The God of all Comfort
November 20, 2009
Beloved and faithful children in Christ at St.
Luke's:
The hour now grows late, its already past midnight the night before surgery, and there is just one more letter, indeed the most important letter, that I want to write - to you, all my dear ones and family in Christ. Afterward, I will shut off the computer and everything else worldly in my mind, take up the prayer rope and go to bed to be in silence and quiet, thanking God for every blessing and asking Him to keep us all in the palm of His loving care, and then to hopefully sleep in peace for few hours before getting up and heading to the hospital.
With love and fatherly care for each and every one of you, I feel compelled to write this, having as my purpose just one intention… to share with you to whatever degree I am capable, the deep and profound comfort with which God is and has been comforting me and all our family - with fervent prayers that you too may faithfully abide in His comfort and love, both now and always!
St. Paul wrote: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort". (II Corinthians 1: 3-7).
Ever since diagnosis on November 3rd, I feel that I have already died. This in turn has brought unutterable joy! What is there for me to hold on to? Pride? Worries? Burdens? How foolish would that be! It would be like clinging to the anchor of a sinking ship! Finally, and for the first time in my life, I really know that I am dead. Yes, I've taught this Orthodox precept in many sermons and at many baptisms and have believed it with all my heart... but this experience is on another level indeed. And, what a glorious wonder! Finally letting go, Christ has risen me up to the experience of Life! He truly is the Way the Truth and the Life! Now, it's as if all the joy of Pascha fills my heart every day. I really can't verbalize this experience any more...I just pray that, during our lifetime, we will all be filled with and experience such profound joy in Christ! This is my prayer for you.
Today was a glorious day! As Kyra remarked earlier in the week, being surrounded by such love and prayers from you and from the faithful across the globe, it would truly be a sin to despair. I fully agree. What is there to despair from, when God had blessed us all so much, every day? Early this morning, the precious and all-holy Body and Blood of Christ were the last food that ate, (other than prescribed antibiotics and a clear liquid diet all day), in preparation for tomorrow's surgery. We were also blessed this afternoon to have the wonder-working Kursk Root Icon visit our home... I am speechless at this great blessing. In Russia,a half a million faithful line up and wait for 18 hours to venerate for 3seconds this 13th century holy icon, before which St. Seraphim of Sarov was healed. And here it came to our home! We offered the Molieben for the Sick, praying for everyone that I know who is suffering from cancer,together with everyone that I know who is ill and in need of prayer. So, in a sense, the faithful of St. Luke's were in the presence of this holy icon through prayers. Then I received word from the surgeon that,thanks be to God, "all the tests look good - no new developments - and we're all set to have surgery tomorrow". Tonight was prayer and anointing with holy oil from St. Nektarios. Then tomorrow morning,before the surgery, it has been arranged that I will be able to go into the Operating Room and bless it with holy water and hang up an icon of the Resurrection of Christ! I've never heard of such a thing! Yes,today was a blessed and glorious day!
I will head into the Operating Room tomorrow in peace, with the Jesus Prayer in my heart as they put me to sleep. I am at peace with all my beautiful family. I am at peace with everyone and everything at St. Luke's. I chuckled to myself today when I remembered that the biggest disagreement we've had with one another in over the past 12 years was… what type of chairs in the hall to replace the vintage green ones! If we were a parish full of huge egos and arguments, there would be great fear and anxiety. Thanks to you and glory to God,we are a peaceful parish abiding in God's love. May it always be!
The surgery is scheduled for 10 am. Sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who have been praying, and who will come to church tomorrow to pray… the doors will be open by 7 am and stay open all day. The Evening Divine Liturgy for the Great Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos will be celebrated at 6:30 pm and followed by a Lenten pot-luck. I doubt that I'll be able to see any visitors for several days, maybe even a week, but at least till I'm in a regular room. I'll keep in touch through Anna at church and Kyra at home. Still, I am most comforted knowing that my hospital room is so close to St. Luke's, in the shadow of the Cross on the dome of the Church.
With the utmost love and prayers, counting it a blessing to serve our God,
Fr. Michael
"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word". (II Thess. 2: 16-17)
The hour now grows late, its already past midnight the night before surgery, and there is just one more letter, indeed the most important letter, that I want to write - to you, all my dear ones and family in Christ. Afterward, I will shut off the computer and everything else worldly in my mind, take up the prayer rope and go to bed to be in silence and quiet, thanking God for every blessing and asking Him to keep us all in the palm of His loving care, and then to hopefully sleep in peace for few hours before getting up and heading to the hospital.
With love and fatherly care for each and every one of you, I feel compelled to write this, having as my purpose just one intention… to share with you to whatever degree I am capable, the deep and profound comfort with which God is and has been comforting me and all our family - with fervent prayers that you too may faithfully abide in His comfort and love, both now and always!
St. Paul wrote: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort". (II Corinthians 1: 3-7).
Ever since diagnosis on November 3rd, I feel that I have already died. This in turn has brought unutterable joy! What is there for me to hold on to? Pride? Worries? Burdens? How foolish would that be! It would be like clinging to the anchor of a sinking ship! Finally, and for the first time in my life, I really know that I am dead. Yes, I've taught this Orthodox precept in many sermons and at many baptisms and have believed it with all my heart... but this experience is on another level indeed. And, what a glorious wonder! Finally letting go, Christ has risen me up to the experience of Life! He truly is the Way the Truth and the Life! Now, it's as if all the joy of Pascha fills my heart every day. I really can't verbalize this experience any more...I just pray that, during our lifetime, we will all be filled with and experience such profound joy in Christ! This is my prayer for you.
Today was a glorious day! As Kyra remarked earlier in the week, being surrounded by such love and prayers from you and from the faithful across the globe, it would truly be a sin to despair. I fully agree. What is there to despair from, when God had blessed us all so much, every day? Early this morning, the precious and all-holy Body and Blood of Christ were the last food that ate, (other than prescribed antibiotics and a clear liquid diet all day), in preparation for tomorrow's surgery. We were also blessed this afternoon to have the wonder-working Kursk Root Icon visit our home... I am speechless at this great blessing. In Russia,a half a million faithful line up and wait for 18 hours to venerate for 3seconds this 13th century holy icon, before which St. Seraphim of Sarov was healed. And here it came to our home! We offered the Molieben for the Sick, praying for everyone that I know who is suffering from cancer,together with everyone that I know who is ill and in need of prayer. So, in a sense, the faithful of St. Luke's were in the presence of this holy icon through prayers. Then I received word from the surgeon that,thanks be to God, "all the tests look good - no new developments - and we're all set to have surgery tomorrow". Tonight was prayer and anointing with holy oil from St. Nektarios. Then tomorrow morning,before the surgery, it has been arranged that I will be able to go into the Operating Room and bless it with holy water and hang up an icon of the Resurrection of Christ! I've never heard of such a thing! Yes,today was a blessed and glorious day!
I will head into the Operating Room tomorrow in peace, with the Jesus Prayer in my heart as they put me to sleep. I am at peace with all my beautiful family. I am at peace with everyone and everything at St. Luke's. I chuckled to myself today when I remembered that the biggest disagreement we've had with one another in over the past 12 years was… what type of chairs in the hall to replace the vintage green ones! If we were a parish full of huge egos and arguments, there would be great fear and anxiety. Thanks to you and glory to God,we are a peaceful parish abiding in God's love. May it always be!
The surgery is scheduled for 10 am. Sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who have been praying, and who will come to church tomorrow to pray… the doors will be open by 7 am and stay open all day. The Evening Divine Liturgy for the Great Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos will be celebrated at 6:30 pm and followed by a Lenten pot-luck. I doubt that I'll be able to see any visitors for several days, maybe even a week, but at least till I'm in a regular room. I'll keep in touch through Anna at church and Kyra at home. Still, I am most comforted knowing that my hospital room is so close to St. Luke's, in the shadow of the Cross on the dome of the Church.
With the utmost love and prayers, counting it a blessing to serve our God,
Fr. Michael
"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word". (II Thess. 2: 16-17)