Christ is Risen!!

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recently I came across this wonderful quote from Metropolitan Anthony Bloom of Sourozh:

Unless we look at a person and see the beauty there is in this person, we can contribute nothing to him. One does not help a person by discerning what is wrong, what is ugly, what is distorted. Christ looked at everyone he met, at the prostitute, at the thief, and saw the beauty hidden there. Perhaps it was distorted, perhaps damaged, but it was beauty none the less, and what he did was to call out this beauty.

These words remind us that no matter how “unlovely” or “damaged” a person is in our own judgmental view, there is beauty within. As Orthodox Christians we are called to look at everyone with the eyes of Christ. When we see the beauty in others, we recognize them as living icons of Christ, as brothers and sisters whom we are called to love.

As we approach Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry Sunday on June 12, we ask each one of you to join with us in sharing the love of Christ with those whom society often chooses to ignore—those precious souls who are living in prisons and jails across the country.

We have many hopes for expanding OCPM’s ministry – publishing new Orthodox books, study guides and icons to reach more people than ever before. But we need you to join us, to become personally involved in making our vision a reality. Your gift of any amount will make you an instrumental part of OCPM and our outreach. Please prayerfully join us in seeing the beauty of those in prison, and in doing something tangible to help call out that beauty through the Holy Orthodox Faith.

In our Risen Lord Jesus Christ,

Fr. Stephen