Categories
Pastoral Letters

Pastoral Message January 19, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, we will gather in the Hall and celebrate our annual Philoptochos Vasilopita Sunday. The Philoptochos is our Women’s Philanthropic Guild. Of course, there is a reason those two words sound so similar. “Philanthropy” means love of, or friend of the poor. “Philoptochos” means love of, or friend of the poor. The Philoptochos is a national ministry of our Archdiocese and is the largest women’s philanthropic organization in America. 

We might as well continue our Greek Lesson for the day…”Vasilopita” literally means the Bread of St. Basil.

St. Basil the Great, the Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (modern day central Turkey) celebrates his Feast Day on January 1st. More than a beloved hierarch of the Church, stellar theologian, gifted scholar, and prolific preacher, he was a tender pastor. The St. Basil tradition of baking a loaf of sweet bread, placing a hidden coin inside of it, and cutting it piece by piece in the hopes of receiving the coin, is grounded in a miracle that occurred during his hierarchical ministry.

One year, during a time of terrible famine, the emperor levied a sinfully excessive tax upon the people of Caesarea. The tax was such a heavy burden upon the already impoverished people that to avoid debtors’ prison each family had to relinquish its few remaining coins as well as pieces of jewelry, including precious family heirlooms. Learning of this injustice against his flock, St Basil the Great, the archbishop of Caesarea, took up his bishop’s staff and the book of the holy Gospels and came to his people’s defense by fearlessly calling the emperor to repentance. By God’s grace, the emperor did repent! He cancelled the tax and instructed his tax collectors to turn over to St Basil all of the chests containing the coins and jewelry which had been paid as taxes by the people of Caesarea. 

But now St Basil was faced with the daunting and impossible task of returning these coins and pieces of jewelry to their rightful owners. After praying for a long time before the icons of our Master Christ an​d His All-holy Mother, St Basil had all the treasures baked into one huge “pita.” He then called all the townspeople to prayer at the cathedral, and, after Divine Liturgy, he blessed and cut the “pita,” giving a piece to each person. Wondrously each owner received in his piece of Vasilopita his own valuables. They all joyfully returned home, giving thanks to God who had delivered them from abject poverty and to their good and holy bishop, St Basil the Great.

We celebrate our Vasilopita Sunday as close to January 1st as possible.

Representatives of each group and ministry at St. Anna’s will be called up individually to receive a piece of the Vasilopita. Receiving a coin is a special blessing upon those whom they represent. This event is also a fund-raising opportunity for our local Philoptochos Chapter.  Some breads will be offered for sale while a few others will be auctioned. Our Men’s Ministry Team will prepare a Luncheon in honor of their sister ministry, and the people in need whom they support.

I look forward to being with you tomorrow morning for the Divine Services, to break bread together at the Luncheon, and for the cutting of the Vasilopita.

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter