The Culture War

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I have been involved in some pretty interesting conversations over the last few weeks that all involve our culture, or society, and where it is headed.  There seems to be a call for the Church to update itself to keep pace with our modern culture and I say that is a backward statement.  Culture does not influence the theology and doctrine of the Church, the theology and doctrine of the Church is supposed to influence society!

One of the hallmarks of the Orthodox Church is that our theology has not changed since the last Council.  We are the inheritors of the Ancient, unchanged faith of Jesus Christ and the Apostles and we kind of pride ourselves on that fact.  This does not mean that our Church does not change.  For example, my particular parish changed from Romanian to English many years ago.  The theology has not changed but our theological language has changed.  How we understand Scripture and the Father and Mothers of the Church changes over time but that only enhances our understanding of what they taught.

One of my most favorite quotes is, “”We must be super-conservative in preserving the orthodox faith, and super-modern in propagating it.”  ~St. Nikolai Velimerovich  St. Nikolai was born at the turn of the century and knew nothing of the Social Media that we know today and his words to us are very important.  Hold on to that faith of the past tight!

There is a backward thinking going on right now in America that I fear will not lead to good things.  Our freedoms are very important to all of us and I am not suggesting that we sacrifice one of those precious freedoms, but as I have written about before, with that freedom comes great responsibility to use those freedoms wisely.

When asked why the Orthodox Church never underwent a reformation as the Church in the West had my reply is because we are the Church of Jesus Christ and we are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

Get to Know the Original

June 26th ~ All Saints of North America

Posted on by Fr. Peter

On the second Sunday after Pentecost, each local Orthodox Church commemorates all the saints, known and unknown, who have shone forth in its territory. Accordingly, the Orthodox Church in America remembers the saints of North America on this day.
Saints of all times, and in every country are seen as the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem fallen humanity. Their example encourages us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us” and to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). The saints of North America also teach us how we should live, and what we must expect to endure as Christians
Although it is a relatively young church, the Orthodox Church in America has produced saints in nearly all of the six major categories of saints: Apostles (and Equals of the Apostles); Martyrs (and Confessors); Prophets; Hierarchs; Monastic Saints; and the Righteous. Prophets, of course, lived in Old Testament times and predicted the coming of Christ.
The first Divine Liturgy in what is now American territory (northern latitude 58 degrees, 14 minutes, western longitude 141 degrees) was celebrated on July 20, 1741, the Feast of the Prophet Elias, aboard the ship Peter under the command of Vitus Bering. Hieromonk Hilarion Trusov and the priest Ignatius Kozirevsky served together on that occasion. Several years later, the Russian merchant Gregory I. Shelikov visited Valaam monastery, suggesting to the abbot that it would be desirable to send missionaries to Russian America.
On September 24, 1794, after a journey of 7,327 miles (the longest missionary journey in Orthodox history) and 293 days, a group of monks from Valaam arrived on Kodiak Island in Alaska. The mission was headed by Archimandrite Joasaph, and included Hieromonks Juvenal, Macarius, and Athanasius, the Hierodeacons Nectarius and Stephen, and the monks Herman and Joasaph. St Herman of Alaska (December 13, August 9), the last surviving member of the mission, fell asleep in the Lord in 1837.
Throughout the Church’s history, the seeds of faith have always been watered by the blood of the martyrs. The Protomartyr Juvenal was killed near Lake Iliamna by natives in 1799, thus becoming the first Orthodox Christian to shed his blood for Christ in the New World. In 1816, St Peter the Aleut was put to death by Spanish missionaries in California when he refused to convert to Roman Catholicism.
Missionary efforts continued in the nineteenth century, with outreach to the native peoples of Alaska. Two of the most prominent laborers in Christ’s Vineyard were St Innocent Veniaminov (March 31 and October 6) and St Jacob Netsvetov (July 26), who translated Orthodox services and books into the native languages. Father Jacob Netsvetev died in Sitka in 1864 after a life of devoted service to the Church. Father John Veniaminov, after his wife’s death, received monastic tonsure with the name Innocent. He died in 1879 as the Metropolitan of Moscow.
As the nineteenth century was drawing to a close, an event of enormous significance for the North American Church took place. On March 25, 1891, Bishop Vladimir went to Minneapolis to receive St Alexis Toth (May 7) and 361 of his parishioners into the Orthodox Church. This was the beginning of the return of many Uniates to Orthodoxy.
St Tikhon (Belavin), the future Patriarch of Moscow (April 7, October 9), came to America as bishop of the diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska in September 1898. As the only Orthodox bishop on the continent, St Tikhon traveled extensively throughout North America in order to minister to his widely scattered and diverse flock. He realized that the local church here could not be a permanent extension of the Russian Church. Therefore, he focused his efforts on giving the American Church a diocesan and parish structure which would help it mature and grow.
St Tikhon returned to Russia in 1907, and was elected as Patriarch of Moscow ten years later. He died in 1925, and for many years his exact burial place remained unknown. St Tikhon’s grave was discovered on February 22, 1992 in the smaller cathedral of Our Lady of the Don in the Don Monastery when a fire made renovation of the church necessary.
St Raphael of Brooklyn (February 27) was the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America. Archimandrite Raphael Hawaweeny was consecrated by Bishop Tikhon and Bishop Innocent (Pustynsky) at St Nicholas Cathedral in New York on March 13, 1904. As Bishop of Brooklyn, St Raphael was a trusted and capable assistant to St Tikhon in his archpastoral ministry. St Raphael reposed on February 27, 1915.
The first All American Council took place March 5-7, 1907 at Mayfield, PA, and the main topic was “How to expand the mission.” Guidelines and directions for missionary activity, and statutes for the administrative structure of parishes were also set forth.
In the twentieth century, in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, countless men, women, and children received the crown of martyrdom rather than renounce Christ. Sts John Kochurov (October 31) and Alexander Hotovitzky (December 4 and August 7) both served the Church in North America before going back to Russia. St John became the first clergyman to be martyred in Russia on October 31, 1917 in St Petersburg. St Alexander Hotovitzky, who served in America until 1914, was killed in 1937.
In addition to the saints listed above, we also honor those saints who are known only to God, and have not been recognized officially by the Church. As we contemplate the lives of these saints, let us remember that we are also called by God to a life of holiness.

23 June ~ St. Milburger

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Milburga was abbess of Wenlock Abbey in Salop, Shropshire, England (between 722-730). She received the veil from St. Theodore of Canterbury.

She was the daughter of a king of Mercia and sister of Sts. Mildred of Thanet and Mildgytha. Her father and her uncle, King Wulfhere, provided funds for the abbey. Among the remarkable abilities she evidenced were levitation and power over birds.

Source

Combat Hospital ~ A Review

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I am somewhat of a television geek.  I admit I watch more TV then I should but I do like to sit back and just take in a TV show.  I particularly like Reality TV and watch Survivor, Amazing Race, and Big Brother. (I also like Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Parking Wars etc.)  But, I also like TV dramas and have not really been able to find a good one since Law & Order went off the air.

Last night the ABC network premiered a new drama called Combat Hospital.  Set in 2006 in Kandahar Province Afghanistan it focuses on the work of an group of International Doctors from Canada, the United States, the UK, and Australia.

The show is fast paced, as I am sure the hospital would be in real life, and I believe it celebrates the work that these dedicated medical professional do each and everyday.

I Tweeted that I was going to watch it, and one of the other posted that it is like a cross between M*A*S*H and China Beach.  I do have to agree, but without the humor of M*A*S*H and without Dana Delaney from China Beach.

We will have to wait and see how the show fairs as the season progresses but I do like what I see so far.  The staying power of any program has to be the story line.  One of the things I liked best about Law and Order was that it was not really about the characters.  You did not know much about their private lives only about the job.  I hope this drama is cut from the same cloth.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it an 8 to start, we will see where it goes from here.

All Saints

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Yesterday, on the Orthodox calendar, was the commemoration of All Saints. This is the day set aside to commemorate all of those people whom God has chosen as saints. I was reminded that we humans do not make saints, God does that, we commemorate them. We can learn much from the saints and we should read their lives as they are imitators of Jesus Christ.
This past week I was involved in a conversation about the teachings of the Orthodox Church on certain moral issues. I will not discuss the moral issues as that is not the point of this post. With that said the conversation turned to at first a respectful disagreement then got downright nasty. The final comment from the other person in the discussion was that the Orthodox Church needs to change if it is going to survive. Well that’s it right there.
My response was that I would rather see my Church close then to compromise on the faith that she has taught for more than 2,000 years. I would rather see it closed then compromise the faith that countless people died defending or were jailed for speaking. You see the Church in Romania, of which we are a spiritual child of, was not well liked in many circles by the authorities under Communism.
One of my predecessors here was jailed for 18 years for speaking out in Romania about what the Government was doing. He was told to stop preaching and he refused so he was sent to one of the worst prisons in Romania. After 18 years he was released and he came to America to my little Church here in Southbridge. He did not compromise his faith and neither will I.
Yes, many of our positions are not popular or politically correct, well neither was Jesus. Love everyone yes, but Jesus always pointed out when someone was not living the life they were supposed too. Call it judgement if you like, but correcting someones behavior with love is not judgement but the Christian thing to do.
I am a priest in the Orthodox Church and I make no apologies for what the Church teaches. I preach the faith that has been handed down to me from the Apostles and has survived far worse than low numbers. I am not concerned about numbers, my goal is quality not quantity.
Many of the saints gave their lives for the Church. I would dishonor their memories if I dared to compromise on what she teaches.

The Safety of Home

Posted on by Fr. Peter
It is time once again for the one word at a time blog carnival that I participate in.  Please follow the link to the other posts in this series.

Home has taken on a new meaning for me in the past few days.  On June 1st my little Town was hit by an F3 tornado that demolished part of the Town.  My first thought was for my own home before I thought of anyone else.

That night when I arrived home I looked around and thought about all of the memories I have there in the 7 short years I have lived there and how I really would miss the place.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to loose your home and all of your possessions although it is becoming all to oclear to me.

I have really only ever lived in two places the home I grew up in and the one I live in now.  I have had my own apartment before but they never seemed like home.  It may seem shallow but I appreciate and I am very thankful for my home and all of the gifts God has given me.

A few days ago the same weather pattern came our way and I was very nerveous, the only place I wanted to be was at home, in the comfort of my own home.  There is something about those four walls that make you feel safe.  I was not able to calm myself down until I was at home where even if things went crazy, I knew it was going to be okay.  Home Sweet Home as they say.

For me home had always been where my hat was, but more and more, maybe this is because I am getting older, home seems to be where my heart is.

What Parents Can Do to Help Their Children after a Tornado

Posted on by Fr. Peter
After the Tornado that struck Southbridge and the surrounding area, many questions have been asked about how parents can help their children deal with the aftermath.  Below is some helpful information on dealing with your children after any traumatic experience but if very helpful during these days.  Remember it is never too late to put these hints into practice.

Parents should spend time talking to their children, letting them know that it is okay to ask questions and to share their worries. Although it will be hard finding time to have these conversations, parents can use regular family mealtimes or bedtimes to talk. Issues may come up more than once and parents should remain patient and open to answering questions and clarifying the situation. They can let children know, without overwhelming them with information, what is happening in the family, with their school, and in the community. Parents should answer questions briefly and honestly and ask their children for their opinions and ideas. To help younger children feel safe and calm after talking about the tornado, parents might read a favorite story or have a relaxing family activity.

To help children’s recovery, parents should:

•Be a role model. Try to remain calm so that you can teach your child how to handle stressful situations.

•Monitor adult conversations. Be aware of what adults are saying about the tornado or the damage. Children listen to adults’ conversations and may misinterpret what they hear, becoming unnecessarily frightened.

•Limit media exposure. Protect your child from too many images and descriptions of the tornado, including those on television, on the Internet, on radio, and in the newspaper.

•Reassure children that they are safe. You may need to repeat this frequently even after the tornado passes. Spend extra time with them, playing games outside, reading together indoors, or just cuddling. Be sure to tell them you love them.

•Replace lost or damaged toys as soon as you are able.

•Calm worries about their friends’ safety. Even though phones may not be working, reassure your children that their friends’ parents are taking care of them, just the way you are taking care of your children.

•Tell children about community recovery. Reassure them that the government is working hard to restore electricity, phones, water, and gas. Tell them that the town or city will be removing debris and helping families find housing.

•Take care of your children’s health. Help them get enough rest, exercise, and healthy food and water. Give them both quiet and physical activities.

•Review the family preparedness plan. Some children will fear another tornado, particularly when there are aftershocks, so practicing the plan can help increase their sense of safety.

•Maintain regular daily life. In the midst of disruption and change, children feel more secure with structure and routine. As much as possible, have regular mealtimes and bedtimes.

•Maintain expectations. Stick to your family rules about good behavior and respect for others. Continue family chores, but keep in mind that children may need more reminding than usual.

•Encourage children to help. Children cope better and recover sooner when they help others. Give them small cleanup tasks or other ways to contribute. Afterward, provide activities unrelated to the tornado, such as playing cards or reading.

•Be extra patient as your children return to school. They may be more distracted and need extra help with homework for a while.

•Give support at bedtime. Children may be more anxious when separating from parents. Spend a little more time than usual talking, cuddling, or reading. Start the bedtime routine earlier so children get the sleep they need. If younger children need to sleep with you, let them know it is a temporary plan, and that soon they will go back to sleeping in their own beds.

•Help with boredom. The tornado may have disrupted the family’s daily activities (watching television, playing on the computer, and having friends over) or caused the suspension of extracurricular activities (sports, youth groups, dances, or classes). Help children think of alternative activities, such as board games, card games, and arts and crafts. Try to find community programs (at the library, a park program, or a local YMCA) with child-friendly activities.

•Keep things hopeful. Even in the most difficult situation, your positive outlook on the future will help your children see good things in the world around them, helping them through challenging times.

•Seek professional help if your child still has difficulties more than six weeks after the tornado.

For more information see The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Sermon ~ The Transforming Power of the Holy Spirit

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Pentecost Icon
Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11

Gospel: John 7:37-52; 8:12

Today, our Church celebrates the Great Feast of Pentecost. We all know the story and we can see it depicted here in the Great window about the Holy Altar. When the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles it transformed them from frightened men who were hiding in the upper room for fear of the Jewish Authorities, into men that would literally set the world on fire!

The Holy Spirit is alive in our Church today, we have to believe this. The power of the Holy Spirit within us! For the Holy Spirit to be alive and active, guiding us! This is the goal of our faith!
St. Seraphim of Sarov, one of the greatest Russian saints of the 19th century, confirmed this when he said, “The goal of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit! Prayer, fasting, vigils, and acts of charity are all simply ways of trying to receive and maintain the Holy Spirit in our lives.”
Can any of us really say that we have experienced this kind of power? How many of us have seen tongues of fire over our heads? Do we realize that God lives in each of us, and wants us to concretely taste and experience His presence, the security of His love, the excitement of His joy, the depth of His peace, the invincibility of His hope!
Our faith is not some dead language or some reenactment of an event from long ago! Our faith is a living, dynamic, vibrant way of life! In his letter to the Hebrews St. Paul says that our faith is, “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow, able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12)
How many of us here today can honestly say that we experience our faith as a lively source of power in our lives? Do we turn to this source seeking guidance and direction in the decisions that we are making? The thing we have to remember is that Christianity is not supposed to be a static, institutionalized religion. Our Orthodox faith is a way of life that affects every aspect of our beings!
Let’s look back at the story that is central to our celebration today. These people had betrayed, denied, and abandoned Jesus out of fear, they were afraid that they would meet the same fate. They received the power of the Holy Spirit that enlightened them and they began to understand what Jesus had been saying. They began to understand, it was not some magic act that gave them full understanding, but their eyes were opened and they began to understand. The proclaimed with boldness all that Christ had taught and teaches, the Good News! The received the power that would send them to the ends of the known world, and for most of them that boldness leads to their own deaths.
That same radical transformation can, and still, happens today and is ready to work in each and every one of us. This power will transform our lives in the same way that it transformed that of the Apostles. But how does this happen?
1. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand all things. Jesus made a promise to His Apostles that Spirit of Truth will guide them in all things. This is the Spirit that guides us along our Spiritual journey. Our faith is deep and hard to understand. The temptations of this world lead us astray and tell us we know better and we can do our own thing. The Holy Spirit enables us to bring clarity of thought to all of this.
2. The Spirit encourages us to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We see this in the examples of the Apostles and the Saints. They gave their life for the Good News of Jesus Christ. St. Peter, who denied Christ, received the boldness to stand in front of thousands of people and proclaim the Good News. The others ran when the soldiers came and all of them received the Power of the Spirit and the boldness that comes with it and brought the faith to the ends of the earth.
3. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses in the world. Jesus Himself promised that we will receive power when the spirit comes and we will be His witnesses in the whole world. This power is what helps us to overcome the temptations of this world. This is the power that helps us to just say no to evil. This is the power that helps us to follow the narrow path rather than the wide one. This is the power that helps us to live the Christian Life! This spirit also gives us the joy, peace, love, patience, kindness and all of the other virtues that aids us in living the Christian life, over the life the world wants us to live.
So what do we do with this power? God does not give us this gift just so we can keep it to ourselves. There is a purpose to this gift and that purpose is to live the life of a Christian and to be His witness in the whole of the world.
This week, I, along with many others, have been working in a distribution warehouse here in Southbridge. We are trying to bring some aid and comfort to the folks affected by the Tornado. We do not do this so we can say look at me, look at me! We do not do this so we can get our picture in the paper; we do this so we can be the hands of Christ. We witness the faith when we work in the warehouse, the food pantry, the community meal, or the many other ways the Church reaches out. We need to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. We need to take the message of His love into this broken world. There is poster that hangs in the entrance of the Church and in the hall. Is it from the Orthodox Christian Mission Center and says something along the lines of if not you then who? If we do not do this who will? Who will reach out the pierced hand of Jesus and offer help. Who will dip the ladle into the well and bring water for the Samaritan woman? If not us, then who? If not us, then who? Who will be the hands and feet of Jesus?
We are the ones who are being called and being empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work that is required of us as Christians. It is time we got off the bench and into the game.
But we need to make sure we are prepared, we need the tools to do the right job. We have to carry our learning past Sunday and enclose ourselves in learning about the Scriptures and the faith. We need to spend time, each and every day, with God’s word and in prayer. We need to equip ourselves and break open that gift that has been given us by the Holy Spirit.
Mother Teresa once said, “To keep the lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it!”
What a wonderful image for the Holy Spirit in our lives. To keep the light of Christ aflame within us, we have to keep opening up the doors of our lives for the Spirit of God to flow freely through us.
Jesus is asking each of us to be His hands and His feet right here in our own community. The question that we have to ask today is are we willing to say yes, and then do what is necessary to get the job done.
If not us, then who?

Note: Thanks to Fr. Luke Veronis for the inspiration for this Sermon.

Prayer at the Massachusetts State Senate

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Senate President Murry, Yours Truly, Senator Richard Moore
On June, 9th I had the honor of being the honorary chaplain for the Massachusetts State Senate.  Thanks to Senator Richard Moore for inviting me to open the session with a prayer.  Below is the prayer that I gave.  It is based on a prayer from a book of historic prayers of the Massachusetts Senate with a little Orthodoxy thrown in for good measure.  The Picture is a little fuzzy but when I get a better one I will post it.

Most gracious God, Whose mercies are from everlasting to everlasting, and Whose providence upholds us always, we ask Your Blessings upon the Senate of this Commonwealth here convened. Grant them peaceful governing, O Lord, so that we, in their calmness may lead religious and reverent lives in peace and in quiet.

Be Thou with us as we take counsel together. Remove from our minds any lingering traces of selfish ambition or of fear of the consequences of our actions, to the end that we may serve Thee and the people of this Your Commonwealth with integrity of heart and singleness of purpose.

So that we lay the foundation of truth, justice, and righteousness and build thereon a nobler Commonwealth.

For to You are due all glory honor and worship: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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9 June ~ Our venerable and God-bearing Father Columba of Iona, Enlightener of Scotland

Posted on by Fr. Peter
He was born to Fedhlimidh and Eithne of the Ui Neill clan in Gartan, near Lough Gartan, Donegal. On his father’s side he was great-great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish king of the fourth century. He became a monk and soon rose in the church hierarchy to the rank of priest. Tradition asserts that, sometime around 560, he became involved in a copyright wrangle with St. Finnian of Moville over a psalter. The dispute eventually led to the pitched Battle of Cul Dremhe in 561, during which many men were killed. (Columba’s copy of the psalter has been traditionally associated with the Cathach of St. Columba.) As penance for these deaths, Columba was ordered to make the same number of new converts as had been killed. He was also ordered to leave Ireland and move such that he could not see his native country.

He travelled to Scotland, where it is reputed he first landed at the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, near Southend. However, being still in sight of his native land he moved further north up the west coast of Scotland. In 563 he founded a monastery on the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland which became the centre of his evangelising mission to Scotland. There are many stories of miracles which he performed during his mission to convert the Picts.

Columba is also the source of the first known reference to the Loch Ness Monster. According to the story, in 565 he came across a group of Picts who were burying a man killed by the monster, and brought the man back to life. In another version, he is said to have saved the man while the man was being attacked, driving away the monster with the sign of the cross.

St. Columba’s feast day is June 9, and with St. Patrick of Ireland (March 17) and St. Brigid of Kildaire (February 1) is one of the three patron saints of Ireland. The three are buried together in Downpatrick in County Down, deep within the famous Hill of Down.

Columba is not to be confused with his disciple, St. Columbanus.

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