St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

St. John Orthodox Church

Prayer for Protection from Coronavirus

by

Dear Beloved in Christ,

God is with us! Here is a prayer which was written specifically for this present situation with the coronavirus.

Kalo Pascha!

In Christ,

Father Matthew

 

A PRAYER FOR THOSE THREATENED BY THE CORONAVIRUS
INSPIRED BY THE WORDS OF ELDER ZACHARIAS OF ESSEX

O God, we know that whatever You do with us, You do out of love, for you are a good God, a God of mercy and lovingkindness. You created us out of Your goodness in order to share Your life and even Your glory with us. And when we fell, You prepared a way for Your Son to come on earth, to humble Himself and to be united with our fallen nature, that we might be redeemed.

All of this You did out of Your goodness, which is boundless. You save us and are longsuffering towards us, waiting until we “come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and bring true repentance, so that we may be with You for all eternity. Likewise we know that with this same mercy and love You will receive us in the other life, and judge us with the same kindness and compassion.

Alas, nothing can harm us with such a God, Who allows all things out of His goodness! Help us, O God, in these perilous times, under the threat of a pandemic, to stay close to You; to trust in your goodness and providence; to continually offer up thanksgiving and prayers on behalf of all; and to keep Your word dwelling in our hearts, that it may become the language with which we speak to You. Strengthen us to continue earnestly in good deeds, fasting, love for our neighbor, and repentance, that through all of these things we might attract and actualize Your grace.

Grant that we may dedicate this time to prepare ourselves for our meeting with You, so that our departure may not occur unexpectedly and without Christian preparation. Give us grace daily not to succumb to fear or despair, but to be courageous and patient in the face of temptations and hardships. Enable us to see Your goodness in all that is happening now.

Nevertheless, we do pray that You would surround us with your holy Angels, so that we may be protected from this virus. Guard the physicians and all medical workers, so that they may diligently treat and heal those who are afflicted with this virus. If we become infected, give us faith to know that this is allowed by You: for You desire and work our salvation “at various times and in diverse manners” (Heb 1:1). Give us faith, therefore, to acknowledge that this virus may be a means through which You bring many to Yourself, and to repentance, and to harvest many ready souls for Your eternal Kingdom. May we be like those who surrender and entrust themselves to Your Providence, knowing that “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom 8:28).

To You be the glory, praise, honor and dominion, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

About Fr. Matthew Swehla

Father Matthew was born in Modesto, California. He grew up attending the Lutheran church, until his father, formerly a Lutheran pastor, became disillusioned by the direction of the national church and left the ministry. A few years later his family visited the Orthodox cathedral of St. John Maximovich in San Francisco—on a whim because of a Russian exchange student they were hosting—and began their journey to Orthodoxy. Father Matthew entered the Church, along with his immediate family, when he was 15 years old.

As a young college graduate, Fr. Matthew attended an Orthodox College Conference at St. Nicholas Ranch, where he renewed his acquaintance with, Annie Nieuwsma. The two knew right away that they were meant to be together and married in 2003.

After working in several professions—in journalism, restaurant fine dining, and commercial real estate development—Father Matthew was called to the priesthood. He entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2009, along with Presvytera Annie and their first three children. He received his M.Div. degree in May 2013. Fr. Matthew’s first parish assignment was St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on September 8, 2013 and served for four years as the second priest.

In 2017, Father Matthew was assigned as the proistamenos (presiding priest) of St. John the Baptist in Beaverton.

Father Matthew and Presvytera Annie have seven children: Dimas (married to Jessica), Débora (married to Nathaniel), Thomas, Peter, Nicholas, Joseph and Maria.