Second Sunday after Pentecost

“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Matthew 4:19


Jesus called all types of people. Andrew was a simple fisherman like his brother Peter. Andrew was present when John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus was “the Lamb of God” and they followed Jesus to learn more about Him. After spending the day with the Lord, Andrew told his brother Peter: “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). Tradition has it that perhaps John was the unnamed disciple with Andrew during his first encounter with Jesus (John 1:35). These two men were actively searching for God and responded to Jesus’ call with enthusiasm and obedience.

The first disciples were not extraordinary people. The original twelve included several fishermen, a tax collector, and at least one who was a political activist. The power of Jesus transformed all but one into men whose lives were dedicated to the preaching of the Gospel and the proclamation of the message of salvation to all peoples. Old prejudices, divisions, and ways of thinking were laid aside as they listened to the Lord and followed Him.

Jesus calls us to serve Him in this same way. He calls us just as we are - faults, strengths and weaknesses notwithstanding - to a life of holiness. “We have been buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Perhaps during these upcoming days we can go to our Church or to a quiet place in our homes and make a short retreat with the Lord to examine our lives. How have we responded to the call of Jesus over the year just passed? If we see that we have fallen short of the Lord’s plan for us, let us repent and know the forgiveness of Christ. If we see areas where we have grown stronger, let us try to make further progress in them this year. God wants to work marvelous things in our lives because He loves us and is faithful to His promises. We, in turn, can offer our lives to Him as we announce to the world: “We have found the Messiah!” (John 1:41).

Sunday Of All Saints

On this Sunday of All the Saints I encourage you to just look around you at all the icons we have in our Holy Church and you will see what? Martyrs, confessors, ascetics, educated people, simple people, rich, poor, bishops, monastics, lay people. This is what we call the Heavenly Church. She is all-embracing, and she is filled up by the earthly, Militant Church. There is room for each of us there. This is what today’s Apostle reading tells us: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2).
Just think: all of these saints were live people like us. And like us, all of them were different people; and their paths were different. But all of them, absolutely all, had three qualities which they all possessed identically. These qualities are pointed out to us in today’s Gospel reading. They are obligatory for everyone, and this means for us, too; we cannot escape them. Here they are: ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father, who is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32). This is the first thing. Don’t you feel how important this is for us modern day people? Why, the whole world around us as if asks us: “Are you Christian or one of ours?” We cannot leave this question unanswered. In our speech, our actions, our thoughts and feelings (for our feelings are somehow passed on to the others), we must answer loud and firm: “Yes, I am a Christian!”

Here is the second: “He that loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me” (Mt. 10:37). Here and now, the Lord demands from you and me this all-consuming love - to love Him more than everyone and everything. And only through this love for Him will we really be able to love our relatives, strangers, and even our enemies.

Finally the third: “And he that takes not his cross, and follows after Me, is not worthy of Me” (Mt. 10:38). This instance does not even require explanation. Each of us has his own sorrows and difficulties in life; they are personal for each of us. It is difficult, burdensome, but such is our life; and this means, such is the Will of God for us. Let us thank the Lord even for this cross! Without it we cannot be saved. And the Lord wants all of us to be saved, and to be united into one Triumph with all the Saints, whom we are glorifying today. Amen.

Pentecost Homily

Now aviliable on our parish website.

Emergency Procedure - Use Often

PENTECOST – THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE APOSTLES

 

When the Most High came down and confused the tongues, He divided the nations; but when He distributed the tongues of fire, He called all to unity. Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the all-holy Spirit!

The tenth day after the Ascension of Jesus Christ was the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. It was the Jews' great feast of Pentecost, which commemorated the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai.

All the Apostles, the Mother of God, and the other Disciples of Christ and other of the faithful, were all together in one room in Jerusalem.
It was the third hour of the day by the Hebrew reckoning of hours, according to our system – nine o'clock in the morning. Suddenly a sound came from Heaven, like a rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. There descended on them tongues that looked like fire, which rested on each one of them. There were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, previously unknown to them. Thus the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of the Savior, descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, as a sign that He gave the apostles the ability and zeal to preach the teachings of Christ to all peoples. He descended in the form of fire as a sign of the power to cleanse sins, to sanctify and warm souls.

From the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit the Christian faith quickly spread with the help of God, and the number of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ multiplied. Instructed by the Holy Spirit, the apostles preached boldly to all about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, about His suffering for us and resurrection from the dead. The Lord helped them with many great miracles which were performed by the apostles in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. At first the apostles preached to the Jews, and then dispersed to various countries to preach to all the people. To perform the sacraments and to preach Christianity the apostles established, by the laying on of hands, bishops, presbyters, and deacons. This grace of the Holy Spirit, which was clearly conferred on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, is now conferred in our Holy Church invisibly in its sacraments, through the successors to the apostles, the pastors of the Church, its bishops and priests.

10 TIPS FOR HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA

 

1. Make participation at the Divine Services for Holy Week and Pacha a priority.

2. In our homes we should strive to "keep out the world" and enter into the peace, solemnity, and theology of the events of the last days of Our Lord.

3. Make sure to read the last chapters of the Holy Gospels that speak of the Passion, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ.

4. If you are visiting another parish and wish to receive Holy Communion, make sure that the priest knows who you are and that you are prepared. This should be done in advance by phone, email, or any other way.

5. Last year's palms and willow branches should be placed outside in an area to decay where they will not be disturbed. They are holy and should not be simply thrown out with the garbage.

6. On Good Friday or Pascha before venerating Holy Objects, such as the Cross, Icons, or the Holy Shroud-Plashchanytsia, make sure to wipe off your lipstick or chap-stick. Reminder: we do not kiss the face of Our Lord, His Mother, or the Saints; instead kiss the hands or feet.

7. If you haven't yet made your Confession during the Great Fast-Lent, try to make it today on Palm Sunday or during Holy Week.

8. Try to make amends with those we may be upset with or those who are upset with us, so that on Pascha-Easter we can joyfully sing, "Let us call brothers, even those that hate us, and forgive all by the Resurrection!"

9. Remember to prepare and to bring an Easter basket to be blessed on the Feast of the Resurrection. Let us share in the joy of the Lord's Resurrection with fellowship and love.

10. During Paschal Season, sing or read the Troparion "Christ is Risen-Христос Воскрес" together with your "normal" morning and evening prayers. Let the joy of praising the Lord's Resurrection accompany you throughout Bright Week, the Paschal season, and your whole life.

Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast

The story of Mary of Egypt is remembered and cherished throughout Christendom, east and west. In our Holy Church, however, we remember her twice each year. The first time, her feast day on April 1^st, is our gift to her: we remember what she did, who she was, and who she became. The second time, today on the Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast-Lent, is her gift to us: the gift of her story at the moment when we ourselves must enter the inner desert of our hearts. For what does Lent mean for us? It is that time when we must face ourselves, and face ourselves in the presence of God. Who are we? What do we live for? We fast, pray, repent, and confess. It is hard and we get lost in the wilderness. And we cannot escape the truth of who we are. At this point in Lent, we prepare for Holy Week. And before we can rejoice, we must complete our full sojourn in the desert.

The Life of St. Mary teaches us that the values of the Church are quite different from those of the world. She went out into the desert and had nothing, no friends, no home, no possessions, no clothes and hardly any food and drink. The world looked for pleasure; the satisfaction of the senses, money and power, but St. Mary was moneyless and powerless in the world. Today's Gospel reading confirms the choice of Mary of Egypt, for it says that those who wish to be great must be servants. This is upside down from all the ways of this world. But our Lord preached this and like Him our venerable mother Mary lived this.

Indeed, as we have already said, the Church calls our venerable mother Mary "the greatest of saints". The use of this word "great" may surprise us. In everyday life, we use "great" in other meanings. The world speaks of "great politicians", "a great car", "and a great amount of money". But the Church calls Mary of Egypt "great" and a thousand and a half years after she lived we ask for her prayers, but not for those of any politician or film-star or sportsman. Let us think more carefully before next we utter this word "great".

And as this last week of the Great Fast - Lent begins; let us also ponder on the words of the Mother of God, which led Mary of Egypt to her salvation through repentance and her greatness: "If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace". These mysterious words are today also addressed to each of us; the interpretation of their mystery is open to the souls of each of us, but only if we ask the Mother of God and our venerable mother Mary of Egypt to guide us. And then we shall find our own "entry into Jerusalem".