On February 25, with incredible joy and resolve, our parish voted unanimously to purchase the 5.9-acre property at 10050 NE Walker Road in Hillsboro, which, God willing, will become the permanent home of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church!
It is a blessing from our loving Lord to have received this property at a lower price, so that we can now continue the work on preparing the site while remaining at our current location for the near future. Glory to God!
Your prayers are needed! We have so many “advocates” for our community—Panagia, St. John the Baptist, St. John Maximovich, St. Nikiforos the Leper, St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, St. Menas, and others. Try, if you are able, to make a small daily offering of prayer for our church.
It is by God’s providence that our journey to our new parish home began on the first day of the Triodion period—that time of preparation for our Lord’s resurrection, which begins a few weeks before Lent and continues until Great and Holy Pascha. This season of increased prayer now comes with greater purpose!
Below is a story from St. George (Karslides) of Drama, a saint of the 20th Century. Like the widow’s mite, even an offering that appears small can be a great sacrifice for the giver. May we each find those great sacrifices that we can give—sacrifices which cause us temporary “pain” in this life, but bring about eternal blessings!
The Grandmother’s Few Greens
by St. George (Karslides) of Drama
A church was being built in a village and everyone helped as they could. Whoever had an animal used it to carry stones and those who were strong worked.
There was also a very poor grandmother in the village, who had nothing to give for the temple. Her soul ached for this, and as the animals carrying the stones passed by, she gathered grasses and threw them to the animals to eat to gain strength.
When the temple was finished, they consecrated it and wrote the bishop’s name on a plaque.
But the following happened: as soon as the bishop’s name was written and the plaque was placed, the next day they found his name erased and the grandmother’s name written.
This happened three times. Everyone wondered and called the grandmother. When she went to the temple, they asked her: “Grandma, what on earth did you do so that your name was written on the plaque, while we have engraved the name of the bishop?”
She replied, “Good? But what good can I do, my child, the poor thing?” But they persisted.
Then the grandmother thought and answered them: “I did nothing, my children. Only when I saw the animals carrying the stones for the temple, my soul burned because I could not offer anything, so I gathered grass and threw it to the animals.”
These few greens of the grandmother were such a great offering compared to the others’, because the offering was modest, humble and hidden.
