Steadfast love and hope

 The patron saint of our parish is St. Elizabeth the New Martyr. Her feast day was on July 18th, and we celebrated with services, feasting, and a visit from Archbishop Daniel. It was a beautiful weekend, mostly spent in church, contemplating the compassion and courage of our beloved St. Elizabeth and asking for her support and intercession.

In his homily, Archbishop Daniel spoke about her example of loving and serving others amid great tragedy, strife, and uncertainty. How was she able to do this? And how can we? When fear and despondency threaten to sabotage our peace and productivity, how do we remain steadfast and hold onto hope?

St. Elizabeth kept her focus on Jesus Christ, Archbishop Daniel reminded us. By seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven, she remained anchored in transcendent hope, peace, courage, and love, even as the waves of war and violence crashed down around her. She demonstrated what goodness God can accomplish through those whose gaze is fixed on Christ, rather than the noise and chaos of the world.

This week, reflect on the relationship between love and contemplation. How do prayer, stillness, and living out the rhythms of our Orthodox faith nurture love and service? How does loving and serving our neighbors strengthen our faith? Where is your focus right now? Are you looking at the waves or at Jesus?

Holy St. Elizabeth, pray to God for us!

For a deeper exploration of stillness and contemplation, as well as a conversation on cultivating friendship with the saints, tune in to our July Filled With Less podcast episode featuring Fr. Dimitrios Burikas. Click HERE to listen!