Never being one to enter a room that I am not wanted in, I thought I would share this link with you all about the situation going on in the Anglican Communion. Things are not all sunshine and roses at their meeting in Africa.
Parish Renovation
Today is a big day in the life of our little parish. The bathrooms in the parish hall, circa 1950, are getting a much needed face lift. Right now I can hear the pounding of sledge hammers are the workers are removing the old floor tiles to make way for a new floor. Although this may not seem like a big deal to some, this is a really big deal for us and will give us a fresh start and is the first step in rebuilding this church.
The work is being done through a community service program of the Worcester County Sheriff’s office. Sheriff Guy Glodis has a program where inmates from the County Jail are sent out, with an officer, to work around the community in the construction field. They are taking care of the rip out today and then after the plumber does his thing, they will come back and install the new windows, doors, and paint. This is a great program and I am happy that we are able to take advantage of this and also it is a ministry that we are able to help these guys learn a trade and keep them on the right path. I will try and post some pictures as work progresses.
Judgment Sunday
This Sunday of the pre-Lenten season is the Sunday of the Last Judgment. On this day we see, in the Gospel lesson from Matthew 25:31-46, the conditions upon which we will be judged by Jesus Christ. We see, therefore, the conditions of the reward for our righteousness. We see what we must do in our lives on earth and are challenged to undertake a lifestyle which will bring us to eternal life on the day of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, the day of universal and eternal resurrection.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me… Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me. Matthew 25:35-36, 40
On this we are judged. By recognizing Christ in those around us and by treating them accordingly, we attain salvation. We see Christ. We see ourselves. We return to the Father who shows us His Son in the least of our brothers and sisters.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me… Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me. Matthew 25:35-36, 40
On this we are judged. By recognizing Christ in those around us and by treating them accordingly, we attain salvation. We see Christ. We see ourselves. We return to the Father who shows us His Son in the least of our brothers and sisters.
Saturday of Souls
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
Luke 21:8-9, 25-27, 35-36
Today is the first Saturday of the Souls in the Orthodox Church. On this day we remember all of those who have gone before us and we pray for them. Tomorrow is the Sunday of the Last Judgement so it is fitting that on this day before we remember those who have died. We pray for all that have departed in faith and hope of resurrection, beseeching the righteous judge to show forth His mercy upon them on the very day of impartial retribution at the universal judgement.
The church has received this custom through the Apostolic Constitution (Book VIII, ch. 42). We also commemorate the dead on the third, ninth, and fortieth day after their death and then each year after for three years. The Apostolic Father taught that since many had died in faraway places and did not have the benefit of these services a common memorial should be said for all the pious Orthodox Christians who have died from all the ages past.
The Icon used on this day is the same as that for tomorrow the Last Judgement included here.
The So Called Independant Church
A quick scan around the Internet will reveal many so called “Independent Churches” that have a presence on the net. The ones I like best are the ones that use Geocities or one of the other free website places. I guess they cannot afford the $8.50 that Yahoo charges to host my parishes website.
Anyway one of the best things about these churches is that everyone gets to be a bishop. Almost everyone of them is a bishop or better yet metropolitan archbishop. I guess if for some reason you cannot be a priest in a church one can just start one of their own. What does it mean be to canonical anyway. For the Orthodox this is a big deal, and I know for our Roman Catholic friends it is just as important. For us if you are not canonical you are not orthodox.
I think its funny that if you surf to anyone of these churches their case for Apostolic Succession is right there on the first page. However, if you surf over to any Roman Catholic Diocese or any Orthodox diocese you would be hard pressed to find such a thing. Why is that?
So where does that leave us? Just be careful when looking around for a church. If your Orthodox then SCOBA is the place to start. The Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas is the group of, dare I say “REAL” orthodox bishops in the United States. These are the guys that rule over the Canonical Jurisdictions in the US. If a church is under one of them you are good to go, if not, shake the dust off your sandals and move on. Sorry to be so blunt, but this has gone on long enough. We need to start speaking out about these one and two person churches with 47 bishops.
Okay, rant is over for the day!
Liturgy Prayers – Prayer of the Third Antiphon
The third and final antiphon is chanted another small litany and then the Prayer of the Third Antiphon is said:
You that have bestowed on us these communal prayers lifted in one voice, that promised to grant the requests of two or three agreeing in your name, now fulfill the requests of your servants. Give us in this present age the knowledge of your truth and bestow on us in the future age, everlasting life.
Now we get to the heart of the matter. We are now turning to God and asking that all of the prayers we make in the Liturgy are granted. We ask to be enlightened in this present age so that we may comprehend all that we are about to hear, and we ask for life everlasting. This sums up the first part of the Liturgy and sets the stage for what comes after. Next is the little entrance and the readings from Scripture.
There is a tradition of changing these prayers based on the season. The Monks at New Skete in New York have come out with a book entitled Sighs of the Spirit. In this book the Monks have researched ancient manuscripts and have found that the prayers did change based on the season. Every now and again I like to shake things up and throw in one or two new prayers. I always get comments after the liturgy about the prayer so I know people are listening.
Liturgy Prayers – Prayer of the Second Antiphon
Continuing on from yesterday we have the Prayer of the Second Antiphon. After a short litany that is the same for each of these we have the following prayer:
O Lord our God, save your people and bless your heritage. Guard the fullness of your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of your house. Glorify them by your divine power. And do not abandon us who hope in you.
In this prayer we focus now on the Church and her people. I have seen some translation that say bless your inheritance, I prefer this translation as printed above. We are the heritage of Gods people that began this journey. The fullness of the church. For me this is essence of orthodoxy. We say that orthodoxy is straight or true teaching, and we see it here in this prayer. We ask for Gos to preserve this fullness against it being watered down as so many have gone before us. Blessings on those that love the beauty of the church and glorification of the same. And the final petition not be be abandoned in our time of need. Nice prayer and sums things up nice for me.
Liturgy Prayers – Prayer of the First Antiphon
With Great Lent just around the corner I thought I would do some posting on the silent prayers of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. These are the prayers that the priest says while other things are going on during the Liturgy. Most priests I know do not say these prayers out loud, but I have made a practice out of saying them so the congregation can hear them. I do not have a deacon here in the parish so I am chanting the Litanies when the prayers would normally be read.
First up is the prayer of the First Antiphon:
O Lord Our God, whose might is incomparable and glory is incomprehensible, whose mercy is immeasurable and love toward mankind inexpressible, O master, in your compassion look on us and on this holy church and grant the riches of your mercies and compassion to us and to those that pray with us.
This seems an all encompassing prayer that begins by praising God for all that He has done and then asks for specific prayers for the church congregation. The line that I find most interesting is the last part, where we ask for compassion to us and to those that pray with us. Some have said that the “us” is the priest in the regal sense. He is asking for compassion for himself as well as for the congregation. I feel that by saying these prayers aloud and the congregation following along and praying with me, that we are praying not only for ourselves at this point but also for all those in the world. This puts a global face on the liturgy and brings us into the prayer of the church.
The previous litany, known as the great litany, is the common bond in all of the liturgical services in the church. Each of the services, Orthros, Vespers, and the Divine Liturgy, share this common element. In it we begin by praying: “In peace let us pray to the Lord.” Peace in necessary for the full and complete appreciation of the Liturgy. If we do not have peace of mind and peace in our hearts then we are not worthy to stand before the Altar and beg forgiveness and to offer thanks. We must be reconciled to all before we can ask for reconciliation. Not always and easy task.
Sunday of the Prodigal Son
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Luke 15:11-32
Having acknowledged our sins and sought the Lord’s forgiveness, we now see that we are called to action. We must return to God, our Father, who willingly and lovingly accepts us if only we make the slightest motion to return home to Him. This is the theme of the third Pre-Lenten Sunday.
The Gospel lesson for the Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).
The Gospel lesson for the Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).
“There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”
We are presented with a young man, who against his father’s advice, had taken all his possessions, wasted them through foolishness, resorted to tending pigs in order to make a living, and found himself sharing the food which they refused to eat. But “he came to himself” and remembered life as it was at his father’s house. He got up and returned home, hoping only to be accepted as a servant. His father ran to meet him. He kissed his son, clothed him regally, and celebrated his return with much festivity for, in the words of his father, “my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”
Hijinks in Boston
So it would seem that all of Boston was in a uproar yesterday over some stupid prank by the TBS network. Some fun loving people put things that appeared to be bombs in various places around the city and once spotted set off a military like operation. Okay some may say that they over reacted to the whole thing, but in this post 9/11 world I am glad we take such things serious. In my opinion the TBS network should reimburse the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the costs of yesterdays little stunt. I understand that two men have been arrested for posting the things all over town. There are numerous sites on net where one can read about the thing but there are too many to post. Outrage is welcome!