Tag: Christianity

The spate of religious/biblical films and television series in the post-“Passion of the Christ” world have been a mixed bag of successes, failures, and everything in between. Popular culture that “borrows” from sacred Scripture usually churns out things so pious they are unwatchable, or takes such liberties and “reinterprets” what God has inspired, the writers of such faire could be charged with assault.

The First and Second Book of Samuel read like a Hollywood sword and sandal epic from the 1950s. Actually, they became just that in 1951 with the film “David and Bathsheba,” starring Gregory Peck and Susan Heyward. It is not a bad film, but it suffers from acute melodrama, with an overdose of overacting, and as good as these actors were in other films and other genres, it is just not possible to suspend our disbelief and see them as icons of ancient Israelite nobility.

“David and Bathsheba” was superior to the distracting presence of John Wayne as a Roman centurion in George Stevens’ ponderous film about the life of Christ, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” Hearing the Duke utter the line, “This truly was the son of God” at the foot of the cross while dressed in full Roman regalia is a cultural non sequitur I’m still trying to recover from.

“The House of David” on Amazon Prime is different. This multi-part series is so far both a faithful recounting taken from the Books of Samuel and the story of King David, and a slice of popular culture with subplots and fictional characters creating a matrix of intrigue and compelling storytelling.

Whether the decision to forego the use of well-known actors in almost all the key roles was an economic or artistic choice is moot. The result created a sense of authenticity. No American or British accents and people who truly look like they belong in the Holy Land circa 1,000-900 BC. 

It is not just how they look and how they sound, but what they say that makes this series exceptional. There is no dialogue that betrays a nod to any postmodern bias or agenda. There are no “girl bosses” who do not need men and wield swords better than Errol Flynn. But the series is filled with plenty of strong women, just like the Old and New Testament are.

The series depicts David as an outcast, the illegitimate son of Jesse who is a source of shame for the family. Biblical scholarship may debate the veracity of that plot point, but the scriptural David is certainly an outsider and unlikely king, so this nuance is not a deal-breaker for me.

There are other elements, though, where this series goes further afield from the original text. First, the only “name” actor people might know, Stephen Lang, who plays the prophet Samuel, plays the part more like an Israelite Gandalf the Gray. 

A lot of liberties are taken with the plotline of the race of giants the Philistines ally themselves with to win back their kingdom. In the Bible, Goliath’s height is immense, anywhere between nine and 10 feet tall. In the series, the giants we encounter are 15 to 20 feet tall — I don’t know how much that is in cubits since I was never good at math. Regardless of the epoch, the gigantism is the closest the series comes to taking me out of the reality of the Bible story and into the Lord of the Rings fantasy realm.

Things get real with the portrayal of King Saul. He is a tortured person, vexed by an evil spirit, which is good television and also spot-on faithful to Scripture. And as we read in Samuel, Saul is soothed from his torment by the gift of music brought into his palace via a simple shepherd boy with a melodious voice and a talent for the lyre. All of these elements are woven into a narrative with a queen who is intent on helping her husband retain his power, and an assortment of princes and princesses doing the same.

I would not recommend this series for children, as there are disturbing elements of violence, as there are in the Books of Samuel, and there is a lot of talking that would bore them anyway. But for teens and up, I think “The House of David” is an excellent Lenten watch.

Bucharest, April 14, 2025

Photo: basilica.ro     

Around 13,000 pilgrims and numerous clergy from Bucharest and Ilfov filled the streets of Bucharest on Saturday for the annual procession in honor of the great feast of Palm Sunday.

The pilgrimage began in the capital with the celebration of Vespers at the Radu Vodă Monastery. At the end, palm branches were blessed and distributed to the faithful, who then began a procession to the Patriarchal Cathedral, reports the Basilica News Agency.

Photo: basilica.ro     

The procession lasted about two hours, with a stop at the Church of St. Anthony in the historic center of Bucharest along the way.

The pilgrims were greeted on Patriarchate Hill by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. He blessed and icon of the feast and delivered a word of instruction.

​

Pat. Daniel explained that Jesus Christ Himself regularly made pilgrimages to Jerusalem for Passover throughout His life. His final journey to Jerusalem occurred after raising Lazarus from the dead in Bethany. This miracle earned Jesus many followers but provoked the religious authorities to plot His death, effectively hastening His crucifixion.

Photo: basilica.ro     

The Patriarch highlighted how both Eastern and Western Church Fathers (St. Cyril of Alexandria and Peter Chrysologus) viewed Lazarus’ resurrection as prefiguring the general resurrection at the end of time. Jesus intentionally raised someone who had begun to decompose to demonstrate His power over complete death.

Photo: basilica.ro     

Regarding Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb, the Romanian primate quoted St. Cyril’s interpretation that Christ wept not just for His friend but for all humanity’s fallen mortal condition. Jesus wept because death contradicts humanity’s original design for immortality, as humans were created in God’s image for eternal life, with death being a consequence of sin.

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Mt. Athos, April 14, 2025

Photo: romfea.gr     

Zographou, the Bulgarian-tradition monastery on Mt. Athos, has elected its new abbot.

The former abbot, Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose, who had lived and labored on the Holy Mountain since 1981 and served as abbot since 1997, reposed in the Lord on Abbot of Zographou, Bulgarian Athonite monastery, reposes in the LordThe abbot of Zographou, the Bulgarian monastery on Mt. Athos, reposed in the Lord today after a brief illness.

“>January 27.

On April 12, Lazarus Saturday, the Zographou brotherhood elected Heiromonk Gavriil (Karatotev) as its next abbot, reports the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Fr. Gavriil was born on December 11, 1973, in Sofia. He joined Zographou Monastery on December 20, 1997, and received the monastic tonsure exactly one year later, on December 20, 1998.

He was ordained a hieromonk on October 24, 2003. Since the beginning of 2003, he has served almost continuously as the first epistemon (chief steward) of the holy monastery.

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Photo: ​troitskiy-hram.moseparh.ru Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered. And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away (Mt. 21:18–19).

Brethren, such is the power of the Divine word! As the omnipotent “Let it be!” gives existence and life to nothingness itself, so the omnipotent “let it not be!” destroys and deadens everything.

But what change has come over our Lord and Savior? Throughout His ministry, He only taught, forgave, nurtured, healed, and resurrected, and now, near to the end of His ministry, He utters a curse! Why is the fig tree punished so? Was it because it didn’t satisfy His hunger, as you might think, hearing the words “He hungered,” and “He came to it and found nothing thereon?” But He Who spent forty days fasting and, despite His hunger, indignantly rejected the tempter’s suggestion to turn stones into bread, could now endure hunger for a few more hours until reaching the city; and least of all would He turn His miraculous power toward vengeance upon an innocent tree. And did He not tell the disciples Himself when they invited Him to refresh Himself with food at the well in Sychar: I have meat to eat that ye know not of… My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work (Jn. 4:32, 34). Could this Divine food have been lacking now when the most difficult part of the determination of this all-holy will was to be accomplished on Golgotha? And, finally, giving the disciples an instruction on faith and prayer by the example of the curse of this fig tree, could the Savior had said to them: When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any (Mk. 11:25) if He Himself had cursed the fig tree in anger and out of personal displeasure with it?

All of this, not to mention other circumstances, clearly shows, brethren, that the cursing of the fig tree came not as revenge or punishment of the tree (such an act would be incongruous not only with the Divine dignity of the Person of Jesus, but also with the nature of the tree), but for a higher purpose. It was one of those symbolic actions that the Savior sometimes used in place of words to express the lofty truths of His teaching. The fig tree was all the more convenient to use as a symbol now seeing as how it had already been used in one of the Savior’s parables. Do you remember this parable?

Here it is: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down (Lk. 13:6–9).

As you can see, there’s no final conclusion to this parable. It’s not clear what happened to the fig tree after that year: Did it improve and begin to bear fruit? Or did it remain barren? If it remained barren, then was it truly cut down? This isn’t clear, I say. But it’s very important for us to see this, that is, that Divine threats aren’t just idle words. For our flesh and blood love to deceive and lull our spirit to sleep with, among other things, the false hope that the Lord is merciful and therefore He won’t carry out His threats against us. The present cursing of the fig tree overthrows this deception of sensuality, showing decisively that just as there’s a time for mercy and long-suffering, so there’s a time for judgment and condemnation; that the very fullness of love with which God appeared on earth in the Person of the God-Man, serving as a refuge for repentance, is no protection for the unrepentant, and that the same love knows not only how to ascend the Cross for the redemption of the penitent, but also how to pronounce condemnation upon the unrepentant. This is the meaning of the symbol of the fig tree. This is the purpose of its cursing.

The fate that befell the barren fig tree expressed above all the fate of the Jewish people. Yesterday was the most decisive day for it: The long-awaited Messiah appeared before it in the form of the meek King foretold by the Prophets; it was necessary to recognize and acknowledge Him in this capacity; everything depended on this. Therefore, the Savior tearfully said at His entrance into Jerusalem: If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which make for thy peace (Lk. 19:42). Jerusalem didn’t understand this, save for the exclamations of the innocent children: Hosanna to the Son of David! (Mt. 21:15). All the others, whether great or small, old or young, remained indifferent and unmoved: They closed their eyes so as not to see; they shut their ears so as not to hear. Therefore, tomorrow, at the conclusion of His final speech to the people in the Temple, the Lord will say: Behold, your house is left unto you desolate! (Mt. 23:38). That is, He will say to the whole nation something similar to what is now said to the fig tree: Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward!

But by depicting the fate of the Jewish people, the cursed fig tree also expresses the fate of every sinful and unrepentant soul. All of us, brethren, are like trees that are planted by the Heavenly Gardener, that are watered, pruned, and dug around that they might blossom and bear fruit in time. Virtuous souls correspond to this holy purpose, which is why the word of God itself likens them to trees standing by streams of water, which almost always remain green and are very fruitful; and sinful and unrepentant souls are barren trees that by their abundance of leaves only give an appearance of life, but in reality don’t reward the labors spent on them.

What is the Heavenly Gardener to do with such trees? Like an earthly gardener, He employs various means to improve them. But when these means, cares, and labors remain without effect on an unrepentant sinner, Heavenly justice finally pronounces a threatening decree—to cut down the barren tree and throw it into the fire! The angel of death carries out this decree upon the poor sinner sometimes with such suddenness and zeal that even the unwilling one recalls the words of David: But I passed by, and lo, he was not; and I sought him, and place was not to be found (Ps. 36:36). And sometimes a sinner marked by Heavenly rejection remains alive for some time (just as the cursed and withered fig tree undoubtedly still occupied its place for some time). But this life is more terrible than death itself. For those who have eyes to see, there’s nothing more pitiable than the sight of these living dead. Despite the luxury and magnificence often surrounding them, they visibly bear the seal of judgment and rejection; around them is coldness and deadness; with them is despondency and secret fear.

Therefore, brethren, fearing the punishment of the withered fig tree for its barrenness, let us bring forth fruit worthy of repentance to Christ, Who grants us great mercy.

Amen.

Photo: n-do.by     

[They] took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna:
Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord (Jn. 12:13).

The holy Church commemorates this day the The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem—Palm Sunday”We magnify Thee, O Christ the Giver of Life, Hosanna in the highest and we cry aloud to Thee, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!” With these words, the Holy Orthodox Church invites all of us, on the Feast of the Entry into Jerusalem to also magnify and greet our approaching Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“>Lord Jesus Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem, which He undertook shortly after the resurrection of Lazarus the four-days-dead, six days before the Jewish Passover. This entrance was especially festive; it was attended by a multitude who flocked to the feast of the Passover and desired to see Jesus and His friend The Resurrection of Lazarus and the Entry of the Lord into JerusalemCome forth from the snares of sin you are wallowing in; come forth from the worldly chains in which you are shackled; come forth from the “cave” of despair and enslavement to the dark forces of evil; and come forth to the sun, freedom and the world of the Lord’s grace!…”>Lazarus, who was resurrected by the Savior. With this entrance, the Lord showed the whole world that He is Christ the King Who has come to save men, not out of any human motives, but willingly, for the sake of our salvation.

In fulfillment of the ancient prophecy of Zachariah, the Lord entered Jerusalem on a young colt, accompanied by His disciples and a multitude of people. Everyone thought He was going to Jerusalem to declare Himself King and therefore not only adult men and women but also children, with palm branches in their hands, cried out to Him in delight: Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel (Mt. 21:9, Jn. 12:13)! The children’s exclamations came in fulfillment of the prophecy that from the mouths of infants should be perfected praise to Christ the Redeemer, the King of Heaven and earth (Matt. 21:16, Ps. 8:3).

The Jewish people, listening piously, once solemnly met the Lord at His entrance into Jerusalem, with palm branches in hand; and our holy Church, commemorating this event today, following the example of the Jews, puts branches in our hands and puts the same song of “Hosanna” in our mouths, thereby encouraging us to meet the Lord. Where can we meet Him when He is no longer on earth, but in Heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father, surrounded by hosts of angels? True, our Lord is primarily in Heaven, but as God, He’s everywhere present; before His Ascension into Heaven He told His disciples, and through them all believers on earth: I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Mt. 28:20). That means that the Lord, having ascended into Heaven, hasn’t forsaken us, but ever abides with us.

His primary presence is here in the churches of God, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, where the bread and wine are transubstantiated into His Body and Blood unto the remission of sins and life eternal for us, if only we worthily eat of His Body and drink from His chalice. Therefore, our meeting with the Lord can and should be first of all in the church of God through prayer, by which we converse with God and enter into the closest heartfelt communication with Him, and then through participation in the offering of the bloodless sacrifice and communion of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. How happy, therefore, are those Christians who tirelessly go to the Lord’s church, listen to the Heavenly teaching there, partake in the mysteries of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which strengthen us in the labors of faith and piety, and participate in the bloodless sacrifice that is propitiatory for our sins and unites us with Christ the Life-giver. Strive, therefore, Christian listeners, to go to the church of the Lord with zeal and joy, so you might have the chance to meet the Lord in your prayers together with your brethren in a spirit of unity, in a union of peace and love, and especially in participation in the holy Sacraments, offering the bloodless sacrifice and communing of it unto the remission of sins and life eternal.

Not only adults, but also children participated in greeting the Lord when He solemnly entered Jerusalem, and taking palm branches in their hands and holding them out high, they accompanied Christ all the way to the Temple, crying out: Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord (Mt. 21:9). Even nursing infants, being in the arms of their mothers, who participated in the Savior’s solemn procession to Jerusalem and to the Temple, imitated the older children and exclaimed as best they could with barely babbling lips: “Hosanna! Hosanna!” And now Christian children certainly must go to the churches of God, participating in the communion of Church prayer and the communion of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Suffer little children … to come unto Me: for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt. 19:14). How can we not bring children to church who have already been sealed with gifts of grace! Just as their life requires clean air and a living space, so their souls require the grace of the holy church. Here an infant is sanctified and spiritually strengthened by the Sacrament of Communion; here he learns to love the Orthodox faith; here his conscience is aroused to fear God-defying deeds; thus, here he draws closer to Christ, unites with Him. And how desirable it is that parents and educators not forget the words of the Lord: Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me. Then many of us would avoid those unfortunate consequences that we often have to face from neglecting the religious education of children. Whoever becomes accustomed from childhood to turning to God in church with his heart and mouth and learns to know God through prayer and faith can successfully navigate the difficult journey of life through all the vicissitudes of fate. Let us not forget, pious listeners, this holy truth in the matter of the religious and moral education of our children.

Christ the Savior entered Jerusalem a few days before offering the atoning sacrifice of human sins. The same people who have so enthusiastically glorified Him demanded His death only three days later; the festive “Hosanna” was replaced with cries of “crucify Him!” Christ the Savior was crucified and with His Blood He cleansed the sinful earth to make it worthy of God’s love and mercy again, as it came from the hands of the Creator. Since that time, the city of Jerusalem has been a sacred place for all those who believe in Christ. Christians from all nations flock there to pray at blood-stained Golgotha, to venerate the Tomb of the Lord; there every inch of earth is marked by the works of Christ and worthy of veneration; but poverty and worldly worries, the fear of finding no shelter from heat and thirst along the way, fatigue and illness stop many from traveling to Jerusalem to venerate the holy sites.

(St. Neophyte talks about the Russian Palestinian Society of his day):

In order to reduce the troubles of such a journey and during one’s stay in Jerusalem, to make the holy sites of Jerusalem accessible to the entire Orthodox world, the Palestinian Society was established under the august chairmanship of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, who took upon himself the task of arranging shelters for Russian pilgrims in the Holy Land, to make travel to the Holy Land easier and less expensive. This society also takes care of the local Orthodox Christians, arranging schools for them, thereby educating them in Orthodoxy and protecting them from the influence of other faiths. Funds for these God-pleasing deeds are being collected all over Russia. We have Orthodox Christians everywhere who, for the glory of Christ and to alleviate the needs of our brethren and, finally, for the honor of our fatherland, willingly offer a contribution according to their means. In order to make these sacrifices accessible to all, the Holy Synod blessed the collection for the holy places on this Palm Sunday. Don’t refuse, brethren, to submit your donations to the said cause today, as much as each one can, without being embarrassed in case of poverty to give even a tiny sum, so that the pilgrims may pray for you at the Holy Sepulchre of the Lord.

Amen.

St. Martin was born in Tuscany, during either the late sixth or early seventh century. He became a deacon of Rome, where he became known for his holiness and education. 

Pope Theodore I chose Martin as his representative to the emperor in Constantinople during a period of theological controversy. Martin became involved in a dispute over Christ’s human nature. Although the Church acknowledges the eternal Son of God as “becoming man,” some Eastern bishops continued to teach that Christ’s human nature was different than that of other human beings. 

In the seventh century, the heresy, known as monothelitism, spread through the Byzantine Church. The heresy taught that Jesus had two natures, human and divine, but only a divine will. Pope Theodore condemned the teaching, and excommunicated Patriarch Pyrrhus of Constantinople for upholding it. 

When he succeeded Theodore as pope, Martin continued his work. He condemned Pyrrhus’ successor, Patriarch Paul II, at the Lateran Council of 649, and denounced everyone who believed monothelitism. Martin insisted that to refuse to acknowledge Christ’s divine and human wills was to deny the biblical teaching that Christ was like humanity in everything but sin. 

The Byzantine emperor sent a representative to Italy during the council, to either arrest Martin or have him killed. The henchman attempted to assassinate the pope as he distributed communion, but testified later that he suddenly lost his eyesight and couldn’t complete his mission. 

In 653, the emperor again tried to silence Pope Martin, sending a delegation to capture him. After a struggle, Martin was taken to Constantinople, and then exiled to the island of Naxos for a year. Those who tried to help him were denounced as traitors. Eventually, Martin was brought back to Constantinople, and sentenced to death. 

The pope’s executors stripped him of his clothes and led him through the city before locking him up with a group of murderers. He was beaten so badly that he appeared to be close to death, but at the last minute, the Patriarch of Constantinople and the emperor decided to keep Martin in prison rather than kill him. 

Martin was then exiled to an island suffering from a severe famine. He wrote to a friend that he was “not only separated from the rest of the world,” but “even deprived of the means to live.” Pope Martin died in exile in 655. 

Martin’s relics were eventually returned to Rome. The Third Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, in 681, confirmed that Christ had both a divine and a human will. 

The Resurrection of Lazarus, icon, 12th c.     

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!

On this day, before us is opened a new sphere—the phase of Great Lent known as Holy WeekTherefore, no matter what we experience, or no matter how little we experience, let us attend these services, let us immerse ourselves in what they have to say to us. We will not try to forcibly squeeze some feelings out of ourselves: it is enough to watch; it is enough to hear. Let the events themselves—for these are events and not just memories—break us in body and soul.

“>Passion Week—which culminates in the most glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, commemorating the Savior’s salvific sufferings, His death, and His Resurrection. This is what the divine services are dedicated to during the coming week. May these holy days awaken in us the desire to reassess our perception of our lives and the train of thoughts that leads us through our earthly existence.

What is this special day? The Holy Church commemorates the Lazarus Saturday

“>resurrection of the righteous Lazarus. This commemoration, bound up with a great miracle, when a dead man whose body had already begun to decompose, and according to the words of Holy Scripture, stank, was resurrected by Jesus Christ, to the great amazement of everyone around Him.

Lazarus was the Savior’s friend. God loved him. And he was resurrected by divine power; that is, by the same power by which, according to God’s unerring words, the whole human race will be resurrected. The resurrection of Lazarus touches not only the eschatological and grand-scale aspects of our existence but also each one of us. We who live in Moscow, or any other ancient city, tread continually upon the dust of billions of people who died long before we were born. They have long decomposed and turned into dust, and at times, it is hard for us to comprehend with our human minds how this dust can be resurrected on the day of the Second and Glorious Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s event of Lazarus’s resurrection reminds us that the dead arise, including each one of us. But the resurrection of St. Lazarus, who later became the bishop of Kition on the island of Cyprus, touches on another aspect of our lives—Lazarus was a friend of God; and in Holy Baptism, we all become friends of God. We are granted great power. In the words of the holy fathers, the demon that resides in the human heart is cast out, and from that point on, can only work against a person from outside of his heart. In the words of St. Mark the Ascetic, Baptism itself is perfect and imparts perfection, but it does not make perfect those who do not keep God’s commandments.

A person has a choice so that resurrection and the Kingdom of Heaven—which, according to God’s word, lives in the human heart—might be opened to us. If a person is unable to keep Christ’s commandments due to weakness or lack of desire, out of his evil will, then he has a second choice—to endure sorrows, sickness, and other problems that God might send him.

Perhaps ninety percent of those who come to confession talk about their sorrows and sicknesses. They say it’s so hard for them; one has pain in the legs, another suffers from depression, and a third has some other problem. But we forget the Gospel words that we heard today: This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God (Jn. 11:4). And of course, many people have wondered: What is this general resurrection? There have been people who may have mistaken in their explanation or understanding of this great event, the crown of human history—for example Vernadsky.¹ There were people who, through their thoughts on the resurrection and the remembrance of the Savior’s raising of Lazarus, gave many others grounds for rethinking their own lives.

Let’s recall Time to Read (or Reread) DostoevskyThe details of all his characters, their mannerisms, their actions, their thoughts and words, even their names, all paint individual pictures of the human condition in relation to God and the devil—pictures that don’t fade with time, and are applicable in any culture.

“>Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky and his protagonist Raskolnikov, who, because of his flawed thinking, accepted a misguided point of reference and ultimately committed a terrible crime. But after this terrible crime, he did not despair and did not fall into the pit of despondency. Turning his gaze to the Gospel story of the resurrection of Lazarus, he changed his life. In this collective image, Dostoevsky provides an example for many of us who have committed such acts, after which it is very hard to rise from the fall. But we must go forward and strive to recreate our connection with God.

We might ask: “This is probably about righteous people. But what about those who sin?” At times, we don’t even ask ourselves, “How often is this mentioned in Orthodox church services?” Practically every day, we hear the kathisma readings during the evening services, and on feast days, we hear the first Psalm of the Psalter. “Blessed is the man,” We all remember these words. The resurrection is talked about here: Not so are the ungodly; not so: but rather as the chaff which the wind scatters away from the face of the earth Therefore the ungodly shall not rise in judgment, nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous (Ps. 1:4–5). What are we talking about regarding this resurrection? The holy fathers explain: The ungodly will not be resurrected unto judgment.. That is, there are people who commit such serious crimes and have no repentance for them whatsoever, all the while keeping up the external appearance of a normal life. When we look at them, we see that they live prosperously, having everything in their possession. Of course, we cannot see into their souls, where something squeals. But these people will not even be called to judgement. Nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous. Other sinners who repented, who perhaps struggled but could not fulfill Christ’s commandments or bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, will not be taken into the habitations that the Lord has prepared for righteous souls.

Let us think about this as we attentively listen to the divine services. In the Psalter are very many psalms that talk about this. We should attentively listen to them and contemplate how our earthly life is not eternal, how we have a choice: either to remain in the dark cave, in the grave (in the Gospel, a grave was referred to as a cave in which the dead of that time in Palestine were interred), to be filled with stench and to stink—or to become participants in divine power, divine might, and be communicants of God’s glory. This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.

Let us think about this and pray to God that our lives may be lives of light, lives of goodness, lives of grace—and not of the stench that surrounds many people who forget their high calling. “Giving before Thy resurrection an assurance of the General Resurrection”²—this is a glimpse of the Resurrection, a glimpse of Pascha, which will come very soon. May it come and abide with us on the day of Lazarus Saturday, follow us through the days of Holy Week, and in full measure triumph in our souls on the feast of feasts, the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Amen.

The U.S. bishops on April 10 told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency.

The legislation, titled the Religious Workforce Protection Act, was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and in the House by Reps. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, and Richard Neal, D-Mass.

If signed into law, it would permit religious workers already in the U.S. on temporary R-1 status with pending EB-4 applications to stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency, Collins’ office said. All five of those members are Catholic.

“When Maine parishes where I attend Mass started losing their priests, I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state,” Collins said in an April 8 statement. “Recently, three Catholic parishes in rural Maine — Saint Agatha, Bucksport, and Greenville — were left without priests for months because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending.”

The National Study of Catholic Priests — released in 2022 by The Catholic University of America’s Catholic Project — indicated 24% of priests serving in the U.S. are foreign-born. A majority of these were ordained outside the U.S., while others are foreign-born priests who came to the U.S. as seminarians, were ordained in the U.S. and are also subject to visa renewals.

“Our bill would help religious workers of all faith traditions continue to live and serve here in the United States while their applications for permanent residency are being fully processed,” Collins said. “Many Mainers and Americans cannot imagine their lives without the sense of community and services their local religious organizations provide — with this legislation, I hope they never have to.”

Kaine likewise said in a statement, “I first started hearing about churches losing trusted priests through my Parish, St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, where we have had priests who were immigrants, and often have visiting priests, some of whom are immigrants as well.”

“But as it turns out, this problem is not unique to Virginia — it’s impacting religious congregations of many faiths, all across the country,” he said.

Bishops Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, James T. Ruggieri of Portland, Maine, and Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, were among the religious leaders who offered statements of support for the bill in press releases from Collins and Kaine’s offices, alongside representatives of evangelical Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu organizations.

In an April 10 letter to members of Congress, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, as well as Bishop Seitz, who is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, urged lawmakers to pass the legislation to “to ensure communities across our nation can continue to enjoy the essential contributions of foreign-born religious workers who lawfully entered the United States on a nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) visa.”

They said that there are many Catholic priests, women religious, and laypersons working in Catholic ministries in that category.

“Some parishes, especially those in rural or isolated areas, would go without regular access to the sacraments, if not for these religious workers,” the bishops said. “Additionally, dioceses with large immigrant populations rely on foreign-born religious workers for their linguistic and cultural expertise. We would not be able to serve our diverse flocks, which reflect the rich tapestry of our society overall, without the faithful men and women who come to serve through the Religious Worker Visa Program.”

They said, “Simply put, an increasing number of American families will be unable to practice the basic tenets of their faith if this situation is not addressed soon. Likewise, hospitals will go without chaplains, schools will go without teachers, and seminaries will go without instructors.”

The bishops urged lawmakers to cosponsor “this vital measure and to work toward its immediate passage, thereby furthering the free exercise of religion in our country for the benefit of all Americans.”

In the Vietnamese highlands lives a colony of people suffering from a chronic infectious disease that often leads to a loss of sense of touch and pain, physical deformities, and life-altering social prejudice — leprosy.

But when Monsignor Roger Landry — director of the Pontifical Mission Societies USA — visited the colony this week, he said it was an honor.

At a leper colony in the Kon Tum area in Vietnam, Landry celebrated Mass, brought Communion to people, and distributed food and sandals, working with St. Joseph’s Mission Charity.

In one striking video he shared on social media, Landry helped create a cast of one man’s foot so that it could be made into a perfectly fitting sandal.

“Jesus anointed the feet of his beloved Apostles at the upper room, and he sent us out to do the same,” Landry said. “It’s one of the great honors of my life to be able to do this.”

“Each sandal needs to be sculpted to each foot,” he explained in the April 7 post. “They are so grateful. If their feet bleed, the[y] could pass on the disease to others.”

Day 2 in Vietnam was a powerful day in the leper colony of Kontum, with Mass, communion calls, distribution of sandals and food, making casts for new sandals and more. Thanks to St. Joseph’s Mission Charity for their great collaboration in caring for these children of God. pic.twitter.com/hPYD7476su

— Msgr. Roger Landry (@FrRogerLandry) April 8, 2025

Despite being relatively treatable now, at least 250,000 people suffer from leprosy across the world — and many still experience social isolation, as they did in the time of Christ.

Landry was visibly touched by the “great faith” of the people of the leper colony.

After Mass at “a beautifully packed” church at 5 in the morning, Landry recalled Communion visits to various people with leprosy who were physically unable to come to Mass.

“The first leper whom we visited with great hunger looked up to the Lord through watery eyes and received the Lord on his tongue because he no longer had hands,” Landry said.

“He received with great faith.”

TPMS USA Day 2 in Vietnam with @FrRogerLandry ! Visiting the diocese of Kon Tum and a leper colony supported by the church here in the highlands of Vietnam, an incredible witness to our faith. #vietnam #kontum #mangden #catholic #mission pic.twitter.com/2Sj74GSQ83

— The Pontifical Mission Societies in the U.S. (@TPMS_USA) April 7, 2025

Another woman, unable to walk, crawled forward to receive Jesus “and then received him with great love,” Landry said.

“She was so excited to be able to receive the Lord Jesus,” Landry recalled.

The purpose of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Landry added, is this: “bringing Jesus, the light of the world, to people — no matter what they’re suffering.”

Organizers of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage shared details today about the planned 3,340-mile trek that will see Jesus in the Eucharist carried across 10 U.S. states by a cadre of young Catholics, with members of the public invited to join in walking and special events along the way, beginning May 18.

The pilgrimage, dubbed the Drexel Route, will open with a Mass of Thanksgiving in Indianapolis on Sunday, May 18. The route then heads northwest through Illinois to Iowa before turning to the southwest and descending through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

From Texas the route continues roughly west through New Mexico, Arizona, and finally California, culminating in a Mass, Eucharistic procession, and festival on June 22 in Los Angeles.

As with last year’s groundbreaking four simultaneous Eucharistic pilgrimages, which started at the edges of the country and eventually converged in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024, a small group of young adult “Perpetual Pilgrims” will accompany the Eucharist the entire way, while any person wishing to join for small portions of the route will be able to sign up to do so for free.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who is spearheading the U.S. bishops’ multiyear National Eucharistic Revival, said at a Thursday press conference that Catholics who participate in any part the pilgrimage this year have the opportunity to obtain an indulgence — a grace granted by the Catholic Church, through the merits of Jesus Christ, to remit from a person the temporal punishment they face for past sins that have already been forgiven.

Cozzens thanked Pope Francis for granting the “very special grace” of the indulgence and said the official decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary announcing the indulgence will be shared “as soon as possible.” The Apostolic Penitentiary made a similar decree for last year’s pilgrimages.

The goal of the pilgrimages is to bear public witness to the truth that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. Organizers say that an estimated 250,000 total people participated in the four national pilgrimages last year.

Numerous meaningful stops, events planned

The 36-day Drexel Route, named for St. Katharine Drexel (1858–1955), will take the procession through 10 states — including the country’s two most populous, California and Texas — as well as through 20 Catholic dioceses and four Eastern Catholic eparchies.

Masses at stops along the way, which include numerous shrines and cathedrals, will be offered in various languages and liturgical styles, including the Traditional Latin Mass, Gospel choir, praise and worship, Vietnamese, and Spanish, representing five different rites of the Church.

In keeping with the ongoing Jubilee Year of Hope in the worldwide Catholic Church, the focus of the Drexel Route is on “hope and healing,” with visits planned not only to churches but also to “prisons and nursing homes and places where people need hope,” Cozzens noted.

Service projects and encounters with the poor and those in need are planned, including opportunities to serve the homeless, visit hospice facilities, and participate in a service project with Catholic Charities.

Special Masses and prayers will be offered for the Wichita, Kansas, plane crash victims; at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial; at the southern border; and in areas impacted by wildfires in Los Angeles. Numerous holy men and women have ties to planned stops, such as the tomb of Venerable Fulton Sheen in Illinois and the Shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City.

Organizers also highlighted the planned pilgrimage stop at St. Monica’s Catholic Church and School in Kansas City, Missouri, a parish with historical ties to St. Katherine Drexel and a vibrant Black Catholic community.

The schedule of public events for each diocese along the Drexel Route is now officially available on the National Eucharistic Congress website. Prayer intentions for the Perpetual Pilgrims to carry with them on their journey can be submitted here.