| Gratitude to whom? A meditation for the holiday Because America is crackling with constitutional cases over religious freedom, let us begin Thanksgiving morning with a reflection on the object of all this gratitude: Whom do we thank? Is it the Indians? The Pilgrims? Nature? Fortune? It turns out that the record is long, clear and official. It goes back to George Washington’s first Thanksgiving proclamation, issued on Oct. 3, 1789, here at New York. He called for a day of public prayer and thanksgiving — to God. Congress, Washington noted, had requested that he recommend to the people that the day “be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.” He set aside Thursday, Nov. 26, 1789. As to why the American Civil Liberties Union didn’t bean Washington with the First Amendment (which supposedly separates church and state), well, the ACLU didn’t yet exist. Nor did the First Amendment. It wasn’t ratified until 1791. Even with the First Amendment in place, the presidents didn’t miss a beat. In 1795, Washington turned around and asserted that it is “our duty as a people, with devout reverence and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God.” In 1798, John Adams issued a corker of a Thanksgiving proclamation that referred to the “Redeemer of the World.” It culminated in a recommendation that “the duties of humiliation and prayer be accompanied by fervent thanksgiving to the Bestower of Every Good Gift.” Thomas Jefferson was one of the presidents who shrank from issuing a Thanksgiving proclamation. But in 1789, as governor of Virginia, he did establish Dec. 9 as a day of thanksgiving to God. And President James Madison set aside Jan. 12, 1815, as a day for Americans’ “voluntarily offering” in “their respective religious assemblies” their “humble adoration to the Great Sovereign of the Universe,” confessing their sins and “strengthening their vows of repentance.” Abraham Lincoln issued four Thanksgiving proclamations, including one that reckoned America’s bounties were so extraordinary “that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.” |
| Miss America 2016 is Faithful Orthodox Christian September 16, 2015 On Sunday, September 13, the twenty-one year old Miss Georgia, Vasiliki “Betty” Cantrell took up the crown and title of Miss America 2016 in the competition’s 95th anniversary held at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Cantrell, who impressed the judges with her vocal performance, is involved in numerous artistic and charitable activities, several among them involving her Greek Orthodox faith. Cantrell’s name “Vasiliki” fittingly means “royalty” and was given to her in honor of her Greek grandmother. Also of German descent, she celebrates her Greek heritage as part of a Greek dance troupe. More importantly, she is an avid music student and performer and among her many activities is Byzantine chanting in both Greek and English at her Holy Cross Greek Orthodox parish in Macon, GA . She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Mercer University where she received both academic and music scholarships, and her musical prowess was on display at the Miss America competition when she offered the judges and audience a stunning performance of “Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio!” from the opera Madame Butterfly which can be viewed below. She was also named the Overall Talent winner in the Miss Georgia Competitions of 2014 and 2015, won the 2014 and 2015 National Association of Teachers of Singing competition involving forty-five colleges and universities, has been honored to sing the National Anthem at several public events, and has participated and been featured in numerous musical and theatrical groups and productions throughout her high school and college careers. The new Miss America also puts her faith into action, having held several leadership positions, including her work as facilitator and distributor of canned goods to local food banks on behalf of her Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church where she also teaches Sunday School. Additionally, she has developed and taken part in numerous charity events including benefits for the YMCA, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and Miss America’s Day of Service. |
| Bishop John Kallos, 84: First U.S.-Born Greek Orthodox Bishop Michelle E. Shaw 07 December 2012 Bishop John Kallos dedicated his life to the Greek Orthodox Church. During his nearly 60 years of service to the church, including more than 40 as a bishop, Kallos assisted in the church’s growth in Atlanta and beyond. “Bishop John was instrumental in bringing the diocese’s headquarters to Atlanta,” said the Very Rev. George Tsahakis, chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta. “He once told me, ‘Father George, every time I wanted to visit a parish in Florida, I had to go from Charlotte to Atlanta, and then Atlanta to Florida.’ ” So he recommended to the archdiocese in New York that the headquarters be moved to Atlanta because he seemed to spend a lot of time coming through Atlanta.” John Christodoulos Kallos, of Tucker, died Saturday after a brief decline in health. He was 84. Services have been scheduled Friday at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation as follows, 8 a.m. Orthros, 9 a.m. Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, followed by an 11 a.m. funeral. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery. A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements. Kallos was well respected among the Greek Orthodox and other denominations, Tsahakis said. His love to, and commitment for, the church endeared the bishop to many. In a prepared statement, Archbishop Demetrios of America, the head of the church in America, said that Kallos had always been “a person with deep religious feelings and a desire to communicate his knowledge to the people for their edification and spiritual enrichment.” “We certainly will miss him as a witness of the eternal Orthodox faith,” he said. A native of Chicago, Kallos’ parents were from Alatsata in Asia Minor. An only child, he was reared in the Greater Boston area, where he studied religion and theology extensively. He earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College and studied at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School in Massachusetts; the Divinity School, University of Athens in Greece; the Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, Switzerland; Huntingdon College in Alabama; Harvard Divinity School in Boston; and Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Mass. |
| In Memoriam: Laurie Paffhausen, Sister of Metropolitan Jonah admin 20 November 2012 Laurie Paffhausen, sister of Metropolitan Jonah The Funeral of Laurie Paffhausen, the younger sister and only sibling of His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah, will be celebrated at Saint Nicholas Cathedral here [in Washington, DC] on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. The Divine Liturgy, followed by the Litia and interment at Rock Creek Cemetery, will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 21—the Great Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God in the Temple—at 10:00 a.m. Miss Paffhausen fell asleep in the Lord in hospital after a lengthy illness on Sunday morning, November 18. On behalf of the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon sent condolences to Metropolitan Jonah and his family. The text reads as follows. “Your Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah, Dear Brother in Christ, “It is with deep sadness, yet firm hope in the Resurrection, that we extend our heartfelt prayers and thoughts upon learning of the untimely repose of your sister, Laurie, on Sunday, November 18, 2012. “Surely the death of a sibling—especially one with whom one has a close bond—is always a tragedy. And yet, in the midst of mourning, we can take comfort in our Lord’s presence and promise of eternal life. Laurie’s recent reception into the Church also offers a measure of consolation, that indeed her soul abides “where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.” “Please be assured of our brotherly prayers for Laurie’s repose, as well as for the comfort of you and your parents, at this sorrowful time. May her memory be eternal, and may the Kingdom of God, yet to be fully revealed but already fully present in our midst, consume her—and all of us—as she passes ‘from life to life.’ “Sincerely yours in the risen Christ, “+ Metropolitan Tikhon and the brothers of the Holy Synod with me.” Additional details will be posted as they are received. |
| Metropolitan Nicholas " funeral in Johnstown, PA attended by hundreds/Православие.Ru Metropolitan Nicholas " funeral in Johnstown, PA attended by hundreds JOHNSTOWN, Pa., March 18, 2011 Hundreds turned out Friday morning to remember the spiritual leader of the American Carpathos-Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Nicholas Smisko, at Christ The Savior Cathedral in Johnstown. " We're very lucky that we had the opportunity to know him and worship with him, " said Johnstown resident Cindy Lorditch. One by one, parishioners shared their memories of Metropolitan Nicholas and his leadership, generosity and compassion. Everybody has their own story and their own personal account of why he meant so much to them, " said Father Michael Rosco. Along with parishioners, hundreds of religious leaders from Metropolitan Nicholas' faith-filled community and churches made the trip to Johnstown. " Our diocese encompasses half of the U.S.from New England to Florida and the Midwest. And nearly all of our clergy are here today for the funeral, " said Rosco. Some of them knew Nicholas from his work with the sick or suffering, while others, like Rosco, from his home parish in New Jersey, knew him from childhood. " When everyone else was playing ball, he was playing church, " Rosco said. And on Friday, inside the cathedral it was a reverent goodbye to a man who touched so many lives. " It's really hard to put it into words. We know he's with God, but we're going to miss him very much, " said Johnstown resident Joy Love. Metropolitan Nicholas will be transported to his hometown in New Jersey, where he'll be buried next week. WJACTV The funeral service was celebrated by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of America along with His Eminence Archbishop Anthony [Greek Archdiocese], His Grace Bishop Daniel and His Grace Bishop Andrei of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Bishop Thomas, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, Bishop Iia of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese, Bishop Mitrophan of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Bishop Melechesedek of the Orthodox Church in America, reports the official website of the Diocese. 21 марта 2011 г. ... Предыдущий Следующий Комментарии Войдите через FaceBook ВКонтакте Яндекс Mail.Ru Google или введите свои данные: © 1999-2015 Православие.Ru При перепечатке ссылка на Православие.Ru обязательна Контактная информация Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Miss America Betty Cantrell, of Warner Robins, was in Macon on Sunday at the Central Georgia Greek Festival held at her home parish, the Holly Cross Greek Orthodox Church on First Street. Cantrell, 21, who was baptized and confirmed at the parish, received a warm welcome from her congregation and members of the public attending the festival. She posed for photographs, signed autographs, gave lots of hugs and spoke to the crowd under a large tent. " It's been the most insane whirlwind of my life, " Cantrell told the crowd. " I can't believe I am wearing the Miss America crown and able to represent the greatest state on earth, Georgia. " I am such a Southern girl at heart. I love the state of Georgia. I love Macon, Warner Robins, and I do miss it very much during my travels. When I was flying into Georgia yesterday from Canada, I could look out the window and see the Georgia red clay, and I just couldn't help but get teary because I just miss it so much and I miss my family and everybody here that I love so much, " she said. Cantrell also a sang a country song, a tradition of hers at the festival because " that's how I roll. " " Betty, I can't tell you how proud all of the people at the Holly Cross Greek Orthodox community are of you, " Father John Stefero told her. " When we were watching television that night, everybody was just gasping. " When it gets down to the last three people and only one is going to be chosen, I can only imagine what it was like for you up there. We were all praying for you, we were all pulling for you, and several people have come up later and just said we knew it was going to be you. " He also told her, " Obviously, you have tremendous talent and don't ever forget that it is God who gives you that talent. Always give him the honor. " Stefero then asked everyone to bow for prayer as he gave a blessing to Cantrell. He also presented her with a diptych, hinged wooden panels that can be closed like a book, which had paintings of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. |
| A Cure for Depression from St. Silouan the Athonite The greatest plague of the 21st century is not AIDS, nor cancer, nor the H1N1 flu, but something that affects much more people in ways we can barely start to understand: depression. Reportedly one in ten Americans suffers from one or the other forms of this malady. The rates of anti-depressant usage in the United States are just as worrisome. A recent poll unveils that one in eight Americans is using them. Prozac, Zyprexa, Cymbalta are not strange alien names anymore, but familiar encounters in almost every American household. Even children approach the usage rates of adults. These are very high and paradoxical numbers in a country where all are free to enjoy “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Even in times of crisis, Americans have a better life than most countries in the world, in all respects. Just glance over to the life of the Christians in the Middle East, and you’ll realize the blessings we enjoy every day. Most of us have a job, a house, a car or two, enough food, education, equal opportunity, religious freedom to name just a few. Practically we shouldn’t be in want for anything; yet, every tenth person is longing for something, is missing something so bad, so important, that they cannot cope with this need on their own. This explains the usage of drugs; with them, the negative aspects of life can be more easily coped with. They are a crutch that helps people move along with their lives for a short while. But a crutch is still a crutch; it can only take one so far. The depressed man needs a different cure, one that will take care of the root of his problems, will erase his desperation and offer him a new lease on life. A cure, however, cannot come without the understanding of the underlying disease. So, this begs a question: why is America depressed? What are we still missing in the abundance that surrounds us? A short answer is: we miss God. We may think we miss something else, we can justify our depression by creating some imaginary needs, but at the end of the day, we miss Him. He has created us for a purpose: union with Him unto eternity. Losing sight of this, we lose it all and, in our shortsightedness, we keep longing for something we don’t know we have lost. It all goes back to who we are, what are we doing here and where we are going; it is back to the basics. |
| Confronting Ourselves One thing I have come to love about my Orthodox faith is that I am continually confronted with an invitation to convert. Orthodoxy avoids the notion of a once-for-all event in my life to mark my faithfulness to Christ. No, this wise and timeless theology confronts me with the reality that spiritual growth occurs throughout my life. There are places in my life where I truly live out the principles of my faith and there are places in my life where I do not. Walk into any Christian bookstore in America and you will discover whole shelves of books about money: how to make money based on biblical principles, how to give money, how to save money, and how to invest money for the future. All these books are answering questions about money from a biblical viewpoint, but are these answers to the right questions? Are they even asking the right questions? If we focus on the amount of money we have or don’t have, we will miss one of the most significant lessons Jesus wants to teach us. He confronts us with a choice – to serve Him with our money, or to be enslaved by our money. This choice challenges our attitudes about possessions and even the very meaning of life itself. This choice is between faith and doubt, between authentic trust and a lip service to the faith. In other words, Jesus confronts us with the challenge to convert. Unfortunately today Christian conversion has been reduced to a once-in-a-lifetime event or, worse yet, to nothing more than “joining” a club. Photo by Evgeniy Globenko But authentic Christian conversion, especially as understood in our Orthodox faith, calls us to a difficult task – confronting ourselves. This confrontation is terrifying to most of us because we don’t like looking at ourselves. King David came to this uncomfortable place when he asked, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24). Before we can talk about the Christian use of money, we have to be willing to ask if we have really converted to the faith of Christ. Once that question has been dealt with, the mastery of our possessions, our attitude toward our resources, and our use of our possessions as Christian stewards of God’s good gifts will all become clearer to us. |
| Does Your Absence Make Your Heart Grow Fonder? Source: All Saints of North America Orthodox Community, Canada (If it doesn " t, you may already be in big spiritual trouble...) Archpriest Geoffrey Korz 27 January 2017 Photo: Luis Mariano González / Getty Images “I love to pray in God’s Church… for I am miraculously changed in Church by God’s grace. During prayer of repentance and compunction, the bonds of the passions fall away from my soul, and it becomes so easy for me. I die, as it were, to the world, and the world, with all its good things, dies to me… You see everything radiantly, you look at everything correctly… O, how blessed is the soul that remains with God!” – Saint John of Kronstadt In wintertime, people disappear. Sunday Liturgy is disrupted by the weather. Weekday services are replaced by work. And feastdays – even those not ignored at other times – take a back seat to bargain shopping and late night parties. The saints of God loved to pray, and drew their strength from holy services – not just on Sundays, but throughout the week. We should ask ourselves, what is it we love? Where do we find our strength? When we are absent from the things we love, our hearts desire them more, like returning to our childhood home, or spending time with someone dear to us. The way we live our daily life tells us clearly what – or whom – we really love, and from what we draw our strength. It is said that our calendar and our bank statements tell us what we worship: sadly, in the wintertime, much of this worship is lavished on ourselves and our own comfort. Yet, ironically, it does not give us strength – rather, it steals it. Those who draw their strength for prayer to God in His Church are an ever-changing company of those who love Him, and Whose Presence strengthens them. Most Christians – including most Orthodox – completely miss out on receiving the untapped reservoir of Divine Strength that is only received by attending the holy services. Yet for those who seriously seek it, the same Divine Power that sustained the saints is still there – even in the coldest season of the year. |
| Pastoral Advice for Holy Week The days of Holy Week are designed to represent to us the last week of Christ " s earthly life before His Crucifixion. It is a terrible and wonderful journey: terrible because the Lord will have to endure so much; and wonderful because if we take this journey with Him, it can be a life-changing experience. If we do a bit of study and reading before we go to church, each service will be even more powerful and meaningful. Archpriest John Moses (+2019) 09 April 2012 Archpriest John Moses is Rector of All Saints of North America Russian Orthodox Church in Middlebrook , VA, and assists at a new mission, Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Christian Church , in Harrisonburg, VA. Sophia Moshura: If we feel that we have not spent Great Lent properly, how can we still use the remaining days of Holy Week to prepare worthily for Pascha? Fr. John Moses: The days of Holy Week are designed to represent to us the last week of Christ’s earthly life before His Crucifixion. It is a terrible and wonderful journey: terrible because the Lord will have to endure so much; and wonderful because if we take this journey with Him, it can be a life-changing experience. If we do a bit of study and reading before we go to church, each service will be even more powerful and meaningful. Given that work and family obligations prevent many people from attending all the services of Holy Week, which services should one make a particular effort to attend? We celebrate Unction on Wednesday night of Holy Week. This wonderful service brings healing to body, soul, and spirit. I wouldn’t miss it. Then, many who have trouble making other services seem to find the time to come to the service of the Burial Shroud on Holy Friday . There is something quite moving about this service, as we process with the shroud and lay it on the “tomb” in the middle of the church. Finally, I truly love the service of Lamentations on Friday night. The imagery of the language always surprises and inspires me, as we lament the death of our Lord in semi-darkness. |
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