LITURGICAL SCHEDULE
Sat. 24: 4:00 pm @ St. Nicholas
First & Second Findings of
The Head of John the Baptist
For the parishioners
Sun. 25: 11:00 am @ St. Nicholas
2nd Sunday of Great Lent
+Joe & +Ann Sweetko and
Son +Joseph Sweetko from
Ronald & Lynda Sweetko
Mon. 26: NO LITURGY
Tues. 27: NO LITURGY
Wed. 28: 6:00 pm @ Infant Jesus
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
Lenten Education Classes to
Follow
Thurs. 29: NO LITURGY
Fri. 1: 5:00 pm @ St. Nicholas
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
Sat. 2: 4:00 pm @ St. Nicholas
3rd All Souls Saturday
+Paul & +Margaret Bayus
From Tara Metzger
Sun. 3: 11:00 am @ St. Nicholas
3rd Sunday of Great Lent
Veneration of the Cross
For the Parishioners
Collection Report
Week of 02/18/2024
$ 676.00 Offertory
$ 3.00 Children
$ 81.00 Garage Rental
$ 3.00 Initial
$ 140.00 Candles
$ 1787.00 TOTAL
Attendance from last week’s Liturgies:
Saturday: 27
Sunday: 18
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR PARISHIONERS:
Michael Volsko- Inn at Glenellen, Kevin Ulrich Ivywoods Manor, Minerva Zepeda at Oasis, Fr. Nicholas Kraynak at Shepherd of the Valley on Western Reserve Rd. and Margaret and William Zigarevich at home. May God grant to all the sick and homebound of our parish many blessed, happy and healthy years.
UPDATE-CAPITAL CAMPAIGN:
The NEW total collected is $122,647.10 for the Capital campaign. We continue to work towards our goal of $200,000. Thank you for your continued generosity and support to our church.
SANCTUARY CANDLE REQUEST:
The sanctuary candle request sheet for 2024 is on the back table in the church. Cost remains $10 per candle. Please call Paula @ (330) 799-5983 for specific requests. Money can be deposited in the weekend collection.
LENTEN EDUCATION CLASS:
This year, following all Wednesday Pre-Sanctified liturgies at Infant Jesus of Prague, there will be again, a Lenten adult education class. All parishioners, family and friends are welcomed to learn about our Byzantine faith.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS RAFFLE:
The Knights of Columbus are holding a raffle on May 18, 2024 with numerous monetary prizes. All proceeds benefit local charities. Tickets are $5.00. Please see Fr. Michael for tickets.
SANCTUARY CANDLE:
The Sanctuary candles will be lit for the entire week for your intentions. The week of February 25-March 2, 2024 there are no request for the sanctuary candles.
SECOND SUNDAY OF GREAT LENT
Collegeville Bible Commentary
2:1-12 “My son, you are forgiven/ healed.” Back in Capernaum, Jesus is surrounded by great numbers of people again (v. 2; see 1:33). As he preaches to the crowd, four friends of a paralyzed man lower him on his mat through the roof so that he can be close enough for Jesus to see him and cure him (vv. 3-4). (Such extraordinary means to get close to Jesus emphasized the faith of these friends as well as the overwhelming size of the crowd Jesus attracted.) Jesus responds to this act of faith, not by healing the man immediately, but by touching off the first of a series of controversial dialogues with the onlooking scribes and Pharisees. When Jesus says, “Child, your sins are forgiven” (v. 5), he is as much as saying, “It is God whom you approach.” (In the Old Testament, only God is capable of forgiving sins; and it was expected that he would do so only at the end of time.) It thus becomes clear why the scribes murmur “he is blaspheming” (v. 7) and why Jesus brings it all out in the open. His claim to be able to forgive sins better reveals his identity as Son of God than do the miracles he performs. Aware of the silent censure his forgiving word has caused in the crowd, Jesus proceeds to prove that “the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” by commanding the man to rise and walk in the sight of everyone (vv. 8-11). In concluding this miracle, Mark asks his readers to praise God for his presence in their midst as the forgiver-healer, just as the crowd did (v. 12), even in the face of those who do not believe. It is significant that Mark has chosen to present this miracle and teaching about Jesus’ power to forgive sins so early in his Gospel drama. It shows that the need for the experience of God’s forgiveness was as important to first-century Christians as it is today. Mark’s readers praise God for saying clearly, even today, “My sons, my daughters, I absolve you from your sins.”
St Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church 