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 majority of people have made a number of New Year's resolutions throughout their lives. Yet, practically every resolution is broken a short time after being made--less than 20 percent are successful in attaining success in even one of their resolutions.

On the day following the Holy Feast of Theophany, in accordance with ancient tradition, the Church of Christ convenes her children for the Synaxis of the holy, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John. The word synaxis means an assembling or an assembly, in this case, a convocation in church, at which God is hymned and praised and the great John, the Forerunner and Baptist is lauded. Truly it is fitting that, immediately after celebrating the Lord's Baptism, we should gather to glorify by a special commemoration the steward of the Divine Mystery, who placed his hand upon the Master's head.

"Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. The woman said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep, Where then do You get that living water?

Beloved, I wish to celebrate and exult, for the Holy Day of Illumination is both the portal of jubilation and the seal of feasts. It is the culmination of the appearance of the Ancient of Days (Jesus Christ) in the cave in Bethlehem, for the Suckling Who lay in the manger now releases the streams of Jordan, in which He is baptized with sinners. By touching His immaculate members, Jordan's waters have gained the power to remit the whole world's iniquities. Coming forth from the womb of the Most Pure Virgin, Christ appeared as a babe among babes, a man among men, as a son to His Mother, and as a King to the Magi. He manifested Himself as the Good Shepherd, Who "giveth His life for the sheep" (John Ch.10), in the words of Divine Scripture. Today the same Jesus has appeared on the riverbank to cleanse publicans and sinners. Astonished by the unprecedented occurrence, the divine Paul cries, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus Ch.2). Everything existent is brightly illumined, beginning with heaven, whence sounds the voice of the Father. The sky is hallowed by the descent of the Spirit; the nature of water is sanctified and calls men to wash their souls and bodies. The whole of creation makes merry, except for the devil, who knows that the font is his destruction.