St. John the Divine Orthodox Christian Church-Wheeling, WV

08/30/2026

"Christians, let us follow Christ, our Deliverer, Who came to us, mercifully visited us, and calls us into His Heavenly Kingdom; and He will lead us into that most blessed rest and everlasting joy, where is the dwelling place of all who rejoice. True and faithful is the Leader Jesus, and without Him no one will enter the Kingdom of God. Let us therefore entrust ourselves to His guidance and unceasingly follow Him, that He may lead us also to the place of eternal rest." +St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

08/22/2026

"...God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) The temptation to blame God, to be angry at Him, or to accuse Him of cruelty or of being wrong should be prayerfully and firmly resisted. There can be nothing dark in God's ways; He is all Light. He cannot error; He knows what He is doing in all things.

08/14/2026

The Great Summer Feast is here! Dormition of the Theotokos: Great Vespers and Lamentations Friday Evening at 5:30PM and Orthros/Divine Liturgy of the Feast Saturday at 9/10AM. Come all to celebrate in this glorious Feast.

08/09/2026

This morning we enrolled another beautiful group of catechumems - individuals being prepared for Holy Baptism. Who have committed themselves to the worship of the Holy Orthodox Church, and to undergoing a significant period of spiritual instruction and formation, with a view toward ultimately committing their entire life in pious devotion to Christ and His Church. Welcome new catechumens!

07/20/2026

"Glory to Thee, building Your Church, a haven of peace in a tortured world." Church tours offered this week Weds-Friday 12:30pm, 3pm, 5pm each day. Come and see this beautiful House of Worship.

06/26/2026

Saint of the Week ☦

St. David the Dendrite lived at the turn of the 6th century in Thessaloniki. He entered a monastery and had a fervent desire to emulate the life of the saints.

He read about saints who spent their life outside in the open. He strongly wished to do the same, and decided to struggle in an almond tree, from which he has his title “Dendrite.”

For three years, St. David battled the elements on a swaying branch, not once coming down until God gave him the blessing to do so.

His disciples then constructed a small cell for him, where he continued in vigilance and prayer. He cast out demons, healed the sick, and worked many other miracles.

St. David reposed in peace. 150 years later, pious monks opened his tomb and a wondrous fragrance came forth. His precious relics work wonders even to this very day.

06/24/2026

This Sunday, we were blessed to welcome our bishop, Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, along with our honored guest, Metropolitan Myron of New Zealand and Exarch of Oceania. What a tremendous gift and blessing for our parish family.

06/07/2026

05/13/2026

Glykeria the Virgin-Martyr: Glykeria was the daughter of a Roman governor. Becoming impoverished after her father's death, Glykeria settled in Trajanopolis in Thrace. At a heathen festival, when Sabinus the Prefect was offering sacrifice, Saint Glykeria entered the temple and declared herself to be a handmaid of Christ. She traced the sign of the Cross on her forehead, and when the Prefect asked where her lamp was (for all of them carried lamps in their hands), Glykeria pointed to the Cross on her forehead and said: "This is my lamp." As a result of her prayer, lightning struck the idol and smashed it to pieces. The prefect became angry and ordered her flogged and thrown into prison. He sealed the doors to the prison, determined to starve the virgin to death. However, an angel of God appeared to Glykeria and supplied heavenly food to her. After some time, when the prefect thought that the virgin must have died from hunger, he opened the doors of the prison and was astonished to see her healthy, radiant and joyful. Witnessing this miracle, Laodicius the jailer confessed Christ the Lord and was immediately beheaded. After that, Glykeria was thrown into a fiery furnace but remained unharmed by the fire. Standing in the midst of the fire and remembering the miracle of the three youths in the Babylonian furnace, Glykeria praised the Lord. Finally she was thrown to the lions. While praying to God, this holy virgin gave up her soul to the Lord, for Whom she had bravely endured many tortures. She suffered honorably in the year 177 A.D. A healing myrrh [oil] flowed from her relics, which healed the sick of the gravest diseases.

05/01/2026

How can one reconcile John 6:48-69 with an elimination of the Eucharist from Christian life and/or the denial that it is the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ necessary for salvation?

John 6:48-69: "I am the bread of life. "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. "This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? "What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."