“Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the nations of the world seek.” (Matt. 6:31-32)
Seest thou how again He hath both shamed them the more, and hath also shown by the way, that He had commanded nothing grievous nor burdensome? As therefore when He said, "If ye love them which love you," it is nothing great which ye practice, for the very Gentiles do the same; by the mention of the Gentiles He was stirring them up to something greater: so now also He brings them forward to reprove us, and to signify that it is a necessary debt which He is requiring of us. For if we must show forth something more than the Scribes or Pharisees, what can we deserve, who so far from going beyond these, do even abide in the mean estate of the Gentiles, and emulate their littleness of soul?
He doth not however stop at the rebuke, but having by this reproved and roused them, and shamed them with all strength of expression, by another argument He also comforts them, saying, "For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." He said not, "God knoweth," but, "your Father knoweth;" to lead them to a greater hope. For if He be a Father, and such a Father, He will not surely be able to overlook His children in extremity of evils; seeing that not even men, being fathers, bear to do so.
On Sunday, June 29, our brother Fr. David Lynch, 72, retired from St. Augustine Church of Denver, CO, fell asleep in Christ. Condolences may be sent to Kh. Martha Lynch the Lynch family at 
Residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spend their days piling debris outside their ruined homes. One woman who lost everything only cared about not finding her favorite picture of her daughter. “This is a vibrant community, which has been changed forever. People try to go about their daily lives and they can’t deal with a lot of what’s hitting them emotionally right now,” says Father Chris Flesoras, a member of International Orthodox Christian Charities’ (IOCC) Emergency Response Network, known as the “Orthodox Frontline,” which is providing trauma counseling and coordinating resources with other charities on the scene.
The staff at Antiochian Village report that the beginning of summer has been a blessed one at the Village, where Bishop THOMAS much of mid-June with the staff and campers. Not only has he served the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, June 18, along with daily Orthros and Vespers, but he has been active among the youth. While walking the grounds of the camp, he has spent much of his time speaking with the young boys and girls about their experiences. On occasion, Bishop THOMAS will also jump into one of the activities with the campers. His sermons have not only been inspiring, but well received; as campers have already put to use his teachings. The campers have truly responded to Bishop THOMAS in the most loving way, and God willing, he will be visiting the Village as often as possible for the remainder of the summer. 
The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of the Great City-of-God Antioch and all the East met in mid-June at the Balamand under the presidency of His Beatitude, The Most Blessed Patriarch IGNATIUS IV.
By Aristeides Papadakis
Learn more about St. Raphael of North America via this 
His Grace Bishop BASIL traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico's Holy Trinity Orthodox Church on the weekend of June 7-8 to ordain to the diaconate and then to the holy priesthood Fr. Daniel Bethancourt, son of Holy Trinity's Fr. John Bethancourt. Fr. Daniel and his wife Maria are expecting their first child in July. May God grant them many years! Following are a selection of pictures from the ordination. More are available 
On Wednesday, June 11, 2008, His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP received the newly elected and enthroned Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, His Eminence, HILARION. His Eminence was elected and enthroned in May as the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in New York City following the death of His Eminence, Metropolitan LAURUS of thrice-blessed memory. Accompanying His Eminence was Protopresbyter Alexander Lebedeff, the Secretary of Inter-Orthodox Relations. Also present from the Antiochian Archdiocese were His Grace, ANTOUN, Bishop of Miami and the Southeast, Archpriest Thomas Zain, Dean of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY and Mr. Charles Ajalat, the Archdiocesan Chancellor. Pictures from this historic meeting follow below. 
