June 25 - From Our Batushka - 2026

Dear brothers and sisters,

Last week, we spoke about how every Sunday for a Christian is a little Pascha, a weekly remembrance of the Resurrection of Christ. Today, I would like to continue this thought and speak about why the Divine Liturgy stands at the center of all Church life.

The Divine Liturgy is not simply one of the services of the Church week. In it, the central Mystery of the Church is celebrated: the Holy Eucharist. We gather together to offer thanksgiving to God, to hear His word, to pray for one another, and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

It is important to remember that the Liturgy is not a mechanical repetition of the same rites. It is celebrated according to the established order of the Church, yet each time it is revealed to us as a living encounter with Christ. Week after week, we hear the word of God, offer thanksgiving to the Lord, pray for the living and the departed, are united with one another in common prayer, and approach the Chalice of Life.

The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.” We come to church not only with our requests and needs, but also with gratitude to God for life, for His mercy, for forgiveness, for His patience with us, and for all that He does for our salvation. Such gratitude helps a person see his life more attentively and recognize within it the action of God’s love.

During the Divine Liturgy, we hear the Apostolic Epistles and the Gospel readings. Through the word of Holy Scripture, the Lord speaks to us, instructs us, corrects us, consoles us, and strengthens us. This is why it is important to arrive at the Liturgy on time and to remain attentive throughout the service, so that we do not lose the wholeness of the divine service and so that what we hear in church may become nourishment for the soul.

The culmination of the Liturgy is the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Lord Himself says: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him.” In Holy Communion, Christ unites us with Himself, and through the one Chalice He unites us with one another in the one Body of the Church. This is not a symbolic remembrance or a pious custom, but a living encounter with Christ.

For this reason, participation in the Liturgy calls us to preparation: to prayer, repentance, reconciliation with our neighbors, and attentiveness to our life. We come to church not as separate individuals who happen to be standing near one another, but as a Church community, as the one Body of Christ. We pray for the living and the departed, support one another, and share a common joy and a common responsibility for the life of the parish.

When a person regularly participates in the Divine Liturgy, his spiritual life becomes more steady. Even if the week has been difficult, even if the heart is scattered or tired, the Liturgy brings us back to God, to prayer, to repentance, and to hope. It gathers our life once again around Christ.

May the Sunday Divine Liturgy be for us not an obligation to fulfill, but a gift toward which we strive with gratitude and love. Through it, the Lord strengthens us, sanctifies our life, and leads us on the path of salvation.

We joyfully await all of you at the Sunday Divine Liturgy, so that together we may offer thanksgiving to God and partake of the joy of life in Christ.