Drops of Wisdom Vol.2, No.4 – September 2020
My dear ones, we propose to you for reading the fourth issue of our Magazine – Drops of Wisdom.
Here you will find information on the religious program of our Church, as well as on the events that take place within our Community.
The resumption of publishing this parish magazine came with the signing of the Church’s deeds of purchase, as a gesture of gratitude and thanks to God, the Holy Hierarch Varlaam, and the Holy Pious Parascheva. To read it, please access the line below.
FIRST DAY IN OUR CHURCH
With God’s help and the goodwill of some believers, yesterday we have worked with love and vigor in our Church.
We removed the carpets, from the two levels, We started reconditioning the benches and leveling the level of the altar area.
Certainly Saint Varlaam is happy that we are preparing his house and making him new clothes.
We thank all those who have given a helping hand and we look forward to seeing all of you who want and can support us in preparing the church to serve in it as soon as possible. It is such a beautiful and holy thing to know that you are giving God and your community a small part of your soul.
Every afternoon, starting at 6.30PM, you will find us there – at our Church.
We are waiting for you.
July 25th, 2020 – Signing the purchase documents of our Church
July 25, 2020 – HISTORICAL MOMENT
Dear ones, we are glad to inform you that on Saturday, July 25th, our Saint Protector Varlaam finally found his own house of prayer and remembrance.
On this day, God guided our steps and sent us a Church, only ours, of the faithful of our Romanian community, from the Province of New Brunswick.
On this day, a dream of decades has come true, so that we, the Romanians of this Province, can have a place of worship, which we can leave as a legacy to our children and grandchildren.
On this day, we have inscribed our name in history and in the Kingdom of God.
We are still at the beginning, we still have a lot to do, but we can. All together and with God we will succeed, from now on, to adorn and beautify the House of the Lord.
Soon we will serve the Holy Liturgy in OUR CHURCH!
The location of our Church is 28 River Glade Road, River Glade, Thank God and thank you all.
June 18 – The Second Sunday after Pentecost – Calling the First Apostles
The Apostle
Brethren, glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. All who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. For it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. When Gentiles who have not the Law do by nature what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the Law. They show that what the Law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Rom. 2:10-16)
The Gospel
At that time, as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. (Matt. 4:18-23)
- For it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. Here, the Lord is very categorical. It is not enough just to hear what God says (of course it is not bad). It is so important to do what we hear God says. In another place, Christ says again clearly: Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). So let us remember this, such that Christ shall not say to us in the judgment: „If I had not told you …, you would not have had sin …”
- We are all called, but not all of us have the same call. From the Scripture, we learn that there were more people who would have wanted to follow Christ as the disciples followed him, but the Lord gave them another direction. For example, a man haunted by the Devil and saved from this infirmity, when Christ entered into the ship to cross to the other side of Lake Ghenizaret, this man went to Him and told Him that he wanted to follow Him wherever He went. But Christ the Lord said to him: Return to your own house, and say how great things God had done to you (Luke 8.39). These words are guiding words. Just as Christ called some of them and said to them, Follow Me!, he said to others, as he said to that man, ”Go back to your own house, and say how great things God had done to you; Tell them how well God had done to you and how he had loved you”. That’s their call. There was one who also said to the Lord: Master, I will follow You wherever You go. And Jesus sad to Him: Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has not where to lay his head (Matthew 8.19-20). As if he would have said: “Be careful, do you want to follow Me? Do you know what that means? It means you will not have a place for yourself”. Of course, these are exceptional things; We have not to imagine that it is wrong, if we have a house, if we have a household, if we have a place in this world, if we work, prepare food for ourselves and for others. There are the ordinances of God, but He calls some of us in some way, others in another way. What is important? Let us respond to the God`s call, as much as we have the power. Of course, if we want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven … if not ……….
June 4 2017 – DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Pentecost)
John 7:37-52; 8:12
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
- What does Jesus tell us to do if we are thirsty?
- If we believe in him what do we get to do?
- What will happen to a believer’s heart?
- Who is living water?
- What kind of thirst is Jesus talking about in this gospel?
- What does it mean to drink of the holy spirit?
- How does this satisfy our thirst?