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A New Church Year, A Fresh Start

9/2/2021

 
A New Church Year, A Fresh StartOur Church, like our daily lives, is full of calendars and cycles. Just like our annual calendar has a distinctive start to the new year each January 1st, our ecclesiastical new year starts on September 1st each year. Historically, this was the time of harvest, preparations for the coming winter and the following year. It was a time of thankfulness for God's provisions for the previous year, seeing His sovereignty to enable us to complete another year, and entreat Him to bless this coming year.

As we look back at the past year, we may have a hard time finding our Lord with so many challenges and sufferings we, and our world, have experienced. Some of us have been thoroughly beat down by real hardships and illnesses, confused by information overload, or feeling like failures or guilty telling ourselves we should have done more. We may have stepped back from coming to church regularly to try to just survive.

As a priest of almost one year now, I share more in the struggles that all of you face and I lament with what you in your sorrows and trials. Yet despite all of pain and anguish we have all faced, here we stand, as a community of faithful Christians seeking Christ's will and His mercy. Through our small community and fellowship with one another we have been able to stay sane and be able to see glimpses of Christ through the darkness around us. Through the Divine Liturgy, we have been nourished by the True Life of Christ to experience something beyond this shadowy world. Through confession we have been able to pour out our sins, struggles, and fears to receive guidance and forgiveness.

With the coming of the new Church year, the Church offers us another blessing, a fresh start. A fresh start to reconnect with Christ, with one another and return to His Church regardless of what happened last year. Not to fulfil some religious obligation, not because the priest is telling you to, and not because it will magically make all our problems go away but because it is the one place where we can find Truth and Life. Amidst the shifting sands of our life and the chaos in the world, it is the only rock to cling to for stability. It is the place that welcomes all of us, no matter where we are, becoming a hospital for our torn souls. 

May we all take this blessed opportunity of a fresh start to come to the Lord with our fears and the tragedy in of lives. To put on the armor of light to stand with the Lord to face the new year in the ark of salvation, His Church; with each other, with the saints and Angels, and with our Holy Mother, the Theotokos.

In Christ,
Fr. Steve

The Tomb of the Theotokos

8/3/2021

 
In August each year we enter into a unique, 2 week period of fasting (8/1-8/14) and preparation to celebrate the dormition (the falling asleep) of Christ's mother, the holy Theotokos (8/15). The small Paraklesis service to the Theotokos is offered frequently during this 2 week period to supplicate the Theotokos for her prayers just as we would ask anyone else to pray for us. For some of who are newer to Orthodoxy, this is a feast that may seem unfamiliar to us and we may not be sure how to approach this beautiful and grace filled feast.

To help all of us learn and deepen our understanding of this beautiful feast day, I would like to invite everyone to come to a special presentation about this feast day and the tomb of the Theotokos. In 2018 I was blessed to be able to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and one of the holy sites we visited was the tomb of the Theotokos. I will be offering brief perspectives from historical, biblical, patristic, and liturgical viewpoints on this incredible feast along with walking you through pictures of the tomb of the Theotokos so you can get a glimpse into this incredible holy site.

The presentation will be offered on Wednesday, August 11th at ~6pm, after Paraklesis (the service starts at 5pm).

I hope everyone is able to attend so we can all learn and grow together!

In Christ,
​
Fr. Steve

The Centrality of the Divine Liturgy

6/22/2021

 
​How do we participate in the Divine Liturgy? This liturgy, the work of the people, is so rich many books are written about its depth of meaning and history. It has developed over the centuries into what we do today but with the same sense of otherworldliness. By God’s grace we ascend into the heavens. There is an action happening that we should become more and more aware of to aid us in our level of participation in it. In answering the question about how to participate in it, the first two steps might be attending the services as often as possible and paying attention, the latter sometimes being a challenge because of the “dirt” of the world we have on us when we enter.

If you were to attend a hockey match, your appreciation of the contest would depend on the degree to which you understand the rules and strategy of the game. Likewise, as we understand the action of the Diving Liturgy, we will enhance our participation and come to understand that the nave (the inside of the church where the laity stand) is not filled with observers only. The laity do not simply watch with their spiritual eyes the priest rise to the heavens with the angels accompanying him; no, they go with him to be with the Lord Who is serving the Liturgy as the Great High Priest.

This is key, but it is not the end of the story. There are specific things the laity does to take part in the Liturgy, the first being preparation. One should speak with one’s priest about how to prepare before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. This is not a matter of reading a book about the Liturgy but includes some kind of prayerful preparation. If we fail on this aspect, we will be playing catch-up during the service and, similar to being at the hockey match, might miss the scoring of a goal.

During the Liturgy, there are various actions the laity can take part in. There are times when we cross ourselves out of reverence, to perhaps increase our attentiveness and promote inner sobriety. We thus place ourselves in a position of humility before the Almighty God Who has made this liturgical provision for us out of love and mercy. We can offer prayers for loved ones far or near. There are times to make a low bow if one is able out of humility. We should sing the responses with the choir; this should be done with reverence and listening, so as to follow the leader, so to speak, and not try to impress others near us with our beautiful voice or disrupt the beautiful flow of the service.

We can gradually learn the hymns by listening to the choir, singing softly with them so they can teach us. We recite certain parts of the Liturgy, such as the Trisagion Prayers, the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed. We read the pre-Communion Prayers with the chanter. Some use a prayer rope as a reminder to pay attention. The icons around the nave can also aid us in the same way.

Let us arrive on time, and hopefully for Orthros, out of respect for our Lord and Savior, Who at the perfect time allowed Himself to be crucified for us. Familiarity is very helpful. So regular attendance during all liturgical seasons should be our regimen. Reading the day’s Scripture readings, learning the hymns, and reciting the spoken parts as a community can be very enriching to our soul.

As we take part in the Diving Liturgy, we do just that. Each time, we move one Liturgy closer to eternity and take a nano-step toward becoming, by God’s grace, a restored image of the Creator.

In Christ,

Fr. Steve

What Does the Resurrection Mean To Us?

6/1/2021

 
In the story of the Paralytic we see Jesus performing a miracle, the paralytic sharing his healing with the Jews, Peter raising Tabitha from the dead and Tabitha’s good deeds all leading people to belief or potential belief in Christ.  People believed because of actions, of seeing the power of the Resurrection. We are supposed to be vessels, but that may not look the same from one person to another. How does this connect with the Resurrection? We have a question to ask ourselves.

What does the Resurrection mean to us? What is Pascha? The end of a long fast? The day to take a deep sigh of relief, throw some leaves around the church, eat different stuff, drink some wine 5 days a week instead of two? Come to church less often? What does the Resurrection mean to us? As little Christs, we enter into His Resurrection; we celebrate Him as Light and Life; and we look forward to our own resurrection. We are asked to BE. We are asked to DO. This is a life-giving combination.

Part of being a Christian is sharing the light of Christ with the world. This is important because each person is made in the image of God and has permanent eternal value. We share in the task of helping others to see their value in a relationship with God. How do we do that? No matter our actions in that regard, this can be said. If we are praying and in the process of knowing God, we will not be able to hide it; the light we gain from knowing Him will shine toward others and cast aside the darkness of the world in our little sphere. We don’t have to go out of our way, on a mission trip, become a priest or bishop, pass out tracts, preach from street corners. We will exude a sweet fragrance that others will want. People are always watching. If we are genuine, that is the best witness.

Even good deeds have a power of their own, but good deeds that flow from a profound sense of the love of God for oneself and those around us have the power of the Spirit of God. That acts of mercy must flow from a prayerful life is demonstrated by the fact that people seem easily swayed toward even heretical beliefs when they see good works being done on their behalf. It is a both/and world: works of mercy and kindness plus speaking the truth in love. To balance this, we also have the advice of the holy ones: “If they have not asked a question, don’t give them an answer.”

This is a good kind of pressure to have on us. We must be constrained to be ready to offer the good Gift to others by possessing the life of God by way of a life of prayer. We are behooved to know God and thus know who we are. Therein is a fountain of power, strength, the good knowledge, and ultimately HEALING, which is the heart of the Orthodox faith. Therein is the strength and power of gifts of mercy which should characterize us and will change the world around us.

To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Fr. Ed

The Reality of the Resurrection

5/13/2021

 
Christ is Risen!

As we enter into this beautiful, bright, and joyful season of the Resurrection I think it is appropriate for us to stop and truly reflect on the reality of the Resurrection. It is tempting and easy to go back to 'normal' life after Holy Week and Pascha or to possibly have the 'Pascha blues' since we miss the intense spiritual struggle of Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha.

The reality of the Resurrection however doesn't mean that we 'backslide' in our spiritual life but that the Resurrection, and it's potency, becomes the new reality in which we live. We take courage in the Eternal Conqueror who has marked permanent victory over all evil, sin, death, and the devil, as well as whatever challenges are before us. We continue to press on in our faith knowing that the worst tragedies that we struggle with have ultimately been swallowed up by the Resurrection. This of course doesn't mean that we do not experience the sufferings and sorrows of life but that their reach is temporary. That despite the darkness and pain we experience here and now will end when we meet our Resurrected Lord.

To finish my reflection upon the reality of the Resurrection, I would like to share a beautiful except from one of my favorite little books which can be an ever present remembrance for us whenever we look at the icon of our parish, the icon of the Holy Resurrection: 

"The icon which depicts the Descent into Hades shows Christ already in glory as he voluntarily descends into the place of greatest darkness, into the place of the greatest separation. It is not called "the descent into hades", but "The Resurrection".

But what does all this mean today when the descent into Hades is an ever-present reality? It means, I believe, that God is now absent nowhere, in no situation. Even when men wish to exclude Him, God is still present. He is present crucified in all the evil of the world. This is the only answer to the mystery of evil.

What is God doing? He is crucified in all the horror of the world and yet, at the same time, he Resurrects us, offering us the power of the Resurrection, that powerful hand held out lays hold of us, not by the hand, because one can give or not give one's hand, but by the wrist. Christ's hand seizes Adam by the wrist, seizes Eve by the wrist in that extraordinary meeting of the two Adams, the first and the last.

That hand is always there, in the darkest of shadows. We must understand that the Christian God, the God to whom I wish to bear witness, is not some sort of celestial potentate who crushes us. As St. Paul says in the epistle to the Philippians, God has 'emptied Himself'. He has destroyed Himself out of love for us. He has emptied Himself, has poured Himself out unto death, even the death of the cross. That God should open Himself in order to make us enter into Him, that is the mystery of the Descent into Hades.

…He descends into the lowest place imaginable, into the deepest darkness in existence in order to destroy the power of darkness and the abode of demonic forces."

From the book 'No Matter How Deep the Darkness, He Descends Deeper Still' by Fr. Anthony Coniaris

Journey To Pascha

4/6/2021

 
Desiring to commune with the Divine Pascha...let us pursue victory over the devil through fasting (hymn from clean week).

"From the middle of Lent, the Sunday of the Cross, we begin to see our journey's end, and the radiant feast of the Resurrection comes into view. Lent is a journey to Pascha. It is thus a season of joyful expectation. If we take Lent seriously, the journey is arduous, but this makes Pascha all the more radiant and joyful. But throughout Lent, we are never allowed to forget the Resurrection which fills all things, all ascetic labors, all solemnity, sorrow, and contrition, with gladness and brightness. 

It would be a mistake to think of the sacrifices of Lent in purely negative terms - in terms of struggle and deprivation. We are to think of Lent as liberation. Lent calls us to sacrifice many of those things which, while they tend to occupy such a central position in our lives, while they seem to us to be so important, are in reality things we can do without. Lent is thus the rediscovery of that which is most essential in our lives. In this rediscovery, we return to God and to the very meaning of life.

Thus, having stripped ourselves of all that is pretty and futile, having cast off the burdensome baggage of our worldly and often complex lifestyles, we can truly experience Lent as liberation and purification, as the necessary, fruitful, and wonderful journey to the joy of Pascha."

From the Book 'Meditations for Great Lent' - Vassilios Papvassiliou

In Christ,

​Fr. Steve

Let Us Begin with Joy

4/6/2021

 
This month we enter the spiritual arena of Great Lent. It is tempting to greet this incredible season of grace with sadness or annoyance because of all the 'rules' we have to follow. We feel like we can't eat things we want to eat, we have to go to more services, we have to do more prayers, and so on. The truth of the matter is that rather than following 'rules' we are invited to elevate our perspective on life in general. We are invited to look beyond the temporary and look to the eternal. What we find in this perspective, is that we actually find a joy that far exceeds how much we like eating hamburgers or binging TV shows. We find the actual joy of our Lord.

Fr. Thomas Hopko, of blessed memory, wrote a wonderful book called 'The Lenten Spring'. In the second chapter he expresses how the essence of Great Lent is to be filled with Christ's joy. Here are a few excerpts that underscore this reality:

Let us enter the Fast with joy, O faithful.
Let us not be sad.
Let us cleanse our faces with the waters of dispassion, blessing and exalting Christ forever.
Let us begin the Fast with joy.
Let us give ourselves to spiritual efforts.
Let us cleanse our souls.
Let us clean our flesh.
Let us fast from passions as we fast from foods,
taking pleasure in the good works of the Spirit and accomplishing them in love
that we all may be made worthy to see the passion of Christ our God
and His Holy Pascha, rejoicing with spiritual joy.


Repentance and joy, compunction and consolation, godly grief and spiritual rejoicing are joined together in perfect union in the person who fights for the Lord.

May we all enter into the beautiful season of Great Lent with joy, seeking to cultivate bright sadness throughout our journey so that we can fully enter into the Paschal radiance of our Lord's resurrection.

In Christ,

Fr. Steve

Presenting Ourselves to God

2/5/2021

 
On Tuesday this week we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. As we reflect on this great Feast, we see a deep spiritual truth being revealed to us in this simple act of dedicating Jesus in the temple. We see that the Triune God is continually giving to us and simply asks for us to present the gifts we receive back to Him in thanksgiving. In return to our offering, God always returns such an offering back to us with a great blessings, seen or unseen.

This Feast shows us the following pattern; 1) receiving a gift from God, 2) returning that gift to Him with thanksgiving and, 3) God blessing even more by returning the gift to us transformed.

We see that God blesses the Theotokos with the gift of bearing His Son, God becomes incarnate, and she is called blessed from that day forward. In turn, on this feast, she comes to the Temple to present the Child to the Father, dedicating Him with thanksgiving to the living God. The Christ-child, dedicated in this way, in turn blesses all of humanity with His death and resurrection, opening the path to eternal life for all people.

As we meditate on this incredible feast, we see a pattern for our whole life. We are called to have eyes to see the incredible gifts that God has blessed with us rather than simply take them for granted. Realizing that 'every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of lights', we are then called to offer these gifts back to God with thanksgiving. Such offerings back to God can take place through serving on a ministry, serving others around us with whatever talents we’ve been blessed with, attending liturgical services to offer our time and love to God, offering of treasurers to help build up the Church of Christ, or sharing our wealth with those less fortunate. Our Good Lord seeing our giving back to Him will bless us richly as He sees fit - either in this life or the life to come.

May we all strive to see the gifts we’ve been given, offer them back to the living God with thanksgiving, and live in the reality of the great blessedness that our all-loving and compassionate Father bestows on us.

In Christ,

Fr. Steve

Humble Glory

1/8/2021

 
Greetings beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

Each month a different priest within our Metropolis of San Francisco provides a small spiritual reflection to encourage the faithful on their Christian journey. This month I had the privilege of providing the reflection on the feast of Theophany and I offer this small reflection to all of you for the January clergy corner.

Additionally, the Metropolis wanted us pass on two New Year encyclicals, one from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the second from His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew. I pray these are encouraging for all of you and it is a good reminder that we are part of the Church and are connected to the body of Christ which spans the entire globe.

May He who condescended to be baptized by John in the Jordan for our salvation, Christ our true God, bless us all during this incredible feast and for the coming year.

In Christ,

Fr. Steve

Glad Tidings of Great Joy

12/2/2020

 
Greetings beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we enter into the season of preparation to receive our Lord's birth let us all pause a moment and reflect upon this special time of joy. The church, in its hymnography, paints the picture and taps into the incredible joy we can experience with our Lord's incarnation becoming actualized:

Let creation exceedingly rejoice, for the Creator fashions Himself as a creature!
He who was before all things now manifests Himself as God newly revealed!

Be joyful, O earth! Behold, Christ draws near to be born in Bethlehem.
Dance for joy, O company of prophets, for today you behold the fulfillment of your words. Rejoice, all you righteous!

Let the nations be in exceeding joy! Mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, seas, and the whole of creation: Magnify the Lord who now is born!

Rejoice, O Virgin, The Theotokos who of the Holy Spirit has borne Life into the world, for the salvation of all!


Fr. Alexander Schmemann, a prominent Orthodox theologian in the 20th century, reminds us in his book 'For the Life of the World' that before Christians can do anything with Christmas programs, project, and activities they must first recover the meaning of great joy. This spiritual joy, the true joy of our Lord, is not something external, but is found within. It is found within our souls when we experience the incarnate Word of God, the eternal Logos, born in the flesh, taking on humanity that we all share, and to freely give us eternal life.

This Christmas, many of our external programs, projects, and activities are greatly diminished or cancelled all together. It is in this external diminishment that we have a rare opportunity to look inwards, towards our soul to unearth the spiritual joy which can only be experienced during this season of preparation and fulfilled in Christ's birth. This may very well be the only Christmas in our whole life where we will have so few external activities, so let us all turn inwards to find Christ's joy and peace in His birth. How rare an opportunity it is to find that when we have everything external stripped away we find the 'pearl of great price' (Mt 13:36). What an opportunity to remember that 'the kingdom of God is within you' (Lk 17:21) and Christ is patiently waiting to enter into our hearts during this Christmas season.

Let us not fall into despair since we are so limited in our external festivities but resurrect our spiritual festivities of experiencing our Lord through His unending love and grace. Let us all avoid being accused of being joyless Christians, but take this opportunity to shine spiritual joy in our hurting world this Christmas season.

In Christ,

Fr. Steve
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