PARISH VOICES

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Apostles, we honor those ordinary men whose lives were forever transformed by an extraordinary encounter with Jesus Christ. Having come to know the risen Lord, they left behind everything to proclaim not merely a set of teachings, but a living relationship with the One who is "the way, the truth, and the life." Their witness reminds us that Christianity is far more than a philosophy or a private spirituality; it is an invitation to know,

A dear, old friend texted me. She had questions about Orthodoxy. She was raised Catholic and has been Protestant over 45 years. We have known each other the same amount of time so she knows my journey and my joining the Orthodox church eight years ago after first attending a liturgy eleven years ago.

Jesus intentionally chose and invited these twelve Apostles to follow Him and they faithfully walked side by side with Christ during his earthly ministry. He chose simple, ordinary men to enlighten and change the course of the world. Indeed, they did. These followers of Christ left their familiar routine to follow the King of the Universe! The twelve Holy Apostles left their comfortable life to learn from the Master. Through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, they spre

There is a common illustration for self care based upon an oxygen mask on an airline flight. The main message is that you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Dr. Albert Rossi uses the illustration at the beginning of his beautiful book Becoming a Healing Presence. He writes: The adult is to put his or her own oxygen mask on first, and only then put a mask on the infant. For me, as an Italian grandfather, those instructions are counterintuitive. I