Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
This evening, we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts for the first time this Lenten season. Perhaps no other service better exemplifies the spirit of the Fast than this beautiful Liturgy. It is so unique and different when compared to any other service we do. The Divine Liturgy...
07 March, 2017Reading Scriptures During Lent
For those of you who follow the weekly scripture readings in the, you will have noticed that with Lent underway, the appointed readings are very different. Normally, we read each day from one of the Epistles and one of the four Gospels. During lent, at least from Monday through Friday,...
05 February, 2017
The Authenticity of Orthodoxy in a Post-Modern World
by Andrew Nova Orthodox Christians in America are living in a very challenging era, yet at the same time are living in the most exciting age of the Church. Americans have been blessed with the appearance of the Orthodox Church and its appearance couldn’t have come at a better time....
27 October, 2016Why Run?
Why Run? Why exactly am I running a marathon? I ran track in high school. I was a half-mile runner primarily. I was never too fond of running distances. Over the years, I have tried many times (and failed most of them) to get back into running. Several years ago,...
27 July, 2014
Marking Time
Following Forgiveness Sunday vespers a couple of weeks ago, one of our parish family remarked to me concerning their thankfulness of coming to another Lent. They remarked that, God willing, they would see another Pascha as well. This is how he marks time for himself, from year to year. I...
17 March, 2014Avoiding extreme drops in your spiritual "temperature"
Yesterday was a beautiful day. The temperatures got up into the 60s, the children got to play outside. It was wonderful. As I write this afternoon, the wind is whipping, there’s a mix of snow and rain coming down and the temperature is dropping fast. By tonight and into tomorrow...
12 March, 2014
Turning off the world
Brothers and Sisters, Imagine if the world stopped for us during Lent. How much easier would it be for us to attend services, pray more and focus on our spiritual growth if all of our other obligations went away. Work keeping you busy? You get 40 days off. School work...
04 March, 2014
Forgiveness Sunday
Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ What a powerful example of Christian forgiveness our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ offers to us while hanging on the life giving cross. Forgiveness is a difficult thing for us. This is likely due in large...
02 March, 2014
Because Belief Leads to Life
By Father Daniel Rentel Belief leads to life! Through belief, I belong to something greater than myself. Through belief, my life has purpose, structure and meaning—it is life itself. . Through faith, my senses and my intellect have been nourished abundantly. Through faith I have been called in the most...
03 November, 2013The Power of Prayer
‘The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.’ Last fall, we introduced a monthly Moleben, primarily to St. Nectarios, with the opportunity to be anointed with oil. This simple prayer service was very meaningful to me as a young adult. We prayed it every summer when I attended...
18 September, 2013
A Reflection on the Cross
We cannot go anywhere, even in our secular society, without seeing a cross. In any town we go through, we will no doubt see at least one Christian church, with a cross sitting atop it. Yet, for the early Christians, they must have been met with maybe strange looks, or...
14 September, 2013
The Beheading of St. John the Baptist
‘but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.’ (Mark 10:40) These are the words of our Lord to James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They asked Christ if, in His glory,...
28 August, 2013The Paraklesis Service
In writing about the Dormition fast and the Feast itself nearly two weeks ago, I referred to this feast as the Summer Pascha. Just as the Passion, crucifixion and death of Christ, and ultimately, His glorious resurrection on the third day, are preceded by a rigorous period of fasting, so...
10 August, 2013
Transfiguration
Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here.’ Matthew 17:4 These words were spoken by St. Peter as he witnessed the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He was transfigured before him and Sts. James and John on Mt....
05 August, 2013The Dormition Fast
“O marvelous wonder! The source of life is laid in the tomb, and the tomb itself becomes a ladder to heaven. Your glory is full of majesty, shining with grace in divine brightness.” Vespers Stikhiri Today, we begin the two week fast in preparation for the final feast of the...
01 August, 2013
The Subdiaconate
Observations by Subdeacon John Historically, we see the mentioned use of subdeacons in the mid third century (e.g. writings of St. Cyprian of Carthage), and their initial use was to assist deacons (to release deacons from some of the deacon’s ever increasing duties during the third century). Pragmatic liturgical duties...
04 November, 2008
Reflections: 25 Years
Marking the 25th anniversary By Father Daniel Rentel Think about it: Fewer than three decades ago, there was no parking problem, no out buildings, no upper room for gatherings, no Saturday lunch program. The first parishioners comprised a group of believers from disparate backgrounds: large parishes, small ones, Slavs, Greeks,...
03 November, 2008
A Letter to the Faithful
by Father Daniel Rentel In celebration of the Parish’s 25th Anniversary We know that the Holy Evangelist made reference to a meeting with the Resurrected Lord on the road to Emmaus. We know the “breaking of the bread” to be the Eucharist. Note if you will, the inherent strength imbedded...
03 November, 2008