Forefeast of the Entrance of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple. Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska, First Superior of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate (+1919). Our Venerable Father Gregory of Decapolis (842). Our Holy Father Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople (446).
A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Nativity Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Galatians 2:16-20. Matthew 26:6-13.
Read Galatians 2:16-20
St. Paul reminds us today: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” emphasizing the transformative power of faith and grace in a believer’s life. This profound declaration invites us to surrender our will and lives to Christ, allowing His love, mission, and grace to shape our lives. Living in this way is not passive but active cooperation with God’s grace, requiring the virtue of humility and self-giving love.
Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska—who we remember today—the first Superior of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, exemplified this surrender to Christ. In a life of prayer and service, she allowed Christ to live in her by dedicating her entire being to God’s will and the needs of others. “I have been crucified with Christ,” St. Paul continues in Galatians 2:20, and like Paul, Blessed Josaphata embraced suffering for the sake of Christ. She endured trials with steadfast faith, offering up her struggles for the salvation of souls and the growth of her community.
Her life mirrored the words, “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Her devotion to the poor, education of children, and guidance of her Sisters were concrete ways Christ’s love was manifested through her. For Blessed Josaphata, to live was truly Christ, and through her example, we are inspired to let Christ dwell in us, transforming our hearts and actions to glorify God.