V. Rev. Joseph F. Purpura, Linkedin.com
At this crucial moment in the history of our Holy Orthodox Church,
the youth and youth workers of the North American continent ask everyone
to fervently pray for the Pan-Orthodox Council beginning during the
week of Pentecost that the Church as a whole, may discern that
the work of the Council is of the Holy Spirit.
We pray, as the youth of the Church, for the many challenges this Council will and will not address. As the youth and youth workers of the Holy Orthodox Church here in North America, we ask all Orthodox young people and youth workers to increase their prayers and supplications for the leaders of our Orthodox Churches around the world, that they preserve and proclaim the teachings and unity of the Apostles, in this current age.
We pray, as the youth of the Church, for the many challenges this Council will and will not address. As the youth and youth workers of the Holy Orthodox Church here in North America, we ask all Orthodox young people and youth workers to increase their prayers and supplications for the leaders of our Orthodox Churches around the world, that they preserve and proclaim the teachings and unity of the Apostles, in this current age.
We fervently pray that our Lord and Savior will bless our Bishops’
efforts, and empower them to manifest His Will in all that they
deliberate on, and resolve to do in the course of their time together.
Furthermore, we humbly pray that our Lord will send down His Spirit
(that same Spirit that came upon the Holy Apostles in the form of fiery
tongues on that great Day of Pentecost) upon our Bishops to help them
discern, clarify, and set forth "the one thing needed" as they try to
bring the Orthodox Faith to those within the countries in which we live,
but also to those that may have fallen away from our "one, true,
Faith".
We also pray that our leaders who come together in this great and
Holy Council will receive the Grace necessary to act in ways that will
overcome the evils in today's world by manifesting those Gifts of the
Holy Spirit, namely, Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, Oneness of Mind in
Christ, and all that is necessary to fulfill God’s Holy Will in this
Council.
As the youth and youth workers of our Holy Church here in North
America, we pray that the leaders who come together will remember us in
their prayers and in their deliberations, because we are in need of the
Church's direction, guidance, pastoral care and that the Church speak
with One Strong Voice in this very troubled world. Only with the
Hierarchs’ awareness of our struggles, and their efforts to help us,
will we be able to move forward in serving our Church and our Lord.
The Orthodox Jurisdictional Youth Directors of North America, on
behalf of the Youth and Youth Workers on this North American Continent.