St. Kosmas Aitolos and  the Baptism/Chrismation of Seven New Members 

St. Kosmas Aitolos and the Baptism/Chrismation of Seven New Members (A week after we Chrismated Five Other New Members) Fr. Luke A. Veronis "If it were possible for me to climb up into the sky and shout with a great voice, to preach to the entire world that only our Christ is the Son and Word of God, true God and life of all, I would have done it. But because I can't do such a thing, I do this small thing of walking from village to village and teaching my brothers and sisters as I can, not as a teacher but as a brother." These are the words of Saint Kosmas Aitolos, one of the great missionary saints from the 18th century whom we remember today. And it seems most appropriate that on his feastday we are welcoming seven new members into our Church Family of Faith through the Mystery of Baptism and Chrismation. Saint Kosmas is rejoicing with the saints in heaven! Saint Kosmas was a man filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit. He walked thousands of miles throughout villages and towns, over mountains and rugged terrain, all in order to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and share the treasure which could be found in the Orthodox Christian faith. At a time when the masses were illiterate, struggling under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire and tempted by the economic and social pressure to convert to Islam, Saint Kosmas spent 20 years preaching hope and new life in Jesus Christ. He encouraged villagers to build schools, educate their children, lift up the poor, and above all discover the joy found only in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. “From studying the Holy Gospel,” Saint Kosmas shared, “I discovered pearls, diamonds, treasures, riches, joy - eternal life. I found Christ saying that no Christian can be concerned only with himself - how he can be saved - but must be concerned with those who don't know Christ and who have never heard the Gospel. The greatest treasure in the world is the Orthodox Faith and whoever loses this, loses everything!” This revelation of God’s passionate love for the entire world transformed his worldview. "I looked out the window of my monastery and perceived the world wounded, bleeding, and crying for help. I saw people submerged by waves of ignorance, self-centeredness and hatred. Thus, I decided to not waste another moment but to share the treasure I had discovered.” What powerful words! And how fitting they are for us today here in our parish. We are celebrating the exact fruit of what St. Kosmas lived and died for. We are baptizing six adults and chrismating another, a week after we chrismated five other adults, all who have discovered this priceless treasure of the Orthodox faith. These men and women are choosing today to say, “Yes, Lord. I want to die to my old life and rise anew with You through Holy Baptism. I want to become a new creation and live with You, guided by Your Spirit, within the communion of Your Holy Church.” Saint Kosmas walked miles and miles to proclaim the Good News. He believed in the riches he found in Holy Scripture and insisted that every village open up schools to educate their children. Thus, he instigated the building of more than 200 schools because he believed education would help preserve and strengthen the faith. He spoke with such passion that entire villages repented and returned to Christ. He understood the faith not simply as continuing a tradition or preserving one’s cultural heritage. It is a living encounter with the Risen Christ that changes and transforms lives. "If I have a loaf of bread to eat, and someone else does not have, I must not eat alone but share what I have. If I have clothes and another lacks them, I must give away part of what I have. If I open my mouth to gossip, at once I remember love and it deadens my mouth. Above all, I must forgive. A man may insult me, kill my father, my mother, my brother, and then gouge out my eyes. As a Christian, it is still my duty to forgive him." This new life found in a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ inside His Holy Church is what attracted thousands of people to respond to his words. “Our faith was founded by the holy Apostles through the blood of the martyrs, by the prayers of the Fathers, and sealed by the Ecumenical Councils,” he noted. “It is the true faith. Guard it as your life.” And this faithfulness to the Eternal Truth of God, this life-changing Good News of hope, is what attracted our seven new brothers and sisters to become Orthodox Christians today! Through their Holy Baptism and Chrismation, they are embracing Christ with all their hearts, and they are being sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit to set them on fire and help them live a life in Jesus Christ. “As many as have been baptized in Christ,” Saint Paul says, “Have put on Christ. Alelluia.” These newly illumined men and women remind all of us about the jewel we already have access to within the Church. Yet, for those of us who have been a part of the Church since our infancy, we must take care not to take this “pearl of great price” for granted. We rejoice in the baptisms and chrismations of these dear believers, but we remember that it is not just about them. Their baptism and chrismation remind us to renew our own baptismal vows. Remember the grace that we received and allow the Spirit of God to continue to set us on fire! Just as St. Kosmas told his listeners, “If you truly love Christ, you will not rest until you bring your brother, your neighbor, and your friend also to Him,” let us follow His advice. May all of us become apostles who embrace deeply our faith, who allow the grace of God to inspire us, and then to share this blessing with all the people we know." So today, let us rejoice with our seven new brothers and sisters, for they have found the “pearl of great price.” But let us also hear the voice of St. Kosmas echoing to each of us: “treasure your faith, guard it, and share it.” For the greatest gift you can ever give to another person is to help them discover the joy of the Risen Jesus Christ, the peace of His forgiveness, the hope of His eternal promise, and the never-ending love of His mercy and grace. May the prayers of St. Kosmas Aitolos strengthen us to act as bold, humble, and joyful witnesses of this priceless treasure we call our Orthodox faith.