The Gospel on Many Cares and Sudden Death (Part II)

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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THE GOSPEL ON MANY CARES AND SUDDEN DEATH (Part II)
By Saint Nikolai Velimirovic, Bishop of Ochrid

(Homily on Luke 12:16-21)

"And he said: 'This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods."

See here the great labors of a man without understanding! Instead of striving to kill the old man in himself and raise up the new man, he invests all his efforts in the pulling down of his old granaries, barns, and farms and building new ones. If his harvest is as abundant the following year, he will again have to labor to extend his old granaries or build yet more. And so his granaries will, from year to year, become a larger and newer, and his soul will become narrower and older, and his old grain will rot away like his soul. He will be surrounded by envy, and curses will be heaped on him, for poor men will look with envy on his riches, and the hungry will curse him for his hardness and selfishness. And so his wealth will bring ruin to him and his neighbors. His soul will be destroyed by heard-heartedness and selfishness, and those of his neighbors by envy and cursing. See how a man without understanding can use God's gift to both his own and other's ruin. God gave him his riches to be blessing and salvation both to him and his neighbors, but he made use of them to bring a curse on himself and others.

Saint John Chrysostom advises all who are open to advice: "Have you eaten your fill? Remember the hungry. Have you quenched your thirst? Remember the thirsty. Are you warm enough? Remember the frozen. Do you live in a richly-furnished house? Remember the homeless into it. Have you made merry at a party? Bring merriment to the sad and sorrowful. Have you been honored as a rich man? Visit and relieve those in need. Have you come out joyful form your master? Make sure all your servants are joyful. If you are merciful and indulgent towards them, you will yourself be shown mercy when your soul leaves your body."

It is said of two great ascetics in the Egyptian desert that they prayed to God to reveal to them whether there was anyone in the world who served Him better than they did. And this was indeed revealed to them: they were told to go to a certain place and to a certain man to find out what they want they wanted to know. They came to the place revealed to them and found a simple man, Efcharistos (Eucharistos) by name, who kept cattle. The ascetics, seeing nothing remarkable about this man, asked him how he tried to fulfill God's will. After long hesitation, Efcharistos told them that he divided all that he earned from his cattle into three parts: he gave one to the poor and needy, one he used for entertaining guests and the third he kept for himself and his chaste wife. Hearing this, the ascetics praised his benevolence and returned home. See how much greater and more pleasing to God charity (philanthropy) is than strict asceticism. But this greedy rich man described in the Gospel had no thought for God, his soul or charity. His one thought was how to extend his barns and how to gather all the fruits from his lands. What, though will he do when he has done all this? Let him tell us himself:

"And I will say to my soul: 'Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years: Take thine ease: eat, drink, and be merry!"

How can the soul eat and drink? The body eats and drinks the harvest of the lands, not the soul. The rich man is thinking of his body when he speaks of his soul. His soul has so completely grown into his body and becomes one with it that he no longer knows it by its name. No clear expression could found for the destructive triumph of the body over the soul. Imagine a lamb in a dog's den, trapped and forgotten in this den. The dog hurries around and drags the food into the den for itself. When it has filled its den with meat, and bones from a variety of carrion, it calls to the hungry lamb: "Now, my dear lamb, eat, drink and be merry; here's food for many days!" Having said this, the dog will fall to, but the lamb will remain hungry and die of hunger. This rich man behaves in the same way with his soul as the dog does with the hungry lamb.

The soul is not fed with food that decays, but he offers it such food. The soul yearns for its heavenly homeland, where its granaries and the source of its life are to be found, but he nails it to the earth and vows it that he will keep it thus nailed down for years. The soul rejoices in God, but he never has God's name on his lips. The soul is nourished by justice and mercy, but it does not occur to him to use his riches to bring justice and mercy to the needy, the poor, and the deformed around his house. The soul desires pure, heavenly love, but he pours oil on the flame of the passions and censes the soul with the filthy smoke that they produce. The soul seeks its adornment: "Love, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23); he, though, decks it with drunkenness, gluttony, adultery, and vanity. How can a vegetarian lamb not die in the company of a carnivorous dog  How can the soul not die when pressed down by the heavy cadaver of the body?

Not all the rich man's folly, though, consists of his offering meat to a lamb or, rather, bodily food to the soul, but also in his making himself the lord of time and of life. We see that he prepares himself food and drink "for many years." Hear then, God's reply:

"But God said to him: 'Thou fool; this night shall thy soul be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"  (Source: Orthodox Heritage)

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

The Gospel on Many Cares and Sudden Death (Luke 12:16-21)

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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THE GOSPEL ON MANY CARES AND SUDDEN DEATH (St. Luke 12:16-21)
A homily by Saint Nicholai Velimirovic, bishop of Ochrid

"Jesus spake a parable unto them saying, 'The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying: 'What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?' And he said: 'This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years: Take thine ease: eat, drink and be merry!' But God said unto him: 'thou fool; this night shall thy soul be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?' So that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God."

The Lord Jesus Christ came among men to heal their souls from thieving tendencies, for these tendencies, are a grave sickness of the human soul. 

 Does a son steal from his father? No; but a servant steals from his master. At the moment that Adam turned his spirit of sonship into a spirit of servanthood, his hand stretched out to the forbidden fruit. Why does a man steal what is another's? Is it because he needs it? Adam had everything and was lacking in nothing but even so, he went to steal. Why does a man steal from a man, and a servant from a servant? Because they had first learned to steal from their masters. Men always first steal from God, and then from one another. The forefather of mankind first stretched out his hand to steal what was God's, and then, as a result, his descendants began to steal from one another.

Men steal from God and from men, from nature and from themselves. A man steals not only with all his senses but with his heart, soul, and thoughts. There is, moreover, never an act of theft in which the devil is not man's ally. He is the prompter and instigator of all theft; he is the leader and initiator of all thieving thoughts. No thief is ever alone in the world. There are always at least two who go together to steal, and a Third sees them. Man and the devil go to steal, and God sees them. As Eve did not steal on her own, but in company with the devil, so no-one has ever carried out an act of theft alone, but always in company with the devil. The devil, though, is not just the leader and fellow-participant in the theft, but the reporter of the theft. He is not interested in the things stolen but in the destruction of a man's soul, in dissension and hatred among men and in the destruction of the whole human race. He does not go to steal for the sake of stealing, but as "roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). That is "the devil" who arouses the soul to every evil act, and "sows every tare in the soul," is made clear by the Lord Himself (St. Matthew 13:39). With every act of theft that a man performs, the devil steals a part of his soul. The soul of a habitual thief is more and more shrunken, withered and ruined, like a lung riddled with tuberculosis.

For a man to keep himself from this thieving tendency, he must look on all he possesses as God's and not as his. When he makes use of his possessions, he must reckon that he is using what is God's, not his. Eating bread at his table, he must render thanks to God, for the bread is not his but God's. For a man to be healed of the sickness of stealing, he must look on others' possessions as God's and must know that when he steals from men he steals from God. Is it possible to steal from Him whose eye is ever open? For a man to chase away his wicked fellow in thieving, the sower of every evil, he must be vigilant over his soul, that the devil may not sow thieving desires and thoughts in it; and when he finds them sown there, he must apply himself at once to burning them out with the fire of prayer. Is a man not crazy who runs after the worst when he has known the better? Is a thief not crazy and ridiculous to visit another's house at night to steal bales of cotton cloth, when he can see his friend driving up to visit him with a wagon full of gifts of silk and velvet?

The Lord Jesus, the Lover of mankind, brought with Him and opened to men innumerable and incomparable heavenly gifts, and invited them to take them openly and freely, on one condition: that they first wrest their souls away from corruptible earthly goods. Some men obeyed Him, took His gifts and enriched themselves; others, though, did not obey Him but remained with their corruptible and stolen riches. As a warning to this latter, the Lord told the parable that is recounted in the Gospel:

"Jesus spake a parable unto them, saying: 'The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying: 'What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?' He was not just rich; he had such a yield from his harvest that he did not know where to store it. Looking at his wheat-covered fields, and his orchards and vineyards whose branches were weighed down by fruit, his gardens overflowing with all kinds of vegetables and his hives full of honey, this rich man did not look towards heaven and cry out with joy: "Glory and praise to Thee, O Most High and Most Merciful God! How great an abundance Thou hast, in Thy power and wisdom, brought forth from the black earth! Thou hast, through the sun's rays, poured sweetness into all the fruits of the earth! Thou hast given every fruit a wonderful form and particular flavor! Thou hast rewarded me a hundredfold for my small labor! Thou hast had mercy on Thy servant, and hast poured such gifts from Thy full hands into his lap! O my Most Wondrous Lord, teach me to give joy to my brethren and neighbors with these Thy gifts. May they, together with me, rejoice and thankfully glorify and praise Thy Holy Name and Thine inexpressible goodness."

Does he say all this? No; instead of remembering the Giver of all these gifts, he first worries about where to heap them up and keep them, like a thief who finds a bag of money in the road does not wonder where it came from or whose it is, but first worries about how to hide it. This rich man is, in reality, a thief. He cannot say that all this abundance has come from his own efforts. A thief takes pains over his thieving, using his skill and intelligence; he often exercises a great deal more skill and intelligence than a plowman or does anything, about the sun, rain, winds, and earth.  These are the four main elements--earth, air, fire and water--that is, by God's will, give fruit to plants and trees. This abundant fruit, then, is neither his nor the result of his futile efforts, nor his by the right of possession, for he is not the owner of the sun, the rain, the winds or the earth. This abundant fruit is the gift of God. A man appears grotesque in the eyes of all when he, receiving a gift from another, neither says "Thank you" nor pays any attention to the giver, but hastens only to hide it in a safe place. A decent beggar, on receiving a crust of black bread, thanks the giver, but this rich man does not spare a single thought or a single word to thank God for such a rich harvest, nor have a single smile of joy for such a marvel and so great a grace from God. In place of prayer and thanksgiving, hymns to God and joyfulness of heart, he is immediately seized on by worries about how to gather such gifts and bestow them in such a way that not a single grain may remain for the birds of the air or a single apple fall into the hands of his poor neighbors. (Source: Orthodox Heritage)

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"--Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

November 1 - Sts. Cosmas and Damianos

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON NOVEMBER 1st OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE LIFE AND MIRACLES OF THE HOLY UNMERCENERY HEALERS AND WONDER-WORKERS COSMAS AND DAMIANOS

Saints Cosmas and Damian (nos) were born in Asia and were brothers according to the flesh. Their father was a pagan, but their mother, whose name was Theodosia, was a Christian. Left a widow after the death of her husband, she regarded her bereavement as offering a fortunate opportunity to serve Christ more fervently and devoted her whole life to the purpose of pleasing God. She became a widow of the sort praised by the Holy Apostle, who said, "Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day" (1 Timothy, Ch. 5). She taught her beloved children, Cosmas and Damian, to lead a God-pleasing life like hers, instructing them well, rearing them in the Christian faith, acquainting them with the Holy Scripture, and exhorting them to live virtuously. Thus they learned to walk blamelessly in the law of the Lord, and when they reached manhood, they became like two luminaries upon the earth, shining with good deeds. Having received the gift of healing from God, they bestowed the health of soul and body upon the infirm, curing every sickness and disease among the people and expelling evil spirits from the possessed. They helped not only men but beasts (animals) as well, never accepting anything for their services ("un-mercenaries"), for they did not heal other so that they might acquire possessions or enrich themselves with gold and silver, but for God's sake, to make manifest their love for Him by the love they showed for their neighbor. Never did they seek glory for themselves; rather, they sought to stir up men to exalt God, healing infirmities in the name of the Lord. They treated the infirm chiefly by calling upon the name of the Lord, making little use of herbs and accepting no pay or reward. Thus, they fulfilled the Lord's commandment: "Freely ye have received, freely give" (St. Matthew Ch. 10), and were called unmercenary physicians by the faithful.

Having passed their lives in this manner, the Saints peacefully reposed in piety. But it was not only in their lifetime that they were glorified because of their numerous miracles: they continued to work wonders even after their repose. Therefore the Church honors their memory every year on November 1st, for they are our fervent intercessors and the good physicians of our souls and bodies.

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DIVINE SERVICES ON NOVEMBER 1st:

Orthros (Matins) at 9:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m.

Chapel of Saint Nektarios at Saint Andrew

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

The Christian Faith is One of Sacrifice

Sacrifice of Abraham

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IIN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS ONE OF SACRIFICE

In the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, we are informed that Adam and Eve bore two sons, Cain and Abel. "Now Abel was a shepherd of sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Now in the process of time, Cain brought a sacrifice to the Lord from the fruits of the ground. Abel also brought a sacrifice from the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. The Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his sacrifices" (Genesis 4:1-5).

The Lord accepted Abel and his gifts because Abel had a good and discerning heart. The Lord rejected Cain and his gifts. Why? The inward state of his heart was not right with God.

Abraham Offers Isaac

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him: 'Abraham! Abraham!' "And he said, 'Here I am.' Then He said, 'Take now your beloved son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I tell you.'

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son and he split firewood for the whole burnt offering, and arose and went to the place God told him. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. Thus Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.'

So Abraham took the firewood of the whole burnt offering and laid it on Issac his son. Then he took the fire in his hand, and a knife and the two of them went together. Then Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, 'My father.' And he said 'Here I am, my son.' Then he said, 'Look, the fire and the firewood, but where is the sheep for a whole burnt offering?' And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself the sheep for a whole burnt offering.'...And Abraham built an altar there and placed the firewood in order; and he bound Isaac his son hand and foot and laid him on the altar; upon the firewood.

Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham! Abraham! So he said, 'Here I am.' He then replied, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him, for now, I know you fear God since for My sake you have not spared your beloved son. Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him a ram was caught in a thicket by its horns. So he brought it for a whole burnt offering in the place of his son" (Genesis 22:1-20).

Abraham's faith was tested, and he obeyed the Son of God. Such faith and obedience made Abraham righteous and a friend of God (St. James 2:22-23).

Christ the High Priest

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the Lamb of God Who is offered as a sacrifice for the life of the world; He is at the same time also He Who offers, the Performer of the sacrifice, the High Priest. Christ is "He Who offereth and is offered; that accepteth and is distributed" (the secret prayer at the Cherubic Hymn in the Divine Liturgy). He Himself is offered as a sacrifice, and He Himself also offers the sacrifice. He Himself both receives it and distributes it to those who come...those high priests had to offer sacrifice constantly; but Christ performed the sacrifice once, offering Himself as the sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27).

Those high priests themselves were clothed with infirmity, but this High Priest is perfect forevermore (Hebrews 7:28). Those were priests of the earthly tabernacle made by hands, but this One is the Sacred Performer of the eternal tabernacle not made with hands (Hebrews 9:24). Those high priests entered into the holy place with the blood of calves and goats, but this One with His own blood entered once into the holy place and obtained an eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).

They were priests of the Old Testament; whereas this One is Priest of the New Testament (Hebrews 8:6). (Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)

Institution of the Divine Eucharist

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (St. Matthew 26:26-28).

The Old Covenant (Testament) was sealed with the blood of bulls and goats. The New is sealed by the gift of Christ, Who shed His own blood to conquer sin and death and to reconcile us with God. Christ calls it the blood of the New Covenant, which is God's promise and the fulfillment of the Law. By new, He means this covenant brings immortality and incorruptible life; this covenant will always have the quality of newness.

What is our sacrifice to God? Are we willing to offer sacrifice to our Savior? 

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Christians Must Witness Their Faith, Speak Up, and Resist Evil

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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CHRISTIANS MUST WITNESS THEIR FAITH, SPEAK UP, AND RESIST EVIL
By Saint Paisios the Athonite

If Christians do not begin to witness their faith, to resist evil, then the destroyers will become even more insolent. But today's Christians are no warriors. If the Church keeps silent, to avoid conflict with the government, if the metropolitans are silent, if the monks hold their peace, then who will speak up?

The spirit of lukewarmness reigns. There is no manliness at all! We have been spoiled for good! How does God still tolerate us? Today's generation is the generation of indifference. There are no warriors. The majority are fit only for parades.

Godlessness and blasphemy are allowed to appear on television. And the Church is silent and does not excommunicate the blasphemers. And they need to be excommunicated. What are they waiting for? Let us not wait for someone else to pull the snake out from its hole so that we can live in peace.

They are silent out of indifference. What is bad is that even people who have got something inside have begun to grow cool, saying: "Can I really do anything to change the situation?" We have to witness our faith with boldness because if we continue to be silent we will have to answer in the end. In these difficult days, each must do what is in their power. And leave what is out of their power to the will of God. In this way, our conscience will be clear.

If we do not resist, then our ancestors will arise from their graves. They suffered so much for the Fatherland, and we? What are we doing for it?...

MAKE WAR AGAINST EVIL

You see, if we do not begin to make war against evil, to expose those who tempt believers, then the evil will grow larger. If we throw aside fear then the faithful will be emboldened a bit. And those who wage war against the Church will have a harder time.

In the past our nation lived spiritually, so God blessed her, and the Saints helped us in miraculous fashion. And we were victorious against our enemies, who always outnumbered us. Today we continue to call ourselves Orthodox Christians, but we do not live Orthodox lives...

BEWARE OF LUKEWARM CLERGY

A lukewarm clergy lulls the people to sleep leaves them in their former conditions so they will not be upset. "Look", they say, "By all means do not say that there will be a war or the Second Coming, that one must prepare oneself for death. We must not make people alarmed!"

And others speak with a false kindness, saying: "We must not expose heretics and their delusions, so as to show our love for them." Today's people are water-soluble. There is no leaven in them.

If I avoid upsetting myself to protect my fleshly comfort the I am indifferent to holiness! Spiritual meekness is one thing, and softness and indifference are quite another. Some say: "I am a Christian and therefore I have to be joyful and calm." But they are not Christian. They are simply indifferent. And their joy is only a worldly joy.

He in whom these worldly seeds are present is no spiritual person. A spiritual person consists of nothing but pain. In other words, he is in pain at what is going on, he is in pain for people's condition. And divine comfort is bestowed upon him for his pain. (Source: Orthodox Heritage)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Caring is Sharing

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,
Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

We are taught in our Holy Orthodox Church that sharing is caring. We have all received God-given talents to use for the benefit not only of ourselves but to help our fellow humans who may need our love and compassion.

The Christian's heart must be a sensitive heart full of the grace of the Holy Spirit. A heart that is willing to share the pain and the suffering of humanity just as Christ our Lord and Savior did. The Latin word for compassion means to literally put ourselves in the shoes of one who is suffering and in pain. By sharing his or her pain we alleviate and minimize the suffering of that person.

Sharing is caring. The Church is a living organism and she too needs our charity. The Church is the body of Christ. The faithful (Laity) along with the clergy comprise the Church. The church building is the temple of worship where we assemble to praise, worship and commune with the Most High.  

Sharing is something we're taught from a very young age. We learn we're to share what we have with others and we are grateful when others share with us. Sometimes, we can be a little less enthusiastic about having to share something of ours. However, as we mature spiritually we come to the realization that sharing anything enriches our life and the lives of others; whether food, time, or joys and sorrows, as Saint Paul writes in his Epistle to the Romans 12:15 we "rejoice with those who rejoice and we weep with those who weep." Sharing our joys increases them. Sharing our sorrows, struggles, and burdens lighten them. The early Church was known for its love and generosity in caring, sharing, and serving others. The Holy Bible encourages us to share not only what we have, but who we are especially in challenging times.

1 Peter 4:7-11 describes how we are to live as we share life together and serve one another until Our Lord returns or until we die. "The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received..."

We all have gifts that God has given each one of us, Saint Paul says, let us use them! 

Think about the gifts you have been given by God in your life, and then think about how you are using these gifts to glorify God and His Church. Are you using your gifts and talents to glorify God?  

The beauty is that not everyone has the same gifts and talents, but when we all offer our gifts and talents to God for His Glory, something beautiful happens. This is what the Church is -- many different members coming together in love and humility, laying aside our egos and our agendas to discover what God wants, and then to do what God is calling us to do.

Think for a moment about what your particular gifts may be, and then ask yourself, how do I use my own special gifts in a way that glorifies God? How do I use my own specific gifts to build up Christ's Holy Church here in South Bend, but also to build up Christ's Holy Church around the world?

Do I have a beautiful voice, then do I offer up this gift to sing in the choir and glorify God through the worship of the Church? Is my gift in teaching? Then do I offer my gift to help teach in our Church School or Adult Catechism? Or is my gift cooking, or baking? Or is my gift in encouraging others, building up others, supporting others? We all have some specific gifts and talents, but how are we using them within the Church family? Are we offering our time to share these gifts and talents with others?

We surely have a number of individuals who give much of their time and talents to the church. And then we surely have others who may come to church often, but who only come to worship or share in the fellowship, but who don't really get involved more deeply in the life of the parish. To be followers of Jesus Christ means that our life is not our own, it is God's. And thus, all that we have -- our gifts and talents, our treasures and money, all we have is God's gift to us. Remember from the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom the words of the priest as he lifts up the Precious Gifts, "Thine own of Thine own we offer to Thee, in all (time) and for all (kindness to us). Even the bread and wine that is offered to God to be consecrated by Him are His. We ourselves have nothing of our own to offer to Him.

It is said that "Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with your talent is your gift back to God."

With sincere agape in our Merciful God,

+Father George