ST BASIL PARISH HOLDS PRE-CHRISTMAS MISSION

November 22, 2018

ARCHBISHOP STEFAN SOROKA LEADS ADVENT MISSION AT ST BASIL THE GREAT

Metropolitan-Emeritus Archbishop Stefan Soroka joined St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Parish on November 17th and 18th, 2018 to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with Parish Priest Father Ihor Shved and Deacon Leon Twerdun and to lead a mission with the goal of helping prepare everyone for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In both, his homilies and luncheon discussions, Archbishop Stefan led a powerful reflection on how we must see ourselves as Christians. The focus was on the fundamental precepts of our Christian faith and the challenges in sharing it with whomever we meet. He also spoke on how we can be more forgiving and charitable, less envious of others and of material possessions, and more sharing of our time and talents in our parish life and in the greater community.

A parish luncheon was held after each Divine Liturgy and this gave the Archbishop the opportunity to conduct a question and answer period, to share reflections on his own personal formation and ministry and to visit with parishioners and guests. He spoke about his experience in meeting Mother Teresa of Calcutta in New York and the impact of that visit. He completed the Saturday session with a special meeting with the catechism teachers.

In his comments, Archbishop Stefan both challenged and inspired us to:

....find new ways of talking to people, especially younger people, about our spiritual life.... we must reach out to and talk with them... we must plant the seed.

....become a welcoming community because people are seeking religious understanding. We must take nothing for granted.

....be purposeful in inviting all people to experience and participate in our Divine Liturgy as much as possible...

...focus not only on our own spiritual development, but just as importantly, be mindful of everyone with whom we journey,... we must impart something to inspire their spirituality and help feed their soul.

....have a spirit of wanting to know about our Christian faith and helping others to come to the same knowledge....

...our challenge is to dedicate this Advent period to how we can better hear and respond to the Word of God and share our abundance and care for others...


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