Rev. Peter M Preble – Page 113 – Open-Minded, Open-Hearted Minister & Soul Friend

8 April ~ The New Martyr John Naukliros

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Fr. Peter

The Holy New Martyr John Naukliros (“the Shipmaster/Skipper”) (Greek: Ιωάννης ο Ναύκληρος ) was an Orthodox Christian during the seventeenth century who was martyred by Muslim Turks after he rejected their subjecting him to Islamic conversion rites while he was unconscious. His feast day is April 8.

The martyr John suffered a psychological sickness. One time, when he was found in an unconscious state, some Turks performed over him the rite of conversion to their religion. After he came to his senses he saw the seal of circumcision and a white turban on his head. He agonized over the evil that had befallen him and angrily tore the symbol of Islam from his head. He repented with tears before God, bitterly bewailing the indignity that had occurred, and continued to live as a Christian.

Once the Turks observed how he had recanted and again resumed his life as a Christian, they furiously rushed at John and savagely beat him, then threw him into prison as being an apostate. Neither lectures, beatings, nor threats bent his will, as John repeatedly asserted:

“I believe with all my soul and heart in my Lord Jesus Christ and I confess him as true God Who will judge all the world, both the living and the dead. I despise that religion of yours, and am prepared to endure whatever tortures you subject me to for the love of Christ.”

When they heard these words and perceived the staunchness of his opinion, they angrily seized John, buffeting and shoving him about on the way to the judge. Once there, they testified how John had become a Moslem and now had changed his mind. The judge gave the order and they beat him unmercifully. As they realized that even with a flogging he was not in the least dispirited, he passed down the final sentence – burning at the stake. Therefore, after suffering many torments they burned the martyr alive on the island of Kôs on April 8, 1669.

Thus he completed his life, receiving joyfully the martyr’s crown and being made worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

A service to the new martyr John Naukliros was composed by the Athonite Monk Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis (1905-1991), the late contemporary hymnographer who has been honoured by the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the title of Hymnographer of the Great Church of Christ.

Source

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Thrd Sunday of Great Lent ~ Veneration of the Holy Cross

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Fr. Peter

On the Third Sunday of Great and Holy Lent, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Services include a special veneration of the Cross, which prepares the faithful for the commemoration of the Crucifixion during Holy Week.

The commemoration and ceremonies of the Third Sunday of Lent are closely parallel to the feasts of the Veneration of the Cross (September 14) and the Procession of the Cross (August 1). Not only does the Sunday of the Holy Cross prepare us for commemoration of the Crucifixion, but it also reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ.

As we have “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24), and will have mortified ourselves during these forty days of the Fast, the precious and life-giving Cross is now placed before us to refresh our souls and encourage us who may be filled with a sense of bitterness, resentment, and depression. The Cross reminds us of the Passion of our Lord, and by presenting to us His example, it encourages us to follow Him in struggle and sacrifice, being refreshed, assured, and comforted. In other words, we must experience what the Lord experienced during His Passion – being humiliated in a shameful manner. The Cross teaches us that through pain and suffering we shall see the fulfillment of our hopes: the heavenly inheritance and eternal glory.

As they who walk on a long and hard way and are bowed down by fatigue find great relief and strengthening under the cool shade of a leafy tree, so do we find comfort, refreshment, and rejuvenation under the Life-giving Cross, which our Fathers “planted” on this Sunday. Thus, we are fortified and enabled to continue our Lenten journey with a light step, rested and encouraged.

Or, as before the arrival of the king, his royal standards, trophies, and emblems of victory come in procession and then the king himself appears in a triumphant parade, jubilant and rejoicing in his victory and filling those under him with joy, so does the Feast of the Cross precede the coming of our King, Jesus Christ. It warns us that He is about to proclaim His victory over death and appear to us in the glory of the Resurrection. His Life-Giving Cross is His royal scepter, and by venerating it we are filled with joy, rendering Him glory. Therefore, we become ready to welcome our King, who shall manifestly triumph over the powers of darkness.

The present feast has been placed in the middle of Great Lent for another reason. The Fast can be likened to the spring of Marah whose waters the children of Israel encountered in the wilderness. This water was undrinkable due to its bitterness but became sweet when the Holy Prophet Moses dipped the wood into its depth. Likewise, the wood of the Cross sweetens the days of the Fast, which are bitter and often grievous because of our tears. Yet Christ comforts us during our course through the desert of the Fast, guiding and leading us by His hand to the spiritual Jerusalem on high by the power of His Resurrection.

Moreover, as the Holy Cross is called the Tree of Life, it is placed in the middle of the Fast, as the ancient tree of life was placed in the middle of the garden of Eden. By this, our Holy Fathers wished to remind us of Adam’s gluttony as well as the fact that through this Tree has condemnation been abolished. Therefore, if we bind ourselves to the Holy Cross, we shall never encounter death but shall inherit life eternal.The Sunday of the Holy Cross is commemorated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, which is preceded by the Matins service. A Great Vespers is conducted on Saturday evening. The hymns of the Triodion for this day are added to the usual prayers and hymns of the weekly commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ.

Scripture readings for the Sunday of Orthodoxy are: At the Orthros (Matins): The prescribed weekly Gospel reading. At the Divine Liturgy: Hebrews 4:14-5:6; Mark 8:34-9:1.

At the conclusion of the Matins (the traditional practice in association with a vigil) or of the Divine Liturgy, a special service is held. The Cross is placed on a tray surrounded by basil or daffodils and is taken in solemn procession through the church to the chanting of the Thrice Holy Hymn. The tray is placed on a table before the people, and the hymn of the Feast of the Cross is chanted. As the priest venerates the Cross, the priest then the people chant, “We venerate Your Cross, O Christ, and Your holy Resurrection we glorify.” At the conclusion of the service, the people come and venerate the cross and receive the flowers or basil from the priest.

General

Sermon ~ Jut Do It!

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Fr. Peter

The Gospel of Mark 2:1-12

At that time, Jesus entered Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak thus? It is a blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”-he said to the paralytic-“I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

I have many favorite Scripture Passages. Peter walking on the water, Jesus feeding the five thousand, and of course who can forget the story of the Resurrection. I seem to gravitate towards stories that show real people in real circumstances getting things done. Today we have such a story.

Jesus was in Capernaum, and like he usually does, He finds a place where He can teach people about the Kingdom of God. I would assume, by this point, that His name is known about the region as Scripture tells us, “and many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them.” So the house that he was in was filled to overflowing with people and they were all listening to what Jesus had to say.

There was a man who was paralyzed and his friends carry him to see Jesus in the hopes that He would heal him. Again, we have to assume that Jesus name was pretty well known around the area. They must have heard about other healings to take the chance to carry their friend to see Him. They get there, and of course they cannot get it. But this will not deter them from getting help for their friend.

They climb up on the roof and remove part of it, actually Mark’s Gospel says they “removed the roof” and they lowered the man down. Now a few observations here before we continue. Did not one notice that the roof was being removed? Where did they get the ladder and the rope? What did the man say who owned the house? And the big question, did they put the roof back on? Let’s come back to those questions in a minute.

When the man is lowered Jesus “saw the faith of the Paralytic” the faith of the paralytic? What about the faith of those who did all the work to get him there? Anyway, I digress.

Jesus simply tells the man, your sins are forgiven. There just happened to be some Scribes in attendance and they heard what Jesus just said, and Scripture says, “they questioned in their hearts.” Scribes were the ones who wrote stuff down but they also were teachers of the law, so they knew their stuff. They are not like people today who have read a few books and are suddenly experts on everything, although they tend to have the same attitude towards things they really do not understand.

Well Jesus knows this is going on and He asks them why they are asking questions. Jesus approached everything as a teaching moment and he also approached situations with compassion. So he asks them why they think these things. He then asks them a question, “What is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk?’” You see to the scribes only God can forgive sins and Jesus is taking that power on Himself. I will pause here to say that during confession it is not the priest who forgives, never in the prayers to I say “I forgive” but I tell you that God forgives, as He is the only one, but also remember, Jesus is God!

He tells them that in order for them to understand that He, the Son of Man, has power on earth, He tells the man to get up and walk and go home. You see, Jesus did not heal the man’s body when He told him his sins were forgiven, the man was still lying there, it was only when the Scribes questioned Jesus that he healed the man’s body. This is an important point for us today, the body is not important; it is the soul that is what matters.

There is a common thread here between the men who brought the paralytic to Jesus and Jesus himself. They both saw what needed to be done, and regardless of the rules, they Just Did It!

Recently, Pope Francis went to a prison in Rome and washed the feet of some of the prisoners there. Two of them happened to be girls and this has sent the conservative Roman Catholic world into a head spin. “How can he do it” they cried, “it is against church law” others have said. Well, Pope Francis has immense compassion on everyone and he did what needed to be done. He went to the least of these, got down on his knees and washed and kissed their feet, in imitation of what Jesus did, but also to show compassion and service to those who need him most.

Now don’t get me wrong, rules are there for a reason and God knows we Orthodox have lots of rules, but we cannot let the rules get in the way of authentic ministry to the least of these!

Let’s look for a minute at the ministry of Jesus, He healed on the Sabbath, He ate with Tax Collectors and sinners, He mingled with Prostitutes, He talked to Samaritans, and as we see today, He forgave a man his sins.

Sometimes I think, we Orthodox, hide behind the rules so we do not have to face the reality of the situation out there in the world. Sometimes I think we believe that ministry only takes place here in the Church. I have been very impressed thus far with the new Pope of Rome. He seems to know what needs to be done, and he is just doing it. He is driving the establishment crazy but he is just doing it!

Jesus drove the establishment crazy. He called people to a deeper sense of spirituality and service. He said the rules are important as a guide for your life, but we cannot let them stand in the way of meeting people where they are and being true servants of those who need us the most.

Jesus defied the rules, He was born of a virgin, He was killed for no reason, and if that was not enough, He rose from the dead. He did this to show us the way, the way for us to live and the way for us to serve.

The time is now, it is time to Just Do It!

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The Date of Easter

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Fr. Peter

Unless you live under a rock you know that today is the Western World it is Easter. The Orthodox are celebrating Easter a little latter this year, May 5th. So as the Western World is celebrating Easter the Orthodox are celebrating the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent!

So what’s the deal? Why do we celebrate Easter or Pascha as we like to call it, on a different day? Recently, a priest friend of mine, posted a very simple to understand answer to this question on Facebook. I have been looking for YEARS for a simple way to explain it and now I have it and I pist it below for all the world to see.

Why is the date of Orthodox Pascha so different from Western Easter this year?

There are several reasons:

1. The calculation of the date of Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox Church maintains the formula of the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. “Pascha is the first Sunday following the date of the Paschal Full Moon.”

2. The “Paschal Full Moon” is not calculated according to astronomical observation (any longer), but uses a table composed in the fourth century by the Church of Alexandria. Eventually, this created a table of 19 cycles for determining the date of Pascha.

3. All dates in the calculations are assumed to be on the Julian calendar. The Julian Calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. So, for instance, this year, the actual Julian date of Orthodox Pascha is April 22, which is May 5 on the Gregorian calendar.

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The Outskirts

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Fr. Peter

Yesterday, I had the honor of participating in the 34^th Annual Food Share Radiothon on WESO 970 AM here in Southbridge. Food Share is the food pantry organization of Southbridge, Webster, and Dudley and provides food to thousands of families in the Tri Town area on a daily basis. Feeding the hungry is one of the things we are commanded to do by Christ in His Gospels and I was happy to help out.

If you have been reading these pages for any length of time, you know that our Church, St. Michael Romanian Orthodox Church, serves a Community Meal three times each month. We call this a Community Meal on purpose, we are not only trying to feed those who might need a meal, but we are also attempting to build community at a time when more and more people are turning inward and becoming more and more isolated. This is not a soup kitchen but an outreach to help those who need it. This has become a vital ministry here and we struggle with ways to fund this ministry.

I a recent homily, Pope Francis told the priests assembled that they must “Go to the Outskirts” and minster to people. I believe what Pope Francis is saying is that we need to move outside of our comfort zone and move out to the highways and byways of life to minister to people. We need to sit with people and listen to their stories and get to know them. The church, and by that I mean all Churches, need to find out what people need before we start something that we think they need. The Church needs to move outside of itself and reach out.

I believe that Church is all about relationships. Jesus did not sit under a tree and wait for people to come to him nor can we simply open the doors of the Church and wait for people to come in, we have to engage people where they are. We need to go out of the Church and into the community and bring the love of Christ to them. Not in an accusatory way, but in a way that lets people know that God loves them no matter who they are, and that they can find love, compassion, and healing in His Church.

Building relationships with people is not easy, listening to people is not easy, but it is what Jesus did. Jesus taught the people but He also listened to them. He was genuinely concerned about their lives and he ministered to them. He comforted Mary and Martha at the death of their brother Lazarus. He showed concern for His mother from the cross as well as asking forgiveness of His Father in heaven for those who had crucified Him. Compassion was the hallmark of the earthly ministry of Jesus and it needs to be the hallmark of the ministry of the Church.

It is time for us to “go to the outskirts” and bring the love of Christ. How will they come and see if we do not go and tell?

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Lenten Prayer

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Fr. Peter

O great Lord and God! You have led us from corruption to imperishable life through the life-giving death of Your Christ. So, now, deliver our senses from the mortal tyranny of our passions and place them under the safe and able guidance of our inner reason. Let not our eyes wander in search of evil sights, nor our ears indulge in listening to idle talk. Cleanse our tongues of unbefitting speech, O Lord, and purify our lips that they may praise You. Keep our hands from evil deeds and make them ever ready to do only the things that please You. Do this, Lord, by strengthening our understanding, and, indeed, our entire being, by your grace.

For You deserve all glory, honor, and worship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

From the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

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William Henry Preble

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Fr. Peter

For the last 20 years or so, my brothers and I have been involved in researching our family heritage. We have spent most of that time researching the Preble side of our family tree although there are many branches and all are equally important.

Yesterday, on my way to another meeting, I stopped by the Mount Feake Cemetery in Waltham Massachusetts to pay a little visit to a grave of my Great Great Grandfather William Henry Preble. I never knew him, and I have never seen a picture of him and I am not sure why I feel certain closeness to him. Maybe it has to do with his service in the Civil War as that is an area of research interest for me. The strange this is my family is not what I would call cemetery people, we do not go and visit the cemetery, but I felt like I needed to take this little detour and visit his grave.

William Henry Preble was born in 1838 in Deer Isle Maine and by the age of 12 had moved with his family to Machias Maine. At the age of 23 he enlisted as Corporal in Company H of the 9^th Maine Infantry Regiment and went off to fight in the Civil War. The 9^th Maine fought alongside the 54^th Massachusetts at Fort Wagner in South Carolina, this was the battle made famous by the movie Glory starring Matthew Broderick. Not sure if he was wounded, but he is listed as sick and in hospital after the battle and he served the rest of the War with the Invalid Company of the Volunteer Reserve Corps on Long Island New York.

Upon his discharge he returned to Maine and continued his family. Prior to 1880 he moved with his family to Wisconsin and took up farming. Maybe this is where I get it. By 1900 he had moved back east and settled in Waltham Massachusetts. According to his obituary he was a contractor in Waltham where he lived the rest of his life. He died in 1921 6 years after his wife of 57 years Lydia.

During my visit to his grave I noticed no mention of his service in the Civil War. No marker was present at the grave or on his marker that is placed in the ground. I am wondering if this is how he wanted it or if it was something that just was not done. I asked in the office if flags were placed on veteran’s graves and was told that if they know he is a veteran they will place a flag. I am not sure how they would know since it is not marked.

I have made some inquiries about getting a marker for his grave as I believe it is important that veteran’s graves are marker, it is the least we can do for those who served.

Why do I write all of this? I believe it is important that we tell the stories of those who have come before us. During the funeral service in the Orthodox Church, we sing may their memory be eternal, it is up to us to keep their memory alive.

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The Image We Project

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Fr. Peter

Clergy gathered for the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers

Saturday night, the Churches of the Worcester Council of Orthodox Churches gathered at St. George Cathedral in Worcester to commemorate the great feast day that we celebrate today. Like countless others before us, we gathered to remember the great victory of the Church over the devices of the Evil one when the Icons were restored. Countless numbers of people gave their lives in defense of something that most of us take for granted, thousands gave their lives to protect the images of Christ, the Theotokos, the Apostles, and the Saints, and it is a shame that more people could not stop their busy lives to remember a very large part of our Church.

It may be difficult for us to believe, but there was a time when it was illegal for Churches to display images on the walls and on the Icons screens in their churches. It was illegal for individuals to possess an Icon on their person or in their home, and for some the penalty was death. Icons play a vital role in our Orthodox worship, much like statues play in the Church of the West, we do not worship the image, but what the image represents, and it is unfortunate that we do not venerate these images more.

But we cannot talk about the restoration of the images made of wood and plaster and paint without speaking of the restoration of the images made of flesh and blood.

We all know the story, we read it this past week in the daily readings that are proscribed by the Church, our first parents were cast out of the garden. Last Sunday, we remember this expulsion from the garden and how our first parents were exiled from paradise and how their image was stained, not because of a piece of fruit or because of a serpent, these are just excuses, but because they willingly turned their back on God. They made a choice to follow their own will and not that of God and for that they were cast out.

After that life was not easy for humanity. Read the Old Testament to find out just how hard life became and still is for humanity because of the desire to follow our own will and not that God. The image of humanity that was created in the very image and likeness of God was tarnished, blackened if you will, by sin because of a single choice and a single action, pride.

But we know that the story does not end there, we know as resurrection people that it did not end with the expulsion from the garden and this commemoration today is not just about the restoration of the images we call icons, but it is a reminder of what is to come.

Our entire journey here on earth is for one purpose, and that is to restore our broken relationship with God. Sure, it has become fashionable today to talk about I’m okay you’re okay and that it is only sin if someone gets hurt, but that is heresy and always has been. We are not okay, we are broken and in need of healing, the healing that comes to us through the Church and from God.

Orthodoxy has a certain world view, we have a certain way we look at things and that is supposed to guide us in how we think and make decisions. Several weeks ago we heard in the Scriptures about the man who came to Jesus and asked Him what he had to do to enter Eternal Life, and Jesus response was love God and love neighbor. In other words, love of the creator and the creation. This is the Orthodox world view, and it must influence every decision and every thought that we have.

For most people, love of God is the easy part it is the love of neighbor that is difficult. How do we love someone who continuously hurts us and scorns us and casts us aside? How do we love someone who continuously uses us for their own benefit, and then when they have used us up, they cast us aside? It is not easy, but we do not have a choice in the matter we MUST love them whether they return that love or not. When we carry a grudge, they only person we are hurting is us, and our relationship with God, and we tarnish the image of God that we were created to be the image of. God is love, so we have to be that love.

How do we see others? How do we see our fellow human beings? Do we see them as Icons of Christ, as human beings created in the image and likeness of God or do we see them as things? Do we use labels when describing people, like; homeless, deadbeat, lazy, liberal, conservative, criminal, illegal immigrant, addict, terrorist, or do we see them as human beings that were created by an all loving God? Do we see them as their label or do we see them as Icons? Our Orthodox world view does not allow us to see our fellow human beings as anything but that, our fellow human beings.

I am a huge fan of the PBS series Downton Abbey. Many of you watch the program but for those of you who don’t it takes place at the turn of the 20^th century in England in an extremely large manor house with the family living above the stairs and the servants living below the stairs. Live below the stairs was not all that bad, but the lesser servants were supposed to be invisible to the family, for the most part their names were not even known to them. If they were working in a room and a family member came in they were to scurry out without saying a word. Imagine a human being being invisible to another. If you think about it it is not all that hard to imagine.

When we have an opportunity to help those in need, when we have an opportunity to help those who have reached out their hands to us, and we slam the door or slap their hand away, that person is invisible to us. We see them as things and not as Icons of Christ.

Jesus Christ came to this earth not to save governments or nation states, Jesus Christ came to restore the image of humanity. There are very few times that Jesus directly addressed what the government of the day was doing, and he told those who were listing to render unto Caesar. He did not tell the government to treat the people better nor did he eat with them.

Jesus left us with a way of life, and that way of life is built upon love, love of God and love of our fellow human beings. These days that we spend in Great Lent lead us to the ultimate act of Love, Jesus giving His life for us on the Cross. Did he have to do it? Could there have been another way? Sure, but Jesus chose to come to earth in the form of man, not the form of the ruler of man, but of a lowly peasant who did not even have a place to lay his head at his birth, and he was killed as a common criminal, and He did all of that for one reason, the restoration of the image of God.

So yes, today we commemorate the actions of the fathers of the 7^th Ecumenical Council the restored the use of Icons, but we also need to think about how we treat, and how we think about the image of those around us.

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The Pope and the Patriarch

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Fr. Peter

Like most of the world, I have been paying pretty close attention to what the new Pope of Rome is doing these days. From what I have seen and from what I have read about Pope Francis they elected a reformer, I pray he is up to the task.

As an Orthodox Christian who came to Orthodoxy from the Roman tradition, I was extremely excited to see that Patriarch Bartholomew attended the Mass of Installation this week in Rome. He was not the only Orthodox in attendance but what makes this so noteworthy is this was the first time in history that a Patriarch attended a Papal Mass.

The media, in their own way, got most of the facts wrong. It was not the first time since 1054 that a Patriarch attended as I have just said and as some of my priest colleagues mentioned, this has never happened before. Delegations would be sent, but Patriarchs never did this in the past. The other thing they always seem to get wrong is, Patriarch Bartholomew is not the leader of the Orthodox Church, well he is the head of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Spiritual head, but he is not the leader in the same sense we think of the Pope of Rome.

Orthodoxy has many Patriarchs, for example, my Church has a Patriarch, Daniel of Romania. Patriarch Daniel is the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Each Patriarchate is autonomous and “runs” things in collaboration with the synod of bishops of that particular church.

According to Canon II of the First Council of Constantinople held in 381, Rome has primacy of place and then “The Bishop of Constantinople, however, shall have the prerogative of honor after the Bishop of Rome; because Constantinople is New Rome.” This does not mean that Constantinople is subject to Rome; Roman Universality came much later and is one of the contentious points between east and west. This was Primacy of Honor and how the various Patriarchs were to be commemorated during the Liturgy.

The other often misunderstood historical element is the date of 1054. 1054 is the date historians’ use as the final arbiter of formal separation between the Church of the East and the Church of the West, but there was an exceptionally long and complex history there that simply cannot be reduced to a date. This separation was long and painful, and yes, it came to a conclusion in 1054, but we need to keep things in perspective.

So where does that leave us today? Unlike some of my priest colleagues and other Orthodox, I think that we must dialogue with our brothers and sisters in the West. I think that we must do all we can to heal the rift and separation between the two ancient churches. However, there are certain theological problems that need to be resolved and that does not mean that the Orthodox should compromise the historic faith. I also think that using terms like heretic and heterodox and not helpful and only hurt the possibility of working together. We agree on far more than we disagree, sure the disagreements are large, but calling each other names is not helpful and I for one will not engage in it.

Patriarch Bartholomew has invited Pope Francis to come to Constantinople, and I also read, that they both will go to the Holy Land at some point in time. It would be nice if all of the Patriarchs could have a meeting, a meeting that is more than a photo op we have enough of those already, but a real meeting of substance. Let us not forget that Christianity is under attack not only by the Muslims but by modernity and the only way that we will defeat both of these is if we do it together.

To those of you who think Patriarch Bartholomew is a heretic for attending the Mass in Rome I bid you farewell. There will always be the fringe element on both sides who believe they are holier and more orthodox than the rest. You are free to leave and set up shop on your own. To my brothers who use the terms heterodox and heretic, I ask you to reconsider your words. Yes, they score great political points, but it is not helpful in any dialogue. The Orthodox do not need to cede any ground in theology, but we need to approach this in all humility and understanding as the father of the prodigal welcomed home his son. Now is not the time for arrogance but the time for humility.

You are free, of course, to disagree, but I ask you to do so with respect.

We witnessed a historical event in Rome, and I for one was extremely glad to see this. I think there is much we have in common with our Roman brothers and sisters, and we need to work together for the common good. Pope Francis has a heart for the poor in this world and we Orthodox share this concern, let us work together as brothers and sisters on the things we can to make a difference in this world. We need unity and understanding to resolve our theological issues, and that can happen if we are all open to the Spirit.

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Sermon ~ I Bind Myself

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Fr. Peter

Today is the Sunday of Forgiveness. This is the Sunday that we clean our hearts and our minds of anything that we might be holding against our neighbors or against ourselves. As Christians, we are not to hold grudges or even the memory of past hurts and the things that others have done against us. No one is without fault, and as much blame as you pile on others we need to pile on ourselves. I have said this before, but it bears repeating, we can all use confession, and if we think we do not need it, we are guilty of the sin of pride. At the end of the Liturgy, today, rather than the usual blessing, we will all as each other for forgiveness and we will readily give forgiveness to one another If I have offended anyone by my words or actions I humbly as for your forgiveness and I ask for your prayers.

But today we also celebrate one of the greatest saints of the western world. Prior to the Great Schism of 1054 the Church was one universal church. The Church was divided by geography and not by theology. The Church is the west was developing along one path and the Church of the east along another. Prior to the great sin of Schism, many holy men and women walked on the earth, and one of those is St. Patrick of Ireland. It has been said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s day, and as a Scotsman you have no idea how hard it was for me to say that!

However, I am comforted by the fact that Saint Patrick was in reality born in Kilpatrick in Dumbarton, wait for it, located in Scotland! It would seem that this great saint of the Irish was in fact born on Scottish soil. However, Scotland’s greatest saint, Columba was born on Irish soil, so I guess the trade was worthy, unlike some of those of the Patriots this past week. An interesting fact, neither one wanted to leave their native soil but St. Patrick was captured and brought to Ireland and St. Columba, as the legend goes, was exiled for his role in failed military battle against the king. Obviously God had other plans for these two.

There are many legends associated with Patrick, the leprechauns, driving the snakes out, and others such things but perhaps the greatness of his legacy remains in the writings that he has left behind. Through the pen of St. Patrick and his life, we learn about forgiveness, simplicity, confession, and humility.

St. Patrick had a remarkable insight and devotion to the Trinity. In the Icon of St. Patrick he is depicted holding the three leaf clover, not a four leaf clover as Hallmark would like you to believe. The three leaf clover was what Patrick used to teach his followers about the Trinity. A single stem with thee leaves branching off. Each leaf is separate but gets it nourishment and its very life, from the single stem. This very basic teaching has been passed down and has helped countless generations understand something that is almost incomprehensible, how can three be one?

After Patrick’s consecration as bishop, he was attacked for a sin that he confessed. No one is quite sure what this sin was but whatever it was he committed the sin when he was but 15 years old. He confessed this sin to a friend, and in jealousy this “friend” told people about it. St. Patrick was betrayed by this “friend” but, in his own humble way, he forgave this person and it is from that single simple action that we learn so much about character of this great man. We simply need to forgive not matter what has been done to us, no matter who it was that did it, we must forgive.

But the most famous of all his writings is the Lorica or the Breastplate of St. Patrick. The story is that St. Patrick and his followers used this prayer to defend themselves from those who wished to destroy them as the traveled across Ireland. The words of this prayer show St. Patrick’s deep love and knowledge of the Trinity and gives us a glimpse into the theological mind of this great saint.

It is simply a prayer of consecration to the Holy Trinity as the first words are “I bind myself today to the strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity.” The readers of this prayer are dedicating themselves to the Trinity and all that means for them and for us.

The prayer continues as they bind themselves to the Incarnation of Christ, His baptism, crucifixion, burial, and His resurrection. They go on to bind themselves to the preaching of the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, confessors and the deeds of righteous men. To the power of heaven, the light of the sun, the brightness of the moon.

They bind themselves to God’s power to guide, uphold, teach, to watch over them, and to keep them safe from all manner of evil.

Then comes the most famous part of the prayer,

Christ with me, Christ before me
Christ behind me, Christ within me
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left

In other words, I surround myself with Christ and His power to defend me!

This is the purpose of the season we start tomorrow, a closer walk and relationship with Jesus Christ, and we only realize that close relationship if we truly dedicate ourselves to Him, not just today, but every day.

Most of the world will celebrate this revered Saint today with a parade and possibly having drinks in a bar. Very few people will step foot into a church and bind themselves to the thing that St. Patrick loved so much, the Trinity! It is unfortunate that when we think of St. Patrick the first thoughts that come to mind very often is the drink and not the Trinity. But, for those of us here today, we have the opportunity to remember for different reasons. Today we will forgive each other, we will begin Great Lent with a clean slate towards one another, and I pray, we bind ourselves, as St. Patrick did, to the most Holy Trinity.

I bind myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity
I believe the Trinity in Unity
The Creator of the Universe.