Saints Cyril & MethodiusBy z a n t i n e Ca t h o l i C Ch u r C h

PARISH CLERGY (The Reverend) Fr. Richard P. Rohrer (919) 851-9266

(The Reverend) Fr. Deacon David Thomas (336) 545-9943

2510 Piney Plains Rd Cary, NC 27518-3997Parish Phone (919) 851-9266 Fax (919) 233-3997

Email: sscyrilmethodius@gmail.comWebsite: www.saintscyrilandmethodius.org

http://www.facebook.com/saintscyrilandmethodius

BirthChoice Confidential Pregnancy Counseling (919) 828-5433Project Rachel Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing (919) 852-1021

PRAYER INTENTIONS

INTENCIONES PARA LA ORACION

Elizabeth Macario,

Gail Quirk, Nadine Connolly,

Paul Cummings,

Lisa Whidbee, Jocelyn Basco,

Noah, Liz Jones, Kaylin Fechko,

Deborah, Jan Rack and Family,

Noah, Virginia Taylor,

Alex Quirk

Byzantine Catholic GreetingsChrist is Born!

Glorify Him!Christos razdajetsja!

Slavite jeho!We would like to remind our parishioners and friends that a donation or weekly offerings may be made to Saint Cyril and Methodius on our website through PayPal. All major credit cards are accepted. www.saintscyrilandmethodius.org

Please send bulletin additions/corrections to Sallie Mills at sallieq@mindspring.comby each Wednesday for that week’s Sunday bulletin. Thanks!

Welcome Visitors! !Bienvenida a todos nuestros visitantes!

If you are visiting our parish, please introduce yourself and sign our guestbook in the narthex. Be sure to join us in the hall for refreshments

immediately following Divine Liturgy.

Saints Cyril & MethodiusB y z a n t i n e C a t h o l i C C h u r C h

7522 / 201437TH SUNDAY

AFTER PENTECOST 1 Tim 4:9-15, Heb 7:1-17

Lk 19:1-10, 2:22-40

SYNAXIS OF ENCOUNTER OF SIMEON AND ANNA

Heb 9:11-14Lk 2:25-38

ISIDORE OF PELISIUMVENERABLE1 Pet 3:10-22Mk 12:18-27

AGATHAMARTYR

1 Pet 4:1-11Mk 12:28-37

BUCOLUSBISHOP / VENERABLE

1 Pet 4:12-5:5Mk 12:38-44

PARTHENIUSBISHOP / VENERABLE

2 Pet 1:1-10Mk 13:1-8

THEODOREMARTYR

2 Tim 2:11-19Lk 18:2-8

SUNDAY OF THE PUBLICAN AND THE PHARISEE

2 Tim 3:10-15Lk 18:10-14

Confessions by appointment. Call the parish office to schedule. 919-851-9266

11am Divine Liturgy / Agápe Repast 2pm Liturgia Divina en Español y Comida del Agápe

11am Divine Liturgy / Agápe Repast 2pm Liturgia Divina en Español y Comida del Agápe

Tone 4SUNDAY

February 2

MONDAYFebruary 3

TUESDAYFebruary 4

WEDNESDAY February 5

THURSDAYFebruary 6

FRIDAYFebruary 7

SATURDAYFebruary 8

Tone 5SUNDAY

February 9

37TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * FEBRUARY 2, 2014

THIS WEEK’SVOLUNTEER NEEDS Taking down Christmasdecorations anytime you are available on Monday

Carnival decorating on Wednesday night

PARISH WISH LISTWhile dedicated tithing is the most constant need in the parish, we will occasionally list items that someone may have access to for donations. It is our hope that this will fulfill the needs of our small parish without overburdening any of our parishioners.

Financial/logistical help to run water from the church to hall

Whole Foods Gift Cards

Lowes Improvement Gift Cards

Social Hour Refreshmentsafter Liturgy on Sundays. Please make our par-ish welcoming to visitors by remembering to bring refreshments, setup and clean up on the Sunday assigned to your household. Assign-ments repeat every 5 weeks. If you are to be absent the day of your assigned Social Hour, please switch weeks with another family. The important thing is to have enough helping hands, with plenty of food and drinks to serve. If you are a new parishioner and would like to join a cooking team, or if you need a phone list for team members, please e-mail Sallie Mills at sallieq@mindspring.com.

February 2 • Team 5Jim & Jane Dunbar / Lukas & Lea Halim

Jay & Christine MayernikFebruary 9 • Team 1

Barbara & Deacon Dave ThomasPatti & Travis Kingery / Lance Morgan

February 16 • Team 2Robert and Marie Taylor

Tony and Rachel Blair / Lily Yang

37TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * FEBRUARY 2, 2014

Coming Up…Monday,

February 39AM-9PM

Take down Christmas decorations

Wednesday, February 5

4PM-8PMFIRST CARNIVAL PARTY

Pizza at 6pmPut up Carnival decorations

Saturday,February 22

1st All Souls SaturdayDivine Liturgy

February 23Meatfare Sunday

March 2Cheesefare Sunday

April 20Pascha

C O L L E C T I O N S

November 3, 2013Regular collection .......................................................1325.00Children’s offerings ...........................................................2.40Candle offerings ...............................................................33.75Total contributions ..................................................$1361.15

November 10, 2013Regular collection .......................................................1290.00Children’s offerings ...........................................................2.40Candle offerings ...............................................................83.00Total contributions ..................................................$1375.40

November 17, 2013Regular collection .......................................................1315.00Children’s offerings ...........................................................2.40Special Collections ...........................................................80.40Christmas Flower Donations ........................................40.00Spanish Liturgy Flower Donations .............................82.00Candle offerings ...............................................................91.52Total contributions ..................................................$1611.32

November 24, 2013Regular collection .......................................................1065.00Children’s offerings ...........................................................2.40Candle offerings ...............................................................55.77Christmas Flower Donations .....................................238.00Spanish Liturgy Flower Donations .............................58.02Total contributions ..................................................$1419.19

Our goal is at least $1950 per week in order to pay our bills. This amount does not include special building contributions or flower dona-

tions.

“In generous spirit pay homage to the Lord...and He will give back to you sevenfold.”

SIRACH 35:10

37TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * FEBRUARY 2, 201437TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * FEBRUARY 2, 2014

JOBS FOR LIFE: Eight Weeks That Will Change Your LifeDorcas Ministries will offer a class for job-seekers start-ing in February called: Jobs for Life: Eight Weeks that Will Change Your Life. Graduates of the program will be able to speak more confidently in front of a group, have a professional resume, meet with local employers, be prepared and confident in job interviews, have a clearer picture of what they want in life and have a deeper faith in God’s plan for them. Classes start in early February and meet at Dorcas Ministries, 187 High House Road, Cary on Tues/Thurs from 6-8pm. To apply, email: out-reach@dorcas-cary.org for an application or call 919-469-9861, ext 201.

Marriage Encounter Weekends Thank you Father God for loving us so much that you sent your only son to us and through his sacrifice on the cross our relationship with you has been restored and we are your beloved children. Our heavenly father loves us so much and has such amazing gifts and plans for each one of our lives and marriages! Discover the amazing plan God has for you and your marriage relationship. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends are Feb 7-9, 2014 in Asheville, NC and May 16-18, 2014 in Raleigh, NC . Early sign up is highly recommended. For more information visit our website at: http://NCMarriageDiscovery.org or contact us at applica-tions@NCMarriageDiscovery.org or 704-315-2144.

Prayer for Life O Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, enlighten the minds and hearts of those blinded to the truth that life begins at concep-tion so that they may see that the pre-born in the womb is already adorned with Your im-age and likeness. Enable us to guard, cherish and protect the lives of all those who are unable to care for themselves. For You are the Bestower of Life, bringing each man from non-being into being, sealing each with your divine and infi-nite love and we glorify you together with Your Father, Who is without beginning, and your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

RALLYJuly 10-13, 2014

Mount Saint Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, MD“Transfiguration: of Christ, of Us, of Our World”

Ages: 13-19 Cost: $300

The Rally occurs every other year and brings together teenagers from Byzantine Catholic parishes in an atmo-sphere of fellowship, prayer and spiritual enrichment. The ByzanTEEN Youth Rally offers a rich opportunity for young Byzantine Catholics to meet one another and form lasting relationships that are mutually supportive in the Faith.

Who can attend the Rally? The Rally is open to teenagers between the ages of 13-19 years of age who are members of a Byzantine Catho-lic parish. The Rally is not a family event. Therefore, the Rally Planning Committee reserves the right to limit the young adult and older adult presence at the Rally within a specified ratio.

A Message for Parents The ByzanTEEN Youth Rally enjoys an impeccable rep-utation as a safe and holy environment for your teenage children. The Rally provides its own security team on a 24 hour a day basis. All adults present at the Rally must comply with the Safe Environment Policy of the Ruthe-nian Metropolia of Pittsburgh. Each Rally is staffed by professional medical personnel.

BYZANTEEN

The feast of the Meeting of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ,

which commemorates the presentation of our Lord by his parents in the Temple in Jeru-salem on the fortieth day from His birth, concludes the cycle of winter feasts that are sometimes called the “Feasts of Light.” These feasts--the Nativity, Theophany, and Meeting--have a common focus: the coming of the Messiah into the world, and the beginning of His work of redemption.

This feast is celebrated on Feb-ruary 2 — forty days after the feast of the Nativity (December 25) — and is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the church. In the Byzantine Catholic Church, it is a solemn feast-day. It is known as Hypopante in Greek, and Sritenije in Slavonic; both words mean “meeting”. It is sometimes called the Presenta-tion of the Lord, or (among Latin-Rite Catholics) the Pu-rification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Candlemas.

Meaning of the FeastForty days after His birth,

the child Jesus was taken by his parents to the Temple in the

Presentation In the Temple February 2

holy city of Jerusalem, as described in the Gospel according to Saint Luke:

When the day came to purify the child and mother according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary

37TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * FEBRUARY 2, 2014

could not enter the temple for forty days, at which time a sacri-fice made at the hands of a priest would return her to her place in the assembly; and every first-born male belonged especially to the Lord: male animals to be offered in sacrifice, and first-born male children to be redeemed by an of-fering to the Lord. This is why the Holy Family went to Jerusalem.

Thus, the feast of the Meet-ing emphasizes the obedience of Mary and of Jesus to the law, and the fact that Jesus was truly a man-child born of a woman. In a broader sense, the offering of the child Jesus in the Temple antici-pates the sacrifice He was to make on the Cross. His destiny centers on the city of Jerusalem.

The Gospel account continues:There lived in Jerusalem at the

time a certain man named Simeon. He was just and pious, and awaited the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not experience death until he had seen the Anointed of the Lord. He came to the temple now, inspired by the Spirit; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him the customary ritual of the law, Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God in

ByzantineTraditionTHE ENCOUNTER OF OUR LORD WITH SIMEON AND ANNA

brought Jesus to Jerusalem so that he could be presented to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every first-born male shall be consecrated to the Lord.” They came to offer in sacrifice “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accord with the dictates.

According to Mosaic Law, a woman who gave birth to a son

37TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * FEBRUARY 2, 2014

This hymn echoes the feast of Theophany: just as Christ’s baptism in the river Jordan cleansed the river itself, the birth of Christ blessed his mother’s womb, and Simeon (who blessed the infant Christ) was himself blessed in return.

The prokeimenon of the feast is the usual prokeimenon for feasts of the Mother of God: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

The epistle reading (Hebrews 7:7-17) speaks of the priesthood of Christ, comparing it to that of Aaron (the priesthood of the Old Testament); the Gospel reading (Luke 2:22-40) provides a complete account of the events commemorated in the feast, ending with words that relate the “hidden life” of Christ until the beginning of His public ministry:

When the pair had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee and their home town of Nazareth. The child grew in size and strength, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

The Alleluia that precedes this Gospel reading is not the one for the Theotokos, but is proper to this feast:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! V. Now you may dismiss your

servant, O Lord, in peace according to your word.

V. A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.

As mentioned above, a proper magnification and irmos are sung in place of “It is truly proper.” The Communion Hymn for the day is the one usually appointed for feasts of the Theotokos:

I shall take the chalice of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Blessing of CandlesChurch historians describe pro-

cessions with candles on this feast day as early as the fifth and sixth centuries. Eventually, candles were blessed on the feast-day itself - from the 11th century in the West, and the 17th century in Ukraine. This blessing can be found in cer-tain Slavonic euchologia, and are typically adapted from the blessing of candles in the Roman Rite.

The blessed candles are kept in the home, and lighted and placed before a holy icon in times of seri-ous sickness or danger. They are also used in the rites of baptism and anointing of the sick, and may be placed in the hands of dying Christians as the prayers for the departure of the soul are said.

The Post-festal PeriodFrom February 3 through

February 9. the Church celebrates post-festive days of the Meeting; however, this post-festive period is shortened if Great Lent begins on or before February 9. On each day of the post-festive period, the dismissal of the feast is used:

May Christ our true God, who for our salvation deigned to be held in the arms of the righteous Simeon...

February 3 is the feast day of the elder Simeon and the prophetess Anna.

Recommended Reading•The Blessing of Candles on

the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. Byzantine Leaflet Series, No. 12. (Pittsburgh: Byzantine Seminary Press, January 1979).

•Father Thomas Hopko. The Winter Pascha. (Crestwoord, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press,1984). An excellent account of the feasts of the Nativity, Theophany, and Meeting.

•Father Basil Shereghy. The Litur-gical Year of the Byzantine-Slavonic Rite. (Pittsburgh, PA: Byzantine Seminary Press, 1968.)

Chapter VII, The Immovable Feasts.

•A Monk of the Eastern Church (Father Lev Gilet). The Year of Grace of the Lord. (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001.) Chapter III, Christmas and Epiphany.

who looked forward eagerly to the coming of the Messiah. Recognizing Him, they praise God. The words of the elder Simeon have become a fixed part of the service of Vespers in the

Byzantine rite (and Compline in the Latin Rite), hailing the coming of the Lord as a light in darkness. This light is seen as the light of spiritual illumination, and revelation --particularly the revelation of God’s saving plan to both the people of Israel, and the people of “the nations” outside Israel.

Vespers of the feastAt Vespers on the evening of

February 1, the lamp-lighting hymns of Vespers address the elder Simeon, asking him to ex-plain the feast we are beginning:

O Simeon, tell us whom you are joyfully carrying into the Temple.

35TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * JANUARY 19, 2014

mentary on Simeon’s description of the child Jesus as “a light of revelation to the Gentiles.”

A solemn procession, or litja, is appointed, and the hymns of the procession form a theological description of the events of the feast:

He who is ancient of days and young in the flesh is being brought into the Temple by his virgin Mother. He fulfills the promise of his own law. Simeon receives Him and says: Now you may dismiss your servant, accord-ing to your word, in peace; for my eyes have seen your salvation, O Lord.

He who rides on the Cherubim and is praised by the Seraphim is now being brought into the Temple according to the Law.

He is sitting in the arms of an old man as though upon a throne. From Joseph He receives God-pleasing gifts, a pair of turtle-doves, and from the new-ly-chosen people of the Gentiles, and undefiled Church.

The two doves indicate that He is the head both of the Old and New Testaments.

As for Simeon, when he saw what had been revealed come to pass,

he received the child and blessed the virgin Mother of God, pointing out to her the

sufferings that she would bear. He asked the Lord to be released from this life, saying:

Now you may dismiss me, O Lord, as you have promised, for my eyes have seen You, the eternal Light, the Lord and Savior of all Christian people.

At the end of the procession, the singing of the Canticle of Simeon is especially meaningful on this day.

At the end of Vespers, we sing the troparion of the Meeting:

Rejoice, O Theotokos, Virgin full of grace; for from you has shone forth the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, en-lightening those who are in darkness.

Rejoice also, you just elder; you received in your arms the liberator of our souls, who grants us resurrection.

Matins of the feastAt the festal Matins, the themes

of light, revelation, obedience to (and fulfillment of ) the Law are continued. Many of the hymns address the Mother of God and the elder Simeon. The Gospel chanted at Matins is a small portion of the story of the feast from the Gospel (Luke 2:25-32).

At the beginning of the ninth and final ode of the canon of the feast, in a hymn which replaces the usual magnification (“O my soul, magnify...”), we beg the protection and help of the Theotokos:

Virgin Theotokos, the hope of Chris-

tians, protect, watch and save those who have placed their hope in you.

And then the irmos of the ninth Ode:

O faithful, let us recognize the figure of Christ foreshadowed in the letter of the Law which says: Every child who opens the womb is sanctified to God. Therefore, the first-born Word and Son of the Father without beginning, the first-born Son of a mother who had not known man: Him, let us extol.

We will hear these hymns again at the Divine Liturgy.

Divine LiturgyThis Divine Liturgy for this

feast day shows signs that the feast is in honor of BOTH our Lord, and his Mother. For example it does not have its own antiphons, as is usual for a feast of the Lord. But it does have its own Entrance Hymn:

The Lord has made his salvation known; in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

The entrance hymn is followed by the troparion (quoted above), and the kontakion of the feast: Christ our God, in your birth you sanctified the Virgin’s womb and blessed the hands of Simeon as was proper. Now you have come and saved us. Give peace to nations at war and strengthen our govern-ment. You alone love us all.

35TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST * JANUARY 19, 2014

these words: “Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace; you have fulfilled your word. For my eyes have witnessed your saving deed displayed for all the peoples to see: a revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were marvelling at what was being said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: “This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed--and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword--so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare.”

There was also a certain prophetess, Anna by name, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had seen many days, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She was constantly in the temple, worshipping day and night in fasting and prayer. Coming on the scene at this moment, she gave thanks to God and talked about the child to all who looked forward to the deliver-ance of Jerusalem.

In this feast, Simeon and Anna are representatives of the people of the Old Testament

To whom are you saying: Now You may dismiss your ser-

vant, O Lord, because my eyes have seen my Savior. He is the child born of the Virgin. He is the Word and God of God. O Lord, who for our sake was incarnate and saved the word, to You we bow in worship.

After the festal entrance, there are three readings from the Old Testament.

The first is a composite of verses from Exodus, Leviticus, and Num-bers, summarizing the command-ments of the Mosaic Law that we see fulfilled in the presentation of our Lord in the Temple. The read-ing from Leviticus includes a detail omitted in the Gospel account from Saint Luke: the sacrifice made by a mother upon the birth of a son was a yearling lamb and a pigeon or turtledove; but if she could not afford a lamb, the Law prescribed a sacrifice of two doves or pigeons.

The second reading (Isaiah 6:12) describes the prophet Isaiah’s vision of the glory of God in the heavenly temple, and contains the words, “Yet my eyes have been the King, the Lord of hosts.”

The third reading (selected verses from Isaiah 19) describes the coming of the Lord, the destruc-tion of the idols of Egypt, and the conversion of the people there. This reading can be seen as a com-

In this feast, Simeon and Anna

are representatives of the people of the Old Testament who

looked forward eagerly to the coming of the Messiah.