Mary (Smaletz) Kessler, 91 a longtime resident of Drexel Hill passed away on August 28, 2021. Mary was born in Mount Carmel, PA. to the late Anastazy and Mary (Betley) Smaletz. She was a longtime member of St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church. Mary worked as a Seamstress until her retirement.
Today we celebrate the last Feastday of the Orthodox Liturgical Year. The Feast of the Beheading of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist John. This is one of the feasts of the Church which is recorded in the Gospel of the Evangelist Mark chapter 6:14-30, which tells of Herod the King and Herodias, the wife of his brother Phillip and their daughter Salome.
This Sunday we hear the Gospel lesson for the 9th Sunday of Matthew which speaks about the miracle of Jesus walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33).
On Sunday August 15, 2021, we Orthodox Christians will celebrate the Great Feast of the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Most Holy Mother of God. From August 1-14th, we have observed the Dormition Fast which precedes this Great Feastday dedicated to the Virgin Mary, through whom the mystery of the Incarnation took place.
On this Sunday, we hear in the Gospel Lesson about the two blind men who came to Jesus to be healed. But before they were healed, Jesus wanted to know about their faith. He deliberately called for their personal response of faith. It was through the action of God’s grace and the power of their faith that the blind men received their sight. Faith, their faith brought light to their eyes. God is light, and to those who have entered into union with Him, He imparts of His own brightness to the extent that they have been purified.
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