Follow-up to the General Assembly held Sunday July 12, 2026

As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Metropolitan Saba reflects on the life and witness of St. Raphael of Brooklyn, the first Orthodox bishop of any background consecrated on American soil. Uniquely prepared by his travels through Damascus, Constantinople, Halki, Kiev, and Moscow and his command of many languages, St. Raphael tirelessly planted parishes for Orthodox immigrants across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Metropolitan Saba holds him up as a model for our own time: one who moved between cultures, upheld the faith without compromise, and encouraged the faithful to embrace their new homeland. He calls us to honor these "founding fathers" of American Orthodoxy, learn from their witness, and continue nurturing what grew from their labors as new believers embrace the faith by choice.

In the third part of his reflection on secularism, Metropolitan Saba examines how believers respond to the unprecedented challenges that modernity — now called "postmodernity" — poses to the faith. He describes two currents that have emerged: one that treats every new thing as suspect and retreats to guard the purity of the faith without going out to meet a thirsting world, and another so enchanted by modernity that it blurs the line between the spirit of the world and the spirit of the Gospel. Both, he warns, drift toward an extremism built on conviction rather than prayerful love, threatening the unity of the Church. Drawing on the failed 2016 Council and the words of Olivier Clément, he points to the hesychastic life of prayer — the gentle breeze in which God spoke to Elijah — as the only path to clear vision and true love for the brother "for whom Christ died."

In the second part of his reflection on secularism, Metropolitan Saba warns of what happens when prayer weakens and ritual replaces the sanctifying life: the Church risks becoming a mere institution of this age, even a high-caliber humanitarian one, while losing her true mission of raising man toward the Kingdom of God. He examines how activism and fundamentalism are both betrayals of the Gospel, drawing on Father Alexander Schmemann, the witness of Mother Teresa, and the warning of the prophet Jeremiah, and calls the faithful back to a living spirit of prayer so that worldliness loses its grip and the Church remains truly the Church of Christ.

In this week's reflection, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba (Isper) examines the growing influence of secularism on modern Christian life. He explores how secularism — the philosophy of managing life by human ability alone, without God — has created a divide between faith and everyday living. Through practical examples such as prayer in illness, the sacrament of marriage, and fasting practices, Metropolitan Saba illustrates how a secular mindset can hollow out the spiritual essence of Christian life, reducing sacred traditions to mere formality. He calls the faithful to examine where the culture of the age has displaced the demands of the Gospel in their lives.

Metropolitan Saba reflects on the spiritual dangers of undisciplined social media use, warning that careless online behavior can deepen isolation, spread harm through gossip, and scatter the mind away from prayer. He offers practical guidance for believers, including praying before browsing, setting time limits, and dedicating one device-free hour each day to rediscover inner peace. Read the full teaching on the Archdiocesan website.

Monday, June 15th at 6:30pm

Metropolitan Saba examines two opposing errors in how Orthodox Christians relate to the Church Fathers — those who treat them as an absolute authority to be cited mechanically, and those who dismiss them as outdated. His Eminence writes: "Fidelity to the Fathers requires us not to cherry-pick their teachings." Read the full teaching on the Archdiocesan website.

Join us this Saturday, May 30 for Divine Liturgy on the Saturday of Souls. Liturgy begins at 9:00 AM. The Saturday of Souls is a day set aside to pray for the departed; all are welcome to attend and commemorate their loved ones.

Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord

Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 20th at 6:30 PM in honor of the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord. All are welcome to join us for this holy day.

Father Symeon traveling from Monday July 20th -Saturday July 25th.  Father can be reached on cell ONLY for urgent matters.

Father Symeon traveling from Wednesday June 24th -Saturday July 4th.  Father can be reached on cell ONLY for urgent matters.

Thursday, May 7: Divine Liturgy for the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, 6:30 PM Friday, May 8: Bible Study, 7:00 PM Saturday, May 9: Vespers (Reader's Service)

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and all its righteousness and all things shall be added unto you.” - Matthew 6:33. As we celebrate a decade since the establishment of this humble mission parish in Bakersfield, California we are left in awe at God’s love and mercy and with immeasurable excitement at the prospects this mission parish holds for the future. In ten years, we have seen the parish steadily grow from a community of core proponents and advocates hopeful of establishing a church for their children and posterity to a diverse and pluralistic community representative of the unique tapestry of Bakersfield. Calling Virgin Mary home, the faithful of our beautiful parish including Arabs, Americans, and Hispanics strive to serve the needs of the Orthodox Christian faithful of this beautiful community and to embody and engender the Universality of The Church. Virgin Mary continues to demonstrate and live the ethos that God endeavors to baptize all nations and gather all of creation into His loving abode. As we celebrate ten years, we look forward with great anticipation and excitement heeding the words of Saint Paul: “Eyes have not seen, nor have ears heard, nor has it entered the heart of man the things God has in store for those that love Him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9

Congratulations to the newly elected Parish Council members for 2026!

Danny Andrews 

Nabil Rabadi

Gregory Thompson

Fr. Symeon Fakhouri, non voting

Save the date for our 10th year anniversary banquet Saturday November 7, 2026!