It is very comforting to know and contemplate, in our hearts within our limited capabilities, how much our Lord loves us.  Having just completed the Paschal Season in May, we confirmed this immense and most generous love for us time and time again, that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has defeated death by His Death.  For we have proclaimed in the present tense: “Christ is Risen!  Truly He is Risen!” This love is, indeed, an ever-present reality!
 
I often find myself repeating in my sermons, in my own limited capabilities, the magnificence of His Love for all of humanity:  that in His Love He has condescended to take on our human flesh, to be baptized in the Jordan giving us the means for salvation, suffered and endured scourging, mocking and having been spat upon, dying on the Cross, descending into Hades freeing us from its bonds and ultimately defeating death, mankind’s worst enemy, through His Glorious Resurrection.  All these actions of love our Lord has done for our sake never cease to amaze and never grow old for me.
 
Besides all these attributes of the Lord we accept in faith, the Lord knows every human being that lives and who has lived on the earth throughout the ages, intimately and to the fullest extent.  Whenever I visit Japan and enter the massive train stations there, I get a glimpse and have time to reflect on this fact as I watch the masses of people passing by, each unique in his or her own special way.  I see the image of God in each of these people, and come to the realization that there are vast open fields of opportunities for souls to be touched by the love of Christ.
 
So how do we respond to this love that is so richly poured upon us all?  Our Lord Himself tells us how in the Gospel just quoted above.  The answer is to simply love one another in the same way the Lord loves us.  In other words, we are to imitate the Master Himself as our role model in that He is the Way, the Life and the Truth!  We are called to be Christ-bearers to the people around us by sharing His love that He so richly shows us.
 
We are challenged to incarnate and incorporate this type of love in our daily lives and impart it to those we encounter.  We are given innumerable opportunities to love others in imitation of our Lord at many different levels.  From the very basic level, we can simply show our love to others through small acts of kindness and mercy.  From the days of my youth, I experienced this type of love.  I specifically remember when I first came to Orthodoxy.  Having been a new comer to the Orthodox Church, I experienced the magnificence of the Church’s worship.  The authentic nature of the prayers in the services, which encompasses the experiences of all the senses of the body and soul, left lasting impressions on my life. 
 
Along with the beauty of the services, there were also the experiences in encountering the members of the Body of Christ, His Church.  The priest was an excellent example through his pastoral leadership, wisdom, love, sternness and guidance as a Spiritual Father.  The Faithful Christians of the community where I first experienced the Orthodox Christian Faith, showed their genuine love and warm hospitality to me and my family.  We were welcomed into their homes and into their lives as if we have always been part of their family.
 
As a Presbyter of the Church, my primary role and responsibility is to love my flock entrusted to me. To love my flock carries with it very heavy, broad responsibilities to guide and shepherd them.  It seems overwhelming so many times!  We as priests want to minister and serve our people most effectively, but face challenges most especially with our own shortcomings (I speak for myself most especially).  Our Metropolis of San Francisco is pioneering a tool to help us to love and minister to one another more effectively.  It is called “Parish Strategic Planning.” 
 
When I first heard of this program two years ago, I was overwhelmed with the immensity of it.  What…37 steps?!  But hearing about and looking at the plan, itself, over the course of the past year and this year and listening and joining in on a teleconference call, I am excited to say I am very optimistic about this and see so many benefits.  It enables us to ask ourselves many questions, such as:  Who are we as the Church?  What is our mission?  What is our vision?  Where do we want to go?  Do we have a plan?  What type of programs will benefit all our communities?  It also is a tool to help us work together in our parishes, entire Metropolis, Archdiocese and World-wide Orthodox Church as an organic whole.
 
I believe the Parish Strategic Planning will enable us, through the Grace of the Holy Spirit, to work effectively as members of the Body of Christ and to work in harmony and love to “commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.”  By our concerted efforts, by the Grace of God, we will know that we are, indeed, the Lord’s Disciples of His Love.