Fr Zacharias & A Personal Note

A personal note & request: Of your charity, I beg your prayers for my father-in-law, Rodney Byard, who passed away yesterday — his wife, Nancy; his daughters Becky, Jenny, and Amy Elizabeth (my wife) & their families. Thank you — and may God grant you and yours long life.

The Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America was blessed to have Archimandrite Zacharias of St John the Baptist Monastery, Essex – England, as our clergy retreat speaker again this year.

This year’s topic: “Fulfillment of Personhood according to Elder Sophrony of Essex”

Here’s some quotes — at least as I heard them (there was so much info it was hard to make the pen keep track; forgive me):

We have to be strong in our relationship with God in order to be strong in all our relationships.

Every person is created in a unique way and has his own unrepeatable path to salvation.

One should not look at what a person is, but what he can become by God’s grace.

In the Liturgy, we exchange our small life for God’s great life.

In the Liturgy, we are given a taste of personhood.

We must come to the Liturgy with some contribution from our heart.

By bringing our small gift we enter the communion of the gifts of the others of the Church — the stronger members — both on heaven and on earth.

More later …