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Dear Friends,
Christ is Risen!
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us at our home last night for our Pascha party, and to those who could not come but who sent best wishes. A special thank to those who prepared the program marking the 30th anniversary of my ordination. That was very kind, a total surprise, and I appreciated your efforts very much!
I didn’t get a chance to say anything, which is fine. You get too much Fr. Gregory already as it is. :)
But I did want to say just a few things, so I’ll do that here.
First, I am thankful to God for His great mercy in allowing me to serve at the Holy Altar for these 30 years. It is not because of my own qualities that I have been a priest this long, but only because of God’s mercy.
Second, there is no way I would have made it 30 days, much less 30 years, without Liza. To be a priest is hard work, to be sure. But to be a priest’s wife is unquestionably harder. And she has fulfilled her labors with grace and love for all these years. I am forever thankful for her endless sacrifice. My mother told us when we asked their blessing to be married, "if you marry him you'll be a saint!". May the Lord grant it.
Third, it is never the captain or coach of the team, but rather THE TEAM, that wins the victory. Any good thing that I may have accidentally accomplished despite my great shortcomings is because of those who are part of our STV team. Not because of me personally. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed our parish richly – with great leaders that have brought us to great places. And I am confident that our leaders will bring us to even greater places in the future in this life, and through this outstanding leadership in this life, will help facilitate the greatest accomplishment for our parishioners: the Heavenly Kingdom. This is why we are here. Everything we do as a parish family can and must lead to the Chalice. And if we make our Communion with God the center of our lives here – then the Heavenly Kingdom will be our true Homeland. May we continue our pilgrimage in this life with zeal and love for Christ and His Church, and through our efforts and God’s mercy, enter His Kingdom.
No one is promised tomorrow. Our Evening Prayers allude to this and this is good – that we understand we must do good and live as Christians now. Only the fool says “I will begin tomorrow.” Let us begin today! Now! To put away the things which bind us to the earth and embrace those things that lead us to Heaven! Not that we should leave our families, or our labors, but rather that ancillary worldliness that makes idols of so many things. That is, that makes us put so many things in front of God.
One cannot say everything in such a note as this. And so I will end. But I will say finally: please remember me and my family in your prayers. By your prayers I have hope that we can continue to serve our STV family for many years. We have a GREAT team! I’m thankful to have the opportunity to lead that team, and prepare those on the team for what comes next. We have to train our replacements. :) If I do that, and all our leaders do that, we have be at peace that not only will STV continue long into the future, but that it will continue to improve with each generation. May the Lord grant it!
Asking Your Prayers,
Fr. Gregory
