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Priestly Formation ~ Part 4

Posted on by Fr. Peter

This is the fourth essay on the subject of priestly formation.

Priestly Formation ~ Part 1
Priestly Formation ~ Part 2
Priestly Formation ~ Part 3

In the past three essays I have concentrated on the job of the seminary in the formation of our clergy, in this essay I would like to focus on the role of the family and of the local parish community in the formation of future clergy.

Any formation begins in the home.  The parents are the first teachers of their children and as such they need to be informed of the faith so they can pass it along to their children.  Does the family pray before meals at the table?  Back up, does the family even sit at table anymore to even have time of prayer?  Doo parents and children read the Scriptures and pray together, do the parents attend church with their children or do they simply drop them off?  Do parents participate in the Sacramental life of the parish?  By this do they partake of Eucharist and Confession more than once or twice a year?  If parents are the first teachers of their children what are we teaching them?

All of this presupposes that the parents understand their faith.  Based on the comments I have read on the various social networks and on these very pages, I draw the conclusion that we have done a very poor job of teaching the faithful what the church teaches.  We hold to an ancient faith that does not compromise on her positions based on opinion polls.  It is difficult to be an Orthodox Christian in this world that teaches us we have to be accepting of everything.  There exists confusion in the some of the pews.  I have seen things written by my fellow clergy that make me wonder about their own spirituality let alone what they are teaching their faithful.

The future priest should be called out of the community.  The man should feel a call from God and that call should be verified by the local community but if that community is not spiritually mature this becomes a problem.  As much as we need priests in the church today, not every man that feels he is called should be ordained.  Graduation from seminary should not be the only qualification.

The potential candidate for the priesthood should be a man who is currently meeting with a spiritual father that is known to his bishop.  He should avail himself of the Sacrament of confession on a regular basis, I would suggest monthly at a minimum, and he should be someone who receives the Eucharist also on a regular basis.  And he should have a love for the church and all she believes in.  He needs to be a man of deep prayer.

There is a lot of pressure on the local community but healthy communities will help produce healthy priests that will in turn produce healthy communities.

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Sunday Sermon ~ Go Forth

Posted on by Fr. Peter

On the 6th Sunday after Pentecost the Orthodox Church remembered the Fathers of the first six Ecumenical Councils.  Also commemorated on this day was the Holy Prince and Equal to the Apostles Vladimir of Kiev.  The Gospel comes from St. Matthew Chapter 5.

The Reading is from Matthew 5:14-19

The Lord said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Sermon Audio

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Faith in the Church

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Holy Icon of All Saints

A week ago, the Orthodox world was trying to get used to the idea that a Metropolitan of a major Jurisdiction in the United States had resigned in a cloud of controversy.  (I am not implying that he was involved in anything illegal here.) I do not know why it happened and I am not part of that jurisdiction but it highlights a topic that has been going around the internet all week.  Some have said that this incident has caused them to lose faith in the Church.  I find this statement difficult to comprehend.

As you know, if you have been reading these pages for any length of time, I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church.  During my first year of seminary began, what some call, the dark ages for the Church of Rome.  The clergy sex abuse scandal broke one Sunday morning as we emerged from our yearly retreat.  The events that would follow would shape the priesthood of generations of priests to come.  I heard people say this caused them to lose faith in the Church, and some, sought refuge in other faith groups.  Again, I find this difficult to comprehend.

I think we need to be careful when we speak of “the church” because it has two radically different meanings.

First, the Church is the collection of people, called by Christ, and baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity.  The Church is the people of faith, gathered together as community large and small, for the purpose of working out their salvation.  In an Orthodox context this would be those who call themselves Orthodox and are by virtue of their baptism.  This is the Church that was founded, if you will, by Christ Himself on the day of Pentecost and this is the ONLY church that one should have faith in.

Second, the Church is the building and the institution.  The political, and by that I mean the administrative unit, that was designed by man to keep things running.  This is the Church that has the Tax exempt status and institutes the rules and regulations that govern the earthly organization, the one that caused the many foibles that we have witnessed in these days.  This is the very flawed man made institution that is necessary in the modern world.  As Orthodox we believe that the actions of the bishops of our Church are guided by the Holy Spirit, but sometimes we flawed men try and run things our own way and that usually leads to disaster.  Any study of history will show that, from time to time, this institution be Byzantium or Rome has been corrupted by greed, lust, and any of the other sins that afflict man in his fallen nature.  Reform happens from time to time, and this is not always a bad thing.

So where then should of faith be?  Our faith should be in our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ as He, and he alone, is the one who gave His life on the Cross for you.  Our faith needs to be focused on Christ and on Christ alone.  We need to have some faith in the structure of our Church, but we also need to recognize that any man run institution will have its flaws.  Bishops are men, and as men they come will all of the baggage that we all have.

We are fallen human beings in search of salvation and bishops are no different.  I would also suggest that bishops come under far great spiritual warfare than any of us could imagine.  Bishops are not perfect; they are sinners just like the rest of us.  I am not suggesting that this excuses the bishops when they go off the rails.  Like the rest of us, when we sin there are consequences for that sin.

Those of us who serve in pastoral ministry at any level, know that we will be held accountable for the actions, and in actions that we make as pastors.  We have been entrusted, by God, with a flock and it is our responsibility to guide and guard that flock here on earth.  The bishop carries a staff as a visible sign of that ministry.  The staff is a reminder to him, and to us, that he is to guide us and lead us a father would lead his children.  But if there comes a time that the leading is going in the wrong direction then we have an obligation to point that out.  In the case I mentioned in the first paragraph of this essay, if the canons of the church were violated, if the internal rules of that particular jurisdiction were not used properly, then by Church law those involved need to be held accountable and punished accordingly.  As leaders we have an obligation to lead by example and to follow the rules of the Church.  If we break the rules, we should face punishment.

Put no trust in Princes, Scripture tells us, because they are men and are sinners just like the rest of us.  Place your trust, your hope, and your faith on Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He will never let you down.

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The sign of the Cross

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Elder Cleopa Ilie

Do not do anything without signing yourself with the sign of the Cross! When you depart on a journey, when you begin your work, when you go to study, when you are alone, and when you are with other people, seal yourself with the Holy Cross on your forehead, your body, your chest, your heart, your lips, your eyes, your ears. All of you should be sealed with the sign of Christ’s victory over hell. Then you will no longer be afraid of charms, evil spirits, or sorcery, because these are dissolved by the power of the Cross like wax before fire and like dust before the wind.

– Elder Cleopa Ilie

h/t Simply Orthodox

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Civil War Chaplains

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Chaplains of the Irish Brigade

During the last years of my service in the United States Army, I had the honor of serving as a chaplain’s assistant in the 42nd Division Artillery.  Since ordination I have had the privilege of serving as chaplain major of the National Lancers.  Chaplains in the military serve a very necessary service.

I am an amateur Civil War buff and have started a small research project on the role of religion during this time period in history and more specifically the role of the chaplain during the war itself.

According to the book “Faith in the Fight” there were some 3,694 ministers, priests, and rabbis duly sworn and commissioned into service in the Armies of the North and the South.  Officially noncombatants they were prohibited to act like soldiers and to be friends to all.

Rev. George S. Bradley of the 22nd Wisconsin Regiment wrote about the life of an Army chaplain in his book, The Star Corps: Notes of an Army Chaplain during Sherman’s Famous March to the Sea, published in 1865.  He wrote that “The regulations require that a chaplain must be an ordained minister of the Gospel.  That means he must have spent several quiet years as a student and probably several more with a peaceful congregation.”

The Reverend John E. Robie of the 74th New York State Militia wrote an article for the Buffalo Christian Advocate, which he owned, about the qualifications and duties of the Army Chaplain:

“In order to become a chaplain it is necessary to get a certificate of not less than five ministers of one’s own denomination that one is a regularly-ordained clergyman… He must be elected to the position by the regiment which he will serve… He will be paid $100 a month and $18 for rations with forage for one horse… As the commanding officer will permit, the chaplain should have prayer daily at dress parade… The prayer should not be more than three minutes long… On Sunday, but one service can be held, and that not always… The service, including scripture-reading, singing, sermon or address, and prayers should occupy 20 or 25 minutes – never over 30.”

Very interesting accounts of what the life of a chaplain really was during the time of war.  The role of the chaplain has not changed all that much since those days and is still a vital part of the military service.

One chaplain that I will mention is Father William Corby who served with the 88th New York Infantry Brigade of the famous Irish Brigade.  Fr. Corby is the chaplain on the lower right in the picture at the top of the page. Chaplain Corby came to fame due to his role at the Battle of Gettysburg.

On the afternoon of July 2, 1863 the Irish Brigade was located on Cemetery Ridge and was preparing to go into battle at the Wheatfield.  Fr. Corby asked for permission to speak to the men and stepping upon a boulder he called upon God to grant the men courage and then pronounced a conditional general absolution on the men gathered before him.  He warned the soldiers that the forgiveness of their sins was only good to men who did their military duty.

A statue has been erected to honor Fr. Corby and at the time of its construction it was the first statue depicting a non-general on the battlefield.

Fr. Corby went on after the war to become the president of Notre Dame University.

There are many more stories like these in the pages of history and I hope to bring some of them to these pages as time goes on.  We should be thankful that even today, men and women are answering the call the serve the military as chaplains.

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On Clerical Involvement in Politics

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agios Vasilios

July 11, 2012
BriefingNews

“It’s a sin when some Clergy divide people according to their parties criteria and identify with one party faction. This is the reason why the canon laws of the Church forbid to Clergy involvement in politics”, said Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agios Vasilios to BriefingNews.
When asked about clergy who involve themselves with political issues, and generally politics, and whether there are limits to this, the Hierarch stressed that the Church is the Body of Christ, the spiritual mother of all Christians, and should remain open to all people, regardless of color, race, class, or political order.
He further said:
“This is the greatness of the Church, that it is not enclosed in small intimate groups that are distinguished by particular political parties and ideologies. And like every mother, She shows Her love for all children, who may belong to different parties, and so much more should this be done by the Church.
It is within this framework that the Clergy should move, as Spiritual Fathers and spiritual mothers of people who are looking for affection, love, freedom, meaning of life.
So it’s a sin when some Clergy divide people according to their parties criteria and identify with one party faction. This is the reason why the canon laws of the Church forbid to Clergy involvement in politics.
Of course, we must make a distinction. Politics is one thing when it is an adjective and involves the life of the city, and it is another thing when politics is a noun and is involved in party practices.
With the first a Clergyman is doing politics, after damage has been done to a society and he participates in events, dealing with social and charitable works. Not so with the second meaning, when he becomes a party member and openly supports one political party formation.
When there are elections the Cleric is free to vote for the party he thinks will better address the social and economic problems, but cannot propagate to the Parishioners the party he has chosen.
Some parties try to get backed up by the Clergy and people of the Church, but Clerics should not succumb to this temptation.
On this occasion I want to emphasize my view that the Church should be disentangled from the tight embrace of the state in order to gain Its freedom, to manage Its house, according to canon law.
I cannot understand why we need a Charter which is the law of the State, to determine the many details about the inner life of the Church. One law would suffice to define the personality of the Church to be authorized according to the sacred canons.
Also, I cannot understand why there is a law of the State on Ecclesiastical Courts, which regulates many details, even as to what a Clegyman-judge should wear.
It would suffice for one law and a few articles that would set out some basic principles and leave the Church to judge their Clergy in accordance with the sacred canons, without interfering in secular law.
Unfortunately, the current situation in some areas is the prevalence of a conducive political-state spirit. We must put forward an order in these matters, so that the inner life of the Church will not to be considered and understood as a prisoner of state-civil law.
However, if we Clergy see things through the ecclesiastical perspective, we will not be possessed by insecurities and will not divide the parties into hostile or friendly, and will not engage in electoral dilemmas.
One is the work of the Church and another is the work of the State and party.
When a State seeks and is able to address poverty and unemployment, then it must be welcomed, because it cares for the interests of the people.”
Translated by John Sanidopoulos
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First Things ~ How Do Churches Grow?

Posted on by Fr. Peter

By Leroy Huizenga

The Episcopal Church is in the news again for the usual reasons. First, a few days ago it was reported that the Episcopal Church suffered a 23 percent decline in attendance from 2000 to 2010. Second, on Tuesday the Episcopal Church approved rites for blessing same-sex unions. Many commentators made what seems to be an obvious connection supposedly supported by sociology: liberalism in religion leads to the decline and death of denominations. “Conservative churches are growing,” we heard yet again.

I bring up these recent developments not to pick on Episcopalians or Anglicans, especially as I used to worship in a wonderful Anglican congregation, but rather to raise questions about assumptions concerning theological ideology and denominational decline. It may be true, roughly speaking, that more conservative churches do better holding on to members and attenders than more liberal churches, but what does “liberal” and “conservative” mean? Does it have to do only with doctrine (or even simple politics) or also with other matters? We need to go deeper.

Read the Rest Here

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July 12 ~ St. Veronica

Posted on by Fr. Peter
St. Veronica

Saint Veronica (also Berenice) is known as the woman who wiped Christ’s face as He carried His cross towards Golgotha and as the woman who Christ cured of the issue of blood, who is also traditionally identified as Herod the Great’s niece. The Church celebrates her feast day on July 12.

Few concrete details are known of the life of Saint Veronica, though much folklore has arisen, especially in Western Christendom, concerning her miraculous cloth, or veil, which touched the face of Christ.

Traditionally, Veronica came to believe in Christ when He healed her of an ailment that had afflicted her for twelve years:

And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and
touched the hem of his garment:
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.
And the woman was made whole from that hour. (Matthew 9)

The next episode that we hear of in her life is the famous cloth incident during Christ’s crucifixion. When Christ paused in exhaustion, Veronica was able to give the Lord her handkerchief. When she looked at the cloth again, she realized that an image of Christ’s face had appeared on it; this is often called the first icon. Veronica’s name itself is said to be derived from the Latin words meaning true (verus) image/icon .

No one is certain of what happened to Veronica in her later years, though one story has it that she cured the Roman Emperor Tiberius of some kind of sickness using her iconic cloth. Some sources say that she and her husband, named Zacchaeus, travelled all the way to Southern France confessing the Gospel.

Troparion (Tone 8)

The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother,
For you took up the Cross and followed Christ.
By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
But to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
Therefore your spirit, O Holy Mother Veronica, rejoices with the Angels! 

Source

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Retention of Church Membership

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

Thanks to Facebook, I saw the graphic that is located at the top of this page.

The research comes from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and it looks at how well religious groups in the United States are performing with retention of members who were born into that faith.  The footnote on the graphic says that this information come from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and is from data collected in 2008.

I find this very interesting.  Greek Orthodox ranks fourth in over all religious groups in retention of Members with 73% but is the first of all of the Christian denominations.  I am not sure if this is just the Greek Orthodox or if it is in fact all orthodox in the US of A. Roman Catholics are listed after Mormons with 68%.

The Protestants ranks in the middle with Episcopalians and their now Transgendered priests and same sex marriage with 45% retention rate.  I guess what people are saying is true, folks are leaving Churches that do not hold to the historic faith in large numbers.  Another liberal group the Congregationalists rank third from the bottom with 37%.

What would seem to be the fastest growing religious body in the US of A, Atheists ranks at the bottom of the pile with a 30% retention rate.  I guess once people hear the Good News they leave!

As the data shows, churches that hold to traditional beliefs and morals; Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox, Mormon, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran and Pentecostal are retaining 50% or better of their born into the faith members whilst the churches that change their theology based on the latest fad; Presbyterian and Congregational rank near or at the bottom of the list.

We must be doing something right!

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Send Your Holy Spirit on Us

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Image courtesy of Sts. Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church, Dearborn Heights

I have mentioned in a previous essay that the Romanian Archdiocese here in America, of which I belong, is working on a new Romanian/English translation of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.  I have been part of this as one of the editors of the text and it has been a fascinating exercise in Liturgical theology.

The words we use are extremely important as they convey the Holiest of meanings.  The Liturgy is a mix of Scripture and the tradition of the Church and lays out the entire theology of our holy church.  So the selection of words is important.  I recall one meeting when we were discussing using the word house rather than church in reference to the building or the community.  Some thought that house was not dignified enough.  This is what I mean by choosing the correct words.

I wish to draw attention to one particular part of the Divine Liturgy.  This part takes place after the Great Entrance with the gifts of bread and wine.  The priest calls on the Holy Spirit on the gifts that are offered with these words:

Again we offer you this spiritual and bloodless sacrifice, and we call on you, we pray you and humbly supplicate you: Send your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts here offered…

The priest calls upon the Holy Spirit not only upon the gifts to transform them but upon all those who have assembles thus making us a Eucharistic people.  We are, in fact transformed by the Holy Spirit to ready us for the intimate reception of these Holy Mysteries.

After the blessing is pronounced upon the bread and wine the priest prays this prayer that illustrates the fact that we have been transformed:

So that for those who partake of them they may be for awakening of the soul, for forgiveness of sins, for communion with your Holy Spirit, for fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven, for confidence towards you but neither to judgment no to condemnation.

We are asking that by partaking in this Holy Mystery our souls are stirred as the waters were stirred at the creation of the world.  That we are awakened with a yearning for knowledge of not only these mysteries, but of the one who created them.  We ask that our sins be forgiven, so that we are made a little bit more worthy of these gifts.  By reception of this Mystery we come into a greater union with the Holy Trinity and thus the fulfillment of the task that Christ came to perform on earth, and finally for confidence toward God and what He teaches us, but not for our judgment or condemnation.

We must receive the gifts being offered in the proper way and ready ourselves through confession, prayer, and fasting.

What an awesome gift that Christ Himself has given us!

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