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ST.MICHAEL'S HOLY GOSPEL, SERMON AND EPISTLE READING

His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH, Archbishop of New York

and Metropolitan of all North America

His Grace Bishop THOMAS, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of

Charleston, Oakland and the Middle Atlantic

Archpriest John Nosal, Pastor

Divine Liturgy Every Sunday at 10:00am
CLICK HERE to view the St. Michael's calander

Our mission...

...is to tend to the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ and to spread the Good News of Christ to those outside the flock.  The mission is to be accomplished by:

• Living a full and liturgical and sacramental life
• Proclaiming the Orthodox Christian Faith to all people
• Providing effective charitable and social programs
• Establishing strong spiritual leadership and educational resources

The mission of the members of St Michael’s Orthodox Church is to become completely loving people.

(Luke 10:27)   This will occur by the Grace of God as we strive to live holy lives, using the tools He has given us for this endeavor: prayer, fasting, charitable works, and the constant remembrance of death.

GREAT LENT
begins
Monday, March 11

+++

HOLY PASCHA
is
Sunday, April28

House Blessings 2019: The “Go to God” Tour

Dear parishioners of St. Michael’s,

The Great Feast of Holy Epiphany (January 6) falls on Sunday this year.   Following Divine Liturgy on that day we will proceed to our usual place at the Upper Twin Lake to celebrate the Feast with the invigorating Outdoor Blessing of the Waters.

The end of this cosmic prayer marks the beginning of the House Blessing season when, ideally, the homes of all our parishioners will be visited by me. This is a daunting task, not because we are so large a parish (which we are not), but because we are typically busy citizens of the world.   It is very difficult to schedule times when all family members are home but also critically more important to do just that precisely because our cultural energy is pulling us away from opportunities such as this for prayer and fellowship with each other.

This year I hope to add a bit of a thought-provoking twist to our encounters by asking you to think about what it means that we are beings who are created and called to “go to God.” Please do this little bit of homework that may add more direction and meaning to our time together.

Church Secretary Debbie has been called on to help produce the miracle of scheduling our visits before the arrival of the Triodion season ,when we begin preparing to prepare for Great Lent and Holy Pascha. This will give us about 8 weeks to accomplish this work

I look forward with great anticipation to your house blessing and our getting together.

Fr. John

Under Construction — Monthly Parish Weekend 1.0

One Saturday a Month (in this month, February 23)

Okay, Hillary, perhaps it does take a village. Although it would certainly be more of the Antiochian sort than what you might have had in mind when you wrote the book.

If you’re a WW II generationer, Baby Boomer or a little past that, it’s likely you grew up in a ‘village’ — an American Village in which your parents (family), neighbors, teachers (schools), coaches, clergy (church, religion), police and judges (courts), mayors, congressmen and presidents (government) would’ve taught you pretty much the same message as you grew up. So even if some in that large social group neglected to do their part, even your parents, you still got the basic message of what was right and what was wrong from the overall (Judeo-Christian) culture. For example, back then — atheism-NO; abortion-NO; euthanasia-NO; suicide-NO; divorce-NO; homosexuality-NO; babies out of wedlock-NO; sex outside of marriage-NO; lying-NO; cheating-NO, etc.; and gay marriage, gender issues and white privilege had not yet been invented.

Today, most of the ‘NO’s listed above are now popular ‘YES’s. So if one would know how to live rightly regarding these matters, or even have a conversation about them without the danger of being labeled a hater, homophobe, misogynist, racist, bigot or religious fanatic, you’re going to have to look somewhere other than the popular culture and media.

The church ought to be a place to look (especially for you parents of young children) for guidance and direction. On the Saturday evening before the last Sunday of each month, we are hoping to offer a time and place to get together with each other for fellowship that may offer some substance regarding the treacherous path of living well and righteously (that’s not a bad word).

If you have questions or ideas for the next Saturday get together on Feb. 23,

talk to Fr. John ((724) 244-1228).

”The Mission

of St Michael’s Orthodox Church members

is to become completely loving people.”

“Jesus answered and said, ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27

“Loving” is a word that is just as startlingly impossible for us to wrestle with as was the “completely” before it. While the lawyer quoting the Law in St. Luke’s Gospel account is able to quote the letter of the law and the primacy of the commandments to love God and neighbor, he, like most of us, falls woefully short of truly comprehending, let alone living, those commandments. Yet we may discover that the simplicity of the reality is as stark as our inability to live it.

Without using any of the words we might expect regarding love, in this Bulletin I’ll use just one — BIG. Starting from the God end of things, we might say that God is BIG. He is BIGger than anything imaginable. He is BIGger than anything unimaginable. His BIGness ‘beyond measure’ makes perfectly good sense as God ‘exists,’ God IS, before anything else IS. Anything that He creates is within Him Who occupies and fills every corner of infinite space and time, even before space and time exist, and is, therefore, ‘smaller’ than Him. (All these words are totally inadequate to this little writing about God, as are any other of the representational tools to which we humans have access.)

So maybe the ‘loving’ we’re called to become in our mission statement might well be described in the words of a hymn that many of us learned as children — “He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole, wide world, in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands.” And as He made the whole thing, which means everything that exists, His BIGness is His love and Love is all that He is, as revealed in the pre-eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As no thing does not fit in His hands, as no thing is outside of His hands, then His BIGness is the love that embraces everyone and everything all the time, even when some of the everyones, made to be BIG like Him, decide to play small. >>>=====>       >>>=====>       >>>=====>         >>>=====>         >>>=====>     “Playing small” could be a definition of what it means to be fallen and sinful, a status we arrived at in the Fall of Mankind in the Garden of Eden. When we play small we abandon the BIGness endowed by God to us in our creation. We bury our BIGness, a formidable accomplishment, under an ever-thickening, yet illusory, mantle of smallness, exchanging the BIGness in us for our own self-designed, scaled down version of humanity. We no longer see ourselves as BIG (Godlike/loving), but small (petty, self-centered, hateful, legends in our own minds, abandoned, fending for ourselves at each others’ expense).

So, how do we regain our BIGness? How do we fix ourselves and become completely loving people? We don’t. We can’t. We don’t need to. Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, the BIG God and the BIG Man has done that for us. He has dug into the depths of our tiny, fallen souls, and restored the BIGness that was lying hidden and dormant under the façade and lie of smallness.

Yes, that is BIG of Him — to restore in us who follow Him, His BIGness which He gave to us in our creation and He now restores in us through the waters of the baptismal font and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But we have a dilemma. Our fear that we really are small continues to nag and haunt us and tempts us to fall back into the lie that we are small.

We need not worry. God continues to give us every opportunity to once again experience His BIGness in ourselves — to become, by His Grace — as BIG as He is. He does this by including in the flow of life challenges that give us opportunities to exercise our BIGness against our seeming smallness. Our egos must be wrestled with. Our self-interest must be battled. Our pride must brought to its knees. And this is just the kind of warfare we’re built for. Let us give Him a BIG “Thank You” and promise to fight to let His BIGness be known wherever we go through our BIGness.

God made us BIG.

We forgot and got small.

Get BIG Again!

On Tuesday, February 26th the Antiochian MEN will prepare a free meal for the benefit of people in our community. There are at least two ways in which you may participate in this charitable activity. The first is to come and help with the planning and execution. The second is to support the event financially. Donation may be given to Gus Flizanes. Anyone who would like to support “Food on the Hill” in whatever capacity you would like should contact Gus Flizanes.

Those who attend our “Food on the Hill” luncheon are also the same people who make use of the generous donations made to “Caleb’s Cupboard,” (which is located at the front entrance of the church). If everyone brought in one item of canned food, or a paper or hygiene product, it would keep Caleb’s Cupboard full so that there is something for those who attend “Food on the Hill” each month. The participants are most grateful for the continuous generosity of food, fellowship and donations. Thank you to the parishioners who consistently give of their time, their culinary skills, their financial and material donations to make these ministries possible.

"Food On The Hill" WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY - When weather causes Hempfield or Greensburg Salem School District to close for the day; "Food On The Hill" will NOT serve lunch that day! Please refer to TV & Radio Newscasts when in doubt. Thank You!

St. Michael’s Financial Summary

Year to Date as of June 30, 2018

                                           This Year              Last Year                Budget

Income                            $146,899.53*         $143,463.83          $139,219.96

Expenses                        $186,696.72          $172,432.35          $185,922.78

Net Loss  $(39,797.19) $(28,968.52) $(46,702.82)

   *Does not include bequest of $107,718.33

Address questions to Christian Sam or Jeff Curry.

It has come to our attention that several parishioners have not received their 2019 Contribution Envelopes, which were mailed out on December 24.
If you have not yet received yours, please notify Debbie in the office (724) 834-1311 and you will be assigned new envelopes. Thank you.

Wayne Macuga Combo Dance
featuring the sounds of the Big Band Era

Saturday, March 2nd
7:00 PM to 10 PM

A light luncheon will be included (BYOB)
You are welcome to bring your own table snacks.

Admission is $10 per person at the door.
Groups of 6+ should call to reserve a table: — 724-834-1311

To benefit the General Fund of St. Michael’s Church

His Grace, the Right Reverend Thomas (Joseph) is a bishop of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, serving in the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic. READ MORE

CLICK HERE to learn about who St. Michael is...

WELCOME TO
ST. MICHAEL'S
STEWARDSHIP CORNER

Check out our new social networks...for...

PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES

CLICK HERE for December 2018 Parish Council Minutes

CLICK HERE for November 2018 Parish Council Minutes

CLICK HERE for October 2018 Parish Council Minutes

CLICK HERE for September 2018 Parish Council Minutes

CLICK HERE for August 21 2018 Parish Council Mimutes

CLICK HERE for June 19th 2018 Parish Council Minutes

CLICK HERE for March 27th 2018 Parish Council Minutes

CLICK HERE for Church Audit Report

CLICK HERE for January 23rd 2018 Parish Council Minutes

CLICK HERE for January 28th 2018 Parish Council Minutes 

CLICK HERE for March 1st February Parish Council Minutes

Watch Here for the next date and site of the AMEN meeting...Come One Come All

Fund-raising ideas?
PC member Fotini Wetzel (724-757-6929) wants to hear yours.
Contact Fotini to talk about your creative ideas
for fund-raising for our church this year.

Antiochian Village Camp Dates to Note —

• Winter Camp (Grades 7-12) — February 15-18, 2019
• Summer Camp Registration opens December 11, 2018.
• Visit AVCAMP.ORG to register today!

Church School EASTER FUNDRAISER
Orders due — March 10 ~ Delivery — April 14

We are seeking additional parishioners to provide the Holy Bread for Divine Liturgy service during the coming year. We have some open Sundays on the 2019 schedule, so please let Debbie know as the schedule is being done now. You do not have to make the Holy Bread, but can make a donation. Please consider this special way to remember your departed and to honor your living family and friends.

BLOOD DRIVE

Saturday, February 23
9:00 AM to 2:30 PM

PLEASE INFORM THE CHURCH OFFICE if your child will be attending
Antiochian Village this Summer. Just call and leave a message. (724-834-1311)

Highlights of Upcoming Events

DATES AND EVENTS

+++

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23

American Red Cross Blood Drive
9:00AM TO 2:00PM

+++

Tuesday, June 4 - SAVE THE DATE!
Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

+++

June 26 - June 30
Parish Life Conference at Antiochian Village

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July 21 - July 28
Archdiocese Convention, Grand Rapids, MI

FOCUS Pittsburgh

(Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United for Service)

FOCUS Pittsburgh is collecting clothes (clean and in good condition, please) for the very, very needy people (many homeless) in the Hill District neighborhood of the city. Clothing including coats, jackets, sweaters, trousers, shirts, blouses and other tops, shoes, handbags, gloves, scarves, etc., are all gratefully received and appreciated.  

There is a drop-off area at the top of the stairs at the main entrance for those who would contribute. The contact person for this project are Marilyn Elias.

We are seeking new members who would be interested in learning how to prepare the Memorial Wheat. We have a group of women who currently fulfill this important function and are willing to teach anyone who may be interested in becoming part of this ministry team. For more information, contact Val Flizanes or call the church office.

CALEB’S CUPBOARD

The big chest you see as you come through the main entrance of our church, is a simple way to help our hungry neighbors. Just bring in a few cans of food or other unperishables when you come to church and you will making a difference for someone.

Please check that the goods you bring are “reasonably” close in time to the expiration date. (While we know the food lasts longer than that date, it is not always easy to tell how much longer.)

       I.nternational
O.rthodox
C.hristian
C.harities

IOCC SYRIAN RELIEF UPDATE

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s Syrian Relief Dinner back on March 4.   Net proceeds of $37,129 were sent to IOCC which mean the Syrian people received $260,000 in leveraged aid through this effort.

For information on IOCC and how to become part of the worthwhile work being done, visit www.iocc.org.

Please CLICK HERE for the form to provide us with your information. Or, see the form on the new back page of the weekly bulletin. We want to serve you better and we need your help. Please understand that we will protect yur privacy from the standpoint of the church. We will not show or distribute your email address!

 CLICK HERE For Daily and Other Special Orthodox Prayers and More

CLICK HERE for phone and email information of your parish council members

February 10th Attendance ~ 101

Try it......Click Here