Vidovdan 2018 in Fair Oaks, California
Commemorated: Sunday, June 24, 2018
Oftentimes, when we think of a long-ago historical Church remembrance, we forget that WE are sharing in the mental life of the event. We might even forgo attending the Church service itself, excusing our lack of attendance with a worldly excuse. These human failings were not witnessed in our Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary Serbian Orthodox Church last Sunday. Rather, all who attended the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy were aware that we were witnessing an event that we were ‘feeling.’ As one of the celebrants stated, “This was a serene and beautifully moving Divine Liturgy.” It is not often that a feeling of being enclosed in a moment of time is felt by so many. We were all blessed in sharing this feeling.
Vladika Maxim was our Chief Celebrant for the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Assisting him were our very own Fr. Dane Popovic and Fr. William Weir. Visiting from St. Sava in Jackson, CA, was Deacon Dragan (Danny) Stojanovich and from St. Athanasius in Sacramento, Subdeacon Stephen Whitcomb.
The somberness of the final prayers of the day remembering King Lazar and all those Martyrs under his command was poignant. Just knowing that so many men willingly gave their lives in their final earthly battle made many of us aware of our own earthly failings. These Martyrs may have gone to Our Heavenly Father more than 1000 years ago, however, in God’s time, this was a moment. It is our earthly time, it is a monumental event in the life of His Church. We would NOT be able to remember this event if it was not determined to be important in the eyes of God’s Church. It is through the workings of the Holy Spirit that we are able to remember worldly events such as Vidovdan.
May we each strive to remember those who so long ago demonstrated how we are to live our lives. If we live each day as though it is our last day of glorifying God, in a very small way we will be acknowledging those who have gone on before us. May the Holy Martyr St. Lazar and the Martyrs that followed him continue to inspire all of us in the way we live our lives.
