My Beloved the benevolent     May 2026

Christ is Risen              Truly He is Risen

Our celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ continues throughout the Holy Fifty Days. The Church presents special readings for this period that focus on our living Christ who rose from the dead.

I would like to contemplate with you on the readings of the fifth Sunday of the Holy Fifty Days, which this year falls on Sunday, May 17th. For this Sunday’s Gospel reading, the Church has chosen from the Gospel of Saint John the Beloved, where Christ presents Himself to us saying: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

+ I AM THE WAY

The fall of man led to the loss of the way to God. The first man, Adam, knew God well because he was created in the image and likeness of God. “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.’” (Genesis 1:28)

This image changed after the fall, so Adam became afraid to meet God. God drove him out of the Garden of Eden, and humanity drifted further away from God until man no longer knew who God is. “Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:25)

Christ came to lead humanity to the true knowledge of God: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:18)

“No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Christ leads us to the true knowledge of God. He helps us to know that God is our Heavenly Father who loves us and desires that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Christ is the way that leads us to freedom from the bondage of death, sin, and corruption: “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. ” (John 8:36)

+ I AM THE TRUTH

Pilate asked the Lord Jesus, “What is truth?” Christ is the truth. Truth is not a relative matter that changes from one era to another or from one religion to another. Rather, truth is fixed and unchanging because God is truth. Satan deceives man and presents falsehood as if it were truth, claiming that truth is whatever a person considers to be true for himself.

The Lord Jesus said about the devil: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

Satan deceived Eve by convincing her that eating from the tree would make them like God. Eve believed the words of the serpent and did not believe the word of God, who said to them, “In the day that you eat of this tree you shall surely die.” What was the result? The misery of humanity until the Truth came to save mankind from the bondage of falsehood. Therefore, the person who persists in falsehood becomes a son of the devil.

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. ” (John 8:44)

“He who sins is of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin.” (1 John 3:9)

“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.” (1 John 3:10)

+ I AM THE LIFE

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) Eternal life is to know God truly and abide in Him through Jesus Christ, who is the way that leads us to eternal life. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36)

May the Lord bless your offerings to support of Santa Verena Charity’s programs.

Metropolitan Serapion