Push out into the Deep

Posted on by Fr. Peter
The Gospel reading for Sunday came from the 5th chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke. This is the story of Jesus going out to fish with His soon to be Apostles.
After teaching the people Jesus calls to Peter and tells him to “push out into the deep” and lower their nets to catch fish. Peter, being Peter, decides to argue with Jesus. You see they are tired, they have been fishing all night and all they want to do is clean their nets and go home. But Jesus compels them to “push out into the deep.” They do and the catch is amazing.
St. Ambrose sees the spiritual meaning in this passage as the invitation from Jesus to all of us to give our lives over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God. However we cannot come to the full knowledge of God simply by reading and study, we must experience the living God in our lives! This requires a great amount of faith.
I like to think of this passage in relation to the story of Peter walking on the water. Jesus beckoned Peter out of the boat, out of his comfort zone if you will, and to walk on the water to Him. All was fine until Peter realized he was far from what was comfortable and started to panic. At that moment he started to sink and Jesus reached out His hand to bring Peter to safety.
In this Gospel story Jesus is asking, no commanding us, to “push out into the deep” to move away from the shore of our lives and to venture out further then we have ever gone before. He is commanding us to leave behind our safe and secure lives and go WAY out and drop our nets, our spiritual nets, and to have the faith we need that when we fall, and we will, He will be there to help us.
Jesus never leaves us alone; He is always there beside us. We may not always see or feel Him, but he is there to help if we just ask.
If we are to grow spiritually and if we are to grow the Church and truly be the light that the world needs us to be, then we are going to have to go out, in the deep waters. But just as Peter would not have left the shore without his net, we need to be spiritually ready.
One does not set out on a journey without having all the supplies necessary for the trip. You spend time packing and making sure that you know where you are going and how we are going to get there. This is the point of the story. Prepare yourselves by pushing into the deep of the spiritual life so we can be used in this world to help people into the next.
“Push out into the Deep” and your life will never be the same.

Scripture Readings ~ 15th Sunday after Pentecost

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
2 Corinthians 4:6-15 (Epistle)
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Luke 5:1-11 (Gospel)
So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

25 September ~ St. Finbar, First Bishop of Cork, and Confessor

Posted on by Fr. Peter
He was the son of an artisan and a lady of the Irish royal court. Born in Connaught, Ireland, and baptized Lochan, he was educated at Kilmacahil, Kilkenny, where the monks named him Fionnbharr (white head) because of his light hair…
He went on pilgrimage to Rome with some of the monks, visiting St. David in Wales on the way back. Supposedly, on another visit to Rome the Pope wanted to consecrate him a bishop but was deterred by a vision, notifying the pope that God had reserved that honour to Himself, and Finbar was consecrated from heaven and then returned to Ireland.
At any rate, he may have preached in Scotland, definitely did in southern Ireland, lived as a hermit on a small island at Lough Eiroe, and then, on the river Lee, founded a monastery that developed into the city of Cork, of which he was the first bishop. His monastery became famous in southern Ireland and attracted numerous disciples. Many extraordinary miracles are attributed to him, and supposedly, the sun did not set for two weeks after he died at Cloyne about the year 633.

24 September ~ Synaxis of All Saints of Alaska

Posted on by Fr. Peter
On the anniversary of the arrival of the Russian missionaries in Alaska (1794), we remember the New Martyrs St Peter the Aleut, Protomartyr of America, and St Juvenal.
Troparion – Tone 4
Today Alaska rejoices and America celebrates,
For the new world has been sanctified by martyrdom
Kodiak echoes with songs of thanksgiving,
Iliamna and Kenai observe the festival of faith.
The Apostle and martyr Juvenaly is glorified,
And Peter the Aleut is exalted by his voluntary sacrifice,
In their devotion and love for the Lord
They willingly endured persecution and death for the Truth,
Now in the Kingdom of Heaven they intercede for our souls!
Kontakion – Tone 4
Today Valaam joins Alaska
In celebrating this joyous feast,
As her spiritual son Juvenaly
Embraces the new martyr Peter with love.
Together they suffered for the Lord in America
And united the old world with the new by their voluntary sacrifice.
Now forever they stand before the King of glory and intercede for our souls.

24 September ~ Martyr Juvenal of Alaska

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Saint Juvenal, the Protomartyr of America, was born in 1761 in Nerchinsk, Siberia. His secular name was John Feodorovich Hovorukhin, and he was trained as a mining engineer. In a letter to Abbot Nazarius of Valaam (December 13, 1819), St Herman says that St Juvenal “had been an assistant at our monastery and was a former officer.”
After his wife died in 1791, John entered a monastery at St Petersburg (St Herman’s Letter of December 13, 1819) and was tonsured with the name Juvenal. Three years later, he went to Alaska as a missionary.
During 1794, the hieromonks Juvenal and Macarius spent two months in the area around Kodiak teaching the inhabitants about Christ and baptizing them. They traveled in small boats of hide in all sorts of weather, dividing up the territory among themselves. St Herman tells of a conversation he heard one day as he walked with the hieromonks to a small hill on the south side of the harbor. They sat down facing the sea, and spoke of various things. Soon they began to discuss where each of them should go to preach. Aflame with zeal and eager to set out on their journey, a friendly argument ensued between Fr Macarius and Fr Juvenal. Fr Macarius said he intended to go north to the Aleutian Islands, and then make his way to the Alaskan mainland, where the inhabitants had invited him to visit. The monks had a map of Captain Cook’s which indicated that some Russians were living near a certain river in that particular area, and Fr Macarius hoped to find them.
Fr Juvenal interrupted, saying that he believed that the Alaskan mainland was his territory. “I beg you to yield to me and not offend me in this,” he told Fr Macarius, “since the ship is leaving for Yakutan. I shall begin preaching in the south, proceeding north along the ocean, cross the Kenai peninsula, then from the port there I shall cross to Alaska.”
Fr Macarius became sorrowful and said, “No, Father. Do not restrict me in this way. You know the Aleutian chain of islands is joined to Alaska, therefore it belongs to me, and also the whole northern shore. As for you, the southern part of America is sufficient for your whole lifetime, if you please.”
As he listened to their apostolic fervor, St Herman says he “went from joy to rapture” (Letter to Abbot Nazarius, May 19, 1795).
In 1795, Father Juvenal baptized over 700 Chugatchi at Nushek, then he crossed Kenai Bay and baptized the local people there. In 1796, according to native oral tradition, St Juvenal came to the mouth of the Kuskokwim near the present village of Quinahgak, where he was killed by a hunting party (There is a forged diary attributed to Ivan Petroff which gives a slanderous version of Fr Juvenal’s death, and alleges that he was martyred at Lake Iliamna).
The precise reason for St Juvenal’s murder by the natives is not known. However, they later told St Innocent something about his death. They said that St Juvenal did not try to defend himself when attacked, nor did he make any attempt to escape. After being struck from behind, he turned to face his attackers and begged them to spare the natives he had baptized.
The natives told St Innocent that after they had killed St Juvenal, he got up and followed them, urging them to repent. The fell upon him again and gave him a savage beating. Once more, he got to his feet and called them to repentance. This happened several times, then finally the natives hacked him to pieces. Thus, the zealous Hieromonk Juvenal became the first Orthodox Christian in America to receive the crown of martyrdom. His unnamed guide, possibly a Tanaina Indian convert, was also martyred at the same time.
It is said that a local shaman removed St Juvenal’s brass pectoral cross from his body and attempted to cast a spell. Unexpectedly, the shaman was lifted up off the ground. He made three more tries with the same result, then concluded that there was a greater power than his own at work here. Years later, a man showed up at the Nushagak Trading Post wearing a brass pectoral cross exactly like the one worn by St Juvenal.
A column of light arose from his holy relics and reached up to Heaven. It is not known how long this phenomenon continued.
St Juvenal, in his tireless evangelization of the native peoples of Alaska, served the Church more than all the other missionaries combined.

24 September ~ Martyr Peter the Aleut

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Saint Peter the Aleut is mentioned in the Life of St Herman of Alaska (December 13). Simeon Yanovsky (who ended his life as the schemamonk Sergius in the St Tikhon of Kaluga Monastery), has left the following account:
“On another occasion I was relating to him how the Spanish in California had imprisoned fourteen Aleuts, and how the Jesuits (actually Franciscans) were forcing all of them to accept the Catholic Faith. But the Aleuts would not agree under any circumstances, saying, ‘We are Christians.’ The Jesuits argued, ‘That’s not true, you are heretics and schismatics. If you do not agree to accept our faith then we will torture all of you to death.’ Then the Aleuts were placed in prisons two to a cell. That evening, the Jesuits came to the prison with lanterns and lighted candles. Again they tried to persuade two Aleuts in the cell to accept the Catholic Faith. ‘We are Christians,’ the Aleuts replied, ‘and we will not change our Faith.’ Then the Jesuits began to torture them, at first the one while his companion was a witness. They cut off one of the joints of his feet, and then the other joint. Then they cut the first joint on the fingers of his hands, and then the other joint. Then they cut off his feet, and his hands. The blood flowed, but the martyr endured all and firmly repeated one thing: “I am a Christian.’ He died in such suffering, due to a loss of blood. The Jesuit also promised to torture his comrade to death the next day.
But that night an order was received from Monterey stating that the imprisoned Aleuts were to be released immediately, and sent there under escort. Therefore, in the morning all were sent to Monterey with the exception of the dead Aleut. This was related to me by a witness, the same Aleut who had escaped torture, and who was the friend of the martyred Aleut. I reported this incident to the authorities in St Petersburg. When I finished my story, Father Herman asked, ‘What was the name of the martyred Aleut?’ I answered, ‘Peter. I do not remember his family name.’ The Elder stood reverently before an icon, made the Sign of the Cross and said, “Holy New Martyr Peter, pray to God for usl”
We know very little about St Peter, except that he was from Kodiak, and was arrested and put to death by the Spaniards in California because he refused to convert to Catholicism. The circumstances of his martyrdom recall the torture of St James the Persian (November 27).
Both in his sufferings and in his steadfast confession of the Faith, St Peter is the equal of the martyrs of old, and also of the New Martyrs who have shone forth in more recent times. Now he rejoices with them in the heavenly Kingdom, glorifying God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, throughout all ages.

Morality (or lack of) in America

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Wednesday night I was watching the X Factor on Fox. I tuned in for the second hour as I was watching something else. To my horror, and it would appear Paula Abdul as well, a man dropped his pants whilst singing a song. Okay, if this was a live show I might understand why this continued, but this show is tapped and all they did was put an “X” over his nasty bits! After his song was finished they continued to score him as if he was a real contestant.
So this got me thinking, well actually rethinking about the state of morality in American society. Where have we gone? I am not saying we need to return to “Leave it to Beaver” but just look at the state of things. There is a new TV show on something about waitresses; one of them says she has waiting on things in her life like home pregnancy tests! That is just outrageous. I am not blind to the fact that people live together before marriage and that people are having casual sex but do we have to advertise it and make it a trophy? A few years back there was a club at a high school in Gloucester, Massachusetts. All the girls were trying to get pregnant as some sort of trophy!
This morning I read a pastoral letter by Metropolitan Methodius of Boston (GOA). In it he laments about the state of society. Here is a link to the entire letter but I will just quote this one part because it speaks directly to the issue at hand.
“For us Orthodox Christians, the changes in the moral standards in our society have occurred so slowly that they have become imperceptible. We have adapted to the slow deterioration of moral life in society to the point where we have adapted to the moral decay in our midst and have taken it for granted. Sadly we live in a world of moral and ethical relativism, hedonism and selfishness; in a world in desperate need of spiritual renewal.”
I think he hit the nail right on the head.
Towards the end of his letter he remarks that he fears we have grown accustomed to sinful behavior. I would have to agree. I stand week after week in the church for confessions and no one comes yet everyone approaches the cup. Yes I can refuse them but I don’t, so I guess I am part of the problem.
We have just accepted the fact that girls wear skimpy clothes with writing on their butts, boy get girls pregnant and then shun their responsibility and the rest of the litany of problem. I just do not know what we can do!
We need to seriously look at what we have accepted as society. When did the heat get turned up and we did not notice?

Community Meal

Posted on by Fr. Peter
This is a follow up to my post yesterday about poverty in America.

Here at St. Michael we started a community meal about 2 years ago.  We started serving this meal one Thursday a month and in January of this year we added a second Thursday.  We now serve this meal on the first and third Thursday of the month.

We serve about 65 to 75 people of various backgrounds and economic situation.  The meal is designed for anyone in the community and it is offered free.  I cook and the parishioners and some other friends help serve and welcome the guests, yes we call them guests, into the church hall for the meal.

Jesus did much of His ministry around the table or was concerned about food for the people who followed Him.  Each Sunday we “break bread” during the Divine Liturgy, so what is more basic then feeding people.  An extension of this is we love them and we express our love through the meal we serve.

I am asking the readers of this blog if you would consider helping to support this ministry of my Church.  Most of you do not come from Southbridge or Massachusetts for that matter and I have no right to ask you for support, but would you prayerfully consider helping.

Southbridge, like most communities now, is economically depressed.  The latest census put us at 15% at or below the poverty level with 18% of that number are children.  At last check we had 12% unemployment in this former mill town and it does not look like it will be getting any better anytime soon.

The meal costs us approximately $125 per meal. Again this meal feeds about 70 people.  We hope to expand this ministry to each week during the month but we need support.  The Church has pledged to continue to support the meal and we have some possible funding from some community groups and a few Churches have also pledged support and I am thankful for that.  I have never asked for funds on the blog before but desperate times call for desperate measure.

Over on the right side of the blog down a little is a support this blog button.  That takes you to the paypal site.  Anything you donate will go directly to support the Community Meal of St. Michael Orthodox Church in Southbridge.  I will add your name to our prayer list and remember you at each and every Liturgy we celebrate here at the Church.

I would not ask you to support this ministry at the detriment of your local Church.  If you can after you have supported your local Church ministries, please consider helping us out.

God bless all of you!

Poverty in America

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I have been thinking about this topic for sometime now and I really do not have any conclusions.  I believe that things are going to get worse before they get better and I also do not believe that forced charity is the way to go.  People need to step up and help of their own accord and not because they are forced too.  Redistribution of wealth is not Biblical in my opinion and I think it is wrong to force people to give.  Yes the Gospel tells us that to those who have been given much, much is expected in return, but people need to give on their own, that is what charity is all about.

Here are some stats: Poverty in America is now at its highest level since counting began in 1959.  15.1% of Americans are now considered at or below the poverty rate.  The poverty rate is $22,113 for a family of four in the US.  Imagine a family of four living on $22,000 a year.

What can we do?  I have posted before about the church stepping up and doing more to assist folks in their own back yard.  The numbers at our twice monthly community meals continues to grow and we are considering adding another week to the mix.  I see churches around me spending millions on expansions of their churches and think that something is wrong with this picture.  Yes the temple should be beautiful but at what cost?  Should we have beautiful temples and starving people?  Should we have beautiful temples and homeless people sleeping on the steps of that temple?  Something seems amiss here.

I don’t have all the answer, not even many answers, but I do know if we do not do something, and fast, things will be desperate.

What are you doing to help your neighbors?

Hunger in America

Posted on by Fr. Peter
This comes from Feeding America:

Hunger and poverty continue to plague America. The USDA just released their annual U.S. food-insecurity rates that showed for the third year in a row that nearly 49 million Americans, including 16.2 million children, are struggling to get enough to eat, virtually unchanged from the prior year. But with the recession still dragging along, many see the stability in the number of people in need of food assistance as heartening — federal nutrition programs are working.

We know the need is out there. A new study by the US Census Bureau report showed that poverty continues to grow in the U.S. with about 15 percent of the population at or below the poverty level – up from 14 percent the year before, the third straight jump in the poverty rate.

I keep asking myself, how do we allow this to continue in America?

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