Weekly Message January 24,2025

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tonight we will gather for our Annual Community Gala! As we reflect on the richness of our history as a parish and community, I am reminded of something cultural theorist Mark Fisher once wrote: “A culture that is excessively nostalgic, given over to retrospection, [is] incapable of generating any authentic novelty.” These words offer us an important challenge: How do we honor our past while ensuring we are always moving forward in faith and action?

Our Orthodox faith is deeply rooted in tradition, and we should always treasure the stories, struggles, and triumphs that have brought us to this moment. These stories are like the foundation of any great cathedral, supporting everything we do today. But as any architect will tell you, a foundation only matters if it supports what is being built above it.

There is a danger in becoming too comfortable in looking backward. If we focus exclusively on retelling the stories of what was, we risk losing sight of what can be. The Gospel calls us to be co-creators with God—to build, to plant, to grow, to strive toward a future where Christ’s light shines ever brighter in the world.

Our parish, like any living community, must always be dynamic and forward-moving. This means thinking about how we serve our young people, how we engage those who are searching for Christ, and how we meet the needs of a world that is ever-changing. While we respect and celebrate our legacy, let us remember that the best way to honor those who came before us is to ensure that their sacrifices and vision are carried forward—not as a monument to what was, but as an inspiration for what can be.

We are called to be stewards of something much greater than ourselves: a living, breathing Body of Christ. The past is our teacher, but the future is where we are called to do the work of the Kingdom. Together, let us step boldly into that future, with faith in God’s providence and trust in one another.

Thank you for being part of this journey, for carrying the torch of faith, and for helping build a parish that not only remembers but also creates, grows, and thrives.

In Christ's love,