On Wednesday, July 13, the feast of the Synaxis of the Twelve Holy Apostles, Holy Apostles Church in Beltsville, MD, celebrated the 21st anniversary of the parish’s founding. The divine services were officiated by His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen; abbot of St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki Skete in Spotsylvania, VA). A harbinger of the joy of the parish celebrations was the appearance during the evening Vigil of a double rainbow in the sky.

Concelebrating with Metropolitan Jonah were: Archpriest George Johnson (parish rector) and Deacon Christopher Capp. Priest Christopher Johnson sang with the choir, directed by Reader Nicholas Baumann.

In Metropolitan Jonah’s homily, he reminded the faithful of the total commitment and sacrifice of the parish’s Heavenly patrons: Christ’s apostles. He pointed out that the keys to the Kingdom bestowed upon the Holy Apostle Peter was in fact his own confession of our Lord as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. As we follow, state, and keep this confession, we the faithful possess this key ourselves. Possession of the key means our witness has to be like that of the Holy Apostles.

His Eminence added that, especially in these very troubling times, we may be placed in the same situation as the Apostles. In their case, all but one met a martyr’s death. In whatever way our times play out, we are reminded today that we are to take courage and strength overarching whatever may be our trepidation and fear.

The Metropolitan pointed out that the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, the only one of the apostles not martyred for the Lord, placed himself literally at the feet of Christ on the Cross, taking from Him the assignment for life to be the guardian of the Most Holy Theotokos. The result for him who "leaned on the Lord’s breast at supper" was further basking in the divine love through our Lord’s Mother, making the character of all his deeply profound writings a continuous hymn to the love of God.

The clergy and parishioners welcomed Metropolitan Jonah, thanking him for his archpastoral visit. He congratulated everyone on the parish’s 21st anniversary and on the warmth and growth of the parish community. A festal meal was served, during which all present basked in the grace brought in the episcopal presence, inherited from the Holy Apostles.