NEW YORK-- On the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Orthodox and Catholic Christians will join in prayer and public gathering to express their long-standing belief that all life is sacred.

An official delegation of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States will participate in choir in the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Roman Catholic Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 21. The following day, January 22, Catholic and Orthodox bishops will jointly offer prayer to begin the March for Life at 12 noon on the National Mall.

As he reflected upon the importance of this year’s sanctity of life events, His Eminence Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York and chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said: “While we lament the tragedy of abortion in our land, our Lord continues to show us how good can come from evil. Our collaborative and prayerful efforts with our Orthodox brothers and sisters have certainly been a sign of hope in our combined efforts to build a culture of life.”

Highlighting the importance of prayer when addressing the issue of abortion, His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, chairman of the Committee for Church and Society of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in the U.S., stressed the need to “pray not only for those who are currently considering an abortion, but also those who have already undergone the procedure and may despair of God’s love and mercy.”

The faithful and all people of good will are invited to attend both the Prayer Vigil and the March for Life Rally. For more information, please visit: www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/resources/index.cfm and http://marchforlife.org/mfl-2016/

The following statement was signed by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the USCCB; His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, chairman of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops; Cardinal Dolan; and Metropolitan Savas:

 
Seeking Life, Mercy, and Healing
A Common Statement by Orthodox and Catholic Bishops
on the 43rd Anniversary of Roe v. Wade



On January 22, Catholic and Orthodox Christians will once again stand in solidarity on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. As our communities firmly believe in the sanctity of life, the faithful—along with many people of other traditions and good will—lament the legal circumstances that facilitate abortion and the cultural phenomena that present abortion as the only choice for expectant mothers experiencing difficult conditions.

We recognize that the choice to abort an unborn child ultimately reflects the broken condition of humanity.

We remind the world of our common teaching that life begins at the earliest moments of conception and that life, at all stages of its development, is sacred. We denounce the termination of a life as a response to unwanted pregnancies or as a method of overcoming social and economic challenges. We embrace the mothers and the couples who, in spite of difficulties, choose to bring their pregnancy to term. At the same time, however, we invite those who may have undergone or facilitated an abortion to turn to Christ with contrite hearts, seeking to overcome their grief through His forgiveness, mercy and healing.

Why do we bless houses (and almost anything else that we can sprinkle) with water?

Many years ago, when I was yet a deacon, I was visiting with some non-Orthodox friends who were inquirers into Orthodoxy (they sadly, never followed through with their interest – or even their promise to become Orthodox) and we were discussing this topic in the context of blessing their house. I look at it like this. This world, this creation, is in captivity; it is enemy held territory. The evil one, having enslaved all of creation at the fall, has laid claim to every nook and cranny of this earth. And for a while it looked as though he might be able to hold onto it. But then he reached too far and attempted to enslave the Master of All and to bind Life with the chains of death and his power was broken. But creation is still fallen, it is still contested land in the spiritual battle.

We, as Christians, are engaged in this struggle to reclaim fallen nature for the Kingdom of God. We often talk about this in terms of our own salvation, but the Church, addressing all of creation in a wholistic manner, also reaches out and reclaims a bit here and a bit there of creation in general. We do this in order that we might restore the usefulness of creation for working out our own salvation. Hence we bless anything that might help us in our salvation – and by blessing it we reclaim it for the Kingdom of God.

There are few things more vital to our lives than our homes. In our homes we pray, we work, we talk to others, we order our lives, we work out our marriages, etc. What more important place to reclaim for the Kingdom of God – or is it better to continue living in a place which is occupied by the enemy. For the most effective working out of our salvation, we must drive the enemy out of our homes, and keep him at bay by our prayers, our righteous life, and the annual sprinkling by Holy Water at Theophany.
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(From a Post to the Orthodox mailing list, dated April 30, 1996 by Priest David Moser
St Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church, 872 N 29th St, Boise ID
Used with permission)

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready
to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason
for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…”
1 Peter 3:15

Beloved in the Lord,

We celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, a feast of great joy, at a time when many of us are filled with anxiety and concern. The attacks in Paris, Roseburg, and San Bernardino have shaken us to the core. Innocent people’s lives were lost over senseless violence, thus making it increasingly difficult to celebrate the beauty of this season when tragedy surrounds us.

It is in this time of great sadness that we must work even harder to find the joy of Christmas. This will take deeper examination – one that looks beyond the lights, the trees, and the wrapping paper – where we find a profound reality that can restore the hope that still resides in our hearts through the message: Christ is Born! The Almighty God has not abandoned us, but instead He sent His only Son into our fractured world. He did this over 2,000 years ago, and still He is with us today, giving us hope for peace and unity.

That hope is also seen in the mystery of the Incarnation, the paradox of the Nativity, where God the transcendent becomes God the immanent. God in the abstract becomes God the person. A tiny baby born in Bethlehem is more than just “a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 10:12). He is Christ the Lord, the Son of God, co-eternal with His Father. He is the Son of the Almighty God, filled with power and might, the “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6).

Beloved, the birth of Christ is a realization of hope. At the time of the nativity so many centuries ago, the people of Israel hoped for a world of justice and freedom from Roman oppression and tyranny. We celebrate this Christmas at a time when we hope for a world of peace and righteousness, made possible through the birth of Christ that dispels fear and anxiety because we know that “God is with us”.

As we hear the story of the nativity from the Scripture and the hymns of our Church in our parishes in the Divine Services, let us hear the words and allow them to permeate our hearts so that the hope residing within us can overcome the darkness of this age, so that we may sing as the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest”. As we partake of Holy Communion on this great feast let us praise the Almighty God Who has sent His Son to us and gives Himself for our sakes. Let us greet one another with the traditional “Merry Christmas”, but also with the true message of this day, “Christ is Born!”

May hope fill you and your beloved families this Christmas and all the days to come.

With Love in Our Newborn King,

+ G E R A S I M O S

Metropolitan of San Francisco

December 25, 2015

The Nativity of Christ

For unto us a Child is born, and His name will be called…Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6)

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On this blessed Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I greet you in the grace, joy and peace that accompany this unique event.  We celebrate our Lord’s holy Incarnation as a miraculous revelation of God’s grace, and through faith we see the path to redemption, restoration, and life without end.  Our hearts are filled with joy, for our hope is renewed in the fulfillment of His divine promise to save us and be with us.  We also experience the peace of God, which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), as our hearts and minds are filled with the transforming presence of Christ.

He has come to us as the Prince of Peace, offering a divine peace that is much greater than any comfort or security offered in this world.  It is a peace that is available to all humanity, regardless of current challenges, threats, living conditions or stage of life.  It is a peace that cannot be disturbed by the violence and insecurities of this broken world, for its origin is the God of peace, and it is sustained by His abundant grace.

In our celebration of the Feast of the Nativity, we acknowledge the power of the peace of God in several ways.  In our Great Vespers service we read the prophecies of Isaiah regarding the Incarnation of Christ, affirming the biblical revelation that His peace restores a created order that has been burdened by sin, violence and death.  The Prophet states that He comes with wisdom, understanding, and righteousness, bringing a peace by which the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them(Isaiah 11:6).  These images reveal that the presence and peace of our Lord restores the relationships of creation to what God intended them to be.  Through the power of the Incarnation, we are given a glimpse of life to come and how it will be when the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord (Isaiah 11:9).

As the Prince of Peace our Lord also brings to us peace through justice.  In the same passage from Isaiah we read with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and reprove with equity the meek of the earth (Isaiah 11:4). Those who struggle without security—the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, the refugee, the orphan, the sick—they can find peace in the midst of their challenges and afflictions.  In Christ, we have peace through justice and justice through peace, as He offers salvation to all.  His Incarnation is the seal of that promise.

Justice and righteousness as a foundation of divine and enduring peace shows a clear distinction between the spiritual peace granted by God and the temporal peace we often experience.  In the world around us, peace is maintained through the use of force or the ability to use it when necessary.  The priority of the rule of law is affirmed, with an emphasis on punishment or consequences for disrupting public order.  Peace is also linked to economic stability and thwarting the chaos that could ensue if systems failed.  All of these concepts of peace are important in our lives, but they are very limited.  The peace of God that is revealed by Christ is a peace that we can have no matter the conditions of life, society, or level of security.  It is a peace that comes through faith as we trust in the promises of God.  As we see in Christ and in the lives of many Saints, it is a peace that stands in the face of great adversity, that is not dependent on any temporal security of life, status or property, but is strengthened by the hope we have in the grace of God.

As we celebrate this Feast of the Nativity in the presence of our Incarnate Lord, and we reflect on the significance of His birth and the revelation of God’s grace, may your hearts and minds be filled with His peace.  Let this peace surround us as we deepen our faith in Christ, seek transformation by His grace, and commit all of our life to Him.  In addition, as we proclaim “Christ is born, Glorify Him,” may we offer a witness of the peace that comes from above, revealing the love of God through our Lord’s Incarnation to all the world.

With paternal love in Christ,

†DEMETRIOS

Archbishop of America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On behalf of the members of the Holy Eparchial Synod of our Holy Archdiocese, I am writing to you concerning the progress in the rebuilding of the Saint Nicholas Church at Ground Zero in New York City.  As you have heard and read, construction is proceeding on the beautiful Naos that will be a national shrine and a place of prayer, remembrance, and hope.  From the ashes of destruction is rising an edifice for the communion of God and humanity.  From the remnants of a violent act of hatred comes a holy place that affirms the power of love and faith.

This is the witness that will be offered by our Saint Nicholas National Shrine.  Centrally located, it will be a beacon to all who visit Ground Zero.  The light that will shine from this place will not only be by architectural design, but a light that will illuminate the path to God.  Saint Nicholas and the ministry offered there will shine forth the truth of the Gospel and grace that comes through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The National Shrine will also be a vibrant and beautiful witness of Orthodox Christianity and our Hellenic heritage.  Inspired by the architecture of Hagia Sophia and the Church of our Savior in Chora, built with marble from the same vein in Greece used for the Parthenon, and incorporating very modern elements and features, the Shrine will engage the attention of the millions of visitors to Ground Zero.  The church will invite all of their senses to encounter a faith and tradition that connects human and divine, celebrates life and goodness, and shows the path to salvation and eternal peace.

The Saint Nicholas National Shrine will also be a witness to this nation and to the world of the power of faith and love in response to great tragedy and loss.  In the aftermath of a horrific and evil act, Ground Zero became a place of sacrifice and compassion.  It has become a place symbolizing resilience and strength.  It is a place of remembrance and hope.  The completion of the Shrine will accentuate the essential role of faith in our lives and our nation.  Built upon a rock of truth, it will affirm the foundation of love for our creation, our purpose, and our shared humanity.  It will represent to the world the bonds that unite the many into one people who cherish liberty for all.

To complete this sacred task for the glory of God and this powerful witness, your support is needed.  On this Sunday, November 8, we are beginning an initiative to raise the remaining resources needed to complete the Saint Nicholas National Shrine.  We give thanks to Almighty God for the many benefactors who have contributed generously and for the gifts both large and small that have been offered in faith and love.  Our hope through additional offerings and pledges is to announce on the feast of Saint Nicholas, December 6, that all of the resources have been committed to complete this Shrine.  Between now and the feast of the Shrine’s patron saint, we ask you to consider prayerfully what you can give to finish a church and a ministry that will be known throughout the world for generations to come.

As you give prayerfully and for His glory, may we follow the example of our Holy Father among the Saints, Nicholas the Wonderworker, who gave everything for the spiritual riches and blessings from above, gifts of God that will last for eternity.

With paternal love in Christ,

†DEMETRIOS

Archbishop of America

Can seven words—Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me—change lives?

It may seem a lot of effort over just seven words: Finding 110 Eastern Orthodox Christians, giving them a battery of tests ranging from psychology to theology to behavioral medicine, and then repeating the tests 30 days later. But the seven words—”Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” (a.k.a. the Jesus Prayer)—are among the most enduring in history. What Boston University psychologist George Stavros, Ph.D., wanted to find out was whether repeating the Jesus Prayer for ten minutes each day over the 30 days would affect these people’s relationship with God, their relationships with others, their faith maturity, and their “self-cohesion” (levels of depression, anxiety, hostility, and interpersonal sensitivity). In short, Stavros was asking whether the Jesus Prayer can play a special role in a person’s “journey to the heart.”

The answer—at least on all the scales that showed any significant effect compared to the control group—turned out to be a resounding yes. Repeating the contemplative prayer deepened the commitment of these Christians to a relationship with a transcendent reality. Not only that, it reduced depression, anxiety, hostility, and feelings of inferiority to others. So powerful were the psychological effects of the prayer that Stavros urges his colleagues to keep it in mind as a healing intervention for clients. He recommends that the prayer be used along with communal practices so that one’s relationship with God and others is “subtly and continuously tutored.” In other words, going inside to find God does not mean going it alone.

Worshiping as a Family

October 20, 2015 by Fr. Theodore Dorrance

Recently, a concern was voiced by some parents of young children regarding the difficulty of having their youngsters sit through our “long worship services.” Having been a parent of young children for many years with a wife who basically functioned as a single parent every Sunday and feast day, I am aware of how difficult it is to a young Orthodox Christian family. I realize that each Divine Liturgy is a struggle, trying to keep our children attentive and involved, wondering whether they and we are benefitting from the time and effort. This work is further compounded by the fact that many of us have not grown up ourselves in Orthodox worship. Standing for long periods of time, working hard to stay present and cut off intrusive thoughts, and entering into a rhythm and atmosphere so different from our everyday experience is even hard for us adults.

The Church has some very definite things to say about the presence of young children in the church services as full participants. Ever since the establishment of the Levitical priesthood, infants on the fortieth day of life have been brought to the Temple (church) to be blessed, dedicated and officially welcomed into the corporate worship life of the church community. From New Testament times until the present day, children have been baptized and chrismated as infants. From the day of the their baptism, they have been made full members and communicants of the holy mysteries of the Church. If young children are not expected to be in church, why does the Church bless both the mother and her child on the fortieth day and baptize and confirm them soon thereafter?! Of course, we know that they are clothed in Christ and sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit so that they can be totally immersed in the life of the Church. The wisest of all men, King Solomon, affirms this truth: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prov.22:6)

The Church is the Body of Christ, and it is also one big spiritual family. As members of the same Body, we are called to come together to congregate, to meet God and one another and to exercise love and work out our salvation in common as one. This inevitably means that from time to time there is going to be a little noise, a little movement, because we have little ones in our midst. They do not yet have the same attention span to stay focused as long as adults. These little ones are in training. This is why we have a “Young Family Room,” which is an extension of the Nave. It is NOT a “Cry Room,” where chaos and running around are encouraged, but it is a place for our young ones to be when they are not quiet enough to be in the Nave. It is their place of transition as they learn how to worship and participate in the Divine Services in a way that is respectful and fitting to the other members of their spiritual family.

I repeat here the words of Solomon: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Believe me, and I speak from experience, if we persevere in this struggle to bring our young children to the worship services while they are young, they will soon learn to love worship. It will become a part of them, and they will feel at home in the Church. Experts have long said that the bulk of our personality and our sense of our “self ” is formed in the first five years of life. Along with the grace of baptism and chrismation, the foundational experience of our young ones in Orthodox worship will be deeply imprinted on their souls; it will become a part of their spiritual DNA.

Allow me to interject two brief examples. A priest had regularly brought his children to church from their fortieth day. One day when one of his children was only two, he took her with him on a house blessing. While preparing for the service, his child was in another room playing and seemingly inattentive. Once the priest started the house blessing, however, from the other room this young child began chanting the responses. You can imagine how amazed and thrilled the priest was to see how much his child had absorbed just by being present at the various services. He said nothing, but throughout the rest of the service, he was accompanied by a two year old chanter.

A second example comes from my own experience. When our oldest was only 3 or 4, we had to be somewhere on a Saturday that prevented us from celebrating Vespers at our church. Presvytera and I decided we would do as much of the Vespers from heart while driving home that evening. We started, but quickly forgot how Psalm 103 continued after the opening line. Suddenly, from the back seat our young daughter proceeded to recite the entire Psalm from memory. We were astonished and learned a powerful lesson about the importance of bringing our children to church even when we are not sure they are even paying attention. It is during these formative early years that our children are like sponges, picking up and retaining all the sights, sounds and smells of Orthodox worship.

We should never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit in our children’s lives or the powerful effect the Orthodox Church’s rich, sensorial worship services can have on young children who do not seem to be paying attention. If they see that God and the Church are important to us, it will become important to them. Our commitment to the worship life of the Church will communicate this same priority to them. Once in the church, they will see the Kingdom of Heaven all around them through the architecture, the icons, the vestments, the candles, the incense, the chanting, etc. They will hear the prayers, the petitions, the hymns and the preaching. They will taste and see that the Lord is good. All of these sensory stimuli will create an indelible mark upon their whole person that will draw them closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let us all rise above our doubts as to whether this is of benefit to ourselves and our children. Let us ignore the insidious thoughts that are sent to us by the evil one and heed the words of our Lord: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt.19:14) If we as parents live our faith at all times and teach it to our children in both word and deed, namely bringing them to the Divine Services of the Church, they will grow up close to our Lord. My dear parents, hang in there and have patience. This season of bearing and raising children is brief. Your efforts will bear fruit before you even realize it. I have seen it happen to countless children whose parents were faithful. Not only will the holy and blessed worship life of the Church form and transfigure our children, but your loving and sacrificial efforts will also positively change your lives as well.

Exalted today, the Cross sanctifies the ends of the earth, and the Church is renewed in the Resurrection.

(Hymn of Vespers)

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross is a blessed day and celebration of the tremendous power of the Cross of our Lord.  Through the Cross the power and wisdom of God have been revealed.  By the Cross we are reconciled to Him, and we can find true and enduring peace.  It is the Cross that directs us to Christ and to the way of salvation and eternal life.

As the Apostle Paul recognized in his first Epistle to the Corinthians some see this as foolishness or contrary to the wisdom of the age (I Corinthians 1:17-23). How can wisdom be found in great humility, suffering, and sacrifice?  Where is peace and reconciliation through an instrument of torture and punishment?  How can this cruel means of death show us the way to life?

First, our Exaltation of the Cross affirms that God has revealed His great might and wisdom  through what is low and despised in the world (1:28) and what is foolish and weak (1:27).  He did this so that no human being might boast in the presence of God(1:29).  He chose a means for our redemption that did not conform to worldly standards of wisdom and power, showing that our source of life, our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification (1:30) are found in Jesus Christ alone.

Second, as we exalt the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, we commemorate the tremendous offering of our Lord.  We acknowledge that He alone was able to reconcile us to God by His death, ending our estrangement due to the power of evil.  By making peace through the blood of His Cross and through our faith in Him, we can be presented before God as holy, blameless, and irreproachable.  (Colossians 1:19-23)

Finally, we proclaim the power of the Cross on this Feast, for through it Christ has shown us the way to life.  Through the Cross and His humility and obedience unto death, He has been exalted so that every tongue should confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:11).   By emptying himself, taking the form of a servant, and being born in the likeness of humankind (Philippians 2:7), Jesus has received a name above every name.  Christ has shown that through the His Cross He is leading us to overcoming sin and evil and death and to reach eternal life.

As we celebrate the Cross and its transforming power for our lives and for all the created order, we also offer our support for our beloved Holy Cross School of Theology.  In the life of our Schole, this feast always marks the beginning of a new academic year.  It also is the beginning and continuation of the journey of our students who are preparing for service to God and His Church.  During this time at Holy Cross they are strengthened and nurtured for a lifetime of ministry, and through the Cross they will be connected to the wisdom of God, will guide others to reconciliation and peace, and will show the way to salvation and eternal life through Christ.  May we offer our prayers and gifts of support for our seminarians and our beloved Holy Cross.

Through our worship and celebration let us call all people to come to the Cross of our Lord so that they might know His grace and compassion.  Certainly, the power of the Cross will change their lives forever!

With paternal love in Christ,

†DEMETRIOS

Archbishop of America

Beloved in the Lord,

The above verse is taken from our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, and I hope it will inspire each of you and the ministries of our Metropolis in this new Ecclesiastical year. As the Lord teaches, this light, this brilliance, is not meant to be covered under a bushel, but placed high for all to see and to illumine a path for all to come to Him. Now that our parish programs and ministries resume their normal routines after the summer months, let the light of our faith and life as Orthodox Christians shine bright.

As you read this letter, I am enjoying the hospitality of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, at the Phanar, for the Synaxis of the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne. The Phanar is so named because of the lighthouse that once sat in this area on the Golden Horn. Today the lighthouse is gone, but our Patriarchate serves as the lighthouse for our Orthodox faith, being a shining example of leadership and care for the Orthodox Church and the people of the world.

In the Synaxis, Archbishops, Metropolitans, and Bishops from the eparchies and dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate around the globe are gathered in council under the leadership of our His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to discuss the issues facing our Church and the world today. Throughout the Synaxis our focus will be on finding new ways for our Faith and Church to shine the light of Christ with greater intensity. There are many issues to discuss from the forthcoming Great and Holy Council to be held in 2016, to the tragic situation of the Church under persecution in the Middle East. We must act as one Church to continually shine light on these issues.

Another area of common concern for the Church and the world is the environment. September 1 has been designated as the day of the Protection of the Environment. Our Ecumenical Patriarch began shining light on this issue long before other religious leaders. His All Holiness has called us to pray for the protection of the environment and to ask for forgiveness for our complicity in its destruction. With the raging forest fires, years of drought, and the recent toxic accident in a river, we can see why we must turn to God and ask Him to enlighten us with environmental wisdom, for we need His help and guidance more than ever.

Let me conclude by returning to our work as the Metropolis of San Francisco. Our task in this coming Ecclesiastical year is to magnify and radiate the light of Christ through the life of our parishes and people. We, the Body of Christ, are called to continue Christ’s mission in the world, to see all people as Christ saw them: children of their loving God and Father. This coming year as we continue to implement our Strategic Plan, let us spread the light of the Good News of Jesus Christ and His Orthodox Church throughout our Metropolis. The programs and ministries we are building can shine the love and the light of Christ on all people. Some people today criticize Christianity because they believe it is not living up to the Gospel that it preaches. Let this not be so among our parishes and Metropolis. Let our love for our neighbor be as meaningful as the words we preach!

May the love of God the Father shine in your hearts and radiate among the lives of all you encounter in your parish, in your work, and in your family. Beseeching our God to bring this New Ecclesiastical Year all His blessings, I remain,

With Love in Christ,

+ G E R A S I M O S
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Metropolitan of San Francisco