First Sunday of the Great Fast: The Sunday of Orthodoxy; Octoechos Tone 8; The Holy Forty-Two Martyrs of Ammorium (848)
Hebrews 11:24-26,32-40; 12:1-2; John 1:43-51
Great Fast Day 7. Matins Resurrectional Gospel 8. The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated today.
Read John 1:43-51
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
“Come and see,” said Philip. (Jn 1:46)
This invitation of Philip has been quoted extensively throughout the Christian world in the last few years. It is an expression of hospitality. Because we are beginning to live in a post-Christian world our recent popes have encouraged us to evangelise. One of the ways to evangelise is to invite people to our church.
An important reason why a person does not want to go to church is because they don’t know anyone there. They don’t want to be alone. If you invite someone to church, you have to add: “You can sit with me.” This is an invitation that a priest cannot make but a lay person can.
With the war in Ukraine people are now becoming more open to the spiritual dimension. They may be more likely to come to church in order to pray for peace and protection for Ukraine.