With the season of Great Lent upon us, International Orthodox Christian Charities recently released a printed booklet of weekly reflections on the theme of service as a vocation.
Designed for use by Orthodox Christians during the Great Fast, the booklet opens with a message on “the work of love” from His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas, liaison bishop to IOCC from the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.
Reflections follow for each Sunday of Lent, penned by IOCC staff members based in the United States and in overseas field offices. The contributors, women and men who have chosen careers in the humanitarian sector, share ways their daily work is an offering of Christian service and a humbling experience of God’s love for all humankind.
“Saint Maximus the Confessor teaches that we find God as we comprehend His love for us and learn to love each other,” His Eminence writes. Each staffer’s brief reflection brings a unique perspective to the idea of service as almsgiving. The personal approach invites readers to collaborate with the women and men of IOCC in service, working to meet the physical and emotional needs of people facing hardship.
