Tag: Christianity

In everlasting memory shall the righteous be.
Ps. 111:6

Photo: days.pravoslavie.ru Today, throughout the Holy Orthodox Church, from one end of her borders to the other, one name is glorified—the name of the great teacher and saint of Christ, St. John Chrysostom

“>St. John Chrysostom. All is filled with him. Everywhere, the faithful seek to express their love and reverence for this glorious shepherd of Christ’s flock. The Church of Constantinople rejoices today, for on its throne once shone this great luminary; the Church of Antioch celebrates, for it was within her bosom that he was nurtured and strengthened; the Russian Church also rejoices, having been diligently edified for centuries by his works.

What has occasioned such a solemn commemoration of St. John Chrysostom? It is this: the annual remembrance of his blessed repose and his transition from this earthly vale to eternal, immortal glory in heaven is magnified this year by a remarkable milestone. On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross this year, 1,500 years were completed since the repose of this great saint.

Fifteen centuries of unceasing and ever-growing influence upon the Christian world—an influence that conquers death and time, to which all human things are subject—is a triumph of the spirit, a kind of historical miracle. This compels us, on the threshold of new centuries and millennia, to turn our hearts wholly to him, to pour out our gratitude as loving children, and to exalt him with all the praises we can muster. This is what is happening today throughout the vast expanse of the Orthodox Church: Everywhere, the great hierarch John is lauded, and thousands of encomiums are delivered in his honor and memory.

But who can truly and worthily extol St. John Chrysostom? St. Proclus of Constantinople, one of his closest successors, declared that no one can accomplish this unless another John of equal stature were to appear. Yet the Church has had but one John Chrysostom. There is no fitting word for this servant of the Word. However, since his memory, consisting—as St. Proclus expressed it—of the recollection of his countless labors, struggles, and teachings, is like a river overflowing with life-giving waters to nourish the souls of the faithful, we too, brethren, must draw near to this river and, though in small measure, drink of its life-giving streams.

Who among the faithful does not know the name of St. John Chrysostom? Almost daily throughout the year, his sublime creation—the Divine Liturgy—sanctifies the faithful. They pray with the prayers he composed. On the radiant night of Christ’s Resurrection, who has not experienced moments of great spiritual exaltation while hearing his Paschal homily? Who among the faithful, having once tasted the sweetness of his endlessly edifying and supremely artistic works, is not irresistibly drawn to them again? Who, having once glimpsed the wondrous image of his holy life and his sorrowful yet blessed repose, does not keep it ever before them?

Which seems more marvelous to us—his life or his works? This question is irresolvable, for the life and works of Chrysostom form an indivisible whole, a single unified personality, in which his works are inseparable from his life, and his life from his works. St. John Chrysostom continues to live in his works and not only in heaven, just as his works owe their origin to his holy life and its unique aim: the salvation of others. Thus, truly marvelous are both his life and his works.

The life of St. John Chrysostom fills us with reverent wonder. From his first conscious steps to his last breath, it was wholly dedicated to God. It contained no gaps or omissions, no retreating or wavering. Like an arrow shot from a bow and flying straight to its mark, so too the relatively brief life of St. John was a single, swift course toward the prize of the heavenly calling. Firmly he held the rudder of his life’s ship, always steering it toward the serene haven of the Heavenly Kingdom. No deceptive mirages could cause him to doubt the worthiness of his goal, its supreme value, or its superiority over all other life’s aims. Neither could the difficulties of his path—full of many sorrows and deprivations—lead him astray.

Even in his youth, under the rare and wondrous care of his mother Anthusa—whose name cannot go unmentioned when speaking of St. John Chrysostom—he was trained not only in Christian precepts and wisdom but also in the secular sciences under the best teachers of that time, in Antioch, the capital of the East and a center of enlightenment. John might have easily secured a brilliant position in life, achieving fame or perhaps even high office. Yet, he was not seduced by these prospects, which captivate thousands of less gifted and less educated young men. Even his brief foray into applying his secular knowledge served only to acquaint him with the world’s poverty, suffering, and various afflictions, which later so greatly aided his pastoral service.

By his own ideal aspiration and the marvelous guidance of Providence, which was preparing in him a great light for the Church, St. John, like the apostle Paul whom he so dearly loved, considered all his worldly advantages as loss for the sake of Christ (Phil. 3:8). He chose the best and most secure path to prepare for his life’s work: the path of asceticism and personal spiritual perfection. This was not only his fervent desire but also the best preparatory school for his great pastoral ministry.

For it must be recognized that there can be no fruitful ministry to others’ salvation where there is no awareness of the need first to conquer one’s own passions and strive unwaveringly to fulfill the commandments. This connection between personal righteousness and ascetic labor with pastoral ministry is masterfully articulated by Chrysostom himself in his classic work On the Priesthood.

Thus, if anyone sees a gap between the six years of strict ascetic life that St. John spent in the Syrian mountains and his later pastoral service, imagining them as opposed or thinking that illness alone brought him from the desert to Antioch’s episcopal throne, they misunderstand. These periods of his life are deeply interconnected, united by the same ultimate goal and direction. It was in the solitude of the desert that the foundation for his profound pastoral influence was laid. There, his love for others and zeal for their salvation were purified and kindled into a blazing flame, vividly witnessed by many pages of his works and all his subsequent labors.

Oh, blessed desert, which has given the world such a great shepherd!

Thus, St. John Chrysostom embarked upon the work of saving his neighbors, and in so doing, as he served this great calling—the very image and example of which is the redemptive love of God—he too, in accordance with the immutable law of true spiritual life, found salvation for himself. Rising step by step in spiritual perfection, he attained immeasurable glory both in the heavens, where eternity reigns, and on earth, where history bears witness to his works.

The ministry of St. John Chrysostom, spanning the final decades of the fourth century and the opening years of the fifth, was not marked by controversies over dogma, which filled both the preceding and subsequent eras in the Church’s history and brought renown to his elder and younger contemporaries, the other great Fathers and Teachers of the Universal Church. St. John’s era has rightly been called a time of “dogmatic peace,” and his work was that of a great reformer of morals, a zealous advocate for the purity of Christian life, and a tireless laborer for the full and true realization of the Gospel’s absolute commandments and ideals.

The fruits of this tireless labor, and of this most intense struggle, are by their nature invisible to us, separated as we are by centuries from that time. Yet we can discern them by the power of his surviving works, which continue to influence us. These fruits will be fully revealed in glory on that day when not only the external history of the Church but also her inner life—the hidden story of her members—shall be laid bare. When the full accounting of the Church’s earthly journey is made, then will the immeasurable and precious good that St. John, by God’s grace, sowed in the souls of the faithful be revealed. His unique, unparalleled role in the Church’s history will then become evident.

To support weary pilgrims on their journey to the Heavenly Fatherland—to aid souls in their mortal struggle against the ever-deceptive power of sin, a struggle that determines eternal destiny; to rouse the slothful, banish despair, and save them from the spiritual death of hopelessness—what a noble, truly Christian mission this is! This mission alone did St. John pursue, and he did so successfully and victoriously. How many hearts invisibly carry the seeds of his moral influence, from his immediate listeners to generations of Christians across the centuries! And even what is recorded in Church history speaks clearly of the scale of his pastoral zeal and its triumphs.

Church chronicles recount his efforts to support his flock during a time of imperial wrath, the reformation of the morals of the Antiochians through his preaching, his great missionary endeavors—especially in the later years of his life—and the love the people of Constantinople bore for him. Even Empress Eudoxia, who caused him great trouble, later sought forgiveness through her son, Emperor Theodosius. How many souls did St. John save from eternal destruction, and over how many might he boldly proclaim, “Behold I and the children which God hath given me” (Isaiah 8:18; Hebrews 2:13). Truly, blessed is John, for he ministered to the salvation of so many!

By what means did St. John Chrysostom so mightily move the hearts of men? What was the path of his irresistible moral influence? A simple yet incomplete answer would be: His power lay in his word. Indeed, for St. John, the ministry of reconciliation—the pastoral ministry—was above all a ministry of the word.

All unanimously recognize him as the greatest preacher of the Eastern Church. The name “Chrysostom” (Golden-Mouthed), which became his own, testifies to this. Experts in ecclesiastical rhetoric affirm that for anyone aspiring to be a good preacher, the best school is the study of Chrysostom’s works. No one has ever preached with such eloquence, simplicity, and profound edification as St. John Chrysostom. Even now, after more than fifteen centuries have passed since his golden mouth fell silent, he remains unsurpassed in this regard.

His sermons, often commentaries on the Holy Scriptures, are remarkable for the pure Gospel spirit that permeates them. St. John Chrysostom was a preacher of unadulterated Christianity, the true Gospel. It is said with good reason that Chrysostom’s lips were Christ’s own lips. At the same time, his homilies demonstrate an extraordinary knowledge of the human soul and the hidden recesses of the human heart, leaving listeners and readers captivated and deeply moved.

What, then, was the secret of Chrysostom’s incomparable eloquence? Certainly not merely his natural gifts, though God richly endowed him with talents from his youth, which he, as a good and faithful servant, multiplied through diligence and labor. Nor was it solely the schooling he received, though he was well-trained in rhetoric. We know of others equally talented and similarly educated among the Church Fathers, yet their homilies contain more artifice and less heartfelt simplicity and profound edification than those of St. John.

The true secret of Chrysostom’s unique eloquence lies in his love for his listeners and his profound moral bond with his flock. “You are everything to me,” he once confessed to his congregation. “If my heart could be torn open, you would see that you all dwell there: women, children, and men alike” (Homily on the Acts of the Apostles). He embraced with all his heart the Savior’s command for the good shepherd’s relationship with his sheep, not merely as an external duty but as a profound internal connection. This love gave him his extraordinary eloquence, particularly as he beheld those he loved in the danger and peril of losing salvation.

Love compels him who loves to share the treasures of his spiritual life with his beloved. As the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does (John 5:20), so too does a heart enlightened and expanded by love naturally pour out its fullness beyond itself. Yet, this gift of love is not easily attained. It is the most excellent way (1 Corinthians 12:31), requiring the entire ascent of virtues and true holiness to acquire this pearl of great price.

Above all, St. John Chrysostom possessed an unshakable faith, akin to vision. Though not a speculative theologian, the mysteries of faith are the foundation of his writings, the source from which rivers of wisdom flow. For Chrysostom, the unseen spiritual world was far more real than the visible, material one. His perspective was the reverse of ours—we who are ensnared by sensory perceptions and worldly concerns.

He also exhibited boundless compassion and love for Christ’s “least brethren”—the poor and needy—on whose behalf he preached and to whom he gave all he had. His life and ministry exemplified the pure Gospel, leaving an indelible mark on the Church and the world.

Great indeed is John Chrysostom in his life, but he is no less great in his death, which, as we know, occurred in exile after he had occupied the most prominent throne of the Eastern Church—the episcopal see of the imperial city. “O John!” we cry out with St. Proclus, “Your life was truly filled with sorrow, but your death is honorable, your tomb is glorious, and your reward is great!”

The repose of St. John Chrysostom, which we now commemorate, is deeply moving and profoundly instructive. His final words, “Glory to God for all things,” remain as his ultimate teaching, a testament of faith and gratitude that echoes to all generations. Undoubtedly, we too give thanks to God for granting His Church such a holy hierarch. As one Church writer aptly stated, no person of sensitivity could fail to thank Providence for bestowing upon the world so radiant a luminary.

Let us be edified by his immortal works, for, as the same writer observed, to be ignorant of such sublime writings is as if one were to miss seeing the sun at midday. Let us take to heart his chief exhortations: the diligent study of God’s Word, steadfast devotion to prayer, and the practice of almsgiving—this “queen of virtues.”

And as for him, let us remain confident in the eternal glory of his heavenly reward, which will ever correspond to his enduring renown on earth, in accordance with the psalmist’s words: In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be (Psalm 111:6).

Amen.

Anchorage, Alaska, November 26, 2024

Photo: dzeninfra.ru     

The relics of St. Olga (Arrsamquq) of Alaska were solemnly uncovered in Kwethluk, Alaska, on Saturday Relics of St. Olga of Alaska solemnly uncovered (+VIDEO)Today is a historic day for the Yup’ik nation, the Alaskan people and every Orthodox Christian throughout the world.

“>November 16.

The joyous event follows the OCA Synod glorifies Matushka Olga of Alaska among the saintsMatushka Olga (†1979) has long been venerated in Alaska, throughout America, and abroad. She is remembered as a humble mother, midwife, and priest’s wife who was filled with love for everybody, and especially abused women.

“>November 2023 decision of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America to canonize Matushka Olga, and comes in preparation of her liturgical glorification, planned for Alaska Diocese updates on St. Olga: Glorification in June 2025, first draft of service already composedIn preparation for her upcoming glorification, the Canonization Commission of the OCA has issued an appeal for stories of the miraculous intercession of St. Olga.”>June 2025.

His Grace Bishop Alexei, head of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of Sitka and Alaska, who presided over the ceremony with St. Olga’s relics, recently spoke about the uncovering in a video published on the diocesan YouTube page:

​

Bp. Alexei describes how several dozen participants gathered for the momentous occasion. Despite previous blizzard conditions, the weather proved favorable for the event, which many interpreted as a blessing from Matushka Olga herself.

The uncovering process, which took approximately five hours, was marked by continuous Gospel readings and careful excavation work by local priests. In a particularly moving moment, the casket was discovered just as the words, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, were being read.

Remarkably, despite being in water for 40 years, the relics showed no signs of decay or odor, and Matushka Olga’s head covering remained intact. The relics were successfully transferred to a new casket crafted by nuns.

The formal glorification ceremony will take place in Kwethluk in mid to late June, with approximately eight bishops expected to attend. Altogether, this significant event will be celebrated three times: the main canonization in Kwethluk, followed by a second celebration at the cathedral in Anchorage, and culminating in a third celebration at the All-American Council in Phoenix in July.

The wife and children of the Fr. Michael Oleska, a great missionary priest in Alaska who was instrumental in promoting Matushka Olga’s glorification, and who reposed in the Lord Fr. Michael Oleksa of Alaska reposes in the LordArchpriest Michael Oleksa, known as a missionary priest, having served in over a dozen Alaskan villages, and a scholar of Orthodoxy in Alaska and Native Alaskan history and culture, reposed in the Lord today, November 29, after suffering a stroke.

“>one year ago, also shared testimonies about his life and dedication to the Church, while also expressing their appreciation for the community’s support following his passing.

The gathering concluded with the distribution of gifts, including icons, crosses, and earth from the site in Kwethluk where the relics were uncovered.

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A tour of a relic of St. Jude conducted by Father Carlos Martins, a priest with the Companions of the Cross order known for hosting “The Exorcist Files” podcast, was halted Nov. 21 following an alleged “incident” involving students, according to a statement from Queen of Apostles Church in the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois and from the diocese.

The statement did not provide details of the incident, and the diocese told OSV News via email Nov. 24 that beyond the initial statement they “have no further details to provide as the investigation is still ongoing,” but they “can confirm the Order priest visiting our parish and accompanying the relic of St. Jude was Fr. Carlos Martins.”

“On Thursday, November 21, Queen of Apostles hosted the visit of the relic of St. Jude for public veneration,” read the statement from Father Michael Lane, parish moderator, and Father Gregory Alberts, parochial vicar. “A non-profit, outside ministry called ‘Treasures of the Church’, was responsible for hosting the relic in the United States. The relic has been on a national pilgrimage in the United States for over a year. The tour and the relic were overseen by a priest with the Companions of the Cross, an Order of priests in Canada.”

“During the course of the day’s veneration in Queen of Apostles Church, an incident with the priest and some students was reported to have happened in our church,” they continued. “We immediately contacted the police. A police investigation is still on-going. The priest was confronted with the information. We informed the priest that he must depart from our parish and out of our Diocese. In an abundance of caution, we decided that the remainder of the veneration of the relic and evening Mass would be cancelled.”

They wrote that these decisions and actions were “in accordance with our Diocesan Safe Environment Policies and our Standards of Behavior” and the incident was “also immediately reported to Bishop Ronald Hicks of the Diocese of Joliet, who supported our decision to cancel the remainder of the event and on the evening of November 21.”

The bishop also canceled the tour at two more parishes in the diocese scheduled for this week and “informed the Superior of the Companions of the Cross Order of priests.”

The statement added that “all involved in this incident are safe.”

OSV News reached out to the Joliet Police Department and to Father Carlos Martins for comment regarding the incident, but has not yet received a response.

Father Martins was “the church-appointed custodian of the relic,” directing the “Apostle of the Impossible” tour of what are believed to be bone fragments of St. Jude’s arm in a reliquary through churches and schools across the country. The tour began in September 2023, but its website now lists all remaining stops through December 2024 as “cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.” The same language was used on social media posts by Indiana dioceses of Gary and Fort Wayne-South Bend, which were the next two scheduled dioceses on the relic tour. Comments on the posts reflected dismay and disappointment over the cancellation of the tour.

Originally from Ontario, Canada and a convert from atheism, Father Martins hosts “The Exorcist Files” podcast along with Ryan Bethea, which features firsthand accounts of cases from Father Martins’ time as an exorcist.

My wife and I love to travel, and we are in the midst of a two-week trek through the South. We went to see our two sons, who live in Nashville, and continued to Georgia and the Carolinas, sightseeing and visiting friends and family who had left California for a different kind of life.

It hasn’t felt like we qualify for refugee status — yet — but we certainly felt what people feel who stand on unfamiliar ground. The big cities, Nashville and Atlanta, were like every big city I have ever visited in the United States. Large, skyscraper-laden civic centers and choking traffic. 

In one not-quite-so-large city, Chattanooga, there was even a drive-by shooting that shut down the freeway we were traveling on. I doubt they provided this diversion to make my wife and me feel more at home, but it was an indicator of the truthfulness of the axiom: “The grass is not always greener on the other side of the Mason-Dixon line.”

The cliche of how people in the South are friendlier proved mostly true, but when we told people we were from Los Angeles, I felt compelled to qualify it almost immediately: “But we aren’t staying.” That rejoinder usually elicited a look of relief to the friendly faces we encountered.

It has been almost a year since our two sons moved to Tennessee. Like many native-born Californians, they have reversed the direction of resettling that all four of their grandparents chose almost 100 years ago.

You learn a lot by traveling. My wife and I learned that different states have different cultures within cultures, and to think of “the South” as a monolithic block of identity is like thinking the same thing about Central America. There were certainly cultural linkages that overcome race, language, and political influence — like cornbread. 

Regardless of where you travel throughout the South, you are going to get cornbread. And I must confess it seemed to speak to my own Southern DNA, as it reminded me of the plate of freshly baked cornbread that was always on my Arkansas grandma’s kitchen table. And the memory of my wonderful grandma is safe — the cornbread I consumed in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and back again in Tennessee was good, but not as good as hers.

There was another connective tissue we discovered on our travels, one that spoke to another elemental component to my internal hard wiring. It mattered not whether we traveled in the sophisticated metropolis of Charleston, South Carolina, or through the backroads of Georgia. Thanks to our Waves app appearing to have some kind of nervous breakdown, we saw churches — lots of them. My wife and I started calling them out as we drove, like the license plate game we used to play on road trips with our kids.

We did not see as many Catholic churches as we hoped, but the number of so many denominations, some of them occupying all four corners of intersections, in big and small towns alike, made it clear we were not back in Los Angeles. And on the two Sundays we spent on the road in the South, those church parking lots were filled with cars.

We had to Google it, but we did find Mass for our Sundays in the South, and that was a revelation as well. We found beautiful old buildings that had survived hurricanes and the Civil War, where the Mass has been said uninterrupted. Mass in Charleston, which probably has more ornate churches per square inch than any other city on the planet, was inside a gothic structure replete with gargoyles and inside, the Mass, which was said in English, was said in the ad orientem (“to the east”) form. 

I do not know if it was because we were so far away from home, or the spiritual geography of this particular Mass, but both my wife and I received it as a spiritual steroid.

Soon enough we will be back home in Los Angeles and back into our regular routine. There will not be a need to Google “Catholic church near me” on my phone, and it will be a lot easier to find a parking space, but we will be back at our home parish. And it will be the same Mass that we experienced on the other side of the country. 

We will find the word, and we will find the word becoming flesh, no matter what language, what accent, or what direction the priest is facing. And we will be home in Los Angeles just as we were home in those churches in Nashville and Charleston.

Churches and faith groups across the United Kingdom have condemned a bill to allow physician-assisted suicide and stepped up efforts to block its Nov. 29 approval by parliamentarians.

“The vote will be very close — many members of Parliament, elected only recently, are having to decide on a life-or-death ethical issue they haven’t considered before,” explained Timothy Dieppe, head of public policy for the ecumenical organization Christian Concern.

“If they vote against this bill, it will send a powerful signal worldwide that assisted suicide isn’t inevitable and doesn’t constitute progress.”

The theologian spoke as a joint statement from the English, Welsh and Scottish bishops’ urged opposition to the “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill,” tabled by Kim Leadbeater from the governing Labour Party, which would allow life-ending medical help for terminally ill adults over age 18.

In an OSV News interview, he said political and media momentum was growing against the bill, which would overturn Britain’s 1961 Suicide Act and violate “all major religious traditions and ethical codes.”

Meanwhile, a veteran Catholic campaigner said the “deceptively named” bill lacked public support and had been criticized by top judges and medical professionals.

“When MPs last rejected such legislation, they were given almost two months to scrutinize it — this time they’ve had less than two weeks,” Lord David Alton, a human rights advocate, told OSV News.

“With many elderly people going into winter with their fuel allowances cut and palliative care services in crisis, the government’s own health secretary has warned of a chilling scenario in which patients are pressured into ending their lives.”

Though personally backing the bill, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised MPs a “free vote” on the measure, which says adults with no more than six months to live must obtain court approval, evidencing a “clear, settled and informed wish to end their own life” without being “coerced or pressured.”

In a Nov. 11 press release, the pro-suicide Dignity in Dying organization said the 43-clause bill was “the most detailed, robust proposal on assisted dying” ever considered by the British parliament, and would “end the cruel and dangerous status quo, while introducing new safety measures.”

However, several Catholic bishops, including Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, have urged citizens in pastoral letters to petition legislators against the bill.

In their Nov. 14 joint statement, the bishops said experience showed “promised safeguards are soon forgotten,” warning the bill would “fundamentally damage” doctor-patient relations and “radically alter the ethos of trust and support.”

“In the discussion around assisted suicide, so much is made of freedom of choice and autonomy; but autonomy is not absolute and must always be placed within the context of the common good,” the bishops said.

“We appeal to those who share our Catholic belief in human dignity and sanctity of life, including fellow Christians, other religious people, and people of reason and good will, to join with us in defending the weakest and most vulnerable.”

A bishops’ conference spokesman told OSV News the statement had prompted more parliamentarians to “contact their local bishops” about assisted suicide, and encouraged “substantial and rightful indignation” against the bill from disability groups.

Seven European countries — Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland — currently permit assisted suicide, while the practice is also allowed in 11 of 50 US states. Austria, Finland, and Norway allow passive euthanasia under strict circumstances.

A previous bill on assisted suicide was defeated by 330 votes to 118 in Britain’s lower House of Commons in September 2015, while an August survey highlighted public fear the practice could be encouraged to ease pressures in the National Health Service.

A local “Assisted Dying Bill” was rejected Oct. 1 by the Scottish government, which ruled it lay “outside the legislative competence” of the devolved parliament, while a motion supporting Leadbeater’s bill was voted down Oct. 23 in the Welsh Senedd assembly.

In a Nov. 18 statement with other Welsh faith leaders, Archbishop Mark O’Toole of Cardiff-Menevia said the bill marked a “very serious moment” for the country.

“As people of faith, we share a common heritage of caring for the vulnerable, the sick and dying,” said the statement, co-signed by Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Hindu leaders.

“Life is sacred,” the statement said. “Compassion is at the heart of all the Great World Religions.”

In a statement released Nov. 24, Cardinal Nichols and Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham were among nearly 30 religious leaders representing several faiths — including Jewish, Muslim, Coptic Orthodox, Hindu, Zoroastrian, evangelical, Greek Orthodox, Jainism, Sikh, Pentecostal and the Assyrian Church — who again urged the assisted suicide bill be rejected and the current law be left in place.

Acknowledging “how complex and weighty this topic is,” they said, “Our pastoral roles make us deeply concerned about the impact the bill would have on the most vulnerable, opening up the possibility of life-threatening abuse and coercion. This is a concern we know is shared by many people, with and without faith.”

“We believe that a truly compassionate response to the end of life lies in the provision of high-quality palliative care services to all who need them,” they said. The faith leaders said that compassionate care, “along with the natural processes of dying,” allows “those at the end of their life to experience important moments. We have seen relationships repair and families reconcile. We have seen lives end in love.”

“While there are many examples of excellent palliative care in this country, it remains worryingly underfunded. Investment in palliative care is the policy of a truly compassionate nation,” the added. “It is the way to ensure that everyone in society, including the most vulnerable, receive the care they deserve at the end of life.”

In his OSV News interview, Dieppe said the rejection of legislation in Scotland and Wales had already “surprised and shocked” suicide proponents.

“We currently have the most godless Parliament in our history, judging by how few MPs swore their oath on the Bible,” the Christian Concern head told OSV News.

“Yet there’s still a lingering recognition of the Christian foundations of our culture and morality. It you meet someone contemplating suicide, the humane response is to talk them out of it, not encourage them.”

    

Christ is in our midst, my dear readers.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Galatians, speaks of bearing the wounds of the Lord Jesus Christ on his body:

Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Gal. 6:11–18)

The Galatians were always arguing about the faith, often twisting the words of the Apostle. That is why Paul tells them that the greatest testimony to his apostleship is the suffering he endures for the sake of Christ.

Indeed, this is the only true measure of our love for God: How much are we willing to endure for Him? What humiliations, sufferings, and trials are we capable of bearing, both in body and soul, for the Savior?

Today, a different trend has emerged in the Christian world—a desire to twist the Gospel in such a way that one can call himself a Christian while living a life of comfort, avoiding any self-denial or suffering. It’s a Gospel that makes it unnecessary to endure any hardship, allowing one to enter paradise simply because they have chosen to call themselves a Christian.

But it does not work that way, because in paradise, there is no one who has not been crucified.

When we delve into these words, we understand that the Savior continues His journey to the cross on this earth. When Christians are beaten, it is Christ who is beaten. When their churches are taken away, it is Christ who is cast out into the streets. When they are slandered and insulted, all these humiliations are borne by Christ Himself.

In this way, we become partakers in His sufferings and bear the wounds of Christ upon us as the highest reward that a person can receive on earth.

Therefore, we should not be dismayed by what is happening to our Mother Church today. God has not abandoned us; He has chosen us. If He allows us to suffer for Christ, it is a sign of His love for us and of His great mercy, which is not given to everyone.

Let us, therefore, thank the Lord for this and rejoice that He does not abandon us.

He looked more like a retired rockstar than a magazine managing editor — let alone the managing editor of a Catholic magazine. His faded denim jacket, long hair, and wire-rim glasses gave the appearance of a cross between Jerry Garcia and Sammy Hagar, but the reality was that the man standing before me, with a warm smile and an outstretched hand, was Richard Beemer —an award-winning editor with more than 50 years of experience in shaping stories that penetrate the heart and mind.

I’d landed in Indiana the day before, feeling a strange familiarity, having recently been here to cover the National Eucharistic Congress a few months ago. Passing by Lucas Oil Stadium, memories of that time spent in adoration with more than 50,000 fellow souls rose vividly to mind. While this journey wouldn’t feature the throngs of Catholics flooding downtown Indianapolis, it was a pilgrimage in its own right — an exploration into the life of a man who spent his days fully devoted to serving Christ and his fellow man.

His name was Blessed Solanus Casey.

Born Bernard Francis Casey in Oak Grove, Wisconsin, in 1870, Blessed Solanus Casey grew up the sixth of 16 children in an Irish-American farming family. He felt a call to the priesthood early in life but struggled academically, especially with German and Latin, which led him to join the Capuchin Franciscans and finally being ordained a “simplex priest,” meaning he was not given permission to hear confessions or preach formal sermons.

However, his humility, warmth, and intense dedication to prayer made him a beloved presence in churches and friaries across the country, where he served as a porter. Known for his deep compassion and miraculous ability to heal both body and spirit, he drew people from all walks of life who sought his counsel, healing touch, and tireless listening ear. In 2017, the Catholic Church beatified him, putting him on the path to sainthood.

But for as much as has been written about Blessed Solanus, many of the countless stories of his healing words and gentle touch risk being lost to the sands of time. As 1957 — the year of his passing — fades further into history, so do the voices of those he once touched with compassion, mercy, and hope. Those who wept tears of joy or sorrow in his presence, who found renewed faith, or who were brought back from the brink of despair, are fewer each year.

This, Richard explained, was the inspiration behind his new mission: collecting and preserving these precious, fading memories in his newly released book, “Memorable Graces: Testimonies, memories, anecdotes, and favors granted through the intercession of Blessed Father Solanus Casey, OFM Cap.”

The journey of gathering these stories was no simple task. Initially, Richard set out on his own, placing a small ad in a church bulletin, hoping it might lead him to a few people who remembered Solanus firsthand.

To his surprise, one response stood out — a woman named Linda Leist. After reading Richard’s ad, Linda felt called to join the effort. She began visiting churches across the area, speaking to congregations before Mass and inviting people to share their encounters with Blessed Solanus. Through her dedication, Linda amassed a significant portion of the stories that now fill “Memorable Graces.” Together, Richard and Linda became custodians of these sacred memories, preserving them for a world that increasingly seems to forget the humble saints among us.

“I think anyone who reads about Father Solanus or follows him has to be affected by that man one way or another,” Richard said, gazing out his living room window amid the farm fields in Huntington, Indiana, the town where Solanus himself lived from 1946 to 1956, the year before his death.

He spoke about the challenge and privilege of collecting stories from people who encountered Solanus and had their lives changed in ways big and small. The stories range from miraculous physical healings to the quieter but equally profound healing of hearts and souls.

Yet, while Richard spoke humbly of the project, it was clear that his connection to Solanus ran deeper. At 13, Rick and his friend Ken Brennan had set off on a small adventure, hiking across town to visit the Capuchin Friary.

“I don’t remember meeting him,” Rick admitted, referring to his early years in the 1950s when his mother would take him there for early morning Sunday Mass, but at 13 “we got a full tour from Brother Francis Mary, the porter at the time.”

It wasn’t until years later that Richard would realize the lasting impact of that visit. He remembers coming to the friary as a toddler, the rich, haunting sounds of Gregorian chant, the faint scent of beeswax candles, and the gentle clang of bells forming a kind of sacred memory. These moments, tucked away in the background of his life, had stayed with him — a quiet reverence that would later grow into a profound respect for the friary’s most beloved resident.

Decades later, it felt as though these early impressions had resurfaced, fueling Richard’s resolve to capture the stories of Solanus. “Memorable Graces” was more than a book; it was his way of making sense of those memories — of honoring a man whose life continued to resonate across time.

I’ll admit, I only knew of Solanus in passing before I boarded a plane to Indiana. Just days before the trip, I finished reading “Gratitude and Grit” (Franciscan Media, $16.99), a book about his life. When I closed that final page, I was stunned — stunned at how a humble, obedient man, a “simplex priest” with limited permissions, could have such an overwhelming effect on the lives of so many. Here was a man who embraced his limitations and devoted himself to Christ, and in doing so, became an extraordinary vessel for God’s grace.

Blessed Solanus literally counseled tens of thousands of people during his lifetime, offering comfort, spiritual direction, and, at times, miraculous healing. I couldn’t help but wonder how much each of us could accomplish if we surrendered our lives as fully as he did — how, by cooperating with God’s grace, we might play a more profound role in others’ lives, even if only in small, everyday ways. I think of Solanus as a kind of poster child for what’s possible when we give ourselves entirely to Christ. His life is a testament to the power of humble service, of living with an open heart and obedient spirit.

More than anything, Solanus has become for me a symbol of hope and possibility. He reminds us that holiness isn’t reserved for the extraordinary; it’s a path open to us all. And through the stories preserved in “Memorable Graces,” this truth emerges more clearly. We need him — his example, his quiet strength, his willingness to be “little” so that others might encounter the greatness of God.

Through “Memorable Graces,” we see him as a man who brought Christ’s presence into every conversation, every encounter. His legacy reminds us that faith is not just belief; it is action, compassion, and an openness to seeing Christ in others. In preserving these stories, Richard and Linda have created more than a book — they’ve offered a doorway for new generations to experience the humble and profound faith of a man on the path to sainthood.

For those seeking Christ or simply a listening ear, the story of Blessed Solanus Casey is an invitation. He shows us that even the simplest acts — listening, praying, consoling — can reveal the Divine. Perhaps each of us can find a moment to open our hearts a little more, to listen more deeply, and to let Christ’s grace work through us, just as Solanus did. His example reminds us that true greatness lies in humble service and that, like him, each of us has the potential to bring God’s healing love into this broken world.

How to order: “Memorable Graces”

“Memorable Graces” can be ordered at Amazon.com, Lambingpress.com, and CatholicBooksDirect.com. The cost is $15.95. All proceeds benefit St. Bonaventure Monastery Soup Kitchen in Detroit, Michigan.

Richard Beemer is the managing editor of Angelus.

    

Recently, Advent calendars for children, containing various kinds of tasks for the period preceding Christmas, have become widely known.

A few years agoб it occurred to me to create a spiritual Advent calendar for my family. Of course, the idea was not new, but there are no small children in our family, so the goal was initially to create a tool for adult spiritual life.

In the first year I took forty texts (one for each day of the The Nativity FastThe Nativity Fast

“>Nativity Fast) from the Gospel and from the Epistles.

As a result, I made forty slips of paper, which I put into small bags, numbering them with the days of the fast. Every morning our whole family took out a slip with the text, read it aloud and accepted it as an instruction for the day.

But, judging by the results of the first Nativity Fast I noticed that, after reading the New Testament passage, my family did not understand very clearly how they should apply it in their daily life. They usually contented themselves with a sincere sigh: “Oh, that’s right!”, and… nothing changed.

The next year I did a slightly different thing for the Nativity Fast. I formulated (again, based on the New Testament verses or on Patristic instructions) forty specific tasks, arranging them by the days of the fast. Each task included one or another spiritual and moral exercise.

My family liked it, and their interest in the slips immediately increased dramatically. They felt what “He Was Absolutely Fearless”Fr. Dmitry was one of the Russian Church’s most beloved and authoritative priests. He stood at the forefront of the Church’s battle against abortion, and is remembered as the “father” to countless children and a fearless preacher who converted thousands.

“>Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov once called “a taste for fulfilling the commandments”.

I arranged the tasks in order of complexity, from fairly easy (refrain from rudeness, watch your tongue) to more complicated (prepare for confession very thoroughly).

We had three options for arranging the tasks by days.

1. Each day of the Nativity Fast corresponds to one slip, and in this case they are taken in ascending order.

2. All the slips are mixed, and every morning one is taken out at random.

3. Each family member takes out a slip, which becomes his personal task for the day.

You can do this: you ask your folks to give any number, and then you read out loud what task is under this number (if there are young children in your family, they will appreciate this element of game and unpredictability).

In the morning it is rather hard to find a minute to read out a common task for everybody or discuss the task assigned to each family member. But if you manage to give some time to this, it will be wonderful.

It can be preceded by a short prayer, in which we recall the event we are preparing for. For example:

“Lord, vouchsafe me to offer Thee, Who art coming into the world, this first (second, third, etc.) day of fasting as a gift. May it not be tainted by self-love, selfishness, pride, and negligence, but may it be full of deeds, words, and thoughts that testify to my faith, faithfulness, and love. I am offering my desire and efforts, and Thou, O Lord, help me with Thy grace and strength. Amen.”

It is advisable to introduce the practice of summarizing everything in the evening, otherwise the morning tasks risk turning into just a beautiful text, but, alas, devoid of connection with real life.

Actually, it’s a wonderful practice to analyze every evening how you lived that day.

“Repentance, befitting a pious Christian living in the midst of the world, must be checked against his conscience every evening,” the Holy Hierarch St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

“>Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes.

Then, perhaps, from the state of “living carelessly” we will be able to make a real leap to a conscious, disciplined and attentive life (according to the Holy Fathers, this is the root of and key to a successful spiritual life).

By the way, for each more or less successful day you can invite your children to string bright beads on a thread to make an ornate garland for Christmas, which can be offered as a gift to Christ (your family may have a custom of installing it at the Nativity scene, for example).

Below we offer an approximate list of forty tasks. (Some, dedicated to particularly important aspects of everyday life, are given in several versions).

The tasks are loosely divided into three groups.

1. The first group, focused on fighting bad habits (in the language of asceticism, the passions).

2. The second group, dedicated to cultivating good habits (virtues).

3. Closer to the Nativity there are several tasks aimed at what Holy Hierarch Theophan the Recluse calls Divine contemplation and is dedicated to the sacraments of confession (repentance), Holy Communion, as well as prayer and the coming of Christ into the world.

Forty tasks for the Nativity Fast

1. Today I will try to work especially hard to acquire unwavering patience, no matter what may happen during the day. I will try to keep my spirits up and maintain inner balance, be peaceful and cheerful.

2. Today I will pay special attention to reading and hearing the Word of God. I will try to take today’s Gospel passage as if Christ Himself were addressing me personally. During the day I will return to it mentally and compare my actions, words and thoughts with it, so that these words may not remain fruitless in me.

3. Today I will try my best to preserve peace in my heart, in my relationships with my neighbors (by this I mean maintaining benevolence regardless of circumstances) and in my relationship with God (on committing the slightest sin I will immediately ask forgiveness in my mind and so maintain a living contact with the Lord).

4. Today I’m going to focus on my tongue. I forbid myself to be harsh, pull others up sharply, slander anyone, or make bad jokes—in other words, anything that can embarrass or upset my neighbor.

5. Today I will forbid myself to judge others in any form, because you can judge without words—with your look or gesture.

6. Today I will practice sensitivity and kindness. I will be especially responsive to the requests and words of my neighbors.

7. Today I will strive in every possible way to maintain a joyful, peaceful, and cheerful spirit, and drive away despondency and depression from myself, under whatever guise they may appear.

8. Today I will try to turn to the Lord with this short prayer as often as possible: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” If I have neither purity of heart nor true repentance, at least I have a tongue and a mouth. I will use them to offer Him prayer.

9. Today I will try especially hard to learn concentrated, sincere and living prayer. I will not allow myself to be hasty and careless, but will really put myself in the presence of the Living God.

10. Today I will try to learn obedience. I will make efforts to fulfill any reasonable requests of my loved ones. I will faithfully complete any task assigned to me, small or great.

11. Today I will work on cultivating meekness; I will try to keep peace in my heart and make concessions to all the shortcomings of my neighbors, forgiving them eagerly.

12. Today I will work to acquire love, its first step; and I will refrain from anything that can spoil my neighbor’s mood. I will do everything I can to make life in my family joyful and beautiful.

13. Today I will think about the first beatitude and work on cultivating mercy. I will keep in mind throughout the day the words of Christ, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me (Mt. 25:40), and will be guided by them in all my deeds and words.

14. Today I will think seriously about the meaning of the Nativity, which I am walking towards. Perhaps for the first time in my life I will thank Christ for His incarnation for me personally. I will try to realize that He is coming for me, so that a feeling of living gratitude to Him, which is the root and source of all good things, can finally appear in my heart.

15. Today I will work on fulfilling the sixth beatitude—acquiring purity of heart. I will be especially intolerant of everything that pollutes my soul from the outside (through my eyes and ears) and from the inside (through my thoughts), and I will remember that not only sinful thoughts, but also selfishness, anger, impatience, and negligence also cause impurity of soul.

16. Today I will try to practice the memory of God all day long: I will keep in mind that the Lord is closer to me than my breath, but I will do it in such a way that His presence may not trouble me, but fill me with joy and inspiration. I remembered God, and was gladdened (Ps. 76:4). I will try to please Him with everything I do, say and think.

17. Today I will struggle with my shortcoming that most often become a source of arguments in my family. I will try to understand where and how I personally open the doors through which the freezing wind of nervousness, harshness or pedantry bursts into my family, remembering the words of St. Theophan the Recluse: “He who lives in the family is saved by the family virtues.”

18. Today I will learn obedience to my favorite saint. In the morning I will open and read any of his teachings, and then I will try to keep it in mind and follow it all day long.

19. Today I will talk to God in my own words, thank Him for becoming Man, and ask Him what He would most like to receive from me on Christmas Night, with what gifts in my heart He wants to see me then. My conscience will tell me the answer.

20. Today, fulfilling the Apostle Paul’s words, I will do everything for God’s sake, remembering that He attributes everything done for the sake of others to His account. (Unfortunately, this concerns bad things as well).

21. The whole day today I will take special care not to upset the Lord—neither through committing any sin, nor through causing distress to my neighbor. If I am unable to control myself and I do or say something bad, I will immediately apologize to God and begin to be attentive to my inner self again.

22. Today I will be guided in my behavior by the third beatitude. I will be gentle in my words, calm in my actions, unperturbed in any circumstances, and peaceful with myself and others alike. By at least forcing myself, even my heart is not in it, I will remain meek.

23. Today I will focus on self-control, keep my inner balance, and not lose my temper, no matter what I may be faced with during the day, regardless of circumstances; for what is commendable about staying afloat in a calm?

24. Today I will work especially hard on remaining watchful. Once I notice judging, rancor, indifference, callousness, gloating, selfishness and touchiness in my heart and mind, I will cut them off.

25. Today I will try to address the Most Holy Theotokos as often as possible with the angelic greeting: “Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos!” or, “Mother of God, help me be Thy pure son (daughter).”

26. This morning I will pray especially diligently to the Holy Spirit with the prayer, “O Heavenly King”. And throughout the day I will try to repeat it in my mind as often as possible, asking for grace, strength, peace and joy from the Lord. In this way I will train my soul to be in Living contact with the Source of the Grace of God.

27. Today I will try to focus on the fulfillment of the Apostle Paul’s words, Bear ye one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), and respond to all the shortcomings, requests and even whims of my close ones with the utmost love, hoping that in this way I will fulfill the Law of Christ.

28. Today I will think seriously about my repentance. How carefully do I prepare for confession? Isn’t it time for me to do some “spring cleaning” in my soul? And not only will I carefully write down all the sins that I hadn’t realized before, but I will also understand what creates them, getting to the root of the problem and fighting it.

29. Today I will reflect more on Holy Communion. Among other things, the Lord became an Infant in order to give me His Body and Blood. So, the Nativity opens the gate of the Liturgy before me. Every time during Communion, Christ trustfully hands Himself over to me, just as He gave Himself into the hands of Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver. From this thought I will draw gratitude to the Savior and beware of defiling myself with sins, since He entrusts Himself to me in this way.

30. Today I will ponder over the words of the prayer before Communion: “For I will not speak of Thy Mysteries to Thine enemies”. Am I truly not colluding with the enemies of Christ in deed, word, or thought, often even on the very day of Communion? I will try to keep faith and faithfulness to the One I am partaking of in all things, small and great.

31. Today I will meditate on the fact that God wants to see me happy, and the Beatitudes are the way to happiness. Therefore, I will think a lot about how I fulfill them. Do I remember them? Do I repeat them every morning when I wake up so that they, like a map, can always be in front of me? Am I working to acquire humility, repentance, longing for God, meekness, peace, purity, mercy and patience?

32. Today I will try to determine which sin separates me from God the most and steals Him from me when I take Communion. I will try to bring my reflection to the point of aversion to this sin. This will be the starting point for my deliverance from it with God’s help.

33. Today I will focus on the Gospel words, Enter ye in at the strait gate (Mt. 7:13), and set myself a rule to combat my vanity, no matter what it manifests itself in, even in small things, for there are no trifles in spiritual life.

34. Today I will ask myself the question: “What kind of person does Christ want me to be?” To answer I will need to open the Gospel, and the “book” of my conscience.

35. Very soon on Christmas Eve the faithful in churches will sing: “Understand all ye nations, and submit yourselves, for God is with us.” I will try to determine by which sin I give special rights to the devil over me (The words of St. Paisios the Hagiorite). Isn’t it time to destroy his stronghold in my heart? So, I will try to throw off his power over me by renouncing this sin.

36. Today, after walking three-quarters of the path, I’ll look around and think about how zealously I have walked. And then I will ask myself what and how I should do for the rest of the path to offer my modest gifts to Christ. What will I offer Him instead of gold, frankincense and myrrh? The faith demonstrated by life according to the Gospel? Works on purification of my soul? Active love for others? Fervent and warm prayer? In the remaining days I can at least start, and the Lord will help me finish what I have started.

37. Today I will think about what I can offer Christ in place of incense. “A hymn like incense,” as sung in the stichera before the Nativity. Therefore, these days I will try to make my prayer full of thanksgiving, heartfelt longing for God and warm love.

38. Today I will think about what I can offer Christ in place of gold. “Faith like gold.” A living and vivifying faith, a faith expressed by life according to the Word of the One in Whom I believe. At least I will offer the first fruits of such faith: I believe; help Thou mine unbelief (Mk. 9:24).

39. Today I will think about what I can offer Him instead of myrrh. “Love like myrrh.” Christ loved us so much that He sacrificed Himself for us, and this path begins with the cave in Bethlehem. Therefore, I will give thanks to Him for His love for me with my mouth, heart and good deeds.

40. Today I will have a day of active charity. I will feed the hungry Christ and clothe Him, and I will send Him food and clothes through those who need them. I will find those for whom I can make the coming feast brighter and for whom I can create it.

41. I will meet Christ at church, worship Him and partake of His Body and Blood, and then ask Him that my heart become His abode forever.

Every year, dozens of parishes around the Archdiocese of Los Angeles host celebrations marking Simbang Gabi, a Filipino tradition that celebrates the nine days leading up to Christmas with the celebration of the Mass, novenas, and food.

This year’s theme is “Journeying together in Christ as Pilgrims of Hope.” The celebration kicks off Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels with a 6:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez. The Mass will be preceded by traditional music and the Parade of Parols. The parols, a Philippine Christmas symbol, will be blessed at the end of Mass.  

A full schedule of parishes participating in the 2024 Simbang Gabi novena is below. 

 

Saturday, Dec. 14

Padre Serra Parish, Camarillo, 5 p.m. 

St. Elizabeth Church, Altadena, 5 p.m. 

St. John Vianney Church, Hacienda Heights, 5:15 p.m. 

St. Monica Church, Santa Monica, 5:30 p.m. 

 

Sunday, Dec. 15 

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, 6:30 p.m. (pre-liturgy starts at 5:45 p.m.)

 

Monday, Dec. 16

Queen of Angels Church, Lompoc, 6 p.m. 

St. Benedict Church, Montebello, 6 p.m. 

Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Wilmington, 6 p.m. 

Our Lady of Peace Church, North Hills, 6:45 p.m. 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Downey, 7 p.m. 

St. Bernardine of Siena Church, Woodland Hills, 7 p.m. 

St. Kateri Church, Santa Clarita, 7 p.m. 

St. Lawrence Martyr Church, Redondo Beach, 7 p.m. 

St. Pius X Church, Santa Fe Springs, 7 p.m. 

 

Tuesday. Dec. 17 

St. Joan of Arc Church, Los Angeles, 4 p.m. 

Queen of Angels Church, Lompoc, 6 p.m. 

St. Christopher Church, West Covina, 6 p.m. 

St. Euphrasia Church, Granada Hills, 7 p.m. 

 

Wednesday, Dec. 18 

St. Mary Magdalen Church, Los Angeles, 5 p.m. 

St. Louis de Monfort Church, Santa Maria, 5:30 p.m. 

St. Thomas More Church, Alhambra, 6 p.m. 

St. Linus Church, Norwalk, 6:30 p.m. 

St. Bernard Church, Los Angeles (Glassel Park), 7 p.m. 

St. Francis de Sales Church, Sherman Oaks, 7 p.m. 

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Los Angeles, 7 p.m. 

St. Joseph Hawthorne Church, 7 p.m. 

St. Paul of the Cross Church, La Mirada, 7 p.m. 

 

Thursday, Dec. 19 

St. Louis de Monfort Church, Santa Maria, 5:30 p.m. 

Immaculate Conception Church, Monrovia, 6 p.m. 

St. Hilary Church, Pico Rivera, 6 p.m. 

St. Dominic Church, Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), 6 p.m.

St. Bartholomew Church, Long Beach, 6:30 p.m. 

Good Shepherd Church, Beverly Hills, 7 p.m. 

St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church, Encino, 7 p.m. 

St. Dominic Savio Church, Bellflower, 7 p.m. 

St. Joseph the Worker Church, Winnetka, 7 p.m. 

 

Friday, Dec. 20 

St. Charles Borromeo Church, North Hollywood, 5:30 p.m. 

St. Hilary Church, Pico Rivera, 6 p.m. 

St. Anthony Church, San Gabriel, 6 p.m. 

St. Raphael Church, Santa Barbara, 6 p.m. 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Santa Clarita, 6:30 p.m. 

St. Bruno Church, Whittier, 6:30 p.m.

St. Joseph Church, La Puente, 6:30 p.m. 

La Purisima Concepcion Church, Lompoc, 7 p.m. 

Our Lady of Grace Church, Encino, 7 p.m. 

St. Ferdinand Church, San Fernando, 7 p.m.

St. Frances of Rome Church, Azusa, 7 p.m. 

St. Francis Xavier Church, Burbank, 7 p.m. 

St. Jerome Church, Los Angeles, 7 p.m. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Monterey Park, 7 p.m. 

 

Saturday, Dec. 21

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Church, Lomita, 8 a.m. 

Beatitudes of Our Lord Church, La Mirada, 4 p.m. 

Our Lady of Refuge Church, Long Beach, 4 p.m. 

St. Junípero Serra Church, Quartz Hill, 4 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen Church, Camarillo, 4 p.m. 

St. Louise of Marillac Church, Covina, 4:30 p.m. 

St. Pancratius Church, Lakewood, 4:30 p.m. 

Annunciation Church, Arcadia, 5 p.m. 

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Pasadena, 5 p.m. 

Blessed Sacrament Church, Los Angeles, 5 p.m. 

Holy Angels Church, Arcadia, 5 p.m. 

Holy Family Church, South Pasadena, 5 p.m. 

Holy Name of Mary Church, San Dimas, 5 p.m. 

La Prisima Concepcion Church, Lompoc, 5 p.m. 

Nativity Church, El Monte, 5 p.m. 

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church, Montebello, 5 p.m. 

San Lorenzo Ruiz Church, Walnut, 5 p.m. 

St. Augustine Church, Los Angeles, 5 p.m.

St. Catherine Laboure Church, Torrance, 5 p.m. 

St. Catherine of Siena Church, Reseda, 5 p.m. 

St. Cyprian Church, Long Beach, 5 p.m. 

St. Finbar Church, Burbank, 5 p.m. 

St. Gregory the Great Church, Whittier, 5 p.m. 

St. John Fisher Church, Palos Verdes, 5 p.m. 

St. Maria Gorreti Church, Long Beach, 5 p.m. 

St. Mariana de Paredes Church, Pico Rivera, 5 p.m. 

St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Burbank, 5 p.m. 

Maria Regina Church, Gardena, 5:15 p.m.  

All Souls Church, Alhambra, 5:30 p.m. 

Our Mother of Good Counsel Church, Los Angeles, 5:30 p.m. 

Sacred Heart Church, Lancaster, 5:30 p.m. 

St. Bede Church, La Cañada Flintridge, 5:30 p.m. 

St. Denis Church, Diamond Bar, 5:30 p.m. 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Rowland Heights, 5:30 p.m. 

St. Mary Church, Palmdale, 5:30 p.m. 

Our Lady of Loretto Church, Los Angeles, 6 p.m. 

St. Ann Church, Los Angeles (Elyssian Park), 6 p.m. 

St. Basil Church, Los Angeles, 7 p.m. 

 

Sunday, Dec. 22

St. Ignatius Church, Los Angeles (Highland Park), 9 a.m. 

St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Los Angeles, 9:30 a.m. 

St. Brendan Church, Los Angeles, 11:30 a.m. 

Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana, Los Angeles, 12 p.m. 

St. Didacus Church, Sylmar, 4 p.m. 

Sacred Heart Church, Altadena, 5 p.m. 

St. Basil Church, Los Angeles, 5 p.m. 

St. John Neumann Church, Santa Maria, 5 p.m. 

St. Timothy Church, Los Angeles, 6 p.m. 

St. John Baptist de la Salle Church, Granada Hills, 7 p.m. 

 

Monday, Dec. 23

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Guadalupe, 6 p.m. 

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Northridge, 7 p.m. 

 

Tuesday, Dec. 24

Queen of Angels Church, Lompoc, 5 p.m. 

 

Parishes with full novena 

Christ the King Church, Los Angeles, Dec. 16, 20-22, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 17-18, 23, 7 p.m. 

Holy Family Church, Artesia, Dec. 16-24, 5 a.m. 

Holy Family Church, Glendale, Dec. 16-24, 5:30 a.m. 

Holy Trinity Church, Los Angeles (Atwater), Dec. 15, 21-22, 5 p.m., Dec. 16-20, 23, 7 p.m. 

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Los Angeles, Dec. 16-24, 5 a.m. 

Mary Star of the Sea Parish, Oxnard, Dec. 16-20, 23, 7 p.m., Dec. 21-22, 5 p.m. 

Nativity Church, Torrance, Dec. 15-20, 23, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 21-22, 5 p.m. 

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Tujunga, Dec. 16-20, 22-23, 7 p.m., Dec. 21, 5 p.m. 

Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Claremont, Dec. 16-21, 23-24, 5 a.m., Dec. 22, 7 a.m. 

Our Lady of the Valley Church, Canoga Park, Dec. 16-24, 5 a.m. 

Precious Blood Church, Los Angeles, Dec. 16-24, 5 a.m. 

St. Anthony of Padua Church, Gardena, Dec. 16-21, 23-24, 8 a.m., Dec. 22, 7:30 a.m. 

St. Barnabas Church, Long Beach, Dec. 15-20, 22-23 6:30 p.m., Dec. 21, 5 p.m. 

St. Catherine of Siena Church, Reseda, Dec. 16-24, 6 a.m. 

St. Clare Church, Santa Clarita, Dec. 15, 21-22, 5 p.m., Dec. 16-20, 23, 7 p.m. 

St. Columban Church, Los Angeles, Dec. 16-20, 23, 7 p.m., Dec. 21-22, 5 p.m., Dec. 24, 6 a.m. 

St. Elisabeth of Hungary Church, Van Nuys, Dec. 16-20, 22-23, 7 p.m., Dec. 21, 7:45 p.m. 

St. Genevieve Church, Panorama City, Dec. 16-21, 23-24, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 22, 5 a.m. 

St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church, North Hollywood, Dec. 16-21, 23-24, 6 a.m., Dec. 22, 5:30 a.m. 

St. John Eudes Church, Chatsworth, Dec. 16, 18-20, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 17, 8 p.m., Dec. 21-22, 5 p.m., Dec. 23, 7 p.m. 

St. John of God Church, Norwalk, Dec. 15-23, 6:30 p.m. 

St. John the Baptist Church, Baldwin Park, Dec. 16-24, 6:30 p.m. 

St. Kevin Church, Los Angeles, Dec. 16-24, 5:30 a.m. 

St. Louis of France, La Puente, Dec. 16-21, 23-24, 6 p.m., Dec. 22, 8 a.m. 

St. Lucy Church, Long Beach, Dec. 16-20, 22-23, 6 p.m., Dec. 21, 4 p.m. 

St. Martha Church, Valinda, Dec. 16-24, 5 a.m. 

St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Santa Maria, Dec. 16, 18-23, 5:30 a.m., Dec. 17, 7 a.m. 

St. Mel Church, Woodland Hills, Dec. 16-24, 6:30 a.m. 

St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, Dec. 15-23, 6 p.m. 

St. Peter Claver Church, Simi Valley, Dec. 16-21, 23, 7 p.m., Dec. 22, 5 p.m. 

St. Philomena Church, Carson, Dec. 16-20, 23, 7 p.m., Dec. 21-22, 6 p.m. 

St. Stephen Church, Monterey Park, Dec. 16-19, 22-24, 6 p.m., Dec. 20, 5 p.m., Dec. 21, 1 p.m.

St. Nikephoros (Tzanakakis) the Leper. Part 1Today we will talk about a man who lived the life of the cross and proved it by his deeds.

“>Part 1

There is a photograph showing St. Anthimos, a majestic archimandrite, holding a cross with which he blesses people. And there is a poor monk standing next to him. This is St. Nikephoros in the early years of his monastic life. His fingers are still there. His face is still like a face. Just a few years later the malady would disfigure this man, who had previously in Alexandria been a handsome young man.

St. Anthimos (right) and St. Nikephoros (left)     

There is also a portrait that was recently discovered by Fr. Simon. It was painted during the saint’s monastic tonsure or a little later, because his face had become more elongated. This portrait is very important to me because I wanted an icon of St. Nikephoros to be painted, but not one that would recall the young, healthy and handsome youth from Alexandria, and not one with a face disfigured by leprosy.

I told our iconographer, Fr. Ambrosios, to paint an icon and I gave him a copy of the book about St. Nikephoros. This was before that photo was discovered, and we did not yet know about it. How beautifully the iconographer depicted this saint! But on the cover of Monk Simon’s book the skilled Athonite icon-painters just took the face of Nicholas from Alexandria and added a cassock and a beard to it.

Fr. Ambrosios wanted to depict the pain and asceticism on the face of a man who was transformed into Jesus Christ and “churched” this pain. And without any portrait to refer to, he painted an icon of St. Nikephoros. And later, when I saw this portrait, I was amazed. His eyes in particular surprised me. They are the same eyes that St. Nikephoros had in his earthly life.

The saint appeared to people, and they called me on the phone and told me that he had the very face depicted on the icon.

When an icon is painted with great pain and prayer, many significant elements are imprinted on it, even from the saint’s earthly life.

A few years ago my friend, a bishop, called me and said:

“I’m having an operation tomorrow, and it’s going to be very complicated. I didn’t tell anyone about it. And since I trust you, I ask you to pray for me. And I ask you to pray to St. Nikephoros, whom you love and who was your spiritual father.”

I told him:

“All right, Your Eminence! Tomorrow I’ll ‘send’ St. Nikephoros to you!”

The next day I prayed in front of St. Nikephoros’ icon, which is in my office, and told him simply, as Elder Iakovos (Tsalikis) used to teach us:

“I beg you very much, Holy Nikephoros! This Vladyka from Crete comes from the same place as you. Go and support him during his operation tomorrow, hold the doctors’ hands and direct them!”

That was all I said. Four or five days later Vladyka recovered after the operation. He called me and said:

“The doctors put me under general anesthesia, and throughout the operation I saw St. Nikephoros. And he did not look like the icon on the cover of the book, but from the one that was painted thanks to you.”

I said to myself:

“How humble the saints are!”

St. Nikephoros lived with St. Anthimos for forty-three years. In 1947 the anti-leprosy vaccine was discovered, leprosy no longer killed people, and many of them returned to their homes. But they were expelled from their native villages because of prejudice. Former lepers came to their homes only to find that their wives had married other men. There was a law according to which a leper automatically received a divorce certificate from his or her spouse. Leprosy was grounds for divorce. It was another pain. They related to me:

“We left our island and were kicked out of our homes. We went back to the hospital and said to ourselves: ‘We’re going to die here with the other lepers!’”

When a remedy for leprosy was found, Elder Evmenios was still Monk Sophronios. And what did he do? How did this man sanctify himself? Firstly, he stayed to take care of his Elder Nikephoros, because, as will be written later, St. Nikephoros had come to him in Egaleo. Secondly, he saw all the pain of the lepers—not only physical and mental pain, but also their rejection by society, so he said to himself:

“Although I have been cured (he later became a priest, and he did not have a single scar left), I will remain in the leper colony to serve the lepers!”

You understand how great his sacrifice was! St. Evmenios sacrificed his life at the monastery—that is, he sacrificed his choice, where, as a monk, he could have attended services, observed fasts and had a father-confessor. But he sacrificed everything to serve the lepers.

Elder Evmenios. Agiosnikiforos.gr In 1957, the leper colonies in Chios and Spinalonga were closed and all the lepers from all over Greece were gathered outside Egaleo, in an area called Agia Varvara. And what was built there was called an infectious diseases hospital, not a leper colony. Not only lepers were admitted there, but also all patients with infectious diseases.

Later AIDS broke out. Initially it caused people to panic. All HIV patients were sent to the infectious diseases hospital. We were students at the time, and took all this with a light sense of humor. We came to Elder Iakovos and told him:

“There is a new disease called AIDS.”

Elder Iakovos had a great sense of humor. And the next time I came to see him, he said:

“Listen, recently a man with the disease which you told me about came to me to confession.”

“With what disease?” I asked him.

“With this Eidzee.”

Later we realized that he had meant a person with AIDS.

Even more touching was Elder Evmenios, who suffered a lot of pain from leprosy. The first AIDS patients, desperate young people, were brought to him. Everyone came to Elder Evmenios, and he comforted and heartened young people who had the new disease. He didn’t know anything about it himself.

One day I arrived and found him making coffee for four young men with AIDS. I came to the kitchen to help him. He said:

“Make some coffee, open some Fanta (his favorite drink), and take everything out of the fridge: cheese, olives, bread and pieces of dried bread from Crete, because my spiritual children are suffering from that new disease.”

At some point, when he was pouring coffee, I heard him say:

“That’s enough, my Christ! That’s enough, my Christ! May the people’s suffering end!”

That’s how this compassionate man pitied people with AIDS!

At the age of twenty-four he became a monk, but he did not have an elder. He celebrated services for five hours a day. The abbot of Dionysiou Monastery phoned me and said:

“Brother Neophytos, your elder here is almost becoming a saint! He celebrates services on his own for five hours a day. We don’t even do that in large cenobitic monasteries on Mt. Athos!”

And the elder was alone. He prayed with prayer ropes alone in his cell. Until 1957, he prayed as he struggled on his own: “My Christ, send me a man who will tell me whether I am in delusion or not!” Elder Evmenios saw angels, demons, and uncreated light.

Some monks would say to him:

“You are in spiritual delusion.”

Elder Evmenios prayed to God to send a man to his holy monastery. Christ answered his prayer and sent him St. Nikephoros, who brought him a letter from his elder, St. Anthimos, who, as far as I remember, wrote: “My dear Father Sophronios, I am sending you a treasure to guide you in faith and prayer. Use this treasure, and you will become an experienced monk, like Father Nikephoros.”

Indeed, for seven years, from 1957 to 1964, Elder Evmenios was both the right and the left hand of St. Nikephoros. Why? The disease was progressing powerfully in St. Nikephoros—it had disfigured his legs, he could hardly move, had become totally blind, and his sweet voice was getting weak. A leper, a blind and semi-paralyzed man surely needed help. Elder Evmenios took care of him, putting his shoes and cassock on him so that he could go to service every day. St. Nikephoros was proficient in Byzantine singing, knew most of the psalms by heart, and remembered all the apostolic texts. With him Elder Evmenios learned monastic life.

St. Nikephoros in the final years of his life. Agiosnikiforos.gr     

Yesterday I received an email from America. The correspondence of St. Anthimos with St. Nikephoros has been found. When St. Nikephoros went to the leper colony in Egaleo, the elder continued to correspond with him and wrote letters to him. These letters have been discovered. And I found St. Nikephoros’ signature very beautiful—most likely he dictated to Elder Evmenios, because I recognized the latter’s handwriting.

In 1959, St. Anthimos (Vayianos), the elder of St. Nikephoros, reposed in the Lord in Chios. He was known as a great saint, so the Ecumenical Patriarchate canonized him very quickly. His feast is celebrated on February 15/28. Later, St. Nikephoros was also canonized.

When we came to the leper colony, we saw that Elder Evmenios kept St. Nikephoros’s relics in a chest in the adjoining cell. With great simplicity he would tell me:

“I keep our elder here!”

We went inside and opened the chest, which was made of iron. What a great fragrance came from the relics of the leper saint! This fragrance is especially mentioned in his troparion. How many people came to believe in the holiness of St. Nikephoros, not only after reading the book, but also while holding it in their hands and immediately sensing a fragrance!

This occurred to many. When Abbess Justina of St. Nicholas Convent in Orounda fell ill, I traveled to the nuns. Touched, they brought me a particle of the relics. Not only did was it fragrant, it also started exuding myrrh. Large drops of myrrh appeared on the surface. I told them:

“Sisters, don’t be afraid! St. Nikephoros is with us and will strengthen us!”

This year I visited the Peristeron nursing home again. By coincidence, it was on the feast of St. Nikephoros—January 4. We spoke with its director about the construction of a chapel. The nursing home bears the name of St. Anthony, and it would have been logical to dedicate the chapel should to him as well. But there is already an old chapel in Peristeron dedicated to St. Anthony. The director asked me:

“Which saint shall we dedicate it to?”

And someone in my soul told me:

“To St. Nikephoros.”

Then, when I got into the car, I asked the driver:

“What date is it today?”

“It is the feast of St. Nikephoros today.”

Thus, by the grace of God, in our diocese we have almost completed the design of this house of God, and we will have a large chapel in Peristeron dedicated to St. Nikephoros the Leper for the needs of the elderly, as well as for the staff and all pilgrims who love this saint. Everyone in Cyprus loves him.

I was impressed by one fact that is absent from the Life of St. Nikephoros. In 1961, Elder Evmenios was visited by a proud thought, and an evil spirit began to possess him, making him think that he had become a saint. Later the elder got rid of this spirit. How important it is to have lowliness of mind! He felt what hell was like when he was possessed by an evil spirit, and therefore he was always on the look-out not to judge others or exalt himself. All this was taught to him by St. Nikephoros.

St. Nikephoros saw the spiritual realm very clearly, although physically he was almost blind. With through this vision he saw the tempter, who walked and put various sinful thoughts and lust into the minds of other Christians, patients, nurses or doctors. St. Nikephoros had such power over the evil spirits that he would call a demon and tell scold him:

“Scoundrel, why did you put an evil thought into one of the nurses? Lust into such-and-such a patient? Anger into such-and-such a person?”

And he forbade the evil one to come to them again:

“Isn’t the cross of illness enough for them? Isn’t their patience enough? And you come and tempt them! Don’t come to them anymore!”

He had such power. However, whenever one of his spiritual children was possessed by an evil spirit, St. Nikephoros would say (to prevent others from regarding him as a saint):

“I’m unworthy. Take him to Crete, to Koutouma Monastery. Let Father Nicodemos read the special prayers over him.”

Here is another story. As a law student I went on pilgrimage to Holy Mount Athos. There was a celebration at the famous Serbian Hilandar Monastery there. After the Vigil we went to the refectory. I was sitting next to a monk who asked me:

“Are you a Cypriot?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Where do you live?”

“In Athens.”

We started talking about who I went to confession to. It was Fr. Gervasios from Simonopetra Monastery, a very good monk who died young.

He asked me:

“Do you go to the leper colony in Egaleo?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Is Father Evmenios your father-confessor?”

“Yes.”

“Father Nikephoros lives there as well.”

“Father Evmenios tells us many stories about him.”

“I met him,” he said, “when I was in Sunday school. Our teachers, who were members of church organizations, would take us to the leper colony in Egaleo to encourage and inspire the patients to Christian activity. And we went there and ‘got our heads out of the clouds’! There in every ward we met joyful, praying people—I saw it with my very eyes. They had small libraries with the Philokalia, the Evergetinos,¹ books by St. Isaac the Syrian, and the Lives of the Saints. Books that even theologians did not know about until later. The lepers read them. Who did they get them from? From St. Nikephoros, who received them from St. Anthimos and gave them to Elder Evmenios to read, and he passed them on to all the patients. This is how Holy Tradition works.

“We also went to sing them a Christian song, give them some sweets, and show them support; and in the end the lepers taught us a lesson in Orthodoxy.”

“What do you mean?”

“When we came to Father Nikephoros, he asked us, ‘My children, how do you pray?’ We uttered a few emotional, impromptu little prayers out loud. And he said to us, ‘That is not the way you should pray, my children! It is necessary to say the prayers, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!”, “Most Holy Theotokos, save me!”, “Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos”, “It is truly meet…”. But first of all you must have repentance, and then pray.’

​The monastery on the island of Chios. Agiosnikiforos.gr     

“No one had ever told us what repentance is. We had never heard that there is the prayer of the heart, that there are prayer ropes, that there is the prayer ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ We learned about this from a leper, the nearly blind and almost entirely paralyzed Father Nikephoros.”

To be continued…