Every Lent, the entire book, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent” by St. John of the Ladder, is read in monasteries. Often, at least parts are read in parishes or by the faithful. Any Orthodox Christian can gain some benefit from reading it, but care must be taken to adapt the lessons to one’s own situation, possibly avoiding a couple of chapters whose practices are not suited to our time and place.

This snippet directed to lay people, appears in the first step/chapter

“Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’ I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone; do not hate any one; be sure you go to church; be compassionate to the needy; do not offend anyone; do not wreck another man’s domestic happiness; and be content with what your own wives can give you. If you behave in this way you will not be far from the Kingdom of Heaven.”

This may be a relief to anyone who encounters the book’s more severe directions. But what if one is neither a monk in a strict monastery, nor “A person living carelessly in the world”? Is there any middle ground? Yes! St. Ignatius Brianchaninov wrote a rule, "Written for a certain pious layman because of his desire to lead an attentive life in the world." For those who want to struggle a bit more to overcome their passions and grow closer to Christ, this rule and others provide the opportunity (see the other article in this newsletter for the rule).

Having determined your relationship to this weighty book, you can take the plunge. But wait, it’s a bit long, and we are already starting the 5th week of Lent! Maybe next year? Perhaps...but St. John of the ladder has given us a “reader’s digest” summary of the book near the end. Here it is:

Brief summary of all the previous steps to 26:

1. Firm faith is the mother of renunciation. The opposite of this is self-evident.
2. Unwavering hope is the door to detachment. The opposite of this is self-evident.
3. Love of God is the foundation of exile. The opposite is self-evident.
4. Obedience is born of self-condemnation and desire for health.
5. Temperance is the mother of health. The mother of temperance is the thought of death and firm remembrance of our Lord’s gall and vinegar.
6. The helper and foundation of chastity is solitude. The quenching of fleshly burning is fasting. The adversary of shameful thoughts is contrition of heart.
7. Faith and exile are the death of cupidity. But compassion and love betray the body.
8. Unflagging prayer is the ruin of despondency. Remembrance of the judgment is a means of fervour.
9. Love of indignity is a cure for anger. Hymnody, compassion and poverty are the suffocation of sorrow.
10. Detachment from things of the senses is contemplation of spiritual things.
11. Quietness and solitude are the foes of vainglory. And if you are amongst people, seek dishonour.
12. Visible pride is cured by grim conditions, but invisible pride can be healed only by Him who is eternally Invisible.
13. The deer is a destroyer of all visible snakes, but humility destroys spiritual ones.
14. By means of what is natural we can be trained to a clear conception of the spiritual.
15. As a snake cannot strip itself of its old skin unless it crawls into a tight hole, neither can we shed our old prejudices, our oldness of soul and the garment of the old man unless we go by the strait and narrow way of fasting and dishonour.
16. It is just as impossible for the person who nourishes and panders to his flesh to fly to heaven as it is for an overfed bird.
17. Dried up mire offers no attraction for swine, and in exhausted flesh demons no longer find anywhere to rest.
18. As too many sticks often choke a fire and put it out, while making a lot of smoke, so excessive sorrow often makes the soul smoky and dark, and dries the stream of tears.
19. As a blind man is no use as an archer, so a contradictory pupil is a lost one.
20. As tempered iron can sharpen untempered, so a fervent brother has often saved an indolent one.
21. As eggs that are warmed in dung hatch out, so (bad) thoughts that are not confessed hatch out and proceed to action.
22. As galloping horses race one another, so a good community excites mutual fervour.
23. Just as clouds hide the sun, so evil thoughts darken and ruin the mind.
24. As the man under sentence who is going to execution will not talk about theatres, so he who truly weeps for himself will never gratify his stomach.
25. When poor men see the royal treasury they are still more conscious of their poverty, and so too when the soul reads about the great virtues of the Fathers it at least comes to a more humble frame of mind.
26. As steel is attracted to the magnet even without meaning to be, for it is drawn by an inexplicable force of nature, so he who has contracted sinful habits is tyrannized by them.
27. As oil tames the sea, even though it is reluctant to do this, so fasting quenches the involuntary burnings of the body.
28. As a dammed stream of water rushes upwards, so often the soul that is pressed by dangers ascends to God and is saved through penitence.
29. As he who carries perfumes with him makes his presence felt by the fragrance whether he wants to or not, so he who has the Spirit of the Lord is known by his words and his humility.
30. As the sun makes gold glitter, so virtue singles out the man who possesses it.
31. As winds stir the deep, so temper disturbs the mind more than anything else.
32. As mere hearsay does not provoke violent desire to taste what the eye has not seen, so those who are chaste in body get great relief through their ignorance.
33. Just as thieves will not attack a place where they see royal weapons lying, so he who has knit his heart to prayer will not lightly be raided by spiritual thieves.
34. As fire does not give birth to snow, so those who seek honour here will not enjoy it there (in heaven).
35. As one spark has frequently set fire to much wood, so it has been found that one good deed can wipe out a multitude of great sins.
36. As it is impossible to destroy a wild beast without a weapon, so without humility it is impossible to obtain freedom from anger.
37. As by nature we cannot live without food, so up to the very moment of our death we cannot, even for a second, give way to negligence.
38. As a ray of sun, passing through a crack, lights everything in the house and shows up even the finest dust, so the fear of the Lord, entering a man’s heart, reveals to him all his sins.
39. Crabs are easily caught because they walk sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards. So the soul that now laughs, now mourns, now lives in luxury, can make no progress.
40. The drowsy are easily robbed, and so are those who seek virtue near the world.
41. A man who is fighting a lion is lost the moment he takes his eye off it, and so is the man who, while fighting his flesh, gives it any respite.
42. As he who climbs up a rotten ladder runs a risk, so all honour, glory and authority oppose humility and bring down him who has them.
43. As it is impossible for a starving man not to think of bread, so it is impossible for a man eager to be saved not to think of death and judgment.
44. As writing is washed out by water, so sins can be washed out by tears.
45. As some, for lack of water, blot out writing by other means, so there are souls who have no tears, but pound out and scour away their sins by sorrow, sighing and great heaviness of heart.
46. As a mass of dung breeds a mass of worms, so a surfeit of food breeds a surfeit of falls, and evil thoughts, and dreams.
47. As a blind man cannot see to walk, so a lazy man can neither see good nor do it.
48. As he whose legs are tied cannot walk freely, so those who hoard money cannot ascend to heaven.
49. As a fresh wound is easily cured, so the opposite is true of those suffering from chronic wounds of the soul; if they are healed, they are healed with difficulty.
50. As a dead man cannot walk, so a despairing man cannot be saved.
51. He who says he has true faith yet continues to sin is like a man who has no eyes in his face. But he who has no faith, even though he may do some good, is like a man who draws water and pours it into a barrel with holes in it.
52. As a ship which has a good helmsman comes safely into harbour with God’s help, so the soul which has a good shepherd, even though it has done much evil, easily ascends to heaven.
53. Without a guide it is easy to wander from the road, however prudent you may be, and so he who walks the monastic way under his own direction soon perishes, even though he may have all the wisdom of the world.
54. If anyone is weak in body and has had some grave falls, he should take the road of humility and the qualities that belong to her, for he will find no other way to salvation.
55. As one who has suffered a prolonged illness can scarcely obtain health in an instant, so it is impossible suddenly to overcome the passions, or even one passion.
56. Keep track of the extent of every passion and of every virtue, and you will know what progress you are making.
57. As those who exchange gold for clay are the losers, so are those who discuss and divulge the spiritual for material gain.
58. Many have soon obtained forgiveness, but no one has obtained dispassion quickly; this needs considerable time, and love, and longing, and God.
59. Let us find out which particular beasts and birds try to harm us at the time of sowing, and at the time when the seed shoots, and at the time of harvest, so as to set our traps accordingly.
60. Just as a man with fever has no right to commit suicide, so till our very last breath we must never give up hope.
61. As it is irreverent for a man who has just buried his father to go from the funeral straight on to his wedding, so for those who are mourning over their falls it is not proper to seek from men in this present life either honour, or rest, or glory.
62. As citizens have one kind of dwelling and convicts another, so the needs of those who are mourning ought to be quite different from those of the innocent.
63. Just as a king orders a soldier who has received serious wounds in battle in his presence not to be dismissed from his service but rather to be promoted, so the Heavenly King crowns the monk who endures many perils from demons.
64. Spiritual perception is a property of the soul itself, but sin is a buffeting of perception. Conscious perception produces either the cessation or lessening of evil; and it is the offspring of conscience. And conscience is the word and conviction of our guardian angel given to us from the time of baptism. That is why we find that the unbaptized do not feel such keen pangs of remorse in their soul for their bad deeds.
65. The lessening of evil breeds abstinence from evil; and abstinence from evil is the beginning of repentance; and the beginning of repentance is the beginning of salvation; and the beginning of salvation is a good intention; and a good intention is the mother of labours. And the beginning of labours is the virtues; the beginning of the virtues is a flowering, and the flowering of virtue is the beginning of activity. And the offspring of virtue is perseverance; and the fruit and offspring of persevering practice is habit, and the child of habit is character. Good character is the mother of fear; and fear gives birth to the keeping of commandments in which I include both heavenly and earthly. The keeping of the commandments is a sign of love; and the beginning of love is an abundance of humility; and an abundance of humility is the daughter of dispassion; and the acquisition of the latter is the fullness of love, that is to say the perfect indwelling of God in those who through dispassion are pure in heart. For they shall see God. And to Him the glory for all eternity. Amen.

OK - that is still some heavy stuff! But perhaps some little phrase in there has encouraged you, or pricked your conscience, or made you sigh. That’s OK. If all we get from the book is to be humbled by our comparatively low estate, then that too is profitable for us. We commemorate St. John of the Ladder this Sunday, and we can ask for his help.

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

Written for a certain pious layman because of his desire to lead an attentive life in the world.

The heart of all exercises in the Lord is attention. Without attention all these exercises are sterile, dead. He who wants to be saved must so dispose himself that he can preserve attention to himself, not only in seclusion but also amidst distractions into which he is often drawn by circumstances against his will. Let the fear of God outweigh all other feelings on the scales of the heart; then it will be easy to preserve attention to oneself, both in the silence of a cell and amid noise surrounding one on all sides.

Wise moderation in food, lessening the heat of the blood; is of great benefit in preserving heedfulness; but heating of the blood-whether from unnecessary consumption of food, from excessive bodily activity, from the flaming of anger or vainglory,. or from other causes-gives birth to a multitude of thoughts and fantasies, in other words, distraction, The Holy Fathers prescribe for the person who wishes to be attentive to himself first of all constant moderation in food (Philokalia, St. Philotheus of Sinai).

On awakening from sleep-an image of the awakening from the dead which awaits all men- direct your thoughts to God, offering as a sacrifice to God the first fruits of the thoughts of your mind before it accepts any vain impressions. In silence, having done all that is necessary for the body upon rising, carefully read the usual rule of prayer, concerning yourself not so much with the quantity of prayer as with the quality of it, i.e., that it be done with attention in order that the heart might come to life through prayerful compunction.

After the rule of prayer, again being mindful to preserve attentiveness, read the New Testament, concentrating on the Gospels. During this reading, diligently note all the promises and commandments of Christ, so as to direct your own activity-in thought, word and deed-according to them.. The amount of reading should be determined by the person's strength and circumstances. One ought not to burden the mind with extra reading of prayers and Scripture.. .[which may lead to] frustration with pious exercises and despair. For the beginner the Holy Fathers recommend frequent prayers. but not lengthy ones. And when the mind attains spiritual growth, is strengthened and comes to adulthood, then it will be in a condition to pray without ceasing. To Christians who have attained perfect growth in the Lord the words of the Apostle Paul are applicable:

I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.(I Tim. 2:8)

Enlightened by the Sun of Righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ, by means of prayer and reading, let every man go about his daily work, preserving attention so that in all his deeds and words, in his whole being. there reigns and acts the all-holy will of God, revealed and explained to men in the Gospel commandments.

If free moments arise during the day, use them for reading with attention certain appointed prayers or passages of Scripture; use these to strengthen your spiritual powers, exhausted by activity amid the vain world if it happens that you say or do something contrary to the commandments of God, immediately treat the sin with repentance, and by means of sincere repentance return to God's path, from which you wandered by violating God's will. Do not stagnate outside God's path. Oppose the sinful thoughts, fantasies and feelings which occur with the faith and humility of the commandments of the Gospel, saying with the Holy Patriarch Joseph: How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? (Gen. 39:9). He who is attentive to himself must deny himself all day-dreaming, no matter how seductive and alluring; all day-dreaming is wandering of the mind outside truth in a land of visions which do not exist and cannot come into existence, which captivate the mind and deceive it. The results of daydreaming are loss of attention to oneself, mental distraction and hardness of heart during prayer; hence-spiritual sickness.

In the evening on going to sleep (an image of death for the life of that day); examine your actions during the day that has passed. Such an examination is not difficult for one who leads an attentive life, because attention destroys that forgetfulness which is so characteristic of a distracted person. And thus, recalling all your sins in deed, word, thought and feeling, offer repentance over them to God with the disposition and heartfelt promise of correction. Then, having read the rule of prayer, end with divine contemplation a day begun with divine contemplation.

(Reprinted from Orthodox Life, Nov -Dec., 1970)

Govenie: The Path of a Virtuous Life

From chapter 32 of “The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to it” by St. Theophan the Recluse.

(Govenie: the whole of spiritual disciplines in deepening the spiritual life and especially preparing for Holy Communion at the beginning of Lent.)

Glory be to Thee, O Lord! The fast has drawn near. You have brought me pleasure by saying that you intend to begin fasting and attending Divine Services immediately. Do not change your intention. People usually fast and attend services during Holy Week, but do not put it off until then yourself. Those who fast and attend services during Holy Week include people who have already fasted, attended services and taken Communion during the preceding weeks who desire to take Communion a second time; those who are compelled by some sort of necessity; or those for whom it is desirable to hasten the end ofthe labor of the fast, for there are only three days to labor. We will apply only the first case to you.

Lord give the blessing for you to perform govenie in a fitting manner. Each faster must do everything that you intend to do. Fast, go to church, seclude yourself, read, think and study yourself; all of this is necessary. But all of these actions must be directed toward one goal: worthy Communion of the holy Mysteries of Christ. In order to commune worthily, the soul must be cleansed with repentance. All the various actions of govenie—going to church, prayer at home, fasting, and everything else, are undertaken in order to accomplish the repentance as it should be, with sincere contrition and a firm resolution to not offend the Lord anymore.

The first thing to do in making repentance is to go inside yourself. Earthly matters and cares and unrestrained wandering of thoughts all over the place do not allow us to go inside ourselves and to study ourselves. Therefore the faster, to the extent possible during the time of the fast, shuts off his cares, and instead of going about his usual business, stays at home. This cutting off of cares is a matter of extreme importance in govenie. He who does not do so will certainly spend the fast haphazardly. You, too, must cut off your cares. No matter how few these cares are, they do exist and distract us. Set about govenie having laid aside all cares.

Let us suppose that you have cast everything aside and have gone to your room. What is there to do? It is possible to sit around in private, doing nothing. You must take up occupations that are conducive to govenie. What kind of occupations? Prayer, reading, meditation.

Prayer is that which is in addition to prayer in church. That is already self-evident. You know how to pray in church, of course. However, do take it into consideration! Go to church willingly, as to the house of God, your own home; go there without being contemptuous or bored. Go to church not just to be at the service, but in order to pray from your heart. Pray with sincere warmth, with an outpouring before God, with feelings of contrition, humility and reverential fear and with diligent petitions for your vital spiritual needs. To succeed at this, you have to think it out ahead of time, and, having come to church, you must force yourself to it. Do not just consider attendance at the service to be useless; during the course of the service the heart is warmed and calls out warmly to God. That is the main thing. You must also listen to the service, and align your thoughts and feelings with it. Variation, as long as it is directed toward one goal and is not distracting, will maintain the attention’s nourishing and constructive exertion in an agreeable manner. Attend to what is being sung and read, especially during the petitions, for they are the summary of all of the needs for which we turn to God unashamedly.

Usually, however, the thoughts do stray. This is from a lack of prayerful feeling. However, you may deal with straying thoughts in this way: As soon as you notice your thoughts have left church, turn them back and do not ever allow yourself consciously to daydream or to stray in thought during govenie,or at any other time. When the thoughts stray unbeknownst to you, this is also a small sin; but when you begin wandering offin thought purposely while you are in church, this is a sin. The Lord is among those who are in church. He who does not think about the Lord in church, but who daydreams instead, is like a man who has gone to the king in order to ask him for something, who then begins to make faces and fidget in the king’s presence, without paying any attention to him. Perhaps you will not be completely successful in preventing the straying of thoughts while maintaining your effort; but it is possible and it is necessary to not allow yourself to daydream intentionally. With respect to the straying of thoughts there are these two rules:

1) As soon as you notice this straying, turn the thoughts back, and
2) do not consciously allow the thoughts to wander.

A remedy against the straying of thoughts is mental attention, attention to the fact that the Lord is before us and we are before Him. One must place the entire mind in this though tand not deviate from it. The attention is attached to the Lordby the fear of God and by the desire to please God. From these come warmth of the heart, which draws the attention to the One Lord. Work at stirring the heart, and you will see for yourself how it keeps the thought in check. It is necessary to force yourself. Without labor and mental effort, you will notattain anything spiritual. Prostrations help a lot in the warming of the heart. Do these a little more often, performing both bowsfrom the waist and full prostrations to the ground. May the Lord grant that you feel delight in being at churchso that you will rush to it, just as people rush into a warm roomfrom the cold. During the fast, the primary stimulator of action, the reason for which we perform govenie, is worthy attendance at church. Other actions aid and assist this, but they will be discussed another time.

The Sts. Theophan and Ignatius Study Group

We have had a study group before, but it is difficult to proceed through a book sequentially when our schedules get interrupted or are overly busy, and to keep the group in sync. Some of you expressed interest in participating but found the approach too much of a commitment.

I was involved in another Orthodox book club that solved this problem. The approach is to use an online text chat forum, where one can read and respond at one’s convenience, without everyone having to be on the same schedule. Then we can have a “live” meeting every couple of weeks for a more focused discussion, which will be helpful but optional. Occasional in-person meetings can also be had as desired.

If you would like to participate or even lurk, feel free to join the Discord. I will assign readings in the “announcement” channel, along with questions to ponder. I have also created a channel for each book or set of readings, so that comments and discussion can be focused on each reading. It is helpful to keep a journal as you read, writing down useful points from the readings and ideas for applying them to your life.

The main page for the study group is here:
https://stnicholassaratoga.org/sts-theophan-and-ignatius-study-group/

The Discord channel is where discussions take place, live meetings are held, handouts are distributed, and readings are assigned. You can sign in to that here:
https://discord.gg/TwnVnnwKcB

(Note: this Discord is separate from the St. Nicholas online members’ forum - no pledge form required).

St. Nicholas Member’s Forum

For those of you who submitted a pledge form, you are invited to participate in the St. Nicholas Members’ Forum. This includes discussion areas such as:

• announcements
• resources
• general discussion
• 75th anniversary (and other fundraiser) planning
• parish council
• soul-profiting quotes
• a membership directory
• the “beauty will save the world” discussion of soul profiting arts and letters. There is also a theater where we can show soul-profiting films and have poetry readings and such!

If you didn’t fill out a pledge form, you can still do it here:
https://stnicholassaratoga.org/pledge-form/

If you filled out a pledge form but did not receive your invite to the member forum, email Reader John or use the contact form and select “webmaster.”

Here is an article worth repeating!

On January 6th, Orthodox Christians attend the Divine Liturgy and the Great Blessing of the Water service to celebrate the great feast of Theophany, also called the “Feast of Lights.”  It was called the Feast of Lights from ancient times, since on this day many catechumens were “illumined” by the light of Holy Baptism and held their lit candles during the services. The feast commemorates the baptism of Christ and the revelation of God in three persons. That's why the Feast is called “Theophany,” meaning “Revelation of God.” We attend church not only to celebrate the Feast and receive the Holy Eucharist, but we also hope to be blessed by and to receive the special holy water which is blessed following the Liturgy.   Most parishioners bring their own bottles or jars from home in order to fill them up with the blessed water to take home. It is the pious practice of many Orthodox to take a little holy water and some of the blessed bread (antidoron) from church every morning before eating or drinking anything else, as a blessing for the day. In most churches in America the blessing of water is held indoors, in the temple itself, and the water is contained in a large urn. Some communities hold outdoor celebrations by a body of water.

Blessing of the Home

It is customary, to invite your priest to bless your home with holy water within the few weeks following Theophany and before the beginning of the Great Fast (Lent.). Prepare by cleaning the house and opening the doors and turning on the lights in  all the rooms.

What you need for the house blessing:

• An icon corner or wall, or at least an Icon of Christ and the Mother of God
• A small table, preferably covered, in front of your home icon corner.
• A candlestick with a new candle in it, placed on the otherwise cleared table

Using  an aspergelus (a special brush-type sprinkler) the priest will go to each room and sprinkle it in the four corners blessing the home with the grace of the Holy Spirit which also protects you from evil spirits. If you were unable to attend the Theophany Liturgy, the priest will bring extra Holy Water so that you may keep some at home, near your icons. Please have a dedicated jar or vessel prepared for this water. It can only be used for Holy Water thereafter. For House Blessings, it is appropriate that all family members are in attendance, but if this is not possible, at least those who are home should participate in the service. All TV's, electronics, music, etc., should be turned off. House Blessings are a yearly tradition.

Personal Use of Holy Water

According to Orthodox doctrine, holy water has the power to sanctify and heal. Have each family member drink a small amount of the holy water from Theophany. Keep the unused holy water in your home icon corner (krasny ugol) for future use: times of adversity, before starting a new venture or trip, to give thanks, or when someone is ill. You may drink it or anoint yourself when you feel spiritually afflicted. It should be taken when fasting, if at all possible. To rid the house of evil spirits, it should be sprinkled in the four corners of each room, so no one will step on it. In the countryside, the holy water is often sprinkled in the fields and on the animals.

If you would like to have your home blessed, please contact Fr. Basil or use the Sign-up sheet at the candle desk in the Narthex of the church.

If you are ready to grow in your spiritual life and want to share in the study of some practical instruction for doing it, then this group is for you! Why do we study the writings of these two saints? Because they tapped the deepest well in the writings of the Holy Fathers and Mothers of deep spiritual life (St. Theophan translated the Philokalia). Yet while they imbibed the depths of Orthodox tradition, they were also closer to us in time than the ancient fathers. They understood the problems that we contemporary people have, and could adapt ancient wisdom to our way of life. This is practical stuff!

We will meet on Google Meet every two weeks, on Tuesday, beginning on January 20th. You can find the link in the church's online calendar.

If you would like to know more, please read the guidelines and other information on the Sts. Theophan and Ignaty Study Group Page here:

Sts. Theophan and Ignatius Study Group

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church
14220 Elva Avenue
Saratoga, CA, 95070

December 25, 2025

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Nicholas,

Christ is Born!

“Behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full force a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voices in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join in to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is, by divine mercy, raised up!” (St. John Chrysostom)

As the end of the year draws nigh, our thoughts turn to the many blessings God has bestowed upon us. Thanksgiving and Christmas both compel us to offer our grateful thanks to Him. There is perhaps no better way to show our appreciation than to lay our treasure at the feet of St. Nicholas, just as the earliest Christians laid theirs at the feet of the apostles. Please remember this holy place in your generous end-of-the-year giving. After all, the Lord says, “The year is completed, bring to Me all of your tithes and place them into my treasury; so that there shall be provision in My house: return now for this cause, saith the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not open to you the torrents of heaven, and pour out my blessing upon you!” (Malachi 3:10)

Love in Christ,

Fr Basil & Family

The Parish Council, Choir, and the entire Church Family

(Click here to make your donation online)

On December 28th, the first Sunday after Christmas, we will have an informal "Yolka", with the singing of Christmas Carols, and a chance for anyone to share their talent! Bring your musical instrument or other props, and join in the joy!

More information to come on a flyer soon!

GREAT NEWS! On May 9, 2026, we will celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Saint Nicholas Church!

Liturgy will be celebrated by Bishop Vasily and many clergy at Saint Nicholas Church. Following the service, we will drive to Saint Archangel Michael Serbian Church for a catered lunch in the hall. Please save this date, and be a part of this historic occasion. More information will be forthcoming at the Annual Meeting on January 25, 2026.

Transfiguration is the Only Path to Salvation

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) of Zaporozhye and Melitopol

solun.gr

Christ is in our midst. Dear readers!

If we were to pose the question to our regular parishioners today as to what we celebrate on this day, they would reply: “The Transfiguration of the Savior”. And they would be correct. The very word “transfiguration” means change. That is, something or someone used to be one way, but now they are another—they were transfigured. But did Christ change? Did He become something other than He was before Mount Tabor? No, no transformation occurred in Him. He simply partially revealed His glory, which He had, has, and will have in Himself forever. This glory is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. If the Divine Logos showed all of His glory as it really is, then not only the apostles but the whole Earth, the entire universe would not have been able to endure this radiance. The Lord lifted the veil slightly to reveal the radiance of His Divinity so that His disciples would not be tempted when they would see Him crucified, mocked, and dead.

The Transfiguration is the vector along which our entire life should go. Every person is by nature created light, having appeared from nothing according to the divine will of the Creator. Everything in the world, both animate and inanimate, is in its essence a form of existence of the originate energy created by God. This energy has no life in and of itself. Only God is the Being that has life in and of Himself. His essence is unfathomable not only for people, but also for the highest angelic powers. And we would have no hope of eternal life had God in His mercy and love not poured out from His own essence the uncreated energies. This form of God’s being is outside of His Essence. The uncreated light of the Godhead is what the Church calls grace. By joining our human spirit with this eternally living and life-creating Divine power, we receive eternity and immortality. But so that this might come to pass, we must remove from ourselves what does not allow Divine Light to live in us. A smoky, grimy mirror cannot reflect the sun’s light. It is the same with our souls—as long as sin lives in us, our souls are unable to partake of the radiance of eternal life. Only after cleansing our souls with repentance and prayer can we not only receive God’s grace in ourselves, but we can also reflect it to other people, becoming ourselves light from Light, gods by grace from God by nature. But for this, we must have the Transfiguration.

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) of Zaporozhye and Melitopol
Translation by OrthoChristian.com

8/26/2022

It is customary during the Dormition Fast to chant/pray (every evening that you can) the Paraklesis service to the Mother of God. Some years we have been able to do this many times during the course of the fast, while other years seem to present obstacles, and we do it only a few times in church. But this should not be an obstacle for you!

Attached here is the service to be done at home with some instructions to do it as a "reader service" embedded. This is a great blessing to be done in the home with the family (or just yourself) gathered around the beautiful icon corner. It can be read simply, or sung as indicated.  If you want to sing and don't know the melodies, come and talk to me!

Reader John

Dormition_Paraklesis (PDF)