Newsletter April 23, 2026

May Your Humility Receive My Words, Elder Joseph

As for the radiant, cheerful countenance that reflects the clarity of heaven and the Kingdom of God on earth, He grants it to some of His faithful ones. I could see all these qualities in the face of Elder Joseph of St. Nektarios Monastery of Roscoe, New York, upon whom many graces from God were manifest. I dare to speak of them now, after he has gone to the dwellings of the Lord.

This is what I saw in you from the moment I met you for the first time, and it increased throughout three years, up to our last meeting. You did not change, nor were you altered. Even the grievous illness you endured in recent years was not an obstacle that prevented the heavenly light from shining on your face for a single moment; rather, it only increased. Nor did your physical pains conceal the gentle, transparent smile on your face!

How ashamed I felt when I learned that you had postponed receiving your chemotherapy by a day or two in order to hear my last confession, especially when I saw signs of fatigue upon you. I asked you then, “Are you in great pain, Father?” And so that I would not worry about you, you answered roundaboutly, with heavenly gentleness and a smile not of this world: “The chemotherapy dose tires me, and afterward, I spend several days as though I were dead!” Your answer was like an arrow that pierced me with the measure of love you carried!

By your conduct, you taught me the importance of faithfulness to the Lord until the final breath. Through you, I came to understand that faithfulness, and the deeds and labors that accompany it, are what draw forth the grace of God. This is what I had also learned from our Holy Fathers; yet in you, I saw it embodied.

Read the entire article: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2786

Congratulations to everyone who was Baptised/Chrismated during Holy Week! Glory to God!

One more reminder to the Newly Illumined (and to everyone): Please say your Saint’s name (which is your new Christian name!) out loud as you approach the Chalice. This is, firstly, your proclimation to God of who is approaching for Communion. (It is also a help tp me so that I also can state your name as I gserve you Holy Communion).

It was pointed out to me by one of the altar servers that I, too, say my name out loud at the altar as I partake of Holy Communion.

Friends, I am going to take a few weeks off from Wednesday evening services. A little rest. Also, I need to make some trips, which I cannot accomplish without being away over a Wednesday.

So, I ask your forgiveness. I will announce when the services will resume.

For the catechumens and inquirers, since Wednesday evening was our main time for meeting together, I want to emphasize that I will still be available to meet one-on-one. Please continue your reading / studying, and as questions arise, please let me know and we will get together to discuss them.

Our diocesan Parish Life Conference (which is the annual gathering of our diocesan community for fellowship and worship) will take place in Denver this summer (June 10th – 13th)! This is a great opportunity to experience the event. The culminating event is the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, where all of the priests of the diocese celebrate together. It is, literally, awesome.

Here is the link for the PLC website. It contains schedules, location, registration, etc.
https://www.antiochianevents.com/wichita
Please note that you will need to register and pay for admittance to any of the events (except, of course, any of the liturgical services…).

Please remember that our full calendar continues to be available at our parish web site. Here is a link:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Calendar/calendar.php

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2026 web.pdf

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2026.pdf

Epistle: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 6:1-7

In those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, “it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Gospel: MARK 15:43-47; 16:1-8

At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

St. Melito and Pascha – Hell Is Not The Last Word

Fr. Stephen Freeman

St. Melito obviously offers an alternative view of the world. The Christ who “trampled down death by death,” the Lord of Pascha, is foreshadowed in the world (particularly in the accounts of the Old Testament). The Christ proclaimed by St. Melito is the Christ who confronts death itself, including the meaninglessness that we know too well in our modern world. This Christ is God in the Flesh, who has condescended into the existence of man and grappled with the “destiny of the silence of death.” In the face of the death of His friend, Lazarus, Christ cries out, “Lazarus, come forth!” With that cry the Church’s observance of Holy Week begins.

This observance is not the mere recounting of history. The recounting of history (the stories of the Old Testament) has been taken up by Christ into a new and fulfilled existence. The call to Lazarus is now a call to all of humanity. The silence of death has been broken by the voice of the Son of God.

Read the entire article: https://glory2godforallthings.com/2026/04/18/st-melito-and-pascha-hell-is-not-the-last-word-4/