Category: Pastoral Letters

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we take our first steps; entering into the most solemn of Orthodox spiritual experiences, that is Holy Week, then turning to most celebratory of any, possible experience, that is the joy of the Resurrection, I pray that we, as a Christian community and family, will share in each of these realities together.

I pray that your Lenten walk has been productive, challenging, fruitful and reflective. If it has not, let your Holy Week be all of these things – and more!

Come to the divine services of the Church. Immerse yourselves in the salvific history of God’s redemptive plan. He now puts it into action, fully and completely. His Son is the Sacrificial Lamb. We are the recipients of His unyielding generosity and forbearing love. We may all know and appreciate this on the surface, but to have an intimate knowledge of these blessed realities, we need to make them part of our own lives and prioritize our time accordingly. Active participation in the services of Holy Week and Pascha are the first and best steps toward such a goal.

We welcome Fr. Gregory Floor and His Family, who will join us later this Holy Week. We are thankful to receive them home, and look forward to his Holy Week blessings, for the first time in Fr. Gregory’s young, priestly ministry.

We welcome Michael Stearns from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to help with our chanting. His wife Kristin will join us Holy Wednesday. Michael is a graduate of Hellenic College and Holy Cross School of Theology and served as a priest in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He is a wonderful man with many spiritual blessings.

I thank Michael Petrogeorge for producing this week’s Bulletin…FROM CHINA, while he’s attending a conference for his work. What a commitment

Thank you to George Sergakis, who is chairing our Anastasi Dinner, as well as his crew who will be providing the opportunity for us to break bread (eat lamb) together following our Paschal vigil and celebration.

I appreciate the work of our Sunday School for offering our Holy Friday Retreat. Our teachers have an amazing experience awaiting the children of our parish.

Thank you to all of our ushers, church musicians, parish council members, altar servers and helpers for Holy Week and Paschal services. They require the prayerful commitment of many individuals who dedicate themselves to the Lord at this precious time.

Lastly, please support the efforts of Christopher Zambos and his crew who are offering our Palm Sunday Pancake Breakfast in the hopes of raising critical funds for our mission trip to Project Mexico. There are still spots remaining to participate in the trip. Please contact me if your are interested. We depart on August 16th and return on August 22nd.

If I’ve forgotten any individuals or groups, please forgive me. I’m not used to typing these messages in daylight.

May we find ourselves well-prepared to raise our Paschal tapers high; with enthusiasm and awe-filled love for our God who has snatched us from the brink of death.

The time is here! Let’s enjoy and participate together! Kalo Pascha!

With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

“Hey Fr. Anthony, what’s with the hat?”
– Several St. Anna Parishioners

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we quickly approach the end of Great Lent and begin to turn our thoughts and prayers toward The Saturday of Lazarus, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Pascha, I want to call attention to something, that quite honestly…has caught your attention.

Since the beginning of Great Lent, I have worn the traditional kalimafkion, or Orthodox clerical hat. Some priests wear them all the time. Some would never imagine placing it on their head. Some appreciate them. Some do not.

There was a time in the history of our Archdiocese, when priests were not permitted to wear “the ole stovepipe.” Assimilating into American and western traditions was the desire of our church leaders. Priests who would come here from Greece, in the early days of our experience, were given money for a haircut, a clean shave and a black suit.

In most recent times, traditional garb from Orthodox Motherlands have found their way back into this country. Some priests wear cassocks or robes, while other Orthodox clergymen choose to wear western collars. Incidentally, you have seen me, comfortably wearing both – at any and all times. I do not look negatively upon any of these traditions, for they are all part of Orthodoxy in America.

Years ago, His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver released an Encyclical that stated he has no preference for how priests of his Metropolis choose to dress (collar and suit or cassock and hat) as long as we never look down upon our brother priests who dress differently than ourselves.

As always, wise and paternal advice from His Eminence.

Since I have been asked a few times now, why I am “suddenly” wearing the hat during services, I want to explain. Indeed, you don’t see me wearing the kalimafkion often. But you have seen it before. I wore it last year as well – only during Lent and Holy Week. Just like this year.

The entire demeanor of the Church changes during the Fast. The sanctuary is darkened. The music has a somber tone. The altar and the priest are vested in dark purples and muted hues.

The reason a priest wears a clerical hat, at any time of the year, is out of humility before the Lord and as a symbol of spiritual discipline. I choose at this time, to heighten these principles within myself, and to illustrate them to the parish.

For me, and I learned this from my Spiritual Father, the covering of my head during the divine services of Lent allows me to focus more clearly upon the themes, lessons, readings, and messages of these precious days. It is a penitential act. It is a pious (not pietistic) act of humility. It is something different, that helps define something…different.

Great Lent is different than the rest of the year.

Holy Week is different than even the days of Lent.

Pascha is more different, still, than anything else that’s been described.

So, when the Resurrection arrives, the hat gets put away for another year.

Please do not misunderstand, I don’t hang up spiritual discipline with the kalimafkion. My feeble attempts at true humility and pious practice don’t get put in a box until next spring (though regrettably, my actions speak otherwise), I just appreciate a heightened awareness during Lent. And the “silly hat” helps me accomplish this.

The days of the Lenten Fast are near completion. There is only one more, short week until the transitional days of the Saturday of Lazarus and Palm Sunday. Please, in way that you may feel is beneficial to your struggle, to your ascetic practice, to your pious discipline, engage yourself in the Good Fight and make the most of what’s left. It’ll be good for your soul.

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST,

FRIDAY, MARCH 24th IS THE EVE OF THE ANNUNCIATION, ONE OF THE TWELVE MAJOR FEASTS OF THE CHURCH.
GREAT VESPERS FOR THE FEAST AND THE 4TH STANZA OF THE AKATHIST HYMN BEGIN AT 7:00 PM.

COME VENERATE THE PARISH’S NEW ICON OF THE ANNUNCIATION.

THE INTRODUCTION TO OUR PARISH LENTEN RETREAT BEGINS, FOLLOWING SERVICES WITH A LIGHT MEAL.

WE WILL WELCOME DR. EVE TIBBS AS OUR RETREAT SPEAKER.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25th IS THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION.

ORTHROS BEGINS AT 9:30 AM.

DIVINE LITURGY BEGINS AT 10:30 AM.
A LENTEN LUNCHEON, HOSTED BY OUR WOMEN’S MINISTRY TEAM, AND OUR PARISH LENTEN RETREAT WILL BEGIN DIRECTLY FOLLOWING THE DIVINE LITURGY; CONCLUDING AT 3:00 PM.

TONIGHT’S PASTORAL MESSAGE IS REALLY, MORE OF A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

COME TO VESPERS.
COME TO THE LITURGY.
COME TO THE RETREAT.
COME SAY “HI” TO EVE.
COME SAY “HI” TO HER HUSBAND, STEVE, WHO IS ALSO COMING TO WITNESS FOR HIMSELF, OUR DYNAMIC PARISH.
COME SAY “CHRONIA POLLA ” (MANY YEARS) TO EVERYONE NAMED EVANGELOS OR EVANGELIA.
“COME AND SEE.” – JOHN 1:39

LOVE IN XC,
FR. ANTHONY

“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’ Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me’” – Luke 9:57-59

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Though Jesus Christ is Word of God and the Author of all Creation, he basically spent His adult life as a homeless man. He travelled extensively from Galilee to Jerusalem, never having a permanent place to call his own. This was a witness of His commitment to remain close to His flock. For others, however, homelessness is not a divine choice, but rather a cruel circumstance.

The good people of St. Anna are embarking on a journey to help, in a very small way, make a dent in the struggle to provide shelter, protection and dignity. Several weeks ago, I appealed to you, looking to identity a chairman and trip leader for our mission trip to Project Mexico this Summer. Christopher Zambos is the person who has stepped up to this challenge. He has a few words to share with you all.

“Project Mexico is a wonderful chance to participate in the construction of a home for a family in need. This task will include a variety of different jobs and opportunities, such as mixing cement, sawing, driving nails, painting, meeting the recipient family, and playing with the neighborhood children. We will be housed in tents (tbd if we need to provide) at St. Innocent Orphanage where you will have the opportunity to meet the staff who work there and the boys who live there. The first night will be dinner in town. All other evenings will be spent together talking about the missionary experience and getting to know one another on the Orphanage. There will also be limited time for shopping.

Our Trip to Project Mexico is August 16-22, 2017.

We have 15 spots open for people who want to literally build a home for a family.

Each mission team member is responsible to raise approximately $800 – $1,000 for the trip.
(Watch for details about our Palm Sunday Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser!)

The home will be approximately 21’ X 11’ and will be completed in four days. Day 1 will be mixing, tamping and floating the concrete for the foundation. Day 2 will be building the walls and rafters. Day 3 will be wrapping the house in chicken wire, stucco, roofing, windows and doors. Day 4 will be the final touches and the blessing of the house. No construction experience is needed, just the ability to work hard and play hard.

We need 15 volunteers ages 15 and up who are willing to put in a little hard work and sacrifice. Everyone must have or get a Passport book or Passport Card to cross the border. St. Innocent Orphanage is located near Rosarito, Mexico, just south of Tijuana. This will be a very uplifting, spiritual, bonding and rewarding mission that will create memories that will last a lifetime.

We only have until April 30 to organize, coordinate, plan, fundraise and pay for this mission. We will depart early morning on Wednesday, August 16 and return in the evening on Tuesday, August 22. I will need a couple of adults to assist and chaperone the mission. Please contact Christopher Zambos (801-913-5916, zambosfamily@comcast.net) or Fr Anthony if you would like to volunteer or have further questions.”

Please consider participation in this worthy project. If you are physically able to travel to Mexico, pour concrete, swing a hammer, work in the sun, and desire to change the destiny of a family, please join this group. If, for any reason, you are unable to come on the trip, especially for health reasons, please strongly consider a monetary donation that will help get someone there in your stead.

As we continue to move ever closer to the Passion, Crucifixion and glory that is Christ Jesus, I pray that the discomforts our Lord experienced in this world will not be experienced by families living in poverty which cannot provide adequate housing for their children. He had no place to lay His head, so He commands us to provide the place where a child may do just that.

With Much Love in XC,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Please pray for our GOYANS while they are away on their Lenten Retreat!

Please welcome Fr. Ambrose back to St. Anna’s as he is gracious enough to celebrate the Sunday services while I’m with the kids.
Fr. Ambrose will be with us on Friday Evening for the Salutations to the Theotokos.

“This message is for you if you have teenagers, are related to teenagers, know teenagers, or have any influence, whatsoever, on…teenagers.” – Fr. Anthony Savas

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

While it’s true that I have often used Scriptural verses or writings of the Fathers as opening quotes to each of my pastoral messages, it is equally true that nobody will ever quote me in print unless I do it myself. So, there you go.

Actually, I wanted to capture, as quickly as possible, the attention of parents, grandparents, godparents, and influential adults in the lives of our St. Anna youth. With the Fast having commenced just this week, my heart is directed towards our young people, praying that the purpose, lessons and opportunities of Great Lent are relevant in their lives.

Not that I am demanding monastic expectations from your kids, or mine, but I feel that the overall importance of the disciplines that can only be acquired through ascetic struggle are slipping away and falling into disuse.

It’s hard enough that we live in a world that does not know the simplest meaning of Lenten practices. Our daughter’s Senior Prom is on…get this…Holy Saturday evening. Is Easter thought of so casually that a school in our “local religious environment” can schedule a dance on the eve of, and ultimately reaching into the celebration of the Resurrection? Of course, that question is rhetorical – for we sadly know the answer.

Do our kids make any attempt at fasting, increased prayer or generous acts during these weeks that lead up to the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord. Are we teaching them the value of such practices in our homes. As adults, are we taking the responsibility to be positive examples in this sacred arena?

This much I know; no matter what we teach our kids, and no matter how much they are told by other adult figures in their lives, the benefit of peer-inspiration and accountability is irreplaceable in our kid’s spiritual development. This is why we take every opportunity to bring our kids together for retreats and camps. So, let’s talk about upcoming retreats and camps!

This Sunday, following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, you will have the opportunity to sign up your GOYANs for our annual Lenten Retreat to take place during the weekend of the 17th-19th of March. We are bringing in a dynamic youth worker from Holy Cross Seminary to lead our discussions, and our young people will remain in Heber, UT, on the Third Sunday of Lent to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, together as a gathering of Orthodox Christian kids who share a common Faith and follow common practices. Practices the world sees as silly, irrelevant, archaic and rusty.

If we don’t want our children to adapt a similar outlook on sacredness, spiritual disciplines and holiness, we best take every opportunity to let them grow in their Orthodox Christian walk. And to be sure, they’ll have a great time doing so.

If you have children between 6th and 12th Grades, see Kim Mallas after the Liturgy and sign them up!

Once we have traversed the course of the Fast and have entered into Holy Week, please make plans to have your children attend our Annual Holy Friday Retreat. Our Sunday School has planned a fantastic, fun-filled and spiritually beneficial program for our kids.

This year, we will be pre-registering our kids for the Holy Friday Retreat, due to the quality of the program and the necessary preparations for the craft (it’s a really awesome craft, by the way). Look for the Registration Form in the next Bulletin and sign up your kids!

And lastly, and most importantly, our Archdiocese Summer Camping programs are more exciting than ever. Thousands of young people gather in their respective Metropolis Camps during the summer months to reintroduce themselves to Christ, and to their peers in the most dynamic of ways.

Camp Emmanuel, Summer Camp for the Metropolis of Denver, is one of the most established and well-run programs in the Archdiocese. Within the month of June, there are two sessions; one for high school students and the second for junior high students, in the beautiful mountains of New Mexico. I will be traveling and attending camp with our Junior GOYANs to Camp Emmanuel.

There is no better way to inspire our children into plentiful lives in Christ than camping programs. In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to all households with junior and senior high school students and informing them of the benefits of Camp Emmanuel, and camping in general. Please visit the following link to get current in all information regarding Camp Emmanuel 2017.

http://www.youth.denver.goarch.org/events/2017-events/2017-camp-emmanuel-home/2017-camp-emmanuel-registration-information

May the good Lord Who guides us in our Lenten journeys, and Who lifts up the children in His special, loving care, continue to encourage our youth in the ways of the Kingdom. And may they continue to love, serve, worship and honor His holy Name.

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony

Remember that this Sunday is the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Bring your favorite icons from home for your children to process, and you to lift up.
Then join us for Pan-Orthodox Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at 6:00 pm with our sister Orthodox communities.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This morning I had a wonderful experience, in that I was invited to offer the Invocation at the Senate Chamber of the Utah State Capitol. Driving up State Street to the massive building, a source of great municipal pride in our state, I had forgotten just how large it is. The last time I remember being inside the Capitol was at a high school dance that took place under the rotunda.

That was a long time ago.

Driving up to the building, climbing up those massive stairs, feeling strained to pull open the heavy, bronze doors, and walking into the vast, beautiful space was a wonderful reminder of the grandeur that is required of public monuments, civic spaces and official structures. If the buildings are tall, spacious, elaborate, gilded and fortified, then the governments they house must, in turn, be stable, grounded and powerful.

To be sure, the Utah State Capitol Building is impressive and beautiful. So many buildings, now, and in history evoke similar feelings of awe as one would approach. I’ve had similar experiences as I climbed the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, waited in line to enter the vast entrance (still to me, the Cathedral) of Aghia Sophia in (while we’re at it, Constantinople) Istanbul, our Nation’s Capital in Washington D.C., the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Louvre Museum in Paris.

For different reasons, and under different circumstances, approaching these places was just as marvelous as entering them. All impressive. All hallowed. All beautiful.

But all…just buildings.

The Parthenon, to prove the point I’m about to make, isn’t even a building anymore – just ruins of what was once a building.

St. Paul, in the above mentioned verse, reminds us, as Christ Himself spoke of, that as important as buildings and structures, and temples and churches may be, the real Temple of God is in the creation of the person. When Christ said that he would destroy the Temple (His Crucifixion) and raise it up, again, in three days (His Resurrection), He was not speaking of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was referencing Himself. Attached to that concept is St. Paul’s affirmation that the person means more to God than the building. The worshipper, not the place of worship is paramount to Him.

We need those places more than He does.

Today, I walked up to, and into an impressive, secular building. In the past, I have approached and entered inspiring houses of worship. But on this day, as we contemplate the Temple as the person, not a building, I call upon our parish to accomplish something of great worth.

We need to build something.

No, I am not speaking of building a church dedicated to St. Anna. That will come in its own time, on another day.

We need to build a home in Mexico. We have been called to participate in the home building initiative of Project Mexico. Under the prayerful guidance of our own Fr. Nicholas Andruchow, Project Mexico is a pan-Orthodox ministry in Tijuana, Mexico, concentrated on building homes for the poor. Faithful parishioners from throughout the world take week-long missionary trips to Project Mexico and participate in the construction of humble structures, arguably, more lovely than any State Capitol, so that those in need can attain shelter, protection, dignity and safety. In their own words,

“Since 1988, Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage has been building secure, safe and weather-tight homes for some of the most impoverished families in northern Mexico. Built strictly by volunteer labor, these homes provide families economic security and hope for a brighter future. While serving these families, the volunteers discover that they have been transformed. Through their service to others, they realize that they have received much more than they had given. To date, we have hosted well over 11,000 volunteers on our 16-acre ranch as we continue to humbly bear the burdens of others in the name of Christ.”

St. Anna’s is currently scheduled to lead a trip to Project Mexico, August 16th-August 23rd, 2017. We have spots for approximately 15 people. We are currently looking for a chairman to champion this venture and help us to organize, plan, and embark!

If you are interested in leading this amazing opportunity, please contact me at franthony@stannagocutah.org. Walking into vast buildings, gazing up, looking around, soaking it all in is an exhilarating experience. However, “recognizing the least of our brethren” as God’s holy Temple, and erecting a small, one-room brick box that will protect his family, is something that is truly impressive. Actually, impressive. Perhaps, even, to God.

With Love in He Who is the Builder of the House,

Fr. Anthony

“For You are the resurrection, the life and the repose of Your departed servants, O Christ our God, and to You we give the glory, as to Your Father who is everlasting, and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.” – Prayer of the Trisagion, Funeral and Memorial Service

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There is a common question that many elderly Orthodox people ask their children and grandchildren. Eventually, we will all have this question posed to us around the dinner table, through an email or while watching a kid’s soccer game. It’s not something they thought about as children and grandchildren themselves, but one day, and all of a sudden, the question pops into their minds. If we are blessed to live a long and productive life, the question will streak through our heads as well; with a dramatic sense of urgency, coupled with slight pangs of panic.
The age-old question:
“Who is going to make Kollyva for ME when I die?”
Of course, this question had more relevance generations ago, before we could call Jim, or Mary or whoever any given parish directs you to “order” Kollyva (boiled Memorial wheat). Back in the day, you didn’t “order” Kollyva; you stayed in the kitchen with Yiayia for an entire Saturday and learned how to make it. And you did this many times throughout your youth, because it, like many things, is harder than it seems, and involves many steps towards completion. And at some time, you were called upon to put all of that practice, experience, and secret ingredients to the test when a Loved One departed this earth and their Memorial Service was approaching.
So, in these “modern times,” the question stands:
Who is going to make Kollyva for me when I die? That’s a rhetorical question for literary sake of course. You will recall, I’m still too young to worry about such things.
Even though the art (and it is an art) of creating beautiful trays of Kollyva has been largely forgotten in many homes, it’s not so tragic, in that Yiayia’s question has less to do with boiled wheat than it does remembrance. What she is really asking is this:
“Will you remember me when I’m gone?”
“Will my positive influences, prayerful lessons, tender moments and fond memories fade with time, or will I live on to posthumously touch your grandchildren through the patterns, traditions, tendencies and mannerisms which you received from me?”
“Will you remember that I loved you more than life itself and continued to make great sacrifices for the sake of your becoming a faithful, productive and decent person?”
“Will you forget about me?”
Our precious Orthodox practice of memorializing the dead answers that question. We keep our loved ones in mind so that their voice never fades and their influence never becomes irrelevant. And as Christians, we remember through prayer. It’s not enough to experience affectionate recollections. We pray for the dead. We pray with the dead. We experience Christ Who is the victory for the dead.
Since Saturday is the day which the Church dedicates to the memory of those who are asleep in the Lord, the practice of dedicating the last two Saturdays before Great Lent, and the first Saturday of Great Lent as Saturdays of the Souls. We set aside this time to collectively lift up those who have gone before us in the hope of the Resurrection.
Piously, and with our grandmother’s question in mind, we bring small bowls of Kollyva to the church in honor of her memory, and ALL of our departed Loved Ones. There isn’t really anybody to bail us out of this practice. It’s one thing to ask “that guy or lady” at church to make Kollyva for a Sunday Memorial – you know, industrial sized for the entire congregation. But the Saturday of the Souls services, while universal in scope, as we are all gathered together in prayer for the same purpose, are also intimate and personal, for we bring our own names, carry our own memories, and lift up our own remembrances.
Don’t forget your Kollyva.
The Kollyva is symbolic of the resurrection of the dead on the day of the Second Coming of Christ. Saint Paul said, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” (1 Corinthians 15:34), and Saint John wrote, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (St. John 12:24).
Thus, as the wheat is buried in the soil and disintegrates without actually dying, but is regenerated into a new plant that bears more fruit, so then, our bodies will be raised again from the very corruptible matter from which it was created. However, it will be raised not in its earthly substance but in an incorruptible, transfigured state which “will clad the mortal body with an immortal garment,” in the words of Saint Paul
(1 Corinthians 15:53).
I hope to see you in the church for these services the next three Saturdays. If you are truly unable to prepare and bring a Kollyva, please don’t use that as an excuse not to come. Write down your names (for the departed) and bring them to the services. They will be read and lifted up in prayer, just the same.
“Who is going to make Kollyva for me when I die?”
Don’t worry, Yiayia. We got this!
With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

“According to thy mercy, pour out upon me, who am miserable, at least one small drop of grace to make me understand and be converted, that I might make at least some small effort to correct myself. For if thy grace does not illumine my soul, I will not be able to see the carelessness and negligence that the passions have produced in me through
my apathy and recklessness.” – St. Ephraim the Syrian

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Once again, the fact that time passes quickly, when you are having fun, has been confirmed and experienced. Early in the Fall, our St. Anna’s Adult Religious Education classes began with great enthusiasm and ended this week, capping off months of vibrant conversations, engaged learners and faithful Christians willing and excited to grow in their faith.

Participants of the Weekly Bible Study and the Orthodox Spirituality Inquirers Class will come together, next Wednesday for a Paraklasis Services dedicated to the Theotokos in gratitude for our gatherings in the spirit of fellowship, scriptural knowledge and the desire to learn the tenets of our precious Orthodox Church.

While the Bible Study introduced the Book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian and Evangelist, the Spirituality Class immersed themselves in areas of Orthodox doctrine, theology, liturgics, practice, tradition, Tradition (there is a difference) and history.

The time truly did fly.

And I think it was because each and every one of the people who participated in our classes involved themselves to the degree which St. Ephraim wrote about in the above-referenced quote.

When we endeavor to receive a measure of God’s grace, it is not a passive exercise or dis-engaged practice. Growth in the Spirit comes from time spent in prayer, study, meditation upon the Scriptures, spiritually-edifying readings, and, of course, participation in the divine services of the Church.

Our study of the Book of Revelation was not always easy or even enjoyable. It’s hard stuff with hard information to convey.

The imagery, symbolism, cryptic messages, and unrecognizable presentations of Jesus Christ caused great levels of anxiety and trepidation in some of our students. Especially in the beginning. Working through this text took great levels of effort, trust and dedication that I greatly appreciated through the months of our study. Believe me, this was not an easy Book to teach, but with Patristic sources and through a proper, Orthodox perspective, the participants in the class continued to inspire me and for that, I am ever grateful.

The thing about Inquirers’ Classes that is so engaging is the fact that most people in the room are there for the same reason, but on entirely different journeys. We come together to learn the essentials of the faith, but some through their first, formal exposure to Orthodoxy, some are engaged couples, some are Orthodox Christians since the cradle who want to recapture what has been missing since Sunday School and others are just plain curious about ancient, exotic and historically-grounded traditions.

This class, by nature is much more interactive, with questions – fantastic questions – coming from the hearts of people who thirst for knowledge, hunger for guidance and are starved for authentic Christian teachings; unaltered through the ages and steadfastly resisting the temptation of adding to true doctrines and messing with fundamentals of theology.

St. Ephraim’s words inspire us, especially as we approach the inaugural steps of the Fast, to spend time in cultivating our relationship with God, seek corrective measures as we tend to the well-being of our souls, and move to rise from the preverbal “spiritual couch” and get the spiritual heart pumping!

When we neglect our relationships, they fail. When we neglect our bodies, they become ill. When we neglect our souls, ultimate death creeps around us and pulls us away from seeing God’s face with clarity and vibrancy.

Yes, our classes are over for the season. And the reason I use the opportunity of this message as a retroactive commercial of sorts, to pique your interest in learning about our Faith, or beliefs, our Church, and ultimately to be continually introduced to Christ in new ways.

Those ways now come in the form of multiple Lenten services which will begin soon enough. Please consider coming to services that perhaps you have never witnessed. This is how the apathy and recklessness of the soul, which St. Ephraim warns, is combatted and thwarted.

Be like the nervous Book of Revelation student – stretch your horizon, build our measure of faith through new experiences and be the beneficiary of newly-cultivated, spiritual fruits.

So, once again, to the participants of our now-concluded classes, thank you for your interest and your participation. I invite, actually beg your feedback and suggestions on how to improve our class content and what I can do to be a better teacher to, and for you.

I look forward to seeing you at Paraklesis next Wednesday (of course the entire parish is welcome to participate) and at the services of the Lenten Season (of course the entire parish is expected to participate) so that we can grow together, in Christ, for Christ and through Christ.

With Much Love in our Savior,

Fr. Anthony

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This morning, February 2nd, we celebrated the Feast of our Lord’s Presentation in the Temple, according to our Holy Archdiocese, when the most pure Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary’s forty days of purification had been fulfilled, she took her first-born Son to Jerusalem on this, the fortieth day after His birth, that she might present Him in the temple according to the Law of Moses, which teaches that every first-born male child be dedicated to God, and also that she might offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons, as required by the Law (Luke 2:22-24; Exod. 13:2; Lev. 12:6-8).
On this same day, a just and devout man, the greatly aged Symeon, was also present in the temple, being guided by the Holy Spirit. For a long time, this man had been awaiting the salvation of God, and he had been informed by divine revelation that he would not die until he beheld the Lord’s Christ.
Thus, when he beheld Him at that time and took Him up into his aged arms, he gave glory to God, singing: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master. . .” And he confessed that he would close his eyes joyfully, since he had seen the Light of revelation for the nations and the Glory of Israel (Luke 2:25-32). From ancient times, the Holy Church has retained this tradition of the churching of the mother and new-born child on the fortieth day and of the reading of prayers of purification.
Tomorrow, we honor the righteous Elder Symeon and Prophetess Anna, who prophesied concerning Him by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and were the first in Jerusalem to receive Him as the Messiah.
This event; our Lord’s Entrance into the Temple, for His “40-Day Blessing” (not unlike the similar blessing for our own children), goes largely unnoticed in the greater scheme of the things Christ experienced. However, for the Orthodox, this event in His infant life is regarded as one of His greatest revelations of humility, tenderness and obedience to the Law. Though He created the Law, Christ still feels compelled, for our sake, to abide by the Law.
On a deeply, personal note, there is a very tiny chapel dedicated to our Lord’s Presentation in Thessaloniki. Many years ago, I spent an entire day of prayer and meditation in that little church. The Lord answered my prayers on that day and the Feast of the Presentation will always be very special in my heart and soul. I pray that the Lord enters our hearts and nourishes our souls as he penetrated the steps of the Temple in order to fulfill the divine plan of His Father. These days are special indeed. Let us honor Him through His holy Feasts.
With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony