Congratulations to Father Maryan who celebrated his 30th year in the priesthood on April 1. May God bless you and grant you Many Years!

April brings to mind daffodils, tulips,  hyacinths, magnolia trees, weeping cherries and so many more glorious sights. A dazzling array of beauty and comfort and It is happening this year as it does every spring. Trees are starting to bud and soon a welcoming shade will greet us under a sunny sky.  None of this has changed.  As I venture out in my yard, I hear chirping and singing birds nesting in the trees that surround me and often in gutters of my house.  Nothing has changed here.  Weeds have already started to poke unwelcomed stems and blossoms but this, too, is normal each year.  We should all take comfort that the sights around us have not changed and the glorious new growth that surrounds us is visible.

Knowing that all these things have come to pass as usual,  Pascha will also come this year, and we can celebrate in our hearts the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In accord with the Apostle Paul’s instructions to bishops to remind their flocks “to be submissive to rulers and authorities” (Titus 3:1),  we also need to abide by the instructions given to us by our bishops and church leaders. Unfortunately, this includes not physically being in the church building, but as an Orthodox Christian you are a part of the church.  You are able, and encouraged, to read the daily readings and attend all the services that are being live-streamed by our church. Live streaming at our church can be seen on our Facebook page:   St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church.    Prepare the foods to which you are accustomed for the feast; and it is possible, with Holy Water, to bless them yourself. The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior was a wondrous event and if you keep in mind all the resources that are available to you, your Pascha will be a fulfilling and spiritually rewarding event. Orthodox Church in America resources can be found at: https://www.oca.org/resources-coronavirus

In Matthew 28:1-7 we read: “Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Mag'dalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has Risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.”   

The women were told  “Do not be afraid,” and that message is for all of us because God is with us.  Through prayer and devotion, this can be the most meaningful Pascha ever and it is in YOUR power to make it so!