Sunday Before Theophany
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
Sunday Before Theophany
January 5, 2025
Sat 1/4/25 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy Sunday Before Theophany +Susan Herman by Bob and Betsy Sychak
Sun 1/5/25 9:30am Divine Liturgy Sunday Before Theophany +Deceased of Herbert and Pribus Families by Family
Sun 1/5/25 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy of Theophany Fr. David Sansone by The Pocchiari Family
Mon 1/6/25 9:30am Divine Liturgy of Theophany Abbot Leo Schlosser by The Ladies Guild
Wed 1/8/25 7:00pm Liturgy for Healing
Fri 1/10/25 7:00pm Moleben to Jesus
Sat 1/11/25 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy Sunday After Theophany +Josephine Sychak by Nancy Collins
Sun 1/12/25 9:30am Divine Liturgy Sunday After Theophany +Ed Schott by Lynne and Hans Bergh
Variable Parts Tone 8 - Pages 161 - 162 Sunday Before Theophany Pages - 309 - 311
Epistle 2 Timothy 4:5-8 or 1 Corinthians 9:19-27
Gospel Mark 1:1-8 or Luke 3:1-18
Memorial Candle Request - +Nick Pakutz by Jeff and Lorri Pakutz
Epistle Readers 4-Jan Mary Troyan 5-Jan Liz/John Pocchiari 11-Jan John Baycura/Mary Motko 12-Jan Amanda Stavish
Please Pray for: Liz Moyta, Fr. Michael Huszti, Fr. Laska, Susie Curcio, Robert Zera, Teresa Milkovich, Robert Saper, Anna Habil, Martha Sapar, Mike Dancisin, Karen Smaretsky Vavro, Diane Sotak, Anna Pocchiari, Larry Hamil, Beverly Jones, Marilyn Book, Maryann Russin Schyvers, Nick Russin, Ken Konchan
Attendance: 12/24— 105; 12/25— 38; 12/28— 23; 12/29— 78;1/1 —31; Collection: 12/24 — 12/25 $6,084.00
Gibsonia Schedule
Sun 1/5/25 11:30am Divine Liturgy Sunday Before Theophany
Thu 1/9/25 7:00pm Divine Liturgy
Sun 1/12/25 11:30am Divine Liturgy Sunday After Theophany
Parish Theophany Supper: TODAY we will have a 4:00pm Vigil Liturgy for Theophany followed by supper. Please bring a meatless side or desert. The GCU will donate fish. There will be NO morning coffee social today.
Ladies Guild: The Ladies Guild will hold a meeting TODAY after the morning Liturgy.
Help Needed: We will be taking down the Christmas decorations on Wednesday, January 15th at 2:00pm. If you are available, please stop by and lend a hand.
Why bless houses?
This practice has its roots in the liturgy of the people of Israel. It evokes the blood of the Passover lamb that the Hebrews painted around their doors before the flight to Egypt. During the first centuries, the time of persecution, the faith was practiced within the home, in the domus ecclesiae, the 'house church'. The first Christian liturgies were celebrated in homes. The home is central to many passages of the Bible, from Abraham's hospitality, to Jesus' visits to Martha, Mary, Zacchaeus, etc. It also resonates with what Jesus tells his missionary disciples: "Whenever you enter someone's home, first say, 'May God's peace be on this house' (Luke 10:5)—a peace that settles in and extends, as well, to all those who live there. Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14: 23). The home is a place of spiritual combat, like any church. Blessing the house is a visible sign that, through His incarnation, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, 'lived among us' and acts in our souls every day, in the humility of everyday domestic life.
Traditional ceremony of blessing: A candle with an icon and some holy water should be placed in a suitable place, such as kitchen or dining room table, or a home altar. When the priest comes, all who are present in the house should gather around the icon with the candle. They should, if they are able to join in and sing of Troparion of the Feast of Epiphany. Then a family member leads the priest through the house with the candle. As he goes, he sprinkles holy water, and prays for a blessing upon each room and the activity that goes on there. When they have gone through the entire house, the family gathers again around the table and the priest blesses each person present.
Usage of Holy Water: We Catholics dip our fingers in holy water and make the Sign of the Cross when entering a church in order to recall our baptism and our baptismal promises. The baptismal promises included renouncing Satan and disdaining sin. We must remember that holy water, through a priest, is blessed by God in virtue of Christ's baptism. It banishes demons, heals the sick, and sends unwarranted grace upon us. Here is a list of eight ways to use holy water in your everyday life:
1. Bless yourself. We can never have too much grace or blessing in your life. Use holy water daily. Keeping a holy water font in the home is a great idea so that you, family, and guests can be blessed in the comings and goings from home.
2. Bless your house. Our home is the domestic Church and is in need of spiritual protection. You can sprinkle holy water in your home yourself, or have a priest to bless your home.
3. Bless your family. Use holy water to pray and make the Sign of the Cross over your spouse and children before they go to sleep at night or traveling somewhere. Bonding the family to each other and to God in this way is a great family tradition to adopt.
4. Bless your work space. Sprinkling your work space with holy water is not only for spiritual protection on the work front, but also as to sanctify your daily work for the glory of God.
5. Bless your car. The car is probably the most dangerous place where we spend a significant amount of time each day. Holy water applied to your vehicle keeps you safe from harm's way, when used in faith and trust in God.
6. Bless our vegetable garden. It was a common practice in the Middle Ages to sprinkle the vegetable gardens with holy water. Using holy water to bless and sanctify the plants that would be used for the family's sustenance showed their reliance on God's grace.
7. Bless the sick. The blessing of the sick with holy water counts as a corporeal and a spiritual work of mercy. If you visit the sick in a hospital or nursing home, bless their living space with holy water.
8. Bless your pets. Many parishes on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi (4th October) are blessing pets. Pets are loved companions and often provide great service , they can be blessed with holy water because all creation has the end of giving glory to God. This also applies to livestock, farm animals that provide labor, livelihood, and nourishment to humans.
