The healing touch of Jesus is what we all so desperately need, and so many don’t have that in person connection in the form of a Church Parish with a full time Priest, which is the full Gospel lived out in Orthodox Christianity. We are supporting local missional Church Parishes and their Priests who sometimes work unrealistic bivocational hours to share Jesus healing touch. We can bring relief so they can dedicate more time to ministry and their families. To come along side us and learn more and possibly donate or apply for relief as a Clergy (Priest or Deacon) go to our home page @  www.ocmamerica.us … There is no better time than now as the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Pray to the God of the harvest that he might send workmen into the fields. Do not muzzle the oxen that treads out the grain. A workman is worthy of his wages. Bring all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse that your barns may be full so much that they cannot contain it. No amount is too small or too great. Be a cheerful giver as our Lord Jesus lays on your heart. Hurting hearts will not be able to thank you enough for the healing you bring them.

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Special Guests: His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah of ROCOR, Fr. Elijah Drake priest of All Saints Mission in Lodi, CA., and Fr. Dr. Gregory Joyce Rector of St. Vladimir’s and Dean of the Diocesan Seminary.

Seminar will feature live Q&A. Moderator is Share the Faith’s Business Development Coordinator, Deacon Chris Purdef.

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Sunday of the Canaanite Woman February 18, 2024.

Looking onward to this Sunday’s Gospel as the Church enters the Triodion period, we are brought into the world of the Canaanite woman who amid terrible hardship and suffering due to her demon possessed child and all the ailments that result of this runs to the Lord to seek help. But as we see the road to the Lord is met with some pushback. The woman implores the Lord three times to receive healing for her daughter and is met with some resistance by the Lord. Perhaps some of us would have been discouraged by the Lord’s answers and His call for us to follow His timing not knowing that He is stirring us up, preparing us for the Kingdom. But what was it that kept the woman on track never losing sight of what she was seeking? Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos says that it was her humility. He writes:

In today’s gospel reading, we find a woman in great need: her daughter is horribly demon-possessed.  In such situations, when you experience pain, you do things that you wouldn’t do under other circumstances. Just so, this Canaanite woman runs with determination to receive that which she seeks. First, her great faith and second, the depth of her humility, give her complete conviction that she will receive that which she desires. And her entire conversation with Christ develops gradually, in a remarkable way.

1. She seeks, although it looks as though God does not hear. In reality, all holy souls come across this very difficult (St. Silouan the Athonite reached the point of saying: “Lord, you are implacable.”)
2. Christ says something, but in a way that prohibits any such help: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Everyone who wants to find God will feel that he is rejected by Him.) Humility makes the woman insist: “Lord, help me”. The Canaanite woman is not affected; she does not take offence. In this way, humility holds the door of God’s mercy open.
3. With Christ’s final response: “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs”, one would expect the woman to get up and leave. Her faith, however, informs her and she humbly responds: “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (When you are humble, you know what to say to the Lord.) Following the whole of this trial the Canaanite woman is made worthy to hear from the Lord: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” He does not simply say: “Your faith has saved you …”

And what about us? I wonder, will we go down, one step at a time, just as the Canaanite woman did? Will we accept whatever the Lord permits so that we stay faithful until we receive our desired end, our salvation?

Source: www.orthodoxpath.org

Rev. Dn. Chris Purdef

The Gospel or Good News of Jesus Christ is the power of God to those who are being saved, but foolishness to the parishing. God’s power is love. God is love. Love is saving the whole person through the healing touch of Jesus. So many are without the fullness of the in person connection of the Good news of Jesus Christ in the form of an Orthodox Christian Church Parish with a full time Priest or even a Deacon for just a reader service, and so many Priests and Deacons work unrealistic long bi-vocational hours to share the healing touch of Jesus. We can bring relief. To learn more and possibly donate or apply for relief as a Clergy, go to our home page at www.ocmamerica.us.

P.S.: We support well needed ministry projects of Clergy as well.

How can we not say that the healing touch of Jesus is a worthy cause. So many people do not have in person contact with the fullness of the Good News of Jesus Christ in the form of a local Church Parish with a full time Priest. So many missional Priests work unrealistic bivocational hours to make ends meet for their families because they believe in the healing touch of Jesus. What can you do for Orthodox missions in America? You can pray, give, go. You can pray and light a candle in Liturgy or pray in your prayer corner at home. You can give in the offering plate at your local Church Parish and you can give to the one and only North American missional priest fund @ www.ocmamerica.us. You can also apply as a Priest or Deacon for relief for your local missional Church Parish @ www.ocmamerica.us. We can offer relief in these cases. To learn more, go to our home page @ www.ocmamerica.us.