Centennial Banquet Address Your Eminence, Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, and Distinguished Guests: Glory to Jesus Christ! What a joy it is to be here together with everybody to usher in and celebrate 100 years for the parish family of St. Vladimir! It should first be said that the events of this entire weekend are only made possible by the dedication of many who have come together and labored diligently over the past many months. To those who have spent time cleaning, organizing, placing orders, arranging food, creating memorabilia, praying, practicing, supporting, cooking, or doing anything else, small or great, to make these three days so special – thank you! The unity, collaboration, and sacrificial giving of so many were all necessary to bring us to where we are – both for this weekend’s events and from 100 years ago to today. In addition to our Hierarch and Dean, we are blessed to have with us today parties from two of our neighboring parishes, Fr. Zinoviy Zharskiy from Holy Trinity Ukranian Orthodox Church in Trenton and Fr. Peter Baktis and his family from the Mother of God parish in Princeton, New Jersey. We are blessed to have them here because it is in cooperation with priests like these and the faithful under their care that the work of Jesus Christ will be done in Trenton and the surrounding area for decades to come. I say to you both, where our clergy stand united and when our parishes work together, the presence of Christ is magnified. I certainly look forward to doing Christ’s work in and around Trenton with you both and joining the resources of our parishes to bring hope and salvation to those who need it most. Anybody who wants to do Christ’s work and will is invited to join us. As we take this opportunity to reflect on 100 years let us think about this question: What inspired the founders of St. Vladimir Church 100
years ago? Put another way, what was hope and vision for the family which these founders began a century ago? For instance, was there a sense of having a place to worship as being not a nicety, but a necessity? Did they understand the need for a Church community not just to have fun and friends, but for their salvation? Did they have the foresight to realize that being the very presence of Jesus Christ in Trenton 100 years ago could and should have a profound impact on their kin and an entire city for generations to come? I hope you will recognize with me that we are sitting here in celebration today for reasons such as those and nothing less. For those values and pursuits exemplify the ideals to which Christians have been called in every generation. The spirit of this parish’s forefathers serves as a bridge from this family’s founding a century ago and extends to serve all of those who would proclaim Christ until He comes again. When He comes again He must find us prepared, and He will. The values and goals that brought the founders of this church together as a unique family 100 years ago – hope, love, dedication, mercy, sacrifice, joy, salvation – these must be the values of the parish today and for the next 100 years. And, lest we dishonor those who have come before us, we do not stop there. We expand the scope of those values and goals to realize what this church, and every Christian church, and every Christian person, is called. No bridge ends in the middle of the water, but extends from one side to another, otherwise, it is no longer a bridge, but a plank, across which we find ourselves walking. For two years the theme of seeking, knowing and living God’s will has been preached in this parish. This theme includes the core elements of
revitalization and extending our bridge. It does this by placing God at the head, rather than any of us. This parish, Her property and assets, and our lives all belong wholly to Him. “Thy will be done” are the words of salvation and eternal life given by the One Who Is Salvation and Life Himself, Jesus Christ our God. There is no other option for the Christian but to surrender fully and totally to our Savior. The founders of this parish embraced that reality. It was the keystone of the bridge they began a century ago. When we truly seek Christ’s will our perspective changes. It changes because we live in humility and obedience to our Master instead of being masters over ourselves. When our lives and perspectives change for either better or worse, the life of the parish changes the same way. We cannot possibly live the same life both in obedience to Christ’s will and contrariwise at the same time. Jesus explicitly states “You cannot serve God and mammon for you will either hate the one and love the other or love the one and despise the other” (Mt. 6:24). Living Christ’s will is, in some ways, both unique to and always necessary for every Christian and every parish. We must honor the past, as we are today, but not become enslaved by it. The difference between these is crucial and literally that of life and death. If the founders of this parish only wanted to honor the past, no formal community would ever have begun, because bridges are meant to lead across the water, not keep us looking from our own shoreline. Seeking God’s will necessitates that we become authentic Christians– We comprehend the scriptures, participate in and absorb the services, steep ourselves in the Holy tradition of the Church, making room for God by cleansing out our closets through confession and repentance, come to church every week and on time prepared to receive the live coal of God’s body and blood, praying at home and transforming our homes into family churches. Being authentic Christians means living our lives fully both while in Church and when we are away from one
another. We can only truly claim to be seeking God’s will when these are our priorities and practices. And when we seek God in this way we will develop into that which we have always been called. We become Christians empowered by the Holy Spirit. We cross and elongate the bridge. We take our renewed, energized, empowered, informed faith and share it with those around us, including our friends, family members, former parishioners, current parishioners, co-workers and neighbors. Yes, even those – especially those— neighboring the church building this very day must be invited to experience Christ’s love through each and every one of us. We are blessed in Trenton to be surrounded by people whose needs are laid bare. It is our duty to meet their needs. This is all in line with what the founders of our parish did 100 years ago. The founders of this parish believed it worthwhile to offer their whole selves because they saw the potential for something great and enduring…a family to relate their story and the love of God in perpetuity. They did not envision a plank, but a fully extending bridge. They must have, because nobody gives fully of themselves so they can pass down a little plank from one generation to the next. They began a bridge and wanted it extended. Knowing God’s will means that we are actually conversing with God. In the same way that Adam and Eve did in paradise, or Moses did on Mount Sinai, or Joseph did in a dream, or the Holy Apostles, Martyrs, or Mother of God have done throughout the last 2,000 years. This is how we are to know God today, and tomorrow and 100 years from now. We should hear His voice, and long to be with Him, forsaking all else. Knowing God’s will means that there is no doubt as to the direction we should take, and in our faithfulness to Him, that those expectations of the Lord will be achieved. Jesus says in St. John’s Gospel “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). When we are prepared to leave this earth bodily, Jesus
Christ must be familiar to us and be our best friend. For the bridge of the Church also extends into eternity. Living God’s will means that we are actively, constantly, pursuing to fulfill Christ’s commandments. We love Him. How do we love Him? “With all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And we love our neighbor as ourselves,” too. The bridge extends vertically from Christ to us and from us to Christ. It extends horizontally from us to our neighbors and from our neighbors to us. We may be the only intersection on that bridge that could ever lead a person to Christ. We must embrace that responsibility and role. We must love limitlessly, unconditionally and fervently. St. Paul writes many times that the Church is Christ’s body. If we are the Church, then we must live Christ’s life as His body has done 2,000 years ago, throughout the centuries and today. When we are in the habit of seeking, knowing AND living God’s will we will be led to worship, fellowship, education, service, outreach and evangelism all in the name of Jesus Christ. In the last two years the parish of St. Vladimir has undergone remarkable transformation in which those elements have been emphasized. We have burgeoning new ministries which are attracting people to be with us. Some people who have lived in Trenton their entire lives and have never set foot inside the church now can no longer say that. Neighbors are not just borrowing from the food pantry, but donating toward it. These types of trends needs to continue and we need to continue to facilitate them. And we shall. This will happen only in faithfulness to Christ’s Gospel and in partnership with our local brothers and sisters and other wellmeaning organizations with whom we are only now beginning to cultivate the presence of Christ in the greater Trenton area. Our bridge will extend to every household in and around Trenton and we will walk across it to have our neighbors join us.
We will no longer be a parish satisfied with the status quo “because we’ve always done it this way,” but one which embraces the opportunity to grow and develop. “We’ve always done it this way” means that we are slaves to custom. We will rather constantly be evaluating what we do and adapting as needed. “Does this match with God’s will at this time?” will be the only criteria that matters from this day forward. For where His will is, a way exists. We will invest in, refine, and develop our current ministries, and evaluate the opportunities for more. People will no longer be able to be ignorant or scared of our parish but will be invited and attracted to the truth and love which exudes from us. Our emphasis going forward will be on healing and repentance seven days a week, not two. The church building and parish hall will become the center of community life for those who live around them. We will offer ourselves until we have nothing else to offer, and then God will bless us again, only for us to give yet more so He can again bless all the more. Verses from chapter 25 of St. Matthew’s Gospel are read every year just before the Great Lenten Fast. We hear: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. In time, we will not just hear these words, but live them and invite others to do the same in even more hands-on ways than we have already begun. We are located in a city limping through crises. We will be the hospital of its inhabitants –treating body, mind, and soul. We will be equipped to proclaim Christ’s loving message. We will tell our friends, neighbors and co-workers that they are invited to something special. Then we will bring them and our family will grow. Those in need of food, clothing, shelter, or companionship will know that the Christians of this parish love them and are here for them – even at their lowest, especially when they have nothing to offer in return.
They will be fed by our community garden and food pantry. The friendless masses will become our very flesh and blood. We will continue collecting clothing for those in need. These ministries must never be neglected by our own faithful, especially since we have been so abundantly blessed by God to be able to do so much. We will meet Christ’s expectation that His followers minister to the imprisoned. The New Jersey State Prison, one mile away from our church needs Christ’s love. And we are going to offer it there. Our parishioners and the neighbors around us will be educated in the fullness of our Orthodox Christian faith. More educational programs for adults and youth alike will be coming soon. The picnic grounds will be utilized as the asset they are, and not marginalized as a burden or neglected. We will use that property to invite the community to join us as we serve them. The parish of St. Vladimir will no longer be hidden and locked in darkness but will be made known to God’s glory. The hungry, thirsty, spiritually deprived seekers by whom we are surrounded will come and find the spring of Living Water. Those who sit in darkness will see a great light. We will do this, all of this, together and it will bring us joy. It will bring us joy because we love God, we love our church and we love those who 100 years ago toiled, sacrificed, and hoped for a special community for those who would come after them, because they had a vision and enduring love to share with us today. This is what inspired the founders of this parish a century ago. This is what inspires us today. There may be naysayers who will tell those among us these things are impossible. They might say we don’t have the money for it, or the manpower, or even the desire. These are statements of fear, greed, or lack of faith – not reality. We, who believe and confess Jesus Christ and His ability to bridge the infinite chasm from heaven to earth certainly
believe that He can also bridge these insignificant mischaracterizations of our resources, abilities and willingness. We will trust our God to guide us in the same way that the founders of this community did 100 years ago to bring us here today. We will be committed to basing our decisions not in fear, but in faith. We will honor the past, all of our brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers by living for the future! May we use this day to renew our efforts of seeking, knowing, and living God’s will and in so doing, extend the bridge begun by the founders of the Parish of St. Vladimir a century ago. Through the prayers of St. Vladimir, our noble ancestors, and the Ever-Virgin Mary live the Christian life to its fullest this day and every day until Christ come again. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ!