After the Blessed Fifty days, The Call to Become Saints

On June 7, the Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the feast of All Saints. This is a logical sequence since the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit is fulfilled by us becoming saints. This is indeed the very purpose of the creation and salvation of the world. (I Peter 1:15-16)

Fr. Alexander Schmemann loved to quote the French novelist Leon Bloy who wrote: “There is but one sadness—not to be a saint.”

Moving from the general to the specific, on the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost we celebrate the feast of All Saints of our local Church. In Russia this means the celebration of “All Saints who have shown forth in the Land of Rus’.” For us, it is the feast of All Saints of North America.

Still further, in the cycle of immovable feasts, the month of June brings us the celebration of the particular memory of some of the greatest Saints of the Universal Church. On the 24th, around the time of the Summer Solstice, we celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist, Friend of the Bridegroom who Himself is the Sun of Righteousness. He was called by the Lord, “the greatest born of women.”

Finally, as we complete the fasting period which begins on the day after All Saints, we fulfill this special time of the year with the celebration of the Chief Apostles Peter and Paul on June 29th.

Preparing for the Lord’s Day

The Lord’s Day does not begin when we walk through the church doors on Sunday morning. In the Orthodox tradition, Sunday begins with Vespers on Saturday evening. For those preparing to receive Holy Communion, the hours between Vigil and the Divine Liturgy form a single movement of prayer, reflection, and spiritual attentiveness.

For that reason, we try to keep Saturday evening free—even of parish activities—after Vigil. The longer daylight hours of summer allow us to begin Vigil an hour later, giving everyone a little more time to complete the practical tasks of the week and enter more fully into the celebration of the Lord’s Day.

Because Vigil begins later during the summer months, confessions may also be scheduled with Fr. Stephan before the service by appointment.

A gentle reminder: we spend considerable time preparing for vacations, celebrations, and important appointments. The Divine Liturgy is not simply another item on the weekend calendar. It is our encounter with the risen Christ. A little preparation can make all the difference.