Glory to Jesus Christ!
All the faithful and friends of The Nativity ofthe Theotokos Parish,
One hundred years seems like a long to us finite beings, but to our heavenly one day is as
a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. So to Him we are still just beginning! St. Mary's here in Coaldale certainly has a legacy oflongevity and perseverance since 1909. As a local parish of immigrants and foreigners to this American land, they wanted true authentic Orthodox Christianity not a "look alike" faith or a connection to the Roman Church. Being from the Byzantine Rite they broke away and came into the arms of the Holy Orthodox Church here in America. Setting out on this journey meant they would have to give up all to follow Christ and His Church.
The Orthodox Church, as the Body of Christ, has grave responsibilities. Her main
responsibility is to remain humble, and to show love to all they come into contact with, whether neighbors next to our parish property, or visitors from far away. Her calling is to fulfill the commission of Christ, to be lights to the world, to bring the healing medicine of the Gospel to all who will come to receive.
It is imperative that in the 100 years ahead that St. Mary's, as a local expression of the
True Faith, renews her traditional commitment to the Gospel of her Fathers-the Apostles and the Saints of our Holy Church. This Gospel is first of all, a Gospel of love and acceptance. This Gospel is a message oflove of the sinner-with acts of compassion to those in need outside of our own immediate community.
In order to express the True Gospel to a needy community, the Holy Spirit also asks that
we now lay aside all earthly cares and shed our "security blankets", letting go of the man made traditions that have held us back and reach forward for the prize of the high calling in Jesus Christ. St. Paul writing to the Philippian Church, and to us, says about his own reliance upon the dead tradition of his heritage,
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do,forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goalfor the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren,join infollowing my example, and note those who so walk, as you have usfor a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven,from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself(3:7-21}.
Our determination, like the great saint, must be the same: to walk by the same rule, to focus our attention on Christ Jesus and to pray, and to lead others to this citizenship in heaven. Seeking our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ with our whole heart, mind soul and strength, and by prayerfully and actively loving those around us, we can bring the light of Divine knowledge to them. Then our past years will come to be refined by fire, and we will attain unto salvation. Let us allow these coming years to be more fruitful, to be marked by our love for God and one another, so that we can work out our own salvation, and then those around us will be drawn through the power of the Holy Spirit to Christ's Holy Church for their salvation.
May God grant you many years!!
In the Love of Christ. Fr.David,
Rev. Fr. Daniel Mathewson
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