| About Pages Проекты «Правмира» Raising Orthodox Children to Orthodox Adulthood The Daily Website on How to be an Orthodox Christian Today Twitter Telegram Parler RSS Donate Navigation The Synaxis of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel Source: Pemptousia Metropolitan Panteleimon of Antinoes 21 November 2021 On November 21 (8) we celebrate the feast of the Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers. The love of Almighty God is a quality which is externalized through the creation, from non-being, of both the invisible world, or that of the angels, and the creation of the material and visible universe. The culmination of the whole creative love of God was expressed with the formation of human beings and finally with the salvation of our race in Christ. The world of the angels was the first creative act of God. The holy angels are noetic creations, immaterial spirits which are forever in motion. Angels are free and independent spirits: they had the choice to remain firmly in their holiness or to turn to wickedness, as was the case with Lucifer, who conceived evil, and with all those angels who followed him and fell. The angels are bodiless and serve God, ceaselessly praising His sanctity and limitless power. God created angels in the beginning to be immortal and strangers to both corruption and death. They are, however, capable of change, as regards their nature and their outlook, that is they have the ability to alter their nature and to make the leap from good to evil. They take their glory and brightness from God. Angels are circumscribed, they aren’t able to be everywhere at once, as is the case with God. According to the sacred Tradition of the Church, angels are separated into three classes and nine celestial orders. The first class contains: the seven-winged seraphs, the many-eyed cherubs and the thrones; the second has the dominions, strongholds and powers, while the third consists of the principalities, archangels and angels. Today, the Church celebrates the Synaxis of the Archangels. Synaxis means ‘assembly’ or ‘conclave’. Why do we celebrate the assembly of the Archangels and all the Heavenly Angelic Powers? |
| In the Q traditions Jesus portrays himself not as a mere human teacher but as judge in the day of judgment who will be addresses as «Lord, Lord» (Matt 7:21–23; Luke 13:25). Even John the Baptist recognizes the coming one as greater than a merely human, natural messiah or teacher. He presents him as one whose sandals he was unworthy to unloose or carry (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:7 ; Luke 3:16)–that is, as one whose servant he is unworthy to be (see commentary on John 1:27 ). This supernatural figure would not baptize in mere water, but in the Spirit of God; he would perform the divine role of judge, separating the righteous for eternal life and the wicked for damnation (Matt 3:10–12; Luke 3:9, 16–17). If Matthew and Luke believed Jesus to be merely a natural messiah, they did an inexplicably sloppy job of editing Q. Early Christian writers preferred to make their case through a variety of images rather than to focus on answering a small number of precise christological questions no one was yet asking in this century; but these images from the start include a superhuman role beneath the authority of the Father. 3B. Diverse but Complementary Christologies There is, in fact, little evidence for any strands of early Christianity that did not recognize Jesus as deity; the usual view of Christological development rests on speculation concerning the way views should have developed, rather than on the evidence of early Christian texts themselves. Although Wisdom Christology by itself could portray Jesus» divinity in a merely Arian sense (to borrow the later description), various NT writers modified such Christology by portraying Jesus as the divine Lord, often applying to him OT and Jewish language and imagery for YHWH (cf., e.g., 8:58; Mark 1:3 ; Acts 2:21, 38; Rom 9:5; 10:9–13 ; 1Cor 8:6 ; Phil 2:6,9–11 ; Rev 1:17; 2:8; 22:12–13). Neither John nor other first-century Christians felt constrained to distinguish Wisdom and divine Christologies; they adapted both by adding them together, coming to understand Israel " s one God as a composite unity. Interestingly, however, they did avoid the later Jewish-Christian compromise of an angel Christology. 2650 Neither Gal 4:14 2651 nor 1 Thess 4:16 2652 actually teaches it, though Michael is the most likely guess, if any, 2653 for the «archangel» of the latter text, 2654 being the most common archangel in early Jewish texts ( Dan 10:13,21; 12:1 ). 2655 Further, Col 1:16; 2:8–11,18; 2656 and Heb 2:5–16 2657 may effectively polemicize against the temptation of an angel Christology. |
| In spite of its very widespread, but rather peripheral, influence, the Dionysian concept of the angelic world never succeeded in eliminating the more ancient and more Biblical ideas about the angels. Particularly striking is the opposition between the very minor role ascribed by Dionysius to the «archangels» (second rank from the bottom of the angelic hierarchy) and the concept found in Jewish apocalyptic writings, including Daniel, Jude, and Revelation, where the archangels Michael and Gabriel rank as the «chief captains» of God " " s celestial armies. This idea has been preserved in the liturgy, which should be considered as the main and most reliable source of Byzantine «angelology.» Involved in the struggle against the demonic powers of the cosmos, the angels represent, in a way, the ideal side of creation. According to Byzantine theologians, they were created before the visible world, 224 and their essential function is to serve God and His image, man. The scriptural idea that the angels perpetually praise God ( Is 6:3 ; Lk 2:13 ) is a frequent theme of the Byzantine liturgy, especially of the Eucharistic canons, which call the faithful to join the choir of angelsi.e., to recover their original fellowship with God. This reunion of heaven and earth, anticipated in the Eucharist, is the eschatological goal of the whole of creation. The angels contribute to its preparation by participating invisibly in the life of the cosmos. 11. Man The view of man prevailing in the Christian East is based upon the notion of «participation» in God. Man has been created not as an autonomous, or self-sufficient, being; his very nature is truly itself only inasmuch as it exists «in God» or «in grace.» Grace, therefore, gives man his «natural«» development. This basic presupposition explains why the terms «nature» and «grace,» when used by Byzantine authors, have a meaning quite different from the Western usage; rather than being in direct opposition, the terms «nature» and «grace» express a dynamic, living, and necessary relationship between God and man, different by their natures, but in communion with each other through God» " s energy, or grace. Yet man is the center of creationa «microcosm " and his free self-determination defines the ultimate destiny of the universe. 1. Man and God |
| About Pages Проекты «Правмира» Raising Orthodox Children to Orthodox Adulthood The Daily Website on How to be an Orthodox Christian Today Twitter Telegram Parler RSS Donate Navigation Bishop Peter of Cleveland participates in celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the canonization of St John of Kronstadt in the fatherland Source: ROCOR Natalya Mihailova 17 June 2015 On June 14, 2015, the 2 nd Sunday of Pentecost and feast day of All Russian Saints, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia led the 25 th anniversary celebrations of the canonization in Russia of St John of Kronstadt. The event was held in the town of Sura, Pinezhsk region of Archangelsk oblast, the birthplace of the saint. Photo: http://www.patriarchia.ru/ The Patriarch officiated at Divine Liturgy in Dormition Church at St John the Theologian Convent, founded in 1899 at the initiative of St John of Kronstadt. Among other hierarchs and clergymen, His Holiness was joined by His Grace Bishop Peter of Clevelend, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America; Protopriest Michael Protopopoff, Administrator of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand; Protopriest Alexander Belya, Dean of the New York Deanery of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York, Rector of St John the Forerunner Church in Brooklyn, NY; Protopriest Sergy Baburin, Rector of St John of Kronstadt Church in Hamburg, Germany (Diocese of Berlin and Germany) and Protopriest Michael Taratuchin, Rector of St John of Kronstadt Church in Utica, NY. Singing at the service was “Artos” Choir under the direction of Margarite Krasova from St Petersburg. After the augmented litany, His Holiness prayed for peace in Ukraine. The celebration in Sura drew representatives of 138 dioceses of Russia, the near and far abroad, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Iran, Canada, Norway, Pakiston, the USA and Chile, and bishops and clergymen, members of the so-called “family of St John of Kronstadt” from 22 nations. This network is a series of “sister” churches, parishes and social establishments dedicated to the memory of Righteous John of Kronstadt, bound by common prayer and the desire to help and support each other. It was formed in 2009 to mark the 100 th anniversary of the saint’s death. |
| Fr. Fruementios at Atteridgeville. Our team hosted three days of seminars at Atteridgeville, with Fr. Fruementios, priest of the Archangel Gabriel & Michael Mission “house church.” Atteridgeville is a crowded black community; housing there consists of shacks built from cast off metal or wood panels. The people there were really engaged in our presentations; attendance increased each day. Each one of our team members received many questions, especially Fr. Michael. There is no question here, that the “Church” is the people, who demonstrated a strong thirst for learning Orthodox Catechism. One young man present exhibited the talent for and has a goal to enter the seminary when the Lord wills. It was an honor for us to teach and learn from these intelligent and motivated young people. The hope at Atteridgeville is for a church building, (even a tent), to help this Christian body grow in faith and worship. We left with prayers filled with love for this wonderful and joyous community. Ed Bearse at the house church. Hope for the Orthodox Community of South Africa! We visited two monasteries, the seminary, St. Nektarious Church and St. Constantine & Helen Mission in El Dorado a colored community, that primarily spoke Africaans. Finally, on two occasions we attended Vespers at Fr. Athanasius’ church, St. Nicholas of Japan. We attended services at most of the visitations, and then followed with our prepared material or panel discussions that stimulated much interest and lively dialog with our hosts. Presenting prepared material is one thing. Discussions and questions are quite another challenge. We simply discussed everything; racial relations, crime, language in the church, catechism questions, wealth, dividing resources, plus many other topics! Race relations and interchurch matters involving the black, colored and white churches continue to be most challenging. We saw the people’s hunger for learning Orthodox Catechism, and we saw hope in these dialogues! On three occasions, it was our pleasure and honor to participate in a radio broadcast. Marie Dzerefos, the producer/host, and His Eminence Archbishop Seraphim interviewed us on programs that were broadcast over the entire continent of Africa. Our team had the opportunity to deliver a positive message of hope to a widespread audience through this medium. In fact, a listening priest not known to us heard the radio show, called the producer and arranged to come to the station to express his appreciation personally for our efforts. |
| Historic Saint Michael the Archangel Cathedral here is one of two Diocese of Alaska churches on this year’s “Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties” list compiled by the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation [AAHP]. Also on this year’s list is the Ascension of Our Lord Church, Karluk, AK, which was built in 1888. Located on the far side of Kodiak Island, the Karluk church is considered the state’s oldest extant Orthodox sanctuary. Saint Michael Cathedral was constructed between 1844 and 1848. Saint Innocent Veniaminov designed the structure and built the clock that graces its bell tower. He hired skilled Finnish carpenters to build the cathedral, which was made of spruce logs and ceilings with sailcloth-lined walls for insulation and improved acoustics. The cathedral was the principal physical representation of the Russian cultural influence in the 19th century in North America. From 1840 to 1872, Sitka was the See of the Diocese that governed all of North America, and thereafter it continued as the See of the Diocese of Alaska. The present cathedral is a faithful reconstruction of the original building which burned to the ground on January 2, 1966. Fortunately, over 95% of the original icons, pieces of Orthodox liturgical art and religious objects—including the Sitka Icon of the Mother of God—survived the blaze. “Even though the cathedral was rebuilt after the fire in 1966, it is once again being threatened by issues related to water damage that continues to plague the building,” said His Grace, Bishop David of Sitka and Alaska. “Efforts are underway by several organizations in Alaska to put together recent studies by engineers to obtain a good overall picture of what is wrong and what is needed to repair the structure.” The AAHP has compiled this annual list since 1991. It is intended to bring public awareness to Alaska’s threatened historic properties. Heightened awareness often leads to increased support for the conservation of endangered historic properties, which are assets important to religious life, tourism, economic development and Alaska’s cultural heritage. The nominations for this program are submitted by individuals and organizations throughout Alaska. |
| Photo: eadiocese.org Over the course of nine days – November 21-30 – the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, one of the most ancient holy icons of the Russian Orthodox Church (1295 A.D.) visited St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC. Parishioners diligently prepared for the arrival of the wonderworking image. News of the icon’s impending arrival quickly spread, in order to alert as many of the faithful as possible of their opportunity to pray before this sacred 13th century icon. Several years ago, the Primate of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, appointed the holiday of Thanksgiving and the week following to be the period in which the Kursk Root Icon would pay its annual visit to Washington. His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, since 2010 the guardian of the wonderworking icon, arrived on Wednesday evening, November 21, on the feast of the Holy Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Powers of Heaven. The moment of the icon’s arrival coincided with the conclusion of the baptism of the infant Michael, who was blessed with the icon, much to his parents’ untold joy. The following day, on the American civil holiday of Thanksgiving, the people of God began to gather at 11 o’clock for the triumphal greeting and first moleben and akathist before the Kursk Root Icon. After the service, worshippers gathered in the parish hall for the traditional festal luncheon. Friday, November 23, was dedicated to visitation by the Kursk Root Icon of sick and elderly parishioners who were not able to personally attend the church services and venerate the holy image. That same evening, Bishop Nicholas took the Kursk Icon to the parish of the Holy Apostles in Beltsville, MD, where a moleben and akathist were served to the Most Holy Theotokos. The following day, November 24, the feast of the myrrh-streaming Montreal-Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, the Kursk Icon was brought to St. John the Baptist Cathedral for Divine Liturgy, and placed in the center of the church, next to an exact copy of the Montreal Icon, which had been painted on Mount Athos to mark the first anniversary of the murder of its faithful guardian, Jose Muñoz-Cortes. It was endearing to see both images placed together, these primary holy of the icons of the Russian Church Abroad. That same day, cathedral rector Archpriest Victor Potapov was celebrating his namesday (Holy Martyr Victor of Damascus). Praying at Liturgy were His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah former primate of the Orthodox Church in America; retired) and His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan. Upon conclusion of Liturgy, Fr. Victor delivered a sermon dedicated to the significant of these two highly venerated icons for Russia and the Russian Diaspora. |
| Archive Пн Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia celebrates in the capital of Malaysia 16 January 2024 year 18:04 On January 14, 2024, the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the commemoration day of St. Basil the Great, Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and Southeast Asia, Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia, celebrated Divine Liturgy at the church of St. Michael the Archangel in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Assisting the hierarch were Rev. Seraphim Choi, a cleric of the church; Rev. Iliya Melnichenko, rector of the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh on the island of Bali; and hierodeacon Yuvenaly (Marushchak). At the end of the service, Metropolitan Sergiy delivered a sermon and congratulated Rev. Seraphim on his Nameday to be celebrated the next day. Also, the archpastor greeted new members of the church, the recently baptized Ms Ariadna and her son Michael. Metropolitan Sergiy blessed all the parishioners and gave them sweets as a feast gift, Telegram channel of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia reports. After a tea party, the archpastor, clergymen and parishioners were invited to a Christmas performance by children of the parish Sunday school. The performance being over, Metropolitan Sergiy once again congratulated the parishioners on the feast and addressed a word of exhortation to them. DECR Communication Service /Patriarchia.ru Календарь ← 21 апреля 2024 г. (8 апреля ст.ст.) воскресенье Неделя 5-я Великого поста. Глас 5-й. Прп. Марии Египетской (переходящее празднование в 5-ю Неделю Великого поста). Апп. Иродиона, Агава, Асинкрита, Руфа, Флегонта, Ерма и иже с ними (I). Свт. Нифонта, еп. Новгородского (1156). Прп. Руфа, затворника Печерского, в Дальних пещерах (XIV). Мч. Павсилипа (117–138). Свт. Келестина, папы Римского (432). Сщмч. Сергия Родаковского пресвитера (1933). Литургия св. Василия Великого. Утр. – Ев. 2-е, Мк., 70 зач., XVI, 1–8 . Лит. – Евр., 321 зач. (от полу), IX, 11–14 . Мк., 47 зач., X, 32–45 . Прп.: Гал., 208 зач., III, 23–29 . Лк., 33 зач., VII, 36–50 . 7 April 2024 year Share with friends |
| Ср. также постоянные указания евангелиста на различие между «крещением водою», которой крестил Иоанн, и Христовым «крещением духом». Ср. Baldensperger, Der Prolog des vierten Evangeliums. Sein pole-misch apologetischer Zweck (1898), где мы заимствуем это ценное указание. Оно имеет несомненный вес в пользу предания о ефесском происхождении евангелия от Иоанна. 385 Ср. Hilgenfeld, Ketzergeschichte d. Urchristentums (1884), 157. Этому соответствует предание о его необычайной строгости в исполнении отдельных заповедей закона (напр., субботы). 386 Ср. Baldensperger d. Selbstbewusstsein Jesu im Lichte d. messian, Hoffnungen (2) 1892, der mosaische Messiastypus, 138–142. 387 Schьrcr, II, 514. 388 Ср. Assumptio Moysi (ed. Charles) X, 2, Откр. 12, 7 и W. Lueken, Michael (1898) стр. 24–30, где приводятся позднейшие еврейские предания о борьбе архангела с сатаной или антихристом и о его «последней трубе». Ср. также «Пастыря» Гермы Sim, 5, 8 и 9, в котором мы находим отголосок представлений о мессианическом значении архангела, о чем мы скажем в другом месте. Люкен указывает на любопытное издание Е. А. Wallis Budge, St. Michael the Archangel, London 1894. Three encomiums by Theodosius Archbishop of Alexandria, Severus, Patriarch of Antioch and Eustathius Bishop of Trake (коптский текст и английский перев.): Себер (стр. 70) прямо называет архангела «могущественным сыном» Божиим, а Евстафий (100) – образом (εκν) всемогущего Бога. Ср. Феодора Студита Oratio VI у Lueken " a 88; ib. 63. 389 Schьrer II, 328, 16. 390 4 Ездры 13 и «Притчи» книги Еноха. 391 Dalman, 80. 392 Быть может, Zabulus знаменует собою соединение князя бесовского с Зевсом, царем богов, которое мы находим впоследствии, напр., у Татиана (8 р. 36 ed. Schwartz, ο δαμονες μετ το γουμνου υτν Λις) ; великолепный «престол сатаны», находившийся в Пергаме (Откр. 2, 13) и который можно видеть теперь в берлинском музее, также свидетельствует о подобном соединении. 393 О Гоге и Магоге в особенности трактовала книга «Елдада и Модада» см. Schьrer III, 266. Сам Иезекииль имел в виду пророчества Иеремии 2–6 и Софонии, грозивших скифским нашествием (ср. Иез. 38, 8 и 17). Он говорил о Гоге, князе Магога; впоследствии Гог и Магог обратились в два народа Iγ ηδ Мαγγ. 394 |
| On Wednesday, the pilgrims took the much longer boat journey out to sea, to land on Skellig Michael, the ancient rock upon which an Orthodox monastery was founded in the sixth century, dedicated to the Archangel Michael. There the pilgrims made the long ascent up the mountain by way of the ancient stone steps across the cliff faces, to arrive at the remains of the ancient monastery. In the still-standing remains of the monastery’s original church, the pilgrims chanted psalms and Orthodox prayers – just as was first done there over 1,400 years ago, and for centuries to follow. The pilgrims then continued to the Skattery Island retreat of St Senan, and later to St Brigid’s well, and on Thursday to the monastic sites associated with St Columba, where the Divine Liturgy was served and the pilgrims fed with the heavenly food of the Lord’s Body and Blood. The pilgrimage then continued northward, where a multitude of sites associated with St Patrick (including the original site of his burial, his holy well in the north, and several of his monastic settlements and those of his disciples), St Olcan (who likewise has a holy well and buildings at the site of his asceticism), and others. On Sunday, the Divine Liturgy was served in the mission chapel of St John the Wonderworker in Belfast, prior to a final excursion to nearby holy sites, before the pilgrimage concluded and the pilgrims returned to Dublin for their departure. Each day of the pilgrimage was wholly shaped by the pilgrims’ common prayer: morning prayers were chanted each day on the coach, and likewise evening prayers, while various molebens, pannikhidas and other Divine Services were prayed at the holy sites visited throughout the days. The pilgrims also together prayed their pre-Communion prayers, as well as sang services to St Mary Magdalene (whose feastday fell midway through the pilgrimage); and all were able to make their confessions prior to the three celebrations of the Divine Liturgy that marked out the week. |
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