The Holy Priest-Martyr Josaphat, Archbishop of Polotsk (1623); John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria (619); Nil the Faster (430)
Passing into Eternal Life (1950) of Blessed Hryhoriy (Gregory) Lakota, Auxiliary Bishop of Peremyshl and Confessor
Hebrews 4:14-5:10; John 10:9-16
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat
Read John 10:9-16
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Father among the Saints Josaphat, Archbishop of Polotsk, the founder of the Order of St. Basil the Great (the Basilians) who, like their martyr-founder faithfully serve our Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church.
As we read in today’s Gospel, the faithful and good shepherd is one who cares for his sheep and leads them to safe pasture and away from what threatens them. We refer to both a bishop and a priest as a ‘pastor’, a word that comes from the Latin for shepherd and that also gives us the English word ‘pasture’ – a place where sheep may safely graze To be a true and good shepherd as a bishop or as a priest is to care for the Christian faithful. It is to always lead them towards Christ and away from those influences in the world that gravely hinder our journey towards Christ. These can include the passions that all of us struggle with in our lives (anger, envy, lust, et cetera) and false beliefs (materialism, relativism, and hedonism) that the world encourages us to embrace.
On this feast of the holy hieromartyr (priest-martyr) Josaphat let us invoke his intercession and pray for our bishops, priests, deacons, and spiritual fathers and mothers that they may continue to faithfully and lovingly shepherd us safely through the green and lush pasture that is the life in Christ.
Holy hieromartyr Josaphat, pray to God for us!