“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) “Who will God send through our doors today?”—I sometimes ask myself. These days it seems that God is drawing more and more people to His Holy Church. Almost every Sunday I see a brand-new face or two: wide-eyed, curious, and awe-stricken. (Many of you can remember the experience of your own first visit.) They just keep streaming in, feeling battered by the struggles of life; abandoned or alienated by ... [Read more]

There are many rich stories in the Gospels about our call to attend to the poor. Those of us who were raised in Christian homes have grown up with an image of Lazarus at the gate of the rich man. (Luke 16:19-31) We know of Christ’s imperative to care for those in need and oftentimes this inspires us to give our money to charitable organizations, to the homeless, or to ministries in the Church. Today I would like to repaint the “poor man” at our gate. Instead of one who is lacking food and ... [Read more]

“Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Dear Beloved in Christ, Each liturgical year begins and ends with a feast of the Theotokos. Last month we celebrated her falling asleep (August 15). This month—as we begin the new year on September 1—we celebrate her nativity (September 8). The entire story of our salvation through Jesus Christ is told within the lifespan of the Theotokos. On the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel came to Mary and announced the good news of God’s ... [Read more]

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18) God is with us. He is here present in each breath of our lives, present in our interactions with others, present in the ebb and flow of the cycle of seasons, present in all of His Creation. “God is with us” – a refrain from a hymn sung during the Great Compline Service of Lent. In a world where so much darkness lurks, where tragedy and pain are interwoven within our lives, where the devil “walks about like a roaring lion, ... [Read more]

My Beloved Brothers and Sisters: CHRIST IS RISEN!!! Do you understand what has occurred? Do you know what has just taken place? Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! He has passed over from death to life (Pascha is Greek for Passover.) His resurrection is the beginning and the end of all things. Nothing else—NOTHING!—has any relevance at all, except as it relates to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Pascha is everything. God has saved us from death by dying for us and raising ... [Read more]

Let us now strive more, my children, and the benefits will be great. No one finds grace without toil. If the farmer does not farm his field, he will not see the results. When our fasting coexists, is strengthened, and is encompassed with prayer, with contemplation, with watchfulness, with church attendance, with Confession, with Holy Communion, with good works and almsgiving, then is fulfilled the beauty of the soul’s preparation for the reception of Holy Week. Then we feel the holy and ... [Read more]

My Dear Beloved in Christ, The blessed and arduous season of Great Lent is upon us. It is indeed a difficult time, one which we look to with trepidation (and maybe even dread). Our daily lives feel like swimming in a storm-tossed ocean of burdens and stresses, worries and anxieties, and at times we are drowning amidst the swirling waves. A brief moment on the top of a wave—where a broader view comes in sight—is followed by a return to the depths where we remain, struggling to keep our head ... [Read more]

“Lord, sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house.” (Prayer of the Second Antiphon from the Divine Liturgy) A MOMENTOUS YEAR—BEHIND AND AHEAD This has been a remarkably challenging year. Never could we have imagined the events that took place these past twelve months—so much turmoil and uncertainty and change. Yet we must continue to hold firm to our trust in God’s providence. Just as He has carried us through these dark days, He will also guide us forward as we enter 2021. This ... [Read more]

Dear Beloved in Christ, Yesterday we celebrated the great feast of Transfiguration. What a joy to see so many of you there for the feast! We blessed the grapes, as is traditional on this feast, signifying our thankfulness to God for His providence in the bounty within our lives—especially the foods we eat. Transfiguration is a feast of light. The Son of God reveals Himself to His disciples (“as much as they could bear,” according to the Apolytikion hymn), and they are so swept away that ... [Read more]