In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit. Our church, this blessed
place, was built in 1995 through 96. We began
the project a little bit earlier with discussions
about maybe enlarging the protection church.
What would that cost? What would that look like?
We quickly dropped that idea. For the cost, we
couldn't possibly enlarge it enough. We started
off the model without a dome, and then we moved
to a dome, and the church began construction.
It was an ascetic labor. It was a difficult project.
Not because of the construction, but because
of the way the devil wants to divide people.
The way the devil wants to create opportunities
for division. But Father Michael, as you all
know, was a master of unity. And the church remained
united. And this church was built. And it leaked.
It leaked a lot. Every corner of the building.
Literally every corner of the building. The dome
itself. When it rained, middle of the night,
I ran out here in my pajamas and put buckets
around the perimeter of the dome and corners.
That was ascetic too, but I needed that kind
of asceticism to get up in the middle of the
night and not curse, but pray. The church was
consecrated finally on June 28, 2001. In a five
-hour, incredible, beautiful, transcendent ceremony
of the consecration, a procession to the small
church of the relics of St. Elizabeth, the new
martyr, the prayer duchess, her cell attendant,
St. Barbara, and a higher beacon, Anastasia,
a new martyr from Kiev. Everyone went to the
church, the little church. We brought the relics
in here, and they were installed. under the altar
in a special case that is built into the bottom
of the altar. The church was literally consecrated
with holy chrism, all the walls, and blessed
with holy water. There were two choirs. Alice
and Anne came up from Felton with their choir,
and our choir, Tom, was singing in the choir.
I remember at the time, Macrina Lewis was choir
director and did an incredible, incredible job.
We had 20 priests. attended by maybe 300 people.
Esther Carr arranged a beautiful banquet under
a tent in the front parking lot. Bishop Ticon,
now retired, living in Los Angeles, was the main
celebrant. With him was the then Chancellor of
the OCA, Father Bob Kondratik, Deacon Sevalud
from Washington, and Someone said to me after
the service, it was long, it was long because
there was only one chalice for 300 people. Someone
said to me after the service, Father, I've never
seen you looking so happy and so joyous. And
I thought, well, I must, I'm tired, I'm totally
exhausted, but there must be, it must be the
holiness of this whole thing. There's more to
all that, and there's a story about all that
that we can talk about sometime. But now, my
second thoughts are this, to offer God thanks.
for this place, and to remember with thanksgiving
those who founded this holy place, those who
contributed to it, those that have gone to their
rest, who we remember at every liturgy and every
service as the founders of this holy temple.
We remember with gratitude those who labored
and sacrificed for it to be built. for it to
be adorned, for it to be cleaned, for it to be
repaired, and so on. For those that have gone
before, may their memory be eternal. Without
them, this would not exist. For those that are
still here, those of you that are watching on
Facebook Live, those of you, the few that are
here in the temple now, be inspired by their
example. Carry forward. Don't let anything drop.
You know, the church consecration is also called
a renewal. It's called the renewal of a church.
What is consecrated and what specifically is
renewed and it's called that is because it's
dedicated to God are those materials, this wood,
this concrete, the brick, the mortar, so that
those things which God gave us sand and trees
and rocks, have a certain trajectory in their
creation that they would be renewed, not just
something in the ground, in the forest, at the
beach, but they would be brought together and
established for the glory of God. They became
their true purpose. Not all rocks and all trees
and all sand and so forth are for that. But the
ones that go into this building, they're renewed
because they become something different. They
become witnesses of God's magnificence and beauty
and holiness and witnesses of his incarnation.
That's why you heard those two readings, the
Epistle to the Romans. We have such a high priest.
says St. Paul, who knows our infirmities. He
is like us. And Jesus himself says, St. Peter,
who do men say that I am? All this witnesses
to that. What does St. John of Damascus say there?
I worship the creator of matter, who became matter
for my sake. This is all creation. And now it
is imbued with God's holiness. God's uncreated
grace were poured onto it. It's like a baptism.
And in fact, the altar table was put together,
it was washed, and it was vested, and it was
chrismated. The bishop during the service says
this, one of many long prayers, as the choir
sing in psalm verses. O Lord, I love the beauty
of thy house, for example. The bishop prays,
send down thine all -holy and adorable and almighty
spirit and sanctify this temple and this altar.
Fill it with the light everlasting. Elect it
for thy dwelling place. Make it the abode of
thy glory. Adorn it with thy divine and supernal
gifts. Appoint it for a haven of the tempest
-tossed, for healing passions. for a refuge of
the weak, for an expelling of evil spirits. Let
thine eyes be opened upon this temple day and
night, and let thy ears be heedful of the prayer
of all those who shall enter therein in thy fear
and in piety, and shall call upon thine all -honorable
and adorable name, and whatsoever they ask of
thee, thou wilt hear it in heaven above, and
wilt show mercy and be gracious unto them. He
prays this. and much, much more. But it's essential
to remember, first of all, that God has built
himself a house. Remember the sermon that the
proto -martyr Stephen preaches. God has built
himself a house which is first and foremost the
people he has called. Ecclesia. The ecclesia,
the church, those who have been called out, who
make offerings, who give the liturgy. God has
called us out so that we can reflect, we can
live, we can manifest his love and holiness in
this broken and divided world. This temple is
to be a reflection of that. The church is in
here. You have the altar of your heart, the dwelling
place of God enthroned there. The church is a
reflection of all that. This building is a reflection
of what is to be within us. Because remember
what God said, what house will you build me?
Or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my
hand made all these things? God does not dwell
in places built by man. But you and we all have
been redeemed. We have been saved, not by the
hand of man, but by God. Many of the churches
that I saw in the Holy Land and Istanbul, as
you know, were either in ruins or they were mosques.
This tells me that God can withdraw his protection
from his people if his people squander their
gifts and do not live according to the faith.
Do not live for the kingdom, but live for their
own glory. So let us be careful, brothers and
sisters, how we live. When you look at the dome,
Remember that the Lord is enthroned in your heart.
When you look at the dome, remember that Christ
Jesus became man for our sake. And the evangelists
are not there yet, but they will be, God willing.
They witnessed to that incarnation. Who do you
say that I am? And these chandeliers are like,
says one writer, like the wedding crown of the
marriage feast of the Lamb to which we have been
invited. and we're participating. When you see
the icon of the nativity, for example, there,
don't just look at it. Say, am I reborn in Christ?
Am I a daughter or a son of the new creation
through baptism? Do I sing glory to God in the
heights, or do I sit like Joseph there, not sure
of what's happening? This anniversary of the
consecration, offers us every year the opportunity
to receive what has been given, to review that,
if we have received it in fact, like the talents
in the gospel story, and increase those talents.
Increase the gift, the deposit of grace, as we
say at the baptism. Caring for this place. Caring
for one another with humility and gratitude.
and witnessing to what we have been given so
that others may be saved too. To our Lord, who
has so graciously bestowed wonderful gifts of
this temple to us, be glory and honor now and
ever to ages and ages.