The Orthodox Mission

Chronicle of the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Mission
Diocesan Bishop - His Grace Bishop Dr. MITROPHAN
Aministrator - Fr. Rodney Torbic
408 Morgantown Avenue
Fairmont, West Virginia 26544

November 29 / December 12, 2009
Holy Martyrs Paramonous and Philumenus
No. 174
Phone 724-966-7428
Phone 304-534-5321
Phone 304-622-3681

I Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

· Four people came for Divine Liturgy on November 14, 2009.

· Prepare for Holy Confession and Communion regularly.

· Honor the fast days of the Church.

· Remember the men and women serving in the military each day.

· Let us remember the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, those in care homes, hospitals, rehab centers and the staffs and caretakers.

· Let us remember the suffering Serbian People and all suffering people. .

· Remember the men and women working in dangerous occupations including those in the mines and criminal justice agencies, the police, correctional officers and parole agents.

· Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers are needed in Harrison County. Support every child's right to a safe and permanent home, Contact Vesna Meinert, Volunteer Coordinator for the Harrison County CASA Program at 304-623-5749.

Very Reverend Protos Stavrophor Vojislav Dosenovich. Spiritual Reminder:
62 Short Homilies To Help You Understand the Word of God. p. 103.

In retrospect, let us see whether the church has a home assignment for its worshippers. Perhaps you have never heard about this! Yes, there is a constant home assignment every Sunday and Holy day. Start with your personal simple everyday prayer; then come to church to hear about your home assignment for the entire week, imparted to us in the lesson from Apostle or Gospel for the day. Part of it one Sunday was "...Be not slothful in zeal; be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope. Be patient in tribulation, persevering in prayer. Sharing the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality." One thing mentioned here is a full program not for a week, but for many weeks to come.

Col 4:2 - Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

The Holy Apostle Paul encouraged the Colossians to "continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." (Col. 4:2). A believer can become weary. Circumstances in life can become difficult and seem overwhelming.

It is good to heed the encouragement of the Holy Apostle Paul. It is good to be vigilant and concentrate on prayer, ever believing that God will bring improvement. At times a believer must force him or herself to pray with constancy.

Certainly the forces of evil would triumph if an individual relents and ceases to pray. Certainly conditions will not improve in personal circumstances if the believer gives in to despondency and disbelief in God. The goodness of God exceeds the human comprehension. Even in the most dreadful of circumstances, abundant blessings of God exist and are manifold. A person need only look above and beyond the difficulties existing to the larger picture.

God is always present. The believer has the ability to breathe from God. The believer has the ability to think from God. The believer has the ability to articulate prayers from God. God provide resources for circumstances to improve in a person's life. God's Holy Church is a haven and hospital for a person to enter and find peace and comfort. God's Holy Church is a place where a person can go and listen to the word of God and find direction and hope.

God's Holy Church offers the opportunity for a person to repent and confess sins laboring on a person's mind and in the person's heart. God's Holy Church offers the Precious Body and Blood of Christ to unite the person with Christ and bring new strength through Christ. Holy Confession and Holy Communion enable the believer to say with St. Paul"...Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)

Holy Confession and Holy Communion are best preceded by active and conscious prayer and fasting. Holy Confession and Holy Communion are best preceded by careful self-examination and desire for complete unity with Christ.

The life in Christ is a life of responsibility and joy. A believer has the responsibility to be committed to Christ and the way of Christ. A believer experiences the joy of Christ when repenting of sins and living faithful to Christ.

The way of Christ is not commonly chosen. Of those who choose the way of Christ, a lesser amount remain faithful throughout life. The Lord said: "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mt. 7:14) Vigilance in prayer means being able to say "no" to distractions and temptations. Vigilance in prayer means being able to "press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil .3:`4)

Being faithful and vigilant in prayer is always the wise course in life.

Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Mission, Fairmont, West Virginia
November 29 / December 12, 2009

Fr. Rodney Torbic

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