Newsletter May 30, 2026

Regarding the Priest’s Clothing

Toward the end of the last century, a lively debate arose in Greece—especially in Athens—over what a priest should wear outside the liturgical services: the traditional cassock or the clerical suit. It is said that during that period, Saint Paisios the Athonite received many visitors asking for his opinion on the matter. After the questions became frequent, the saint removed all the leaves from one of the two olive trees in the garden of his hermitage. Thereafter, he would answer the question by saying: “Look at these two olive trees and tell me: which one is more beautiful?”

Read the entire article: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2820

We will be studying the book “The Orthodox Way” by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.
https://svspress.com/the-orthodox-way-classics-series-vol-2/

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 2:1-11

WHEN THE DAY of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Gospel: JOHN 7:37-52; 8:12

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.” Nikodemos, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

A Talk on the Ascension of the Lord. Part 1

St. Cleopa (Ilie) of Romania

Thus, our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens (Eph. 4:10). But for what did the Lord ascend? For what reason did He ascend?

Did you hear this sticheron sung by the choir at Great Vespers this evening: “The Lord ascended into heaven, that He might send the Comforter to the world” (cf. Mk. 16:19; Acts 1:9)? So, the first reason why the Lord ascended from earth to heaven is to send us the Holy Spirit. This is what He Himself said in the Divine Gospel: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; …even the Spirit of truth, Which proceedeth from the Father (Jn. 16:7; 15:26).

The second reason why the Savior ascended to heaven is to fulfill the dispensation that was established for us. You can hear what is written in the kontakion for this most holy feast: “When Thou didst fulfill the dispensation for our sake, and didst unite earth to heaven, Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God.”

Read the entire article: https://orthochristian.com/177811.html

Part 2: https://orthochristian.com/177813.html

Part 3: http://orthochristian.com/177852.html

Part 4: https://orthochristian.com/177898.html