A wise woman traveler found a precious stone in a mountain stream. The next day she met another traveler who was very hungry. The wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone & asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation & the traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him a lifetime security. A few days later he came back to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back to you in the hope that you would give me something even more precious!
Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."
I think we all long to find that precious stone. Some will find it. Others will continue to look. But if we think a while like the one traveler, we will come to same same conclusion as he did. It is better to give the stone back and ask for what is more precious, that which enabled the woman to give the stone away without even thinking once.
God gave us a most precious and priceless gift. His gift was to become incarnate of the blessed Virgin Mary, become man, die for us, be raised from the died and ascended into Heaven. My children are very dear to me. I love them very much. But my love is only a shadow of the love God has for you and me. I always remember the song my great grandmother taught me and sang to me a small young boy. “Jesus loves, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” It was so simple then to know Jesus loves me. But as I have grown older I have have seen and experienced the continued proof of his love for me and for you. It is not longer that I know this fact because the Bible tells me so. I know from the living proof of ever day of my life.
There are those who beat their chests and cry, “I am a sinner” for all to know. I already know I am a sinner and every one else knows it as well. We all know that we are sinners. Therefore, most of us chose to stand in the back of the temple. We stand together as a family of sinners, and quietly raise our voices to the one who created us, the one who came down to earth to give us new life, who died for us, and who raised us up with him. He is also the one who we will stand before on the final day and answer to what we have done or failed to do with this new life he has given us.
So let our voices saying quietly together, “Jesus thank you. God thank you for having mercy on us. May the Holy Spirit continue to fell our hearts and gives us the strenght to do Your will with this new life You died to give us.”
We invite all of you to join us tomorrow, Sunday, as we raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving as we celebrate the Holy Qurbana. The celebration starts at 10 am. The celebration will be followed with fellowship and some of Father Theodosius’ mother’s awesome soup and this week there is also a large loaf of homemade bread. This evening’s evening prayers are at 5 pm. During the week, Monday through Friday, there are morning prayers at 11 am. Special prayers will be offered for an end of the violence in the surrounding communities, and in the world. If you are not able to join us in person, please rest your prayers with all of ours.
St. Mary’s church is located at 1000 South Michigan Street, Plymouth, Indiana. If you need direction, please call Father Theodosius at the church at 574-540-2048.
Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on all of us.
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