02/16/2026
๐ฏ๏ธ๐ข๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ, ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐๐ด๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ โ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ โ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. On this sacred day, the Uncreated Light was brought into the Temple, and the righteous Elder bore in his arms the Salvation prepared before the face of all peoples (cf. Gospel of Luke 2:22โ32).
Though our hearts are still tender in the wake of the falling asleep of our beloved sister Corliss on January 29, the Lord, who is rich in mercy, granted us a day filled with grace. Even as we commend her soul to Christ, who trampled down death by death, we witnessed the triumph of life in Him. In the evening, with great joy, our catechumens โ Clint, Devin, Samantha, and Freddie โ were illumined through Holy Baptism and sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit in Chrismation, being grafted fully into the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
It was a living proclamation that โthe Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.โ In Christ, sorrow is transfigured by hope, and death itself becomes the doorway to life everlasting.
As we continue to gather for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, may we entrust ourselves wholly to the mercy of God, offer fervent prayers for those who mourn, and receive the Light of Christ anew into our hearts and homes.
Through the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos and the righteous and God-receiving Elder Simeon the God-Receiver, may the Lord strengthen and preserve our parish in peace, steadfastness, and hope.
As we continue to gather for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, may we entrust ourselves wholly to the mercy of God, offer fervent prayers for those who mourn, and receive anew the Light of Christ anew into our hearts and homes.
With love in Christ,
๐ฑ๐. ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐
