Dear Beloved in the Lord,"He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth" -Psalm 71:8At the Great Feast of our Lord's Theophany water is blessed. It is blessed to become what it was always meant to be. It does not become something magical or even supernatural but it becomes truly water. Our salvation is not simply being saved from something, or becoming superh...  Read More

Dear Beloved in the Lord,I remember as a young child anticipating Christmas morning with an excitement and energy that only a child seems to have the capacity to express. There is a wonder at the mystery of the wrapped gifts under the tree. The different colors, shapes and sizes fuel the imagination of what could be. Many other customs added to both the anticipation and the hopefulness of this Fea...  Read More

Dear Beloved in the Lord,I offer you the following words from Elder John Krestiankin for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Michael and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven:"The Church has dedicated this day, my dear ones, to Archangel Michael, the leader of the Heavenly Powers, and depicts him on the icons with a threatening and warlike appearance. On his head is a helmet, in his hand is...  Read More

Dear beloved in the Lord,On October 1st we celebrate the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God with this hymn:Today the faithful celebrate the feast with joy, illumined by thy coming, O Mother of God. Beholding thy pure image, we fervently cry to thee: “Encompass us beneath the precious veil of thy protection; deliver us from every form of evil by entreating Christ, thy Son and ou...  Read More

Dear Beloved in the Lord,On the first of September we celebrate the Church New Year. Beginning a new cycle of life in the Church is a reminder for us of the gift of time. Time allows for us to have the opportunity to be renewed, time to be forgiven, time to be healed, time to be made new, time to be formed in the image and likeness of God. When we ask God to give someone many years, it is with thi...  Read More