Antiochian Priest Publishes Reflection for Start of 2026

Fr. Peter Kavanaugh, pastor of St. Benedict Orthodox Church (Western Rite) in Wichita Falls, Texas. Photo: timesrecordnews.com

JAN. 15, 2026 — In a recent reflection published on the website of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Fr. Peter Kavanaugh, pastor of St. Benedict Orthodox Church (Western Rite) in Wichita Falls, Texas, calls Orthodox Christians to rediscover the heart of the faith as a lived encounter with God rather than mere morality, activism, or social convention.

Drawing on imagery from the island of Cyprus and the writings of the saints, Fr. Peter compares knowing God to diving into the depths of the sea — an all-encompassing experience of divine light, presence, and love. Citing St. Paul and St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, he warns that distraction and trivial pursuits are the root of spiritual failure, while holiness consists in seeking intimacy with God in every moment.

The reflection emphasizes Christ’s command to “launch out into the deep” (Luke 5), interpreting it as a call to reject complacency, addiction, and excuses. Fr. Peter highlights the practical spirituality of 19th-century Metropolitan Gregory Postnikov, who taught that holiness begins with the first moments of the day — awakening, prayer, and conscious remembrance of God.

"His first words: 'Upon awakening.' Reflect to yourself, do you even notice your first awakening moment? Do you even consider it? What are your first thoughts? How do you launch out from the start? We regard spirituality as something grand and lofty, but spirituality is as simple as this. How do you awake? How do you breathe? How do you eat? How do you brush your teeth?

Upon awakening, try first of all to direct your thoughts to the Lord God. Directing our thoughts to the Lord God should be our most natural activity at every time of the day ... turn first of all to the Lord God with some heartfelt appeal: 'Glory to Thee, O Lord! Glory to Thee.'

This is the Christian life. What a wonder! Is there anything we can grumble about? God has given us Himself, even in the first breath of the day. Who is more rich, more affluent, more blessed, than a man that communes with God at his waking moment?

Getting out of bed quickly ... wash immediately, dress immediately in a way that befits a respectable person ... We never are completely alone; always and everywhere our guardian angel, if we ourselves do not drive him away from us, is always with us, and the Lord God ... immediately stand before the Lord God." "My friend," Bishop Postnikov continues, 'Spend the morning in prayer and in the holy guidance of your life. Put a high value on the morning of every day.'"

The piece concludes by contrasting daily anxieties, politics, and church disputes with the far greater reality of God’s presence, urging believers to begin each day immersed in Him.

Previously, UOJ reported that His Eminence Metropolitan Saba said that the Nativity calls us to live the Incarnation of Christ daily.

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