November Message From Father Peter
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Christ is in our Midst!
During the month of November we honor the memory of one of the most beloved saints of the twentieth century, St. Nectarios of Aegina.
We have had a devotion in this parish and the Diocese to St. Nectarios for nearly a quarter of a century. Since assuming the pastorate at St. John’s in 1994, I have celebrated the Moleben to St. Nectarios on a monthly basis which has been a blessing for our parish.
Throughout the Diocese, many miraculous healings have been attributed to St. Nectarios, especially those suffering from cancer.
St. Nectarios stands as a beacon of light, manifesting the power of love and holiness. In his life, St. Nectarios was falsely accused of wrong doing and was forced to live as a simple monk, being deprived of his Episcopal See and in his latter years, he experienced many health problems which caused him great pain and suffering. In spite of this suffering, St Nectarios never lost faith and grew even stronger in his love for Almighty God.
In today’s world, more than ever, we need to familiarize ourselves with the lives of the saints, the heroes of the faith, to provide us with the much needed encouragement and guidance in leading a godly life, in the midst of turmoil.
I encourage you to read the short synopsis of the life of this blessed Saint along with real life testimonies of his miraculous intercessions and the short excerpt from his writings on prayer that are included in this edition of The Prophet. You will see that he was a man of great humility and love, which are the foundational building blocks for growth in the spiritual life.
May we be ever inspired by his holy example to love and serve the Lord and all whom he places in our path in life with even greater zeal, being ourselves agents of joy and healing that our world so desperately needs
Fr. Peter