~Pastor’s Message of May 28, 2020~

“Thou, O Christ, art our God of exceeding praise Who didst establish our holy Fathers as luminous stars upon earth, and through them didst guide us unto the true Faith, O most merciful One, glory to Thee.” Troparia for Sunday

Dear brothers and sister the holder of the True Faith,

Christ is in our midst.

This past Thursday we concluded the 40 days after Pascha with the Feast of the Ascension. The Feast of the Ascension is very important because as the Kontakion says: “When Thou didst fulfill Thy dispensation for our sakes, uniting the terrestrials with the celestials, Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, inseparable in space, but constant without separation, and crying unto Thy beloved: I am with you, and no one shall be against you.” By ascensding into heaven, Christ is not separated from His Church but He has united the earth and the heaven together.

This Sunday would have marked the end of Sunday School. I want to thank Joanie Younes for all her dedication and services, and all the teachers who helped in the past year. On Thursday June 4th at 7 PM, I will have a zoom meeting with all the parents of the Sunday School children. I will email you next week more details.

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, the Food for Hungry People will assist individuals or families who are affected by the Covid-19. If you are in need of financial assistance, please speak to Father or Mr. George Boutros, we will be able to supmit a request for assistance on your behalf.

Services for June: The Apostle Fast starts on June 15th until the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Pentecost is Sunday June 7th. The Feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist, we will have Vespers on Tuesday the 23rd at 7 PM.

Next week: Bible Study on Tuesday and Parents meeting on Thursday.

“Even if we know the words of the Nicene Creed by heart, we may still be tempted to turn Christ into a Savior who fits with our preconceived notions about what we would like from a religion.  After all, it is much easier to follow a Lord Who serves our own pursuit of pleasure, power, and pride than it is to embrace One Who calls us to holiness in every dimension of our existence.  Even as He is fully divine, He is also fully human.  He went up into heaven with a glorified human body.  To share in His life is to share in His holiness in ways that make us shine with the divine glory in body, soul, and spirit in the world as we know it.  That does not mean becoming less human, but becoming more truly ourselves in God’s image and likeness.” Fr. Philip LeMasters

In Christ,