Visit of His Grace Bishop Maxim to Orange County Parish
The joy of celebrating the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ who was born on Earth to live among us was heightened at the Orange County parish, Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, by the visit of His Grace Bishop Maxim on Sunday, January 10th. His Grace served a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy assisted by Protojerej Oleg Kostenko, Deacon Vladan Radovanovic and the parish priest, Protojerej Blasko Paraklis.
Every Divine Liturgy takes us from earthly reality into heavenly reality. The Eucharistic gathering allows us to experience in a most concrete way a union with God which was re-established by the incarnation of the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Logos, our Lord Jesus Christ. Divine Liturgy is the most joyful, most important, and most festive event in the life of an Orthodox Christian. Especially joyful is a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy served by the ruling Bishop epitomizing our union in Christ with all our brothers and sisters in our community as well as in all of the parishes over which the bishop presides.
As we listen to the Gospel story about the events which followed the Nativity of our Lord, we realize that human motivations, dispositions, joys, ordeals, and passions have not changed much since the time our Messiah came into this world. We are, nevertheless, heartened because Christ brought new and true ways of life. We experience the Divine love of God and true salvation by participating in the Eucharist. His Grace 
Bishop Maxim reminded us that it is precise because of the Eucharist and through gospel readings at every Liturgy that man is able to embrace the authentic messages brought by Christ. Christ came on Christmas to this world to transfigure lives, dispel fears, and give true love and true joy to all believers. Although we are living in difficult times, we are able to feel the Divine joy and adhere to the words of St. Paul who said: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice.”
Children tend to share true joy the best. At the end of the Liturgy, children of our parish, led by Matushka Irina Kostenko, sang the troparion of the Nativity of our Lord and greeted the congregation in Ukrainian, Russian, English and Serbian. The exclamation, “Christ is Born”, was heard many times. Bishop Maxim and all the parish joined the children singing “Silent Night”.
After the Divine Liturgy, the faithful and the clergy shared the meal of love with Bishop Maxim and enjoyed informal conversations with him and the visitors, some of whom had come to our church for the first time.
We are truly grateful to His Grace Bishop Maxim for coming and sharing the Christmas joy with all of us.
