St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church

09/07/2026

This past Sunday we were pleased to honor long-time parishioner, Guild member and volunteer Irene Horosky as she prepares to celebrate her 99th birthday.

Congratulations and thank you for your service!
Вітаю I Дякую за вашу службу!

09/04/2026

Reflection for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost
The Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22:35-46
September 6th, 2026

The Greatest Commandment is also recorded in Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28, and Matthew 19:16-19. This isd whjere the Pharisees made their third attempt to snare Jesus. They engaged a legal expert to explore a common rabbinic debate about the greatest commandment, despite their long-held belief that all commandments are equally binding. They tried to trick him into saying something they could use to accuse him of abolishing the Law (Matthew 5:17). In the Torah there are 248 Positive Commandments (do’s) and 365 Negative Commandments (do not’s). All of them had to be not just known but practiced in one’s daily life. Jesus answered them by associating them with Deuteronomy 6:5, “Take to heart these words which I command you today”, and Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD”. These two commandments go together. While they are different, they are also inseparable, just like religion and ethics..

For Jesus, the foundation of our relationship with God and neighbor is love. His main teaching emphasized the importance of blending loving God with loving one’s neighbor, as summed up in the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you”, which is the essence of the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12). According to Holy Scripture, 'love' is the key, appearing 745 times, and the truth of the Law cannot be observed without it (Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). From a Christian perspective, loving our neighbor is an essential prerequisite for loving God, fulfilling God’s will, and achieving the superior justice as described in the Sermon on the Mount demands loving our neighbor. “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). “We love because he first loved us. If anyone claims to love God but hates their brother, they are a liar. For whoever does not love a brother they have seen cannot love God whom they have not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love their brother” (1 John 4:19-21). The two commandments serve as the axis of Scripture around which everything else revolves.

As a testament to our faith, we beed to ask ourselves: what have we done with the love we received from the Lord in our daily lives? Jesus responded by combining the Great Commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5 of “Hear, O Israel!* The LORD is our God, the LORD alone Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength” with Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. The two commandments are inseparable, for one cannot love God without loving others as children of God. The foundation of interpreting all law lies in a loving relationship, as emphasized by these two commandments.

How can we ensure that our Christian faith and ethics align with God’s will and make a meaningful impact on others? When did we last pray for empathy and compassion to live consistently with our beliefs, our actions, and our aspirations?

08/28/2026

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
Matthew 22:1-14
August 30, 2026

In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Jesus outlines God's plan for humanity. The king, who threw a marriage feast for his son, represents the Father, who prepared a magnificent celebration of love and communion for the entire human family around his only Son. The king sent his servants to invite the guests twice, but they declined, as they were preoccupied with their fields and business. We often prioritize our interests and material possessions over the Lord who calls us, but in the parable, the king does not want the hall to remain empty. He wants to share the treasures of his kingdom, so he tells his servants: “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find”. This is how God reacts: when he is rejected, instead of giving up, he starts over and asks that all those found at the thoroughfares be called. No one is excluded from the house of God.

The term thoroughfares refers to the points where city streets give way to country paths, marking the transition from residential areas to the precarious countryside. The use of the term thoroughfares refers to the points where city streets end and country paths begin, marking the transition from the residential area to the precarious countryside. The issue is that in the parable, the king sends his servants to the crossroads of humanity, confident that they will find people willing to take a seat at the table. As such, the banquet hall is filled with those who are “excluded”, the “outsiders”, who never seemed worthy of partaking in a feast. The king instructed his messengers, “Summon everyone, both good and bad!” In fact, God also calls the bad. The Pharisees rebuked Jesus for eating with sinners and tax collectors, to which Jesus responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”. They were the bad ones. God loves us and invites us, undeterred by the spiritual wounds we’ve suffered due to callousness. The Church is called to reach the marginalized and hopeless remnants of humanity, found in the geographic and existential peripheries of society. It is a matter of opening the doors of our hearts and our communities to everyone, because the Gospel is not reserved to a select few. It is open to those on the margins, even those who are rejected and scorned by society, those who are considered by God to be worthy of his love. He prepares a banquet for everyone, regardless of their character, intelligence, or education, as long as they accept the invitation.

However, the Lord placed one condition: the guests had to wear a wedding garment. Let us return to the parable. When the hall was full, the king arrived and greeted the latest guests, but he noticed one of them wasn’t wearing the wedding garment, a small cape that each guest had received as a gift upon entry. The people attended in their everyday attire, which wasn’t formal gala wear. They were given a type of capelet, a gift, at the entrance. By rejecting the free gift, the man excluded himself, and consequently, the king was forced to expel him. Initially, the man accepted the invitation, but later realized it was not important to him since he was unwilling to change or be changed by the Lord. This capelet, known as the wedding garment, symbolized the mercy of God’s freely given grace. Without grace we cannot take a step forward in Christian life. Everything is a grace. It is not enough to accept the invitation to follow the Lord; one must be open to a journey of conversion, which changes the heart. The garment of mercy, which God offers us unceasingly, is the free gift of his love; it is precisely grace. It should be welcomed with astonishment and joy: “Thank you, Lord, for giving me this gift”.

08/21/2026

A Reflection for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost
Mt 21:33-42
August 23, 2026

This parable is one of only three that appears in all three synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The other two parables that are repeated are The Sower and The Mustard Seed. The synoptic evangelists apparently believed that no account of Jesus’ life and ministry would be complete without including these specific parables. Interestingly, some of Jesus' most famous parables, such as the Good Samaritan, are found in only one gospel (Luke 10:25-37).

In Holy Scripture, the “vineyard” or “vine” is used as a metaphor for God’s people. In this parable, Jesus set the stage by providing specific or extra details which are not found in his other parables, such as the vineyard’s planting, wall, winepress, and watchtower. The vineyard with its physical features represents God's work and care for his people, Israel. The specific items show how God prepared, protected, and invested in his covenant nation. This is an allusion to Isaiah 5 where Israel is likened to a vineyard. That was where the owner (symbolizing Yahweh) invested heavily in labor and resources anticipating a bountiful harvest. When the harvest arrived, the farmer discovered that every vine bore grapes which were sour, wild and worthless. God gave his people every advantage and showed them deep care, but instead of justice and righteousness, they responded with bloodshed and injustice. The religious leaders, who were represented by the tenants, eventually turned against the vineyard’s owner. After making that connection, it becomes clear why Jesus' words outraged the religious leaders: they were perceived as being on the wrong side of salvation history. “What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They replied, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times”. At this point, we would expect Jesus to respond with something like, “Yes indeed, the owner will come and wipe them out”, but instead he quotes a verse from Psalm 118, stating that the stone rejected by the builders becomes the cornerstone.

This entire parable is about rejection. Initially, the tenants reject the owner by refusing the sharecropping arrangement. Then the tenants reject the owner’s servants. Finally, they reject even the heir, the owner’s only son. As a result, God is about to display a stunning about-turn: the son rejected by the tenants will rise to become a powerful figure and ultimately reject those who rejected him. Acceptance takes faith. The problem with the tenants of Israel in Jesus' day was that they had long abandoned true faith. In practical terms, they essentially decided to run God’s kingdom without God. Throughout history, God tried to redirect them through the prophets, but they ignored, battered, and even killed these messengers, including Zechariah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Uriah. They were so insular that they believed only those who shared their beliefs, wants, and actions could truly represent God. .

The final verse in this Gospel is from Psalm 118:2. It powerfully conveys the gospel’s great reversal of expectations with the statement, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”. Despite his humble origins, Jesus, the rejected one, would ultimately be exalted by God to become the cornerstone.

08/14/2026

A Reflection for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost
Mt 19:16-28
August 16, 2026

“And behold, a man came up to him, saying,
“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

When a young man asked Jesus, “What must I do to gain eternal life?”, Jesus did not provide a direct answer initially. Jesus said to him instead, “Why do you ask me? There is only One who is good”. It was only then he told the man that if he wanted to enter eternal life, he must keep the commandments. The man replied that he was already observing the laws but wanted to know what else (if anything) he had to do. Perhaps he was worried about determining which laws or actions were necessary. He would then know what he must do, or perhaps what the minimum requirement was.

This man had to know that the Torah contained 248 positive commandments to perform, and 365 negative ones, prohibitions to avoid, for a total of 613. Jesus surprised the young man by telling him to focus on something else, saying, “If you truly wish to be perfect, sell everything you own and give it to the poor. If you do this, you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me”. The young man was dismayed by this. He could not fathom the thought of giving away what he owned. To him, it brought various benefits, including increased power, an inflated ego, and greater pleasures and comforts than others. These things gave him a sense of well-being in this world. Unfortunately, he failed to grasp Jesus’ meaning, which emphasized that the key was not simply selling what we have. The important message was “to follow Jesus”. Wealth itself is not evil, but it becomes a problem when it’s hoarded selfishly or used improperly instead of being used where it’s needed. The man who claimed to seek salvation turned away from Jesus, as he was unwilling to give up the benefits he had in this life in order to change. Do we place our treasure in our work, jobs, performance, skills and our retirement funds? While these are all valuable, having a right relationship with God and others should be of primary importance.

St. Paul taught that we should owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, because loving another fulfills the law. The commandments, including “Do not commit adultery”, “ Do not kill”, “Do not steal”, “Do not covet” and others, are all encapsulated in the principle: “Love your neighbor as yourself” since love does not harm the neighbor and thereby fulfills the law. (Romans 13:8-10)

In the past, people were loved and things were used, but today unfortunately, the opposite is often true. People use others to gain what they want, failing to understand that all wealth is part of the world which is passing away. An eternal caring and love for others will accompany us beyond the grave, whereas our possessions will be left behind, offering no benefit to our spiritual lives.

08/07/2026

A Reflection for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Mt 18:23-35
August 9, 2026

We find a powerful lesson that Jesus delivered in this selection from Matthew. When Peter asked Jesus how often he should forgive, suggesting seven times, perhaps thinking he would impress Jesus, but Jesus responded differently. He called for forgiveness “not seven times but seventy-seven times”, symbolizing endless forgiveness. We are called to reflect on this passage and apply its teachings in our lives.This parable teaches us about God’s boundless mercy and forgiveness, emphasizing the importance of our extending that same compassion to others. We are reminded here to forgive others as God has forgiven us but to also reflect on our own grudges and unforgiving attitudes. We can experience God's forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which in turn should inspire us to forgive and show mercy to others.

In this parable, a king's servant, who had been forgiven a debt, neglects his own obligation to others. This story took a sobering turn when the servant who was forgiven encountered a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller debt. In spite of having just experienced such immense compassion, he refused to show mercy and had his fellow servant thrown into prison. When the master learned about this, he revoked his forgiveness and imposed severe consequences on the unforgiving servant. We need to remember that Jesus taught, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you, which is the essence of the law and the prophets” (Mat 7:12), emphasizing how we are to act. He taught us to care for others, to love, bless those who curse us, and give generously without expecting anything in return. He is telling us to work to find common ground with every person, especially those we may fear, are angry with, or who are simply very different from us. This is more important now than ever.

The message of this parable is clear: we are called to emulate the master’s boundless forgiveness in our own lives. We have certainly received God’s mercy and forgiveness and are expected to extend that same mercy and forgiveness to others. As we go through life, we sin, yet God forgives us. God’s love is unconditional, but his forgiveness is conditional. While God offers his mercy freely, receiving it requires human cooperation, specifically a repentant heart and the choice to turn away from sin. We need to ask ourselves if we are truly living out Jesus’ message of forgiveness. Are there grudges, resentments, or unforgiving attitudes that we hold onto? Are we willing to forgive others as God has forgiven us?

We must be mindful of the lesson in the parable of the unforgiving servant and strive to be merciful and forgiving, just as our God is to us. That way we can bear witness to God’s love and mercy in our lives and in the world. However, it's unfortunate that there is always an exception; we must also consider extreme or ongoing life events that we may encounter. There are those subjected to racial, ethnic, or religious discrimination, battered spouses, victims of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, and so many more evils. These realities and so many others surround us, sometimes hiding in plain sight, other times displayed openly and even arrogantly. Forgiveness is possible, but those suffering from this kind of unjust treatment must walk away so that they do not continue to put themselves in harm’s way, whether that harm is physical, mental or spiritual. It is essential not to confuse forgiveness with excusing or tolerating cruelty, or putting ourselves in harm's way.

07/31/2026

A Reflection for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost
1 Cor 4:9-16
August 2, 2026

In today’s epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes that “when ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; and when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all, up to this very moment”. Paul accepted the harsh treatment that came with the office of an apostle. This included hunger, thirst, poor clothing, rough treatment, hard labor and having no permanent home. When he spoke of being ridiculed, persecuted and slandered, he was not speaking only of what came his way from Gentiles and non-believing Jews. Paul warned the Corinthians, including his fellow Christians, that he would take action when he returned to Corinth if they did not change their behavior.

When we compare our current culture with Paul’s statements, people today might respond with something such as: “When I’m ridiculed, I ridicule back; when I’m persecuted, I hit back; when I’m slandered, I get a lawyer”. Paul, however, not only encouraged but demanded that his followers mature in their behavior and attitudes towards both him and one another. He addressed several issues despite being treated poorly, he was empowered by God’s grace to act to change them. He wrote that they must live as people led by the Spirit, not according to human desire, but according to God’s wisdom.

It led me to reflect on our own society. Too many people have lost sight of the importance of striving for moral excellence. They instead adopt what St. Paul referred to as their “human wisdom” (1 Co2 2:13). That is when individuals decide for themselves what they want. Far too many people regrettably think, “We’re content with who we are, and there is no reason to change since there’s nothing wrong with us”.

So, who decides what is right or wrong, better or worse, moral or immoral? For many people, the answer today is that they are the sole authority on these decisions. Without a universal moral code, aside from civil law, people are left without guidance or they simply ignore it. Many people lack an objective standard for living. This can be easily misinterpreted, altered, or ignored. If we are the sole judges of our behavior, aren’t we likely to be overly lenient towards ourselves and accepting of things that were previously considered illegal, immoral, sinful, or wrong?
The Church in Corinth struggled with moral maturity because of the city’s notorious depravity. This frustrated Paul and led him to accuse them of accepting sins that even the pagans found repulsive. (1 Cor 5:1) Although they spoke like sophisticated, witty, and knowledgeable individuals, they behaved immaturely. They reverted to their pre-conversion ways, mimicking their pagan neighbors and losing self-control, reverting to their old thoughts and actions. What about us? Do we strive to live according to the truth revealed by Jesus Christ, becoming the best version of ourselves that we were created to be? Giving up erroneous or sinful ways and growing in virtue is not easy, but we must continue to do our best with the gifts God has given us.

Let’s keep in mind something C. S. Lewis wrote in his The Great Divorce: “Once you were a child. Once you knew what inquiry was for. There was a time when you asked questions because you wanted answers, and were glad when you had found them. Become that child even now” but the man replied, “Ah, but when I became a man, I put away childish things”. That is how the Corinthians acted, feeling grown up but wrong in how they lived their lives.

Once again, we must strive to be the best we can, using the gifts God gave us.

07/24/2026

A Reflection for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 14:22-34
July 26, 2026

When the disciples saw (Jesus) walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God”.

Before we explore new angles on this familiar story, let's clarify a couple of things upfront. First, it is important that the Christian faith be characterized by courage, zeal and a firm resolve to stay true to the Lord in all situations. This story is given to us to highlight the importance of striving to have complete trust in Jesus. To conform to proper English, most modern Bible translations render Jesus' words as “It is I”, “I am here”, or “It is me!”, whereas the original Greek simply states “I am” (ego eimi). This simple designation links Jesus to the Yahweh of Israel reminiscent of when Moses asked God in the burning bush for his name, and God replied, 'I Am' (Ex 3:14), a designation that continues throughout Genesis and Exodus. Yahweh is the great “I Am”, and Jesus, reinforces this connection by stating who he is, such as 'I am the bread of life' and 'I am the light', reinforces this connection.

If there is a miracle worth savoring in this story, perhaps it's not that Jesus walked on water – as God, his ability to do so is no more surprising or miraculous than our ability to walk up a flight of steps. The true miracle was not that Peter briefly managed this same feat. Despite the threatening surroundings – with the boat bobbing around in the darkness, the winds howling and a soggy and chagrined Peter coughing up seawater - the disciples realized they were in the presence of the Divinity. Their eyes and minds were opened; they believed and worshiped him. As soon as Jesus and Peter boarded the boat, the storm subsided even more quickly than it had begun and the disciples who remained on board witnessed this and worshiped Jesus as God's Son.

If we want to walk on water, we have to first get out of the boat. In the same way, if we want to achieve anything, we have to commit and try. The church at times needs visionary and courageous people who take bold steps of faith to do new and innovative things. There are challenging times when life is like being in a boat being tossed about where we need to faithfully pull the oars against the howling winds, where we persist in knowing Jesus is near. We are called to press on in faith, not because we've tested Jesus and found him to live up to all the hype, nor because he enabled us to accomplish something grand and impressive. Because we trust Jesus, who reassures us through the Spirit, saying “Chin up! It is I! Do not be afraid!”, we persevere and fulfill our calling, even in the face of difficulties. We must remember that Jesus, the one who saved Peter despite chiding him for his doubt, loved him and he loves us always. He is there to save us!

07/18/2026

07/17/2026

A Reflection for the Sunday of the Fathers of the Six Ecumenical Councils
1 Cor 1:10-18
July 19th, 2026

In his Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul appealed for unity in the Body of Christ, the Church. This reading is fitting to hear on this Sunday as we commemorate the Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils. Despite facing severe and violent threats of division, these councils worked to maintain Christian unity in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ. Our readings from the Book of Romans over the past several weeks focused on maintaining Christian unity. There is a necessity for unity of faith and a shared life of worship, fellowship, and ministry. Paul saw this unity of mind and heart as witnessing a living faith in the one Lord, Jesus Christ. A fundamental principle of the Christian life is that baptized believers should always reconcile and be of one mind and one judgment. Paul stated, “I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose”. He appealed to the hearts and minds of his spiritual children. They were to live as mature men and women of faith, behaving like spiritual adults as opposed to crying infants or temperamental children who squabble. He appealed to their conscience, faith, and love, urging them to unite as a single spiritual family.

Paul recognized that infighting, quarreling, and even schisms were taking place within the Church of Corinth. He struggled with a wounded and dysfunctional family, where selfishness and pride replaced love, selflessness, and unity. He urged the community to heal the rift between its people, a rift that could only be mended through mutual forgiveness. Paul did not address problems in a vague or general sense; he dared to expose the issue by identifying the specific quarrels. He wrote: “For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul”, or “I belong to Apollos”, or “I belong to Cephas”, or “I belong to Christ”. Because of their immature faith they formed alliances, aligning themselves with specific ministers Paul mentioned. The various factions within Corinth drove biased and false interpretations of the Gospel as an excuse for their division

As their names were read aloud, one can imagine these people glancing around the church, noticing others tied to various factions, just as others noticed them. They knew exactly who he was referring to, it was to them! Paul refused to ignore the disease and instead exposed it so that the divided Corinthians, who were sick, might be healed. Infighting, factionalism, division, schisms, and spiritual pride were poisoning their unity. The Christian divisions that the Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils sought to address originated from this source. Teachers of strange and false doctrines were entering the Churches and dividing the faithful from their bishops and from each other. Pride, arrogance, and a love of power and prestige motivated them to create factions within the Churches. In our own day, pride is evident in the form of strange and false teachings on faith and morals that contradict the Church’s actual beliefs. Nationalism, ethnic pride, language, and even partisan politics are manifest in our Churches. Sometimes it shows itself through petty infighting. Too many parishioners are more concerned with maintaining and expanding their chosen political party in self-interest than with speaking out against evil.