Category: Pastoral Letters

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with great joy that I announce the appointment of Mrs. Sophia Hennen as St. Anna’s first Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Sophie brings an incredible wealth of youth work, spiritual development, education, and enthusiasm to her new position, and I am thrilled to begin working with her in a more formal setting. Already deeply involved in many aspects of life here at St. Anna, Sophie’s involvement with our children and young adults will just be an extension of her life dedicated to her service of Christ. 

Sophie, her husband, Caleb and their six children, Elsie, Elin, Adelade, Gwendeline, Eva and Michael are active and vibrant members of our parish family and have captured our hearts since coming to the parish. Sophie, along with their older daughters sing in the choir, while Caleb plays the organ as we recess from church. In her former religious tradition, Sophie held many responsible positions in youth ministry and children’s religious education. However, I believe that being the mom of six young children, being raised in a vibrant Orthodox Christian home is experience enough! Everything else is icing on the cake.

In congratulating, thanking, and welcoming Sophie, I would also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who applied for the position. The other candidates all had unique and distinguishable talents that would have warranted their hire, and I am deeply appreciative for the demonstrated interested in bringing our children and young adults closer to Christ, His Church, and to each other. 

Sophie will be coordinating efforts between our JOY, GOYA, YAL, Sunday School, Local Retreats, Vacation Bible School, Oratorical Festival, Camp Emmanuel, Metropolis Basketball Tournament, University of Utah Campus Ministry, and Altar Boys – working with the fine volunteers who are in charge of these programs at the local level.

She will be engaged in the collective vision of youth and young adult ministry, organizing their calendar of events, developing programs, and identifying the:

fun, cool, exciting, and awesome ways that our young people can know, love, serve and celebrate Christ.  

Please, everyone, join me in praying for her strength, energy and patience. And most especially, pray for the young people whom she will serve, together with their parents and families.

We are incredibly blessed that she made herself available to answer this calling. Again, Congratulations, and God Bless Sophie! I remain,

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Praying you are all well, I am so thankful to greet you in the lingering glow of Holy Pentecost. The Spirit has been sent. The Trinity is fully experienced. The presence of God shall never again be removed, hidden, concealed or separated from us. Glory to God for His generosity toward us and for His love for us; those which endure forever.

Last Sunday, we enjoyed the reading of the Kneeling Prayers – those declarative celebrations of the presence of the Holy Spirit, recited at the Vespers for the Monday of the Holy Spirit. During those three, prayers, we, as is the custom, knelt in the church in awe of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

On Sunday mornings, during the Epclisis Prayers of the Divine Liturgy, the time when we, in humility and anticipation, call upon the Holy Spirit to transform our bread and wine offering into the precious Body and Blood of the Christ, we are accustomed to kneeling. This is precisely why we placed the little black kneeling pads in the book racks of the nave. This is why Greek Orthodox churches throughout this country, have kneelers on the backs of pews, so they can be dropped down and knelt upon during this time of the Divine Liturgy. This has been the generally accepted practice in our Archdiocese since the 1950’s.

My beloved in the Lord, I do not need to tell you that from an Orthodox Christian perspective of time passage, the 1950’s is as if a half hour has passed. Though this has been the practice for a couple generations here in America, it does not mean that it was a correct practice. Last month, His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver sent a directive to the priests of the Metropolis instructing us that we return to the canonical and historic practice of standing during this part of the Divine Liturgy.

Here is some historical context:

Standing during the Epiclisis was first formally discussed at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea – May 325 AD. With nearly 300 hierarchs and clergy present, and in the presence of Emperor Constantine, this is where it was affirmed in the beginning stages.  

Canon 20 of the First Council of Nicaea

Forasmuch as there are certain persons who kneel on the Lord’s Day and in the days of Pentecost, therefore, to the intent that all things may be uniformly observed everywhere, it seems good to the holy Synod that prayer be made to God standing

To reaffirm this, it was again addressed in the 7^th century by Paul III of Constantinople and in the presence of Emperor Justinian II, with around 200 hierarchs and clergy present.

Canon 90 of the Quinisext Council (Trullo, 692)

We have received it canonically from our God-bearing Fathers not to bend the knee on Sundays.  Therefore, after entering the holy altar on Saturday evening, at the beginning of the Lord’s Day, we offer our prayers to God standing, until Sunday evening.

Here is some practical context:

When I look back on the innocent spiritual development of my youth, my first memories of sacred church music are while I was kneeling in the church, on Sundays. With my head buried in my arms, I would look forward to the choir soloist, our own Billy Poulos, singing the crowing apex of the hymn. I couldn’t see her. I was a little kid, so I didn’t know her. I did not need to see or know her, I attentively listened to her while offering my prayers to God, thanking him for “making Communion,” as I was instructed to do. 

So, I realize that our young tradition of kneeling on Sunday mornings is baked into many of our spiritual experiences. This might be a difficult adjustment for some. It will be a barely noticeable detail for many. Regardless of our innocent indifference, or our hard-wired desire to kneel down in prayer, His Eminence has asked us (well, more like instructed us) to make this change and return to what was intended since the early 4th century. 

And so that I’m clear, the kneeling pads will remain in the church. We are still encouraged to kneel in prayer during WEEKDAY LITURGIES. This entire discussion concerns Sunday Morning only. 

To be honest, while this may seem like an unimportant detail, hardly worth the effort of disrupting our local traditions or confusing the Faithful, I support and applaud the efforts of His Eminence to reintroduce consistency and uniformity within the liturgical practices of our sacred Metropolis. When it comes to our salvation, there are no details that are unimportant or practices that are vague. We will get used to this together.

Lastly, please know that I am not going to interrupt the Divine Liturgy by making any real-time announcements concerning kneeling/not kneeling. I hope that our people will read this, respond accordingly, and that this transition will be made smoothly and naturally. I remain,

With Love in XC,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Monday, we commemorate Memorial Day, the day in which we set aside time to honor those who have passed – through military service to our nation, through the sacrificial work of first responders, and of course, we include those whom we love and have lost.

As Orthodox Christians, part of our natural worship experience includes memorializing those who have gone before us. We do this at prescribed times, marking the anniversaries of those who entered into their glory.

To prepare for the coming of Memorial Day, please reference the following service – the actual verbiage from the Memorial Service. I pray it brings you peace and comfort, thinking about, and praying for your loved ones as you read these prayers.

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.

The choir of Saints has found the fountain of life and the door of Paradise. May I also find the way through repentance. I am the lost sheep: O Savior, call me back and save me. 

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.

 Of old, You created me from nothing and honored me with Your divine image. But when I disobeyed Your commandment, You returned me to the earth from which I was taken. Lead me back again to Your likeness, so that the ancient beauty may be refashioned.

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.

I am an image of Your ineffable glory, though I bear the scars of my transgressions. Take pity on me, the work of Your hands, Master, and cleanse me by Your compassion. Grant me the desired homeland for which I long, making me again a citizen of Paradise.

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.

Give rest, O God, to Your servant(s), and place him (her, them) in Paradise where the choirs of the Saints and the righteous, O Lord, will shine as the stars of heaven. To Your departed servant(s) give rest, O Lord, overlooking all his (her, their) offenses.

People: Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Let us devoutly praise the threefold radiance of the one God as we sing: Holy are You, the Father without beginning, the co-eternal Son, and the divine Spirit. Illumine us who worship You in faith and deliver us from the eternal fire.

People: Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, gracious Lady, who gave birth to God in the flesh for the salvation of all, and through whom the human race has found salvation. Through you, pure and blessed Theotokos, may we find Paradise.

People: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to You O God. (3)

Tone Eight

People: With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul(s) of Your servant(s) where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting.

Tone Four

People: Among the spirits of the righteous perfected in faith, give rest, O Savior, to the soul(s) of Your servant, keeping it (them) in the blessed life which is from You, O loving One.

People: In your place of rest, O Lord, where all Your saints repose, give rest also to the soul of Your servant, for You alone are immortal.

People: Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

People: You are our God who descended into Hades and loosened the pains of those who were held captive. Grant rest also, O Savior, to the soul of Your servant.

Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

You the only pure and spotless Virgin, who ineffably gave birth to God, intercede for mercy and forgiveness of the soul of your servant(s).

Priest: Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.

People: Lord, have mercy. (3)

Priest: Again we pray for the repose of the soul(s) of the departed servant(s) of God (Name) and for the forgiveness of all his (her, their) sins, both voluntary and involuntary.

People: Lord, have mercy. (3)

Priest: May the Lord God grant his (her, their) soul(s) rest where the righteous repose. For the mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the forgiveness of his (her, their) sins. 

People: Grant this, O Lord.

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O God of spirits and of all flesh, You trampled upon death and abolished the power of the devil, giving life to Your world. Give rest to the soul(s) of Your departed servant(s) (Name) in a place of light, in a place of green pasture, in a place of refreshment, from where pain, sorrow, and sighing have fled away. As a good and loving God, forgive every sin he (she, they) has (have) committed in word, deed, or thought, for there is no one who lives and does not sin. You alone are without sin. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your word is truth.

Priest: For You are the resurrection, the life, and the repose of Your departed servant(s) (Name), Christ our God, and to You we offer glory, with Your eternal Father who is without beginning and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

The Dismissal

Priest: Glory to You, O God, our hope, glory to You.

Lord of the living and the dead, the immortal King and Risen Christ, our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and spotless holy Mother; of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy Apostles; of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers; of the holy and glorious forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; of His holy and righteous friend Lazaros, who lay in the grave four days; and of all the saints; place the soul(s) of His servant(s) (Name), departed from us, in the dwelling place of the righteous; give rest to him (her, them) in the bosom of Abraham; and number him (her, them) among the saints and have mercy on us, as a good God who loves mankind.

People: Amen.

Priest: May your memory be eternal, brother worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)

For Women

Priest: May your memory be eternal, sister worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)

For Many

Priest: May their memories be eternal, sisters and brothers worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)

People: Eternal be his (her, their) memory. Eternal be his (her, their) memory. May his (her, their) memory be eternal. (3)

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us.

People: Amen.

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

This Sunday is the Sunday of the Blind Man. Jesus does not restore his sight, but rather, gives it to him for the first time in his life. Living in darkness, marginalized from society, separated from his family, and finally finding hope, he encounters the Savior. The Christ. 

At the end of Chapter 8 in Gospel of Saint John, the Savior was disputing with the Pharisees in the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. He told them, “Your father Abraham was glad that he should see my day; and he saw it and rejoiced” (John 8:56). The Jews said that Jesus was not even fifty years old, so how could He claim to have seen Abraham? The Lord replied, “Before Abraham was, I am.” I am, of course, is the name that God revealed to Moses in the Burning Bush. When the Jews picked up stones to throw at Him, He hid Himself and went out of the Temple.

We read in SaInt John’s Gospel (9:1-38): “As He passed by, he saw a man who was blind from birth.” It might appear that Jesus was on His way to something or someone else, but in his Commentary on the Gospel of Saint John, the ever-memorable Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas, quotes from Homily LVI of Saint John Chrysostom: “that on going out of the Temple, He proceeded intentionally to the work, is clear from this: it was He who saw the blind man, and not the blind man who came to Him….”

Christ’s disciples asked Him who had sinned, the blind man or his parents that he had been born blind. Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God might be manifested in him” (John 9:3). It was thought that a person who had some affliction must have sinned (or his parents did) to deserve such punishment. In the Book of Exodus (20:5), God said that he would visit “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” This, however, applied to the sin of idolatry, if the children emulated their parents’ behavior.

The blind man was not born blind just so the miracle could be performed, but seeing the man in such a condition, the Lord decided to use him in a way that would manifest God’s glory. He Who is the Light of the world healed the blind man and enlightened him. Giving sight to the blind was one of the signs which would identify the Messiah (Matthew 11:4-6).

The Lord made clay when He spat on the ground and placed it in the man’s empty eye sockets and sent him to the pool of Siloam to wash. Most versions of the Gospels translate the word επεθηκεν as “anointed,” but it can also mean “to spread on,” or “to smear.” Siloam means “sent,” and in Saint John’s Gospel Christ says about forty times that He Himself had been sent by the Father.”

This manner of healing reminds us of the way God created man by fashioning him from the dust of the earth. In the Old Testament God created man from the dust of the earth, now Christ, the same God, fashions eyes from the clay and places them in the blind man’s empty sockets. At reading of the Oikos of this Sunday’s Matins, we hear “He receives physical eyes as well as those of the soul.” In the Verses of the Synaxarion: O Bestower of light. Who are Light coming forth from Light; You gave eyes to the man who was blind from birth, O Word.”

Jesus tests the faith of the blind man by sending him to the Pool of Siloam (which means “sent”). He respects the man’s freedom but asks for his voluntary and free participation in the miracle. The blind man, with faith, obeys God’s command. He goes and washes in the pool, and he returns seeing.

The former blind man’s life was not made easier, however. He becomes the object of the Scribes’ and Pharisees’ evil and hatred, those who believed in God and in the observance of His Law. They themselves were blind, yet they were suspicious of the formerly blind man, imagining that he only pretended to be blind and now was able to see. 

They questioned the man who was blind, but when they see the miracle before their eyes, instead of believing, they shut the eyes of their souls. Then the man’s parents were questioned. They were afraid to confirm the miracle that happened to their son who was born blind, because they did not want to be expelled from the synagogue. They tried to avoid trouble by concealing the truth. Therefore, they said, “He is of age, ask him!”

We who receive benefits from God every day are ashamed or afraid to confess God because of our lack of trust. We put our own interests above God, knowing that He will understand us! He will understand us, but He will also see our faith and what priorities we have in our lives. Christ will see what “gods” we have put in His place, but He will not cease to remind us that He is the light of the world.

The blind man was healed, not only in the eyes of his body but eventually in his soul as well. He recognizes Jesus as God, and does not hesitate to confess it before the religious rulers with courage that many of us would envy. Faith alone is not enough; we also need to confess our faith in order to become genuine children of God. When we confess Christ before men, He will confess us before His Father, as the Lord has promised us: “Everyone who shall confess me before men, I also shall confess him before my Father who is in Heaven; and whoever denies me before men I also will deny him before my Father who is in Heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

 With Love in our Risen Lord,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

“O Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ our God, the Source of life and immortality, I thank you, for blessing me with the gift of children.

I thank you and I pray: Bless these fruits of my body; favor them and animate them by your Holy Spirit, and let them grow healthy and pure bodies. Sanctify their bodies, minds, and hearts, and grant them intelligent souls.

Vouchsafe faithful angels, guardians of soul and body. Protect, keep, strengthen, and shelter these children until the hour of their death.

O Lord Jesus Christ to you I entrust my children. Through your Holy Spirit sanctify them so that they may be communicants of your Heavenly Kingdom. Amen.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we approach this Sunday, our national observation of Mother’s Day, I invite you to meditate upon the above prayer. Chances are, many of you may have never read this prayer, or especially have not recited it. There are many prayers of the Church that are universal in scope. They encompass the needs of the world. General petitions. Prayers which cast a wide net in an appeal before our Creator. 

But some prayers are deeply intimate. Exceedingly personal. Prayers that saturate our every being even before the words leave our lips. We exist within the balance between the anticipation of an answered prayer, and the fear that we are not worthy to ask for specifics. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is communication with God. Conversations with the saints.  Prayer is the lifeblood of a Christian existence.  Of course, prayer should never be self-centered. Refer, once again, to the above prayer.

The prayer of an expecting mother is among the most self-emptying of anything we can offer God through our words. Every syllable that comes from the prayerful breath of a pregnant woman is, by nature, the most selfless prayer that can be offered. Her sacrifice is unparalleled. That which grows within her is fused to her soul and dependent on her to the molecular level. As the baby grows, so does the mother. As the child is nourished, Mom is depleted. When that which is in the womb is distressed, the mother feels it as soon as, if not before the baby. 

The glory, dignity, pain, and celebration of motherhood are, simply defined, through inexhaustible love and self-sacrifice. Only a mother can read the words of this prayer, and feel the words, literally moving inside of them. Only a mother can literally identify with God’s act of creation. Only a mother can pray on behalf of another, while simultaneously praying for herself. 

This is a great mystery. This is a fantastic gift. This is the ministry of the Theotokos and role of every mother. Even the saint commemorated on this the 5th Sunday of Pascha, St. Photine, the Samaritan Woman at the Well was eventually and ultimately martyred together with her children. In gestation, in birth, in life, and even, at times in glorification, mother and child are connected physically, spiritually, experientially and emotionally.  

I pray that all of our precious moms will enjoy a day of recognition, appreciation, and celebration. For those who have or have had an incredible mother in your life, please give thanks to the Lord for her every day. Maybe your mother could not live up to such ideals and is/was a continual disappointment. I pray that the Mother of God, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary will fill that void and exceed every want. She is the Mother to us all. She does not disappoint. She does not turn away.  If your mom is no longer with us in this world, have comfort knowing that she continues to pray for you in the glory of the Resurrection.

And to the moms, themselves. Thank you. Bless you. May God always protect you.   

With Love and Respect in our Risen Lord, 

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

I pray you are well as we continue to celebrate the joy of Christ’s Holy Resurrection. As we have moved past the Sunday themes that are directly related to Christ’s Resurrection, Itself, the Church now makes the transition into teaching us lessons on the fruits of His life-giving miracle. 

On the Fourth Sunday of Pascha, the Church remembers the man who lay paralyzed at the Sheep Pool in Jerusalem for thirty-eight years, waiting for someone to put him into the pool. The first person to enter the pool after an Angel troubled the water would be healed of his infirmities, but someone always entered the pool before him. Seeing the man, the Lord felt compassion for him and healed him.

Many miracles in the Old Testament involve water. To name but a few, the water of the Nile turned to blood after Moses lifted his rod and struck the water before Pharaoh and His servants (Exodus 7:20). Not only was the Nile turned to blood, but also “their rivers, their canals, their ponds, and all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone” (Exodus 7:19).

In chapter 14 of Exodus, Moses divided the waters of the Red Sea, and the Hebrews passed over as if on dry land. When they were safely across, the waters came together, and their Egyptian pursuers were drowned.

On their forty year journey to the Promised Land, the Hebrews camped at Rephidem, but there was no water for them to drink. The people murmured against Moses, asking him why he had led them out of Egypt. God told Moses to strike the rock at Horeb. Then water came out of it so that everyone could drink (Exodus 17:6).

In Judges 6:36-40 we read about Gideon and the dew on the fleece. When Gideon squeezed the fleece, there was enough to fill a bowl with water.

The Lord healed the paralytic during the days of the Passover, when He had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast, and He remained there teaching and working miracles. According to Saint John the Theologian, this miracle took place on the Sabbath.

Like some Old Testament miracles, many of Christ’s miracles also involved water, and they prefigure the Church’s Baptism, which cleanses us of every sin. In the Sheep Pool, once a year, only one person was healed, but Christ saves endless multitudes by divine Baptism. Sometimes, as in the case of Saint Vladimir (July 15), Baptism can also heal our bodily infirmities.

In the Canon for the Paralytic, the Angel who stirred the water in the Sheep Pool is identified as the Archangel Michael. Some of the Troparia call him “Leader of the Angels,” and “Supreme Commander” (Ode 1). In Ode 3 we ask him to “protect us from falling into the passions of life.” In Ode 6, we ask Saint Michael to guide us on the paths of life.” In Ode 8, we ask him to pray with all the Bodiless Hosts, that we may be granted deliverance from our offenses, correction of our life, and the enjoyment of eternal blessings.

As we remember the paralytic, let us ask Christ to “raise up our souls, paralyzed by sins and thoughtless acts” (Kontakion of the paralytic).

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!

What a blessing it is to greet and communicate with you in the absolute joy of the Resurrection. I am so grateful for all of the leaders, volunteers, and brother clergy who worked so hard to bring dignity to our Lenten services, solemnity to our Holy Week experiences, and lavish elation to the commemoration and celebration of Pascha.

Now that things are beginning to normalize a bit, I’d like to call your attention to some important aspects of our worship. Our time together within the holy sanctuary that is our St. Anna church, is our introduction to, and experience of a heavenly eternity. As a people, we are as we worship. I’d like to share some reminders and introduce you to some directives that have come to us from His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver.

As for the reminders: as you see and experience each and every Sunday, we can get quite crowded. This is a good thing. And the reality is that we do have room for everyone. It just takes some patience and awareness on all our parts.

Whether you are a couple, or a family, please be courteous of fellow worshippers and use only one chair per person. Don’t spread out, save seats or not allow people to take seats around you. Please, move to the center of the church and keep the outside seats available to people who come in after you. It just takes a bit of perception and courtesy to make room for everyone.

Hey, remember that we are “congregational singing church?” We are! Please, I want to hear you all singing out and following along with the choir, especially in the common parts that repeat. We chose our specific hymnal because it makes it possible for people in the congregation to sing along with the choir. Don’t be shy. Sing your praises on high!

I ask this personally. I love the fact that we have so many children, especially babies and toddlers in church. You know I am an absolute advocate for our families worshipping together. Baby sounds and even upset-baby sounds are normal, and within reason, are quite acceptable. But especially during the reading of the Epistle and Gospel, and during the Sermon, please, if your child is getting really fussy and getting very loud, the considerate thing to do is to quietly go into the lobby for a while where you can still hear everything in the overflow space. Come back in when things have quieted down. It is very difficult to concentrate and speak when in competition with a little person who does not know any better and can’t control him or herself.

Hey, another reminder: the andidoro, or blessed bread that we receive, either following Communion or by the hand of the priest as we depart from Liturgy is blessed. There should be no crumbs on the ground following worship. Please, reverently cup it in your hands, consume the blessed bread, and try not to allow any portion of it to fall to the ground. It may be a small gift, but it is not an insignificant one.

More ushering stuff – and maybe I have already, sort of mentioned it. I am working with the ushers to be, and I have to admit, this has been my instruction, to be “pleasantly aggressive.” I know, that sounds worse than my intended desire. When an usher comes to a row with one or a couple of people that need to be seated, and there are seats available on that row, but you are already standing in those spaces, please move to the center of the church, rather than having people feel badly that they showed up and have to climb over you. It really is so much easier to just slide over. We all leave at around the same time anyway.

Please do not let young kids climb in, on or around the Baptismal Font. I am in the process of designing a cover that will go over the top of it, but still, those few stairs can be dangerous. And the adult Baptismal Font is a sacred church object, not a jungle gym. Please be mindful of its intended purpose.

Also, if you see anyone saving spaces, allowing their child to scream or jump off the Baptismal Font, please also refrain from nasty comments or dirty looks. We are all here together, for the glory of God and in celebration of His love for us. Let’s keep it chill. Love on another.

As we are crowded during Sunday worship, if for any reason you need to stand in the back row, please refrain from leaning back against the wall. In the very near future, all walls will be covered with iconography. And it’s not like they aren’t designed to be in an active space. The paint is durable and can stand up to a normal amount of co-existence with people. But leaning back on the sacred images is not normal wear and tear. Let’s be aware of the space around us.

Did I mention you are all invited to sing with the choir? I did? I did. So again, feel free to sing!

Once the Resurrection season has completed, we are accustomed to resume the practice of kneeling at the Epiklesis, or the time of the Liturgy when we call upon the Holy Spirt to descend and transform the bread and wine offering into the Body and Blood of Christ. I will get into the historic and theological reasons at another time. But, His Eminence has instructed us that we will be returning to a more ancient, and yes, the more correct practice of not kneeling in the church on Sundays. Again, I will take the time to educate us all on the practice later on. But for now, please be aware that this is coming. To people more new to the Faith, perhaps you have read about Sunday kneeling. If you are 90 years old and grew up in a Greek Orthodox parish in the United States, chances are, that is the only practice you have ever known. His Eminence desires to bring our Metropolis into unity with best practices and proper traditions.

He has also instructed us to have non-Orthodox worshippers and Catechumens receive blessings as we depart from the Liturgy rather than in lines for Communion. Again, best practices and commonality within the Church.

Please enter the church during worship at the appointed times and follow the instructions of the parish council and ushers in the narthex. Exiting the church sort of goes by the same guidelines, but I understand that needing to leave for a minute is not as predictable and scripted as when we enter. Please, just limit the movement as much as possible for the sake of the focus of fellow worshippers.

Please, my beloved in the Lord, take these requests as they are intended; to make our worship experience as smooth as possible. All to God’s glory. I remain,

With Love in our Risen Lord,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

Χριστός Ανέστη!

Αληθώς Ανέστη!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Orthodox Christians, the Lord’s Prayer is more than a passage of Scripture. It literally amounts to the instructions of Christ, Himself, teaching us how to address God in prayer. It is recited in unison at nearly every Orthodox Divine Service or Sacrament. And also, while praying at home, as the nucleus of the Trisagion, the Lord’s Prayer is a common link between private prayers of devotion and prayers and worshipping with fellow Christians in church. 

At St. Anna, during the Sunday Divine Liturgy, we are accustomed to reciting the Lord’s Prayer now in six different languages. English, Greek, Spanish, Slavonic, Arabic and Portuguese are the languages commonly used to express the Lord’s Prayer during corporate worship. I invite everyone who knows any of these languages to join in. The person in front with the microphone is not lecturing or performing. They are not there to simply represent themselves. Please, join them in enthusiastically proclaiming the Lord’s Prayer. 

I also invite you to contact me if you are interested in adding a language that is representative of your cultural identity. It’s not an open mic session, and is part of our local worship experience, so I do need to know if a language is added beforehand. And primarily, if anyone is able to participate using American Sign Language (ASL) that would be greatly appreciated. Please get ahold of me if you are so compelled. 

Since the use of the Lord’s Prayer is so central to our personal and public spiritual lives, please read the following excerpt from the renowned Fr. Thomas Hopko. I trust that you will find a greater appreciation for the words of the Lord’s Prayer after his inspirational explanation.   

When teaching men to pray, Christ said,

Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil(Mt 6.9–13, cf. Lk 11.2–4).

This is the usual translation of the prayer used in the Orthodox Church. It begins with a petition to God as “our Father.” There was no such prayer before this teaching of Christ. The Old Testament people did not address God as “Abba: Father” (Rom 8.15, Gal 4.6). This name of “Father” for God is given by Christ, the divine Son of God. Men can dare, “with boldness and without condemnation” to call upon the “heavenly God” with the name of “Father” only when they are made worthy to do so by Christ (cf. Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom). In the early church the prayer “Our Father” was taught only to the baptized members of the church.

The statement that the Father is “in heaven,” or literally “in the heavens,” means that He is everywhere and over all things. The heavens are over all and encompass all. Wherever man goes on the earth or in the air, or even in space, the heavens are around him and over him. To say that the Father is “in the heavens” means that He is not tied down or limited to any one location—as were the gods of the heathens. The heavenly God is the “God of gods” (Deut 10.17, 2 Chron 2.5), the “Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Eph 4.5), the one in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17.28). To say that God is “in heaven” is not to place Him somewhere; it is rather to say that He transcends all things and yet is present to all.

“Hallowed be Thy name” means that God’s name is holy and should be treated with respect and devotion. In the old covenant it was the custom of the Jews never to say the sacred name of God: Yahweh, the I AM (cf. Ex 3.13–15). This was to guard against defilement of the divine name, and to safeguard against transgressing the commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Ex 20.7).

In the New Testament, God gives Jesus the “name which is above every name” (Phil 2.9) and in making the name of the Father holy, Christians do so in the name of His Son.

“Thy Kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer is first of all the prayer for the end of the ages. Christians want the world to end so that God’s Kingdom would fill all creation with divine glory and life. “Come Lord Jesus; Marantha!” is the prayer of the faithful, the last prayer of the Scriptures (Rev 22.20, cf. 1 Cor 16.22). It is the calling for the final appearance of the Lord.

In the spiritual tradition of the Church, the prayer “Thy Kingdom come” has also been understood as an invocation of the Holy Spirit to dwell in God’s people. In his commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, Saint Gregory of Nyssa says that there was another reading for this petition which said “Thy Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us.” Thus he says, following the scriptures, that the presence of the Holy Spirit in man is the presence of Christ and the Kingdom of God.

For the Kingdom of God is . . . righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit(Rom 14.17).

. . . it is God who establishes us with you in Christ . . . He has put His seal upon us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee(2 Cor 1.22).

In Him . . . you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of His glory.

. . . do not grieve the Holy Spirit in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption(Eph 1.13–14, 4.30).

The seal of the Holy Spirit on men’s hearts is the pledge and guarantee of the Kingdom of God still to come in all power and glory. In the prayer “Thy Kingdom come,” believers in Jesus ask that the Kingdom of God “not coming in external signs of observation” for the faithless to behold, might dwell powerfully and secretly within the faithful (cf. Lk 17.20–21).

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is the center of the Lord’s Prayer, the central desire of Christians. The whole purpose of prayer, the very purpose of man’s life, is to do the will of God. This is what Jesus prayed and did (cf. Mt 26.42). And this is what His followers must pray and do. There is but one purpose of prayer, say the spiritual teachers, to keep God’s commandments so as not to sin, thus leading to deification and divine sonship with Christ.

The only thing that God demands of us mortals is that we do not sin. But this . . . is merely keeping inviolate the image and rank we possess by nature. Clothed thus in the radiant garment of the Spirit, we abide in God and He in us; through grace we become gods and sons of God and are illumined by the light of His knowledge . . .(Saint Simeon the New Theologian, 10th c.,Practical and Theological Precepts).

To pray “Thy will be done” according to the spiritual teachers, is a daring and dangerous act. This is so, first of all, because when one makes this prayer, he must be ready, like Christ, to follow where it leads. God will answer this prayer, and make known His will. The person who prays must be ready to obey, whatever the consequences. When asked why many Christians are frustrated and irritated, grouchy and mean, and sometimes even somewhat “unbalanced,” one spiritual teacher responded that the reason is clear. They pray “Thy will be done,” and continue daily to do so, while at the same time they resist God’s will in their lives and so are always ill at ease. Then they begin to justify their attitudes and actions, to explain and to rationalize their behavior, before their own consciences and others. A person in such as state can never be at peace, for “it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Heb 10.31).

The second reason why it is said that the prayer “Thy will be done”—and prayer generally—is daring and dangerous is because the devil ferociously attacks the person who prays. Indeed one of the greatest proofs of demonic temptation, and the reality and power of the devil, is to be fervent in prayer. For the devil wants nothing so much as for man to fail to accomplish the will of God which is the purpose of all prayer.

If you strive after prayer, prepare yourself for diabolical suggestions and bear patiently their onslaughts; for they will attack you like wild beasts . . . Try as much as possible to be humble and courageous . . . He who endures will be granted great joy(Saint Nilus of Sinai, 5th c.,Texts on Prayer).

The prayer for our “daily bread” is normally understood to signify generally all of our bodily needs and whatever we require to sustain our lives in this world. In the spiritual tradition however, this petition, because it literally says our “essential” or “super-essential” bread, is often understood in the spiritual sense to mean the nourishment of our souls by the Word of God, Jesus Christ who is the “Bread of Life;” the “Bread of God which has come down from heaven and given life to the world” (Jn 6.33–36); the bread which “a man may eat of it and not die,” but “live forever” (Jn 6.50–51). Thus the prayer for “daily bread” becomes the petition for daily spiritual nourishment through abiding communion with Christ so that one might live perpetually with God.

The prayer “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” has been especially emphasized by the Lord.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Mt 6.14–15).

This is the point of Christ’s parable about the unforgiving servant (Mt 18.23–35). All men need the forgiveness of God and must pray for it. All men are indebted to God for everything, and fail to offer the thanksgiving and praise and righteousness that are due. The only way that God will overlook and forgive the sins and debts of His servants is if they themselves forgive their brothers, not merely in words and formal gestures, but genuinely and truly “from their hearts” (cf. Mt 18.35). In the prayer taught by Christ this is clearly acknowledged.

“Lead us not into temptation” should not be understood as if God puts His people to the test or brings them in to the occasion of evil.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God;” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death(Jas 1.13–15).

“Lead us not into temptation” means that we ask God not to allow us to be found in situations in which we will be overcome by sin. It is a prayer that we be kept from those people and places where wickedness reigns and where we in our weakness will certainly succumb. It is a prayer that we will be liberated from the deceit and vanity of our minds and hearts, from the carnal lusts that dwell in our bodies. It is a prayer that God Himself would be man’s shelter and refuge (cf. Ps 91).

“Deliver us from evil” says literally “rescue us from the evil one,” that is, the devil. The meaning is clear. There are but two ways for man: God and life or the devil and death. Deliverance from the devil means salvation and redemption from every falsehood, foolishness, deceit, wickedness and iniquity that leads to destruction and death.

Thus, as Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh has explained, the Lord’s Prayer shows the whole meaning of the life of man (cf. Anthony Bloom, Living Prayer). Delivered from evil, man is saved from temptation, in so doing he is merciful to all and receives the forgiveness of his own sins. Being forgiven his sins, by his mercy to others, he has all that he needs for life—his “daily bread”; and being nourished by God, he accomplishes His will. Having accomplished His will, God’s Kingdom is present, His name is sanctified and He becomes the Father of the one who shows himself to be in truth the child of God who can say, “Our Father.”

As we pray the Lord’s Prayer together, let us always have our hands and hearts extended wide, open to receive the Blessings from above. I remain,

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, we come to the 4th Sunday of Lent, as we commemorate the writings of St. John Climacus, or also known as St. John of the Ladder. 

In the gospel passage from tomorrow’s Divine Liturgy, the Lord again is seeking faith. Today, even the best things erode the faith. Let us look at what challenged souls we have, and what evil is found within us! We hide it, disregard it and we accommodate things by having a simply external, false-belief. It is essential that you recognize your unbelief, so that you might confess it, but as much as depends on you, to also confess your faith: “I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief”. If we run in this way to the Lord, he will give us that which we need: he will heal our souls, will purify them, and we will feel this purification, this resurrection and revitalization of our souls which the grace of God brings.

Can we honestly and rightly say that whatever our soul most deeply yearns for – repentance, healing, purification, sanctification – happened and is happening? For us not to have this, means that we do not want to believe. Man is confused here. Asking forgiveness from God presupposes repentance; Repentance presupposes being conscious that you erred and are guilty, being conscious that you have responsibility. Put yourself down, judge yourself; somewhere you were deceitful. However, you don’t want to do this. You feel resistance, difficulty, as the spooks that exist within you wake up, all of the sinfulness, and they go to throw you into hell.

We need to enlist all of our strengths and to give them to this work, to this movement: to confess our unbelief, but as much as depends on us, to also confess our faith. And oh the miracle! From this initial moment, we will begin to feel the therapy of our souls, and everyday this will increase more and more However much life God gives to us – a little or a lot – it will suffice, in order for our souls to become sanctified, to be saved eternally.  – From the Holy Hesychasterion 

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter