My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE "LITTLE" OR "DOMESTIC" CHURCH ACCORDING TO SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOMOS

In recent contemporary Church history, there have been a considerable examination and inquiry on the family as the home church. Saint John considered the baptized Christian families to be what he named "mikra" or "little" churches. The Christian family is for the Holy Father a community "koinonia" of persons in love and in unity like the Holy Trinity.

The Christian family, for Saint John, is like the Church as a communion of baptized persons living in unity under the Headship of our Lord Jesus Christ that has visible and invisible dimensions. Two types of activities make homes as churches, he writes, prayer and the centrality of the Holy Scripture. Saint John taught, "Let the household be a church consisting of men and women..." "For where two", He writes, "are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them" (St. Matthew 18:20). Where Christ, our Lord is in the midst, there is a great multitude. The Christian family is Christ-centered and the entire life of the family revolves around Him and His Divine Commandments. Where Christ is, there needs must Angels be..." He advocates praying frequently according to hours and to let the children participate as much as possible. Along with prayer studying and meditating about the Divine revelation in the Holy Scripture is the key to keeping the Evil One at bay.

According to Saint John Chrysostom, a parent is not one who brings children into the world, but one who expends the energy and love to raise them. Not "child-making" but "childrearing" is the mark of a parent. "For a person does not become a father or mother simply because the parents helped to bring about the birth of a child, but by raising the child correctly."

The development of the child's character takes place through Christian parents. The child's spiritual development must be the parents' main concern. Raise an athlete of Christ and teach him or her like a person living in the world to be pious and moral from an early age.

Unfortunately, a humanistic approach to life rules the world today, whose goal is human prosperity. Many teach that we need to become good people and that this will bring peace and happiness. However, this is, essentially, nothing, if we do not become grace-filled people, vessels of Divine Grace, "we have done nothing."

Why am I bringing to you, the Christian parents, the teachings of the Great Holy Father, Saint John Chrysostom? The reason is that the Holy Father who is filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit and inspired by Him shares God's wisdom with us. He makes known to us how to view life and understand the ultimate and deeper goals and purposes of the Christian family living in a secular world. Just as our Lord is the Head of the Church so is the father of the Christian household the head of his family. He, the Christian father, rules with justice and mercy. And as the father is the head than the mother is the body of the family, sacred and full of love. The children become like the heavenly host obedient, and willing to unconditionally serve their parents. Therefore, the Christian home, e kat' oikon ecclesia (the domestic church), becomes a reality, a holy dwelling.

It is my personal appeal to all of you to live up to your Christian vow to bring up the children in the Holy Church of God. The children can only develop spiritually by participating in the Divine Liturgy, in the reception of Holy Communion, in prayer, and by being in the presence of God Who is always in our midst when we are assembled together in His Name.

I will like to see all of our children in church services and in our Church School on Sundays.

With agape in our Merciful Lord,
+Father George