Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Mt 11.28

His Eminence Metropolitan SABA Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America         His Grace Bishop Alexander

Pastor: Fr John Vazquez| fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com | stgeorgealbany.org | 1 St George's Pl Albany

Office Hours: Mon/Fri 10am-5pm/Confessions: After weekly services or by appointment

Parish Council Leadership: Chair—Michella Rizk, Treasurer—Marie Barbera, Secretary—Daniel Palmer, Vice Chair—Justin Rezek

Beloved,

I would like to speak a bit more about my sermon from yesterday...

I spoke about the cavernous paths that repeated thought patterns carve deep into our minds and hearts. Unfortunately, often these thought patterns are not beneficial for us and we find ourselves stuck in the valley of the shadow of death and unable to remove ourselves, as our every move only takes us deeper and deeper into this experience of death, with no deliverance in sight, or even comprehensible. 

However, the appearance of the Lamb of God—our Lord Jesus Christ—is a source of hope for us. We see Him playing high up on the rocks that lead down into the valley and—strange mystery—He is coming down into the depths of the valley to be with us in the midst of the shadow of death. This is the One we have been looking and waiting for. He will show us the way out. And we meet Him with great joy and He says, "follow me."

We leave everything—elated at the prospect of being delivered from the valley of death and we ask, "where are you staying Master?"

He responds, "come and see." 

And what do we find but that He goes deeper into the valley—to the place that we fear and dread the most. He descends not just into the depths of the valley but into the place of no return—where there is no light, life, hope or love. And then He says, "if you love me you will follow me even here." 

How is it that this One—who played so carelessly on the steep cliffs of the valley and could show me the way out—asks me to follow Him to the place of no return? But I say, "to whom shall I go, for he has the words of life?"

So, I follow and I find that this place that I thought was a place of no return is actually a place where I find freedom because I am with Him. After His descent into the place of return—He returns—but then He leaves and ascends out of the valley. But He does not leave me alone. He sends the Comforter, the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth—who proceeds from the Father. This Dove alights upon me and gives me wings through His power and now I fly freely, sometimes up above the peaks of the snow covered tops of the mountains into the heavenly realm where I hear, "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal" and I join in that choir and I am fed with the fiery coal of Life. After this heavenly experience I descend back down into the valley—where my Teacher, my Master, my God descended and I share about faith, hope and love and the good news that the Lamb has brought light to the valley—that is no longer the valley of death but the womb that gives birth to life. 

Glory to our God on high who descended into death and filled it with life!

With love in Christ,

Fr John 

PS—Don't forget to sign up for our Annual Christmas Card. Sign-up sheets are in the hall or you can contact Fr John.