Charitable Book Sale in Menlo Park

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“Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: ‘I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is My name’” (Isaiah 42:5-8).

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On September 24th and 25th, a book sale was held at the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church in Menlo Park, CA. Like many churches, Nativity of the Holy Virgin often receives books from estates of parishioners and non-parishioners alike, hoping that the parish will somehow either find a use or a home for hundreds of tomes, some relating to Orthodoxy and religion, and some not. Usually, this means selecting a few to be added to the parish library, while dozens of others gather dust for long periods of time, before either being donated in turn to the local library, or to the next ‘unsuspecting’ parish!

This year, parishioner Anna Richter was inspired to do something with these books, but what? Ms. Richter is a lover of books and has a deep respect and awe for what the right book can do when given to the right person, a person who needs exactly what is written and being offered in that particular book. And because she cherishes this knowledge and this great potential, it always saddens her when books have to be thrown away in any capacity.

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Well, The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops designated Sunday July 31st as Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday, and Priest Andrew Smith duly read one of the addresses offered by Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM) at the end of the Liturgy. Acknowledging that ministering to those imprisoned is one of the least fulfilled virtues of Matthew 25:31-46 (the Parable of the Last Judgment), Ms. Richter decided to organize a book sale at the parish, with all the proceeds going to OCPM. After all, as St John of Kronstadt wrote:

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“Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement”.

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Thanks to a generous donation matching offer, the fruits of the book sale were doubled, the funds sent to OCPM, and the boxes and boxes of books gathering dust at 1220 Crane Street not only found homes, but helped accomplish the true work of the Church! Many thanks to Anna Richter for her inspiring idea and tireless efforts to make it happen.