Reflections

“Give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:20-21

We greet you during the start of this season of the Nativity and encourage you to stay focused this Thanksgiving day on the many things for which we can be thankful.  It’s important now more than ever to look ahead and stay focused on our Orthodox Christian faith and the hope that it brings to us, even during these unprecedented times that we are currently experiencing.

Thanksgiving Day 2020 will always be remembered as the day many families choose not to be together due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has altered life as we know it.  The virus has created a sense of hopelessness, confusion, anger, fear, and frustration which has left our society feeling anxious and nervous about our health, our livelihood, our emotional well-being, and about how we interact and relate to other people, including our own family.  These are difficult times.  These are scary times.  And these are times of much uncertainty.

Scripture tells us that we are called to be thankful to God always and for all things.  And the prayers of our Holy Church remind us that at all times we are to call upon the name of the Lord and glorify His Holy name.  This season of Thanksgiving may leave many of us feeling as if there isn’t much for which to be thankful.

However, despite the condition of the world around us today, we implore you to remain steadfast in your thanksgiving to God.  Because, even during these difficult times of separation, illness, isolation, and fear, it’s more important right now, than ever before, to remember all the things for which we can be thankful.

1. Remember this Thanksgiving Day to thank God for sending His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this fallen and broken world to save us, and to redeem us, and to lead us to everlasting life.
2. Remember this Thanksgiving to thank God for your family and for the people God has placed in your life.
3. Remember this Thanksgiving to thank God for those who are on the front lines of this pandemic: the doctors, the nurses, the first responders, and all the frontline workers.
4. Remember this Thanksgiving to thank God for our civil leaders who are leading us through this battle with the Coronavirus.
5. And most importantly, remember this Thanksgiving to thank God in prayer.

“O Christ our God, Who at all times and in every hour, in heaven and on earth, are worshipped and glorified, Who are long-suffering, merciful and compassionate, Who loves the just and shows mercy upon the sinner, Who calls all to salvation through the promise of blessings to come: O Lord, in this hour, receive our supplications, and direct our lives according to Your commandments. Sanctify our souls, make chaste our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our minds, and deliver us from all tribulation, evil and distress. Encompass us with Your holy angels, that, guided and guarded by them, we may attain to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of Your unapproachable glory, for You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.“

On behalf of Fr. George and Kh. Nouhad Shalhoub, the clergy, Mr. Elie Akel (Parish Council Chairman) and all parish council members, we wish you and your family a blessed Nativity Fast and happy Thanksgiving.

With Love in Christ,
Fr. Jim and Kh. Audrey King

Beloved,

In the spirit of keeping in touch with each other during this world-wide disruptiveness of work, school and every aspect of our lives, I wish to direct to your attention that as bad as these disruptions are to the world and especially the economy, it behooves us, as people, to now reflect on our souls and priorities whether in family, in business or in church.

Bottom line, world events, be it war or viruses, take away from us the need to be in control. We know that God, Who created this universe said, “Let there be light” and He said, “It is good.” He holds the whole world in His hands and since we are in this world, He holds us in the palm of His hand.

The Coronavirus asks us not to be withdrawn, but to take a personal inventory of our life and think about what matters. This crisis has made the entire world cooperate with each other for information and finding a vaccine. This is not about Republicans or Democrats or any political party, but about the safety and protection of God’s inhabitants, men, women and children.

For a long time, family has been distanced from each other, husbands and wives at work, children in day-care or at school. It seems the home has become a gathering place to eat and sleep. Today, this disruption calls upon parents to communicate with their children, provide structure and feed them with faith. We are to rejoice in the Lord. “We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

I wish to reflect on the Parable of the Rich Fool, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke 12:16-21 and how this man, like the rest of us, worked, produced and stored his goods without reflecting on his own mortality and eternal life. “It appears to be the most egregious folly imaginable, for men to spend their time and strength in getting and laying up treasure upon earth, in the meantime neglecting or not duly endeavouring, to be rich towards God.”

I do not wish to underestimate the chaos and disruption of your family and the families around the world from the coronavirus. I wish to emphasize that God made us people to pray, in season and out of season, in good times and in bad times, as He assured us that He is with us whether walking through fire or flood or climbing the mountain or passing by the shadow of death. At the end, we belong to Him, Who is the author of life and makes us reach out to each other, to check on each other and to be a good neighbor, even to strangers.

 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6-7)

Even though you are not physically present in church, the church is praying for you and your family for your good health and well-being.

Your Loving Priest,

Fr. George Shalhoub

In this gospel lesson of St. Luke 13:10-17 we hear of the lord teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. Whereby Jesus sees a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for 18 years and could not stand straight. Our Lord who is compassionate calls her to him and says to her “Woman you are freed from your infirmity!”. After Jesus laid his hands on her and made her straight, she glorified God. We then hear of the indigent ruler who chastised Christ for healing the woman on the Sabbath because people who help other people was considered “work” and was strictly forbidden on the sabbath according to the Jewish law of the Sabbath, except in emergency situations. Jesus calls the ruler a hypocrite and makes reference to animals needing water on the Sabbath to be cared for. Then tells him, (paraphrasing) “isn’t a daughter of Abraham (daughter of Israel) more important to be cared for than the animals”. The bottom line is, Jesus is telling him if you can water your animals on the Sabbath which is work on the Sabbath, then it is perfectly fine for the woman to be released from Satan’s hold or spiritual infirmity on the Sabbath.

Reflection

Ask yourself this question, “do you think before you speak?” We hear in this gospel lesson how Christ got the ruler as we say “on a technicality.” How many times in our own lives are we caught in our own technicalities by others because we do not think before we speak and judge and accuse before we think and before we speak?

Many accept Christ but then drift away in their relationship to Him or they keep it superficial. This type of relationship often won’t bear much spiritual fruits.

Like a plant, we must be well rooted in Christ to have a fruitful spiritual life. St Paul wrote “6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7).

Dear friends, life in Christ is meant to transform us. Deepen your relationship to Him. Love Him, keep His commandments and contemplate in His life and words. Spend time with Him in prayer. Talk to Him often. He is the spring of love. Satisfy your spiritual hunger. Feed your spirit. Remain in Him by partaking His body and blood in the Eucharist.

Let your roots go deep to withstand any storms.

May God bless you.

Most if not all of us are guilty of idle talk. Idle talk is any vain unnecessary talk that can be damaging to ourselves and others even though it may seem harmless. The Bible warns us against idle talk. Jesus said “36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” (Mathew 12:36)

St. Paul wrote “4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). 

Dear friends, controlling the tongue is very difficult yet we must learn how to tame it. It starts at the source which is our hearts. If we cleanse our hearts and fill it with love and humility, it will reflect in our speech. Jesus said “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Mathew 12:34)

Pray like King David prayed, “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalms 141:3)

May God bless you.

In the parable of the rich and Lazarus, Jesus talked about the eternal destiny of both the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man ended up in Hades and Lazarus went to heaven in the bosom of Father Abraham. 

Lazarus had suffered a difficult life on earth in poverty and illness. The rich man on the other hand enjoyed a luxurious life and chose to ignore poor Lazarus who laid at the gates of his house. 

The parable never mentioned that the rich was a bad person or that Lazarus was a holy man. The rich man grave sin however was that he ignored poor Lazarus while enjoying life. 

Dear friends, we may be enjoying life but are we ignoring the less fortunate. This is an important issue we may be guilty of in a materialistically self-centered culture. The consequences of ignoring the poor are grave. 

We ought to help others not out of obligation but out of love. We ought to care for our needy brothers and sisters in humanity. God wants us to love each other. Our relationship with Him is tied to our relationship to each other. The more we love God, the more we would love our neighbor. It is a direct relationship. Take advantage of every opportunity God puts your way to help someone. Don’t give yourselves excuses. The path to hades is paved with excuses. Even better look yourselves for opportunities to help others. 

May God bless you.