✞ 32nd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST ✞

COMMEMORATED  TODAY: Ss. Athanasius the Great (373) and Cyril (444), Archbishops of Alexandria. Ven. Afanásii (Athanasius), Abbot of Syandémsk (Vologdá—16th c.). Righteous Afanásii of Novolótsk, Monk (16th-17th c.). Ven. Marcian of Cyrrhus in Syria (ca. 388).

FOR THE REPOSE OF:  Estelle & Joseph Star; Ellen Starinshak; Anna & John Witkowski; Michael Sr.& Margaret Rusko; Mary, Andrew, Daniel, Michael & Lottie Yakuber; Ross & Margaret Falsetti; Helen, John & Carole Andrayko; Peter & Theresa Harvilla; Marc Dade; Betty Martell; Frances & Todd Smoly; Peter Glover; Irene Adams; Ethel Elizabeth & Wayne Joshua deVyver; David Horka; Michael Rusko, Anna Lichagina, Yelena & Zinaïda Korniyevskaya, Joseph Nossal, Michelle Tucker, Edwin Rusko
ALSO FOR:    Fr. Deacon Basil Frenchek (newly departed, Thursday Jan. 15th), Deacon at St. Paul’s, Dearborn Hts.
                          Dean Hough (newly departed, 12/31)
                          Marie Everhardt, whose Anniversary of her repose is Thursday, 22 January
                          Anthony Truskowski, whose Anniversary of his repose is Friday, 23 January
                          Peter Glover, whose Anniversary of his repose is Saturday, 24 January

❈  MAY GOD GRANT THEM MEMORY ETERNAL! ❈

FOR THE  HEALTH OF:  Archimandrite Roman (Braga) (cancer); Archimandrite Il’ya (Barna); Igumen Seraphim; Archpriest Lawrence Bacik; Archpriest Paul Waters; Archpriest Thomas Hopko; Priest Daneil, Matushka Debra & Corrina Shirak; Deacon  Michael, Matushka Mary Ellen & Julius Comerford; Matushka Melanya Sviridov; Matushka Mary Donahue; Reader Robert Latsko (safe travel), Reader George & Betty Hanoian, Jordan Manier, Rose Nossal, Mary Glover, Nancy Cupp, Deborah Dade, Dean Hough, Vasiliki Stamoulis, Gerald Martell, Jaime Truskowski, Azbehat, Donald Yakuber, Carl deVyver, Jo Anne Nicholas, Joan Rusko, Gregory & Tamiko Star, Daria, Alice Ladhu (cancer); Helen Hall (cancer), Julia Korniyevskaya & her unborn-child, Matushka Barbara Frenchek (for loss of her husband)   
ALSO FOR:   John Harbut, who celebrates his birthday on Monday, 19 January            
                          Fr. Daneil Shirak, who celebrates his birthday on Friday, 23 January            
                          Betty Hanoian, who celebrates her birthday on Saturday, 24 January         

 ❈ MAY GOD GRANT THEM MANY YEARS! ❈

SCHEDULE FOR THE COMING WEEK

TODAY, Sunday 1/18  MONTHLY LUNCH & DISCUSSION CANCELLED (postponed to 1/25, due to sickness)

Wednesday     1/21      7pm       AKATHIST OR MOLEBEN

Friday               1/23      7pm       FUNERAL SERVICE FOR DN. BASIL FRENCHEK AT ST. PAUL'S, Drbn. Hts.
Saturday           1/24    10am      FUNERAL DIVINE LITURGY FOR DN. BASIL AT ST. PAUL'S, Beech Daly, Drbn. Hts. 

                                                      (LITURGY SCHEDULED FOR ST. XENIA'S FEAST AT ST. INNOCENT CANCELLED)

                                        4pm      GREAT VESPERS & CONFESSIONS
Sunday             1/25                    33rd Sunday After Pentecost — Zacchaeus Sunday
                                    9:15am      Hours & Canon or Akathist; Confessions
                                       10am      DIVINE LITURGY, followed by Coffee Hour
                                         1pm       Monthly Lunch & Discussion, (after coffee-hour), at St. Innocent Monastic Community

❈  CHRIST IS AMONG US ❈  HE IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE ❈

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[PRINTED BULLETIN, PAGE 2]

ON PRAYER
By Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), 25 August 2014
The following thirty-two part series on prayer was transcribed and translated from television episodes presented on Russian television in the spring of 1999 by Igumen (now Metropolitan) Hilarion (Alfeyev) with the blessing of His Holiness, the late Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.  Source: http://www.pravmir.com/prayer

PART 9 (of 32): THE DISPOSITION OF THE BODY AT PRAYER

In the prayer practice of the Early Church, various poses, gestures, and bodily positions were used. People prayed standing, or kneeling in the so-called position of the Prophet Elias – that is, standing on one’s knees with one’s head bowed to the ground – or lying on the floor with outstretched hands, or standing with upraised hands. Prostrations were employed in prayer: both full prostrations and bows from the waist, as well as the sign of the cross. Of all the various traditional positions of the body in prayer, only a few have remained in contemporary practice. These are above all prayer standing and prayer kneeling, accompanied by the sign of the cross and bows.

Why is it important that the body participate in prayer? Why cannot one simply pray in spirit while lying in bed or sitting on an armchair? In principle, one can pray both lying down and sitting: in special circumstances, such as in illness or when traveling, such is done. But under normal circumstances it is necessary while praying to make use of the dispositions of the body that have been preserved in the tradition of the Orthodox Church. The fact is that body and spirit are inextricably linked in man, and the spirit cannot act completely autonomously from the body. It was no accident that the ancient Fathers said: “If the body does not labor in prayer, then prayer will remain fruitless.”

Go into an Orthodox Church during Great Lent and you will see how from time to time all the parishioners fall on their knees, then get up, then again fall and get up. And such goes on for the duration of the service. You will feel that there is a special intensity to this service, that people are not simply praying, but are laboring in prayer, bearing the heroic feat [podvig] of prayer. Then go into a Protestant church. During the course of the entire service, the worshippers are sitting: prayers are read and spiritual songs are sung, but people remain sitting, neither crossing themselves nor bowing, while at the end of the service they all get up and leave. Compare these two means of prayer in church – Orthodox and Protestant – in terms of intensity of prayer. People are praying to one and the same God, but they are praying differently. And this difference is largely determined by the physical dispositions of those praying.

Prostrations help prayer a great deal. Those of you who are able in your morning or evening prayer rule do to at least a few bows and prostrations will undoubtedly feel how helpful this is in spiritual terms. The body becomes more collected, and when the body is collected, composure of mind and attention comes much more natural.

During prayer we should from time to time make the sign of the cross, especially when we say “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” as well as when we pronounce the name of the Savior. This is necessary because the cross is the weapon of our salvation. When we place the sign of the cross on ourselves, God’s power becomes tangibly present in us.

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[PRINTED BULLETIN, PAGES 3 & 4]

WORD OF A PASTOR V: HOW TO READ THE BIBLE
By PATRIARCH KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia
20 September 2014

Today everyone can acquire a Bible, open it, and begin reading. What does one need for this reading to lead to positive results, to be saving? And can one read the Bible as one would read an ordinary book?      Source: www.pravmir.com                
We continue the serialization in English of an extensive series on the fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith by His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

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When you are visiting someone and they show you their family photo album, you cannot do without some additional commentary to help you correctly familiarize yourself with the people depicted. After all, the family archive is the property of a given family, so that an outsider might not understand everything on his own.

The Bible was written for the chosen people, of whom the people of God – that is, the Church of Christ — became the heirs following the coming into the world of the Lord and Savior. Therefore it needs to be understood as it is understood by the family to which it belongs, that is, the Church.

But first let us think about the following. Today everyone can acquire a Bible, open it, and begin reading. What does one need for this reading to lead to positive results, to be saving? And can one read the Bible as one would read an ordinary book?

The Bible is a Divine book; it is the Word of God addressed to us. But one needs to prepare oneself to understand this Word correctly. If we open the sacred pages just anywhere on the subway or on the bus, and if we try to penetrate their meaning hastily or without any effort, then it is likely that we will understand nothing. It requires inner preparation and a certain spiritual disposition.

The Holy Fathers teach us that the reading of the Bible should be preceded by prayer, by the concentration of spiritual and mental powers in order to “cool down” from the feverishness of everyday life and to free us from the captivity of emotions, passions, and experiences. “May your reading be in quietness undisturbed by nothing,” St. Isaac the Syrian encourages us. Ancient monks read Scripture slowly and out loud, trying to concentrate maximum focus on the meaning of the Biblical text. In the Egyptian monasteries of the fourth century, monks memorized the Biblical text by heart, constantly repeating it to themselves over the course of the entire day. The great Russian saint of the nineteenth century, St. Seraphim of Sarov, said that the mind of a Christian should “swim” in the words of Scripture.

Reading the Bible, one needs to take it in readily not only in one’s mind, but also in one’s heart. One should read the Bible unhurriedly. One does not need to devour chapter after chapter, reading several pages without stopping. “When you read the Divine Scripture, do not do so only in order to read page after page,” says St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, “but take heed to each word meditatively.” It is best of all to read no more than a chapter a day, contemplating what you read. It is very important to make note of unknown words in Holy Scripture and to write down expressions that are new to us, so that later we can refer to a commentary or ask a knowledgeable person in order to find an answer to questions that arise when reading the Word of God.

Reading the Bible, we enter into communion with God, coming to know Him and establishing a personal relationship with the Creator. Therefore the reading of the Bible is not only a rational, but also a deeply spiritual activity.

Depending on one’s level of knowledge, education, and life experience, one develops a perception and understanding of the Biblical text. There are some hidden dangers in this. One the one hand, individual work with the Word of God kindles religious feelings in us, strengthening our faith. On the other hand, we can always make mistakes when, reading the Bible, we come to erroneous conclusions out of ignorance, lack of experience, and the appropriate education.

In this regard, the question arises: is there a surefire criterion for correctly understanding Holy Scripture? The Church asserts that, inasmuch as the Bible is the book of the people of God, the Church, it is the Church-wide understanding that is the criterion by which one can avoid mistakes.

Why is the Church-wide understanding of the Bible unerring, while an individual might be mistaken?

The Bible is a Divine book, written by Divine inspiration and, in order to penetrate the essence of God’s message to the world and man, one needs to have the Holy Spirit in one’s heart.

People stand at different distances from God. Some stand closer, others further. Some have great gifts of the Holy Spirit, while others do not have these gifts. But it is known that in the Church, as a community of faith, there lives and acts that very same Divine Spirit that inspired the ancient Biblical authors of the Divinely-inspired texts. Therefore the Church, having within itself this Spirit, is able unerringly to comprehend the Word of God. This all-perfect interpretation of Holy Scripture does not consist, of course, in the individual statements of various Church figures, even the most enlightened and authoritative. The unerring understanding of the Word of God is guarded in Church teaching, which is formed on the basis of Holy Scripture, belongs to the Church, and is transmitted within its bosom from generation to generation. Thus, Church doctrine, based on the Word of God, is essentially an extensive commentary on the Word that was inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit.

With what solemnity and majesty does the reading of Holy Scripture take place in Church! In one of the most important moments of the divine services, the Word of God is solemnly carried into the middle of the church. Before a text is proclaimed during the Divine Liturgy, the priest reads a special prayer asking the Lord to help all those present to understand the meaning of what is being read. The deacon proclaims: “Wisdom, let us attend!” – thus emphasizing that the Word of God brings a special wisdom to people and that it needs to be listened to with special attention. After the reading of the Biblical texts at the Liturgy, there should be a sermon conveying the correct ecclesial understanding of the Divine truths.

Listening to the words of Holy Scripture, we stand with bowed head, ready to receive the Word of God. Listening to the words of eternal Divine Revelation, we part for a time from this world and immerse ourselves therein. For the Word of God, according to the Apostle, acts like the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), capable of cutting to the quick of human nature, separating truth from falsehood, light from darkness, and good from evil. The Word of God possesses enormous strength to act upon people spiritually. And it is very important that, listening to this Word, we absorb the truth that the Holy Spirit gave to the ancient authors of the Bible and that to this very day has taught the Church of Christ, the community of faith.

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 [PRINTED BULLETIN PAGE 5]

 CANDLES FOR LAST SUNDAY, 11 JANUARY

CHURCH VIGIL LAMPS:    
Royal Doors Lamp:In Memory of Husband Joe; Son Kenneth; parents Michael & Margaret Rusko & John & Martha Nossal, by Rose Nossal
Altar Candles: In Memory of Nicholas and Susan Yakuber, by son, Donald Yakuber        
Iconostasis Lamps: In Memory of Irene Adams, by daughter, Eileen Adams
Candles on the Solea: In Memory of Pete & Theresa Harvilla, Norman & Monica Holst, & Ricky Ellis, by Jason & Debra Truskowski    
Nave Reliquary-Icon Lamps: (1) In Memory of Ross & Margaret Falsetti, by daughters, Margie Martell & Rose Ann Everhardt
Nave Reliquary-Icon Lamps: (2) In Memory of Edwin Rusko, by the Nossal Family
Table of Oblation Lamp:  In Memory of parents, Helen & John Andrayko, Sr. & sister, Carole Andrayko, by John Andrayko, Jr.

IN MEMORY OF (MEMORY ETERNAL!)             

Joseph & Estelle Star, by son Father Roman and family
Paul & Alexandra Yupco, Basil & Ellen Starinshak, by grandson, Father Roman and family
John & Anna Witkowski, by daughter, Matushka Rose Marie and family
Samuel & Mary Kupec, by granddaughter, Matushka Rose Marie and family
Parents, Helen & John Andrayko and sister, Carole Andrayko, by John Andrayko        
My husband, Joe; my sisters, Margaret & Ross Falsetti, Anna & Mike Elaschat, Theresa & Pete Harvilla, Irene, & brothers, Michael, John & Edwin Rusko; niece, Rose Mary & Dean Hough (newly departed); Joe’s brothers, Raymond & Walter Nossal, & sisters, Theresa, Florence & Helen Nossal, by Rose Nossal
Pete & Theresa Harvilla, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay Truskowski  + + +  Rose Mary & Dean Hough, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay T.
Parents, Ethel Elizabeth (anniv. 1/8) & Wayne Joshua deVyver; David Horka; Olive Brower; Nina I; Marion P; Fr. Photius; Mo. Benedicta, by Sr. Ioanna
Thelma Ratcliff, Louis Pitts, T.F. Shelton, Gloria Robinson, Reginald Bell, Lessie Favor, Lois Hamby, by Manier Family
Child Lana Wilson, Lari Korpela, Shirley Troyer, Wendell Philips, by Becky J. & Levi + + + My husband, Michael Rusko, by Joan Rusko                          

FOR THE HEALTH OF:  (MANY YEARS!)

Elizabeth & Lawrence, Caitlin & Zachary, by parents & grandparents, Father Roman & Matushka Rose Marie
Gregory & Tamiko Star, by parents, Father Roman & Matushka Rose Marie        
Children & Grandchildren; Monk Fr. Tikhon (Dade);by Rose Nossal
Father Roman & Matushka & family; Sister Ioanna; John Andrayko; Nancy; Mary G; Jo Anne N; Grandson Joey (in the Navy Reserves) & all people in the Armed Forces; & all the people of St. Innocent Church, by Rose  Nossal

My Mom, Jaime Truskowski, by Kay Truskowski + + + Family & Friends, Aunt Rose, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay T.

Brother, Greg & Donna, Gregory & Liz & Alex, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay Truskowski

Archimandrites Roman, Nafanail & Gregory; Igumen Seraphim; Fr. Roman & Mat. Rose Marie; Fr. Lawrence & fam; Fr. Daneil & fam; Dcn. Michael & fam; Mat. Melanya S; Mat. Mary D; Carl; Fr. Tikhon; Sdn Andrew; Rdr Robert; Robert M; David Samuel & Sky; Jo Anne & Nick; Martha; Athanasius; John A; Lena N; Jillian J; Ed & Tiffany; Vasiliki; Rose; Emil; Azbehat; Yulia & unborn baby, by Sister Ioanna

Health of: Manier family, Samantha Ketelson (Infant w/ hypo-thyroidism); Tim & Terry (marital/children issues). Salvation of: Brittany, Eddie, Breonna, Bronte, Kaitlyn, RJ, Xavier, Story, Robert, Candice, Kevin, Cynthia, Demarion, Desmond, & Shelton Family, by Manier family

Jay Nossal, by Rose Nossal + + + John Andrayko (May God watch over him), by Rose Nossal + + + Rose Nossal, by John Andrayko
Joan Jurczyszyn, Betty Stelmaszek, Leia &  Mike Wilson, Andrea Faust, Liz Tomachewski, by Becky Jurczyszyn & Levi

Shirley Peponis, by Brother Nick & Jo Anne Nicholas

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

(1) PRAY FOR THE NEWLY DEPARTED DEACON BASIL FRENCHEK. We just learned that the good friend of our parish, Fr. Deacon Basil Frenchek, reposed in the Lord on Thursday, January 15th. He was the Deacon at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Beech-Daly in Dearborn Heights, with whom our parish has served the Presanctified Liturgy together during the 6 weeks of Great Lent for many years. Since May of 2012  he has served as a Deacon, and for many years before he was ordained, he served faithfully as a Subdeacon. He had been struggling with cancer since last Spring. Our deepest condolences are extended to Matushka Barbara for the loss of her husband. MAY HIS MEMORY BE ETERNAL!

(2) PLEASE CONTINUE TO BRING IN YOUR REFUNDABLE BOTTLES & CANS for the St. Innocent Orphanage in Mexico.

(2) PLEASE BRING IN CLOTHES FOR THE NEEDY: COATS, HATS, GLOVES, SCARVES, SOCKS, UNDERWEAR
Please bring in things for the winter for the needy: coats, hats, gloves/mittens, scarves, sweaters, boots. RIR has especially requested that we donate socks and underwear for men and women, girls and boys, in all sizes, children and adults. Whatever you donate is brought to the Redford Interfaith Relief (RIR) on Beech Daly, with which Fr. Roman is very involved. RIR helps people right here in our own community.    
(3) PLEASE CONTINUE TO GIVE YOUR DONATIONS FOR OUR ON-GOING ANNUAL BLANKET DRIVE
(4) VISIT OUR CHURCH WEBSITE & VIEW THE MANY PHOTOS, ARTICLES, NEWS: http://www.stinnocentchurch.com

❈ GLORIFY TO JESUS CHRIST!  ❈  GLORY FOREVER!  ❈

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[PRINTED BULLETIN PAGE 6]

SCHEDULE OF UP-COMING SERVICES, FEASTS & EVENTS

◆ Sunday, January 18th, After Coffee Hour (1:00), Monthly Pot-luck Lunch & Discussion, at St. Innocent Monastic Community --- CANCELLED DUE TO SICKNESS — POSTPONED TILL NEXT WEEK, 1/25

◆ Friday, January 23rd, 7pm, FUNERAL SERVICE FOR DCN.  BASIL FRENCHEK, AT ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, BEECH DALY, DEARBORN HTS.

◆ Saturday, January 24th, 10am, FUNERAL DIVINE LITURGY FOR THE REPOSE OF DCN.  BASIL FRENCHEK, AT ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, BEECH DALY, DEARBORN HTS.

◆ Sunday, January 25th, Zacchaeus Sunday

◆ Friday & Saturday, Jan. 30th & 31st, Special Orthodox Prison Ministry meetings with new OPM Executive Director; at HTOC, Livonia
◆ Saturday, Jan. 31st, 1:30 - 4:30, “St. Moses the Black, A Model of Repentance,” A local seminar at St. Innocent Church, Redford. (See flyer and article below.)
                   Guest speaker: Fr. Jerome Sanderson; sponsored by the Detroit Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black.
◆ Sunday, February 1st, Publican & Pharisee Sunday; Triodion Begins (no fasting on Wed. & Fri. this week)
◆ Sunday, February 1st, 6pm, GREAT VESPERS for the GREAT FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE
◆ Monday, February 2nd, 9am,  DIVINE LITURGY for the GREAT FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE
◆ Sunday, February 8th, Prodigal Son Sunday

◆ Sunday, February 8th, 2pm, Annual Feast Day Luncheon of the OCW (Orthodox Christian Women), St. George Rom.Cath. Sthfld.
◆ Tuesday, February 10th, 7pm, COCC Monthly Meeting, at Ss. Peter & Paul Romanian Church, Beech Daly, Dearborn Hts.
◆ Saturday, February 14th, SOUL-SATURDAY MEMORIAL DIVINE LITURGY FOR THE DEPARTED (#1 of 4)
◆ Sunday, February 15th, Last Judgment & Meatfare Sunday (last day to eat meat until Pascha)
◆ Sunday, February 15th, After Coffee Hour (1:00), Monthly Pot-luck Lunch & Discussion, at St. Innocent Monastic Community
◆ Sunday, February 22nd, Cheesefare Sunday (last day to eat eggs and dairy products until Pascha)
◆ Monday, February 23rd, THE GREAT LENTEN FAST BEGINS

FR. ROMAN’S ADDITIONAL SCHEDULE

Monday, January 19th, 7 – 9am, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Prayer Breakfast, Redford Ministerial Alliance, St. Robert Bellarmine Church
Friday & Saturday, Jan. 30th & 31st, Special Orthodox Prison Ministry meetings with new OPM Executive Director; at HTOC, Livonia
Thursday, February 19th, noon–2:00, Monthly meeting, Redford Ministerial Alliance, at Our Lady of Loretto Church

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MINI-CONFERENCE AT ST. INNOCENT, SAT. 1/31

The Detroit Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black is sponsoring a free mini-conference at St. Innocent on Saturday afternoon, January 31st, between 1:30 and 4:30. One of the founding members of the National Brotherhood of St. Moses, the Orthodox priest, Fr. Jerome Sanderson of Indiana, who has been with us several times before, will give a presentation entitled “ST. MOSES THE BLACK: A MODEL OF REPENTANCE,” about the life of the saint who lived in Egypt in the 4th century, and what his life can mean for us today. In addition to Fr. Jerome’s presentation, the program will include a church and iconography tour between 12:30 and 1:30, and time for Q&A, fellowship and refreshments, concluding with Vespers at 4:00.

This is the perfect opportunity to bring friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors to St. Innocent Church to encounter a little taste of what the 2,000-year-old Orthodox Faith is all about. There are so many people in our community who are hungering to find that missing “something” that can make sense of their lives. That special “something” is to be found in the Holy Orthodox Church. It is shameful that the Orthodox Faith is so unknown right here in our own backyard. It should not be kept a secret! Let us share our great Treasure! Our Lord  commanded us to spread the Good News about Him to our neighbors, and here is an opportunity to implement that “Great Commission” we received when we are Baptized.

The word “Orthodox” means both “right belief” and also “right worship.” To know God is to want to worship Him, but most of what is called “worship” outside the Orthodox Church is self-centered entertainment, rather than God-centered worship. This misdirected “worship” focuses on “what can I get out of it?” rather than “what I can offer to God?” Let us share Orthodoxy’s wonderful vision of a rich and meaningful life and worship with those around us, instead of hoarding it for ourselves. Come on January 31st and get “revitalized,” and bring others with you.

❈  GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!  ❈  GLORY FOREVER!  ❈