One of the joys in visiting a parish in Guatemala is the warm welcome given to the visiting clergy. Such was the case upon our arrival at the village of Guaxacana (wa-sha-ca-na) on January 28th. Not only was the Orthodox community celebrating the 14th anniversary of its founding, but also the … [Read more...]
FINDING PARADISE IN THE MISSION FIELD
June 8, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
What is the happiness that God calls us to? Can we find paradise on earth? Serving now as I do in the fertile mission field of Guatemala, I often experience privileged moments of spiritual joy in the humblest of settings. My first such mission epiphany occurred in Tanzania upon my arrival some … [Read more...]
PALM SUNDAY COMES ALIVE IN AGUACATE
April 10, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
Palm Sunday was a new and very moving experience for me among the Mayan faithful. Of course, the church was packed as usual, but they raise the celebration to a new level with their love of processions and the enormous sizes of the palm crosses, which they wave joyously to the … [Read more...]
CATHEDRALS OF THE POOR IN GUATEMALA
June 16, 2016 by · 1 Comment
The experience of worshipping with the indigenous people in their small churches made of baked mud and clay or wooden planks defies description. These are the cathedrals of the poor, every bit as magnificent as the hallowed shrines of Orthodoxy in the great centers of the world. What a great mystery … [Read more...]
THE NEW FACE OF MAYAN CHRISTIANITY
April 23, 2015 by · 5 Comments
Christianity among the Mayan Indians is undergoing a dramatic change in places like Guatemala and Southern Mexico. This shifting of religious identity is part of a larger trend that is enveloping much of Latin America. According to the Pew Research Center report, published in November of 2014, … [Read more...]
A LEGACY OF SERVICE REMEMBERED AND RENEWED
February 28, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
As commemorations of the one year memorial of Fr. Andres Giron continued throughout the villages, the question arises- what made the priestly ministry of this man so compelling to thousands of Mayan people? In an interview, Fr. Andres explained: "I became involved with them twenty-five years ago … [Read more...]
MEMORIA ETERNA! MAYAN ORTHODOX REMEMBER THEIR FOUNDER
February 11, 2015 by · 1 Comment
"A righteous man shall be in everlasting remembrance..." according to the Psalmist David (Ps. 111:6, OSB). One year after the falling asleep of +Fr. Andres Giron (2/16/14), these words seem to ring true, especially for the many thousands of Mayan Orthodox Christians who still hold him in such high … [Read more...]
ORTHODOXY IN THE GUATEMALAN HIGHLANDS: A LIGHT SHINES BRIGHTLY
July 3, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
On the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, in the humble and unspoiled village of Aguacate, we celebrated one of the most moving liturgies of my stay in Guatemala. For the first time in the Altiplano, I had the joy of experiencing uninterrupted worship from "Blessed be the kingdom" to the last … [Read more...]
LOSING OURSELVES IN CHRIST’S MISSION
September 9, 2013 by · 4 Comments
When the great missionary saint, Kosmas Aitolos, Equal to the Apostles, had prayed, fasted and wept for his sins over a period of 17 years on Mt. Athos, he felt a gnawing sensation, like that of "a worm eating away at wood." It was calling him to leave the safe and tranquil confines of his … [Read more...]
