Biography
His Grace, the Right Reverend Bishop JOB was born Richard John Osacky
in Chicago on March 18, 1946. Saints Peter and Paul Church at 53rd and Western Ave. in
Chicago is his home parish. He completed university studies at Northern Illinois
University and, after graduating from St. Tikhon's Seminary in 1970, he served as cantor
and youth director at St. John the Baptist Church in Black Lick, Pennsylvania. He
assumed responsibilities in leading divine services in the prescribed manner for readers,
conducting religious education and youth work, and painting icons. It was his
extraordinary affinity with Orthodox youth that gained him the recognition of the Church
at large.
In 1973 the reader John was ordained to the deaconate then to the
preisthood by then Bishop THEODOSIUS of Pittsburgh. He was assigned to Saint John's
and during his pastorate in Black Lick he was spiritual advisor for the Orthodox Christian
Fellowship at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
As a celebate priest, he maintained a zeal for the monastic life in all
his endeavors. In 1975 he was blessed a riasophore monk, and later tonsured a monk of the
lesser schema by Bishop HERMAN in Augustof 1982. In November of that year he was elevated
to the rank of Archimandrite.
Recognizing that zeal and spirit of dedication to Church service in
Father Job, the Diocese of New England nominated the young priestmonk as their diocesian
bishop. The Holy Synod of Bishops ratified the nomination and elected him Bishop of
Hartford and the Diocese of New England. He was consecrated to the episcopacy on
Janurary 29, 1983 at All Saints Church in Hartford, Connecticut.
At it's November 5, 1992 session, the Holy Synod of Bishops elected
Bishop JOB as Bishop of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest. His Grace now serves his
native city as Hierarch and Archpastor.
Bishop's Dinner
May 2002
Each year on Bright Friday Bishop Job invites the clergy and wives of the Chicago Deanery to his residence on La Salle St. in Chicago for an evening of fellowship and sharing of Paschal foods. Everyone enjoyed this festal celebration with Bishop Job as our host. Christ is Risen!
Diocese Of The Midwest
Orthodox Church In America
9271933 N. LaSalle St. * Chicago, IL 60610
Archpastoral Letter
Great Lent, 2002
No. 247
To the Faithful Clergy and Laity of the Diocese of the Midwest:
Beloved in the Lord,
Christ Is Risen!
I greet you in love and joy as we celebrate this Feast of Feasts,
this Triumph of Triumphs. Again and again we proclaim with incomparable joy, "Christ is
risen from the dead..." This mystery of Faith, proclaimed by every generation, yet
eternally new and vivifying, is proclaimed in all the earth throughout the ages. Once
again we have been blessed and empowered to sing and celebrate the mystery of our
salvation through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us. " For God so loved the
world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
In his epistle to the Romans, the Holy Apostle Paul write:
...do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus
Christ were baptized into His Death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life, for if we have been united together in the
likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His Resurrection.
(Romans 6:3-5)
The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the foundation of our Faith.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, we celebrate our "walk in newness of life." We
celebrate Christ! He is our Hope, our Comfort, our Joy!
In the words of our Father among the Saints, Nikolai of Zhicha, who
labored in America:
My brethren, let us feed our souls with Christ, that they may be
alive and healthy. Let us constantly feed our minds with the thoughts of Christ, that
they may be enlightened and clear. Let us constantly feed our hearts with the love of
Christ, that they may be pure and joyful. Let us constantly feed our wills with the
commandments of Christ and the example of Christ, that our wills may at every moment
perform good works. May Christ's thoughts be our thoughts; Christ's love our love; and
Christ's good will our good will. Let us constantly feed our souls on Christ the Lord...
There is no more nourishing bread than He; there is no sweeter drink than He. In Holy
Communion He gives Himself wholly to us. He gives us His Body and Blood.
My beloved Sisters, Brothers, and spiritual children, may our
celebration be a holy and precious one. May we together "walk in newness of life." May we
always give glory to our Father in Heaven for the gift of His Son. I express my prayer
for you, again in the words of St. Paul:
...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is
the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Christ Is Risen!
With love in Our Risen Lord,
+JOB
Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest
Diocese Of The Midwest
Orthodox Church In America
9271933 N. LaSalle St. * Chicago, IL 60610
Archpastoral Letter
Great Lent, 2002
No. 184
To the Faithful Clergy and Laity of the Diocese of the Midwest:
Beloved in the Lord,
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Let us joyfully begin the all-hallowed season of abstinence;
and let us shine with the bright radiance of the holy commandments of Christ our God, with the brightness of love and the splendor of prayer,
with the purity of holiness and the strength of good courage.
So, clothed in raiment of light, let us hasten to the Holy Resurrection on the third day, that shines upon the world with the glory of eternal life.
(Matins for Monday of the First Week)
It would seem that despite the abundance of Lenten hymnography which
expresses for us a proper understanding and disposition toward the Great Fast, many
continue to approach this holy season in a negative way. For them it is a time of
darkness, gloomy introspection, indolence, and self-preoccupation-a period of time to be
endured before the festivities of the paschal season may be enjoyed. The Church through
her hymnography emphatically says no to this false perception, as vividly expressed by
this single hymn presented as an example of true understanding. It expresses for us joy,
radiance, brightness, splendor, strength, courage, light, and hastening toward a most
worthy goal: the Holy Resurrection. All of these must be characteristics of OUR
experience of Great Lent. There is no negative spirit here; all is positive, enriching,
enlivening, filled with joy!
My friends, if this overwhelmingly "positive approach to the Great
Fast is difficult for us to comprehend, it is because we are held captive by the world
around us, with its spiritual laziness, sin and lethargy. Great Lent is a time for us,
through positive action, to recognize our fallen condition and, by the grace of the Holy
Spirit, to renew the right spirit (Psalm 50) given to us by virtue of our Baptism and
Chrismation.
In the words of the Blessed Augustine:
For forty days Moses, the guardian of the Law, fasted; for forty
days Elijah, the most excellent of the Prophets fasted; for forty days the Lord; to whom
both the Law and the Prophets gave testimony, fasted; Let us, however, who are not able
to perform this long fast as they did, taking no nourishment for so many days and nights,
at least do as much as we can...
Thus, my brothers and sisters, it is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
that gives us the most perfect example. Following His rating in the wilderness, He
presents the joyful message: The Kingdom of God is at had Repent and believe in the
Gospel (Mark 1: 15).
Great Lent has been called the "School of Repentance," and repentance
has been referred to as the "salt" of our Faith. The Kingdom of God announced by the
Lord can be entered only through meta'voia, change of heart, repentance, i.e., through
the change and renewal of the entire person-of all his opinions, judgments, and
decisions-which now can be formed in light of the mercy and holiness of God, perfectly
manifested and communicated to us in Christ. Simply stated, Great Lent is life to us,
an "imitation of Christ," a time of preparation for the remainder of our earthly
pilgrimage.
And so, my spiritual children, let us be filled with joy; let us
shine with the radiance of our spiritual heritage, with love and with fervent prayer.
Let us be clothed with the Light of Christ; let us embark on the journey to Pascha; let
us hope in the glory of eternal life; let us, indeed, begin the Fast with joy!
With love in Christ,
+JOB
Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest
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