Share the Light Sunday
Share the Light Sunday
January 20, 2013
“With Thy light that never sets, shine forth, O Christ, in the hearts of those who in faith sing Thy praises, and grant us Thy peace that passeth understanding: that so, running from the night of ignorance towards the day of Thy commandments, we may glorify Thee who lovest mankind.”
(Ode 5 of the Canon of Theophany)
Beloved Clergy, Godly Monastics, and Blessed Faithful:
We greet you during this great and joyous Feast of Theophany. This feast marks the beginning of Christ’s salvific revelation, and it is therefore an appropriate time to remind the faithful of the ministry that Orthodox Christian Network is providing to the world. “The night of ignorance,” as stated in the hymn above, bombards us daily through the radio, television, movies, billboards, magazines, and the internet. Orthodox Christian Network stands to help shine the light of Christ to combat the night of ignorance. On this Share the Light Sunday, we ask that you not only make an effort to listen to and watch the programing we offer through our website www.MyOCN.net, but also share this ministry with your friends and family.
As we approach our 17th year in broadcasting, we are looking to continue our growth. Currently we are heard by 2.2 million people in over 200 countries. For many, our broadcasts are the only source of Orthodox Christianity available to them. We can be heard on the go using smartphone apps. Our parish affiliate program, which allows parishes to create and broadcast over the internet their own local programing, is gaining momentum. In addition to our internet radio broadcast, we are looking to grow our video broadcast to share the visual beauty of our faith, and we have launched a new On-Line Learning Program to allow people to join in from any location to learn about our sacred faith.
All of these projects cannot be done without your financial support. While this Sunday is set aside for awareness of our ministry, it is also set aside to ask you to make a commitment of support to our ministry through your generous donations. If every family would just give an amount equal to their monthly cable or satellite bill to support our programing, the light could push back the night of ignorance.
May He who was deigned to be baptized by John in the Jordan for our salvation shine His light upon us always.
The Right Reverend Bishop Peter (Episcopal Liaison of OCN)
The Reverend Dr. Christopher T. Metropulos (Executive Director of OCN)
