Homily on the Meeting of the Lord

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What a tender scene the Meeting of the Lord shows us! The venerable elder Simeon, holding the infant God in his hands, on either side of him are the righteous Joseph and the Most Holy Mother of God. Not far away is the Prophetess Anna, an eighty-year-old faster and woman of prayer. Their eyes are all directed toward the Savior. Their attention is absorbed by Him and they drink in spiritual sweetness from Him, which feeds their souls. You can judge for yourself how blessed was the state of these souls!

However, brothers, we are called not only to think about this blessedness, Continue reading →

How important commemoration at the Liturgy is

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How important commemoration at the Liturgy is may be seen in the following occurrence: before the uncovering of the relics of St. Theodosius of Chernigov (1896), the priest-monk (the renowned Starets Alexis of Goloseyevsky Hermitage, of the Kiev-Caves Lavra, who died in 1916) who was conducting the re-vesting of the relics. Commemoration of the dead

Becoming weary while sitting by the relics, dozed off and saw before him the Saint, who told him: “I thank you for laboring with me. I beg you also, when you will serve the Liturgy, to commemorate my parents” — and he gave their names (Priest Nikita and Maria). “How can you, O Saint, ask my prayers, when you yourself stand at the heavenly Throne and grant to people God’s mercy?” the priest-monk asked. “Yes, that is true,” replied St. Theodosius, “but the offering at the Liturgy is more powerful than my prayer.”

+ St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily on Life after Death

St. Sava Celebration 2018

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Dear Parishioners,
 
As you know, this years St. Sava Celebration will be held on January 28th, 2018.
His Grace, Bishop Mitrofan, as well as father Vojislav Bilbija will visit us on this occasion. 
The program will go as follows:
1. Holy Liturgy with the blessing of the Slava Bread at 10:00 AM.
2. Lunch
3. A celebration prepared by the St. Sava Serbian School and SKUD Frula.
4. A lecture by father Vojislav Bilbija.
 
WELCOME TO YOUR CHURCH!!!

The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men

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Saint John bore witness of Christ Jesus, that He is in truth The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), that He is the promised Deliverer, awaited by all. Those who were near him heard this and believed. From them this witness passed on to the people, and everyone began to think that he of whom John bore witness was not an ordinary man. The Saviour pointed this out when in the last days in the temple, he proposed to the heads of the temple a question: the baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men (Mark 11:30)?

They refrained from answering, because it was impossible for them not to see that John came baptizing with water not of himself. But if they were to say this, they would immediately have to acknowledge John’s testimony that the Promised One was before them, and therefore be compelled to submit to His teaching. But they did not want to submit, not for any well-founded reasons, but solely because of their prejudice. But their obstinacy does not in the least lessen the power of the witness of St. John. To this day, it is as certain as it was when it came forth from his mouth. We hearken unto John who shows us the true Deliverer; and through this we enliven our faith, as a faith which has tangible proof behind it.

Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
By St. Theophan the Recluse

The Kingdom of the humble

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Take your minds, my dears, to that sacred place where our Lord Jesus Christ’s Baptism was performed. And here appears to our gaze the picture of the Jordan event, deeply enlightening, wondrous, and full of Divine greatness. When Jesus Christ turned thirty, He went to the Jordan, where John was baptizing the people, saying that He too came to be baptized. God revealed to John Who it was Who had come to him, and he exclaimed: I have need to be baptized of thee. But Christ answered: “Withhold Me not, for so shall we fulfill the will of God.” Continue reading →

Saint Seraphim of Sarov

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In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

“They will sing Pascha in the summer,” was once said in Sarov. Seventy years passed from the death of the man about whom these words were pronounced, and on July 19, 1903, all of Russia resounded with hymns of praise, glorifying God and His saint. Truly, all of Rus’ exalted then as on the Day of Holy Pascha—even more so.

Later terrible days came for Russia, but the memory of St. Seraphim neither died nor weakened. Russian people continue to come to him and glorify him, both in the suffering homeland and throughout the ends of the world where these people are scattered. Even other nations are becoming familiar with St. Seraphim Continue reading →

The Nativity of Christ

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Glory to Thee, O Lord! Once again we greet the awaited bright days of Christ’s Nativity. Let us be glad and rejoice. In order to raise our festivities to a higher level in these days, the Holy Church has intentionally instituted a fast before them—a certain amount of constraint, so that as we enter the festive period we might feel as though we were coming out into freedom. Nevertheless, the Church in no way desires that we give ourselves over to mere sensual delights and fleshly pleasures. Since the Church has from olden times called these days sviatki (“holy days”), they require that our very rejoicing on these days be holy, as they are holy. So that those who rejoice might not forget themselves, the Church has placed a short hymn upon our lips to glorify the newborn Christ Continue reading →

Holy Elder and Confessor of Our Times

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Venerable Kuksha of Odessa, Holy Elder and Confessor of Our Times

 St. Kuksha (in the world, Kosma Velitchko) was born on January 12, 1875 in the village of Arbuzinka Kherson region, Nikolaev Province. His parents were the pious and Christ-loving Kirill and Kharitina Velitchko. In her youth, Kharitina dreamt of becoming a nun, but at her parents’ insistence, married. Nevertheless, she prayed to God that one of her children would fulfill her dream and enter the monastic life. This prayer was answered in her boy Kosma, who from childhood loved prayerful solitude and study of Holy Scripture.

In 1896, with his parents’ blessing, Kosma went to Mt. Athos, and was received as a novice at the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon.

In 1897, Kosma received a blessing from his abbot to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Here Kuksha would receive mysterious signs of the grace he would bear in the future. Continue reading →