“…those who wish to come closer to God… come closer to one another at the same time…” - St. Dorotheos of Gaza

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,
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The words “community,” “family,” “centeredness,” and many other similar terms are thrown around quite often in day to day life. Experts in many fields have studied and emphasized the importance of being connected to other human beings in community, and all the benefits that are derived therefrom.

As Orthodox Christians, we often emphasize these terms when talking about the Church as well. It seems that we talk about the importance of loving God through our neighbor, which we hear in the Gospel readings and in the lives of the saints. St. Dorotheos of Gaza said:

"Imagine that the world is a circle, that God is the center, and that the radii are the different ways human beings live. When those who wish to come closer to God walk towards the center of the circle, they come closer to one another at the same time as to God. The closer they come to God, the closer they come to one another. And the closer they come to one another, the closer they come to God."

The beautiful way in which God has created us is to thrive as humans with one another, and by loving one another, we love God Himself. This applies to all relationships, including - as my family’s spiritual father told us - to marriage, to family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and everyone else around us!  

Let us remember the blessings that come from knowing God, whom we find by knowing one another, especially in a community of faith.

With love in Christ,
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Father Nikolaos Bekris
Proistamenos

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