My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Allow me the opportunity to offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who worked so hard to make our annual festival a success. Also, to all our parishioners, the same thanks for your undying support for our beloved parish.

In an attempt to determine the Cross of our Lord, Patriarch Makarios instructed that the crosses be placed on a deceased man whose funeral procession was passing by. Having placed the first two on the deceased and without change, the third brought the man back to life. In addition, the cross was placed on a sick woman who recovered. Patriarch Makarios raised the Cross for all to see, and the people sang “Lord Have Mercy.”

The epistle reading for the commemoration of Martyrs from St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy (2:3) says: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” St. John Chrysostom writes: “It produces some consolation to the faithful, that the Apostle should have been exposed to great sufferings, and not rendered weak by the utmost of them.”

One martyr whose memory the Church celebrates this month is the Great Martyr Demetrios. As a high-ranking military soldier with a deep faith in Christ, Demetrios endured much suffering. Yet throughout, he remained faithful to our Lord and the gospel he secretly preached to the pagans of his day.

The words of St. Paul to Timothy and the example of St. Demetrios serve as motivation for how we can endure difficulties in our life. Regardless of how overwhelmed we may feel, we must understand that there is nothing we cannot endure and overcome if we remain faithful to our Lord and His gospel.

May the endurance of St. Demetrios be our motivation to remain steadfast in our faith and may our Lord and His gospel be guide our behavior in all we do.

In His Service,

+Fr. Mario