Dear Parish Faithful, In his sermon on the mount Jesus not only gives instructions about prayer and fasting, he gives commandments about almsgiving as well. Indeed, in the sermon, this part comes first.... Jesus, once again, did not say if you give alms. He said, when you give alms.... The apostles of Christ magnified the Master’s teaching about the need to help the needy. They insisted that human perfection consists in giving to the poor and following Christ. They taught, with Jesus, that the measure one gives is the measure one gets. They were convinced that the greatest ..read more

    Dear Parish Faithful, Having mercy is God’s most distinguishing characteristic. Pouring out his mercy, his steadfast love, upon his covenanted people is his main occupation. Mercy is at the heart of everything that God is and does and gives to his people. It is the people’s most treasured possession. The psalms, for example, describe the steadfast love of the Lord, which is the mercy of our prayer, in numberless ways. The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting and endures forever. It is higher and greater than the heavens, yet the earth is full of this steadfast love ..read more

    Dear Parish Faithful, There is a glory that comes from the Lord, for he says: Those who honor me, I will honor (1 Samuel 2.30). And there is a glory that follows us through diabolic intrigue, for it is said: Woe when all men shall speak well of you (Lk 6.26). You may be sure that it is the first kind of glory when you regard it as harmful and avoid it in every possible way, and hide your manner of life wherever you go. But the other you will know when you do something, however trifling, hoping that you will be observed by men. —St John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascen ..read more

  Dear Parish Faithful, "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." —C.S. Lewis _____ As is often the case, C.S. Lewis offers a fine twist to our usual perceptions.   ..read more

  Dear Parish Faithful, Abba Moses of Petra was terribly embattled by porneia. No longer strong enough to remain in his cell he went and reported to Abba Isidore. The elder begged him to return to his cell but he would not accept that, saying: “Abba, I haven’t the strength.” So he took him and brought him up onto the housetop with him and said to him: “Look to the west.” He looked up and saw an innumerable host of demons; they were milling around together and shouting, ready for battle. Then Abba Isidore also said to him: “Look to the east.” He looked and saw innumerable hosts of glor ..read more

    Dear Parish Faithful, “Oh how did we not remember types of this tree! For of old they were shown forth in many and varied ways and saved the lost. By a tree, Noah was saved, but the whole world, unbelieving, was destroyed. Moses was glorified through one when he took a staff as a scepter, but Egypt, with the plagues that came from it, was drowned as though fallen into deep wells. What it has now done, the Cross showed forth of old in image. Why then are we weeping? For Adam is going again to paradise.” —Dialogue between the devil and Hades on their fall by the Cross, in S ..read more

    Dear Parish Faithful, But in order to be Christian, to be able to pronounce the words of the Creed, to say the Lord’s Prayer, to participate in the Liturgy, we must at least determine—not only to have a velleity, but a determination firm and clear—to live the words that we pronounce, to live our whole life on Christ’s own terms. Otherwise we are only spectators of the life, of the crucifixion, of the death of Christ. We are onlookers, interested listeners who may well be moved by one thing or another, but like the barren earth or the roadside of the parable we may well receiv ..read more

  Solar Eclipse, 4/8/24 - St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral, Cleveland OH   Dear Parish Faithful, More Response to the Solar Eclipse: Here is a fine poem written by our parishioner, Neal Tew, following Monday's total solar eclipse. Wonder thunders mutely in the heavens. The planetary gearing drops her veil. High in the sky the sun, abiding, hides, as clouds their evening hues adorn. The work-a-day world clogs and stills, birds hymn their pillows ready, and crickets their evensong intone. Man and beast assemble  in synagogue of earth and sky ..read more

  Dear Parish Faithful, The greatest offering we can present to the Lord is our self. We cannot do this without giving up our own will. We learn to do this through obedience, and obedience we learn through practice.... Besides fasting we have other teachers to whom we can show obedience. They meet us at every step in our daily life, if we only recognize their voices. Your wife wants you to take your raincoat with you: do as she wishes, to practice obedience. Your fellow-worker asks you to walk with her a little way: go with her to practice obedience. Wordlessly the infant asks ..read more

  Photo by Sarah Holiday, shared by Nuns of Holy Transfiguration Dear Parish Faithful, I have received two new reflections on yesterday's solar eclipse, and wanted to share them with the parish.  First, this from Erin Settles, a wonderful "first-hand" witness! I am further aware that others in the parish witnessed the total eclipse. I liked her description of the great difference between witnessing a total eclipse compared to a partial eclipse. We were impressed with what we saw, but we missed the "real thing!" Fr. Steven ____ Hi Fr Steven!  I just read your ..read more