| Photo: riabir.ru “Love is not sentimentality, but sacrifice.” -Archimandrite Vasileios The Language Barrier One of the greatest difficulties which modern Americans face when encountering Holy Orthodoxy is one of language. I do not refer, however, to the outward obstacle of the use of Church Slavonic, Greek, Arabic, or any other of the languages of Orthodox immigrants to this country. I refer rather to the colossal problem of the usage of the English language. For all of its intrinsic and obvious secularism, our culture is nonetheless profoundly steeped in the language of Christianity. So much so that my professor of American Literature in college, himself a Jew, once said to us that it is absolutely futile to attempt to understand any literature written more than fifty years ago without first having a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the Christian Bible. So far so good, right? But the problem is this: whether we are aware of it or not, the Christian vocabulary of the English language has been deeply saturated with five hundred years of theology, and frankly this theology can ofttimes be quite far from Orthodox Christianity. To put it another way: there are certain theological assumptions which our minds automatically make whenever we hear a Christian word, and these assumptions are conditioned not only by our own explicitly held beliefs but also by our shared cultural heritage and the historical development of Christianity in the West. But Orthodoxy must nevertheless use this same set of English words, despite the fact that the Orthodox Church sometimes means by them something far different than what we as American actually hear when these words are used. This can be true even of words that are altogether foundational to Christianity itself: grace, salvation, sin, judgment, temptation, mercy, repentance… even love. As a result, it can be extremely difficult for us to come to an authentic understanding of what Christianity really is, of what the Church really teaches about the most important questions in life: who is God, who are we, how ought we to live? And our difficulty is made so much the worse by the fact that we very often have no idea that there is a problem at all, we do not even realize that these words mean something far different than what we think they mean. |
| Patriarch Daniel: Let Us Always Thank God Because We Live Permanently from His Mercy Source: Basilica.ro On his 13th enthronement anniversary, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel urged the faithful to always be thankfulness to God because ‘we live permanently from His help and mercy and feel His blessing.’ Work in communion The Patriarch confessed that in this period of patriarchal stewardship he felt ‘God’s blessing,’ especially through ‘the work in communion’: ‘what we accomplished together with the members of the Holy Synod, helped by the clergy and the believers, but also by the central and local state authorities for the profit of the Romanian people.’ ‘These years of ministry showed us that when we obey one another and together we obey to Christ the Lord, the result of these humble obediences is turned into visible and enduring works. Therefore, we found that the work of the Synod together was and remains the greatest blessing from God,’ His Beatitude said Sept. 30. In his speech at the Patriarchal Cathedral, the Patriarch of Romania presented the effects of the elevation to the rank of archdiocese in 2009 of several dioceses. “They have intensified the pastoral, missionary, building activity, so that any new step raised in life, as Nicolae Iorga said, is a new altar of sacrifice.” Romanians abroad He also spoke about the changes brought about by the establishment, during his patriarchal mandate, of new dioceses abroad. They pointed out that the Church must take care not only of the faithful who remain in the country, but also of those who live abroad. “Those who are spatially farther from us must feel more parental and fraternal love from the mother Church,” said the Patriarch, who explained that this role belongs to “hierarchs and clergy outside the country and in the Western diaspora.” Religious education The work carried out in theological schools and by professors of religious education he described as “a joy and a great blessing.” “Professors have always been eager to pass on the faith to the new generation, but at the same time to form characters, to teach children to value love for God, for their parents, teachers and professors, but also for their peers.” Pastoral challenges during coronavirus pandemic |
| Metropolitan Onuphry: Trials Are Given to Us for Our Spiritual Perfection The preaching of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called inspired our people, who have overcome all trials with dignity said His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in his sermon during the Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra on December 13, 2020, the 27th Sunday after Pentecost, the commemoration day of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC. According to Metropolitan Onuphry, the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is our teacher, educator and intercessor. The seeds of faith, sown by him on this land, have given fertile sprouts at different times. “Today nearly all of our people are baptized in the Name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We believe with honor that we are spiritual children of the Apostle Andrew. But we must remember that in order to be true children of the Apostle Andrew, and to be his followers, we must try to fulfill the laws, rules, and teachings of St. Andrew in our lives,” said His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. As the metropolitan noted, the Holy Apostle Andrew brought to this land a message about the sacrifice of Divine love, and this message inspired people. “For God so loved the world that “He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”(John 3:16). This commandment, this message about the sacrifice of Divine love inspired our people, raised them to a new level of spiritual development. And history shows that the people who populate these places have gone through all of the trials that God had sent us for our spiritual improvement with dignity. We have withstood everything, we have endured everything and we believe and hope for the mercy of God that [we will see] the times to come,” His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry emphasized. At the end of his sermon, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church noted that if we live according to the Sacred laws – the laws of love and mercy – then we will really be followers of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. |
| 2010 Epistle from the Ecumenical Patriarch for the (New Calendar) Nativity of Christ BARTHOLOMEW By the Mercy of God Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Peace and Mercy from the Savior Christ Born in Bethlehem Beloved brother concelebrants and blessed children in the Lord, Within the somber atmosphere that recently prevails throughout the world with the diverse affliction of the financial, social, moral and especially spiritual crisis, which has created increasing frustration, bitterness, confusion, anxiety, disappointment and fear among many people with regard to the future, the voice of the Church sounds sweet: Come, O faithful, let us raise our minds to things divine and behold the heavenly condescension that has appeared to us from above in Bethlehem … (Hymn from the 6th Hour, Christmas) The unshakeable belief of Christians is that God does not simply or indifferently observe from above the journey of humanity, which He has personally created according to His image and likeness. This is why the incarnation of His only-begotten Son and Word was from the very beginning His “good will,” His original intention. His “pre-eternal will” was precisely to assume in His person, in an act of extreme love, the human nature that He created in order to render it “a participant of divine nature.” (2 Peter 1.4) Indeed, God willed this prior to the “fall” of Adam and Eve, even before their very creation! Following the “fall” of Adam and Eve, the “pre-eternal will” of the Incarnation embraced the Cross, the Sacred Passion, the Life-giving Death, the Descent into Hades, and the Resurrection after three days. In this way, the sin that infiltrated human nature thereby infecting everything and the death that surreptitiously penetrated life were completely and definitively dispelled, while humanity was able to enjoy the fullness of the Paternal and eternal heritage. However, the divine condescension of Christmas is not restricted to things related to eternity. It also includes things related to our earthly journey. Christ came into the world in order to spread the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven and to initiate us into this Kingdom. Yet, He also came in order to help and heal human weakness. He miraculously and repeatedly fed the multitudes who listened to His word; He cleansed lepers; He supported paralytics; He granted light to the blind, hearing to the deaf and speech to the dumb; He delivered the demonized of impure spirits, resurrected the dead, supported the rights of the oppressed and abandoned; He condemned illegal wealth, heartlessness to the poor, hypocrisy and “hubris” in human relations; He offered Himself as an example of voluntary self-emptying sacrifice for the sake of others! |
| The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. Tuesday of the First Week / Православие.Ru Српска bepзuja English version Подписаться на рассылку Православный календарь Поместные Церкви Рубрики портала Публикации Слово Патриарха Мониторинг СМИ Авторы сайта Книга оптом Книжный магазин Архив сайта English version Српска bepзuja Встреча с Православием Святоотеческое наследие Проповеди Апологетика Православная библиотека Святые и святыни Подвижники благочестия Жизнь Церкви Богослужение Интернет-журнал Колонка главного редактора Общество Культура История Семья Идеи и концепции Книжная закладка Вопросы священнику Новости Жизнь Церкви Православие в мире Храмы, монастыри, святыни Семья Общество Культура Медиа Цитаты Инфографика Видео Фото Аудио Распечатать Tweet Нравится The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. Tuesday of the First Week Ode 1 A Helper and a Protector has become salvation to me. This is my God, I will glorify Him. God of my fathers I will exalt Him for in glory was He glorified. Have mercy on us, O God, have mercy on us. Deliberately have I imitated blood thirsty Cain, O Lord, enlivening my flesh while murdering my soul by striking it with my evil deeds. I have not resembled Abel in his righteousness, O Jesus, never having offered to You actions worthy of God, pure gifts, an appropriate sacrifice, an unblemished Life. Like Cain, O my wretched soul, my offering to the Creator of all has been filthy deeds, a polluted sacrifice, and a worthless Life, and like him I now stand condemned. You formed my flesh and bones as a Potter, O my Creator, my Redeemer and my Judge, by moulding clay into flesh and infusing in it the breath of Life. Accept me now as I return to You. O my Saviour, I confess the sins which I have committed, the wounds which murderous thoughts, like thieves within me, have inflicted on my soul and body. Thought I have sinned, O Saviour, I know that in Your love for mankind Your punishment is merciful and Your compassion profound. Seeing my tears You will run to me as the Father calling His lost son. |
| Thanksgiving has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. The " First Thanksgiving " was celebrated by the Pilgrims after having been safely delivered by God to the shores of the New World. This feast lasted three days, providing enough food for thirteen Pilgrims and ninety Native Americans. The feast consisted of fish (cod, eels, and bass) and shellfish (clams, lobster, and mussels), wild fowl (ducks, geese, swans, and turkey), venison, berries and fruit, vegetables (peas, pumpkin, beetroot and possibly, wild or cultivated onion), harvest grains ( barley and wheat), and the Three Sisters: beans, dried Indian maize or corn, and squash. The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating " thanksgivings " —days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought. The word Thanksgiving has it's roots in the Greek word, εχαριστα (eucharistia), where the Church gets the word Eucharist. For Orthodox Christians the ultimate giving of thanks to God comes when we offer the Eucharistic sacrifice, entering into the Heavenly Banquet, participating in the eternal Mystical Supper that is ongoing in the heavenly realm. During the celebration of the Divine Liturgy we offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His mercy and loving kindness. It has become common practice in some areas for parishes and monasteries to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on the morning of Thanksgiving, having become a local American Orthodox custom to remember, with thanks, all that the Lord has given to His people. During these difficult times, many among us will be eating Thanksgiving dinner in church halls, senior centers or Union Gospel Missions. Not since the 1940's have American families experienced such financial loss, and many do not feel particularly thankful. However, this gift of life was not bestowed upon us for financial security, or even good health. This life has been given to us as a time of purification, a period of preparation for the eternal life that God has promised us as our inheritance. Even when we struggle in hard times, or with health issues, we can see that all is allowed for our salvation. |
| Macedonian Orthodox Church Asks for Clemency for Imprisoned Former Bishop December 22, 2014 Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric on Monday officially asked for clemency for Zoran Vranishkovski its former Bishop Jovan who is in prison after being sentenced for defrauding the Church and embezzling its funds. Vranishkovski left the Macedonian Orthodox Church and formed a Serbian run church in Macedonia in 2002, which added fuel on the long running feud between the two churches. " The Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric, in serving the Lord who through the holy prophet Hosea and through the words from our Saviour, speaks: " I desire mercy, not sacrifice " , and guided by the love of man and the higher goals, calls on all relevant authorities in the Republic of Macedonia to show mercy in their treatment of imprisoned former Bishop Jovan. Despite the trespasses he has been tried and sentenced for, he should not be left without the hope of clemency in these holy days before Christmas " , the Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church writes in its press release published on Monday. The move comes shortly after the visit from Metropolitan Illarion from the Russian Orthodox Church, who met Macedonian leadership, including Archbishop Stephan, but also President Gjorge Ivanov, who has the power to grant pardons. The Macedonian Church informs that it was on the initiative of the Russian bishop that the Church calls for clemency for Vranishkovski, in hope that it would open talks between Macedonia and Serbia for the recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. " Macedonian bishops with gratitude accept the initiative of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has announced it is fully prepared to give its contribution to resume and successfully complete the dialogue between the Macedonian Orthodox Church Ohrid Archbishopric and the Serbian Orthodox Church, and solve open issues between the two churches " , the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Church informs. |
| Archive Patriarch Kirill greets the participants of the XXVIII annual General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy 22 July 2021 year 10:30 Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus " r greets the participants of the XXVIII annual General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy To: The Organizers, Participants and Guests of the XXVIII annual General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy Esteemed Sergei Anatolievich Gavrilov, president of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, Esteemed participants and guests of the General Assembly, dear brothers and sisters, Please accept my heartfelt greetings to all of you who have gathered on the island of Crete for the session of the XXVIII annual General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, the topic of which is the future of the world and the future of Europe after the pandemic. At this present difficult time for us all, the thoughts of the participants inevitably turn to the problem of the coronavirus infection which has changed the lives of millions of people and has become a global challenge for all of humankind. This challenge has generated alarmist fears, privations, pain and grief from loss. Yet it has also enabled the manifestation within many of our contemporaries such lofty moral qualities as sacrificial love, mercy and the willingness to serve one’s neighbour. It has been above all medical staff who have found themselves on the frontline of the fight against an invisible and cunning enemy. Their ministry has become a true act of self-sacrificing heroism harnessed to a risk to their own lives and health. Alongside medical workers in the ‘red zone’ there are also clergymen. They prayerfully comfort and encourage the sick, give them holy communion and have accompanied the deceased on their journey into eternity. Not for a single day has the Orthodox Church halted her saving ministry. The epidemic, however, has brought into our lives a great number of changes that have significantly narrowed down the opportunities for fraternal communication, pilgrimages to Orthodox holy sites and the joint prayers of Christians from various Local Orthodox Churches. |
| Dr. Liza posthumously given Russian Red Cross’s highest award / Православие.Ru Српска bepзuja English version Подписаться на рассылку Православный календарь Поместные Церкви Рубрики портала Публикации Слово Патриарха Мониторинг СМИ Авторы сайта Книга оптом Книжный магазин Архив сайта English version Српска bepзuja Встреча с Православием Святоотеческое наследие Проповеди Апологетика Православная библиотека Святые и святыни Подвижники благочестия Жизнь Церкви Богослужение Интернет-журнал Колонка главного редактора Общество Культура История Семья Идеи и концепции Книжная закладка Вопросы священнику Новости Жизнь Церкви Православие в мире Храмы, монастыри, святыни Семья Общество Культура Медиа Цитаты Инфографика Видео Фото Аудио Распечатать Tweet Нравится Dr. Liza posthumously given Russian Red Cross’s highest award Moscow, February 22, 2017 Photo: Pravmir.ru The Russian Red Cross has decided to posthumously award Elizaveta Petrovna Glinka, “Dr. Liza,” the beloved doctor and founder of the charitable “Fair Aid” Foundation, who died in the Tu-154 plane crash near Sochi on December 25 last year. The chairman of the organization Raisa Lukuttsova announced that Dr. Liza would be given the “Golden Heart” award. The site for the Golden Heart International Award states that the “Golden Heart is given for service to the higher ideals of mankind and is not a state or political award. The motto of the award is: HONOUR, DIGNITY, NOBILITY. The goal of the award is establishing the higher ideals of the humanity—kindness, philanthropy, nobility, ability to self-sacrifice for the sake of others.” Dr. Liza’s life demonstrates that she is truly worthy of such an award. A memorial to Dr. Liza, timed to her birthday, was held on Monday in the Moscow Library of Foreign Literature, at which the award was given. The evening was attended by her loved ones and colleagues. “The Russian Red Cross has decided to award Elizaveta Petrovna Glinka the highest award—‘The Golden Heart’—for adoption of the ideals of humanism and mercy,” Lukuttsova stated at the ceremony. |
| Virginmartyr Dorothy at Caesarea, in Cappadocia Commemorated on February 6 Photo: Days.Pravoslavie.Ru The Holy Martyr Dorothy, the Martyrs Christina, Callista and the Martyr Theophilus lived in Caesarea of Cappadocia and suffered under the emperor Diocletian in either the year 288 or 300. Saint Dorothy was a pious Christian maiden, distinguished by her great beauty, humility, prudence, and God-given wisdom, which astonished many. Arrested upon orders of the governor Sapricius, she steadfastly confessed her faith in Christ and was subjected to tortures. Failing to break the will of the saint, the governor sent to her two women, the sisters Christina and Callista, who once were Christians, but fearing torture, they renounced Christ and began to lead impious lives. He ordered them to get Saint Dorothy to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, but just the reverse happened. Saint Dorothy convinced them that the mercy of God is granted to all who repent, so they corrected themselves and returned to Christ. The tormentors tied them back to back and burned them in a vat of tar. Through martyrdom, Christina and Callista atoned for their sin of apostasy, receiving from God not only forgiveness, but crowns of victory. Saint Dorothy was again subjected to tortures, but she gladly endured them and accepted the death sentence. She cried out with joy, thanking Christ for calling her to Paradise and to the heavenly bridal chamber. As they led the saint to execution Theophilus, one of the governor’s counselors, laughed and said to her, “Bride of Christ, send me an apple and some roses from the Paradise of your Bridegroom.” The martyr nodded and said, “I shall do that.” At the place of execution, the saint requested a little time to pray. When she finished the prayer, an angel appeared before her in the form of a handsome child presenting her three apples and three roses on a pure linen cloth. The saint requested that these be given to Theophilus, after which she was beheaded by the sword. |
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