| Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers Commemorated on November 8 The Synaxis of the Chief of the Heavenly Hosts, Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers: Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel was established at the beginning of the fourth century at the Council of Laodicea, which met several years before the First Ecumenical Council. The 35th Canon of the Council of Laodicea condemned and denounced as heretical the worship of angels as gods and rulers of the world, but affirmed their proper veneration. A Feastday was established in November, the ninth month after March (with which the year began in ancient times) since there are Nine Ranks of Angels. The eighth day of the month was chosen for the Synaxis of all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven since the Day of the Dread Last Judgment is called the Eighth Day by the holy Fathers. After the end of this age (characterized by its seven days of Creation) will come the Eighth Day, and then “the Son of Man shall come in His Glory and all the holy Angels with Him” (Mt. 25:31). The Angelic Ranks are divided into three Hierarchies: highest, middle, and lowest. The Highest Hierarchy includes: the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. The six-winged SERAPHIM (Flaming, Fiery) (Is 6:12) stand closest of all to the Most Holy Trinity. They blaze with love for God and kindle such love in others. The many-eyed CHERUBIM (outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment) (Gen 3:24) stand before the Lord after the Seraphim. They are radiant with the light of knowledge of God, and knowledge of the mysteries of God. Through them wisdom is poured forth, and people’s minds are enlightened so they may know God and behold His glory. The THRONES (Col 1:16) stand after the Cherubim, mysteriously and incomprehensibly bearing God through the grace given them for their service. They are ministers of God’s justice, giving to tribunals, kings, etc. the capacity for righteous judgment. The Middle Angelic Hierarchy consists of three Ranks: Dominions, Powers, and Authorities: |
| God created the angelic world before the visible universe. The angels are incorporeal spirits who possess reason and free will. St John of Damascus speaks of them being «ever in motion, free, incorporeal, ministering to God», of their rational, intelligent and free nature. He calls the angels " secondary spiritual lights, who receive their brightness from the first Light which is without beginning». Located in direct proximity to God, they are sustained by His light and convey this light to us. Angels are actively engaged in the unceasing praise of God. Isaiah describes his vision of God around whom the seraphim stand and proclaim: «Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory» ( Is.6:1–3 ). Yet the angels are also heralds sent by God to people (the Greek word aggelos means «messenger», «herald»): they take a vital and active part in the life of every person. Thus the archangel announces to Mary that she will bear a Son called Jesus; angels come and minister to Jesus in the wilderness; an angel supports Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Christ Himself indicates that every person has his own guardian angel (cf. Matt.18:10) who is his companion, helper and protector. According to the traditional teaching of the Church, not all angels are equal in dignity and closeness to God: various hierarchies exist among them. In the treatise The Celestial Hierarchy, attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite, the author counts three angelic hierarchies, each of which is divided into three ranks. The first and highest contains the seraphim, cherubim, thrones; the second, dominions, powers, authorities; the third, principalities, archangels, angels. In is celestial hierarchy the upper ranks are illumined by the Divine light and partake of the mysteries of the Godhead directly from the Maker, while the lower ranks receive illumination only by devolution through the higher ranks. According to Dionysius, the angelic hierarchy finds its continuation and reflection in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of sacraments, clergy and the faithful. Thus, the ecclesiastical hierarchy partakes of the Divine mystery through the mediation of the celestial hierarchy. Biblical tradition speaks of the number of angels in general terms: there are a «thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand». The angels certainly outnumber human beings. St Gregory of Nyssa sees in the image of the lost sheep the entire human race, while he takes the ninety-nine sheep who stayed in the hills to be the angels. THE ORIGIN OF EVIL |
| It must be admitted that the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos itself gives very scant and extremely contradictory information about the chronology and meaning of the feast. Its text does not even hint at the liberation of Byzantium from invaders. However, if one reads the akathist attentively, one cannot but notice that its thematic content, plot resolution, and subject reference are distinguished by an obvious duality. Archpriest Maxim Kozlov writes: “The historico-dogmatic content of the hymn is divided into two parts: the narrative, in which events connected to the earthly life of the Mother of God and the childhood of Christ are related, in accordance with the Gospel and Tradition (ikoi 1-12); and the dogmatic, which concerns the Incarnation and the salvation of the human race (ikoi 13-24).” In terms of appeal, beginning with the word “Rejoice,” the work is clearly addressed to the Theotokos. But many of its stanzas are addressed to Christ, for instance the eleventh (“Having become God-bearing heralds”), the twelfth (“By shining in Egypt”), and the thirteenth (“When Symeon was about to depart”). Moreover, the twentieth stanza strongly emphasizes that the akathist was composed for the glorification of Christ Himself: “Every hymn is defeated that trieth to encompass the multitude of Thy many compassions; for if we offer to Thee, O Holy King, songs equal in number to the sand, nothing have we done worthy of that which Thou hast given us who shout to thee: Alleluia.” In terms of its form, the akathist belongs to a particular kind of ancient hymn: the so-called kontakia. In modern liturgical books only two stanzas have normally been preserved from these hymns, known by the names kontakion and ikos. The stanzas of the kontakia or ikoi are joined by an acrostic. Thus, in the akathist the alphabet serves as an acrostic, with the letter “alpha” beginning the stanza “An archangel was sent.” Thus, the first introductory stanza (prooimion), “To Thee, the Champion Leader,” is outside the alphabetical structure, which means that it might have been composed not by the author of the akathist, but by someone else. As some researchers believe, the given prooimion should be correlated with the above-mentioned “siege of Constantinople in the summer of 626 by the Avars and Slavs, when Patriarch Sergios of Constantinople circled the city walls with an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and the danger was averted.” |
| Archpastoral Visit on the 125th Anniversary of Archangel Michael Parish on the Cote d’Azur Source: ROCOR Photo: ROCOR The year 2019 marks the 125th anniversary of the Russian parish of Archangel Michael on Cannes, France, one that has a rich history—and a questionable fate. Joining the jubilee celebrations on November 20 was His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, Vicar of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Deputy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops. Upon arriving to the municipally-owned church of St Roc, rented by the ROCOR parish, Vladyka Nikolai performed all-night vigil, joined by Fr Antony Odaysky, parish Rector, and Fr Mark Lopnevs, as well as Protopriest Peter Holodny from Moscow and Priest Evgeny Nikitin of the Church of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Menton, France. On the feast day itself, November 21, Priest Gontrane Poussou of the French-language parish in neighboring Grasse, and Protodeacon Ioan Buzdugan from St Nicholas Cathedral in Nice arrived for Liturgy. Despite the work-day, there was a large number of worshipers present. The following day, Vladyka Nikolai visited the ancient Lerins Abbey on St Honorat Island off the coast of Cannes, where he venerated the relics of the saint and read an akathist to him. He was given an excursion through the monastery and viewed Holy Trinity Church, which is offered to the Russian Orthodox community for services on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. That same day, a concert was given at St Roc Church by the Jerusalem Vocal Ensemble under the direction of the parish’s Anna Kobrina, who has been organizing a series of concerts in this jubilee year. The events draw the interest of the French populace who thereby learn about Orthodox Christianity and are offered the opportunity to fine answers to their spiritual questions in talks with the clergymen as they enjoy post-concert refreshments. This time, they were able to talk to a hierarch as well. |
| Report from the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on its recent meeting His Holiness Irenej, Patriarch of Serbia. The second regular meeting of the Holy Assembly of Bishops was held between November 17-20, 2010 at the Patriarchate in Belgrade under the presidency of His Holiness Patriarch Irinej. All diocesan bishops took part in the work of the Assembly, with the exception of the head of the autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid, His Beatitude Jovan and Bishop Konstantin of Central Europe. The work of the Holy Assembly of Bishops began with the conciliar serving of the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy at the Monastery of the Holy Archangels in Rakovica near Belgrade, at which Patriarch Irinej officiated, A parastos was served afterward for the repose of the soul of Patriarch Pavle of blessed memory on the occasion of the one year anniversary since his falling asleep, the cross was blessed at his grave site and the invocation of the Holy Spirit for a blessed and God-pleasing Assembly session took place. Afterward, in his introductory comments His Holiness, as the president of the Assembly, evoked memories once again of the person and spiritual merits of his predecessor Patriarch Pavle of blessed memory as well as the newly departed Metropolitan Christopher of Libertyville-Chicago, and indicated the need of a dignified and responsible approach to the issues on the agenda of the Assembly through brotherly dialogue in the spirit of the spiritual maxims of Patriarch Pavle that our words be mild and our proofs strong. Before beginning with its work, the Assembly reacted to the news of the capture of the Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje Jovan at the border in Kalotin between Bulgaria and Serbia by Bulgarian border police, and his detention on the basis of a warrant for his arrest issued by Macedonian police. The Assembly reacted first through their prayer to God for their brother in distress, then with a public protest for the unjust persecution of Archbishop Jovan following the legal farce against him in the Republic of Macedonia, and finally an Assembly appeal for his release to both the head of Serbia as well as the president of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Georgi Parvanov. |
| Communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church June 7, 2013 Communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church Held in Belgrade and Nis May 21 – June 3, 2013 The regular meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church took place at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade and in Nis May 21-June 3, 2013 under the presidency of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Participating in the Assembly were the majority of the diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Absent were only His Beatitude Archbishop of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje Jovan and His Eminence Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabro-Bosna. The Assembly began its work with the joint serving of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Holy Archangel Michael Cathedral in Belgrade, led by Serbian Patriarch Irinej, and the traditional Invocation of the Holy Spirit served for a successful course and outcome of the Assembly, bestowing upon the gathered faithful the archpastoral message dedicated to the summoning of the Assembly. Afterward, at the beginning of the first meeting of the Assembly, in his introductory remarks to the gathered hierarchs, Patriarch, as president of the Assembly, indicated the most essential life issues, witnessing and mission in the Serbian Orthodox Church at this historic moment, in days of great temptation and challenges, but also of great possibilities for spiritual renewal beneath the prism of the Edict of Milan of Emperor Constantine, the first and first-rate public document for freedom of the Christian faith and freedom of conscience in general. The Assembly approved the reports of the Holy Synod and Bishop Jovan of Nis regarding the preparation which has been completed for the celebration of the significant jubilee of Christianity and culture – the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan of the holy Emperor Constantine the Great (313-2013) – within the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well progress in preparation for the central celebration in October of this year, intended to be pan-Orthodox, pan-Christian and an all-cultural manifestation. |
| In order to develop these considerations more concretely, it would be necessary to establish the precise provenance of the Mandylion in the Tretyakov Gallery. A suggestive hypothesi s (also implicitly sustained by the present reading of the icon) has been proposed by Vzdornov, namely that the icon may originally have been housed in the church of the Holy Mandylion in Novgorod, which was in fact founded or refounded in the late twelfth century 765 . The thirteenth-century synaxarion of the State History Museum, called Lobkov’s Prolog(os) comes from this church; its opening miniature shows the Mandylion (representing the Holy Face on an ornamented cloth) venerated by two seraphim and two archangels with veiled hands. The Mandylion is inscribed within an arch, and the miniature opens, as Alexei Lidov excellently put it, the sacred space of the text 766 . The icon in turn certainly assumed a central role in the sacred space of the church itself. It is only in this constellation of icon and space that the specific character of the Novgorod Mandylion (including the renouncing of representing the cloth) could be fully understood – but the original spatial context is lost, though the icon found a new one first in the Cathedral of the Ascension in the Moscow Kremlin and after the cleaning of 1919–1929, in the auratic space of the museum. In the preceding I have presented two short case studies on constellations of image and contact relic, the first situated in Jerusalem in the sixth century, the other presumably dating to the later twelfth century and located in Novgorod, both concerned with the concept of holy site. These are certainly only two singular points in a long and rather complex history. The subject of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Byzantium has been relatively little studied; only recently it has at¬tracted a wider scholarly attention 767 . Ps.-Antoninus, the pligrim who informs us about the Holy Feet and the less holy Image in the pretorium came from the early medieval West, whereas the Greek sources from the same period speak instead about the imperial journeys in search of relics, and imperial activities in the construction of the holy sites at a time when Jerusalem was still part of the empire. |
| 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. |
| Friday, 16 August: Groups of attackers targeted several churches, including the Mar Girgis church in Hadayeq Helwan, which was pelted with Molotovs (only the facade of the outer building was affected). According to statements, local Muslims and Christians protected the church and prevented the attackers from storming it before army and police forces arrived to secure the building. Attempts were also made to attack the Church of the Virgin and the Mar Girgis Church on the Maadi Corniche when marches in support of deposed president Mohamed Morsy headed there. Popular committees formed by local residents prevented attacks on either of the churches. Giza governorate Archangel Michael Church, Kerdasa Wednesday, 14 August: The Archangel Michael Church in the Kerdasa district, comprised of two churches, a services building and an administrative annex, was torched. Following the bloody assault on the Kerdasa police in which the station officers were killed, a pro-Morsy march chanting defamatory slogans against Christian religious leaders headed to the Archangel Michael Church, where some marchers threw stones at the church, stormed the main gate and attacked some young people who had chosen to remain in the church. The assailants also smashed the crosses fixed to the top of the church and looted its contents before setting fire to it. The fire continued until it consumed most of the church contents and its annexes, in the absence of fire fighters or civil defense. Wednesday evening, 14 August: Two floors of the Church of the Virgin in Kafr Hakim, located in the Kerdasa district, were burned; several icons were smashed and some contents of the church were stolen. The Church of the Virgin in Mansouriya was stormed and some of its contents looted and vandalized. The Karmat al-Rusul church, the seat of the Atfih bishopric, was looted in an attack that began during a conference for children from the Mar Girgis Church in Warraq; the children were taken to the home of a nearby Coptic family when the assault began. |
| Ultimately, they led the religiously blind and deluded to a denial of the saving Mysteries and the fundamental teachings of Orthodoxy, outside of which there is no knowledge of God: the teaching of the Most Holy Trinity and the teaching of the Incarnation of the God-man our Lord Jesus Christ. If decisive measures were not taken, “all of Orthodox Christianity would be doomed by heretical teachings.” So the question was posed for history. The Great Prince Ivan III, enticed by the Judaizers, invited them to Moscow. He had two of the most prominent of the heretics made archpriests, one at the Dormition, the other at the Archangel Michael cathedrals of the Kremlin, and he summoned to Moscow even the arch-heretic Skhariya himself. All those close to the prince were led astray by the heresy, beginning with the clerk heading the government, Theodore Kuritsyn, whose brother became a ringleader of the heretics. Even the in-law of the great prince, Elena Voloshanka, accepted the Judaizers. And finally, the heretical Metropolitan Zosimas was installed upon the bishop’s Throne of the great Moscow Hierarchs Peter, Alexis and Jonah. St Joseph and St Gennadius, Bishop of Novgorod (December 4), called for a struggle against the spread of the heresy. St Joseph wrote his first epistle “Concerning the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity” while still a monk at the Paphnutiev Borov monastery in the year 1477. From the very beginning the Dormition Volokolamsk monastery became a bulwark of Orthodoxy in the struggle against the heresy. Here St Joseph wrote his chief works, The Enlightener, engendered with his fiery anti-heretical epistles, or as the monk himself unassumingly called them, “book exercises.” The works of St Joseph and Archbishop Gennadius were crowned with success. In 1494 the heretic Zosimas was deposed from the bishop’s Throne, and in the years 1502-04 the malicious and unrepentant Judaizers, who blasphemed against the Holy Trinity, Christ the Savior, the Most Holy Theotokos and the Church,were condemned at a church council. |
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