SUN APR 3 4^th Sunday of Lent. Of St. John of the Ladder.  Tone 8

• 4^та Неділя Посту. Св. Іоанна Ліствичника.
• Divine Liturgy. Свята Літургія @ 9:00 AM
• Apostle Heb. 6:13-20
• Gospel  Mk 9:17-31
• Panakhyda for Irena and Piotr Kurianowicz, requested by Anna Gulko and the family.

SAT APR 9 Memorial Liturgy. Заупокійна Літургія @ 9:00 AM 

SUN APR 10 5^th Sunday of Lent. Of St. Mary of Egypt.   Tone 1

• 5^тa Неділя Посту. Св. Марії Єгипетської.
• Divine Liturgy. Свята Літургія @ 9:00 AM
• Apostle Heb. 9:11-14
• Gospel: Mk. 10:32-45

CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING: The monthly meeting (for the month of March) will be held TODAY during “Coffee and…” in the parish hall.  We couldn’t have a meeting last Sunday due to the lack of a quorum, members of the Council are requested to make every effort to attend this meeting.

AID for UKRAINE: Please continue to donate!

 PASCHA BREAD BAKING is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9, 9AM!!! only to fill orders. We will have large round raisin paskhas for $9.00 and small round raisin for $5.00. Please place your orders on the sign-up sheet downstairs. TODAY is the last day to place your orders. We will have shifts both in the AM and PM. Donations to cover the cost of ingredients are welcome!

 CONFESSION: Father Andrii will hear Confessions before or after any of the Lenten services or before Divine Liturgy on Sunday. Please arrive early on Sunday morning for Confession so this won’t interfere with the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.  PLEASE NOTE:  In order to be in good standing with the Church, all Orthodox Christians need to go to Confession and receive Communion at least once a year; Great Lent is the best time to fulfill this spiritual requirement. All parishioners who receive Communion should fast, (no food or drink) from midnight up to the point of receiving Communion. The night before, it is customary to read special prayers before Holy Communion (see your Prayer Book). If someone has a medical condition and has to take medication in the morning, they can be released from fasting with a blessing from the priest. Children under the age of seven are also released from fasting, however their parents are encouraged to let them try.

LENTEN MISSION: Missions will be held on Saturday, April 16.  Confessions will be heard by Fr. Stephen Masliuk (English) and Fr. Oleksandr Yatskiw (Ukrainian). Liturgy will begin at 9:00am. Please arrive early!

CEMETERY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS:  Please remove all winter decorations from the cemetery.  They will be discarded the week of April 11th (one week before Passion Week).  Water will be turned on by the middle of April.

 PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF CONFESSION: In today’ society, which is full of temptations, the importance of Confession in our spiritual lives is greater than ever. Therefore, it is so important to understand the practical aspects of Confession, which we tend to forget. First, before you come to confession you need to try to prepare properly. By preparing, examine your life carefully, using the guidance of the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the list of the eight principal passions and the lists of sins in the daily prayers – especially those before sleep. If necessary, write out a list and bring it with you to confession. Try not to omit anything you may think is not important. It is up to God through the father confessor to judge what is important or not. Remember that no sin is too small to be confessed and no sin is so great that it cannot be forgiven by God. In confessing, try to be brief and to the point; although sometimes it’s necessary to explain the circumstances of a certain sin, refrain from excusing yourself or confessing the sins of others. Oftentimes there are many people who come to confession at the same time and the priest will need to hear several confessions, in this case try to be considerate of time. If you have some personal difficulties or some particularly troublesome problems in your spiritual life, and need to discuss them at length, please arrange for a special time that the priest can dedicate only to you. There are times after Confession that the priest may recommend to you what is called “epitimia”. This may represent the reading of certain prayers, a rule for fasting, or a certain number of prostrations, etc. Remember that this is not a punishment for your sins, but a necessary prescription for your spiritual healing. If you understand its importance and accept it, you are bound to follow it as closely as possible, any changes to it should be discussed with your father confessor. Overall come to confession with an open soul and remember that the person that repents and comes to receive the Sacrament of Confession properly, is not limited to just confessing their sins, but also commits to unceasingly fighting against sin and passion. Confession is not an end, but rather a new beginning in a new life in Christ.

ТРИДЦЯТЬ ступенів духовного зростання “Ліствиці” Св. Іоанна Ліствичника:

 COFFEE and…Thank you to Oksana Swystun for hosting coffee and… last Sunday! Hosting today is Halyna Vitrykush. Hosting next Sunday 4/10/2022 Natalya Kyrychenko. Donations of coffee, individual creamers, butter and monetary donations are always welcomed. Thank you for your continuous support.  The Scholarship Committee.

CULTURAL: pysanky making supplies and Easter eggs are now available. UOL: Please come and get your Easter items at the Tag Sale Booth downstairs!

CHURCH BANK ACCOUNTS: If you handle or have access to any accounts at any bank on behalf of the church or any of its organizations, please see Dr. Paul Szwez as soon as possible. Also, if you are an authorized signer for any of the accounts, but you don’t usually handle the account itself, please also see Paul as soon as possible. We are in the process of updating all of our banking records and this information is important for this project. Thank you.