Beloved Faithful, It’s with a heavy heart that I write this month’s newsletter article. I’m very grateful to Fr. Matthew for asking me to take this issue to share some heartfelt thoughts with all of you. First, I can’t even begin to tell you how much all of you mean to Presvytera and I. From the day we arrived you welcomed us with open arms and showered us with love. You have cared for and supported us in countless ways over the years we’ve been with you. You exemplify what it means to be ... [Read more]
About Fr. Timothy Pavlatos
Humility is Essential for Prayer
The following words are from Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou of St. John the Baptist Monastery in Essex, England. He beautifully reminds us that when we pray, we must pray with a humble and contrite heart. Those who pray with a humble heart have recognized that their very life is a gift from God and that apart from God they are but earth and ashes. Realizing this truth their heart is full of gratitude, which in turn fills their entire being with even more humility. It is from this disposition ... [Read more]
Oh No! This Whole Fasting Thing Again
As we begin the season of Great Lent, one of the most common discussions I have with parishioners and spiritual children has to do with the dietary aspect of fasting. People want to know how they should fast, and typically, they will give reasons as to why they can't adhere to certain dietary rules. They already know what they can and can't do based on their limitations, but for some reason they still want to have the conversation. Some individuals are unable to follow all the rules due to ... [Read more]
The Gift of Christ
Once again, the season of the Nativity of Christ is upon us. We find ourselves on a familiar path that will ultimately lead us to the cave where our Savior is born. With His Mother, accompanied by Joseph her betrothed, the shepherds, the wise men, the animals and the angelic hosts, we all gaze, awestruck, by what we see before our very eyes: God, no longer the invisible deity, but among us, in the flesh as an infant. Our familiarity with this great feast day can easily diminish the proper ... [Read more]
Struggle in Prayer
How often we experience a real struggle in offering heartfelt prayers to God. How often we say words as we attempt to pray and wonder if they even ascend above the very roof of our home. Though we offer our prayers with good intention, we may not always leave feeling as though we’ve connected with God. We wonder if maybe we’re not doing something right. What we are experiencing is a dissension between the spirit, which is willing, and the flesh, which is either more interested in staying ... [Read more]
Did Mary Sing Lullabies to Jesus?
Dear beloved parishioners, Some of you will remember Dn. Stephen Muse who came to our parish two years ago to conduct a marriage retreat for our community. As we enter the summer months, we can already set our eyes on the next great feast day of the Orthodox Church, the Dormition of the Theotokos. In light of that, I asked for Dn. Stephen’s permission to repurpose for this combined summer newsletter a beautiful article he recently wrote. Enjoy! ~Fr. Timothy Pavlatos Did Mary Sing ... [Read more]
Fast and Pray In Love
On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Fr. Theodore spoke about Orthodox Praxis in his homily. Drawing the distinction between Theoria (theory) and Praxis (practice) is important. Theoria is tied to Theology, the teachings of the Church. Praxis, on the one hand, is associated with worship, and on the other hand, is connected with “living rightly,” day to day as an Orthodox Christian. In the New Testament, we read of the teachings of the Lord. We also see in the N.T examples given by our Lord ... [Read more]
Blessings to Begin the New Year
At the beginning of each calendar year, the Orthodox Church observes an historical event that impacted all of creation for all time, the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. After thirty years of life, and just prior to His public ministry, Jesus descended into the Jordan river to sanctify it, and, by extension, all of creation. Unlike all of humanity, which needed to be born from above through the waters of baptism, Jesus had no need to be cleansed and sanctified. He is life and ... [Read more]
A Call to Step Up and Reach Out
What a blessing it was for our community, for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and for Orthodoxy as a whole in the United States to host the first ever Mission & Evangelism Conference, “Bringing Orthodoxy to America”! As one person said, “It’s about time.”, and what a powerful gathering it was. Some of the top Mission and Evangelism personalities were invited to speak on the most essential topics of Church planting and Church growth. For those of you who were not able to attend, I invite you ... [Read more]
A Time to Transition
September is a month of transitioning from the close of some things and the beginning of others. We transition from summer to fall, from vacations to putting our nose to the grindstone, and from kids having time off to beginning a new school year. There are often mixed emotions regarding these. Some people are sad to see the sunny, warm days fade away. Others would love to have more vacation time visiting family and friends and most children are not eager to start another school year. As things ... [Read more]
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