Page 20 - Western Diocese Annual 2023

DIOCESE OF WESTERN AMERICA
This bloodless sacrifice is offered by the Church every time we celebrate the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It brings us all together.
And this is no accident, my brothers. At this mo- ment, when we are honored by the grace of the Lord to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, we feel St. Sava walk- ing here among us and telling us the same words of Christ. To address these words first to us, the faithful Christians and especially the Orthodox. To under- stand that without love we cannot be faithful to his preaching and message.
Dear brothers and sisters,
The light with which Sava illuminates our present and future still shines today. It is up to each of us to recognize him and to adopt Sava’s ethos, as much as possible. Today, my brethren, we are called to listen to his call, a call which he addresses to us from the Communion of the Saints. This call is identical with
the one Christ gives to us in today’s Gospel reading: “I have come so that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” And the saying “There shall be one flock, one Shepherd” (Jn 10:16) we expe- rience as something already accomplished.
Besides, from this Holy Ambon I send my whole- hearted wishes to the beloved Hierarchs, to the de- vout clergy and to the entire flock of the Orthodox Church in the US, and we pray that God may bless our efforts and good works, to the glory of our Fa- ther Who is in heaven and the honor of our Church and our people. This message, my dear brothers, rings in our hearts today in this sacred space. And, with your blessing, Your Eminence and beloved Hi- erarchs, let us pray that this message will be fruitful. And with this message may all be united and let us strive to know the true God by loving one another. Even more, even deeper. Amen!
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