Fr. Demetri's Message
Great and Holy Pascha is a week away! It will be the end of darkness, of our fears, of all sin. The Light will shine so bright and that Light is able to be given to all who seek it.
The leter "E" will be added to the word fast (since we have been fasting since the beginning of Great Lent) and the word becomes "FEAST," as we will enjoy the beautiful FEAST of the Resurrection with our parish family members when we chant the hymn of hymns,
"Christ is Risen." Later, either that some morning, or later in the day, we will welcome family members and friends to our home (or vice versa) and enjoy the feasting that comes with this Joyous Day! This Great FEAST is not only good for our soul, but also for the heart!
Now comes the question...What happens next? So many people after Pascha feel that they are "churched out" and many become like the lilies that are decorated in our churches. They are beautiful and full of water...but as many of you know, they do not last long!
The Sunday following Pascha (the Sunday of Thomas, which is the day we will celebrate Godparent Sunday) is the LEAST attended Sunday of the Liturgical year throughout the world. This worries me because it is very easy to fade away from the life of the Church and say that we DID our duty during Great Lent and Holy Week...and that we make ourselves think that 'we need' a break from our Lord. And because the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer, in invites us to do other things and allows us to get spiritually lazy, leading into summer.
How can we make sure that we don't become lazy and stray away? The answer is easy...continue to be the faithful Orthodox Christian you have been working to be this Lenten season. Continue to worship our Lord each and every Sunday morning. Continue to be an involved participant in one or many of the ministries of our parish. Then you won't find yourself being lazy, and you won't feel like you need a break, because our Lord never takes a break from us.
God Bless,