'You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.' Humans were made for fellowship with God: this is the first and primary affirmation in the Christian doctrine of the human person. But humans, made for fellowship with God, everywhere repudiate that fellowship: this is the second fact which all Christian anthropology takes into account. Humans were made for fellowship with God: in the language of the Church, God created Adam according to His image and likeness and set him in Paradise. Humans everywhere repudiate that fellowship in the language of the Church, Adam fell, and his fall - his 'original sin' ('ancestral sin') - has affected all humankind.

A budget is an expression of the vision of the parish -- its priorities, concerns and plans for the future. Members who see a church doing more than "paying bills" will be inspired by the vision of the Church that seeks to serve its parishioners, neighbors and people in need throughout the world. The parish might consider budget line-items for Charitable Programs, Missions, Outreach, Youth Worker training, Adult Education, Educational Outreach Materials and more. Though some may balk at this extra burden on the budget, others will be inspired by the vision of a parish interested in improving and adding to its ministries.

"A steward is one who manages another’s property or resources; the Christian, therefore, is a steward of everything he is and has, including, his own body and soul, for according to the mystery of salvation, we possess nothing from ourselves, not even our own life and being; all belongs to God and is given to us by the Father through His Son because of the richness of His love and mercy."

The Saints are not everywhere present. This is a characteristic that belongs only to God. The Saints, however, like the Angels, are united with us through love (agape) in the One Body of Christ. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, nature's limits are done away with in the life of the Saints, and they know about us without having to be omnipresent (St. Luke 15:7).

The Ever-Virgin Mary is not honored independently of her relationship to Christ, but always as the "Lord's Mother". In other words, the honor which we bestow upon her is always in relationship to our salvation in Jesus Christ. The mystery of our salvation is expressed with the term "Theotokos" ("Mother of God"), and the honor which we accord to the Holy Virgin stems from this title. This term proclaims the reality of the union of the Two Natures of Christ (Human and Divine) which took place within the Virgin Mary's womb and it confirms the fact of our salvation.

As we enter a new ecclesiastical year it would be wise to take this opportunity for the Orthodox Christian to renew his or her commitment to our Savior Christ. A concerted effort should always be made to grow in Christ and to renew our faith in Him. He offers a new life and the invitation "to live". The Orthodox Christian strives to strengthen his communion with his Creator and Redeemer through the Mystery of the divine Eucharist.