Tag: Christianity

On Vigilance and Fortitude

“>On Vigilance and Fortitude   

St. Gabriel, Bishop of ImeretiBishop Gabriel (Kikodze) was born November 15, 1825, in the village of Bachvi, in the western Georgian district of Ozurgeti in Guria. His father was the priest Maxime Kikodze.

“>St. Gabriel of Imereti was a nineteenth-century Holy Hierarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church. He generously distributed alms to widows, orphans, and all in need; he clothed the naked and buried beggars, having mercy upon the least of the brethren. St. Gabriel was born on November 15, 1825, and reposed in the Lord on January 25, 1896.

Photo: ipatievsky-monastery.ru     

Cleansing the Heart and Mind Through RepentanceThe most perfect and greatest thing a man can desire and achieve is drawing near to God and abiding in solitude with Him.

“>Repentance and ConfessionNo one goes to a physician to boast about his health. He goes in order to reveal to him the place on his health that is rotten.”>Confession is one of the seven Sacraments established by our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the faithful receive invisible support and the grace of the Holy Spirit to strengthen and save their souls. In Confession, the penitent remembers his every sin, sincerely tells the priest about them, and receives forgiveness of sins from him. As we know, the Savior gave His disciples the right to bind and loose; then the Apostles handed this right on to their disciples. And to our day, priests have the right to do this.

In the Sacrament of Baptism, man is born spiritually, cleansed and united with God. If he could have preserved that purity and grace he received in Baptism, he wouldn’t need repentance and Confession. But since this is unattainable for those living on earth, we have but one means of preserving ourselves in innocence and reconciliation with our Heavenly Father: repentance and Confession. Therefore, the Holy Fathers call repentance a second Baptism.

Confession requires serious Preparing for ConfessionNow tell me: Is Confession profitable or needful? Certainly it is profitable and even essential; because, just as it is impossible to cleanse a vessel without ridding it of all uncleanness, so it is impossible to purge your soul of sins without confession.

“>preparation. It’s not enough simply to remember and list the sins we’ve committed. The main thing is to clarify and understand our inner state, that is, to investigate the causes of our sins. After all, every sin in our heart has its origins, developing from one of our shortcomings or evil inclinations. Some fall into sin out of fervor, others out of ambition, others out of avarice, and so on. And just as farmers try to pull up weeds from the roots, because if you only cut off the stems they grow back and destroy the harvest, so you should try to purify your heart well and with good zeal and to uproot every sin from it. If you don’t examine yourself well and don’t communicate your spiritual state to your priest as fully as possible, it will be hard for him to heal you. Sin is to the soul what disease is to the body. Just as a doctor can’t cure a disease if he doesn’t know its cause, so a spiritual father can’t deliver you from sin if you don’t tell him about the causes that give rise to sin.

The best sign that our fasting and labors haven’t been in vain, that they benefited us, is the feeling of contempt for the sin we repented of in Confession. Repentance and Communion should have two goals: The first is to repent of the sins we’ve committed and receive forgiveness from the Lord; the second, and most important, is to become a better person and to not sin and anger God. Remember, if in approaching the chalice, your heart doesn’t have a firm resolution and desire to hate and abandon your sins and bad habits, and therefore, you approach the great Sacrament of Communion carelessly, then you fall into an even greater sin, becoming a debtor to the Flesh and Blood of Christ. The Lord will forgive us only if He sees that we sincerely and wholeheartedly regret our sins, no matter how small they may be.

Communion is the source of life only for those who worthily prepare for it, while for the unworthy and evil, it turns into a punishing fire. We prepare for Communion, first of all, by fasting, but fasting by itself is insufficient if it’s not accompanied by care for spiritual purification and the acquisition of virtues. Therefore, fasting is useful and beneficial only if it gives us a sense of sorrow, mourning, and regret for the sin we’ve committed.

Christians also prepare for Communion with prayers—both those read at home and those they hear at Liturgy in church. However, it often happens that Christians only superficially fulfill all these rules. But prayers are read in Church to arouse regret, fear of God, and hatred for sin in the Christian’s heart, and to kill everything sinful in us and revive the virtues. Don’t expect that your fasting, long prayers, and numerous prostrations will be accepted by the Lord and accounted to you if during all that you can’t overcome the evil in yourself, if you don’t kill the worm of sin that eats away at your heart. If you’re not spiritually renewed, then neither prayer, nor Confession will save you. True Confession is when a man, convicted by his conscience, first impartially condemns his unworthiness and sinfulness in his heart, and then, sincerely overcome by the desire to be delivered from them, repents to his spiritual father. Sin is like a thorn stuck in your body: Until you remove it, the wound won’t heal. And if a person doesn’t repent of all his sins in Confession, they remain in his heart to his detriment.

The main thing in Confession is that the grace of the Holy Spirit is at work there. Thus, without Confession and forgiveness of sins by a spiritual father, a man won’t be given salvation. The Holy Fathers call repentance and Confession a second Baptism, because we lose the connection with the Lord that we receive in Baptism due to our sins, and in sincere Confession, the Holy Spirit mystically restores this broken connection.

To be continued…

The Power of the BeastSpeaking of the Book of Life, I’ll tell you a story from the Holy Mountain that happened in the 1920s and 1930s at New Skete, where there were caves.

“>Part 25

If any man have an ear, let him hear (Rev. 13:9). Thank God, we all have ears and a tongue. But who hears? We have ears but we don’t hear. At least, we don’t hear God.

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints (Rev. 13:10). Here the Apostle John speaks in a riddle. What does it mean? It means nothing will happen without foresight—every one of a man’s acts has God’s attention. God knows and sees all human affairs—then, now, and always. Whatever a man does, he’ll find a corresponding reward for his deeds. Whoever leads another man into captivity will himself be taken captive. Whoever kills others will himself be killed. This is a spiritual law.

    

However, despite all this, here will be the On the Virtue of PatienceDear brothers and sisters, there is nothing we more often encounter in life than misfortunes and sorrows! What should we do amidst all these misfortunes in order to keep ourselves from harm, to not be conquered but to become conquerors?

“>patience and faith of the saints. Why? Because first there will be persecution, and then—reward. God will leave you, your heads will be cut off, you’ll be chopped into a thousand pieces, and then God will appear. God doesn’t reveal Himself before it’s time. He strengthens man, but you have to reach the limit of your humility and strength. You’ll reach a point where you can’t take it anymore—you put all your effort into it, and then God intervenes.

This doesn’t mean God leaves you alone. God doesn’t leave anyone alone—He’s always with us. But God lets us feel abandoned so our free consent, our freedom can manifest itself. Then God appears, acts, and saves the man if he’s meant to be saved, and if he’s meant to die, then he dies.

On the Holy Mountain, I read some amazing testimonies of our brother the Romanian Vitaliu, who lived during the time of the communist regime, around the 1950s and 60s, and experienced terrible persecution. A young man, he grew old in prison, where they tried to break him. It’s hard to even talk about his torments. But Vitaliu remained faithful to Christ, and the Lord strengthened him: He gave him tremendous fortitude to endure everything.

The journals of these martyrs are being published now. We learn about their experiences from their recollections. Recently, there was a book, Enemy of the People, which talks about a priest who, like the Holy Hierarch Luke, underwent severe trials because he was considered an enemy of the people.

And in those days, the beast will have power, will lead the world, and patience and faith will help to endure terrible torments and death itself for the sake of the love of God.

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon (Rev. 13:11). Here he’s talking about another beast. This time, it doesn’t come out of the sea like the one before it, but comes up from the ground. It has two horns, like a ram’s horns, and its voice resembles that of a dragon, the voice of satan.

The Beast with Two Horns Like a Lamb, Albrecht Dürer, 1498 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed (Rev. 13:12). This beast does the same things as the other beast. He forces the whole earth and those living on it to worship the previous beast, whose mortal wound was healed. This second beast, coming out of the earth, has two horns and the voice of a dragon. The second beast has power and leads the world to the first beast, which deceived everyone, and pushes the world to worship the first.

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men (Rev. 13:13). The second beast works wonders and signs: Fire descends from the heavens to earth. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live (Rev. 13:14). You see, this beast also has power. God allows the second beast to work miracles, to do amazing things—to bring fire down from the heavens. And by these wonders, he draws people to serve the previous beast. He instructs those living on earth to make an image of the beast, which was wounded by a sword yet lives. Through miracles and signs, he pushes people to worship the first beast, to make an idol to him and worship it.

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed (Rev. 13:15). He manages to breathe life into the statue, which will be made to the previous beast. This statue will speak and work miracles. And those who don’t worship the image of the beast will be killed. We’ll be killed—there’s no way around it. May God grant that we be killed like this. Otherwise, if we worship the image of the beast, we’ll really be killed. I repeat, these are riddles. What do they mean? It’s unlikely there will be a talking statue—don’t think like that. So what is it? We can’t know, but we’ll see when it happens. We’ve been warned: When all this happens, God will preserve those who are faithful to Him, the pure of heart; God will enlighten them to recognize the signs.

The number of the beast

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (Rev. 13:16-18).

So, what is this about? This second beast, which will animate the image of the first beast, will compel everyone—small and great, rich and poor—to inscribe a mark on either their right hand or forehead. And whoever doesn’t have this mark won’t be able to buy or sell. Those who have this mark, which will contain the name of the beast or the number of his name, will be able to trade, buy, and sell. And then the Apostle John says: Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The Number of the Beast, William Blake, 1805 “My First Meeting with Elder Paisios”He told me, “You are related to us.” I said to him, “Geronda, are you from Cyprus?” He replied, “You’re slow-witted.”

“>Elder Paisios was asked: “If we know this number from Revelation, written two thousand years ago, why will people take it, instead of replacing it with another number?” Geronda said that they’ll do this despite knowing what all men understand perfectly well. But at the same time, men themselves shouldn’t be deceived by receiving this mark while understanding its meaning. It’s called a mark because it’s inscribed.

Geronda said there would come a time when, according to the best motivations, for a just reason, for many respectable reasons and necessity, people will start saying: “Why should you carry ID, a bank card, an insurance card, information about allergies—a thousand different things? You can lose these things or have them all stolen from you. Or you get in a shipwreck, a plane crash, or you get lost. Your loved ones will worry and look for you. And if you have the mark on your hand or forehead, they’ll be able to notify them about you. To prevent all this from happening, to help us travel anywhere and have all our information with us, we need to get this mark.”

It’s a good thing not to lose everything. You go to the airport, you hold out your hand, and there’s all your personal data. They check it, and you get on your way. You go to the bank, you hold out your hand, and they give you as much money as you ask for. You go to the hospital, perhaps you’re not doing well—you don’t remember, you were hit by a car—they put your hand in the machine, they see your blood type, chronic diseases, allergies, and everything they need to know. It looks practical and useful. As Elder Paisios said, it will be “served up” as a great necessity.

But what if we look at it differently? All of this will enable worldwide control. They’ll be able to monitor the entire world. There are already many harbingers of this. I’ll tell you honestly, the first time I read Revelation when I was sixteen, I started to panic: “Is satan going to be walking around with a seal stamping people? How will this happen?” It seemed like something fantastical, made up. How could this be possible? But today with the capabilities we have, computers, this can be done with ease.

People Accepting the Mark of the Beast, unknown artist, c. 1255     

On the other hand, the seal will have the number 666, like a code. I’m not saying it’s the seal of the antichrist. The antichrist doesn’t exist yet, but preparations for worldwide control are underway. When the antichrist comes, everything will be ready. You see how easily the economic crisis came? It spread to the whole world within a week. What happened? Something happened in two banks in America. This might seem unbelievable, but it happened in two or three days. Worldwide control doesn’t even seem strange anymore. The possibility of controlling everything already exists today.

A little later, we’ll read in Revelation about how a time will come when every man, wherever he may hide, even in a cave, will be found. With today’s satellites, this is already possible.

No one will be able to do anything without this inscription. No one. To buy and sell, you have to have this inscription. At the same time, there will be people who are truly dedicated to God who won’t accept either this number or inscription.

For all this to begin, the antichrist, the beast must come. Until he comes, all the rest is the gathering of clouds. When the antichrist comes, a storm will break out. Everything will be prepared. We’re seeing one sign after another. We’re moving towards the end—that’s the reality. Every day, the life of this world brings us closer to the end. But until the antichrist comes, all these signs can’t be considered satanic.

—Will they be able to force this mark on anyone?

—It won’t be forced upon you, but they’ll create the conditions to deprive you of everything. You won’t be able to have any money, you won’t be able to buy, sell, travel, go to the hospital—nothing. You’ll have to make up your mind then, take five little goats and go to the mountains.

—We heard about two beasts: One is the leader and the other is subordinate. Who are they?

—Satan the dragon has two beasts: One is the antichrist, the other is a false prophet, and they support each other. They’ll be people: the antichrist and the false prophet.

—In Revelation, the Apostle John speaks of several antichrists.

—Yes, he speaks about many antichrists. The mystery of the antichrist, the mystery of lawlessness is that there will be many forerunners of the antichrist, but in the last days, one will come. The heretics who precede him are the instruments and forerunners of the antichrist.

—How will we know that the antichrist has come?

—He’ll have two main characteristics: He’ll be in the place of Christ, that is, he’ll try to take His place, and he’ll be against Christ. He’ll fight against the Church and against Christ and present himself as the savior of the world. He’ll work wonders.

—Will we be able to know him by how he acts?

—We’ll recognize him by the arrogance and haughtiness in his words. He’s going to persecute the Church and Christ.

—Geronda, who will help us in the time of the antichrist?

—No one will be left without God’s care. God will preserve those who have faith and remain faithful to Christ. God won’t abandon us. We won’t be cast into the hands of satan. God is with us! Revelation was written to tell us that Christ will prevail.

“I Have Overcome the World”     

Here it talks about beasts, but further on you’ll see that all these beasts will go into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. Christ will prevail. Revelation was written to impart strength and boldness to us, so we wouldn’t be afraid.

We know that all this can happen, but whoever unites with Christ will have greater power than satan. “The least among us is the greatest in the world”—the least among us is greater than satan. The Lord won’t abandon us. He’ll protect the smallest, simplest man; he won’t allow him to get lost. Those who want to be tempted and those who are enslaved by sin are the ones who will be tempted. The man of God won’t be tempted and won’t be afraid of all this.

Photo: wikimedia.org Before every iconographic image of the Most Holy Theotokos we pray to the Queen of Heaven about our spiritual and temporal needs; we ask her to console us in our misfortunes, and to give us spiritual joy.

But among the many miracle-working icons of the Most Pure One, there is one that is actually called “Assuage my Sorrow.”

The most ancient of the icons that carries this name was in Shklova in Mogilev Province. Where this miracle-working Icon was painted is unknown: perhaps it was in the Russian Monastery on Mt. Athos or perhaps somewhere else. In a battle that took place in 1640 near Shklova, the soldiers of Tsar Michael Fyodorovitch defeated the Poles. In honor of this victory a copy of the miracle-working image was translated by the Cossacks to Moscow and placed in the Church of St Nicholas in Zamoskovoretchie (since demolished).

Apparently due both to a fire and to the many renovations of the church, the icon was forgotten for a time. Greatly neglected, it was carelessly left lying in the bell tower. But the plentiful mercies manifested through it by the Mother of God forced the people to remember the forgotten icon.

Tradition relates that the first time this icon was glorified was in the second half of the eighteenth century. The miraculous power of the “Assuage my Sorrow” Icon of the Theotokos was revealed in the following manner: A certain woman of noble lineage had long suffered from weakness in her hands and feet. Physicians were of no help. In a vision she was told to go to Moscow and pray before the icon of the Mother of God bearing the inscription “Assuage my Sorrow.” In the same vision, she was shown the icon. Not finding that icon in the church, she turned to the priest for help, who then brought all of the ancient icons down from the belltower. One of the icons actually bore the inscription, “Assuage my Sorrow.” As soon as the woman saw the Icon she exclaimed:

“It is she! It is she!”

After a moleben the ailing woman felt so much stronger that she was able to stand and leave the church unaided.

This miracle occurred on January 25th (Julian Calendar), 1760. Since then, a feast day in honor of the “Assuage my Sorrow” icon has been observed. In the church of St. Nicholas, the icon was installed in an appropriate place, and an altar was dedicated in its honor.

From all over the city, the faithful and suffering came to Zamoskovorechie to bow down before the newly revealed icon, and God’s power was revealed through many other miracles. An especially great number of miracles happened during the plague of 1771. Many copies of the miraculous icon were made and distributed throughout all Russia; in Moscow alone, four other icons bearing this name were glorified by miracles.

Today, the miracle-working “Assuage my Sorrow” icon is kept in the Church of St. Nicholas-in-Kuznetsy in Moscow.

Health care professionals who help expectant mothers have a vocation that is an ode to life, Pope Francis said.

And for people of faith, prayer is also “a hidden but effective medicine,” he said, “because it heals the soul.”

The pope met a group of obstetricians, gynecologists and other health care professionals from the southern Italian region of Calabria during an audience at the Vatican Feb. 6.

“Yours is a beautiful profession, a vocation and a hymn to life, all the more important at this moment in history” when the low birthrates in Italy and other countries seem to indicate people “have lost enthusiasm for motherhood and fatherhood.”

Parenthood is seen “as a source of difficulties and problems, rather than as the opening of a new horizon of creativity and happiness. And this — we know — depends a lot on the social and cultural context,” he told the group.

The pope praised their efforts as members of a professional association whose goals include reversing the falling birthrate.

He encouraged them to continue to grow in their profession, saying that improving their expertise was the best way to practice charity when accompanying expectant mothers “or dealing with critical and painful situations. In all these cases, the presence of trained professionals gives serenity and, in the most serious situations, can save lives.”

Professionals working in this field also need to nurture great “human sensitivity,” he said. With the birth of a son or daughter, “one may feel vulnerable, fragile and, therefore, in great need of closeness, tenderness and warmth.”

It helps so much, he said, “to have sensitive and gentle people” by one’s side.

And, he said, for Catholic healthcare professionals, prayer is a kind of medicine they should always keep at their disposal.

“Sometimes it will be possible to share (prayer) with patients; in other circumstances, it can be offered to God discreetly and humbly, in one’s own heart, respecting everyone’s beliefs and journey,” he said.

“I encourage you to feel the responsibility toward the mothers, fathers and children whom God places in your path, to pray for them as well, especially at Mass, Eucharistic adoration and in one’s simple, daily prayer,” he said.

Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk Province, Russia, February 6, 2025

Photo: mitropolia74.ru     

A relic of the Heavenly patron of the Urals and Siberia was found last year and is now venerated in the St. Simeon Cathedral in Chelyabinsk.

A particle of the relics of St. Dalmat of Isetskoe (†1697) were discovered in the iconography workshop of an old church in 2024, and with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexei of Chelyabinsk, they were displayed for public veneration in the cathedral, the Chelyabinsk Metropolis reports.

A beautiful new reliquary was commissioned for the sacred treasure.

St. Dalmat is the founder of the Dalmatovo-Holy Dormition Monastery on the territory of the modern-day Kurgan Province. Many miracles are associated with the saint’s name.

In the spring of 1646, he managed to defend the monastery’s lands from the oppression of the Tatar noble Iligey. One night, the invader had a vision. The Most Holy Theotokos appeared in crimson robes and commanded him not to harm the elder and to give up the estate. Iligey was struck with terror and transferred the land holdings to the saint.

St. Dalmat of Isetskoe is especially venerated as the patron saint of warriors. Many South Ural residents come to venerate the saint before departing for military service.

He was locally canonized in the Kurgan Diocese in 2004 and was approved for Churchwide veneration in 2013.

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In touting the accomplishments of the first Trump administration, Vice President JD Vance assured a room full of advocates that the second Trump administration will continue to prioritize advancing religious freedom both domestically and abroad.

“You shouldn’t have to leave your faith at the door of your people’s government, and under President Trump’s leadership you won’t have to,” Vance said Feb. 5, noting that the administration “is intent on not just restoring but expanding the achievements of the first four years and certainly of the last two weeks.”

Vance, a Catholic, highlighted that in his first term President Donald Trump advanced religious freedom through his foreign policy with China, across Europe, and throughout Africa and the Middle East, including by rescuing persecuted pastors, and bringing relief to faith groups terrorized by ISIS.

Domestically, the vice president said that Trump’s first term was “a new high water mark for religious Americans,” with decisive actions to defend religious liberty, combat anti-Semitism, preserve the conscience rights of hospital workers and faith-based ministries as they provided care, and remove barriers for religious organizations and businesses to work with the federal government.

As for the current Trump administration, Vance said it has already made important progress through executive orders “to end the weaponization of the federal government against religious Americans,” citing the pardoning of several pro-life protesters who were arrested for blockading abortion entrances, and through an executive order that prevents federal censorship.

“Now, our administration believes we must stand for religious freedom not just as a legal principle – as important as that is –but as  a lived reality both within our own borders and especially outside of them,” Vance said in a roughly 12 minute long address at the International Religious Freedom Summit, held Feb. 4 and 5 in Washington, D.C.

Vance then added that part of protecting religious freedom initiatives means recognizing in foreign policy the difference between the regimes that respect religious freedom and those that do not, which he said the administration stands ready to do.

“Both at home and abroad we have much more to do to more fully secure religious liberty for all people of faith,” the vice president concluded.

Earlier, Vance spoke about faith as a bedrock of the nation’s culture, noting that it “calls us to treat one another with dignity, to lift up those in need, and to build nations grounded in moral principle.” He also said religious liberty isn’t just about the legal safeguards, but “fostering a culture in which faith can thrive so that men and women can fully appreciate the God given rights of their fellow citizens.”

“Church was a place, and still is, where people of different races, different backgrounds, different walks of life came together in commitment to their shared communities, and of course in commitment to their God,” the vice president explained. “It was a place where the CEO of a company and the worker of a company stood equal before their worship of God. It was a place where people united not just in the pews but in acts of service on mission trips, charity drives, and in rallying around one another in times of sickness, or grief, or, of course, in celebration of new life.”

“Are these not the kinds of bonds and virtues that lawmakers today should strive to cultivate?” Vance asked. “Well, I’m pleased to say that they certainly were in the first Trump administration, and they will be even more so in the second Trump administration.”

Bucharest, February 6, 2025

Photo: basilica.ro     

The Romanian Orthodox Church, through its dioceses, devoted more than $76 million to its multifaceted social-philanthropic mission in 2024.

The relevant data was presented at the National Church Council in Bucharest on Wednesday, February 5. The total amount reported, $76,063,455 (73 million euros), does not include the expenses related to various charitable activities organized by parishes and monasteries “for the benefit of the sick, elderly, children, and the poor,” the Church report notes.

According to the report, the Church carried out its philanthropic activity through 867 social institutions and services, with 1,270 social projects and programs underway, benefiting over 363,000 people.

The total of $76 million+ includes both financial and material aid, including aid for disaster victims.

The Church’s services in 2024 included:

• social assistance offices

• social canteens and home meal programs

• day and residential centers for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities

• home care services

• institutional and home medical and recovery services

• educational services (afterschool, remedial, school dropout prevention, etc.)

• information, counseling, support and community centers

• sheltered housing

• emergency centers (homeless people, victims of violence, victims of human trafficking)

• camps

• and more

Beneficiaries included:

• 101,142 children from the Church’s social settlements, but especially from poor families without means of support, or with parents working in other countries

• 27,152 people with disabilities, with speech, vision and hearing impairments, drug users or other types of addictions

• 108,041 elderly people from Church social protection settlements, from social transit centers and night shelters, lonely, immobile elderly people, abandoned by their families and who had serious health problems

• 124,862 unemployed, adults in difficulty, victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence, released prisoners, victims of natural disasters

• 1,806 homeless people

By comparison, the Church spent $65.5 million on philanthropic and social services Romanian Church invested $65 million+ on social-philanthropic mission in 2023According to the report, the Church carried out its philanthropic and medical activity through 884 institutions and social services, with 1,254 ongoing projects and social programs.

“>in 2023.

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Thanks to an improbable cleanup operation, Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre is set to partially reopen to visitors this weekend, just one month after nearly being destroyed by the Eaton Fire. 

“In our minds, we needed to have the ministry back as quickly as possible,” Mater Dolorosa’s director, Father Febin Barose, C.P. told Angelus. 

While the retreat center’s employee apartments, hermitage, and garage all burned in the Eaton Fire, the retreat center’s main building was spared.

Since then, Barone’s staff has moved quickly, launching an informal fundraising campaign, having the building professionally cleaned, and replacing furniture items such as mattresses. The site has also been tested for hazardous materials. 

“It’s taken lots of coordination and commitment,” Barose said. “We’ve had our electricians, plumbers, refrigerator experts, our kitchen guy, they’ve all been here. It’s taken three to four weeks to get this place back in shape and safe for people to have retreats again.”

When the retreat center’s main building opens the weekend of Feb. 7-9, the damaged areas will remain fenced off while recovery work continues on the 83 acre property. 

“We will have some limitations, people will not be able to go anywhere they want,” said Barose. “But we can still work things around. We don’t need to have things at 100% to be open. We are human beings, we are resilient and we are flexible.”

Since opening in 1924, Mater Dolorosa has been operated by the Passionists, a religious order of priests. Today, it frequently hosts parish and high school retreats, addiction and recovery programs, and special events. 

Before the fire, the center was already preparing to celebrate the centenary of its retreat ministry in 2026. Now, it plans to launch a fundraising campaign to support the rebuilding effort, which Barose expects to take about two years. 

“I’m sure God will provide,” said Barose. “A lot of people love this place and consider it a place of peace, prayer and spiritual renewal because they have experienced it. So I’m sure the community will provide to build it back.”

Englewood, New Jersey, February 6, 2025

Photo: antiochian.org     

A new book is now available from the beloved head of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba of New York.

The publication, A Life Testimony, is available in both English and Arabic from the Antiochian Village bookstore.

“His Eminence wrote this deeply personal and inspiring account after nearly losing his life to COVID-19… The book reflects his spiritual journey, pastoral abilities, and insights into Orthodox Christianity,” the Archdiocese writes.

In A Life Testimony, Met. Saba weaves together personal experiences of faith and spiritual leadership to inspire readers on their own paths. Through candid reflections, he reveals his profound devotion to Christ, while sharing his hopes for spiritual revival in the Church and among its faithful.

The book unfolds chapter by chapter through key moments that shaped His Eminence’s theological understanding and pastoral work. The book includes personal stories, Biblical meditations, and practical wisdom drawn from years of ministry.

***

Biography of His Eminence Metropolitan Saba

​His Eminence, the Most Reverend Saba Isper is the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and the Holy Synod of Antioch elected His Eminence to lead the Archdiocese during its extraordinary session on Feb. 23, 2023, in Balamand, Lebanon.

His Eminence leads and oversees the Archdiocese’s parishes, missions, departments, institutions and organizations in the United States and Canada from the headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. The auxiliary bishops aid him in his administration across the continent.

Metropolitan Saba was born in Latakia, Syria in 1959. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Tishreen in Latakia, and a bachelor’s degree in theology from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand. His Eminence is fluent in Arabic and English.

Prior to his election as Metropolitan of North America, His Eminence cofounded The Hauran Connection with the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. This charitable project enhances Orthodoxy in this ancient Christian land in the face of strife. More than $1 million has been raised since 2007.

Developmental projects and charitable endowments for the Bosra Archdiocese under Metropolitan Saba include a medical clinic in As-Suwayda, dormitories for 150 university students in As-Suwayda and Daraa; 48 studios for retirees in The House of Love; the Bethany Spiritual Retreat Center in Kharaba; Bread for All that distributes food to the poor regardless of religion; ongoing agricultural projects; and The Good Samaritan, a multifaceted charitable organization for parishioners displaced or affected by the recent Syrian war.

His Eminence was ordained on Nov. 29, 1984. He was ordained a priest in 1988 and elevated to the dignity of archimandrite in 1994. He pastored St. Michael the Archangel Church in the Archdiocese of Latakia until 1998. During that time, Metropolitan Saba edited and published the Orthodox Christian magazine Farah geared toward children and families.

In 1998, Metropolitan Saba was elected and consecrated as an auxiliary bishop to His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV of thrice-blessed memory. In 1999, His Beatitude and the Holy Synod of Antioch elected him as metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Bosra, Hauran and Jabal Al-Arab in Syria.

Simultaneously with his pastoral and episcopal duties, from 1995-2006, His Eminence served as instructor of Pastoral Care and Introduction to the Old Testament at the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand.

His Eminence established a publishing house in the Bosra Archdiocese, the Al-Arabiya magazine for adults, and continued issuing Farah for children. An English version has been produced since 2010. Metropolitan Saba authors weekly articles on his Facebook page and has written on various topics in Al-Noor, Patriarchal and Al Arabiya magazines. He has authored a number of books in pastoral life and theology.

Metropolitan Saba has also translated a number of titles from English to Arabic, including works by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev and Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko.

His Eminence’s patron saint is St. Saba (Sabbas) the Sanctified, commemorated on Dec. 5.

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Concern is mounting that the ongoing tumult at the U.S. Agency for International Development is jeopardizing lives and livelihoods supported by the government’s humanitarian aid agency in countries all over the globe, including those assisted by Catholic and other faith-based humanitarian groups.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Feb. 3 that he was named USAID’s acting administrator days after billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk targeted it for closure as part of his Department of Government Efficiency, an unofficial task force with the stated intent of curbing federal spending. President Donald Trump has given Musk wide latitude to do this as a designated “special government employee.”

Rollbacks to USAID could greatly impact the work of Catholic Relief Services, the overseas charitable arm of the Catholic Church in the U.S., and also other faith-based entities around the globe that have partnered with USAID in its work abroad.

Amid a broader freeze on federal spending on foreign assistance, senior officials at USAID were suspended, while the Trump administration moved to place most of the agency’s staff on leave. Staffers were instructed to stay out of the Washington headquarters Feb. 3 and 4, according to documents reviewed by OSV News.

Public officials made conflicting comments about the future of USAID.

Musk said on social media, “With regards to the USAID stuff, I went over it with (the president) in detail and he agreed that we should shut it down.”

But in comments to reporters in Panama, Rubio said he has some “frustration” with the agency but suggested some of its efforts would fall under his department’s purview instead of continuing as a separate entity.

“There are a lot of functions of USAID that are going to continue, that are going to be part of American foreign policy, but it has to be aligned with American foreign policy,” Rubio said.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., argued in Feb. 3 remarks on the Senate floor that “unilaterally closing USAID is illegal.”

“Donald Trump does not have the authority to erase an independent agency created by Congress,” Schumer said. “Nor can the Department of State absorb USAID, especially because now there is basically nothing left to absorb.”

Kevin R. Kosar, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, made a similar argument in a Substack post. He argued dismantling the agency requires congressional authorization since the president’s temporary authority to make changes to USAID expired in 1999.

“Whether USAID should be reformed or abolished is not something I take a position on. If Trump wants to defund USAID, all he needs to do is to ask the GOP-controlled Congress to put a zero next to the USAID portion of the State Department’s appropriations bill,” he wrote.

Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961, which reorganized U.S. foreign assistance programs to separate military and non-military aid. That legislation mandated the creation of an agency to administer economic assistance programs. President John F. Kennedy, the country’s first Catholic president, did so shortly after the bill’s passage, when he established USAID the same year.

The agency’s budget was about $43.4 billion in fiscal year 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service. Federal records show USAID funding comprised less than 1% of the federal budget.

Approximately 130 countries received USAID assistance, according to the Congressional Research Service.

According to a review by Forbes, USAID’s top NGO recipient for fiscal years 2013-2022 was Catholic Relief Services at $4.6 billion. The nonprofit is an arm of the Catholic Church in the U.S. that is dedicated to assisting the poor and vulnerable overseas in coordination with Catholic agencies in those countries.

CRS declined OSV News’ request to comment on the developing situation at USAID.

On its website, CRS urged its supporters to tell their members of Congress that aid programs should continue during the review period.

“The Administration has begun to issue immediate stop work orders on almost all foreign aid as they review State Department and USAID programs between now and April 20,” the website said. “New administrations usually review ongoing programs against their policy goals. However, ceasing almost all lifesaving humanitarian and development assistance during that time will have real impacts for human life and dignity and on U.S. national interests.”

“U.S. foreign aid is not a handout. It has real impact on human life and dignity and advances U.S. national interests,” it added.

The National Catholic Reporter said in a Feb. 5 report that layoffs had already begun at that organization, citing an internal email telling staff, “We anticipate that we will be a much smaller overall organization by the end of this fiscal year.”

But supporters of the move argued USAID engaged in wasteful spending. The conservative Heritage Foundation argued on social media that USAID peddled “destructive ideologies across the globe” aligned with the political left, and was “a massive waste of taxpayer money and drastically overdue for vast and fundamental reform.”

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who has tussled with the U.S. bishops over the church’s involvement with migrants and refugee resettlement, defended cuts to foreign assistance Feb. 5 at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington. Without specifying USAID, Vance claimed the U.S. had been sending “hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars abroad to NGOs that are dedicated to spreading atheism all over the globe.” Vance’s comments had a mixed reception as cuts to foreign assistance directly impacted the religious freedom work of some organizations at the summit.

Multiple Catholic humanitarian officials and analysts, some of whom would only speak on background, told OSV News lifesaving foreign assistance programs could be jeopardized by disrupting USAID funds.

“I would encourage Catholics to listen carefully to what their bishops, priests, and women religious have to say about the Christian call to help the poor, victims of natural disasters and wars, and the refugees,” Richard Wood, a sociologist and president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California, told OSV News.

“Those are core callings of our faith. Better yet, watch what the church does,” Wood said. “Then compare that with what they are hearing from political leaders of all stripes.”