Shepherd of Souls episode 38 is now online. In this episode we explore the question do Orthodox Christians worship the Virgin Mary.
Remember you can subscribe to the podcast from iTunes by clicking the link on the webpage.
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Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
St. Andrew’s Day: From Middle East to Scottish highland
by Gül Demir and Niki Gamm
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/lifestyle/10465048.asp?scr=1
ISTANBUL - In Istanbul an ecclesiastical ceremony will take place Sunday at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Fener and the president of the World Council of Churches Cardinal Walter Casper will attend. The Pope was present at the ceremony that took place in November 2006.
Are you Scottish, Greek, Romanian or Russian? Then you’ll know that Sunday is St. Andrew’s Day as he is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Romania and Russia.
The Apostle Andrew is said to have founded the Christian Church in Bithynia which was located in the area of today’s Bursa and İznik. He is supposed to have gone further north into Thrace and then crossed the Black Sea. According to Greek tradition, Andrew landed on the shore outside Constantinople in the place where Fındıklı is today. There he is said to have built a prayer chapel but there’s no sign of such a structure today.
According to Byzantine tradition, St. Andrew was one of the first apostles called to the Bithynia, Byzantium area and he is associated with the claim that the See of Byzantium was apostolic in origin. In fact St. Andrew is acknowledged to have been the founder of the Greek Orthodox Church in Constantinople and he later went on in 44 AD to found the Georgian Orthodox Church.
According to biblical sources, Andrew was the elder brother of Simon Peter and the first man to have become an apostle or follower of Christ. Both were fishermen until they were converted to Christianity by Jesus Christ. Andrew embarked on a missionary journey after Christ’s death and spread the Christian religion throughout Anatolia and Greece. One tradition says the Romans crucified him in Patras, Greece. He was hammered to a cross of diagonal shape and this is supposed to have been the shape of the Cross of St. Andrew that appears on the Scottish flag. His brother Peter is considered the founder of the Papacy in Rome.
The saint’s bones were laid to rest in Patras but the Emperor Constantine wanted to have them moved to his new capital, New Rome or Constantinople, some 300 years later. The legend goes that a Greek monk or possibly an Irish monk saw in a dream that St. Andrew’s bones were to be moved and he was told by an angel that he should take whatever he could from the skeleton to the "ends of the earth."
In those days The Scottish Isles were about as far as anyone had any knowledge in those days so he took a few of the bones (a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers) and went there and if he needed any persuasion that he had reached the right place, his ship was wrecked there.
St. Andrew closest to Scotland
It is with Scotland that St. Andrew has been most closely associated even to the point of November 30th being proclaimed a holiday. While we know St. Andrews, Scotland as the center of great golfing and the home of an outstanding university, it is less known as the repository of some of the relics or bones of St. Andrew. The cathedral was built in the 12th century but fell into disuse following the Reformation in the 16th century. Today it lies in well-preserved ruins and the relics have disappeared and probably were destroyed during the Scottish Reformation when the Catholic Church was rejected.
It was after Robert the Bruce's famous victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 that St Andrew was officially named patron saint of Scotland and the diagonal cross became the national flag of Scotland in 1385. The flag is in the form of a white X on a blue background and is commonly known as The Saltire.
Crusader sack of Constantinople in 1204
The Crusaders who attacked and sacked Constantinople in 1204 probably stole what remained of St. Andrew’s body according to one story or only his skull according to another. They / it ended up in Amalfi, Italy and are still there today. There is however a silver box in a church in Patras, Greece that is supposed to hold the skull of St. Andrew. It’s really amazing how many bones can be attributed to one person.
In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a small piece of the Saint's shoulder blade to the re-established Roman Catholic community in Scotland and in 1969, Pope Paul VI gave the person appointed to be the first Scottish Cardinal since the Reformation more of St. Andrew’s remains. He is supposed to have accompanied the gift with the words, "Saint Peter gives you his brother." The Roman Catholic Pope is supposed to be in a direct line from Peter. These relics are in St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland.
St. Andrew's Day is a day to celebrate Scottish culture, food and dance and festivities are planned every year. It also marks the start of Scotland’s winter festivals. Would St. Andrew have been pleased? Unfortunately we don’t know enough about Andrew as a person but we hope he would have had a good time.
Here in Istanbul an ecclesiastical ceremony will take place Sunday at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Fener and the president of the World Council of Curches Cardinal Walter Casper will attend. The Pope was present at the ceremony that took place in November 2006.
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http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/lifestyle/10465048.asp?scr=1
ISTANBUL - In Istanbul an ecclesiastical ceremony will take place Sunday at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Fener and the president of the World Council of Churches Cardinal Walter Casper will attend. The Pope was present at the ceremony that took place in November 2006.
Are you Scottish, Greek, Romanian or Russian? Then you’ll know that Sunday is St. Andrew’s Day as he is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Romania and Russia.
The Apostle Andrew is said to have founded the Christian Church in Bithynia which was located in the area of today’s Bursa and İznik. He is supposed to have gone further north into Thrace and then crossed the Black Sea. According to Greek tradition, Andrew landed on the shore outside Constantinople in the place where Fındıklı is today. There he is said to have built a prayer chapel but there’s no sign of such a structure today.
According to Byzantine tradition, St. Andrew was one of the first apostles called to the Bithynia, Byzantium area and he is associated with the claim that the See of Byzantium was apostolic in origin. In fact St. Andrew is acknowledged to have been the founder of the Greek Orthodox Church in Constantinople and he later went on in 44 AD to found the Georgian Orthodox Church.
According to biblical sources, Andrew was the elder brother of Simon Peter and the first man to have become an apostle or follower of Christ. Both were fishermen until they were converted to Christianity by Jesus Christ. Andrew embarked on a missionary journey after Christ’s death and spread the Christian religion throughout Anatolia and Greece. One tradition says the Romans crucified him in Patras, Greece. He was hammered to a cross of diagonal shape and this is supposed to have been the shape of the Cross of St. Andrew that appears on the Scottish flag. His brother Peter is considered the founder of the Papacy in Rome.
The saint’s bones were laid to rest in Patras but the Emperor Constantine wanted to have them moved to his new capital, New Rome or Constantinople, some 300 years later. The legend goes that a Greek monk or possibly an Irish monk saw in a dream that St. Andrew’s bones were to be moved and he was told by an angel that he should take whatever he could from the skeleton to the "ends of the earth."
In those days The Scottish Isles were about as far as anyone had any knowledge in those days so he took a few of the bones (a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers) and went there and if he needed any persuasion that he had reached the right place, his ship was wrecked there.
St. Andrew closest to Scotland
It is with Scotland that St. Andrew has been most closely associated even to the point of November 30th being proclaimed a holiday. While we know St. Andrews, Scotland as the center of great golfing and the home of an outstanding university, it is less known as the repository of some of the relics or bones of St. Andrew. The cathedral was built in the 12th century but fell into disuse following the Reformation in the 16th century. Today it lies in well-preserved ruins and the relics have disappeared and probably were destroyed during the Scottish Reformation when the Catholic Church was rejected.
It was after Robert the Bruce's famous victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 that St Andrew was officially named patron saint of Scotland and the diagonal cross became the national flag of Scotland in 1385. The flag is in the form of a white X on a blue background and is commonly known as The Saltire.
Crusader sack of Constantinople in 1204
The Crusaders who attacked and sacked Constantinople in 1204 probably stole what remained of St. Andrew’s body according to one story or only his skull according to another. They / it ended up in Amalfi, Italy and are still there today. There is however a silver box in a church in Patras, Greece that is supposed to hold the skull of St. Andrew. It’s really amazing how many bones can be attributed to one person.
In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a small piece of the Saint's shoulder blade to the re-established Roman Catholic community in Scotland and in 1969, Pope Paul VI gave the person appointed to be the first Scottish Cardinal since the Reformation more of St. Andrew’s remains. He is supposed to have accompanied the gift with the words, "Saint Peter gives you his brother." The Roman Catholic Pope is supposed to be in a direct line from Peter. These relics are in St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland.
St. Andrew's Day is a day to celebrate Scottish culture, food and dance and festivities are planned every year. It also marks the start of Scotland’s winter festivals. Would St. Andrew have been pleased? Unfortunately we don’t know enough about Andrew as a person but we hope he would have had a good time.
Here in Istanbul an ecclesiastical ceremony will take place Sunday at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Fener and the president of the World Council of Curches Cardinal Walter Casper will attend. The Pope was present at the ceremony that took place in November 2006.
Mumbai Christian leader speaks of 'real panic' after attacks
Bangalore, India (ENI). The National Council of Churches in India plus global church leaders have condemned the coordinated attacks in Mumbai, which have left more than 140 people dead. The Indian council on 27 November urged action to defeat "all forces and all forms of terrorism in India". Indian officials blamed an Islamic extremist group for the attack. The National Council of Churches in India groups 30 Orthodox and Protestant churches. It issued its statement after gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades targeted at least seven sites in Mumbai late on 26 November, and stormed two luxury hotels. "There is real panic here and the people have been stunned by the viciousness of the attack," said Metropolitan Geevarghese mar Coorilos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
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Death at Wal-Mart
I read this story yesterday and could not believe what I was reading but then again I could. The story of the worker at Wal-Mart being trampled to death is just another sign that we have gone crazy out of control with consumerism in this country. If you read the story you will see that these bargain hunters took the doors off the store to get in and also trampled a pregnant woman. I also think the unbelievable thing is that they did not close the store, people kept right on shopping. Rod Dreher got it right with the title of his post on this subject, What sick, wicked culture produced such people?
A few of my fellow bloggers have posts of note on this subject and I will link to those below please do give them a read. Take a moment and think about this and our part in it. Think about how we will change this year and try and make the world a different place.
In Memory of the Trampled Wal-Mart Worker: A Contemplative Rant by Carl McColm
What sick, wicked culture produced such people? by Rod Dreher
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A few of my fellow bloggers have posts of note on this subject and I will link to those below please do give them a read. Take a moment and think about this and our part in it. Think about how we will change this year and try and make the world a different place.
In Memory of the Trampled Wal-Mart Worker: A Contemplative Rant by Carl McColm
What sick, wicked culture produced such people? by Rod Dreher
Friday, November 28, 2008
Black Friday
It is 7:30am and the stores have been open since 4:30am so I am sure that many people have fallen into the trap of buying more junk then they can afford. If we have learned nothing from all of this economic stuff going on perhaps this year we can just celebrate a simple Christmas and not put ourselves in hock up to our eyebrows. Some folks are calling this make something day. Nothing is more personal then a gift that you make yourself. I can remember every year growing up we used to get a hat and scarf and some mittens from my grandmother. She worked all year on these gifts and they came from her heart. They were so warm and every time we wore them it reminded us of her. This year let's think about what we are buying and perhaps make something for those in our lives. Maybe even buy a gift or someone who has nothing, there will be a lot of that going around this year.H/T to Seven Whole Days for the Picture
Thursday, November 27, 2008
New Blog
Okay it is time to let you in on a little secret. One week from today I launch my new radio program called Father Peter Live! The show will air on WESO 970am from Southbridge and will run from 12-1pm on Thursdays. We are going to start with one day a week and see where it goes from there.
The format will be simple, call me and we chat. I am passionate about people getting their life back on track and I want to help you to do this. I believe that we need to be physically, spiritually, and emotionally well in order to be in balance. I want to help you do this. So what are we going to do? Well we are going to start with some tips on how to make the holiday season stress free! Then move on to weight loss and money management oh ya and little spirituality thrown in for good measure.
If you live in the Southbridge area tune in to 970am if not I just might be able to stream the show live on youtube or something stay tuned for that.
I have started a new blog for the show right now available here.
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The format will be simple, call me and we chat. I am passionate about people getting their life back on track and I want to help you to do this. I believe that we need to be physically, spiritually, and emotionally well in order to be in balance. I want to help you do this. So what are we going to do? Well we are going to start with some tips on how to make the holiday season stress free! Then move on to weight loss and money management oh ya and little spirituality thrown in for good measure.
If you live in the Southbridge area tune in to 970am if not I just might be able to stream the show live on youtube or something stay tuned for that.
I have started a new blog for the show right now available here.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Theological Virtue of Hope
The theological virtue of hope goes hand in hand with the theological virtue of faith. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans tells his readers that Abraham, “in hope believed against hope that he should be the father of many nations. (4:18) Hope, just like faith, is in that which is not seen. Again St. Paul tells the Romans, “For in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (8:24-25)
The classical definition of hope would be the assurance of the good outcome of our lives lived by faith in God. In hope we have a conviction that our lives built on that faith in God will produce fruits. Hope brings us confidence even in this world of darkness and sin. It is also the confidence that the light of the loving God will bring us forgiveness and also brings us the help that we cannot do on our own.
The Psalmist writes, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield. Yea out hearts are glad in him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Thy steadfast love, O Lord be upon us, even as we hope in Thee. (Psalm 33:20-22)
SO what then would we say is the opposite of this virtue of hope? Two things would fall into this category, despondency and despair. The spiritual tradition of the Church would teach that the state of despondency and despair is the most grievous condition that one can possibly find themselves in. Despondency is the worst and most harmful of the sinful states possible for the soul. This of course is from a spiritual sense. If we have no hope then nothing else is possible for us.
If someone falls in faithlessness that person can be chastised and convinced. If another is proud they can be humbled, impure he can be cleaned, weak strong, wicked righteous. But if one is despondent and full of despair their heart and soul will be dead and unresponsive to the grace that only God can give and the support of those around him.
The 6th century Saint Isaac of Syria in his Directions on Spiritual Training relates the following to his spiritual children, “The force of despondence overwhelm him and oppress his soul; and this is a taste of hell because it produces a thousand temptations: confusion, irritation, protesting and bewailing one’s lot, wrong thoughts, wanderings from place to place and so on.”
For one to rise from this state of despair and despondency he must remain steadfast and have patience. He must be a person of faith even when there is no conviction or feeling that such would be appropriate. The person must take one day at a time and immerse themselves in Scripture reading, liturgical worship, fasting, prayer, and work. St. Benedict would advise the person to remain stable in ones place to and to “what you are doing” and to do it as well as you can will all attention. The important part of recovery would be to find spiritual friends and a spiritual guide during this time.
There is no virtue in feeling weak and helpless in the presence of that which is evil. There is no virtue to consider yourself totally at the mercy of all that is evil and sinful in the world and in your life. Rather it is a virtue that one always is “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation” and knowing and believing that the final victory is God’s and God’s alone (Romans 12:12).
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The classical definition of hope would be the assurance of the good outcome of our lives lived by faith in God. In hope we have a conviction that our lives built on that faith in God will produce fruits. Hope brings us confidence even in this world of darkness and sin. It is also the confidence that the light of the loving God will bring us forgiveness and also brings us the help that we cannot do on our own.
The Psalmist writes, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield. Yea out hearts are glad in him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Thy steadfast love, O Lord be upon us, even as we hope in Thee. (Psalm 33:20-22)
SO what then would we say is the opposite of this virtue of hope? Two things would fall into this category, despondency and despair. The spiritual tradition of the Church would teach that the state of despondency and despair is the most grievous condition that one can possibly find themselves in. Despondency is the worst and most harmful of the sinful states possible for the soul. This of course is from a spiritual sense. If we have no hope then nothing else is possible for us.
If someone falls in faithlessness that person can be chastised and convinced. If another is proud they can be humbled, impure he can be cleaned, weak strong, wicked righteous. But if one is despondent and full of despair their heart and soul will be dead and unresponsive to the grace that only God can give and the support of those around him.
The 6th century Saint Isaac of Syria in his Directions on Spiritual Training relates the following to his spiritual children, “The force of despondence overwhelm him and oppress his soul; and this is a taste of hell because it produces a thousand temptations: confusion, irritation, protesting and bewailing one’s lot, wrong thoughts, wanderings from place to place and so on.”
For one to rise from this state of despair and despondency he must remain steadfast and have patience. He must be a person of faith even when there is no conviction or feeling that such would be appropriate. The person must take one day at a time and immerse themselves in Scripture reading, liturgical worship, fasting, prayer, and work. St. Benedict would advise the person to remain stable in ones place to and to “what you are doing” and to do it as well as you can will all attention. The important part of recovery would be to find spiritual friends and a spiritual guide during this time.
There is no virtue in feeling weak and helpless in the presence of that which is evil. There is no virtue to consider yourself totally at the mercy of all that is evil and sinful in the world and in your life. Rather it is a virtue that one always is “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation” and knowing and believing that the final victory is God’s and God’s alone (Romans 12:12).
Giving Thanks
So what are we thankful for? Use the comments section to list what you are most thankful for during this season of thanks.
I am most thankful for:
Family
Friends
A Parish that is beginning to have a vision
That Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior
How about you?
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Orthodox Daily Prayer Part II
For those of you who have been using the Orthodox Daily Prayer podcast I need to apologise I have not uploaded the files for tomorrow and Friday. I will get back on course during the weekend. iTunes has accepted the podcast so I just need to get the technical stuff working and you will be able to subscribe with iTunes.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Sunday, November 23, 2008
Shepherd of Souls 37
Episode 37 is now online and available from iTunes. This week we look at the sources of Orthodoxy and continue with the music of the Boston Byzantine Choir.
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Orthodox Daily Prayer
I have begun a new podcast called Orthodox Daily Prayer. I will endeavor to keep it updated daily with Morning and Evening Prayer. This is a condensed version of the prayer cycle of the day as printed in the Orthodox Study Bible. It will eventually be available on iTunes but I am waiting for their approval. For now you can follow this link. I will also place a permanent link on the sidebar and on the parish website at http://www.stmichaelorth.org/.Keep in mind that for Orthodox the daily cycle begins with evening prayer. So the evening prayer that is on the site now is for Monday.
Entrance of the Theotokos
Archbishop Nicolae’s Meditation on the Feast of the Entrance in the Temple of the Mother of God 2008
On the 21st day of the month of November we celebrate the bringing to the temple of Jerusalem of the Virgin Mary. The dismissal hymn sung at the Vespers and Matins reveal the significance of this feast: Today is the prelude of God’s generosity, the herald of the coming of salvation for all mankind. In the temple of God the Virgin is revealed to all, her presence foretelling the coming of Christ. With all our hearts, let us, therefore cry out to her: Rejoice, O Fulfillment of the Creator’s plan.
This is the forefeast of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of the Savior of the world. The bringing of the Virgin to the temple shows us, before its fulfillment, the Annunciation, the good will of God toward His creation. This act of the holy parents Joachim and Anna, of offering the Holy Virgin for service to the Temple reveals to us the fulfillment of the plan of the Creator to redeem the human race.
Let us remember that Joachim and Anna were God-fearing people who respected the guidance of the Old Law, but did not have children, which according to the beliefs of the Judean people, meant that God did not look favorably upon their family. God chose these righteous and faithful people to be “the prelude of God’s generosity” because they had promised that should God bless them with a child they would offer this child for service to the Temple, for service to God. Through the fulfillment of this promise, not only was the blessing of God poured upon them, but the gift which they received from God became a gift to the entire creation. God had turned His face toward them, but also toward the entire humanity.
The Entrance of the Mother of God in the Temple is the feast which heralds the benevolence of God, but also of the faithfulness of Joachim and Anna, who kept their covenant with God. Their faithfulness to God has brought them grace upon grace. Although they were advanced in age, they continued to pray for child. They continued to believe that their prayer would be heard and that matters which are impossible to man are possible to God. They believed that only God could change the purpose of their life, and He could bring the blessing for which they wished their entire life. And they were thankful for the gift received from God.
It is appropriate for all those who are faithful to be thankful; all of us who believe in God the Creator, Preserver, and Savior. It is appropriate to be thankful at this time when we prepare for the national holiday of Thanksgiving. It is appropriate to set aside for ourselves a moment of reflection and thanksgiving. Reflect on the history of the American colonists who sought for a land of liberty and well being. Likewise, reflect on the history which followed since that time, a history which has shaped this longing of the first colonists for religious freedom. Our reflection is made whole through thanksgiving. As we gather as families for this holiday, we thank God for the good things He has showered upon our forefathers, but also upon us.
Let us give glory and thanks to God for all things.
Blessed Thanksgiving,
† Archbishop NICOLAE
Sphere: Related Content
On the 21st day of the month of November we celebrate the bringing to the temple of Jerusalem of the Virgin Mary. The dismissal hymn sung at the Vespers and Matins reveal the significance of this feast: Today is the prelude of God’s generosity, the herald of the coming of salvation for all mankind. In the temple of God the Virgin is revealed to all, her presence foretelling the coming of Christ. With all our hearts, let us, therefore cry out to her: Rejoice, O Fulfillment of the Creator’s plan.
This is the forefeast of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of the Savior of the world. The bringing of the Virgin to the temple shows us, before its fulfillment, the Annunciation, the good will of God toward His creation. This act of the holy parents Joachim and Anna, of offering the Holy Virgin for service to the Temple reveals to us the fulfillment of the plan of the Creator to redeem the human race.
Let us remember that Joachim and Anna were God-fearing people who respected the guidance of the Old Law, but did not have children, which according to the beliefs of the Judean people, meant that God did not look favorably upon their family. God chose these righteous and faithful people to be “the prelude of God’s generosity” because they had promised that should God bless them with a child they would offer this child for service to the Temple, for service to God. Through the fulfillment of this promise, not only was the blessing of God poured upon them, but the gift which they received from God became a gift to the entire creation. God had turned His face toward them, but also toward the entire humanity.
The Entrance of the Mother of God in the Temple is the feast which heralds the benevolence of God, but also of the faithfulness of Joachim and Anna, who kept their covenant with God. Their faithfulness to God has brought them grace upon grace. Although they were advanced in age, they continued to pray for child. They continued to believe that their prayer would be heard and that matters which are impossible to man are possible to God. They believed that only God could change the purpose of their life, and He could bring the blessing for which they wished their entire life. And they were thankful for the gift received from God.
It is appropriate for all those who are faithful to be thankful; all of us who believe in God the Creator, Preserver, and Savior. It is appropriate to be thankful at this time when we prepare for the national holiday of Thanksgiving. It is appropriate to set aside for ourselves a moment of reflection and thanksgiving. Reflect on the history of the American colonists who sought for a land of liberty and well being. Likewise, reflect on the history which followed since that time, a history which has shaped this longing of the first colonists for religious freedom. Our reflection is made whole through thanksgiving. As we gather as families for this holiday, we thank God for the good things He has showered upon our forefathers, but also upon us.
Let us give glory and thanks to God for all things.
Blessed Thanksgiving,
† Archbishop NICOLAE
Ordinations
On Friday I had the privilege to participate in a deacon ordination. I had not been to an ordination since my own almost five years ago. It is wonderful to be able to participate and welcome a new brother to the ranks. That is not the end of the story however.
The ordination was the beginning of a weekend full of ordinations. Like I said on Friday we ordained one deacon. Yesterday we were to ordain the new deacon a priest and another to the deaconate. Then today the deacon will be ordained a priest and another man will be ordained deacon. Tow of the three are converts to orthodoxy and have brought their congregations into the fold. This has been a years long journey for them that, as I told them on Friday is only just beginning. So Axios Fr. Kevin and Axios Fr. Christopher!
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Theological Virtue of Faith
There are many different types of virtues, cardinal virtues, theological virtues, western virtues etc. I am focusing on the theological virtues for the purpose of this series. A theological virtue is so named because the object of these virtues is the divine being the Theos if you will. Other virtues have vice as the extreme and are only virtues when they are maintained between the two extremes of virtue and vice. Theological virtues do not contribute to a vice at the positive extreme. There is no vice in having an unlimited amount of faith, hope, or love when God is the object.
So what is the virtue of faith and how can we define it? My dictionary defines faith in several different ways. 1. Confidence in or dependence on a person, statement, or thing as trustworthy. 2. Belief without need of certain proof. 3. Belief in God or in the Scriptures or other religious writings. My theological dictionary defines faith in some of the same ways but adds this one; Belief and trust in Christ as one’s savior. No doubt this is a decidedly Christian view. Basically faith is a belief without proof but also steadfastness in this belief.
Faith is the foundational virtue of all Christian belief. We cannot go any further in our discussion if we do not have faith. Faith is the natural possession of all human beings that are wise and virtuous. Without faith in humanities ability to know, to do well, and to find meaning in life then nothing wise or virtuous can be achieved.
In his letter to the Hebrews St. Paul defines faith in these words, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Faith then is the confidence in the spiritual capabilities of humanity and in the goodness and power of God. Faith is a gift from God that is given to all and accepted by all who are open to activity of God in their lives. (Ephesians 2:8)
Sometimes we have the tendency to believe that faith is a blind leap into the dark and the unknown. Sometimes the Church has used faith to explain everything that we do. “We just need faith.” But genuine faith is in fact not a blind leap it is not an irrational or unreasonable acceptance of the unreasonable and the absurd. Faith that is rooted and grounded in our reasonable nature that is made in the image of God is genuine. If we do not have faith in the Scriptures this becomes the epitomes of foolishness and absurdity. “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good.” Psalm 14:1-2) “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that act wisely that seek after God. (Psalm 53:1-2)
As humans, we were made to have faith in God. We were created in His image and likeness and to worship God the creator of all things. If we do not have belief in God then we pervert human nature and this is the cause of all evils. The weakness of our faith in God is rooted in sin, impurity and finally pride. This is not something on the intellectual level but it is in fact our suppression of the truth of God and our refusal to acknowledge God with honor and thanksgiving.
Those of us who wish to be spiritual are people who live “by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) The spiritual person then is one who, by the grace of God, is faithful in all things.
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So what is the virtue of faith and how can we define it? My dictionary defines faith in several different ways. 1. Confidence in or dependence on a person, statement, or thing as trustworthy. 2. Belief without need of certain proof. 3. Belief in God or in the Scriptures or other religious writings. My theological dictionary defines faith in some of the same ways but adds this one; Belief and trust in Christ as one’s savior. No doubt this is a decidedly Christian view. Basically faith is a belief without proof but also steadfastness in this belief.
Faith is the foundational virtue of all Christian belief. We cannot go any further in our discussion if we do not have faith. Faith is the natural possession of all human beings that are wise and virtuous. Without faith in humanities ability to know, to do well, and to find meaning in life then nothing wise or virtuous can be achieved.
In his letter to the Hebrews St. Paul defines faith in these words, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Faith then is the confidence in the spiritual capabilities of humanity and in the goodness and power of God. Faith is a gift from God that is given to all and accepted by all who are open to activity of God in their lives. (Ephesians 2:8)
Sometimes we have the tendency to believe that faith is a blind leap into the dark and the unknown. Sometimes the Church has used faith to explain everything that we do. “We just need faith.” But genuine faith is in fact not a blind leap it is not an irrational or unreasonable acceptance of the unreasonable and the absurd. Faith that is rooted and grounded in our reasonable nature that is made in the image of God is genuine. If we do not have faith in the Scriptures this becomes the epitomes of foolishness and absurdity. “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good.” Psalm 14:1-2) “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that act wisely that seek after God. (Psalm 53:1-2)
As humans, we were made to have faith in God. We were created in His image and likeness and to worship God the creator of all things. If we do not have belief in God then we pervert human nature and this is the cause of all evils. The weakness of our faith in God is rooted in sin, impurity and finally pride. This is not something on the intellectual level but it is in fact our suppression of the truth of God and our refusal to acknowledge God with honor and thanksgiving.
Those of us who wish to be spiritual are people who live “by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) The spiritual person then is one who, by the grace of God, is faithful in all things.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Church Today
A Meditation by Vicar Bishop Ioan Casian of Vicina
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The Orthodox Church, on the night of Pascha, gives witness to this great mystery of the coming of the Lord. St. John the Evangelist has said it this way, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us...” (I John 1:1-2).
The Church is the new temple in which resides the grace which restores man to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the laboratory of the love and holiness of God given to us men, it is the new life of the Trinity which has been incarnated and communicated to us through the Church in the Holy Mysteries.
The Paschal period particularly accentuates the Apostles’ need to be strengthened in their faith, for even though they had accompanied the Savior for more than three years and had seen His miracles and witnessed His word of power, they were still confused at His resurrection. This shows us clearly that man needs something more than the word, something constitutive—the grace of God which brings new life. In fact, the Savior tells them at His Ascension, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the ends of the earth”(Acts 1:8).
The Holy Apostles received the mission to proclaim the word, but not just in any way. The work of salvation is not human, but divine. In the Church, God gives us Himself, making us partakers and fellow-laborers in salvation. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the Holy Mysteries, we receive from the power of God’s grace, which profoundly illumines and renews mankind and the entire world. From the beginning until now, the Church, through its ministry manifested in the Holy Apostles, the Holy Fathers, and all the Saints, reveals the new life. In every time and epoch, Tradition has represented the way in which man has understood and translate into deeds this understanding of how to live that new life.
For those of us today who are involved in the life of the Church, society expects us to give authentic responses to the problems of our time, in the spirit of the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition. Therefore all of us—both the young and those who are older, men and also women, simple people as well as scholars—are one body and each of us members working toward the same goal—salvation.
In our Archdiocese in North America we find ourselves in a specific context, which requires a spiritual strategy that is adapted to the major problems that confront us—to name a few: Christian identity and witness, universality and specificity, the perennial and the contingent, tradition and renewal, mission, new and renewing standards, etc.—just to mention a few. To all these things the Church must respond with its message to become exemplary history. The response we give as members of the Church, modeled on the image of Christ, must incarnate the commandment of love of neighbor which God has given us, and which our forefathers and mothers have demonstrated in founding churches as witnessing communities of faith in God.
May Christ the Lord illumine us through His grace, that through our ministry we may be living stones of the spiritual edifice which is the Church—the Body of Christ.
www.romarch.org
Sphere: Related Content
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The Orthodox Church, on the night of Pascha, gives witness to this great mystery of the coming of the Lord. St. John the Evangelist has said it this way, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us...” (I John 1:1-2).
The Church is the new temple in which resides the grace which restores man to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the laboratory of the love and holiness of God given to us men, it is the new life of the Trinity which has been incarnated and communicated to us through the Church in the Holy Mysteries.
The Paschal period particularly accentuates the Apostles’ need to be strengthened in their faith, for even though they had accompanied the Savior for more than three years and had seen His miracles and witnessed His word of power, they were still confused at His resurrection. This shows us clearly that man needs something more than the word, something constitutive—the grace of God which brings new life. In fact, the Savior tells them at His Ascension, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the ends of the earth”(Acts 1:8).
The Holy Apostles received the mission to proclaim the word, but not just in any way. The work of salvation is not human, but divine. In the Church, God gives us Himself, making us partakers and fellow-laborers in salvation. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the Holy Mysteries, we receive from the power of God’s grace, which profoundly illumines and renews mankind and the entire world. From the beginning until now, the Church, through its ministry manifested in the Holy Apostles, the Holy Fathers, and all the Saints, reveals the new life. In every time and epoch, Tradition has represented the way in which man has understood and translate into deeds this understanding of how to live that new life.
For those of us today who are involved in the life of the Church, society expects us to give authentic responses to the problems of our time, in the spirit of the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition. Therefore all of us—both the young and those who are older, men and also women, simple people as well as scholars—are one body and each of us members working toward the same goal—salvation.
In our Archdiocese in North America we find ourselves in a specific context, which requires a spiritual strategy that is adapted to the major problems that confront us—to name a few: Christian identity and witness, universality and specificity, the perennial and the contingent, tradition and renewal, mission, new and renewing standards, etc.—just to mention a few. To all these things the Church must respond with its message to become exemplary history. The response we give as members of the Church, modeled on the image of Christ, must incarnate the commandment of love of neighbor which God has given us, and which our forefathers and mothers have demonstrated in founding churches as witnessing communities of faith in God.
May Christ the Lord illumine us through His grace, that through our ministry we may be living stones of the spiritual edifice which is the Church—the Body of Christ.
www.romarch.org
Archbishop’s Nicolae Meditation on the Feast of St. Demetrios the Myrrhgusher
On the 26th day of the month of October the Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy and Great Martyr Demetrios, who was raised and educated in the Christian faith during the persecution of the Christians at the hands of the Roman emperors. Demetrios was appointed by the emperor Maximian proconsul of the city of Thessalonica, thus becoming his father’s successor. One of his responsibilities was precisely to force all those who confessed the Christian faith to renounce it and to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods.
Once he arrived in Thessalonica and took up his post as proconsul, Demetrios confessed the Resurrected Christ and encouraged the Thessalonians to embrace the new faith. As St. Paul had done, Demetrios showed himself as a true Apostle to the city of Thessalonica. Not even the arrival of the emperor made him change his attitude, even though he knew that the punishment was prison or even death. A young servant by the name of Nestor, receiving the blessing of St. Demetrios, defeats the famous arena fighter Lyaeus, which angered the emperor greatly. Like many other Christians, Demetrios and Nestor are sentenced to death for their courage to confront the emperor and for the confession of their faith in Christ.
The story of the martyrdom of St. Demetrios is known to all Christians. We are all aware of the persecution of the early Christians in the first centuries after Christ. We are all aware of the fervor of those Christians, who paid a price of suffering and death, for confessing Christ as the God who saves us. They paid a price in likeness with the sacrifice that the Savior himself suffered for us.
How do we understand that we must confess Christ today? We live in a free world where we fear neither an emperor nor his servants. Therefore, we do not fear for our lives. Thus we can believe that confessing the Christian faith can be accomplished without danger. However, it is too seldom that we ask ourselves how we confess Christ in our times. We forget too quickly the words of the Savior himself, who exhorts us to confess that: „Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father, who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32) But we especially forget the warning which follows: „But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father, who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33)
Consequently the example of St. Demetrios’ confession of the Christian faith before the emperor, is not simply a beautiful story of courage, worthy of history textbooks. It is the fulfillment of Christian life which requires confessing our faith in Christ. Irrespective of time and place, the Christian reveals himself according to the measure of his courage to confess his faith. The words of the Savior are clear and they are not subject to our self-serving interpretations.
Let us listen to His words again and to ask ourselves how we will confess Christ before men in order to receive His confession before the heavenly Father.
www.romarch.org
Sphere: Related Content
Once he arrived in Thessalonica and took up his post as proconsul, Demetrios confessed the Resurrected Christ and encouraged the Thessalonians to embrace the new faith. As St. Paul had done, Demetrios showed himself as a true Apostle to the city of Thessalonica. Not even the arrival of the emperor made him change his attitude, even though he knew that the punishment was prison or even death. A young servant by the name of Nestor, receiving the blessing of St. Demetrios, defeats the famous arena fighter Lyaeus, which angered the emperor greatly. Like many other Christians, Demetrios and Nestor are sentenced to death for their courage to confront the emperor and for the confession of their faith in Christ.
The story of the martyrdom of St. Demetrios is known to all Christians. We are all aware of the persecution of the early Christians in the first centuries after Christ. We are all aware of the fervor of those Christians, who paid a price of suffering and death, for confessing Christ as the God who saves us. They paid a price in likeness with the sacrifice that the Savior himself suffered for us.
How do we understand that we must confess Christ today? We live in a free world where we fear neither an emperor nor his servants. Therefore, we do not fear for our lives. Thus we can believe that confessing the Christian faith can be accomplished without danger. However, it is too seldom that we ask ourselves how we confess Christ in our times. We forget too quickly the words of the Savior himself, who exhorts us to confess that: „Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father, who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32) But we especially forget the warning which follows: „But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father, who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33)
Consequently the example of St. Demetrios’ confession of the Christian faith before the emperor, is not simply a beautiful story of courage, worthy of history textbooks. It is the fulfillment of Christian life which requires confessing our faith in Christ. Irrespective of time and place, the Christian reveals himself according to the measure of his courage to confess his faith. The words of the Savior are clear and they are not subject to our self-serving interpretations.
Let us listen to His words again and to ask ourselves how we will confess Christ before men in order to receive His confession before the heavenly Father.
www.romarch.org
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Theological Virtues
Where is our country going? Each and everyday you turn on the news, or read a news paper and we see that the country and perhaps even our world, is slowly sinking in a pit of mire. How did it get this way and is there any way we can stop it? I believe that one of the ways we can do this is by looking at the theological virtues. What are the theological virtues you ask? The theological virtues are faith, hope, and love or charity is some cases.
In Latin a virtue is described as personal characteristics valued as promoting individual and collective well being and therefore are good by their very definition. In the early usage of the word it was used to describe something as masculine or war like. The opposite of a virtue is a vice, something we are all too familiar with I am afraid.
In a wider definition of virtue the word would refer to excellence and something that is essentially good. Virtues are something that should be practiced all of the time. The three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all share the virtues is common. In the Jewish tradition God is known as the compassionate one and is often times invoked as the Father of Compassion. In the Islamic tradition the Qur’an is the great repository of all virtue in earthy form and the Prophet Mohamed and his reported sayings are the exemplar of the virtue in human form.
In addition to the beatitudes that Jesus spoke in the Gospels, there are many fruits of the Holy Spirit as found in St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:22-23 “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” In many ways the fruits listed are virtues in a strict sense of the definition we have laid out at the beginning.
The Orthodox Christian Church teaches that the human body as well as the soul has to be trained and disciplined because after all we humans are a unity of soul and body. For the Orthodox Christians we use fasting and self-control as the primary source of all good and the foundational act in acquiring virtue. This is something to work up too not something that happens over night.
In the book of Genesis we read that human beings were created in the image and likeness of God. The 7th Century Theologian John of Damascus writes, “The expression according to the image indicates rationality and freedom, while the expression according to the likeness indicates assimilation to God through virtue.” All of the human virtues can be attributed to God. They are the property of the divine which should be in all of us by the gift of God during creation and our salvation through Christ Jesus.
The likeness of God depends upon our moral choices upon our virtues and the likeness can be destroyed by sin in the very real sense. The image of God however can never be lost even by the most sinful act. We do not possess these virtues from the start. The virtues are a goal that we all must aim for. The virtues are something which we can only hope to acquire by degrees through the grace of God.
Faith, “the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Hope, the assurance of the good outcome of our lives lived by faith in God. Love, The greatest virtue of all. If we do not love one another we cannot love God, for God is love.
If we just take aim at these virtues who knows our world might just be a better place.
Sphere: Related Content
In Latin a virtue is described as personal characteristics valued as promoting individual and collective well being and therefore are good by their very definition. In the early usage of the word it was used to describe something as masculine or war like. The opposite of a virtue is a vice, something we are all too familiar with I am afraid.
In a wider definition of virtue the word would refer to excellence and something that is essentially good. Virtues are something that should be practiced all of the time. The three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all share the virtues is common. In the Jewish tradition God is known as the compassionate one and is often times invoked as the Father of Compassion. In the Islamic tradition the Qur’an is the great repository of all virtue in earthy form and the Prophet Mohamed and his reported sayings are the exemplar of the virtue in human form.
In addition to the beatitudes that Jesus spoke in the Gospels, there are many fruits of the Holy Spirit as found in St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:22-23 “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” In many ways the fruits listed are virtues in a strict sense of the definition we have laid out at the beginning.
The Orthodox Christian Church teaches that the human body as well as the soul has to be trained and disciplined because after all we humans are a unity of soul and body. For the Orthodox Christians we use fasting and self-control as the primary source of all good and the foundational act in acquiring virtue. This is something to work up too not something that happens over night.
In the book of Genesis we read that human beings were created in the image and likeness of God. The 7th Century Theologian John of Damascus writes, “The expression according to the image indicates rationality and freedom, while the expression according to the likeness indicates assimilation to God through virtue.” All of the human virtues can be attributed to God. They are the property of the divine which should be in all of us by the gift of God during creation and our salvation through Christ Jesus.
The likeness of God depends upon our moral choices upon our virtues and the likeness can be destroyed by sin in the very real sense. The image of God however can never be lost even by the most sinful act. We do not possess these virtues from the start. The virtues are a goal that we all must aim for. The virtues are something which we can only hope to acquire by degrees through the grace of God.
Faith, “the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Hope, the assurance of the good outcome of our lives lived by faith in God. Love, The greatest virtue of all. If we do not love one another we cannot love God, for God is love.
If we just take aim at these virtues who knows our world might just be a better place.
Veterans/Remembrance Day
Today in the US it is Veterans day and in the UK it is Remembrance Day. It seems it has become just another day. Oh well we seem to forget everything except ourselves in our world now. We have become so self-centered that we seem to forget the things that are important. On this day of remembrance of those who fought to keep this country safe let us pause for just a second, in our busy lives and say thank you.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
--Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918).
Sphere: Related Content
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
--Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918).
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monastery
Today I am off at 4:30am to meet with my Bishop at our monastery near Middletown, New York. He has been there this weekend and he requested that I come down and see him. I have not been able to meet with him for a year and he likes to see his clergy when he is in the area. So I am up early and out the door. The flip side of all of this is I will be back in the rectory by 1pm or so. I hope.
Pray for me as I travel.
Sphere: Related Content
Pray for me as I travel.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Sunday
I have been silent since Tuesday night after my election live blogging. I am sure some of you are happy and some of you are not with the outcome of the election. I was going to write something about the election but so much has been written that I figured why bother. I posted something on Facebook the other night and asked if the liberals were filled with this much hate when George Bush was elected in 2000 I cannot remember all of this nonsense but I guess it did exist. I believe that we all need to pull together and make this country work. Will Obama do everything that we agree with, no but neither did President Bush. So where do we go from here? We just keep on doing what makes this country great. Think about it this way. In some countries people would have been killed on election day, and then the election would have just been called for whatever dictator was in favor. Think of all of the places where the people get no voice. I just ask that we tone down all of the rhetoric and get on with fixing this mess. As Orthodox we pray for the President of the United States, no matter who he or she is.
This weekend is our parish patronal feast. St. Michael's feast day was actually yesterday but we transfer the feast to Sunday. We had a vesper service last night and today after liturgy we have a banquet. We are expecting about 70 people for lunch and the team that put it all together has done a great job. The folks from St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church come to liturgy today and we will repay the visit for their feast day in a few weeks. It is nice when we are all able to worship together. I have struggled all week on the homily and I am not really pleased with what I have come up with. Maybe I will get a spark from the Holy Spirit at the last minute. One can only hope. Sphere: Related Content
This weekend is our parish patronal feast. St. Michael's feast day was actually yesterday but we transfer the feast to Sunday. We had a vesper service last night and today after liturgy we have a banquet. We are expecting about 70 people for lunch and the team that put it all together has done a great job. The folks from St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church come to liturgy today and we will repay the visit for their feast day in a few weeks. It is nice when we are all able to worship together. I have struggled all week on the homily and I am not really pleased with what I have come up with. Maybe I will get a spark from the Holy Spirit at the last minute. One can only hope. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Blogging
I am going to be live blogging the results as long as I can stay awake that is.
11:00pm CNN Projects:
Obama Wins
10:25pm CNN Projects:
TX - McCain
MS - McCain
10:00pm CNN Projects:
UT - McCain
KS - McCain
IA - Obama
9:53pm CNN Projects:
NM - Obama
9:38pm CNN Projects:
OH - Obama
8:40pm CNN Projects:
PA - Obama
8:30pm CNN Projects:
NH - Obama
8:11 Electoral College
McCain - 34
Obama - 77
8pm CNN Projects:
ME - Obama
MA - Obama
CT - Obama
DEL - Obama
DC - Obama
SC - McCain
TN - McCain
OK - McCain
MD - Obama
7pm CNN Projects:
VT - Obama
KY - McCain Sphere: Related Content
11:00pm CNN Projects:
Obama Wins
10:25pm CNN Projects:
TX - McCain
MS - McCain
10:00pm CNN Projects:
UT - McCain
KS - McCain
IA - Obama
9:53pm CNN Projects:
NM - Obama
9:38pm CNN Projects:
OH - Obama
8:40pm CNN Projects:
PA - Obama
8:30pm CNN Projects:
NH - Obama
8:11 Electoral College
McCain - 34
Obama - 77
8pm CNN Projects:
ME - Obama
MA - Obama
CT - Obama
DEL - Obama
DC - Obama
SC - McCain
TN - McCain
OK - McCain
MD - Obama
7pm CNN Projects:
VT - Obama
KY - McCain Sphere: Related Content
Election Prayer
Election Prayer
by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
Lord Jesus Christ, You told us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God. Enlighten the minds of our people [in] America. May we choose a President of the United States, and other government officials, according to Your Divine Will. Give our citizens the courage to choose leaders of our nation who respect the sanctity of unborn human life, the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of marital relations, the sanctity of the family, and the sanctity of the aging. Grant us the wisdom to give You, what belongs to You, our God. If we do this, as a nation, we are confident You will give us an abundance of Your blessings through our elected leaders. Amen.
H/T Fr. Z
Sphere: Related Content
by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
Lord Jesus Christ, You told us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God. Enlighten the minds of our people [in] America. May we choose a President of the United States, and other government officials, according to Your Divine Will. Give our citizens the courage to choose leaders of our nation who respect the sanctity of unborn human life, the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of marital relations, the sanctity of the family, and the sanctity of the aging. Grant us the wisdom to give You, what belongs to You, our God. If we do this, as a nation, we are confident You will give us an abundance of Your blessings through our elected leaders. Amen.
H/T Fr. Z
Today is the Day
So it has arrived. For the past 18 months we have been inundated with political stuff and it is now our turn to cast our vote. It is up to us now to make the difference. By all accounts this will be a record setting day. There are reports from Ohio that people will be standing in line for more than an hour. This is a good thing. On the radio this morning it was reported that Connecticut is expecting a 90% turn out! Can anyone remember a 90% turn out?
Fr. Greg and I will be meeting about 12:30 for lunch and then a drive around podcast that I hope to get online right after depending on the editing and technical problems. We plan to drive to various towns in the area and see what is going on and talking about the election. We have very different views on voting and this should be interesting.
Tonight I will perform what has become a tradition. I will ensconce myself in front of the TV and watch the returns. I usually print a map and I color in the states, I know I am crazy but it is tradition!
I posted a prayer last week for the election and I will keep it at the top of the blog today. Pray it before going to cast your vote.
Sphere: Related Content
Fr. Greg and I will be meeting about 12:30 for lunch and then a drive around podcast that I hope to get online right after depending on the editing and technical problems. We plan to drive to various towns in the area and see what is going on and talking about the election. We have very different views on voting and this should be interesting.
Tonight I will perform what has become a tradition. I will ensconce myself in front of the TV and watch the returns. I usually print a map and I color in the states, I know I am crazy but it is tradition!
I posted a prayer last week for the election and I will keep it at the top of the blog today. Pray it before going to cast your vote.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Sermon from Today
It has been some time since I posted a sermon. This week I talked about the upcoming election and how we need to think about the vote. I will be curious to hear your comments. Just be nice!
SERMON Sphere: Related Content
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