Christmas at the Gas Station!

May the blessings of Christmas be with you throughout the year – and the years following.

Christmas at the Gas Station!.

The Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils

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The Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils

Commemorated on the Sunday closest to July 16

In the Ninth Section of the Nicea-Constantinople Symbol-Creed of Faith – worked out by the holy fathers of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils, we confess our faith in “One, Holy, Catholico-Conciliar (“Sobornyi”) and Apostolic Church”. By virtue of the Catholico-Conciliar (“Sobornyi”) nature of the Church, the All-Churchly or Ecumenical Council is the Church’s supreme facility, and possessing the plenitude, to resolve the major questions of religious life. An Ecumenical Council is comprised of archpastors and pastors of the Church, and representatives of all the Local Churches, from every land of the “oikumene” (i.e. from all the whole inhabited world, the Ecumenical/ecumenical basis of the “Universality” (“Vselennost’”) of the Church is implied in the Greek word “kath’olon”, from whence the word “catholic”, which encompasses the evangelisation of the whole world).
[Trans. note: The Church Slavonic word "Sobornyi" – in English usually translated merely as "Catholic", has actually a deeper and more profound meaning than commonly understood in the West, and it reflects linguistically the Greek word "katholikos" as interpreted by Holy Tradition for Saints Cyril and Methodios. The adjective form "Sobornyi" has its word-root in "Sobor" – meaning an "assembly" or "council". The erudite might also recognise similarity with the word "Sobornost'" – a term emphasised in ecclesiology by the Russian religious-philosopher A. S. Khomyakov in the 1800's. "Sobornost'" is translated sometimes as "Catholico-Conciliarity", but often also as "Communality". This latter nuance signifies the "Catholicity" of the Church, not as a formal external quality regarding the Church as worldly institution and outward authority, but rather existing as a spiritually inward and dynamic quality within each believer. It is the Gospel that defines the locus of the Church saying: "The Kingdom of God is within you". This however does not mean the fragmenting individualism of belief often seen in Protestantism. The Church as "ekklesia" (assembly of believers) is "One" in Christ in the Apostolicity and Holiness of its faith in Christ – our own oneness is with the one authentic faith of the Holy Apostles in the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, preserved as Holy Tradition throughout all the generations of believers. The "Communality" or "Communion in Christ Jesus" is not merely with our fellow believers in the Church in the present time, but with all the generations of the "faithful" that have gone before us. All the Four Marks of the Church – One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic – are inter-connected. The Catholicity of the Church extends universally not merely through spatiality, but also back through time – it is the "Church Triumphant" as well as the "Church Militant".]
The Orthodox Church acknowledges Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils: The First Ecumenical Council (Nicea I) (Comm. 29 May, and also movably, on 7th Sunday after Pascha) was convened in the year 325 against the heresy of Arius, in the city of Nicea in Bithynia under the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great.
The Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople I) (Comm. 22 May) was convened in the year 381 against the heresy of Macedonias, by the emperor Theodosius the Great.
The Third Ecumenical Council (Ephesus) (Comm. 9 September) – was convened in the year 431 against the heresy of Nestorius, in the city of Ephesus by the emperor Theodosius the Younger.
The Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon) (Comm. 16 July) – was convened in the year 451, against the Monophysite heresy, in the city of Chalcedon under the emperor Marcian.
The Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constnatinople II) (Comm. 25 July) – “Concerning the Three Chapters”, was convened in the year 553, under the emperor Justinian the Great.
The Sixth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople III) (Comm. 23 January) – during the years 680-681, was against the Monothelite heresy, under the emperor Constantine Pogonatos.
The Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea II) (Comm. as moveable feastday on Sunday nearest 11 October) – was convened just like the First Council, at Nicea, but in the year 787 against the Iconoclast heresy, under the emperor Constantine and his mother Irene. (Accounts about the Councils are likewise located under the days of commemoration).
The significance of a special Church veneration of the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils consists in this, that the Ecumenical Councils, and only they, are of themselves in entirety expressive of the faith, will and mind of the Ecumenical Catholic Church – of an Orthodox Plenitude, by virtue of the immutable promises of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and by the Apostolicity inhering in the hierarchy, – they possess the wherewithal to bring forth infallible and “of benefit to all” definitions in the areas of Christian faith and Church piety.
The dogmatic conciliar definitions – “orosoi” in Greek, are employed in the Orthodox Church as having an inalienable and constant authority, and such definitions always begin with the Apostolic formula: “It hath pleased the Holy Spirit and us” (Acts 15: 28).
The Ecumenical Councils were convened in the Church each time regarding a special need, in connection with the appearance of divergent opinions and heresies, so as to seek out the Orthodox Church teaching of faith and tradition. But the Holy Spirit has thus seen fit, that the dogmas – the truths of faith, immutable in their content and scope, constantly and consequently are revealed by the conciliar mind-set of the Church, and are given precision by the holy fathers within theological concepts and terms in exactly such measure, as is needed by the Church itself for its economy of salvation. The Church, in expounding its dogmas, is dealing with the concerns of a given historical moment, “not revealing everything in haste and thoughtlessly, nor indeed, ultimately hiding something” (Saint Gregory the Theologian).
A brief summary of the dogmatic theology of the First Six Ecumenical Councils is formulated and contained in the First Canon-rule of the Council of Trullo (also known as Quinisext), held in the year 692. The 318 Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council are spoken of in this Canon I of Trullo as having: “with one-mindedness of faith revealed and declared to us the oneness of essence in the three Hypstaseis-Persons of the God-original nature and, … instructing to be worshipped – with one worship – the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, they cast down and dispelled the false-teaching about unequal degrees of Divinity”. The 150 Holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council left their mark on the theology of the Church as regards the Holy Spirit, “repudiating the teaching of Macedonias, who wanted to chop apart the Undivided Unity, such that there should not perfectly be the mystery of our hope”. The 200 God-bearing Fathers of the Third Ecumenical Council expounded the teaching about “the One Christ, the Son of God Incarnate” and they confessed that “truly the God-begetter [Theotokos, Bogoroditsa, i.e. Mother of God] without seed hath given birth to Him, whilst being the Immaculate and Ever-Virgin”. The point of faith of the 630 God-chosen Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council promulgated “One Christ, the Son of God… glorified in two natures”. The 165 God-bearing Holy Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council “collectively gave anathema and repudiated Theodore of Mopsuetia, the teacher of Nestorius, and Origen, and Didymas, and Euagrios, renovators of the Hellenic teaching about the transmigration of souls and the transmutation of bodies and the impieties raised against the resurrection of the dead”. The faith-confession of the 170 Holy Fathers of the Sixth Ecumenical Council “explained, that we ought to confess two natural volitions, or two wills [trans. note: the one Divine, and the other human], and two natural operations (energies) in He That hath been incarnated for the sake of our salvation, our One Lord Jesus Christ, True God”.
In decisive moments of Church history, the holy Ecumenical Councils promulgated their dogmatic definitions, as trustworthy delimitations in the spiritual militancy for the purity of Orthodoxy, which will last until such time, as “all shalt come into the oneness of faith in the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4: 13). In the struggle with new heresies, the Church does not abandon its former dogmatic concepts nor replace them with some sort of new formulations. The dogmatic formulae of the Holy Ecumenical Councils need never to be superseded, they remain always contemporary to the living Tradition of the Church. Wherefore the Church proclaims:
“The faith of all in the Church of God hath been glorified by men, which were luminaries in the world, cleaving to the Word of Life, so that it be observed firmly, and that it dwell unshakably until the end of the ages, conjointly with their God-bestown writings and dogmas. We reject and we anathematise all, whom they have rejected and anathematised, as being enemies of Truth. And if anyone doth not cleave to nor admit the aforementioned pious dogmas, and doth not so think nor preach, let that one be anathema” (from Canon I of the Council of Trullo, ascribed to the Sixth Ecumenical Council).
Besides the dogmatic activity, the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils exerted great efforts towards the strengthening of churchly discipline. Local Councils promulgated their disciplinary canon-rules, as is obvious, according to the circumstances of the times and place, frequently differing among themselves in various particulars. The universal unity of the Orthodox Church required unity also in canonical practise, i.e. a conciliar deliberation and affirmation of the most important canonical norms by the fathers of the Ecumenical Councils. Thus, according to conciliar judgement, there have been accepted by the Church: 20 Canons from the First, 7 Canons from the Second, 8 Canons from the Third, and 30 Canons from the Forth, Ecumenical Councils. The Fifth and the Sixth Ecumenical Councils concerned themselves with the resolving of exclusively dogmatic questions and did not leave behind any disciplinary canon-rules. The need to establish in codified form in the Church of the customary practises over the years 451-680, and ultimately to affirm the aggregate of a canonical codex for the Orthodox Church, occasioned the convening of a special Council, the activity of which was wholly devoted to the general application of churchly rules. This was convened in the year 692. The Council “in the Imperial Palace” or “Under the Arches” (in Greek “en trullo”), came to be called the Trullo Council. They also called it the “Qunisext” [meaning the "fifth and sixth"], considering it to have completed in canonical matters the activities of the Fifth and Sixth Councils, or rather moreso – that it was simply of the Sixth Council itself, i.e. a direct continuation of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, separated by but a few years.
The Trullo Council, with its 102 Canon-rules (more than of all the Ecumenical Councils combined), had a tremendous significance in the history of the canonical theology of the Orthodox Church. It might be said, that by the fathers of this Council there was a complete compilation of the basic codex from the relevant sources for the Orthodox Church’s canons. Listing through in chronological order, and having been accepted by the Church – the Canons of the Holy Apostles, and the Canons of the Holy Ecumenical and the Local Councils and the holy fathers, the Trullo Council declared: “Let no one be permitted to alter or to annul the aforementioned canons, nor in place of these put forth, or to accept others, made of spurious inscription” (2nd Canon of Trullo Council, ascribed to the Sixth Ecumenical Council).
Church canons, sanctified by the authority of the first Six Ecumenical Councils (including the rules of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787, and likewise the Constantinople Councils of 861 and 879, which were added on later under holy Patriarch Photios), form the basis of the books of  “The Rudder” or “Kormchaya Kniga” (a law‑canon codex known as “Syntagma” or “Nomokanon” of 14 titles). In its repository of grace is expressed a canonical norm, a connection to every time-period for guidance in churchly practise for all the Local Orthodox Churches.
New historical conditions can lead to the change of this or that particular external aspect of the life of the Church, which causes for it the necessity of creative canonical activity in the conciliar reasoning of the Church, as regards the inclusion of external norms of churchly life in conformity with historical circumstances. The details of canonical regulation are not at all once fleshed out into life for the various eras of churchly organisation. But amidst every push to either forsake the literal-letter of a canon or fulfill and develope it, the Church again and again turns for reasoning and guidance to the eternal legacy of the Holy Ecumenical Councils – to the impoverishable treasury of dogmatic and canonical truths.

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.

Troparion of the Sunday, Tone VI —
The angelic powers were at Thy tomb; / the guards became as dead men. / Mary stood by Thy grave, / seeking Thy most pure Body. / Thou didst capture hell, / not being tempted by it. / Thou didst come to the Virgin, granting life. / O Lord, Who didst rise from the dead: glory to Thee!

Hymn to the Theotokos, Tone VI —
Thou Who didst call Thy mother blessed / came of Thine own will to the passion. / Shining on the cross, desiring to recall Adam, Thou didst say to the angels: / “Rejoice with Me, for the lost coin has been found.” / Thou Who hast ordered all things in wisdom, / O our God, glory to Thee! (1x) Blessed be the name of the Lord, henceforth and forever more.

Kontakion of the Sunday, Tone VI —
When Christ God, the Giver of Life, / raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery with His mighty hand, / He bestowed resurrection on the human race. / He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life, and the God of all.

Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the first six Ecumenical Councils, Troparion, in Tone VIII —
Most glorious art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast established our fathers upon the earth as beacons, and hast thereby guided us all to the true Faith! O greatly Compassionate One, glory be to Thee!

Kontakion, in Tone VIII, “As the first fruits…” —
The preaching of the apostles and the dog­mas of the fathers sealed the one Faith of the Church; and clad in the robe of truth woven of theology from on high, it setteth aright and glorifieth the great mystery of piety.

Holy Martyr Emilian, Troparion, in Tone IV —
In his suffering, O Lord,/ Thy martyr Emilian received an imperishable crown from Thee our God;/ for, possessed of Thy might,/ he set at nought the tormentors and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons.// By his supplications save Thou our souls.

Kontakion, Tone III, “Of the divine Faith…” —
Aflame with zeal divine, thou wast not afraid of the ministering fire,/ but, fearlessly ascending of thine own will,/ thou wast consumed by the kindled fire,/ and didst offer thyself to the Master as a sacrifice.// O glorious martyr Emilian, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

Related articles

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Timeline of Christianity I

http://www.saintignatiuschurch.org/timeline.html

Christ is Risen! Indeed! He IS Risen!

On that Friday, as Christ died on the Cross, the Disciples as a group fell apart. Peter denied even knowing Him, Judas, the traitor, hung himself, the rest of the Apostles hid, except for John, the beloved Disciple, who stood with the Theotokos and the women at the foot of the Cross. It was Joseph of Arimathea who went to Pilate and begged for Christ’s body – and laid it in his own tomb, a new tomb. It was one which had never been used as a tomb before – and would never be used as one again.

Saturday, the Disciples huddled fearfully, hiding from the authorities. The women wept and grieved. Another night passed. Then the women took the herbs, spices and wrappings to prepare His body for burial. The stone covering the entrance was not there. They entered, and found only an empty cavity. The scanty shrouding cloths were folded on the rocks, a bit away, was the head covering. They ran out and encountered someone whom Mary Magdalene thought was the gardener and greeted him as a gardener. But it was not the gardener. He said, “Mary!” Her eyes were opened as were the eyes of all of the women. They wanted to embrace him, but he warned them off. He told them to go tell the Disciples.

It was to women whom He first appeared. They ran to tell the Disciples, but they did not believe the women. After all, they were hysterical women, weren’t they? They must have been seeing things! But they hadn’t. They had seen the Lord!

Christ appeared to the Disciples on several occasions, even breaking bread with them on more than one occasion. He reassured them and sent them out to convert the world. And they went out to do just that – by ones, twos and threes. They journeyed to Jerusalem, Phillipi, Samaria, Joppa, Caesarea, Damascus, Antioch (where they were first called Christians), Tarsus, Cyprus, Paphos, Lystra, Iconium, Laodicea, Colossi. They founded churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia – the Churches listed in the Revelation of St. John. Paul went to Miletus, John went to the island of Patmos, where he wrote down the visions he received. The Apostle Apollos of the 70 preached at Ephesus. They went to Athens, Corinth, Thessalonica, Berea, Macedonia, Melita, and Rome. Thomas went into Mesopotamia (Iran / Persia) and Afghanistan and even as far as India. Andrew, as far as Scandinavia. Joseph of Arimathea went to Great Britain. Peter, too, went to Britain. Simon the Zealot went to Egypt and on into Mauritania and all Libya. James, son of Alphaeus, went to Ireland. Everywhere they went, they planted Churches.

Throughout these early journeys, the Church and Christians were persecuted by the authorities. Thousands of Christians were martyred. Stephen was the first martyr, followed soon by James, the brother of the Lord and then uncounted others. They died rather than deny Christ. They suffered indescribable tortures – yet were joyful as they were tortured for the sake of Christ.

So ended the first century of Christ’s Church – His Body here. His Bride, pure and undefiled.

[To be continued]

Orthodox Christians in Japan Ask for Prayers

The Orthodox Christians of Japan ask for prayersRight after the explosion at the nuclear power plant, a correspondent from the website, Pravoslavie i Mir contacted Priest Nicholai Katsiuban, rector of the metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Japan.

A Letter from the Orthodox Christians of Japan
From the Director of External Church Relations.

“Christ is …in our midst!

…This terrible earthquake hit the whole East Japan diocese and devastated the whole city of Sendai, where the episcopal throne of the diocese exists, and almost all the regional orthodox communities which exist along the Pacific coast.

Orthodox Cathedral at Sendai, Japan

By order of His Eminence Daniel, the Metropolitan Council has been trying to get information from the beginning of the incident but does not have enough exact information about the East Japan diocese, because the telephone and internet lines are not working properly. They are mostly destroyed and other lines are restricted by the national authorities for the emergency priority.
However, by now we confirmed that at least the clergy of Sendai orthodox church including Bishop Seraphim is safe. According to Bishop Seraphim, most of the church buildings in Tohoku parish along the Pacific coast are severely damaged.
There are 24 churches in Tohoku parish. These churches are ministered by 5 priests. Out of these 5, one priest is missing. We have no exact information about the safety of the parishioners.
Fortunately, the Holy Resurrection Cathedral of Tokyo and the building of the Metropolitan Council are totally saved by God’s grace.
His Eminence Daniel is praying fervently Christ our Savior have mercy upon Japanese orthodox faithful and Japanese nation, because the nuclear power plant in Tohoku parish is found in critical situation.
Please remember us Japanese orthodox christians in your fervent prayers.
We will provide further information as soon as the whole situation of the earthquake damage turns out clear.

With love in Christ

Fr Demitrios Tanaka
Director of External Church Relations
Metropolitan Council
Holy Autonomous Orthodox Church in Japan

= = = =

Lord, have mercy!!

 

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Streaming Liturgy Services!

Hooray! I found not one but TWO live streaming videos for Church!

Russian Orthodox Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov
131 Carpenter Ave
Sea Cliff, NY 11579
Located on Long Island, in Nassau County.
http://www.ustream.tv/user/StSeraphims
(you must be signed in, but registration if free)

St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral (ROCOR)
Mayfield, PA.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/st-john-s

The video streams are not sharp, but tolerable. At least I can feel that I am at services.

New Martyrs of Russia

The Holy Trinity, pervading everyone from first to last, from head to foot, binds them all together… The saints in each generation, joined to those who have gone before, and filled like them with light, become a golden chain, in which each saint is a separate link, united to the next by faith, works, and love. So in the One God they form a single chain which cannot quickly be broken.
(Symeon the New Theologian, in Centuries, quoted in Ware, The Orthodox Church, New Edition, Penguin Books, London, 1997, p. 255,6.)

“In the Russian Orthodox Church, the Sunday closest to January 25 (February 7 on the Gregorian Calendar) is the “Sunday of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.” The date of January 25 was chosen because that was the date in 1918 of the martyrdom of St. Vladimir (Bogoiavlensikii), Metropolitan of Kiev, who is referred to as the ‘Protomartyr of the communist yoke in Russia.’ ” From Wikipedia

Post-a-Week – A New Start!

WordPress is offering some help with getting back (or on) the blogging wagon. I’ve let this one slide entirely too much in the past year or so.

I decided to go with the “postaweek” rather than the “postaday” on this blog. Gotta “sneak up on it!”

For we Russian Orthodox, this is one of the two weeks between the Nativity of Christ (celebrated on the old Julian Calendar on Jan 6th – but more on that another time) and the Theophany (or “Showing Forth”) of Christ.

So, today, I will post from St. John Chrysostom (the “Golden Mouth”) in the 4th century after Christ.

Visit of the Magi:

What do the wise men learn from the star? …That He was King of the Jews? And yet He was not king of this kingdom, even as He also said to Pilate, ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ …And even if they knew Him to be a king, for what intent did they come? …What had astrology to do with Him? …What reason induce them to worship one who was king so far off … not yet grown to manhood? Why do they set forth on so long a journey and offer gifts and this when dangers were sure to beset their whole proceedings? …God called them by the things that are familiar …and he shows a large and extraordinary star, so as to astonish them …Yet for all that, God, for the salvation of those who are in error, endured to be served by these things whereby those without were used to serve devils (astrology); only He slightly altered them; that He might draw them off by degrees from their customs, and lead them towards the higher wisdom. [St. John Chrysostom. Homily VI on Matthew 2:1,4.]

Natural Cycle Liturgical Clock

Really neat website I stumbled upon by chance on Twitter!

The “Natural Cycle” Liturgical Clock

The concept may not be obvious if you’re not used to ancient ways of thinking about a time, but there is a different way of calculating time based on the natural cycles of sunrise and sunset rather than artificial things like time zones.

We are tied to clocks and watches, but it’s not the way things used to be. Without watches and clocks, we would follow a natural diurnal cycle based on sunrise and sunset (gee, somehow that reminds me of a song). Like farmers from time immemorial, we would rise with the sun and go to bed with night. We divided the day in to 12 hours from dawn to sunset – some seasons hours would be longer, some seasons hours would be shorter. This page shows the “natural” time along with the “modern” time. Really did open my eyes!

The Early Church‘s Liturgical cycle was based on sunset and sunrise. This page, with links for daily readings from Scripture and from various Synaxaria is really an eye-opener to me!

Hope you like it as much as I do.

Do Not Avoid the Sorrows

Do not avoid the sorrows, because being helped by them you learn the truth and love of God well. And do not fear the temptations (negative experiences) for through them you discover treasures. Pray that you may not enter into spiritual temptations, while for the bodily ones, prepare to face them with all your strength, for without them you cannot approach God. Through them comes the divine rest. Whoever avoids the bodily temptations avoids virtue.

[St. Isaac of Syria]

Sunday of the Holy Ancestors of Christ (2nd Sunday before Nativity)

Do Not Lie to One Another, since You Have Put Off the Old Man With His Deeds

You shall destroy all those who utter a lie (Ps. 5:7). The mouth that speaks a lie will slay the soul (Wis. 1:11)

Forasmuch as all sins arise through a love of pleasure or avarice or vainglory, we can say that lying has its roots in these three vices: a man has to avoid blame and humiliation to fulfil his own desires or to gain something …And in the end no one believes him when he speaks the truth …A man whose very life is a lie is one who is licentious and pretends to be temperate, or a miser and speaks of almsgiving and compassion, or ostentatious and goes in raptures over poverty, not wanting to acquire the virtue he praises …’the devil changes himself into an angel of light‘ (II Cor. 11:14) …the man whose very life is a lie: he is not a simple but a two-faced man; he is one thing on the inside and another on the outside.

St. Dorotheos of Gaza. Discourses, IX. On Falsehood. B#45, pp160-162

Three Things I Want to Do

List three things you want to accomplish before 2011. [Meme from Plinky]

1. Attend Church – and even stay for Trapeza!

2. Prepare a REAL meal for my dear Ol’ Curmudgeon

3. Have a day I can move without stiffness or pain or fatigue.

28th Sunday after Pentecost

Afterfeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

Colossians 1:12-18
[12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
[13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
[14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
[15] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
[16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
[17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
[18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

HOMILY
on that which constitutes the unity of the faithful
[St. Nikolai Velimirovic]

… One Lord, one Faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:5-6).

Here is the all-important and extremely obvious reason for all Christians to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3) and be one body and one spirit (Ephesians 4:4). For the One Lord Jesus Christ is our Creator, Redeemer and Resurrector. There are not two true Christs, that there should be division among us. One and the same blood was shed upon the Cross for us all, just as one and the same mouth prayed for us all in Gethsemane. We have one Faith in the Holy Trinity, undivided and life-creating-the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one in Essence and three in Persons-the Unbegotten Father, the Begotten Son and the Spirit proceeding from the Father. We have one Baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This Baptism is by threefold immersion in water, for death to sin and the devil, and for the resurrection and life in Christ the Lord. One God and Father of all-the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, Who through Christ and because of Christ adopts us and gives us the right to say to Him, Our Father.

Do you see, my brethren, how strong are the bonds that unite us? Not even the stars themselves are bound by stronger bonds, nor the water to the earth, nor fire to the air. Do you see the overwhelming reasons that we have for unity? Everything else that, from the left hand, would urge us to division is inconsequential compared to these reasons, like a grain of sand compared to the high mountains. The devil cannot destroy our unity if we do not help him. The devil can never conquer us if we do not surrender ourselves to him.

O Lord Jesus, sweet and gracious, how firmly Thou hast bound us for eternal good! Keep us, we pray, in this bond.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

Remember – Never Forget!

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The poppies referred to in the poem grew in profusion in Flanders in the disturbed earth of the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried and thus became a symbol of Remembrance Day. The poem is often part of Remembrance Day solemnities in Allied countries which contributed troops to World War I, particularly in countries of the British Empire that did so. [From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields]

Today we remember the patriots of our country in the Armed Services who died to protect us and to defend freedom from tyranny – not just in WWI but from the Revolutionary War down to our current War on Terrorism.

Never Forget!

The Flanders Field Poppy

Kool Kitchen!

I LOVE my new kitchen!

Create a free scrapbook design

Isn’t it great?

Eastern Orthodox Humor #2

Fr Steven Robinson’s Pithless Thoughts blog proves that Orthodox humor lives!

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A Hymn by St. Ambrose

We praise Thee, O God;
we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father everlasting.
To Thee all Angels cry aloud;
the Heavens. and all the Powers therein.
To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy Glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise Thee.
The noble army of Martyrs praise Thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge Thee;
the Father of an infinite Majesty;
Thine adorable, true, and only Son;
also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man,
Thou didst humble Thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God,
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants,
whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints, in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people, and bless Thine heritage.
Govern them, and lift them up forever.
Day by day we magnify thee;
and we worship Thy Name, ever, world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let Thy mercy be upon us, as our trust is in Thee.
O Lord, in Thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.

Another Summer, Another Fast

The day is moving toward supper-prep time, and it’s time to stop and acknowledge the Sts. Peter and Paul Fast. Having rejoiced for fifty days following Pascha (Easter – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ), the Apostles began to prepare for their departure from Jerusalem to spread Christ’s message. According to Sacred Tradition, as part of their preparation, they began a fast with prayer to ask God to strengthen their resolve and to be with them in their missionary undertakings. As Orthodox Christian Fasts go, it is a rather mild fast. From the Monday following the Sunday of All Saints, we abstain from red meat, poultry, meat products, eggs, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. Fish, wine and oil are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, and oil and wine are allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These fasting rules are much the same as those observed during the Nativity Fast. The Fast lasts until June 29 (July 12, old style), the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

This Fast has existed at least since Pope Leo I (461 AD), and is spoken of in his homilies. It has, however, been forgotten in the West. The Fast is thought to have been instituted out of thanksgiving to God for the witness of the apostles of Christ. With this Fast, believers express their thanks for the apostles’ endurance of persecution during their mission.

Orthodox Links

In response to comments on various posts, I want to give a few links for those who are interested:

http://www.stots.edu/these_truths_we_hold.html

http://www.stjrussianorthodox.com/orthodoxy.htm

http://www.stjrussianorthodox.com/history.htm

http://www.stjrussianorthodox.com/theology.htm

http://www.fatheralexander.org/

At the following link, you will need to click on the “Textbooks” button. A new page will load with a list of excellent textbooks for theological study. All are available on line:

http://www.holytrinitymission.org/index.php

I hope you find these useful!

An Evening Hymn by St. Gregory Nazianzen

AN EVENING HYMN.
St. Gregory Nazianzen

1. And now again at night,
O Christ, the living Word,
Thou Light of the Eternal Light,
Be Thou by us adored.

2. Thou dost the Spirit give,
Third Light, in glory one;
His grace, by whom alone we live,
Thou dost refuse to none.

3. Thou didst the darkness scatter,
Thou mad’st the light to shine,
That now through all primeval matter
Might spring delight divine.

4. It, a rude mass before,
From Thee took order new;
And shapely form, and steadfast law,
So beautiful to view.

5. And mind of man with light
From heaven Thou didst endow,
By word and wisdom that he might
Thine image bear below;

6. And lighted in his soul,
Thine own great Light might see;
And thenceforth not in part, but whole,
Himself all light might be.

7. And heaven Thou didst array,
With those bright orbs above;
And day to night, and night to day,
Proclaim Thy law of love;

8. Yielding in turn; the one
To worn-out flesh brings rest!
The other calls, “Let work be done!”
Such work as Thou lov’st best.

From: http://ccel.org/ccel/chatfield/greeksongs.h017.html

Mid-Pentecost

In the Icon, 12 year-old Jesus is teaching in the Synagogue. This Feast has as it’s theme Christ the Teacher. In the Gospel for the day, “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught…Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:14-30.

Mid-Pentecost is a one-week feast which begins on the 4th Wednesday of Pascha, and continues until the following Wednesday. That is to say, it has an Afterfeast of seven days. Throughout these eight days (including the day of the feast) hymns of Mid-Pentecost are joined to those of the Paschal season. Many of the hymns from the first day of the feast are repeated on the Apodosis (leave-taking of the feast). Although it is ranked as a Feast of the Lord and has an Afterfeast, Mid-Pentecost itself is not considered to be one of the Great Feasts of the church year.
Orthodox Wiki.

We quietly celebrated at home with a dinner of some tilapia with a wine sauce.

Mid-Pentecost is the “half-way point” in the journey from Pascha to Pentecost (hence the name “Mid-Pentecost”). We await the promise of the Holy Spirit, just as the disciples of Jesus Christ awaited in those days.

In today’s Troparion, Jesus speaks to us directly: “At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour, water my thirsty soul with streams of true devotion; for Thou cried out to all, ‘Any who thirst, let them come to Me, and let them drink!’ O Source of life, Christ our God, glory to Thee!”

When this hymn mentions “the Feast,” it is in reference to Pentecost. We pray to our Lord Jesus Christ to give us that spiritual drink, to stop the thirst in our soul and to be quenched with His Goodness. We are assured of this by Christ Himself, when He says, “Any who thirst, let them come to Me, and let them drink!” (John 7:37) Jesus is the Source of life; with Him, we can go “from glory to glory.” We will find this exact same message the following Sunday.
From: the website of The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)

While this is not one of the “Great Feasts,” it is significant in the life of the Church.