“Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.”

Psalm 133

There is nothing quite like hearing a group of brothers sing a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to their common mother. Our weekend Lenten Clergy Govenie (retreat) at St. George Orthodox Church in Orlando, Florida concludes today with a bang: a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with our Diocesan Metropolitan Dedo Vladika Joseph. But before the bang comes this solemn moment on Friday, the climax of our quiet contemplation, our heart-felt prayer, and our ascetic labor:  the Akathist prayer service to the Most Holy, Ever Virgin and Birthgiver of God, the Virgin Mary. It is a moment in our retreat when all the counsel and reflection of the previous two days is applied to each one of us personally. The fathers from the Govenie all confess their sins to one another and travel back to the hotel to sleep peacefully in anticipation of the morning.

When morning dawns on central Florida, so does a historic moment for a little church formed from a core of Bulgarian immigrants: they inaugurate a fundraiser to build a proper church. St. George Orthodox Church began when a group of Bulgarian friends wanted to give a proper burial for another departed friend. This group’s leader did everything within his power to bring rest to a departed servant of God in a land which does not often honor its dead in a proper Christian manner. The extent to which he traveled to find a priest to bury his friend made the others think that perhaps he too might have the call to the priesthood. And if he were called to priesthood, then perhaps they might be called to found a new parish around this priest. This man is Archpriest Atanas Megerov and the spiritual refuge he has helped found is St. George Orthodox Church.

The clergy from our Diocese hail from all different parts of the country and different ethnic backgrounds, but at St. George’s, we are ONE in Christ. And the parishioners of this young and eager parish make a home away from home for us as we conduct our spiritual pilgrimage. The lively, tender spirit of their otche (“little father”) fills every colorful corner of their modest compound. The tiny indoor chapel spills out to several auxiliary trailers, patios, shelters, and one large, outdoor tabernacle. These good-hearted, generous people prepared three weeks for our coming and now run to and fro, attending to every need that arises. 

On this concluding Saturday Liturgy, the whole parish attends with our Metropolitan and launches an important fundraiser for the building of a proper temple. I can think right now of no better use of ones’ resources than to donate to such a worthy cause. As Dedo-Vladika (endearing term for a Bishop) said in his address, “The wild animals and multiple birds who have already made their nests on your property and sing their heart out when divine services are conducted prove that LIFE will be here at this parish of Saint George for many years to come.”

Glory to God for the love of parents and for the faithfulness of friends whose common love creates institutions of love. As our Dedo-Vladika Joseph said in his sermon, “The love of God does not constrain us. He does not from his lofty heaven keep track of our sins, look for us to fail, or find reasons to exclude us from his Kingdom. He is rather the loving father in the parable of the prodigal son looking for our success, expecting great things for us, and calling us back to life from the death of sin.”

May he who raised his friend Lazarus who was four days dead lead us to build institutions of love like Saint George in Orlando, Florida and bring us all in the end to his heavenly Kingdom!