St Andrew and Church unity

sts-andrew-and-peterToday is the feast day of St Andrew.

It is a legend, but also a symbol, that St. Andrew evangelized the town of Byzantium before it would become a great city. The symbol, therefore, is that Rome, the West, and Constantinople (Byzantium), the East are united in the fraternity of the two apostles, Peter and Paul. In our broken world, the Church is hampered in preaching the gospel by internal divisions. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches are heroically trying to re-unite to preach the one true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are hampered by narrow-minded people in both Churches, who cannot see Christ living in the eucharist of these Churches. There is only one Christ in Holy Communion, and we do not partake of one Christ, and the other another Christ. There is only one Christ born of Mary in Bethlehem, whose Body we cannot divide. Now is the proper time for the one Church to proclaim the one Lord and Savior in the one holy Gospel. We must pray for unity this Christmas that we are not too late.

Very Rev. Dr. David Petras

28th Sunday after Pentecost

christ-among-the-angelsMeditation by Very Rev. David Petras Colossians 1:12-18

The epistle this Sunday tells us who Jesus truly is. He is the very center of our being. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, …. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” St. John tells us the same thing, “All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race. (John 1:3-4)” We have the saying, “Put Christ back into Christmas,” but we must take this a step further, “We must put Christ into everything that we are, and in all creation.” Our whole lives must be oriented to Christ, “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)” This worship is not complete until we imitate the Lord in his love for all who have come to be in his loving-kindness.

Christmas Bazaar 2016

st-michael-christmas-fairThe Christmas Bazaar begins on Saturday, December 3, 9am to 1pm, it will also be open December 10, 17 and 18. Since our Gift Shop is small and has a very limited selection of gifts to display, you are encouraged to visit the gift shop prior to these dates to view the online catalogues of our vendors and then order the gifts you really want to give this year.
 
All orders must be placed prior to December 6th to get them back in time to be picked up on December 17.
No food will be sold at this Bazaar.

Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple

feast-of-the-entrance-of-the-theotokos“The most pure Temple of the Savior; / the precious Chamber and Virgin; / the sacred Treasure of the glory of God, / is led today into the house of the Lord. / She brings with her the grace of the Spirit, / therefore, the angels of God praise her: / ‘Truly this woman is the abode of heaven.’” (Kontakion-Hymn of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple)

Today we have two great feasts celebrated in our churches: According to the so-called New Calendar, it is the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple, and on the Older Calendar it is the feast of the Archangel Michael and All the Bodiless Powers.

So let me reflect on both. Let me reflect on the visible “temple” of the Lord, the Mother of God, entering another visible temple, in Jerusalem, as “the angels of God praise Her.” Both She, and all visible “temples” of today, like us, and our church-buildings, have received the capacity to unite the visible and invisible created worlds, in the Coming of Her heretofore invisible Son in the flesh. We unite with the invisible creation in praise, as we “mystically represent” or “mystically become icons of” (μυστικῶς εἰκονίζοντες) the cherubim at every Divine Liturgy.

But amazingly, we also receive an honor that exceeds theirs, by partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ as they do not. So today let me be humbled by the unique honor I am given in God’s one, created world, with the help of His invisible and visible servants. And let me follow His Most-Pure Mother into the Holy of Holies, into a Communion that even the angels are not given.

Sister Vassa Larin

Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska

josaphata-hordashevskaToday, November 20, is the feast day of Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska. Let us be united in prayer for Blessed Josaphata’s canonization.

Lord God, we praise and thank you for having called your servant, Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska, to uplift the hearts of the people in Ukraine, through evangelization,  education and care of those in need. As Co-Foundress, she was the first to live the charism of a Sister Servant of Mary Immaculate. Her virtuous life and evangelical witness encouraged her Sisters to go beyond the borders, bringing the Gospel message to all people. May our prayers for her canonization be for your greater glory and the spiritual good of souls. Grant us the graces for which we humbly pray, through her intercession. Amen.