Newsletter September 19, 2026

The Cross in Our Lives, Part Two

Atheistic existentialism says, “Hell is other people,” whereas Christian existentialism says, “Paradise is other people.” Saint Silouan the Athonite used to say, “Our brother is our life.” In Christ, the other — who, according to the Gospel, is our “neighbor” — is no longer an outsider. Every stranger becomes your neighbor when you treat him as the Good Samaritan treated the wounded man (Luke 10). Thus, if you strive to approach every human being with love and compassion, you will see that all are your neighbors. Yet it is important to understand that whenever you feel responsible for others, whether individually or collectively, you continually bear the cross of that responsibility.

There is a heavy cross here, specifically in our relationships with others, beginning with the members of our own family and extending even to our enemies. This cross arises from our desire to protect those we love, to help them, and to stand beside them in their trials and distresses, even when they may not want our help, may be unwilling to follow our advice, or may misunderstand us. At times, they may even oppose us in proportion to our love for them, because they demand an expression of our love that differs from ours, and that may contradict our principles and morals.

Read the entire article: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2937

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: ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS 2:16-20

Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

Gospel: MARK 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.

Concelebrating with the Angels
Tenth Talk on the Divine Liturgy, Part B

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

I’ll tell you a story from our life on the Holy Mountain. We weren’t living in the skete anymore at this point, but in the monastery. According to our typikon, we would pray on our prayer ropes in our cells in the evening until midnight, and at midnight we’d serve Liturgy in the church. The fathers sang quietly, simply. At some point, when the chanter finished one hymn, the entire church was suddenly filled with a Heavenly, angelic chanting. There were angels at this Liturgy, like every Liturgy, and God allowed everyone to hear their wondrous chanting, which sounded like a giant choir singing. But there was no choir in the church; there were only a few of us there. Everyone at the service heard this angelic chanting.

Read the entire article: https://orthochristian.com/180161.html