We are St. George Byzantine Catholic Church in Linden, NJ

08/12/2022

There's no better time to make a pilgrimage in honor of the Mother of God than in the days leading up to the Feast of Her Holy Dormition! (Uspenije)

This Saturday, August 13 is the annual Ruthenian Day at the Holy Dormition Pilgrimage at the Sister Servants' Monastery in Sloatsburg NY, just over the border from PA/NJ.

Akathist and the Blessing of Holy Water at 1pm. A presentation by Bishop Bohdan Danylo at 2pm. Blessing of the sick at 3:30pm. Panachida at 7:30pm. Most Rev. Kurt Burnette, Bishop of the Eparchy of Passaic, will serve Divine Liturgy at 5pm and a Moleben to the Theotokos with candlelight procession at 8pm. Confession and food are available all day. Address is 100 Sister Servants' Lane, off Stirling Mine Road in Sloatsburg, NY.

The Sister Servants' ministry was founded in 1892 in Zhuzhel, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, the first active women's congregation in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. They began their ministry in the United States in 1935, with the Mother of God as their Patroness, and were established as a province in 1959. Today they have provinces in Brazil, Canada, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine and the United States, as well as being missioned in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Kazhakstan, and their Generalate in Rome, Italy.

On Facebook: Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate - USA

03/24/2022

This Friday, March 25, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, entrusting the nations to Mary’s help and protection. The pope has asked all the bishops — and indeed all the faithful of the entire world — to join him.

03/22/2022

When you attend Presanctified Liturgy
tonight, listen for this prayer:

O Joyful Light of the Holy Glory of the Father immortal,
the heavenly, holy, Blessed One; O Jesus Christ.
Now that we have reached the setting of the sun and see the evening light,
we sing to God, +Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It is fitting at all times to raise a song of praise
in measured melody to You,
O Son of God, the giver of life.
Therefore the universe sings your glory.

Priest: Wisdom! Be attentive! The Light of Christ shines upon everyone!

People: (Make three great prostrations in silence.)

Did you know that this is a very ancient hymn,
and that it is considered the very oldest song,
besides those written in scripture, that Christians still sing today?

We know that it was written sometime before the fourth century, because it was recorded in the Constitution of the Apostles, which was written at that time. St. Basil the Great, who also lived during that time period, mentioned
in his writings that it was a beloved hymn in his
day as well.

After the Resurrection, when Christians would gather at the empty tomb of Christ in Jerusalem for worship, there was always a vigil candle kept in the tomb in honor of the great
event that happened there. It would remind the
Christians that Jesus had brought so much Light into the world and into the heart of everyone who believed in Him.

When this lamp was ceremoniously brought out for all of the faithful to see, this was the hymn that the believers would offer to
God in memory of the Light that had joyfully come into the world. By the end of the fourth century, it was incorporated in the Byzantine Vespers service, and we can hear it sung every evening at Vespers to this very day!

(Excerpt from: The Zacchaeus Tree)

03/13/2022

A Letter from Bishop Kurt Burnette on Ukraine.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

My dear friends in the Faith,

As everyone else, I am horrified and sorrowful about the brutal invasion of the Ukrainian nation. Many people in our church, including our newest clergy, have immediate family in bomb shelters in the most dangerous cities right now, not knowing if they will live to see tomorrow. The invasion brings back memories, even recent memories of the soviet persecution of the Church and of all society just thirty years ago. Countless people were murdered or sent to Siberia simply for worshipping God, or for being perceived as a political threat to someone in power.
Many of our clergy have family now in the most dangerous parts, hiding in underground shelters as the invaders bomb residential structures and even children’s hospitals.
I love Russia and my many dear Russian friends, yet I do not have any illusions about what an occupation is like under the current government in the Kremlin.
What can we do to help immediately with the situation in Ukraine? The most important thing to do is repent and pray. Go to confession. Fast this Lent. Ask God for mercy. As Jesus said, “First take the plank from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
In his Epistle, St. James says, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, ‘Go in peace. Stay warm and well fed,‘ but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So faith without works is dead.” James 2:17-18.
How can we help with the physical needs? With the consent of the consultors, I have already sent 53,000.00 euro (a little over $61,000.00) which was 50,000 euro from our Bishop Appeal and 3,000.00 euro from one of our parishes. I spoke to our bishop there on the phone today. He and the priests are preparing for refugees, buying food, medicine, and sleeping bags, and so on. They are preparing our seminary there as a refugee center as well. I am sending additional money that some parishes are offering.
In addition, our Metropolitan Archbishop William Skurla has asked that we take a collection on the third Sunday of Lent. That money will be sent there to care for refugees, and indeed all of the people there who will suffer soon from the destruction of the society by war.
While we do what we can here, it doesn’t seem like enough. However, the people there have asked us to pray, and they say that our prayers and support mean so very much to them.
In humility and with prostrations we cry out, through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Christ our True God have mercy on us!
Your servant,
Bishop Kurt Burnette

09/01/2021

07/16/2021

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Psalm 118:24

07/08/2021

06/20/2021

To all fathers, biological and spiritual,
Happy Father's Day! 💐Thank you for the ways that you have taken responsibility in our lives and in the lives of so many others. May the Father draw you close to Himself and refresh you with His fatherly love for you!
God bless!

«Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person “. -Pope Francis

06/16/2021

Love must be sincere.Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.Be devoted to one another in love.Honor one another above yourselves.Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope,patient in affliction,faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.Practice hospitality.Bless those who persecute you;bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.Live in harmony with one another.Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.Do not take revenge,my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:9-21