God Is with Us!

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~By Metropolitan Saba (Isper)

For Your Nativity, O Master, the world celebrates, homes and streets sparkle with lights, and cities put on joyful attire, as do the stores and malls.

For Your Nativity, my Master, people exchange gifts and wish each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
For Your Nativity, my Master, churches, organizations, and associations are busy with celebrations, concerts, bazaars, theatrical and scouting performances, and entertaining Christmas events.

For Your Nativity, my Master, everyone is busy and merry.
Indeed, everyone is busy and merry, my child, but not necessarily because of Me, the reason for the feast. Rather, they are occupied by what you generally call “Christmas.” Don’t you see that I am absent from almost everything people do for My birth?

Yes, Master. Most of us take the opportunity of your birthday to rejoice, not in You, but in what pleases him.

They replace Me, My child, with so many things, for those who have not experienced the joy and peace of My presence in their lives imagine that they can find them somewhere else.

People are still afraid of Your presence in them, because Your presence changes them. They fear change, O Lord.
I know, My child. However, I came only to be life for you—or rather, to give you the fullness of life. I rejoice when I see you joyful, especially when the outward manifestation of the festivities reflects the purity, love, and virtues that your souls carry.

I came to illumine your hearts and minds, not for you to settle for lighting up your streets.

I came, My child, to be the greatest gift to you, and how I wished you would offer yourselves to Me as gifts as you exchange presents on My birthday!

I came to give you the joy of My eternal presence among you and within you, as you try to find joy in everything through Me. Didn’t the angels proclaim to you through the shepherds, “I bring you great joy… a Savior was born for you?”

I came to give you steadfast peace, which none of the evils of the world will be able to shake. Yet you are still afraid of and forgetful of My peace, and I see that you are pursuing it everywhere except in My true presence in you.

I see you adorning your homes and yards immeasurably more than you adorn your souls, as is expected of you by the Gospel that I handed to you.

I did not come to become some kind of brand—even one that carries My name—or to increase the income of industry and trade. I came to you and shared My life with you to the point of death, so that you would share what you have with the needy and poor.

I filled the earth on which I walked with acts of love and tenderness, lest anyone among you might die of cold, lacking the warmth of love.

What is it that you are so concerned about, more and more, with all that keeps you away from the essentials and makes you settle for ephemera!

My child, you are afraid of change toward the better and the perfect! Don’t you want to be freed from your fragility, through which the storms of this life, however feeble, cast you right and left and toss you into sadness and despair!

On My feast, I want you to cleanse your hearts, My children, not just your homes. I want you to put Me on and become like Me: anointed ones who fill the earth with eternal joy, love, and peace. I want you to be pure and innocent, so that I can find a dwelling place with you. I want you to share with the poor, as I did when I was among you.

I want you to become apostles who continue My message.

What benefit do you get from glittering appearances if your hearts remain dark?

Do you spend money on external adornments, while you are stingy with the sweetness and beauty that come from within you, which are truly within you?

On this feast, while people are under pressure due to the deteriorating economy, environment, and climate, how I wish you would realize the importance of sharing the blessings you have, no matter how few; that you would spend on the poor and needy; that you would visit the sick, the elderly, and the forgotten; that you would comfort the bereaved, the miserable, and the depressed. How happy I am when I see you proclaim, through your behavior, My compassion and embrace of humanity.
I want your hands to deliver My gifts and your hearts to continue warming the world with My love. I want your actions to console the bereaved, give hope to those in despair, and offer My friendship to the forgotten.
I want you to continue My work, so that the world knows that I am with it.

Open your hearts to change, and don’t remain as you are. Make the memory of My birth a true birth for yourselves. Renew yourselves, purify yourselves, return to Me, and you will find life for yourselves.

Do not dig wells for yourselves that do not hold water and leave Me, the living spring.

Do not replace Me with rituals, for without Me they will keep you in death.

Do not forget that I am still standing, knocking at your doors, waiting for you to open them for Me, so I may enter and dine with you.

The Suffering Church

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By Metropolitan Saba (Isper)

The question arises first: Can the Church be described as suffering? The answer is yes and no. No, because the Church is a divine entity, its head is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is present in it without interruption. And yes, because it is a human entity as well, and its members, who are on earth, are sinful human beings, living in a fallen world, and consequently bearing the effects and signs of the Fall, which appear in the weakness of most of them and the sins of all of them.

The Church is a divine-human entity. Because it is divine, you find in it all the possibilities of transcendence, exaltation, and deification; all the energies of God that transform, change, or alter; and all the powers of God that make the impossible natural. Therefore, you find in it great saints who, through their lives, achieved what the average person cannot imagine. You see miracles as natural things, as you see men and women who have become great after being humiliated and have become messengers of peace, mercy, and love, leaving an indelible mark on the history of humanity. Whoever engages in the Church, passionately in love with their Master, will be inhabited by the Holy Spirit, who transforms them into a flame that illuminates those near and far. Whoever lives in the Church in continuous repentance advances from one level to another, until he reaches a peak of perfection that no human being can reach without divine Grace, which rejoices in working in the souls of those who repent, who do not stop at a certain limit but, rather, burn with divine love increasingly.

As for the human aspect of the Church, our theological teachings distinguish the face of the Church Triumphant from the face of the Church Militant, for learning purposes but not in a way that actually separates them. The first includes, in addition to the angels, all human beings who have departed to eternal life, who have completed the phase of struggle and repentance and are now waiting for the final resurrection. The second face includes the believers on earth. These people are still in a state of spiritual struggle, so (hopefully) they are in a sincere pursuit of a life of holiness and righteousness, loyal to their Lord, keeping His commandments, and loving His creation. These people are afflicted with faults, temptations that hinder them, and the worries of living make them forget their primary goal. But they must continue to cling to their Lord, return after an exile from Him, ceaselessly evaluating and examining themselves in the light of the Gospel, and rising whenever they fall. Their eyes, hearts and minds must remain directed, constantly, to their Christ, who rose from the dead, and to His outpouring of love for His creation, so that they may be filled with hope in Him and this hope may protect them from falling into further despair.

Saint Ephrem the Syrian gave the Church a practical definition, perhaps the most beautiful. He said, “The Church is a group of repentant people.” Yes, its believers are sinners, but they know that they were redeemed at an inestimable price, so we find them hastening to repent and start over, whenever they become aware of their distance from the One who redeemed them. Thus, repentance becomes their permanent path.

But repentance is not an automatic or formal act. Repentance is a radical change that affects the person inside and outside. It is, in the words of the Apostle Paul, “forgetting what is behind me and reaching out with all strength to what is before me” (Phil. 3:13). Man abandons not what is good but, rather, what is bad and evil. This requires him to be aware of his faults and evil-doings first, and second, to avoid and abhor them so that he lands on the threshold of true repentance. Realistically, we do not see this prevailing in the Church of Christ. We see it in some believers, but not in everyone. That is why the Church suffers. The Church’s suffering comes from the fact that not all Christians seek holiness. Some of them are comfortable with their sins and do not seek change. Among them are those who view the Church as merely a social institution, and act in it and with it as they would with any human institution, thus missing its divine dimension. Some of them subordinate the Church to their personal interests and use their influence there.

We find hot, lukewarm, and cold believers in it. The voice of influential people may speak louder than the voice of the Gospel. It may be used as a tool to serve everything except the salvation of souls. This is from the internal aspect. From the external perspective, it is subject to all kinds of persecution and restrictions. The Church of Christ is in constant war with the spiritual forces of evil, which take various and changing forms, ways and models, and sometimes wear a luminous guise in order to mislead the believers, but their goal is the same: to destroy the Church.

No religious institution has known external and internal persecution as the Church of Christ had. However, it continued to radiate Christ’s light everywhere, and its testimony has remained a shining beacon that no one could deny. The Holy Spirit remained its guardian, active in it and present in its many known and unknown witnesses. But the absence of love among its members remains the greatest danger to its children.

The more the war increases against it, the more God provides it with blessings and strength. The more its children sin and become aware of their sin, the more God bestows His grace upon them and raises them up again. As for whoever refuses to love, God refuses to work in them. Apathy is the ultimate betrayal. The absence of love blocks the Church from speaking the name of Christ, estranges it from Him, and makes it a “social gathering,” as Metropolitan Georges (Khodr) likes to say. The Church is anything but the Church of Christ if love is absent from its members. Through love, faithfulness to the Lord is embodied, and through it alone the children of the Church are known as disciples of Christ: “By this all will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:35). Hence, love’s absence becomes the severest pain for the Church.

Many people may not reject love, but Satan lures them to finding faults in others, and in this manner, they excuse themselves from the labor of love. In addition, reality shows that many do not know how to express their love and are therefore unable to embody it. That is why we see misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and mutual accusations, based on seeing only one aspect of the story as the talk of the hour among her children. This is why faith and integrity must rise above all else, prioritizing prayer and spiritual practices, and therefore putting emphasis on acts of love. A junior or senior official takes his time in work and implementation, while another sees rushing things as more important in a certain circumstance; one person sees a specific solution to an existing problem, another sees it in another way, etc.; and they fight. Instead of the spirit of cooperation, in order to reach integration, the demon of jealousy begins to attack hearts and ignite anger, pitting believers against each other, instead of covering up each other’s shortcomings and complementing them. Then the pain will be most intense in the Church of Christ. May God have mercy on us and protect us from everything that causes pain to His Church. My Lord, make us “accept injustice, and protect us from being among the oppressors,” as our great saint, Isaac the Syrian, commanded. Amen.

Looking Ahead at St Mary (Nov 5 – Nov 13)

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Beloved in Christ,

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: Nov 5 – 13, 2023
This Week: Regular Wed/Fri fasting.      

  • Sun, Nov 5 at 6:00 pm – 20/40 Fellowship Group @ Sophie Jacobs’ (2722 E 101st St N, Valley Center)
  • Wed, Nov 8 at 8:00 am – Divine Liturgy ~ The Archangels
  • Fri, Nov 10 – Sat, Nov 11: St George Women’s Retreat (see attached flyer)
  • Sat, Nov 11 at 3:30 pm – Women’s Book Study
  • Sat, Nov 11 at 4:30 pm – Confession
  • Sat, Nov 11 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers
  • Sun, Nov 12 at 9:00 am – Matins
  • Sun, Nov 12 at 9:00 am – Church School
  • Sun, Nov 12 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
  • Sun, Nov 12 at 10:30 am – Catechism Class
  • Mon, Nov 13 at 8:00 am – Divine Liturgy ~ St John Chrysostom
  • Mon, Nov 13 at 6:30 pm – Belles Meeting @ St Mary

Other Notes
(1) 20/40 FELLOWSHIP GROUP: Our 20/40 Fellowship Group (for everyone ages 20 – 40 something) will meet at Sophia Jacobs’s home (2722 E 101st St N, Valley Center) on Sunday, November 5, at 6:00 pm. Everyone in that age group is invited and welcome to attend.

(2) COLLECTION FOR JERUSALEM: From Sunday, November 12, through Sunday, December 3, we will be taking a collection for the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to help them fund relief efforts in Gaza and the surrounding region. This collection is being taken throughout every Archdiocese in the Antiochian Patriarchate, as was decided at the most recent Holy Synod meeting. If you would like to make a contribution, you can put cash in the designated tray or you may write a check to St Mary, earmarked: Jerusalem.

(3) ADVENT FAST/SERVICES: The Advent Fast, which helps us prepare for the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas), begins on Wednesday, November 15. During the Advent Fast we refrain from meat, dairy, fish, and wine. However, on Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun during this fast, fish and wine are allowed. We will also celebrate the Advent Paraklesis supplication service each Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm during this fasting season.

(4) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: https://tmts.transistor.fm/.

(5) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron

 

Looking Ahead at St Mary (May 8 – 15)

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Beloved in Christ,

Christ is risen!

Many thanks to all of you who helped make this year’s Mediterranean Festival another huge success. Most especially, we wish to thank the MF Executive Committee for their tireless efforts over the past year!

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: May 8 – 15, 2023

This Week: No fasting on any day of the week through Ascension.      

  • Sat, May 13 – NO GREAT VESPERS @ St Mary
  • Sun, May 14 at 9:00 am – Matins
  • Sun, May 14 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy
  • Sun, May 14 – Special Mother’s Day Coffee Hour (see note and link below)
  • Mon, May 15 at 6:30 pm – Belles Meeting @ Namee’s (1958 N Sedgwick)

Other Notes

(1) EMMELIA WARWICK GRADUATION PARTY: Gwen and I would like to invite all members and friends of our parish to join our family as we celebrate Emmelia’s graduation from Eisenhower High School. Her graduation party is TONIGHT (May 7) from 6:00-9:00 pm at 15892 West Sheriac Street, Goddard, KS (our neighborhood clubhouse). We hope to see you there!

(2) MOTHER’S DAY BABY SHOWER: The Belles and The Treehouse are teaming up on Mother’s Day (May 14) for a special coffee hour and a “baby shower” for moms in need. Please see the flyer linked below for details on the requested items.

(3) FR AARON ON VACATION: I plan to be on vacation from Monday, May 15, through Monday, May 22. In my absence, Fr John Baize will serve the regular Sunday services on Sunday, May 21. In case of pastoral emergency during my vacation, please contact Fr Calinic Berger (213-505-2874). Please contact me via e-mail also so that I may be in touch with you about the situation.

(4) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: https://tmts.transistor.fm/.

(5) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron

 

Looking Ahead at St Mary (Mar 27 – Apr 3)

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Beloved in Christ,

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: April 2 – April 10, 2023
This Week: Lenten Fast on all days of the week; wine/oil allowed on Sat/Sun; fish allowed on Palm Sunday.      

  • Sun, Apr 2 at 6:00 pm – 20/40 Fellowship @ Blaise Webster (803 S Elizabeth)
  • Mon, Apr 3 – NO SERVICES AT ST MARY (Fr Aaron Out of Town)
  • Wed, Apr 5 at 6:00 pm – 9th Hour, Typika, & Pre-Sanctified Liturgy w/Meal Following @ St George
  • Fri, Apr 7 at 6:00 pm – Little Compline w/Canon of St Lazarus
  • Sat, Apr 8 at 8:15 am – Matins ~ Lazarus Saturday
  • Sat, Apr 8 at 9:00 am – Divine Liturgy ~ Lazarus Saturday
  • Sat, Apr 8 at 10:15 am – Continental Breakfast & Decorate Church for Palm Sunday
  • Sat, Apr 8 at 12:30 pm – Children’s Day @ The Chancery (see details linked below)
  • Sat, Apr 8 at 4:00 pm – Confession
  • Sat, Apr 8 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers ~ Palm Sunday
  • Sun, Apr 9 at 8:45 am – Matins ~ Palm Sunday
  • Sun, Apr 9 at 9:00 am – Church School
  • Sun, Apr 9 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy w/Palm Sunday Procession
  • Sun, Apr 9 at 5:00 pm – Confession
  • Sun, Apr 9 at 6:00 pm – Bridegroom Matins
  • Mon, Apr 10 at 8:00 am – Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
  • Mon, Apr 10 at 5:00 pm – Confession
  • Mon, Apr 10 at 6:00 pm – Bridegroom Matins

Other Notes
(1) CHILDREN’S DAY AT THE CHANCERY: We will once again have a special Children’s Day at the Chancery for Lazarus Saturday on Saturday, April 8, from 12:30 – 3:00 pm. Please see the linked flyer for details, including items for The Treehouse.

(2) HOLY WEEK SERVICES: Holy Week is by far the most important week in the life of the Church. It begins this year on Friday evening, April 7, and concludes with the celebration of Great & Holy Pascha (April 16 this year). I highly encourage all our parishioners to plan ahead and to prioritize church attendance during that week. While all services are important, the greatest priority should be given to the evening services, and most especially as we get to Holy Wednesday and beyond. These services are our annual opportunity to deeply reflect and meditate on the work of Christ for our salvation, and to celebrate His glorious Resurrection.

(3) DECORATING THE CHURCH: On both April 8 (Lazarus Saturday) and April 15 (Great & Holy Saturday), we will have a light breakfast following Liturgy. We will then decorate the church for Palm Sunday and Pascha, respectively. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join.

(4) PASCHAL BANQUET: For this year’s Paschal Banquet, the parish will be providing fried chicken tenders. We ask all our parishioners to bring a side dish and/or dessert to share with others. As always, people are also welcome to bring their own basket of some of their favorite goodies.

(5) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: https://tmts.transistor.fm/.

(6) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron
Lazarus Saturday Lazarus Saturday

Looking Ahead at St Mary (Dec 11- Dec 18)

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Beloved in Christ,

Below you will find this week’s schedule, as well as some important notes about upcoming events.

THIS WEEK: December 11 – 18, 2022

This Week: The Advent Fast Began Tuesday, November 15, and continues through Divine Liturgy on Saturday, December 24.       

  • Sun, Dec 11 at 5:00 pm – Christmas Program & Potluck
  • Mon, Dec 12 at 6:00 pm – Belles Christmas Party @ Kallails’ (13213 Bridlewood Ct.)
  • Wed, Dec 14 at 6:00 pm – Advent Paraklesis
  • Thurs, Dec 15 at 5:30 pm – Parish Council Meeting
  • Fri, Dec 16 – Scroll on Website
  • Sat, Dec 17 at 4:30 pm – Confession
  • Sat, Dec 17 at 5:00 pm – Great Vespers
  • Sun, Dec 18 at 9:00 am – Church School
  • Sun, Dec 18 at 9:00 am – Matins
  • Sun, Dec 18 at 10:00 am – Divine Liturgy w/Baptisms, Chrismations, and Installation of 2023 Parish Council
  • Sun, Dec 18 – Scroll in Foyer

Other Notes

(1) ADVENT FAST: The Advent/Christmas Fast begins on November 15. During this season we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis (Supplication) Service several times. During the Advent Fast, we abstain from meat & dairy products. However, fish, wine and oil are allowed on all days of the week except Mon/Wed/Fri.

 

(2) METROPOLITAN ANTONIOS VISIT: His Eminence, Metropolitan Antonios, our Patriarchal Vicar of the Archdiocese, plans to visit Wichita Monday, Dec 19 – Tuesday, Dec 20. We will celebrate Great Vespers with him @ St George on Dec 19 at 6:00 pm. The following evening @ St George we will have Daily Vespers at 6:45 pm and a “Meet & Greet” reception with him immediately following.

 

(3) BELLES CHRISTMAS PARTY: All women of the church are invited to The Belles of St. Mary annual Christmas Party on Monday, December 12. The party will be held at the home of Dn.  James and Sh. Rosemary at 6:00 p.m. The address is 13213 Bridlewood Ct., Wichita.  Please bring a Lenten dish to share at the potluck dinner. No need to bring a gift.

(4) TEEN FUNDRAISER: Our teens are having a Christmas fundraiser. Please note: The deadline to order is Tuesday, December 13.

(5) POTLUCK COFFEE HOUR HELP NEEDED: Beginning in January 2023 we will be having a monthly Potluck Coffee Hour. Normally, these will be held the first Sunday of the month unless there is a holiday or unless a parishioner wishes to host coffee hour in memory or honor of a loved one (please contact Fr Aaron to request). Our first such coffee hour will be Sunday, January 8. For these coffee hours, we need two volunteers to oversee the setup and clean up. These duties would primarily consist of preparing the coffee and cleaning it up, setting out plates and silverware, and serving utensils. Everyone is asked to help with clean up, cleaning tables, washing any utensils, etc. This is a wonderful opportunity for people to help with coffee hour who normally do not volunteer because of concerns about feeding the entire parish! If you would like to volunteer to help and you do not know what to do, please let Fr Aaron know and we will train you. You may sign up in the Holy Bread book that is kept in the church hall. There is a place to sign up on each of the planned Potluck Coffee Hour dates.

(6) TEACH ME THY STATUTES PODCAST: If you would like to listen to this week’s Teach Me Thy Statutes podcast (with Fr Aaron & Jason Ewertt), you can find it here: https://tmts.transistor.fm/.

(7) PASTORAL VISITS: If you would like a pastoral visit for any reason, or if you know of a family member/parishioner who needs a visit, please feel free to contact me via cell phone at 204-6725.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Aaron

 

Sermons: October 30, 2022: (5th Sunday of Luke)

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Offered by Father John Baize.

Sermon: September 4, 2022: 12th Sunday After Pentecost – Plus Met Joseph Accusations

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Offered by Father Aaron Warwick.