April 2026

Message from Father James

The Catechetical Paschal Homily of our Father Among the Saints,
St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople:

If there are devout and God loving people here, let them enjoy this beautiful, radiant festival. If there are prudent servants, enter joyously into the Lord’s joy. Whoever may be spent from fasting, enjoy now your reward. Whoever has toiled from the first hour, receive today your just settlement. If any came after the third hour, celebrate gratefully. If any you arrived after the sixth, have no misgivings, you have lost nothing. If some have been as late as the ninth, come forward, do not be at a loss. If any of you have arrived only at the eleventh hour, do not be dismayed for being... show moreApril 2026

Message from Father James

The Catechetical Paschal Homily of our Father Among the Saints,
St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople:

If there are devout and God loving people here, let them enjoy this beautiful, radiant festival. If there are prudent servants, enter joyously into the Lord’s joy. Whoever may be spent from fasting, enjoy now your reward. Whoever has toiled from the first hour, receive today your just settlement. If any came after the third hour, celebrate gratefully. If any you arrived after the sixth, have no misgivings, you have lost nothing. If some have been as late as the ninth, come forward, do not be at a loss. If any of you have arrived only at the eleventh hour, do not be dismayed for being late.

The Master is gracious: He accepts the last even as the first; He gives rest to those of the eleventh as well as to those who have labored from the first; He is lenient with the last while looking after the first; to the one He gives, to the other He gives freely; He accepts the labors and welcomes the effort; honors the deed, but commends the intent. So, all of you, enter into the joy of our Lord: first and second, share the bounty. Rich and poor alike, celebrate together. Sober or heedless, honor the day. Those who fasted and those who did not, rejoice today. The table is full, everyone fare sumptuously.

The calf is fatted; no one go away hungry. Everyone, savor the banquet of faith; relish the riches of His goodness. No one need lament poverty, for the kingdom is seen as universal. No one need grieve over sins; forgiveness has dawned from the tomb. No one need fear death; the Savior’s death has freed us from it. While its captive He stifled it. He despoiled Hades as He descended into it; it was embittered when it tasted His flesh. Foreseeing this, Isaiah proclaimed: “Hades,” he said, “was embittered when he met You below.” It was embittered because it was abolished. It was embittered because it was mocked. It was embittered because it was slain. It was embittered because it was shackled. It received a body and encountered God. It took earth and came face to face with heaven. It took what it saw and fell by what it could not see. Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory? Christ is risen and you are overthrown. Christ is risen and demons have fallen. Christ is risen and angels rejoice. Christ is risen and life rules. Christ is risen and not one dead remains in the tomb. For Christ, having risen from the dead, has become the firstfruits of those that slept. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever.

Amen.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/360e71b5-242e-4b49-9dab-6d1823988303 ...show less

February 2026

Message from Father Nebojsa

Saturday of Souls - Remembering the souls of those passed from this life

In the early 4th-5th centuries, as the liturgical life of the church was being developed by St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great, Pope Gregory the Great, and many others, there was a concise effort to accentuate the experience of worship for Christians.

One of the main developments is the dedication of each day of the week to a certain commemoration. Mondays were assigned to commemorate the Angels, Tuesdays for St. John the Baptist, Wednesdays for the Cross, Thursdays for the Hierarchs (and namely St. Nicholas!), Fridays for the Cross, and Saturdays for the Martyrs. Sunday was the Lord’s day and the day we remember... show moreFebruary 2026

Message from Father Nebojsa

Saturday of Souls - Remembering the souls of those passed from this life

In the early 4th-5th centuries, as the liturgical life of the church was being developed by St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great, Pope Gregory the Great, and many others, there was a concise effort to accentuate the experience of worship for Christians.

One of the main developments is the dedication of each day of the week to a certain commemoration. Mondays were assigned to commemorate the Angels, Tuesdays for St. John the Baptist, Wednesdays for the Cross, Thursdays for the Hierarchs (and namely St. Nicholas!), Fridays for the Cross, and Saturdays for the Martyrs. Sunday was the Lord’s day and the day we remember Pascha, the resurrection of all believers.

As history progressed Saturdays became major days of commemorating the fallen Christians who witnessed during the age of Martyrdom. Very quickly during this time, it became a natural extension for Christians to not only commemorate the age of martyrs, but also other Christians who had fallen asleep in the Lord.

With this advancement, there was created alongside the emergence of Holy Week services, a calendar which included days for commemorating the dead - Psychosavato.

These days for the dead were earmarked for the first Saturday of the first week of Lent, as a way to connect our Lenten journey to a concise commemoration of those who have fallen asleep. The Second day is the Saturday before Pentecost, which is connected to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the end of the Paschal resurrectional ethos.

What this means for us is that on these days - Psychosavato - we purposefully commemorate all of those who have fallen asleep. Eventually in the church because of the overwhelming use of these commemoration days, the church developed a tradition of commemorating the dead EVERY Saturday, and in Greece for example you can find services for the dead every Saturday at cemeteries.

While we have an emergence of local traditions like yearly commemorations for our loved ones, it is the actual tradition of the church that after a 1 year memorial, all other memorials are supposed to be placed into Psychosavato, and on the Saturday of the Souls the souls of all of those who have fallen asleep including past martyrs, emperors, bishops, etc. are commemorated alongside our loved ones.

We hope that everyone prayerfully brings a list of names of their loved ones who have deceased from this life to this year’s Saturday of Souls services on February 14th (1st Saturday of Lent) and May 30th (Saturday before Pentecost).
May their memories be eternal!

Fr. Nebojsa Pantic
Efimerios

https://indd.adobe.com/view/978f7945-dc97-4839-8d25-053f6f429693 ...show less