"I am the door. By me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture." - John 10:9 At every parish where I have had the pleasure of attending services, there is always a small group of people who find their way all the way up to the church building but don't actually attend services. At one parish it was a group of male gypsies who talked on cellphones or smoked cigarettes. At another it was a few Protestant husbands who, though they never attended services, opened the parish doors for people as they filed in. At yet another parish the men stood in the narthex and chatted until it was time to receive and then got in line. Latin or Greek Catholic, Eastern or Oriental Orthodox I see the same small throng of men standing next to the front door, but not standing, sitting, or kneeling amongst the people. If it were me (and I can only speak for myself here) this option would be an unsavory one. The boredom would be immediate. The anxiety of som...
Slightly off-topic, but since I was gone this past Sunday Father gave me his sermon notes for the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh Bearers. It was based on a sermon by Met. Anthony Bloom. He pointed out that the myrrh bearers did not cease their love for Christ even after his death. They cared for him as a mother cares for her child who has died. This was so comforting to read. There is a place for myrrh bearers even today.
ReplyDeleteWonderful ministry. Thank you for sharing. I hope it will inspire others to do the same.
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