Sunday Luncheons – Communal meals seek to strengthen our parish

Ever since our parish was established in 1952, the luncheons following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday have been very important for the building of fellowship among our parishioners. They have also served as a wonderful way for our visitors to get to know our vibrant parish as well as to become integrated in the life of our parish.

A deeper spiritual meaning of our Sunday luncheons comes to light when we use the word agape (a communal meal or lovefeast), meaning, the highest form of Christian love. So, a Sunday luncheon, or agape meal, is the meal that seeks to strengthen the Orthodox Christian bond and the spirit of harmony, goodwill, and congeniality among our fellow parishioners. We also, in the spirit of our Orthodox Faith and the spirit of St. Sava, who brought peace among Stefan and Vukan, his two feuding brothers, forgive past disputes, mutually asking for forgiveness and move forward in love and mutual respect.

Having highlighted the main points of our Sunday luncheons, I invite you all to join us in the ‘breaking of the bread’ and fellowship. If you haven’t been to the Liturgy, or if you haven’t participated in the Liturgy and Holy Communion, you are truly missing the ‘encounter with the Lord’, that is, communing of the Lord’s body and blood. Likewise, if you haven’t been to our social hall and haven’t eaten the communal meal with us in a while, you truly are missing in the opportunity for fellowship, the spirit of harmony and goodwill, etc. 

My beloved Parishioners, I invite you all to come to the church, participate in the Liturgy and our Sunday luncheons or agape meal. Let us, by God’s grace, continue to strengthen the bond and the spirit of harmony, goodwill, and congeniality among our fellow parishioners. 

With love in Christ and prayer for each of you,

Fr. Bratso Krsic