All Saints of America 2024 Fr Nicholas Carr

and of the Holy Spirit. Glory to Jesus Christ.

Well today we celebrate the second Sunday after

Pentecost. All the saints of Russia and of North

America. We celebrate all the saints of Russia

because the founders of the Holy Protection Church

built back in 1936. immigrated here, many from

Russia and many from the Slavic lands, and they

brought the Orthodox faith with them. And the

richness of the saints of Russia came with them,

starting with Saint Vladimir, who called the

people of Kiev to gather and to be baptized,

leaving paganism behind, and all the way to Saint

Seraphim of Sarov, who we see here. on this in

this great wonderful icon we have in the church

the patron of this holy cathedral so dear to

us and so we celebrate those who were saints

in russia and we also celebrate all the saints

of north america because this is our land we

live here and the lord is with us and so we celebrate

all those that have come before in this church,

on this land of North America, known and unknown,

and who have shown forth in our land. Since the

very first liturgy, the divine liturgy on July

20th, 1741, until this very day in this very

church. So why is it? that the Holy Church, in

her wisdom, sets aside this Sunday for us to

honor and remember these saints. One reason is

for us to focus on their example. Their example

of prioritizing salvation, of being sanctified,

of living a life of faith. Their lives and the

things they did and the decisions they made led

them to eternal life. And that is an example

that is set for us so that we too can follow

that same path. All these saints from Russia

and North America have one thing in common. have

confessed our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus

Christ. All the saints have followed Jesus as

their Lord. They have become saints because they

have been filled with the Holy Spirit. And being

filled with the Holy Spirit, they have lived

lives of faith and thus were made holy and sanctified.

And now today, you and I are blessed to have

their prayers, yes, in heaven, but also to have

the example of their lives for us. Examples such

as St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, of

St. Herman of Alaska, of St. Innocent, Enlightener

of North America, of St. Alexis Toth, of St.

Raphael of Brooklyn, of St. Ticon, and very soon

a new saint will be recognized, St. Olga. there

are so many others. And for me, I think of Father

Michael Margitich. He, if anyone I've ever met

in my life, is a saint and is in heaven. It is

him. These, all of these, prioritize their faith

and they put Christ first. And today, for each

of us here, we must face The question, am I prioritizing

my faith in Christ first? Or have I made something

or someone else more important? In today's Gospel

reading from Matthew, the Lord Jesus calls his

first disciples. Simon Peter and his brother

Andrew, as fishermen, were casting their nets

in the sea. And Jesus said, follow me. and I

will make you fishers of men. And immediately

they left their nets and followed him. And then

Jesus called James and John, the sons of Zebedee,

to follow him. And they too immediately left

and followed him. And Jesus calls you and me,

all of us here, to follow him. To where? To heaven.

To follow him to eternal life. to save our souls.

How could anything or anyone else be more important

than that? So now is the time to prioritize your

Christian faith as first in your life. Today

is the day to determine in your heart and mind

and soul to do God's will, to leave worldly ways

and appetites behind. And to follow the example

of the saints who have walked before us, they

showed us how. The words of St. Herman, let us

heed his instruction, who said, for our good,

for our happiness at least, let us make a vow

that from this day, from this hour, from this

minute, let us strive to love God above all and

fulfill his holy will. Is there something or

someone that you have prioritized more highly

than doing God's will? Perhaps in word, perhaps

in deed or thought, you have denied Christ. Well,

do not despair. Even St. Peter denied Christ.

He heard the cock crow. And when he repented,

Our Lord forgave him and made him the chief of

the apostles, and it blessed us here to this

very day. Let us repent of any past mistakes

we have made and enter into a life of faith following

the wonderful examples of all the saints who

have walked before us, both in Russia and in

North America. Glory to Jesus Christ.