Weekly Message March 29, 2026

Beloved brothers and sisters,

Tonight, we gather for one of the most beautiful and beloved services of the Lenten season: the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos.

Over the past weeks, we have been chanting portions of this hymn during the Salutations on Friday evenings. Tonight, we stand and offer the entire hymn in its fullness. The word Akathist means “not seated,” reminding us that this is a service of reverence, attention, and devotion, as we stand before God and honor the Mother of God.

The hymn itself is a masterpiece of faith and theology, recounting the mystery of the Incarnation and praising the role of the Theotokos in our salvation. With its repeated refrain, “Rejoice…,” it lifts us out of the heaviness of the season and reminds us that even in the midst of repentance and struggle, there is deep and abiding joy.

And this is where it connects so beautifully with the journey we have been on together these past weeks.

We have been speaking again and again about Christ’s command to love our neighbor. Not in theory, but in reality. Not with conditions, but freely.

The Theotokos is the perfect example of this kind of love.

Her “yes” to God was not easy. It was not convenient. It was not without cost. But it was total. It was without reservation. In her humility and trust, she becomes the model of what it means to give ourselves fully to God—and through Him, to others.

As we stand tonight and chant this hymn, we are not simply honoring her. We are learning from her. Learning what it means to say yes to God in our own lives. Learning what it means to love without hesitation. Learning what it means to trust, even when we do not fully understand.

Please… join us tonight. Be present. Stand, listen, pray.

Because in the beauty of this hymn, in the stillness of the service, and in the example of the Theotokos, we are given yet another step forward on our journey toward Christ.

With love in Christ,

Fr. Evagoras