Orthodoxy in NWA

Book Review - "Sabbath"

2011-06-14T16:58:00.000-05:00

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest a book that I personally found a great read with the different stories and the ideas set forth for people who try to observe some form of aspect of the Sabbath. The reason I said "going out on a limb" is because this book is written by a non-Orthodox and in some places throughout the book quotes different people/religious ideologies of which are not recognized by the Holy Orthodox Church. But I do feel strongly enough that despite those minor "quotes of inspiration" this book is something that every individual or family can use to create their own way of keeping the Sabbath.

The book, Sabbath , is written by Wayne Muller. This is an excerpt from the back of the cover:

"In today's world, with its relentless emphasis on success and productivity, we have lost the necessary rhythm of life, the balance between work and rest. Constantly striving, we feel exhausted and deprived in the midst of great abundance. We long for time with friends and family, we long for a moment to ourselves.

Millennia ago, the tradition of Sabbath created an oasis of sacred time within a life of unceasing labor. Now, in a book that can heal our harried lives, Wayne Muller, author of the spiritual classic How, Then, Shall We Live?, shows us how to create a special time of rest, delight, and renewal--a refuge for our souls.

We need not even schedule an entire day each week. Sabbath time can be a Sabbath afternoon, a Sabbath hour, a Sabbath walk. With wonderful stories, poems, and suggestions for practice, Muller teaches us how we can use this time of sacred rest to refresh our bodies and minds, restore our creativity, and regain our birthright of inner happiness."

One may click on the image of the book, where it says, "CLICK TO LOOK INISDE." This will allow anyone to see the "Chapters", of which there are 6; Rest, Rhythm, Time, Happiness, Wisdom, Consecration, and A Sabbath Day.Then with the different Subjects it addresses. Finally then underneath the Subject, in italics, will be a short section on how to celebrate the Sabbath in a certain way, that is just a guide, one of which can be molded to form an individual/families time.

It would most definitely be a way to get spiritual to take the idea and conform it with Orthodox belief and praxis (accepted custom/tradition). I'll take an example from a section of the "Practices." One of the practices suggests creating a Sabbath meal, that you prepare specially for this occasion, to make it be distinguishable from other meals that you might cook, or carry-out (guilty here!). So, find a recipe that is rarely made or a new recipe you've been wanting to make. Next, invite your friends, or remind your family, that this meal is a special meal and centered around bringing loved ones together. If your a family, remind your kids or perhaps husband/wife to not bring their cell phones to the table. This is a time where you should separate this from being just another meal to a holy meal. So unless they are expecting a text or tweet from God, keep the cell phones off. Begin the meal by offering a traditional Orthodox prayer. Then when everyone is seated keep the conversation so that it is full of happiness, love, laughable, or perhaps those funny embarrassing moments. Then be sure to end the meal with prayer.

Then perhaps if you are family, or friends who gathered together in Christ, that is those who are Orthodox, could spend the time after the meal reading a passage from the Gospels or the Epistles or a new book about a/the Saint(s).

Another example is the idea of kicking off our shoes and to not move. How many people, I'm one of them, find themselves going home and doing chores. I get caught up in the mode that after Church I've got to go home and do the laundry for the week, clean the house, and dare I say it, go to the crowded grocery store, which turns out to be more like a test from "American Gladiators", trying to battle obstacles and so many people. Instead of going home and doing the chores, kick off your shoes as soon as you walk in the door. Grab a book that you've been wanting to read, or one that has been on the nightstand that every night you promise you're going to finish, but feel like you're too tired to read and put it off for another day. Or find a special movie that is particularly a way for you to be able to sit back and relax and enjoy it. Nothing else matters. It's just you and the book/movie. The idea is to keep us from having that urge of "got to be on the move."

Remember that the idea is to bring ourselves and other people together in love and friendship and to remember our purpose in life and in the Holy Orthodox Church. We should recall that Jesus Christ said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). A line from the book says this powerful, but true, statement, "Sabbath requires surrender."

I'll add another quotation from the book, "Sabbath implies a willingness to be surprised by unexpected grace, to partake of those potent moments when creation renews itself, when what is finished inevitably recedes, and the sacred forces of healing astonish us with the unending promise of love and life."

To end there is a quote from the Old Testament that should help us to not have a worried mind about what is to come, or what needs to be done, but to keep it simple, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Pentecost

2011-06-12T17:04:00.000-05:00

Today the Holy Orthodox Church celebrated Pentecost, one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Church.

"On the 50th Day after Pascha, the Holy Church celebrates the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Holy Pentecost). When the Day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).

In His farewell discourses to His disciples, the Lord told them, I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; you know Him, for He dwells with You, and will be in you.... The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things... (John 14:16-17, 26). These words of the Lord were accomplished on the 50th Day after the Passover (Pascha), for the Seal of the Holy Spirit was seen on the Apostles in the form of fiery tongues, just as, in Holy Chrismation, we receive the Seal of the Holy Spirit in the form of the Holy Chrism.

The people who were present were greatly amazed at the sight, and especially that each one of them, no matter what nationality, heard the Apostles speaking to them in their own language. But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine (Acts 2:13).

Then Peter got up and spoke to them: Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on My menservants and My maidservants in those days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:14-21).

Peter went on to speak of the Risen Christ and His redemptive acts, reminding them that this Jesus God raised up, and of that... all [of the Apostles were] witnesses (Acts 2:32). He continued: Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy spirit, He has poured out this which you see and hear (Acts 2:33).

Many of those hearing were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit...' So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls (Acts 2:37-38, 41).

A special characteristic of this day is the singing of the Troparion to the Holy Spirit: O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life: Come and abide in us and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One! In addition, seven Kneeling Prayers are read by the Priest during the Vespers which immediately follows the Divine Liturgy of that day, while everyone are on bended knees, this being the first time kneeling is permitted since Holy Pascha." -- Excerpt taken from "These Truths We Hold - The Holy Orthodox Church: Her Life and Teachings.

Apolytikion:

Blessed are You, O Christ our God, who made fisherman all-wise, by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them, drawing all the world into Your net. O Loving One, glory be to You.

Kontakion:

When the Most High came down and confounded tongues of men at Babel, He divided the nations. When He dispensed the tongues of fire, He called all to unity, and with one voice we glorify the Most Holy Spirit.

Patriarch IGNATIUS IV of Antioch

2011-06-09T06:16:00.000-05:00

Some information on the Patriarch of Antioch, the ruling Primate for all Antiochian Orthodox Churches.

The present Patriarch of Antioch, His Beatitude, Ignatius lV (Hazim) is the one hundred and seventieth Patriarch after Saint Peter. He was born in 1921 in the village of Mhardey near Hama in Syria. He is the son of a pious Arab Orthodox family and from an early age was attracted to service within the Church. Whilst studying in Beirut, Lebanon, for a literature degree, he entered the service of the local Orthodox diocese, first by becoming an altar server, then a deacon. In 1945 he went to Paris where he graduated from the St. Sergius Theological Institute. From his time in France onwards he has been moved not only by a desire to pass on the deposit of the Faith, but also to take Orthodoxy out of its unhistorical ghetto by discovering in its Holy Tradition living answers to the problems of modern life. On his return to the Middle East, he founded the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Balamand, Lebanon which he then served for many years as Dean. As Dean he sought to provide the Patriarchate with responsible leaders who had received a good spiritual and intellectual training and who were witnesses to an awakened and deeply personal faith.

He became bishop in 1961 and Metropolitan of Lattaquiey in Syria in 1970. The new Metropolitan was a reserved and friendly man, who manifested a deep and courageous straightforwardness; he was simple, direct and down to earth. His style broke with the former tradition of episcopal grandeur and he inaugurated an authentic practice of frequent Communion.

On 2 July 1979, under the name of Ignatius lV, he became the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, the third ranking hierarch of the Orthodox Church after the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria. After his election as Patriarch he said:

"I know that I will be judged if I do not carry the Church and each one of you in my heart. It is not possible for me to address you as if I were different from you. No difference separates us. I am an integral part of you; I am in you and I ask you to be in me. For the Lord comes, and the Spirit descends on the brothers gathered, united in communion, as they manifest a diversity of charisms in the unity of the Spirit."

As Patriarch he has given a new dynamism to the Holy Synod and seen it name Bishops who are close to the people and who are motivated to develop the Church's ecclesial and spiritual life, detached from political factions. Above all, the Patriarch has sought and still seeks pastors who are as dedicated to their spiritual calling as he is himself. (taken from Balamand Monastery)

Akathist to St. RAPHAEL, Bishop of Brooklyn

2011-06-09T05:34:00.001-05:00

This is the Akathist to our beloved holy hierarch St. RAPHAEL, whose relics reside at Antiochian Village.

Kontakion 1.
O holy Father, called from thy native land to the distant shores of the New World, thou didst take up thy cross and follow after Christ. Wherefore, as to one who hath crucified himself on behalf of his flock, as to our faithful guardian and protector, we fervently cry:
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Oikos 1.
Thou didst begin thy life in exile, O holy Father Raphael. Child of pious Orthodox parents, successor to the holy hieromartyr Joseph, even in thy mother’s womb thou didst enjoy no repose. Thus was thy life of travel mystically foretold. Thou wast chosen to bring the light of holy Orthodoxy to the scattered flock of Christ in the New World, who together with us honor thee in these words of praise:
Rejoice, thou who like thy Master wast born in a city not thine own;
Rejoice, recipient of the name of the great Archangel.
Rejoice, thou who didst say, "Man meant it to me for evil, but God for good;"
Rejoice, thou who wast anointed with the blood of the martyrs.
Rejoice, thou who didst traverse the world in ministry to the faithful;
Rejoice, thou who didst lead all men to the worship of the Holy Trinity.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 2.
A fervent student, from thy youth thou didst dedicate thyself to acquiring knowledge of the truth. Excelling in thy studies, thou didst not despair when thy father in his poverty could no longer afford to send thee to school. But turning thyself to prayer and to the protection of the holy Archangel, thou didst continually cry: Alleluia.
Oikos 2.
Hearing thy prayers and ardent sighs, God raised up for thee an earthly patron who successfully interceded with the Patriarch to accept thee as a student. Wherefore, as to one who in true humility wast exalted by the hand of God, we joyfully cry:
Rejoice, thou who in thy poverty didst learn true humility;
Rejoice, thou who in thy distress didst turn thyself to thy heavenly Patron.
Rejoice, thou who wast exalted to become a shepherd of Christ’s rational flock;
Rejoice, thou who having been exalted didst humble thyself to search for the lost sheep.
Rejoice, consoler of the afflicted;
Rejoice, defender of the downtrodden.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 3.
Continuing thine education, thy tender soul was nourished by the riches of patristic theology. Plumbing the depths of Holy Scripture, thou wast instructed by the Holy Spirit. And thou didst show thyself to be a worthy proclaimer of the Holy Gospel, teaching all to sing: Alleluia.
Oikos 3.
The words of the Apostle who was baptized in the town of thy fathers resounded in thine ears: "How shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Thou couldst not forget thine own people, living in thy homeland and scattered throughout the world, but didst raise thy voice, enlightening them with the Light of Christian Truth. Taught by thy words and instructed by thine example, the faithful thankfully celebrate thy memory and sing:
Rejoice, thou who didst excel in learning and didst thereby astonish the wise of this world;
Rejoice, thou who didst grieve over the ignorance of the people.
Rejoice, thou who with Orthodox doctrine didst instruct those seeking salvation;
Rejoice, thou who didst not disgrace this teaching by thy manner of life.
Rejoice, thou who wast patient and gentle with the weak and suffering;
Rejoice, thou who like thy Master wast firm with the obstinate.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 4.
Not content with thy knowledge of Scripture and the holy Fathers, thou didst continue thine education in the land of Russia. Like the Apostle Andrew, traveling to the ancient city of Kiev, thou didst exclaim: Alleluia.
Oikos 4.
Receiving the grace of the priesthood, thou wast appointed the head of the Antiochian metochion in Moscow. Seeing in this the hand of God, thou didst accept this new position as an opportunity to do good to others. Never thinking of thyself but always of thy people, thou didst bring many from Syria to Russia to be instructed in theology. Wherefore, the faithful rejoiced and justly honoring thy labors, magnified thee thus:
Rejoice, thou who didst renounce all care for thyself;
Rejoice, thou who didst concern thyself only with the cares of others.
Rejoice, for freely thou didst receive and freely thou didst give;
Rejoice, thou who didst beget many children for the Church of Christ.
Rejoice, protection of the poor;
Rejoice, ardent haven for widows and orphans in their affliction.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 5.
Hearing of thy labors and love for thy people, the children of Antioch in America petitioned thee to come to the New World to pastor them in their place of immigration. Thou didst receive their words as a divine invitation, knowing them to be scattered, deprived of spiritual consolation. Journeying therefore from the East to the West, thou didst pour thyself into the life-sustaining prayers of the Church, and through them, didst find the guidance and inspiration to gather the lost sheep to which thou wast being sent, ever chanting; Alleluia.
Oikos 5.
Upon thine arrival, thou didst devote thyself to the ministry thou hadst been given, establishing a holy place in which to offer prayers on behalf of the people. Thou didst furnish the entire chapel of thine own substance, offering it without cost to the faithful. Together with them, remembering thy holy example, we glorify God for bringing thee to this land and honor thee with these words:
Rejoice, for thy dedication equaled that of the Apostles;
Rejoice, for thy perserverance was a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, thou who hast won the heights through humility;
Rejoice, thou who hast acquired riches through poverty.
Rejoice, thou who didst care for the helpless;
Rejoice, thou who didst distribute thine own funds to the poor.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 6.
Living among the people, they became witnesses of how devoutly and justly and blamelessly thou didst act among them, exhorting, comforting and charging everyone as a father does his own children. Truly, through thee the word of the Gospel came in power and in the Holy Spirit with much assurance, so that the faithful became followers of thee and of the Lord, chanting joyfully: Alleluia.
Oikos 6.
News of small communities of Orthodox Christians began to reach thee. Hearing their call, "Come and help us," thou didst decide to make the first of many missionary journeys. Traveling from the East Coast to the West, thou didst stay in no place for more than four days. Finding Orthodox Christians, thou didst administer the holy Mysteries and preach the Word of God to the spiritually hungry. Receiving thee as if thou wert Christ Himself, the faithful welcomed thee with words such as these:
Rejoice, Bringer of new Life to many children through holy baptism;
Rejoice, Giver of the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit through anointing with Chrism.
Rejoice, Restorer of penitents to the holy Church through the mystery of Confession;
Rejoice, Uniter of spouses together in the Lord.
Rejoice, worthy Celebrant of the Divine Liturgy;
Rejoice, fiery Proclaimer of pastoral theology.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 7.
Having been spiritually formed by the Church’s cycle of prayers, thou didst prepare liturgical texts for use by thy people. Bringing them true consolation in the divine prayers, thou didst teach them to sing: Alleluia.
Oikos 7.
Seeing the need of the scattered Orthodox people for true pastoral ministry, thou didst devote thyself to finding priests to care for their souls. Bringing priests from the Old World to America and recommending faithful men for ordination, thou didst accept the spiritual welfare of thy people as thine only concern. Accept therefore from us such praises as these:
Rejoice, beacon of Orthodoxy;
Rejoice, golden trumpet of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, new Paul, who didst take upon thyself the burden of care for the churches;
Rejoice, new John, who didst command all men to love one another.
Rejoice, new Juvenal, who didst desire everywhere to preach the holy Gospel;
Rejoice, new Herman, who didst always care for the least of the brethren.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 8.
When the holy hierarch and confessor Tikhon was sent to America, thou didst receive him as the true shepherd of the flock of Orthodox Christians. Knowing that in Christ all are one, whether Arab, Greek or Russian, thou didst rejoice in God, chanting: Alleluia.
Oikos 8.
As a healer of souls and a peacemaker, whether in an established Temple, a storefront or a family’s living room, thou didst gather the people for prayer. Carrying on the apostolic ministry of reconciliation, uniting brother to brother, healing wounds, thou didst establish over them the banner of love. Wherefore, as to one who hast shown himself to be a son of God, we joyfully chant to thee these praises:
Rejoice, thou who didst exhort the people of God not to receive His grace in vain;
Rejoice, thou who didst in all things approve thyself as a minister of God.
Rejoice, thou who didst live as unknown and yet well known;
Rejoice, thou who, though dying, didst live.
Rejoice, as sorrowful, always rejoicing;
Rejoice, as poor, thou didst make many rich.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.

Kontakion 9.
Loving God above all, and being sent to serve Him among the least brethren, like an apostle thou didst offer prayers day and night for their salvation. Thou didst raise up a holy Temple for the Orthodox Arabs, dedicating it to Holy Nicholas, Wonder-worker of Myra in Lycia. Now together with him in heaven thou dost exclaim: Alleluia.
Oikos 9.
It is impossible for the worldly-minded to comprehend thy humility. For when thou wast presented with a pectoral cross in appreciation for thy manifold labors, thou didst object, saying: "I am an unprofitable servant, having only done what was my duty. Can we servants of God and spiritual pastors expect anything in life except labor and grief?" In amazement at thy self-abasement, with joy and wonder we cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, thou who wast filled only with love for God and all men;
Rejoice, thou whose eye was single.
Rejoice, thou who camest not to be served but to serve;
Rejoice, thou who didst give thy life as a ransom for many.
Rejoice, Angel of spiritual comfort for those in tribulation;
Rejoice, Model of spiritual meekness.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 10.
Desiring to save a multitude of people through thy care, the All-merciful Lord chose thee and appointed thee to bear much fruit. Laboring abundantly, thou didst travel from city to city, from village to village, defending the Orthodox from the assaults of the enemy, teaching them to chant in Orthodox fashion: Alleluia.
Oikos 10.
The love of thy people for thee and thy love for them greatly impressed the holy hierarch Tikhon. He saw in thee the image of a true shepherd—one who served not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; one who was not a lord but a humble servant. Traveling to Russia, he forcefully entreated the Holy Synod to allow him to consecrate thee as his Vicar Bishop. Bearing within thee the abundant grace of the Holy Spirit, thou wast the first to be consecrated to the sacred episcopacy in the New World. Wherefore, grateful to God, we the faithful chant with joy to thee:
Rejoice, O high priest of God Most High, who received divine grace in abundance at thy consecration;
Rejoice, most luminous lamp, burning and shedding light.
Rejoice, thou who hast illumined the whole world with the rays of thy virtues;
Rejoice, thou who offered the divine Sacrifice at the throne of Christ.
Rejoice, hierarch adorned with the understanding of Orthodoxy;
Rejoice, thou who gavest drink to the faithful with the streams of the doctrine of salvation.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 11.
Consecrated as a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, with the blessing of the Patriarch and Holy Synod of Antioch, thy ministry extended to all Orthodox Christians. As a self-proclaimed Syro-Arab by birth, Greek by education, American by residence, Russian at heart and Slav in soul, thou didst minister to all, teaching the Orthodox in the New World to proclaim with one voice: Alleluia.
Oikos 11.
Thine archpastoral burden weighed upon thee; thine omophorion was very heavy. Thy flock was confused, surrounded by many false teachings. Possessing the spirit of understanding and of wisdom, thou didst enlighten the minds of the deceived, proclaiming the Word, preaching in season and out of season, by exhortation and letter. We who are the recipients of thy counsel and the beneficiaries of thy wisdom cry out to thee thus:
Rejoice, thou who didst share the ministry of the Apostles;
Rejoice, thou who didst tend the flock according to the words of the Apostle Peter.
Rejoice, steadfast uprooter of heresy;
Rejoice, impartial observer of the canons of the Church.
Rejoice, destroyer of impious doctrines;
Rejoice, skillful helmsman of the Church.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.
Kontakion 12.
Knowing the grace of God which hath been given unto thee, O most glorious hierarch Raphael, we who are weak and heavy-laden with the burden of our sins flee to thee as our refuge and mighty defender. Pray fervently unto the Lord that He will preserve His Holy Church from unbelief and schism, from danger and temptation, that we may chant to God who through thee doeth good things for us: Alleluia.
Oikos 12.
As a faithful servant of thy Master, it was given to thee to suffer at the end of thine earthly life. Wherefore, as to a faithful servant who didst glorify Christ both in thy life and in thy death, to thee who hast received a glorious crown in heaven, we gather to offer these unworthy words of praise:
Rejoice, thou who wast overshadowed with divine power;
Rejoice, thou who didst faultlessly preserve the True Faith.
Rejoice, thou who didst reveal thy righteousness in thy Repose;
Rejoice, thou who hast received eternal rest in heaven with the saints.
Rejoice, great warrior of Orthodoxy;
Rejoice, invincible defender of piety.
Rejoice, O Father Raphael, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America.

Kontakion 13.
O most holy and most wonderful Father Raphael, look down from the heights of heaven upon thy flock and accept this our present offering. Entreat the Lord God that He will pour out upon us His divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, that we, being delivered from all enemies visible and invisible, may forever chant to Him with thee and all the saints: Alleluia.
Kontakion 13 is chanted thrice;
whereupon Oikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are repeated;
then follows the Prayer to St. Raphael.
Prayer to St. Raphael.
Let us pray to our holy Father Raphael.
O holy hierarch Father Raphael, pray unto God for us.
O wise and loving hierarch of the Church of Christ God, good shepherd of the lost sheep in America, sustenance for our souls, admonition for the lost, defense against foes, uniter of the Orthodox world, proclaimer of the truth, uplifter of the oppressed, guardian of the faith, father to orphans, protector of widows, friend of the poor, reconciler of foes, great light from Antioch, new Moses who didst lead thy people out of the wilderness into the Promised Land, new Elias who hast placed within the holy Church a double portion of thy spirit, new Ezra who didst build up the Temple of God, new Apostle of Christ our God, lover of the holy prayers and divine services, adornment of the holy Church, seeker of the lost, joy of all the Orthodox, son of Antioch, boast of America, O holy Father Raphael: Mercifully hearken unto these supplications which are offered unto thee by thy grateful children. O high priest of the Most High God, lift up thy hands and bless us, O thou who art thrice-blessed of the All-holy Trinity. O comforter of the oppressed who art a bearer of the heavenly King, the Comforter and Spirit of Truth, take us to thy bosom and shelter us from all harm. O shepherd who art a servant of the Lamb and a sheep of His flock, take up thy staff and guide us to secure and verdant pastures. O father who art a son and heir of the Unoriginate Father, lift up thine arms and intercede with him that the Church may be preserved in tranquility; that her God-appointed hierarchs may be granted peace, safety, honor, health and length of days, rightly dividing the word of truth; that her priests may be clothed with righteousness; that her God-fearing monastics may shine forth as paradisaical lights upon the world; and that her Christ-loving people may be granted mercy, life, peace, health, salvation and visitation, pardon and forgiveness of sins. Beseech thou him that we may be granted to live a peaceful life in this age, and to see the good things in the age which is to come, always glorifying the unoriginate Father, the only-begotten Son and the all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, the consubtantial Trinity, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Buy this ICON

The Little Russian Philokalia

2011-05-30T00:03:00.002-05:00

There are very few books that are published in Volumes. However, one of my favorites has been a Volume published by St. Herman's Press, The Little Russian Philokalia. Originally, it was a series of books published in 5 volumes. The first volume being St. Seraphim of Sarov . The second volume is on Blessed Abbot Nazarius, who was the Spiritual Father to St. Herman of Alaska, which was the third volume in this series but has been discontinued and no longer in print. The fourth volume was dedicated to St. Paisius Velichkovsky, who was the individual who came into contact with the Philokalia that was published on Holy Mount Athos. The fifth volume is to St. Theodore of Sanaxar, which is the last volume in the series.

I have had the blessed chance to come into contact with each of these series. Though only 3 of the original 5 volumes are being published these short books, no more than 150 pages, contains some of the most spiritually enriching texts from these wonderful men of God and each one who show forth that these men were truly blessed with many Graces from God.

I highly suggest looking into trying to get one of the books that are still being published and let the spiritual insight of these men of God fill your soul with such peace and love that you will want to take their message and spread to everyone you know.

Sunday of the Blind Man

2011-05-29T23:43:00.000-05:00

Today, the Orthodox Church heard in the Divine Liturgy Gospel reading about the Blind Man, which comes on the 5th Sunday after Pascha.

The Lord Jesus was coming from the Temple on the Sabbath, when, while walking in the way, He saw the blind man mentioned in today's Gospel. This man had been born thus from his mother's womb, that is, he had been born without eyes (see Saint John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on Matthew; Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V:15; and the second Exorcism of Saint Basil the Great).

When the disciples saw this, they asked their Teacher, "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" They asked this because when the Lord had healed the paralytic at the Sheep's Pool, He had told him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14); so they wondered, if sickness was caused by sin, what sin could have been the cause of his being born without eyes. But the Lord answered that this was for the glory of God. Then the God-man spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle. He anointed the eyes of the blind man and said to him, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam (which means "sent") was a well-known spring in Jerusalem used by the inhabitants for its waters, which flowed to the eastern side of the city and collected in a large pool called "the Pool of Siloam."

Therefore, the Saviour sent the blind man to this pool that he might wash his eyes, which had been anointed with the clay-not that the pool's water had such power, but that the faith and obedience of the one sent might be made manifest, and that the miracle might become more remarkable and known to all, and leave no room for doubt. Thus, the blind man believed in Jesus' words, obeyed His command, went and washed himself, and returned, no longer blind, but having eyes and seeing. This was the greatest miracle that our Lord had yet worked; as the man healed of his blindness himself testified, "Since time began, never was it heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind," although the Lord had already healed the blind eyes of many. Because he now had eyes, some even doubted that he was the same person (John 9:8-9); and it was still lively in their remembrance when Christ came to the tomb of Lazarus, for they said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have caused that even this man should not have died?" Saint John Chrysostom gives a thorough and brilliant exposition of our Lord's meeting with the woman of Samaria, the healing of the paralytic, and the miracle of the blind man in his commentaries on the Gospel of Saint John.

Kontakion:

I come to You, O Christ, as the man blind from birth. With the eyes of my soul blinded, I cry out to You in repentance, "You are the resplendent Light of those in darkness."

"In Peace Let us Pray"

2011-05-29T01:21:00.001-05:00

There are certain lines from our Liturgical services that always remind me of the beauty and true authenticity of our Faith in Christ's Church. One of the lines is in all our services, whether it be Vespers, Orthros, or Divine Liturgy, "In peace let us pray to the Lord."

How wonderful it is for our Priest to recite these words in our Liturgical services! "In peace let us pray to the Lord." Meditate on that simple line. Seven simple words but with the most important two at the begining, "In peace..." When our Priests from all Orthodox Churches call upon us to pray, it is to be in peace. And we all respond, "Lord have mercy!"

We are not called to pray in anger. We are not called to pray in greed. We are not called to pray in cruelty. NO! We are called to pray in peace. Peace. For many people we think of peace as it applies in today's terms or in our cultural subtext. But that is far from it's spiritual connection to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We first hear Jesus speak of peace in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Here, we can see that peace is not some random act, but a declaration from Christ, to us. Jesus calls us to be "peacemakers." We are not called to cause strife or disunity. We are specifically called to be peacemakers. Imagine now that line, In peace let us pray to the Lord, and let us recall our actions, thoughts, and hearts, and truly dwell on this and ask ourselves: "Have I been a peacemaker?" "Have I tried to bring those who are angry with each other together in peace?" "Have I caused others to go against each other, attempting to usurp the peace between them? If we have, can we truly recite back "Lord have mercy?"

Second, we hear Christ tell the woman who could not stop bleeding, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering" (Mark 5:34). When we go about our day, after a Liturgical service, especially after Divine Liturgy when we partake of the Most Holy Precious Body and Blood of our Savior, do we realize that our faith has healed us and thus we should go forth in peace? After the services when we walk out of the Temple of our Lord, should we not carry with our Faith, Peace, since it has healed us and freed us from suffering? If our Faith cannot bring you Peace to your life, how much do you suffer? Realize that Faith in Christ, the Church, and the Saints can bring us so much healing to our lives if we go on in peace.

At a third time, after Christ's Resurrection, he appears to His Disciples, "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you' " (Luke 24:36). In Christ's first appearance to His Disciples He does not exclaim, "Truly I am Risen" or "Behold the Son of God is before you." No, he proclaims to them, "peace be with you." How wonderful of our Lord to continue to preach this message of peace! He does not go around and questions those who doubted His Resurrection nor does He exclaim to them as to what to do next. Our Heavenly Lord simply says, "peace be with you." How often to we meet our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and give the usual American standard "Hello" or "Hey, how are you" or "What's up." Should we not take cue from Jesus Christ and when we come upon those who we share a Sacramental life with greet them with "Peace be with you!" Who better to imitate to follow a pure Christian life than taking what our Lord said and did and applying to our every life. Greet your family members, your friends, your brothers and sisters in Christ with a joyous voice, that comes from a true heart, and say, Peace be with you! Truly then, you will see the effect it has on those whom you greet.

Thirdly, in the last Gospel, Christ constantly expounds the importance of this simple word. In the first instance we read, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you" (John 14:27). There are very few things that we read about in the Gospels that Jesus Christ specifically gives to His Disciples, one is salvation, two is the Eucharist, and third is His peace! Jesus Christ before the Passion wanted His Disciples to not only carry His message but he wanted them to have His peace. Which we see in the second instance why this is so, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace" (John 16:33). In our Lord and Savior we do not only receive salvation, but we receive Heavenly peace if we believe in Him. By believing in Christ and His Church we are given the gift of peace! How often in our daily lives do we constantly battle with ourselves over worldly issues or question over our Faith? How often to we get angry at ourselves or others, but yet we still call ourselves Christians, despite that when we were Baptized and Chrismated into the Church we were given Christ's peace. He gave it to us so that we might find peace in ourselves but also that when in doubt, in pain, in confusion, we can turn to Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, and recall that in Him we will find peace.

In all four Gospels, Jesus gives us examples and tells us how to carry out our lives, and that is simply in peace. That we be peacemakers, the our Faith will bring us peace, that Christ exclaimed to the Disciples peace be with all of us, and lastly that He gave us His peace so that we might find peace in Him.

So, when you go to Church and in the Services your hear the Priest recite, "In PEACE, let us pray to the Lord," let us recall all these instances and let it reside in our hearts that we have carried them out as a commandment that Jesus left us, and with peace in our hearts we can proclaim back, "Lord have mercy!"

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers and our Lord Jesus Christ, AMEN.

5th Sunday after Great and Holy PASCHA.
Sunday of the Blind Man, 5-29-2011

St. Constantine & St. Helen

2011-05-21T12:12:00.000-05:00

Today, the Orthodox Church commemorates St. Constantine and his mother St. Helen.

This great and renowned sovereign of the Christians was the son of Constantius Chlorus (the ruler of the westernmost parts of the Roman empire), and of the blessed Helen. He was born in 272, in (according to some authorities) Naissus of Dardania, a city on the Hellespont. In 306, when his father died, he was proclaimed successor to his throne.

In 312, on learning that Maxentius and Maximinus had joined forces against him, he marched into Italy, where, while at the head of his troops, he saw in the sky after midday, beneath the sun, a radiant pillar in the form of a cross with the words: "By this shalt thou conquer." The following night, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him in a dream and declared to him the power of the Cross and its significance. When he arose in the morning, he immediately ordered that a labarum be made (which is a banner or standard of victory over the enemy) in the form of a cross, and he inscribed on it the Name of Jesus Christ.

To learn more about the Chi Rho click HERE

On the 28th Of October, he attacked and mightily conquered Maxentius, who drowned in the Tiber River while fleeing. The following day, Constantine entered Rome in triumph and was proclaimed Emperor of the West by the Senate, while Licinius, his brother-in-law, ruled in the East. But out of malice, Licinius later persecuted the Christians. Constantine fought him once and again, and utterly destroyed him in 324, and in this manner he became monarch over the West and the East. Under him and because of him all the persecutions against the Church ceased. Christianity triumphed and idolatry was overthrown. In 325 he gathered the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, which he himself personally addressed. In 324, in the ancient city of Byzantium, he laid the foundations of the new capital of his realm, and solemnly inaugurated it on May 11, 330, naming it after himself, Constantinople. Since the throne of the imperial rule was transferred thither from Rome, it was named New Rome, the inhabitants of its domain were called Romans, and it was considered the continuation of the Roman Empire. Falling ill near Nicomedia, he requested to receive divine Baptism, according to Eusebius (The Life of Constantine. Book IV, 61-62), and also according to Socrates and Sozomen; and when he had been deemed worthy of the Holy Mysteries, he reposed in 337, on May 21 or 22, the day of Pentecost, having lived sixty-five years, of which he ruled for thirty-one years. His remains were transferred to Constantinople and were deposed in the Church of the Holy Apostles, which had been built by him (see Homily XXVI on Second Corinthians by Saint John Chrysostom).

As for his holy mother Helen, after her son had made the Faith of Christ triumphant throughout the Roman Empire, she undertook a journey to Jerusalem and found the Holy Cross on which our Lord was crucified (see Sept. 13 and 14). After this, Saint Helen, in her zeal to glorify Christ, erected churches in Jerusalem at the sites of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, in Bethlehem at the cave where our Saviour was born, another on the Mount of Olives whence He ascended into Heaven, and many others throughout the Holy Land, Cyprus, and elsewhere. She was proclaimed Augusta, her image was stamped upon golden coins, and two cities were named Helenopolis after her in Bithynia and in Palestine. Having been thus glorified for her piety, she departed to the Lord being about eighty years of age, according to some in the year 330, according to others, in 336.

Apolytikion:

Having seen the image of Thy Cross in Heaven, and like Paul, having received the call not from men, Thine apostle among kings entrusted the commonwealth to Thy hand, O Lord. Keep us always in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, O only Friend of man.

Kontakion:

Today, Constantine with his mother Helen present the Cross, the most precious wood. It shames unbelievers. It is a weapon of faithful kings against their adversaries. A great sign has come forth for us which is awesome in battle.

St. Alexis (Toth) of Wilkes-Barre

2011-05-09T10:17:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, May 7th, the One True Church commemorates our righteouss Father among the Saints, Alexis (Toth) of Wilkes-Barre.

Alexis Georgievich Toth was born to Father George and Cecilia Toth on March 14, 1853, near Eperjes (now Presov) in Zepes county of Slovakia during the reign of Franz Joseph Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. He followed in the steps of his father who was dean of the United Greek Church in the county. He was educated in the local preparatory schools and then went on to the Roman Catholic seminary for a year and then on for three years to the Uniate Greek Seminary in Ungvar. He continued on to the University of Prague where he graduated with a degree in Theology.

After marrying Rosalie Mihaluk on April 18, 1878, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1878 by Bishop Nicholas Toth, the Uniate Greek Catholic bishop of Presov. In a few years his wife Rosalie, whose father also was a priest, and their only child were to die. After his ordination Father Alexis was an assistant priest in Saros county before becoming the curate in the United Greek Catholic Church in Homrogd. Then Bishop Nicholas Toth appointed Father Alexis his chancellor. In 1881 the bishop appointed him director of the United Greek Catholic Seminary of Presov and professor of Canon Law and Church History. He continued in these position under Bishop Toth's successor, Bishop John Valyi.

Then late in the 1880s, Father Alexander Dzubay, who studied with Father Alexis in the seminary, wrote a petition from America to Bishop John asking that Father Alexis be sent to America. The bishop agreed and sent Father Alexis as a "missioner." He arrived in the United States on November 15, 1889, and on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, Father Alexis conducted his first services in the new St. Mary's Church in Minneapolis as the first resident priest to serve this church officially. However, the church edifice was incomplete, there were no furnishings, no vestments, but a debt. Over the next year Father Alexis worked with his community, preaching, asking for donations, acquiring furnishings, vestments, and bringing the parish to an organized, stable institution, all this without receiving any salary.

As a Uniate, Father Alexis understood that he must visit the ruling Roman Catholic bishop in the area, Archbishop John Ireland of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in St. Paul. Archbishop Ireland was a strong advocate of the "Americanization" movement within the Roman Catholic Church, and thus was a strong proponent of the Americanization of the Catholic immigrants. And in this regard, Archbishop Ireland looked upon Father Alexis and his flock as an alien sect that did not have the capacity or desire to fit into his plans for Americanization. So, upon presenting his credentials to Archbishop Ireland on December 19, 1889, the Archbishop immediately rejected him as a Catholic, not recognizing the Greek Rite nor Father Alexis as a priest nor even his bishop. Archbishop Ireland directed all Roman Catholic priests and their flock to not have any relations with Father Alexis and his people. Father Alexis sent reports to his bishop in Slovakia about his reception by Archbishop Ireland but heard nothing in return. Other Uniate priests in the United States sent letters to Father Alexis reporting that they had had similar confrontations. The problems for the Uniate priests reached a head after they met to discuss their situation. They learned that they were to be all recalled and returned to Europe.

These confrontations brought Father Alexis to a course of action about which he had thought about before and that was to return to Orthodox Christianity. On December 8, 1890, St. Mary's parishioners wrote to the Russian Consul in San Francisco to obtain information about a Russian Orthodox bishop and followed up by traveling to San Francisco to talk with Bishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky) of San Francisco. Then, in February 1891 Father Alexis traveled with a parish group, led by the Church Warden, Paul Podnay, to met with Bishop Vladimir. At this time Father Alexis was received into the Orthodox Church. Bishop Vladimir, hearing that Father Alexis was not receiving any pay, established a stipend to help him. On March 25, 1892, Bishop Vladimir visited the St. Mary's parish and formally accepted the community of 361 immigrants into the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. On July 14, 1892, the Ruling All-Russian Holy Synod officially approved and sanctioned this move.

By this action Father Alexis Toth gained the distinction of being the first Uniate Greek Rite Catholic priest in America to lead his people in reunion with the Orthodox Church. Having been sent originally to America to be a missionary to the immigrants, Father Alexis, in his new role, was to fulfill his destiny as the missionary leading his people back to the Orthodox Church. In December 1892 he evangelized the immigrants in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, preaching and enlightening them about their social and religious future in America. In 1902, he received the parish of St. John the Baptist in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, into the Orthodox fold. Elevated to the rank of protopresbyter, he was in the forefront, over the years until his death, of receiving parishes from the Unia into Orthodoxy. Through his efforts over 20,000 Carpatho-Russian and Galician uniates were re-united with the Orthodox Church.

On May 7, 1909, he died and was buried in a special shrine at the St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania). On May 29, 1994, Protopresbyter Alexis Toth was glorified as St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre.
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Excerpted from the Orthodox Church in America's website:

Our holy Father Alexis, the defender of the Orthodox Faith and zealous worker in the Lord's vineyard, was born in Austro-Hungary on March 18, 1854 into a poor Carpatho-Russian family. Like many others in the Austro-Hungarian empire, the Toths were Eastern Rite Catholics. Alexis' father and brother were priests and his uncle was a bishop in the Uniate church. He received an excellent education and knew several languages (Carpatho-Russian, Hungarian, Russian, German, Latin, and a reading knowledge of Greek). He married Rosalie Mihalich, a priest's daughter, and was ordained on April 18, 1878 to serve as second priest in a Uniate parish. His wife died soon afterwards, followed by their only child - losses which the saint endured with the patience of Job.

In May, 1879, Fr Alexis was appointed secretary to the Bishop of Presov and also Administrator of the Diocesan Administration. He was also entrusted with the directorship of an orphanage. At Presov Seminary, Father Toth taught Church History and Canon Law, which served him well in his later life in America. St Alexis did not serve long as a professor or an administrator, for the Lord had a different future planned for him. In October, 1889 he was appointed to serve as pastor of a Uniate parish in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Like another Abraham, he left his country and his relatives to fulfill the will of God (Gen 12:1).

Upon his arrival in America, Father Alexis presented himself to the local Roman Catholic diocesan authority, Archbishop John Ireland, since there was no Uniate bishop in America at that time. Archbishop Ireland belonged to the party of American Catholics who favored the "Americanization" of all Roman Catholics. His vision for the future was founded on a common faith, customs, and the use of the English language for everything except liturgical celebrations. Naturally, ethnic parishes and non-Latin rite clergy did not fit into this vision. Thus, when Father Toth came to present his credentials, Archbishop Ireland greeted him with open hostility. He refused to recognize him as a legitimate Catholic priest or to grant permission for him to serve in his diocese.

As a historian and professor of Canon Law, Father Toth knew his rights under the terms of the Unia and would not accept Archbishop Ireland's unjust decisions. In October of 1890, there was a meeting of eight of the ten Uniate priests in America at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania under the chairmanship of Father Toth. By this time the American bishops had written to Rome demanding the recall to Europe of all Uniate priests in America, fearing that Uniate priests and parishes would hinder the assimilation of immigrants into American culture. Uniate bishops in Europe refused to listen to the priests' pleas for help.

Archbishop Ireland sent a letter to his parishes ordering their members not to attend Father Toth's parish nor to accept any priestly ministrations from him. Expecting imminent deportation, Father Toth explained the situation to his parishioners and suggested it might be best for him to leave and return to Europe.

"No," they said. "Let's go to the Russian bishop. Why should we always submit ourselves to foreigners?" It was decided to write to the Russian consul in San Francisco in order to ask for the name and address of the Russian bishop. Ivan Mlinar went to San Francisco to make initial contact with Bishop Vladimir; then in February, 1891 Father Toth and his church warden, Paul Podany, also made the journey. Subsequently, Bishop Vladimir came to Minneapolis and on March 25, 1891 received Father Toth and 361 parishioners into the Orthodox Church of their ancestors. The parishioners regarded this event as a new Triumph of Orthodoxy, crying out with joy: "Glory to God for His great mercy!"

This initiative came from the people themselves, and was not the result of any coercion from outsiders. The Russian Orthodox Church was unaware of the existence of these Slavic Uniate immigrants to America, but responded positively to their petition to be reunited to the Orthodox Church.

The example of St Alexis and his parish in returning to Orthodoxy was an encouragement to hundreds of other Uniates. The ever-memorable one was like a candle upon a candlestick giving light to others (Mt.5:15), and his flock may be likened to the leaven mixed with meal which leavened the whole (Mt.13:33). Through his fearless preaching he uprooted the tares which had sprung up in the wheat of true doctrine, and exposed the false teachings which had led his people astray. Although he did not hesitate to point out errors in the doctrines of other denominations, he was careful to warn his flock against intolerance. His writings and sermons are filled with admonitions to respect other people and to refrain from attacking their faith.

While it is true that he made some strong comments, especially in his private correspondence with the church administration, it must be remembered that this was done while defending the Orthodox Church and the American Mission from unfounded accusations by people who used much harsher language than Father Toth. His opponents may be characterized by intolerance, rude behaviour, unethical methods and threats against him and his parishioners. Yet, when Father Alexis was offended or deceived by other people he forgave them, and he would often ask his bishop to forgive his omissions and mistakes.

In the midst of great hardships, this herald of godly theology and sound doctrine poured forth an inexhaustible stream of Orthodox writings for new converts, and gave practical advice on how to live in an Orthodox manner. For example, his article "How We should Live in America" stresses the importance of education, cleanliness, sobriety, and the presence of children in church on Sundays and Holy Days.

Although the Minneapolis parish was received into the Orthodox Church in March, 1891, it was not until July, 1892 that the Holy Synod of Russia recognized and accepted the parish into the Diocese of Alaska and the Aleutians. This resolution reached America only in October, 1892. During that time there was a climate of religious and ethnic hostility against the new converts. Father Alexis was accused of selling out his own Carpatho-Russian people and his religion to the "Muscovites" for financial gain.

In reality he did not receive any financial support for a long time, for his parish was very poor. Until his priestly salary began to arrive from Russia, the righteous one was obliged to work in a bakery in order to support himself. Even though his funds were meager, he did not neglect to give alms to the poor and needy. He shared his money with other clergy worse off than himself, and contributed to the building of churches and to the education of seminarians in Minneapolis. He was not anxious about his life (Mt.6:25), what he would eat or drink or wear. Trusting in God to take care of him, St Alexis followed the admonition of Our Savior to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Mt.6:33). So he bore the tribulation, slander, and physical attacks with patience and spiritual joy, reminding us that "godliness is stronger than all" (Wisdom of Solomon 10:12).

Bishops Vladimir, Nicholas, St Tikhon, and Platon recognized the special gifts of Father Toth, so they often sent him forth to preach and teach wherever there were people of Slavic background. Even though he was aware of his shortcomings and inadequacies, yet he was obedient to the instructions of the bishops. He did not hesitate or make excuses, but went immediately to fulfill his mission. St Alexis visited many Uniate parishes, explaining the differences between Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism and Uniatism, stressing that the true way to salvation is in Orthodoxy.

Like Josiah, "he behaved himself uprightly in the conversion of his people" (Sir 49:2). He was instrumental in the formation or return of seventeen parishes, planting a vineyard of Christ in America, and increasing its fruitful yield many times over. By 1909, the time of his blessed repose, many thousands of Carpatho-Russian and Galician Uniates had returned to Orthodoxy. This was a major event in the history of the North American Mission, which would continue to shape the future of Orthodoxy in this country for many generations to come. Any future growth or success may truly be regarded as the result of Father Toth's apostolic labors.

Who can tell of the saint's spiritual struggles? Who can speak of the prayers which his pious soul poured forth unto God? He did not make a public display of his piety, but prayed to God in secret with all modesty, with contrition and inward tears. God, Who sees everything done in secret, openly rewarded the saint (Mt.6:6). It is inconceivable that St Alexis could have accomplished his apostolic labors unless God had blessed and strengthened him for such work. Today the Church continues to reap the fruits of his teaching and preaching.

Father Toth's efforts did not go unrecognized in his own lifetime. He received a jeweled miter from the Holy Synod, as well as the Order of St Vladimir and the Order of St Anna from Czar Nicholas II for distinguished service and devotion to God and country. In 1907, he was considered as a candidate for the episcopal office. He declined this honor, however, humbly pointing out that this responsibility should be given to a younger, healthier man.

At the end of 1908, St Alexis' health began to decline due to a complication of illneses. He went to the seashore in southern New Jersey in an attempt to regain his health, but soon returned to Wilkes-Barre, where he was confined to bed for two months. The righteous one reposed on Friday, May 7, 1909 (April 24 on the Old Calendar), the feast of Sts Sava and Alexius the Hermit of the Kiev Caves. St Alexis' love and concern for his spiritual children did not cease with his death. Before closing the account of his life, it would be most appropriate to reveal but one example of his heavenly intercession:

In January, 1993 a certain man prayed to St Alexis to help him obtain information about his son from whom he had been separated for twenty-eight years. Placing his confidence in the saint's boldness before God, he awaited an answer to his prayer. The very next day the man's son telephoned him. It seems the young man was in church when he was suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to contact his father. He had been taken to another state by his mother, and she changed his name when he was a child. This is why his father was unable to locate him. Having learned from his mother that his father was an Orthodox Christian, he was able with the help of an Orthodox priest to obtain his father's phone number in a distant city. As a result of that telephone call, the young man later visited his father, who rejoiced to see what sort of man his son had become. The father gave thanks to God and to St Alexis for reuniting him with his son.

St Alexis was a true man of God who guided many Carpatho-Russian and Galician immigrants through the dark confusion of religious challenges in the New World and back to the unity of the Orthodox Church through his grace-filled words and by his holy example. In his last will and testament St Alexis commended his soul to God's mercy, asking forgiveness from everyone and forgiving everybody. His holy relics now rest at St Tikhon Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania where the faithful may come to venerate them and to entreat St Alexis' intercessions on their behalf.

In his Icon, the scroll reads: "This is the teaching of the Christian Orthodox Church,This is the teaching of your Forefathers, This is your Faith through which all of us will come to salvation. Hold to it! Amen"

Troparion:

O righteous Father Alexis,

Our heavenly intercessor and teacher,

Divine adornment of the Church of Christ!

Entreat the Master of All

To strengthen the Orthodox Faith in America,

To grant peace to the world

And to our souls, great mercy!

Kontakion:

Let us, the faithful, praise the Priest Alexis,

A bright beacon of Orthodoxy in America,

A model of patience and humility,

A worthy shepherd of the Flock of Christ.

He called back the sheep who had been led astray

And brought them by his preaching

To the Heavenly Kingdom!

View of the St. Alexis shrine.

Top view of the shrine

St. James the Apostle

2011-05-02T12:10:00.000-05:00

On April 30 the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates St. John the Apostle, brother of St. John the Apostle & Theologian, the son of Zebedee.

James was one of the Twelve, like his brother John (celebrated on Sept. 26), whom the Lord called "Sons of Thunder," because they became great preachers and because of their profound theology. It was the Saint's boldness in preaching the Gospel that Herod Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, could not endure, and so he took him into custody during the days of the Passover, and slew him with the sword (Acts 12: 1-2); and thus he drank the cup of which the Saviour had spoken to him prophetically (Matt. 20:23). As for Herod, the following year he went down to Caesarea, and, as the Acts of the Apostles records: "Upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration" to the elders of Tyre and Sidon; and the flatterers that surrounded him "gave a shout, saying, 'it is the voice of a god, and not of a man.' And immediately an Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and like his grandfather (see Dec. 29) "he was eaten of worms and gave up the spirit" (Acts 12:21-23)

Apolytikion:

O Holy Apostle James, intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offences.

Kontakion:

The voice of thy God thou heardest when it called to thee, O glorious James; hence, casting off thy father's love, thou together with John thy brother didst run straightway to Christ the Lord, and with him was granted to see the Lord's most divine Transfiguration.

Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring

2011-05-02T11:53:00.000-05:00

On Friday April 29th, Bright Friday, the Church celebrates what is called "Renewal Friday."

Outside of Constantinople, towards the district of the Seven Towers, there was in ancient times a very large and most beautiful church named in honour of the Theotokos; it had been built about the middle of the fifth century by the Emperor Leo the Great (also called "Leo of Thrace," he is commemorated on Jan. 20). Before he became Emperor, he had encountered there a blind man, who being tormented with thirst asked him to help him find water. Leo felt compassion for him and went in search of a source of water but found none. As he became downcast, he heard a voice telling him there was water nearby. He looked again, and found none. Then he heard the voice again, this time calling him "Emperor" and telling him that he would find muddy water in the densely wooded place nearby; he was to take some water and anoint the blind man's eyes with it. When he had done this, the blind man received his sight. After Leo became Emperor as the most holy Theotokos had prophesied, he raised up a church over the spring, whose waters worked many healings and cured maladies by the grace of the Theotokos; from this, it came to be called the "Life-giving Spring." The Church of Christ celebrates the consecration of this church on this day.

After the fall of the imperial city, this church was razed to the ground and the materials from it were used for building the mosque of Sultan Bayezid. Nothing remained of that church's ancient beauty, except for a small and paltry chapel, almost completely buried in the ruins. This chapel had twenty-five steps going down into it, and a transom window on the roof, wherefrom it received a little light. Toward the western side of the chapel was the aforementioned holy Spring, fenced about with a railing, and with fish swimming in it. Such was the condition of the Spring until 1821. Then even that little remnant was destroyed, occasioned by the uprising of the Greek nation against the Ottoman Empire; the sacred Spring was buried with it and disappeared altogether.

But in the days of Sultan Mahmud, when those subject to him were rejoicing in their freedom to practice their religion, permission was sought by the Orthodox Christian community to rebuild at least part of the chapel. Thus the work was begun on July 26, 1833. When the excavation had been made, and the foundations of the ancient church were found, there was rebuilt -- by a later writ of permission from the Sultan -- not merely a chapel of the holy Spring, but another new church, constructed upon the foundations of the ancient one. The building of this spacious, beautiful, and most majestic temple began on September 14, 1833, and the work was completed on December 30, 1834. On February 2, 1835, the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine II, serving the Liturgy together with twelve hierarchs and a great company of clergy, as well as a boundless multitude of Christians, performed the consecration of this sacred church and dedicated it to the glory of the Mother of God. On September 6, 1955, however, it was desecrated and destroyed again by the Moslem Turks; it has been restored again, but not to the former magnificence.

Apolytikion:
As a life-giving fount, thou didst conceive the Dew that is transcendent in essence, O Virgin Maid, and thou hast welled forth for our sakes the nectar of joy eternal, which doth pour forth from thy fount with the water that springeth up unto everlasting life in unending and mighty streams; wherein, taking delight, we all cry out: Rejoice, O thou Spring of life for all men.

Kontakion:

O Lady graced by God, you reward me by letting gush forth, beyond reason, the ever-flowing waters of your grace from your perpetual Spring. I entreat you, who bore the Logos, in a manner beyond comprehension, to refresh me in your grace that I may cry out, "Hail redemptive waters."

Paschal Homily by St. John Chrysostom

2011-04-23T11:04:00.002-05:00

If any man be devout and loveth God,
Let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast!
If any man be a wise servant,
Let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.

If any have laboured long in fasting,
Let him how receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour,
Let him today receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour,
Let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour,
Let him have no misgivings;
Because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour,
Let him draw near, fearing nothing.
And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour,
Let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.

For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour,
Will accept the last even as the first.
He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour,
Even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour.
And He showeth mercy upon the last,
And careth for the first;
And to the one He giveth,
And upon the other He bestoweth gifts.
And He both accepteth the deeds,
And welcometh the intention,
And honoureth the acts and praises the offering.

Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord;
Receive your reward,
Both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival!
You sober and you heedless, honour the day!
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted
And you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously.
The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith:
Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.

Let no one bewail his poverty,
For the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities,
For pardon has shown forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
For the Saviour's death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.

By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh.
And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry:
Hell, said he, was embittered
When it encountered Thee in the lower regions.

It was embittered, for it was abolished.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and dominion
Unto ages of ages.

Amen.

"On the Passion of the Savior" by St. Ephraim the Syrian

2011-04-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

I am afraid to speak

and touch with my tongue
this fearful narrative
concerning the Saviour.
For truly it is fearful
to narrate all this.

Our Lord
was given up today
into the hands of sinners!

For what reason then
was one who is holy
and without sin given up?

For having done no sin
he was given up today.

Come, let us examine closely
why Christ our Saviour
was given up.

For us, the ungodly,
the Master was given up.

Who would not marvel?
Who would not give glory?

When the slaves had sinned
the Master was given up.

The sons of perdition
and the children of darkness
went out in the darkness
to arrest the sun
who had the power
to consume them in an instant.

But the Master, knowing
their effrontery
and the force of their anger,
with gentleness,
by his own authority,
gave himself up
into the hands of the ungodly.

And lawless men, having bound
the most pure Master,
mocked the one
who had bound the strong one
with unbreakable bonds,
and set us free
from the bonds of sins.

They plaited a crown
of their own thorns,
the fruit borne
by the vine of the Jews.

In mockery
they called him ‘King’.
The lawless spat
in the face of the most pure,
at whose glance
all the Powers of heaven
and the ranks of Angels
quake with fear.

See, once again grief and tears
grip hold of my heart,
as I contemplate the Master
enduring outrage and insults,
scourgings, spitting
from slaves, and blows.

Come, observe well
the abundance of compassion,
the forbearance and mercy
of our sweet Master.

He had a useful slave
in the Paradise of delight,
and when he sinned
he was given to the torturers.

But when the Good One
saw his weakness of soul
he took compassion on the slave
and had mercy on him
and presented himself
to be scourged by him.

I wished to remain silent
because my mind
was utterly amazed;
but then again I was afraid
lest I reject
by my silence
my Saviour’s grace.
For my bones tremble
when I think of it.

The fashioner of all things,
our Lord himself,
was today arraigned
before Caiaphas,
like one of the condemned;
and one of the servants
struck him a blow.

My heart trembles
as I think on these things:
the slave is seated,
the Master stands,
and one full of iniquities
passes sentence
on the one who is sinless.

The heavens trembled,
earth’s foundations shuddered;
Angels and Archangels
all quailed with terror.
Gabriel and Michael
covered their faces
with their wings.

The Cherubim at the throne
were hidden beneath the wheels;
The Seraphim struck their wings
one with the other
at that moment,
when a servant gave
a blow to the Master.

How did earth’s foundations
endure the earthquake
and the tremor
at that moment,
when the Master was outraged?

I observe and I tremble
and again I am stunned,
when I see the long-suffering
of the loving Master.

For see my inward parts
tremble as I speak,
because the Creator,
who by grace fashioned
humanity from dust,
he the Fashioner is struck.

Let us fear, my brethren
and not simply listen.
The Saviour endured
all these things for us.

Wretched servant,
tell us why
you struck the Master?

All servants,
when they are set free,
receive a blow,
that they may obtain
freedom that perishes;
but you, miserable wretch,
unjustly gave a blow
to the liberator of all.

Did you perhaps expect
to receive from Caiaphas
a reward for your blow?

Had you perhaps not heard,
had you perhaps not learned
that Jesus is
the heavenly Master?

You gave a blow
to the Master of all things,
but became slave of slaves
to age on age,
a disgrace and abomination,
and condemned for ever
in unquenchable fire.

A great marvel, brethren,
it is to see the gentleness
of Christ the King!
Struck by a slave
he answered patiently,
with gentleness
and all reverence.

A servant is indignant,
the Master endures;
a servant is enraged,
the Master is kind.

At a time of anger,
who could endure
rage and disturbance?
But our Lord
submitted to all this
by his goodness.

Who can express
your long-suffering,
Master?

You that are longed for
and loved by Christ,
draw near, with compunction
and longing for the Saviour.

Come, let us learn
what took place today
in Sion, David’s city.

The longed-for and chosen
offspring of Abraham,
what did they do today?

They gave up to death
the most pure Master
on this day.

Christ our Saviour
was unjustly hanged
on the tree of the Cross
through lawless hands.

Come, let us all
wash our bodies
with tears and groans,
because our Lord,
the King of glory,
for us ungodly people
was given up to death.

If someone suddenly hears
of one truly beloved
having died,
or again, suddenly sees
the beloved himself
lying a dead corpse
before their eyes,
their appearance is altered,
and the brightness
of their sight is darkened.

So, in heaven’s height,
when it saw
the outrage to the Master
on the tree of the Cross,
the bright sun’s
appearance was altered;
it withdrew the rays
of its own brightness,
and unable to look on
the outrage to the Master,
clothed itself
in grief and darkness.

Likewise the Holy Spirit,
who is in the Father,
when he saw
the beloved Son
on the tree of the Cross,
rending the veil,
the temple’s adornment,
suddenly came forth
in the form of a dove.

All creation was
in fear and trembling
when the King of heaven,
the Saviour suffered;
while we sinners
for whom the only immortal
was given up
ever treat this with contempt.

We laugh each day
when we hear of the Saviour’s
sufferings and outrage.

We enjoy ourselves daily
filled with great zeal
to deck ourselves in fine clothing.

The sun in the sky
because of the outrage to its Master
changed its radiance
into darkness,
so that we, when we saw it,
might follow its example.

The Master on the Cross
was outraged for your sake,
while you, miserable wretch,
ever deck yourself
in splendid raiment.

Does your heart not tremble,
does your mind not quail,
when you hear such things?

The One who alone is sinless
was for you given over
to a shameful death,
to outrages and revilings,
while you hear all this
with lofty indifference.

The whole rational flock
should look intently
on its shepherd,
and ever long for him
and respect him,
because for its sake
he suffered, he
the dispassionate and all pure.

Nor should it deck itself
in corruptible garments,
nor yet indulge in pleasure
and worldly nourishment,
but should give its Maker pleasure
by ascesis and true reverence.

Let us not become
imitators of the Jews;
a people harsh and disobedient
and that ever rejects the blessings
and benefactions of God.

God Most High
for the sake of Abraham
and his covenant
from the beginning bore
the stubbornness of the people.

From heaven he gave
them Manna to eat;
but they, the unworthy,
longed for garlic,
evil-smelling foods.

Again, he gave them water
from the rock in the desert,
while they in place of these
gave him vinegar
when they hanged him on a Cross.

Let us be careful, brethren,
not to be found
as fellows of the Jews
who crucified the Master,
their own Creator.

Let us always be fearful,
keeping before our eyes
the Saviour’s sufferings.

Let us always keep in mind
his sufferings,
because it was for us he suffered,
the dispassionate Master;
for us he was crucified,
the only sinless One.

What return can we make
for all this, brethren?

Let us be attentive to ourselves
and not despise his sufferings.

Draw near all of you,
children of the Church,
bought with the precious
and holy blood
of the most pure Master.

Come, let us meditate
on his sufferings with tears,
thinking on fear,
meditating with trembling,
saying to ourselves,
‘Christ our Saviour
for us the impious
was given over to death’.

Learn well, brother,
what it is you hear:
God who is without sin,
Son of the Most High,
for you was given up.

Open your heart,
learn in detail
his sufferings
and say to yourself:
God who is without sin
today was given up,
today was mocked,
today was abused,
today was struck,
today was scourged,
today wore
a crown of thorns,
today was crucified,
he, the heavenly Lamb.

Your heart will tremble,
your soul will shudder.

Shed tears every day
by this meditation
on the Master’s sufferings.

Tears become sweet,
the soul is enlightened
that always meditates
on Christ’s sufferings.

Always meditating thus,
shedding tears every day,
giving thanks to the Master
for the sufferings
that he suffered for you,
so that in the day
of his Coming
your tears may become
your boast and exaltation
before the judgement seat.

Endure as you meditate
on the loving Master’s
sufferings,
endure temptations,
give thanks from your soul.

Blessed is the one
who has before his eyes
the heavenly Master
and his sufferings,
and has crucified himself
from all the passions
and earthly deeds,
who has become an imitator
of his own Master.

This is understanding,
this is the attitude
of servants who love God,
when they become ever
imitators of their Master
by good works.

Shameless man, do you watch
the most pure Master
hanging on the Cross,
while you pass the time
that you have to live on earth
in pleasure and laughter?

Don’t you know, miserable wretch,
that the crucified Lord
will demand an account
of all your disdainful deeds,
for which, when you hear of them, you show no concern,
and as you take your pleasure
you laugh
and enjoy yourself with indifference?

The day will come,
that fearful day,
for you to weep unceasingly
and cry out in the fire
from your pains,
and there will be no one at all
to answer
and have mercy on your soul.

I worship you, Master,
I bless you, O Good One,
I entreat you, O Holy One,
I fall down before you, Lover of humankind,
and I glorify you, O Christ,
because you, only-begotten
Master of all,
alone without sin,
for me the unworthy sinner
were given over to death,
death on a Cross,
that you might free
the sinner’s soul
from the bonds of sins.

And what shall I give you
in return for this, Master?

Glory to you, Lover of humankind!
Glory to you, O Merciful!
Glory to you, O Long-suffering!
Glory to you, who pardon
every fault!
Glory to you, who came down
to save our souls!
Glory to you, incarnate
in the Virgin’s womb!
Glory to you, who were bound!
Glory to you, who were scourged!
Glory to you, who were crucified!
Glory to you, who were buried!
Glory to you, who were raised!
Glory to you, who were proclaimed!
Glory to you, who were believed!
Glory to you, who were taken up!
Glory to you, who were enthroned
with great glory
at the Father’s right hand,
and are coming again
with the glory of the Father
and the holy Angels
to judge every soul
that has despised
your holy sufferings
in that dread
and fearful hour,
when the powers of heaven
will be shaken;
when Angels, Archangels,
Cherubim and Seraphim
will come all together
with fear and trembling
before your glory;
when all the foundations
of the earth will tremble,
and everything that has breath
will shudder at your great
and unendurable glory.

In that hour
your hand will hide me
under its wings
and my soul be delivered
from the fearful fire,
the gnashing of teeth,
the outer darkness
and unending weeping,
that blessing you, I may say,
‘Glory to the One, who wished
to save the sinner
through the many acts of pity
of his compassion.

Paschal Canon (Canon of Pascha)

2011-04-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

This Paschal Canon was excerpted from The Old Rite Prayer Book.

Ode 1

It is the day of Resurrection, let us be radiant, O ye peoples;

Pascha, the Lord's Pascha; for Christ God hath brought us

from death unto life, and from earth unto heaven as we sing the triumphal hymn.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Let us purify our senses and we shall behold the unapproachable light,

radiant in the Resurrection of Christ, and we shall clearly hear Him say:

Rejoice! as we sing the triumphal hymn.

Christ is risen from the dead!

For meet it is that the heavens should rejoice, and that the earth

should be glad, and that the whole world, both visible and invisible,

should keep the feast; for Christ God, the everlasting Joy, hath risen.

Ode 3

Come let us drink a new drink, not one marvelously brought forth

from a barren rock, but the Source of incorruption, which springeth

forth from the grave of Christ, in Whom we are established.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Now are all things filled with light; heaven and earth, and the

nethermost regions of the earth. Let all creation, therefore, celebrate

the arising of Christ, whereby it is established.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Yesterday I was buried with Thee, O Christ, and today I arise with

Thine arising. Yesterday I was crucified with Thee; do Thou Thyself

glorify me with Thee, O Saviour, in Thy kingdom.

Hypakoe

They who were with Mary forestalled the dawn and found the

stone rolled away. They heard from an angel: Seek not, as though

He were but a man, Him Who abideth in everlasting light. Behold

the grave-clothes. Go quickly and proclaim to the world that the Lord

is risen, and hath put death to death; for He is the Son of God,

Who saveth the race of man.

Ode 4

Let the Prophet Habakkuk, the proclaimer of divine things, keep

the divine watch with us, and show forth the radiant angel who with

resounding voice hath declared: Today doth bring salvation to the world,

for Christ is risen as omnipotent.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Christ was of the make sex when He opened the Virgin's womb, and

as a mortal was He called the Lamb. Thus, without blemish is our Pascha,

for He tasted not corruption, and He revealed Himself as true and perfect

God.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Christ, our blessed Crown, like a yearling Lamb, of His own good will

did sacrifice Himself for all, a Pascha of purification: and from the grave the

beautiful Sun of Righteousness, shone forth again upon us.

Christ is risen from the dead!

David, the ancestor of God, danced with leaping before the symbolic

Ark of the Covenant. Let us also, the holy people of God, beholding

the fulfillment of the symbols, rejoice in godly wise: For Christ

is risen, as omnipotent.

Ode 5

Let us arise in the deep dawn, and instead of myrrh, offer praise

to the Master; and we shall see Christ, the Sun of Righteousness,

Who causeth life to dawn for all.

Christ is risen from the dead!

When those held captive in the bonds of Hades beheld Thy

boundless compassion, O Christ, they hastened to the light

with joyful step, exalting the eternal Pascha.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Bearing lights, let us go forth to meet Christ, Who cometh forth

from the grave like a Bridegroom. And with the ranks of them

that love and keep this festival, let us celebrate the saving

Pascha of God.

Ode 6

Thou didst descend into the deepest parts of the earth, and

didst shatter the everlasting bars that bound those nether

regions, O Christ. And on the third day, like Jonah from the

whale, Thou didst arise from the grave.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Having kept the seals intact, O Christ, Thou didst rise from

the tomb, O Thou Who didst not break the seal of the Virgin

by Thy birth; and Thou hast opened unto us the gates of

Paradise.

Christ is risen from the dead!

O my Saviour, the living and unslain Sacrifice, as God, Thou

didst of Thine own will offer Thyself unto the Father. Thou

didst raise up with Thyself the whole of Adam when Thou

didst rise from the grave.

Kontakion

Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One,

yet didt Thou destroy the power of Hades, and didst arise

as Victor, O Christ God, announcing jow to the myrrh-bearing

women, and giving peace to Thine Apostles, O Thou Who

dost grant resurrection to the fallen.

Oikos

The myrrh-bearing maidens anticipated the dawn, seeking,

as it were day, the Sun Who was before the sun and Who

had set in the tomb, and they cried out one to another:

O friends! Come, let us anoint with sweet-smelling spices

the life-bringing and buried Body, even that Flesh that raiseth

Fallen Adam, who lieth in the grave. Let us go hence, let us

make haste, like the Wise Men, and let us adore and offer

before Him myrrh as it were a gift to Him, Who is no longer

wrapped in swaddling bands, but in a winding-sheet.

and let us cry aloud with lamentations: Arise; O Master,

Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen!

Ode 7

The only blessed and most glorious God of our fathers,

who hath redeemed the children from the furnace, is become

man, and, as a mortal doth offer, and through suffering doth

clothe mortality with the grace of incorruption.

Christ is risen from the dead!

The godly-wise women followed after Thee in haste with

myrrh. But Him Whom they sought with tears as dead, they

joyfully adored as the living God, and they announced unto

Thy disciples, O Christ, the glad tidings of the mystical Pascha.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Truly sacred and supremely festive is this saving night,

radiant with light, the forerunner of the bright-beaming

Day of Resurrection, whereon the Timeless Light in bodily

form shone from the grave for all.

Christ is risen from the dead!

We celebrate the death of death, the destruction of Hades,

the beginning of an everlasting life. And with leaps of joy

we praise the Cause thereof, the only blessed and most

Glorious God of our fathers.

Ode 8

This chosen and holy day is the first of the Sabbaths,

the king and lord, the feasts of feasts, and the festival

of festivals, wherein we bless Christ unto the ages.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Come ye children of the new vine, on this singular day of

the Resurrection, let us partake of the divine gladness of

the Kingdom of Christ, praising Him as God unto the ages.

Christ is risen from the dead!

Cast thine eyes about thee, O Sion, and behold! For lo, like

divinely-radiant luminaries, from the West, the North, the

sea and the East have thy children assembled unto Thee,

blessing Christ unto the ages.

Most Holy Trinity our God, glory to Thee!

Father Almighty, the word and the Spirit, one Nature in

three Hypostases united, transcending essence and

Supremely Divine! In Thee have we been baptized, and

Thee will we bless unto all the ages.

Ode 9

Shine, shine, New Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord

is risen upon theee. Exult now, and be glad, O Sion; and

Thou, pure Mother of God, rejoice in the rising of thy Child.

Christ is risen from the dead!

O Thy divine and beloved and sweet voice; Thou hast truly

promised that Thou wouldst be with us unto the end of

the world, O Christ; and we faithful rejoice, having this as

a mighty hope.

Christ is risen from the dead!

O great and most sacred Pascha, O Christ; O Wisdom and

Word and Power of God. Grant that we partake of the Thee

fully in the unwaning day of Thy Kingdom.

Akathist to St. John the Wonderworker of San Francisco and Shanghai

2011-04-13T00:30:00.000-05:00

St. John the Wonderworker has been and still remains one of my favorite Saints of America. His humility and service to the Orthodox Faith, despite Jurisdiction, sought to spread the Word and the Way to all people. He truly was blessed with many Graces of the Lord. I have found so much comfort in praying to this beloved Saint. I was blessed to venerate his holy relics in San Francisco at the Holy Virgin Cathedral of All Who Sorrow I am blessed to have a 3rd degree relic of this beloved Saint on my Iconostasis.

Also, anyone who is looking for a spiritual awakening is to go to the Monastery of St. John and spend a couple of days there. The Fathers there are truly humble and prime examples of the Orthodox monastic mindset. This monastery is also where Archimandrite Meletios is the Abbot, another true spirit of Orthodox monasticism.

His Akathist brings all sorts of joy and comfort to all who pray to him.

Tone 8Kontakion I

Chosen wonderworker and superb servant of Christ, who pourest out in the latter times inexhaustible streams of inspiration and multitude of miracles. We praise Thee which love, and call out to Thee:
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Ikos I
An angel in the flesh wast Thou manifested in the latter times by the grace of God Who ever careth for men. Seeing the beauty of Thy virtues, we Thy children now cry out to Thee:
Rejoice, Thou who didst live in virtue from earliest childhood.
Rejoice, Thou who didst ever live in fear of God and do His holy will.
Rejoice, Thou who didst manifest the grate of God in numberless virtues.
Rejoice, Thou who didst mystically hear the distant prayers of those in distress.
Rejoice, Thou who wast filled with love for Thy fellow men and didst do all possible for their salvation.
Rejoice, Thou who dost bring joy to all who pray to Thee in faith and love.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.

Kontakion 2
Seeing the abundance and variety of Thy virtues. O holy Hierarch, we see in Thee a living source of God's wonders in our time. Thou dost refresh with Thy love and miracles all who cry in faith to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Being filled with love. Thou wast also filled with theology. O holy Father. And in Thee the knowledge of God flowed forth again in love for suffering men. Do Thou teach us also know the true God in love as we call out to Thee in admiration.
Rejoice. firm stronghold of Orthodox truth
Rejoice. precious vessel of the gifts of the Holy Spirit
Rejoice. righteous accuser of impiety and false doctrine
Rejoice ardent doer of the commandments of God
Rejoice. severe ascetic who gavest thyself no repose
Rejoice, loving shepherd of the flock of Christ
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 3By God's mercy Thou wast manifest as a father to orphans and instructor of the young, raising them in the fear of God and preparing them for the service of God. Therefore all Thy children look to Thee with love and cry out with gratitude to God:
Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Dwellers in heaven should be praising Thee and not we on earth, for our words are feeble beside Thy deeds. Yet offering to God what we have we cry out to Thee thus:
Rejoice Thou who didst protect Thy children by Thy constant prayer.
Rejoice Thou who didst ever guard Thy flock by the sign of the Cross.
Rejoice, Thou whose love knew no bounds of country or race
Rejoice, bright luminary beloved by all.
Rejoice, model of spiritual meekness.
Rejoice, giver of spiritual consolation to those in need.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 4
Bewildered by Thy deeds of piety and love, we know not how to praise Thee worthily, O Hierarch John. Thou didst travel to the ends of the earth to save Thy people and preach the gospel to those in darkness. Thanking God for Thine apostolic labors, we cry out to Him:
Alleluia.
Ikos 4The people of many lands beheld Thy life and marveled at God's mercies even in these latter times. And so we also, marveling, cry out in awe:
Rejoice, enlightener of those in the darkness of unbelief.
Rejoice, Thou who didst follow Thy people to the farthest East and West.
Rejoice, fountain of miracles poured out by God.
Rejoice, Ioving chastiser of those who have gone astray.
Rejoice, speedy comfort to those who repent of their sins.
Rejoice, support of those who go on the right path.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 5
Thou wast manifest as a vehicle of God s power to stop the destructive forces of fallen nature, O holy Hierarch, preserving Thy people on the island from the deadly wind and storm by Thy prayer and the sign of the Cross, So preserve us also who cry our in wonder unto God:
Alleluia.
Ikos 5
All who have trusted in Thy help in desperate circumstances and adversities have found deliverance, O bold intercessor before the Throne of God. Therefore, we too do place our hope in Thee to protect us in dangers by Thy prayers before God as we call out to Thee:
Rejoice, Thou who didst stop the powers of nature from doing harm to Thy flock.
Rejoice, Thou who providest by Thy prayer for all in need.
Rejoice, inexhaustible bread for the hungry.
Rejoice, abundant wealth for those who live in poverty.
Rejoice, consolation for those in sorrow.
Rejoice, quick uplifting for those Who have fallen.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 6
Thou wast manifest as a new Moses, leading his flock out of slavery, O Hierarch John. Do deliver us also from slavery to sins and the enemies of God as we cry out to God:
Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Thou didst do the impossible and persuade the authorities of this world to have pity on Thy flock, O good shepherd. Do pray for us now that we may live in peace and quiet, saving our souls as we gratefully cry to Thee:
Rejoice, helper of all who call upon Thee in faith.
Rejoice, Thou who deliverest from death and disaster.
Rejoice, Thou who preservest from lies and slander.
Rejoice, preserver of the innocent from bonds.
Rejoice, Thou who foilest the attacks of the unrighteous.
Rejoice, destroyer of lies and exalter of truth.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 7
O lover of the saints of East and West, Thou didst restore to the Orthodox Church the saints of the West, of lands which had fallen away from the truth. Now with these saints Thou dost pray for us to God as we on earth cry out to God:
Alleluia.
Ikos 7
O fervent venerator of the holy Hierarchs of Gaul, Thou wast manifest in the latter times as one of them, exhorting Thy flock to preserve the same Orthodox faith that they confessed, and astonishing the peoples of the West by Thy holy life. Now preserve us in that same faith as we cry out to Thee:
Rejoice, new Martin by Thy miracles and ascetic feats.
Rejoice, new Germanus by Thy confession of the Orthodox faith.
Rejoice, new Hilary by Thy divine theology.
Rejoice, new Gregory by Thy love for God's saints.
Rejoice, new Faustus by Thy gentle love and monastic fervor.
Rejoice, new Caesarius by Thy firm yet loving rule of the Church of God.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter Times .
Kontakion 8

At the end of Thy life, O holy Hierarch, Thou wast called to the New World, to offer there Thy witness of ancient Christianity and to suffer persecution for Thy righteousness, thus perfecting Thy soul for heaven. Now marveling at Thy patience and long-suffering, we all cry out to God:
Alleluia.
Ikos 8
O laborer of Christ's vineyard who knew no rest even at the end of Thy much-toiling life, help us now in our labors as we strive to be faithful to Christ, crying out in praise to Thee:
Rejoice, Thou who didst endure to the end and so attain salvation
Rejoice, Thou who wast deemed worthy to die before the icon the Mother of God.
Rejoice, Thou who didst keep Thy faith and courage in the midst of unjust persecution.
Rejoice. Thou who didst labor to the end for Thy flock and meet death sitting as a hierarch.
Rejoice Thou Who didst return through the air to be buried amidst the flock.
Rejoice Thou who workest Wonders for those who come to Thy Sepulchre with faith and love.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 9All angel-kind rejoiced at Thy soul's ascent to their celestial home marveling at the wonders Thou didst perform on earth through the action of the Holy Spirit. to whom we sing:
Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Orators find it impossible to describe Thy life of sanctity with their many and eloquent words, O righteous John for Thou didst become a living house for the power of the ineffable God. Yet, unable to fall silent at the wonder shown to our age of feeble faith, we glorify Thee:
Rejoice, divine palace where from the counsel of the Good King is given.
Rejoice, small and humble abode containing the spacious beauty of angels mansions.
Rejoice Thou who didst gain a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Rejoice, infirmary wherein all manner of diseases are divinely healed.
Rejoice closet wherein Thy holy labor of prayer was hidden.
Rejoice, blessed temple of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 10
Wishing to save the world, the Saviour of all hath sent a new saint among us and through him hath called us out of the dark recesses of sin. Hearing this call to repentance, the unworthy ones in turn cry out to God:
Alleluia.
Ikos 10
Thou art a wall sheltering us from adversity, O Hierarch John, for through Thy heavenly intercessions we are delivered from the attacks of demonic passions and from afflictions which beset us on earth. Before Thy firm support of prayer, we cry with faith:
Rejoice, sight to the blinded.
Rejoice, strength and life to those on the bed of death.
Rejoice, God-revealed advice to those in doubt and confusion.
Rejoice, refreshing water to those perishing in the heat of sorrow .
Rejoice, Ioving father to the lonely and abandoned.
Rejoice, holy teacher of those who seek the Truth.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 11
Thy life was a hymn to the Most Holy Trinity, surpassing others in thought, word and deed, O most blessed John. For with much wisdom Thou didst explain the precepts of the true Faith, reaching us to sing with faith, hope and love to the one God in Trinity:
Alleluia. Ikos 11
We see Thee as a radiant lamp of Orthodoxy amidst the darkness of ignorance, O God-chosen pastor of Christ's flock, our Father John, For even after Thy repose Thou dost speak the truth to the ignorant and give instruction to those who seek guidance and to all who cry to Thee:
Rejoice, radiance of divine wisdom to those in ignorance. Rejoice, rainbow of quiet joys for the meek.
Rejoice, thunder to stubborn sinners.
Rejoice, lightning of the zeal of God.
Rejoice, rain of God's dogmas.
Rejoice, shower of theological thoughts.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 12
Grace hath been poured out in the last days upon us a11. Beholding this grace come forth from a holy hierarch who once did walk among us, let us receive it with reverence and thanksgiving, crying to God:
Alleluia. Ikos 12
Singing in praise to God, the heavenly choir of saints rejoiceth that He hath not forsaken the fallen and unbelieving world, but hath manifested His almighty power in Thee, his meek and humble servant. O blessed John, with all the saints we greet Thee and give honor to Thee:
Rejoice, new star of righteousness shining in heaven s firmament.
Rejoice, new prophet who wast sent before the final unleashing of evil.
Rejoice, new Jonah warning all of the wages of sin.
Rejoice, new Baptist drawing all to a life of prayer and repentance.
Rejoice, new Paul suffering to preach the gospel in the spirit of truth,
Rejoice, new apostle whose miracles instill in us faith and awe.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 13
O holy and most wondrous Hierarch John, consolation for all the sorrowing, accept now our prayerful offering that through Thy prayers to our Lord we may be spared gehenna and by Thy God-pleasing intercession we may cry eternally:
Alleluia Thrice.
Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are read again.
Ikos 1
An angel in the flesh wast Thou manifested in the latter times by the grace of God Who ever careth for men. Seeing the beauty of Thy virtues, we Thy children now cry out to Thee.
Rejoice, Thou who didst live in virtue from earliest childhood.
Rejoice, Thou who didst ever live in fear of God and do His holy will.
Rejoice, Thou who didst manifest the grace of God in numberless virtues.
Rejoice, Thou who didst mystically hear the distant prayers of those in distress.
Rejoice, Thou who wast filled with love for Thy! fellow men and didst do all possible for their salvation.
Rejoice, Thou who dost bring joy to all who pray to Thee in faith and love.
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.
Kontakion 1Chosen wonderworker and superb servant of Christ. who pourest out in the latter times inexhaustible streams of inspiration and a multitude of miracles. We praise Thee with love, and call out to Thee:
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch John, wonderworker of the latter times.

St. Mary of Egypt

2011-04-13T00:15:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, the 5th Sunday of Great Lent, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates St. Mary of Egypt. One of the earliest female Saints of our Church. Her life and story is humbling, inspiring, and spiritual.

Our venerable mother Mary of Egypt was a desert ascetic who repented of a life of prostitution. She lived during the sixth century, and passed away in a remarkable manner in 522. The Church celebrates her feast day on the day of her repose, April 1; additionally, she is commemorated on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt, the fifth Sunday in Great Lent.

She began her life as a young woman who followed the passions of the body, running away from her parents at age twelve for Alexandria. There she lived as a harlot for seventeen years, refusing money from the men that she copulated with, instead living by begging and spinning flax.

One day, however, she met a group of young men heading toward the sea to sail to Jerusalem for the veneration of the Holy Cross. Mary went along for the ride, seducing the men as they traveled for the fun of it. But when the group reached Jerusalem and actually went towards the church, Mary was prohibited from entering by an unseen force. After three such attempts, she remained outside on the church patio, where she looked up and saw an icon of the Theotokos. She began to weep and prayed with all her might that the Theotokos might allow her to see the True Cross; afterwards, she promised, she would renounce her worldly desires and go wherever the Theotokos may lead her.

After this heart-felt conversion at the doors of the church, she fled into the desert to live as an ascetic. She survived for years on only three loaves of bread and thereafter on scarce herbs of the land. For another seventeen years, Mary was tormented by "wild beasts—mad desires and passions." After these years of temptation, however, she overcame the passions and was led by the Theotokos in all things.

Following 47 years in solitude, she met the priest St. Zosima in the desert, who pleaded with her to tell him of her life. She recounted her story with great humility while also demonstrating her gift of clairvoyance; she knew who Zosima was and his life story despite never having met him before. Finally, she asked Zosima to meet her again the following year at sunset on Holy Thursday by the banks of the Jordan.

Zosima did exactly this, though he began to doubt his experience as the sun began to go that night. Then Mary appeared on the opposite side of the Jordan; crossing herself, she miraculously walked across the water and met Zosima. When he attempted to bow, she rebuked him, saying that as a priest he was far superior, and furthermore, he was holding the Holy Mysteries. Mary then received communion and walked back across the Jordan after giving Zosima instructions about his monastery and that he should return to where they first met exactly a year later. When he did so, he found Mary's body with a message written on the sand asking him for burial and revealing that she had died immediately after receiving the Holy Mysteries the year before (and thus had been miraculously transported to the spot where she now lay). So Zosima, amazed, began to dig, but soon tired; then a lion approached and began to help him, that is, after Zosima had recovered from his fear of the creature. Thus St. Mary of Egypt was buried. Zosima returned to the monastery, told all he had seen, and improved the faults of the monks and abbot there. He died at almost a hundred years old in the same monastery.

Later, the story of Mary's life was written down by St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The Life of St. Mary of Egypt is read during Great Lent along with the Great Canon of St. Andrew.

(This Icon is available from www.uncutmountainsupply.com)

Troparion:

The image of God was truly preserved in you, O mother,

For you took up the Cross and followed Christ.

By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away;

But to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.

Therefore your spirit, O holy Mother Mary, rejoices with the Angels.

Kontakion:

Having been a sinful woman,

You became through repentance a Bride of Christ.

Having attained angelic life,

You defeated demons with the weapon of the Cross;

Therefore, O most glorious Mary you are a Bride of the Kingdom!

"A Manual of Confession" by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

2011-03-29T22:06:00.001-05:00

This book, Exomologetarion: A Manual of Confession, written by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite has got to be the most intensive and in-depth text concerning the whole role, idea, process of the Mystery of Confession, which is sum 400 pages long(!). After reading this book it transformed my whole perception of what Confession is and how to properly going about it. Naturally, I have excerpts from the book.

“Confession is such a potent treatment that it immediately neutralizes every poison of pardonable and mortal sin […] restoring to the soul its initial health and grace.” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“[I]f you wish to repent properly, must depart from the devil and from diabolical works and return to God and to the life proper to God.” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“Know secondly that the aspects of repentance are three: contrition, confession, and satisfaction.” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“Contrition is sorrow and perfect pain of the heart…” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“Groan after you have sinned, not because you are to be punished (for this is nothing), but because you have offended your Master, one so gentle, one so kind, one Who loves you so much and longs for your salvation as to have given even His Son for you. On account of this, groan.” St. John Chrysostom

“Related to contrition is affliction […] which comes about, not because a person disappointed God by his sins, but because that person was deprived of divine grace…” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“[Going to your Confessor] when he tells you to confess your sins before the Master Christ, then kneel before His sacred Icon, saying: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son (Luke 15:18-19).” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“So then […] you must confess with your own mouth […]but voluntary and by your own free will, saying with David: ‘Out of my desire will I confess to Him’ (Psalm 27:7). You should not wait for the Spiritual Father to question you, but you should be the first to begin confessing.” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“You must confess compuntionately, with much humility and a broken heart, in the same manner as the harlot confessed her sins, and the Canaanite woman, and just as the Publican prayed, in order for God to accept your confession and grant you the forgiveness of sins: ‘A heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise’ (Psalm 50:17) St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“[W]hen the Spiritual Father is reproving you for some transgression, remaining silent and not angry, nor interrupting his words, but receiving the reproof with joy, as if God Himself were reproving you.” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“You must not accuse one and the other when you confess, making excuses that they were the cause for you to sin…No, you must only accuse yourself, and yourself alone, and your evil will.” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“You must confess truthfully and honestly from your heart, revealing all of your sins just as you committed them…” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

“One or the other, brother: either you will reveal your sins now before your Spiritual Father, or then at the fearful judgment.” St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Commemoration of St. Tikhon of Moscow

2011-03-25T05:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, March 24, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates of the great Saints of the Church, St. Tikhon of Moscow, Patriarch of Russia, and Enlightener of America.

One of the first Orthodox bishops to do major work in North America, St. Tikhon went on to establish the "Diocese of the Aleutians and North America" after converting many people on the continent. Deemed an honorary citizen of the United States, he consecrated Orthodox Churches in America during the early 20th Century. The saint was also the primary founder of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania), naming it for his heavenly patron, St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.

After returning to Russia in 1907, he continued to win the affection of thousands with his humble piety and loving affection. During World War I, he charitably aided displaced citizens, who flocked to him. He was also honored on November 5, 1917 by being elected Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. St. Tikhon had to overcome much disunity within the Church.

When the ungodly Bolshevik regime took control of the country, Church property was confiscated and the Russian Orthodox Church had to endure much repression. St. Tikhon openly condemned the killings of Czar's family in 1918 and protested against violent attacks by the Bolsheviks on the Church. At this time, he called Russian Orthodox Christians to unite and strengthen their practices. To avoid further persecution, he issued a message that clergy were not to make any political statements.

From 1922 to 1923, Patriarch Tikhon was imprisoned in Donskoy Monastery after he openly opposed the government's decree of being able to confiscate Church property. Thousands of Russian believers were shot. Upon being released, he assured the regime of his loyalty in an apparent attempt to relieve the harsh pressures on the Church. Despite his declaration of loyalty, he continued to enjoy the trust of the Orthodox community in Russia.

As persecution continued, he began to feel overwhelmed, and his strength and health declined. On SundayApril 5, 1925 he served his last Liturgy. He died giving the Sign of the Cross, saying, "Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee." He only crossed himself two times, dying before he could complete the third. After his death, he was considered a martyr for the faith.

In 1989, Patriarch Tikhon was glorified by the Church of Russia. This process is generally considered an example of the thaw in Church-Soviet relations in the Glasnost era.

Troparion:

Let us praise Tikhon, the patriarch of all Russia,

And enlightener of North America

An ardent follower of the Apostolic traditions,

And good pastor of the Church of Christ.

Who was elected by divine providence,

And laid down his life for his sheep.

Let us sing to him with faith and hope,

And ask for his hierarchical intercessions:

Keep the church in Russia in tranquility,

And the church in North America in peace.

Gather her scattered children into one flock,

Bring to repentance those who have renounced the True Faith,

Preserve our lands from civil strife,

And entreat God's peace for all people!

Kontakion:

Today the assembly of New Martyrs

Stands together with us in the Church

And together we raise a festive song

Celebrating the uncovering of the relics of our Hierarch Father Tikhon

Who defeated the enemy and preserved the Faith

While protecting the flock entrusted to him.

For he ever prays for us all

That we may never be deprived of the Love of God.

Feast of the Annunciation to the Theotokos

2011-03-25T05:14:00.000-05:00

Today, the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Orthodox Church celebrates one of the twelve Great Feasts, the Annunciation to the Theotokos.

Six months after John the Forerunner's conception, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, a town of Galilee, unto Mary the Virgin, who had come forth from the Temple a mature maiden (see Nov. 21). According to the tradition handed down by the Fathers, she had been betrothed to Joseph four months. On coming to Joseph's house, the Archangel declared: "Rejoice, thou Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." After some consideration, and turmoil of soul, and fear because of this greeting, the Virgin, when she had finally obtained full assurance concerning God's unsearchable condescension and the ineffable dispensation that was to take place through her, and believing that all things are possible to the Most High, answered in humility: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And at this, the Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the Most high overshadowed her all-blameless womb, and the Son and Word of God, Who existed before the ages, was conceived past speech and understanding, and became flesh in her immaculate body (Luke 1:26-38).

Bearing in her womb the Uncontainable One, the blessed Virgin went with haste from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, where Zacharias had his dwelling; for she desired to find Elizabeth her kinswoman and rejoice together with her, because, as she had learned from the Archangel, Elizabeth had conceived in her old age. Furthermore, she wished to tell her of the great things that the Mighty One had been well-pleased to bring to pass in her, and she greeted Elizabeth and drew nigh to her. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, she felt her six-month-old babe, Saint John the Baptist, prophesied of the dawning of the spiritual Sun. Immediately, the aged Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized her as the Mother of her Lord, and with a great voice blessed her and the Fruit that she held within herself. The Virgin also, moved by a supernatural rejoicing in the spirit, glorified her God and Savior, saying: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour," and the rest, as the divine Luke hath recorded (1:39-55)

Tropparion:

Today is the beginning of our salvation,

The revelation of the eternal mystery!

The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin

As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.

Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:

Rejoice, O Full of Grace,

The Lord is with You!

Kontakion:

O Victorious Leader of Triumphant Hosts!

We, your servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos!

As you possess invincible might, set us free from every calamity

So that we may sing: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!