During the Service of Forgiveness, we prayed:
“Thy grace has shone forth, Oh Lord, it has shone forth and given light to our souls. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the season of repentance. Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, that having sailed across the great sea of the fast, we may reach the Third-day Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of our souls.”
The Great Lenten Season as well as the Great and Holy Week of Orthodox Christian Church are truly blessings to each of us. It is assuredly a “great sea” on which to navigate, but the heavenly rewards are great! Our disciplines of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and study prepare us for His Kingdom by rousing our souls to action, bettering our families, the Church, and our world that is too often shrouded in darkness.
Making more time for personal prayer in our hectic lives can be trying. Attending services in person will also be a re-adjustment for some. Pace yourselves and acclimate accordingly to both, finding joy in your increased personal prayer and comfort in attending services at the Parish. Our service schedule is attached and also found on our website (we will continue to broadcast all of our services on Facebook). Some helpful prayers are found below for inclusion in your devotions.
Fast with joy! The Lord made it clear to us that we’re not to be dismal but find joy when we recenter ourselves in Him through abstaining from certain foods, sights, sounds and activities. In actually, we’re really not giving anything up, rather we are taking-on the mantle of disciplined discipleship that is preparing us to celebrate the Holy and Life-giving Resurrection of our Lord!
This season – the pandemic – has caused financial turmoil and uncertainty for many. Thanks be to God, we continue to sustain our Parish through stewardship and we’re about to begin the construction of our Sanctuary. As I encourage you to continue supporting both our ministries and our building program, Lent is NOT a stewardship drive nor a capital campaign, rather it’s the Season during which we discern ways to support our brothers and sisters in need, both inside and outside the Parish.
· Support the work of Philoptochos, including feeding families in need.
· Donate to IOCC.
· Offer a gift to the Diocese of Mount Kenya.
· Donate on behalf of one of our stewards who has or will shave his head in support of childhood cancer research (Isaiah Mathew, Calvin Benson, Bill Alexiou, Fr. Seraphim Ivey, and me).
If you are unable to give financially, then offer your prayers for each of these philanthropies. If you’re struggling with your finances, then please let us know as we may be able to provide some assistance from our Benevolent Fund.
During this Great Lent, find time to study. Thanks be to God, we offer two weekly Bible Studies, one in the morning and the other at lunch time. A third Scripture Study is hosted every other week in the evening. Our Study of the Orthodox Faith meets each week in the evenings. Our Parish Study on “Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home” takes place every other Saturday evening. And at this point, all of the classes are online, so it’s just a matter of joining us on zoom! Links to our studies are sent out throughout the week.
In closing, I pray that this Lenten season is truly blessed for you, our Parish and the greater community. If Fr. Seraphim, Dn. Joseph or I can be of assistance to you or your family as we navigate “this sea”, please do not hesitate to contact us through the Office. If I have offended you or fallen short in my ministry, then I ask your forgiveness and your prayers. And, as we prayed last evening at the close of services, “May God forgive us all.”
A blessed Great and Holy Lent,
+fr. Christopher
