Lazarus Saturday Autism Walk
In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches” (Mat. 13: 31, 32). This parable applies to the Autism Speaks' Walk Now for Autism event that took place Lazarus Saturday afternoon, April 19, 2008, at Saint Steven's Cathedral.
What began as the annual almsgiving project by the Church school grew into a parish-wide effort with the help of a committee of volunteers guided by the Cathedral Dean, Fr. Nicholas Ceko; he worked closely with parishioners George and Andja Bozic who are the parents of daughters Katarina and Natasha and their son, Jovan, who is diagnosed with autism. This neurological disorder appears during the first three years of life and affects the social and communication skills in as many as 1.5 million people in the United States in a variety of ways. Jovan is currently at the lower-functioning end of the autism spectrum but his parents and those closest to him are encouraged by the progress they've seen over time; Jovan may be equally encouraged by the growth of prayer and patience that he has seen in his loved ones.
Autism has been gaining attention in recent years because studies indicate a new child is diagnosed with autism
every twenty minutes; as a result, efforts are being made to fund more of these research studies. Autism Speaks is one example of those efforts. From their website: We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes,prevention,treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals.
That is how St. Steven's Cathedral, the Bozic family and Autism Speaks came together to be “God's hands,” as Fr. Nick described it. The Cathedral website provided an online link to join the effort through “Team Jovan;” the Church school children made donations each Sunday in their classroom containers; parishioners made donations for a “puzzle piece” that was displayed in the social hall and supported Sunday bake sales for the cause; then came Lazarus Saturday, April 19 th .
At the Divine Liturgy in the morning, the hymns recalled with great joy the miracle of Jesus raising His friend Lazarus from the tomb after he had been dead four days: Immediately You have made the sorrow of Mary and Martha to cease, O Savior, showing Your supreme authority. For as You said, You are in truth the Resurrection and the Life and the Lord of all! (Matins of Lazarus Saturday) In the Gospel reading, Lazarus' sister Martha cautioned Jesus when He ordered the tomb opened but He reminded her: “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Later in the afternoon, our Cathedral community and guests would indeed see the glory of God, growing from a tiny “mustard seed” last year into a “tree” that offers support in its branches.
Parishioners, friends and supporters gathered on the patio and playground area as the breezy afternoon drew to a close. Following registration the walkers, who included His Grace, Bishop Maxim, began to process around the church property three times. On the final lap, everyone received the palms, willows and bells distributed every year for the Vespers service of Palm Sunday and then proceeded right into the Cathedral. The children rang the bells as they walked, proclaiming the joy of Christ's victory. At the conclusion of Vespers, Bishop Maxim blessed everyone and their palms and willows with the sprinkling of holy water. Dinner and a brief program in the pavilion followed and featured: acknowledgements from committee members Julia Brankovic and Cristina Witham; emotional words of support from Jovan's cousin Melanie Karan, family friend Jennifer Strbac and the Director of the Autism Speaks Los Angeles Walk, Marsia Watanabe; words of gratitude from George & Andja Bozic; reflective words from Fr. Nick on how this event came about as part of God's divine plan. And while a price cannot be put on the wealth of Christian stewardship and fellowship this day provided, fundraising was definitely a big part of the effort! Fr. Nick announced to the joy of everyone present that over $7,000 was collected to that point, with more anticipated. As a beautiful footnote to such an emotional day, Jovan missed the program because he was busy on the parish playground!
-Fr. Norman Kosanovich