At the onset of the pandemic, with the blessing of Archbishop Peter, we instituted a video live stream to better serve those who were unable to come to church. As the pandemic wore on, it was more possible to come to church, but as an exception the video live stream served those who stayed home due to medical issues. We were thankful to have this technology to support our parishioners in their spiritual lives.
As the pandemic has faded, many things associated with the pandemic have also gone away: masking, social distancing, etc. This is normal – this is how these things work. At the end of this year the video live stream will also go away.
The good news is that our high-fidelity audio live stream will continue, as it did before, during, and after the pandemic. We feel that this is a much more appropriate way for those who can not join us in person to join us in prayer. Video facilitates sitting and watching services as one watches a sporting event. Audio facilitates standing in prayer before one’s icons and praying along with the parish family. And this is how we should be when we are participating from afar: standing before the icons, lampada or candle lit, dressed in church clothes, participating prayerfully in the Divine Services; follow Divine Liturgy with a special family meal. Since the eyes are not involved there is no need to see anything – one can see all that is needed with the mind’s eye, or with the soul. And this is how we should be whether we are listening, or even more authentically and traditionally, when we are executing a Reader Service at home.
A Reader Service sounds rather daunting at first blush, but it really is not. In fact, our last lecture of the Nativity Lecture Series this year, on January 1, 2023, will be dedicated to explaining how to do a Reader Service at home. In the mean time, you can prepare for this lecture by visiting the link below, which explains this in some detail:
We hope that all our parishioners can always come to church! But we know that is not reality. So we want to arm you with options that are authentic, traditional, and accessible. Because when the parish family is at prayer we should all be at prayer – whether we are together at church or somewhere else for whatever reason.
All audio live streams will be posted on our Facebook page when they begin – just as we do the video live stream now. So if your practice is to rely on Facebook notifications do not fear – this will continue. There will be a link to click, and the audio live stream will open.
The audio live stream can be accessed during Divine Services here:
Please do not hesitate to contact me or Fr. Colin with questions in this regard.
Asking Your Prayers,
Fr. Gregory
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