Bishops Maxim and Kirilo at Monastery Slava in Escondido
The Serbian Orthodox faithful from parishes throughout Southern California gathered at the Meeting of the Lord Monastery in Escondido, California just north of San Diego, to take part in the celebration of the Monastery Slava on Saturday, February 3, 2018. The festal celebration began with the arrival of the bishops, His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America and visiting hierarch His Grace Kirilo, Bishop of Dioclea and administrator of the Diocese of Buenos Aires and South America. Concelebrating clergy included V. Rev. Stavrophor Lazar Vasiljevic, V. Rev. Blasko Paraklis, V. Rev. Predrag Bojovic and V. Rev. Milovan Katanic. Also serving were Deacon Vladan Radovanovic and Deacon Paul Germain.
Two Slava kolaches were offered, in honor of the monastery altar feast and St. Maximus the Confessor on whose feastday the liturgy was served, Bishop Maxim’s namesday. Bishop Maxim welcomed the special guest to the Diocese of Western America, His Grace Bishop Kirilo. In his homily Bishop Kirilo spoke of the quiet solitute and peaceful setting of this monastery where the faithful can come to pray and in their prayers meet the Lord. He also spoke in more detail of the theology of St. Maximus the Confessor, metioning that oftentimes the church fathers don’t have a practical place in our lives. On the contrary, the bishop argued that the saint’s defense of the two natures of Christ teaches us that our Christian faith is not an escapism like some eastern religions but involves, first of all, our free will as well as the participation of our whole being in our union with God, our salvation.
An agape meal was served for all clergy and faithful following the Divine Liturgy. Afterward, on their way to San Diego where they would celebrate the Divine Liturgy the next day, Bishop Kirilo visited St. Petka Serbian Orthodox Church in San Marcos where the host priest gave him a short history of the parish and hosted them for a short visit in the parish house.
