October 2004
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christ is in our midst!
It is vital that we remember our children in prayer, particularly those who are away studying in college. I feel this strongly now that my eldest is among the latter. I received an encouraging and thoughtful e-mail from a parishioner, who shared with me a prayer from the Akathist to St. John of Kronstadt I would like to pass on to you. Although it is specifically addressed to St. John, I am sure that it could be addressed to any saint, for example, our own patron saint or that of the child for whom you are praying.
Here is the prayer:
Pray to God, Fr. John, for children and youth who are studying,
that they may recognize the faith of Christ and live in faith having loved our Lord,
our Most-Pure Lady, the Mother of God, and all the saints,
and with thee too, truly their good father and teacher,
and that their guardian angels protect them
as thine guardian Angel protected thee from attacks of the enemy...
Along with our own children, we must remember all the children of our parish, including the Church School, children, Teen SOYO and college students who attend here every Sunday. St. Mary's is blessed to be the home for a great many students living away from home. Let's continue to provide for them the warmth and fellowship for which our community is known and even look for ways to "go the second mile" by extending ourselves in new and creative ways.
I pray that this new liturgical year will be a time of renewal and deepening of faith and commitment for all of you
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Antony