BISHOP MAXIM VISITS THE SAN MARCOS PARISH

On Sunday, June 21, 2020, the second Sunday after Pentecost and the first Sunday of the Apostles’ Fast, His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America served the Divine Liturgy at St. Petka Serbian Orthodox Church in San Marcos, California. Church bells announced His Grace’s arrival as parishioners, led by their parish priest Protopresbyter Fr. Milovan Katanic, welcomed the bishop at the entrance to the church, receiving his blessing.

“In this morning’s gospel we heard of the wondrous calling of the disciples at the Sea of Galilee,“ the bishop said in his homily. “And from that moment they became the followers of Christ, His disciples. Whenever we listen in church about the events and miracles from the life of our Lord we are not merely listeners of something that happened but we become participants or protagonists. Christ directs this call to the disciples when they were fishing, perhaps they didn’t even catch anything. They were mending their nets and, in actuality, their entire lives were in those nets and the nets are a symbol of the cares of this world. It was at that moment the Saviour appeared to them and granted them something new and in that moment their lives changed. This is, in fact, an open invitation to all of us. For us to hear His voice, to see His image and that our lives be in imitation of His life, and that His life be the law of ours“.

Due to the ongoing social measures still in place, there was no formal fellowship following the liturgy, which typically takes place in the church hall. Instead, His Grace spent a few moments socializing with the faithful outside the church who were more than delighted with the bishop’s visit.