St. Luke Byzantine Catholic Church
Ruthenian Eparchy of Parma
Liturgy Schedule
Liturgies
Sunday August 4, 11 & 18 - A Typika Communion Service will be celebrated in leu of a Divine Liturgy
Sunday Divine LIturgy at 10:00 am
Saturday Great Vespers at 4:30 pm
Feast Days
Eve of the Feast - Festal Vespers at 7:00 pm
Feast Day - Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm
Check the Feast Day information below to reconfirm the liturgy times.
Wednesday Services
Wednesday, August 21 - Akathist to the Theotokos at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, August 28 - Festal Vespers for the Feast of the
Dormition of the Theotokos at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, September 04 - Divine Liturgy
Mystery of Repentance:
By appointment
To schedule an appointment, contact Fr. Michael at
Liturgy for the Deceased:
Contact Fr. Michael to offer a Divine Liturgy or Panachida for a deceased loved one.
Nativity of the Theotokos
The Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos is celebrated on September 8th.
Liturgies:
Saturday, September 07 - Festal Vespers at 4:30 pm
Sunday, September 08 - Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am
The Holy Virgin Mary was born of aged parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the lineage of David, and her mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus, she was of royal birth by her father, and of priestly birth by her mother. In this, she foreshadowed Him who would be born of her as King and High Priest. Her parents were quite old and had no children. Because of this they were ashamed before men and humble before God. In their humility they prayed to God with tears, to bring them joy in their old age by giving them a child, as He had once given joy to the aged Abraham and his wife Sarah by giving them Isaac. The Almighty and All-seeing God rewarded them with a joy that surpassed all their expectations and all their most beautiful dreams. For he gave them not just a daughter, but the Mother of God. He illumined them not only with temporal joy, but with eternal joy as well. God gave them just one daughter, and she would later give them just one grandson-but what a daughter and what a Grandson! Mary, full of grace, blessed among women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Altar of the Living God, the Table of the Heavenly Bread, the Ark of God’s Holiness, the Tree of the Sweetest Fruit, the Glory of the race of man, the Praise of womanhood, the Fount of virginity and purity-this was the daughter given by God to Joachim and Anna. She was born in Nazareth, and at the age of three, was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young womanhood she returned again to Nazareth, and shortly thereafter heard the Annunciation of the Holy Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most-pure virgin body.
Troparion (Tone 4):
Your birth, O Virgin Theotokos, heralded joy to the universe; for from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. Removing the curse, He gave the blessing, and by destroying Death, He granted us eternal life.
Kontokaion (Tone 4):
At your holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. Your people, delivered from the guilt of their faults, celebrate your birth and cry out: The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos and Sustainer of our Life.
Exultation of the Holy Cross
The Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on September September 14.
Liturgies:
Friday, September 13 - Festal Vespers at 7:00 pm
Saturday, September 14 - Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am
Two events in connection with the Honorable Cross of Christ are commemorated on this day: first, the finding of the Honorable Cross on Golgotha and second, the return of the Honorable Cross from Persia to Jerusalem. Visiting the Holy Land, the holy Empress Helena decided to find the Honorable Cross of Christ. An old Jewish man named Judah was the only one who know where the cross was located, and constrained by the empress, he revealed that the cross was buried under the temple of Venus that Emperor Hadrian had built on Golgotha. The empress ordered that this idolatrous temple be razed and, having dug deep below it, found three crosses. While the empress pondered on how to recognized which of these was the Cross of Christ, a funeral procession passed by. Patriarch Macarius told them to place the cross, one by one, on the dead man. When they placed the first and second cross on the dead man, the dead man lay unchanged. When they placed the third cross on him, the dead man came back to life. BY this they knew that this was the Precious and Life-giving Cross of Christ. They then placed the Cross on a sick woman, and she became well. The patriarch elevated the Cross for all the people to see, and the people sang with tears. “Lord have mercy!” Empress Helena had a silver case made and set the Honorable Cross in it. Later, the Persian Emperor Chozroes conquered Jerusalem, enslaved many people, and took the Lord’s Cross to Persia. The Cross remained in Persia for fourteen years. In the year 628 the Greek Emperor Heraclius defeated Chozroes and with much ceremony, returned the Cross to Jerusalem. As he entered the city Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross on his back, but suddenly was unable to take another step. Patriarch Zacharias saw an angel preventing the emperor from bearing the Cross on the same path that the Lord had walked barefoot and humiliated. The patriarch communicated this vision to the emperor. The emperor removed his raiment and, in ragged attire and barefoot, took up the Cross, carried it to Golgatha, and place it in the Church of the Resurrection, to the joy and consolation of the whole Christian world.
Troparion (Tone 1):
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless your inheritance. Grant victory to your Church over evil and protect Your people by Your cross.
Kontakion, (Tone 4):
Christ our God, who were willingly raised upon the cross, grant Your mercies to the new people who bear Your name. By Your power grant joy to the Church. Give her victory over evil with Your invincible trophy, the weapon of peace, as an ally.