DIVINE LOVE AND OUR CHURCH GREEK FESTIVAL

DIVINE LOVE AND OUR CHURCH GREEK FESTIVAL Fr Luke A Veronis God loves us. And God wants to save us. God loves the world and everyone in it. And God desires to save us – save us from ourselves and all our confusion and delusion, save us from our brokenness and sinfulness, save us from egocentric actions and impure hearts. God loves us and wants to save us. This is a summary of the Good News, of what our Faith is all about, and in today’s Gospel we hear the very heart of why Jesus Christ came into the world: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16–17) The entire message of our Christian faith is wrapped up in those words. We read this Holy Scripture always on the Sunday before September 14th when we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which is the ultimate sign of God’s love. It is not a symbol of condemnation, fear, or defeat, but of mercy, forgiveness, and victory. The Son of God willingly offers Himself, stretching out His arms on the Cross, to embrace every human being. Think about the image of the Cross. The vertical beam connects heaven and earth, showing how God reaches down to us into the fallenness of humanity. The horizontal beam stretches outward, reminding us of Christ’s arms wide open to embrace the whole world. The Holy Cross is the sign of Divine Love — radical, unconditional, self-giving love. And Jesus didn’t come, as today’s Gospel tells us, “to condemn the world.” Here’s the crux of the Good News. We don’t believe in an angry judge waiting to punish us. No! We believe in a God who came to save, to heal, to restore, to lift us up. Isn’t that the message the world needs to hear today? Isn’t that the Good News that many people we know need to hear. Isn’t that the message every guest who steps into our festival today needs to see lived out. It seems most appropriate that we hear this Gospel Reading today during our Church’s Greek Festival Weekend. So many people will come to our Church these days. Most will come because they love baklava, gyros, and spanakopita. Some will come for the music and dancing. Others may wander here simply because they’re curious. And for many of these people, it way be the first time, and only time they ever set foot inside an Orthodox church. Think about that. God brings them here today not just for food or fun, but for a taste of His Divine Love. Our festival is not ultimately about souvlaki or pastries or dancing. Those are simply doorways into something much greater. The real treasure we have here in this Church is the Good News of Jesus Christ. The real flavor of our community is the joy of the Holy Spirit. The real dance is the life of the Church that leads us into the Kingdom of Heaven. And the deepest beauty we can offer is not even our icons or our music alone, but the radiant love of God shining in and through His people. So, let me ask  you, what will visitors see when they come to our festival today? Will they see a people filled with divine joy, kindness, and hospitality? Will they see patience in the long food lines? Will they feel welcome when they step inside this holy sacred space? Will they catch a glimpse of God’s love through us? Every smile we offer, the way we answer every question, every gesture of hospitality will hopefully remind them that “We are ambassadors for Christ,” as Saint Paul calls us. That means when people meet us, they are, in some way, meeting Christ. I remember hearing the story of a man who visited a festival like ours. He was not Orthodox, or even particularly religious. He had to enjoy the food. Yet, one parishioner took the time to greet him warmly, to invite him to the church tour, and later to sit with him at a table. That simple kindness opened his heart. Months later, that man returned — not for more food, but for spiritual nourishment. And eventually, he became a member of the Orthodox Church. Never underestimate the power of small acts done with great love. Remember: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” God offered His Son. Can we not give a few hours of our love, our kindness, our welcome today? The Exaltation of the Cross, which we will lift up next Sunday, reminds us that the Church exists not for itself but for the salvation of the world. We should never keep this treasure to ourselves. We lift it high so that all everyone can see. And our festival, at its best, is not simply a fundraiser — it is an opportunity, a mission, an invitation. Imagine if just one person today took a step closer to Christ because of how we welcomed them. Imagine if someone tasted not only our food but also the sweetness of God’s love. Imagine if someone left not only with full stomachs but with a heart full of Divine Love and Faith. That would make all our hard work worthwhile. May we welcome every visitor with the same love with which God welcomes us. May we reflect the Good News that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” May our Greek Festival celebrate not only the past heritage of this church community, but more importantly the treasure of our faith. And may every person who comes onto our grounds today leave with a taste not only of our food and culture, but of God’s love and joy.