of God's love for us. The cave, the manger, the swaddling clothes - - all these are signs which underline that great love. And the angels sang: "Glory to God in the highest, and us, so we must love one another, says Jesus. Christ was born for each and every one of us, so we acknowledge this great grace personally. But Christmas is also for everyone, so we celebrate it communally. Our Ukrainian Church and nation have developed such meaningful services and traditions to help us celebrate. How sad it would be to miss them. Remember Christmas is always special because on Christmas Eve everyone is involved. The Christmas Eve Holy Supper includes everyone, the traveler is seated with the family, the absent are remembered, even the animals are paid special attention, and in church the "God-is-with-us" lingers with us and soothes our soul. "Today, let us rejoice together." Let us all rejoice on this great Feast of Christmas. Let us show Jesus our love for being born for our salvation. Make of your life a holy hymn - - a "psalm of thanks" to God for all things by your every word and deed. Do this day by day and you will be able to say ever more sincerely: "Christ is born, let us glorify Him!" We, your bishops, extend our best wishes to you and to our sisters and brothers in Ukraine and the world over. May the Infant of Bethlehem raise His hands over you and bless you. May the goodness and kindness of the Christ Child fill your souls with new-born love and joy now and in the New Year. Christ is Born! Let us glorify Him! +Stefan Soroka Metropolitan of Philadelphia +Richard Seminack Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago +Paul Chomnycky, OSBM Eparch of Stamford +John Bura (author) Administrator of St. Josaphat in Parma
18 December 2011

Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Hierarchs of the USA

from left

+John Bura +Paul Chomnicky +Stefan Soroka +Richard Seminack +Sviatoslav Shevchuk
prior to his Patriarchy

on earth peace among men of good will" (Lk 2,14). Within the bosom of each believer Jesus Christ, the God-Man, seeks a modernday manger where - - if we allow Him - - He brings the radiance of His Presence and an assurance of His peace that surpasses all understanding. Even in the midst of our hectic lives and troublesome world, we recall the tender compassion of our Father: "God so loved the World that He sent His only begotten Son" to share in our human situation in every way possible, save sin. Not for us, a God who "watches from a distance!" He is our Emmanuel -- "God-with-us" -- who enlightens the world and brings rays of healing for those who receive Him into the manger of their hearts. The mystery and the miracle of Christmas are unfathomable. Christ-God became also human like us out of love for us. St. Paul the Apostle says "God's grace appeared for the salvation of all people" (Ti 2,11). Jesus Christ is God's great gift to us. God gives Himself and becomes like us. In His public ministry, Jesus taught very clearly that His love is for everyone. As He loved
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No. 51

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No. 51

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Emmanuel God Becomes Human

! GOD IS WITH US!

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-518 December 2011

The Christmas Table: Everybody helps prepare, according to custom.

blecloths, one for the ancestors of the family, the second for the living members. In pagan times ancestors were considered to be benevolent spirits, who, when properly respected, Delving into why we have celebrated Christmas how we celebrate Christmas brought good fortune to the living family members. Under the table, as well as under the tablecloths some krainian Christmas customs are mas Eve Supper or Sviata Vecheria hay is spread to remember that Christ based not only on Christian tradi- (Holy Supper) brings the family to- was born in a manger. The table always has one extra place-setting for tions, but to a great degree on those of gether to partake in special foods and the pre-Christian, pagan culture and begin the holiday with many customs the deceased family members, whose religion. The Ukrainian society was and traditions, which reach back to souls, according to belief, come on basically agrarian at that time and had antiquity. The rituals of the Christmas Christmas Eve and partake of the developed an appropriate pagan cul- Eve are dedicated to God, to the wel- food. A kolach (Christmas bread) is ture, elements of which have survived fare of the family, and to the rememplaced in the center of the table. This to this day. brance of the ancestors. When Christianity was introduced With the appearance of the first bread is braided into a ring, and three into Ukraine in 988 A.D., the flour- star which is believed to be the Star of such rings are placed one on top of ishing pagan religion and traditions Bethlehem, the family gathers to be- the other, with a candle in the center of the top one. The three rings symassociated with it were too deeply gin supper. rooted in the people to allow the The table is covered with two ta- bolize the Trinity and the circular form represents Church to eradicate them completely. Eternity. Therefore, the Church adopted a polA didukh icy of tolerance toward most of the (meaning grandfaancient customs and accepted many ther) is a sheaf of as part of the Christian holidays. In wheat stalks or this way, the ancient pagan Feasts of made of mixed Winter Solstice, Feasts of Fertility grain stalks. It is became part of Christian Christmas placed under the customs. This is perhaps why Ukrainicons in the house. ian Christmas customs are quite In Ukraine, this is unique and deeply symbolic. a very important Ukrainian Christmas festivities Christmas tradibegin on Christmas Eve and end on tion, because the the Feast of the Epiphany. The Christ- Hutsul: A Christmas scene on a Ukrainian stamp. No. 51 -618 December 2011

TRADITIONS

EXPLAINED

A Ukrainian Christmas Revealed

stalks of grain symbolize all the ancestors of the family, and it is believed that their spirits reside in it during the holidays. After the didukh is positioned in the place of honor, the father or head of the household places a bowl of kutia (boiled wheat mixed with poppy seeds and honey) next to it. Kutia is the most important food of the entire Christmas Eve Supper, and is also called Gods Food. A jug of uzvar (stewed fruits, which should contain twelve different fruits) and is called Gods Drink, is also served. After all the preparations have been completed, the father offers each member of the family a piece of bread dipped in honey, which had been previously blessed in church. He then leads the family in prayer. After the prayer the father extends his best wishes to everyone with the greeting Khrystos Razhdaietsia (Christ is born), and the family sits down to a twelve-course meatless Christmas Eve Supper. There are twelve courses in the Supper, because according to the Christian tradition each course is dedicated to one of Christ's Apostles. According to the ancient pagan belief, each course stood was for every full moon during the course of the year. The courses are meatless because there is a period of fasting required by the Church until Christmas Day. However, for the pagans the meatless dishes were a form of bloodless sacrifice to the gods. While many of the Ukrainian Christmas Eve customs are of a solemn nature, the custom of caroling is joyful and merry. Ukrainian Christmas songs or carols have their origins in antiquity, as do many other traditions practiced at Christmas time. There are two main groups of Christmas songs in Ukraine: the koliadky, whose name is probably derived from the Latin "calendae" meaning the first day of the month and which are sung
No. 51

on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; the second group of Christmas songs is called shchedrivky, which is a derivation from the word meaning generous. The latter are sung during the Feast of the Epiphany. Both koliadky and shchedrivky have pagan elements in them, but many have been Christianized. For example, one pagan carol tells of a landowner who is awakened by a swallow and told to make preparations, because three guests are coming to his house: the sun, the moon and the rain. In the Christianized version the three guests become Jesus Christ, St. Nicholas and St. George. The very popular Ukrainian carol in the United

Koliada: A group walks together.

States, "Carol of the Bells", in its originality is a shchedrivka and tells of a swallow (herald of Spring) that has come to a landowners house and asks him to come out and see how rich he is, how many calves he has, and so on. The themes of Ukrainian Christmas songs vary. Many, of course, deal with the birth of Christ and that occasion's joyful celebrations, and many of them have apocryphal elements. Another group of carols con-7-

tain purely pagan mythological elements. Still another group deals with Ukrainian history of the 9-12 centuries, mostly with the heroic episodes in the lives of some of the princes that were favorite among the people. One of the largest groups of carols are glorification songs - glorifying the landowner, the farmer, his wife, his sons, his daughters, every member of the family. These songs glorify their work as well as their personal traits. Caroling required extensive preparation. Each group had a leader. One member dressed as a goat. Another as a bag carrier, the collector of all the gifts people would give them. Yet another carried a six-pointed star attached to a long stick with a light in its center, which symbolized the Star of Bethlehem. In some places the people even had musical instruments, such as the violin, tsymbaly (dulcimer), or the trembita (a wooden pipe about 8-10 feet long, used in the Carpathian mountains by the Hutsuls). Caroling was not a simple singing of Christmas songs; it was more of a folk opera. The carolers first had to ask for permission to sing. If the answer was yes, they entered the house and sang carols for each member of the family, even for the smallest child. Sometimes they even performed slow ritualistic dances. They also had to present a short humorous skit involving the goat. The custom of the goat accompanying the carolers has its origin in the pagan times when the goat represented the god of fertility. The skit showed the goat dying and then being brought back to life. This also symbolized the death of Winter and the birth of Spring. The caroling always ended with short well -wishing poems, appropriately selected for each home. Koliadky and shchedrivky are the oldest groups of Ukrainian folk songs. They are sung by Ukrainians at Christmas time throughout the world.
18 December 2011

Source: Inforukes.com

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No. 51

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18 December 2011

The Week Ahead

Sunday, December 25th CHRISTMAS- BIRTH OF OUR LORD
Galatians 4:4-7 Matthew 2:1-12

8:00 am (Ukr/Eng) 2nd Divine Liturgy of the Nativity 10:00 am (Ukr) Divine Liturgy

Monday, December 26th - SYNAXIS OF THE MOTHER GOD FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH
Hebrews 2:11-18 Matthew 2:13-23

9:00 am Birthday Blessings for Marcie (Mom & Family); John G & Anthony Deeds (Deeds & Garrison Families); +Walter Gawaluch (Family) 6:30 pm +Ihor, +Irena, +Vladimir, +Michael (K. Makaruk)

CANDLES FOR DECEMBER 2011

Memorial Candles *In loving memory of Anthony and John G. Deeds (Garrison & Deeds Families) *In loving memory of Daria Bursztynska (+Maria Durbak) Perpetual Oil Lamp *In loving memory of Maria Durbak (Mrs. Frances Schweda) Mother of God at Hoshiw Shrine * In loving memory of Mary and Gabriel Dackiw; Milie and Howard Crowhurst and Joseph Zubrycky (Lorraine Zubrycky) Mother of God Shrine *Available

Tuesday, December 27th PROTOMARTYR STEPHEN

Acts 6:8-7:5; 47-60 Matthew 21:33-42

9:00 am Special intention for Antin & Kalyna; +Maria & +Bohdan Durbak ; +Mary Scelbelo, 2yrs 6:30 pm For the sick and shut-ins of the parish

Wednesday, December 28th 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia

Hebrews 5:11-6:8 Mark 11:23-26

9:00 am +Katherine Gruszewsky (Gruszesky); +Wasyl Kocur (Kocur Fmaily)

Thursday, December 29th Martyrs Holy Innocents

Hebrews 7:1-6 Mark 11:27-33

9:00 am- +Bohdan Kucan (Anna Kucan) Friday, December 30th Venerable Martyr Anysia
Hebrews 7:18-25 Mark 12:1-12

Iconostas Icon Vigil

Christ the Teacher *Available Mother of God *Special intention for the Chicago Courage Group *Available St. Joseph the Betrothed *For those discerning marriage or religious vocations *Available St. Nicholas the Wonderworker *In loving memory of Rudolph Presslak (wife Elsie) *Special intention for Mathew Ziniti (Mrs. Jean Chlypniancz) Protection of the Mother of God *Special intention for the health of Irene, Riley and Zena
18 December 2011

9:00 am Special intention for Fr. Tom

Saturday, December 31st Saturday After Christmas Venerable Melania

AM Galatians 3:8-12

9:00 am +Alen; +Halyna,+ Ivan, +Lesia, +Vasil, +Petro,+ Justina, +Maria, +Olha, +Evstahij, +Olha, +Vanda, +Nadia, +Mychalina (1 yr); +John Lawrin (Family); +Nicholas Bereza (D. Wayda) 8:30 pm Moleben of thanksgiving

Luke 13:18-29

PM Hebrews 1:1-12

Luke 3:1-8

Sunday, January 1st - CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD ARCHBISHOP BASIL THE GREAT
2 Timothy 4:5-8;

8:00 am (Eng) Special intention for Fr. Tom; +Nina Popowycz (Bereza Family); +Erika, +Margaret, +Unsoon, +Marian Podlusky (Dr. G. Podlusky) 9:30 am (Ukr)+Karol, Zofia, +Barbara, +Antoni, +Maria, +Kateryna (W & H Bilanycz)
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Colossians 2:8-12;

Mark 1:1-8;

Luke 2:20-21 & 40-52

Parish News
From our house to yourswe wish everyone joy in the celebration in the Birth of Christ and a Peaceful, Healthy New Year !
Thanksgiving Food Drive Our Parish is collecting dry and canned goods for the Greater Chicago Food Depository during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please drop your foods into the boxes found on the right and left sides of the Church vestibule. We need to collect at least seven boxes of food for the food depository to take our donation. Parish Celebration We cordially invite all parishioners and Friends to a Divine Liturgy and Festal Banquet which will take place onSunday, January 15th 2012, at 11:30 p.m. This year there will be an artistic program included in the celebration. Tickets: $15, $5 children (12 and under)

... , !
. , , . , . , ' . / .. $15, $5 ( 12 ) 2012 2012 . , , ', , . , . , . . , . . ? CVS, Jewel/Osco, Dominick's Walgreen's . , . , . .
-1018 December

2012 Collection Envelopes The offering envelopes for 2012 are available for pick-up today in the church hall. Please make certain that you pick up the envelopes with your name on it, so that your contributions can be properly recorded. If you do not have collection envelopes and wish to have a number, stop by the table 8am-9:30pm or 11am-12noon and envelopes will be issued to you. Also, during that time you may pay your annual dues or sign up to the Parish. Bible Reading Fr. Tom WILL NOT be having his group bible reading this week. They will resume after Epiphany. Also, please pray for Fr. Toms health at this time. Manna Cards Do you have prescriptions to be filled? We have CVS, Jewel/Osco, Dominick's and Walgreen's cards for you. What kind of gas do you put in your car? We have cards for BP, Exxon, Marathon, Mobil, Shell and Speedway. Check out the many restaurant and clothing cards we have on hand as well. See Mary Jo after Liturgy, or check in the office during the week. Every card purchased gives a donation to our parish.
No. 51

Please pray for the health and well-being of the following parishioners:

Regular Liturgical Schedule

Monday through Friday (in Chapel) Saturday (in Church): 9:00 am - Divine Liturgy Sundays: 8:00 am - English/Ukrainian 9:30 am Ukrainian 11:30 am English Holy Days: 6:30 pm - Vespers with Lytia (Night Before) 9:00 am and 6:30 pm - Holy Day Service

Fr. Tom Olga Dackiw Lucille Maryniw

Andrij Sawula Mike Kozyra Stephie Worobetz

Russel Haluczak Zoryana Z. Reitz Delia Haluczak

: : , , ' ' . , . : , , , '. : . : . Reconciliation: Sundays during the Divine Liturgy and by appointment. Baptism and Confirmation: Please notify the pastor when a child is born so that dates for the proper prayers and blessings, other than baptism, can be arranged. Call the pastor at 773-625-4805 to make arrangements. Marriage: Please notify the pastor at least six months before the anticipated date to allow for adequate preparation for this lifetime commitment. Visiting the Sick and Shut-Ins: Please notify the pastor if a family member is in the hospital or unable to attend services due to illness and would like a visit. It is the responsibility of the immediate family to notify the pastor at 773.625.4806 Funerals: Please Contact the parish office before making arrangements with the funeral director. Weekend Collections-December 18, 2011 Collection Mortgage Utilities $11,222 $30 $255 Orphans Christmas Other $1,390 $1,390 $367

- ( ) ( ) 9:00 - . : 8:00 - / 9:30 - 11:30 - : 6:30 . - ( ) 9:00 6:30 . - . i ! a . 773 625 4805 Be part of our growing parish family. Register to become parishioners! Contact the office for more information. Please call: 773 625 4805 If you have family members or friends who are ill, and would like our parish community to pray for them, please contact our parish office at 773.625.4805 and we will place them on our Parish Sick List. , , -, (. 773-625-4805) . .
Remember Us in Your Will You can leave a lasting legacy to benefit future generations! Please remember St. Joseph Parish when creating your will. Your good works will continue after you have gone home! Please contact the office for information. ! , ', . . , !

TOTAL $14,529.00

Thank You!
No. 51

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18 December

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No. 51

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18 December