1 September ~ World Environment Day

Posted on by Fr. Peter

Inasmuch as, at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we have long been concerned about problems related to the preservation of the natural environment, we have ascertained that the fundamental cause of the abuse and destruction of the world’s natural resources is greed and the constant tendency toward unrestrained wealth by citizens in so-called “developed” nations.
The holy Fathers of our Church have taught and lived the words of St. Paul, according to which “if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these” (1 Tim. 6.8), adhering at the same time to the prayer of Solomon: “Grant me neither wealth nor poverty, but simply provide for me what is necessary for sufficiency.” (Prov. 30:8) Everything beyond this, as St. Basil the Great instructs, “borders on forbidden ostentation.”
Our predecessor on the Throne of Constantinople, St. John Chrysostom, urges: “In all things, we should avoid greed and exceeding our need” (Homily XXXVII on Genesis) for “this ultimately trains us to become crude and inhumane” (Homily LXXXIII on Matthew), “no longer allowing people to be people, but instead transforming them into beasts and demons.” (Homily XXXIX on 1 Corinthians).
Therefore, convinced that Orthodox Christianity implies discarding everything superfluous and that Orthodox Christians are “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4.10), we conclude with a simple message from a classic story, from which everyone can reasonably deduce how uneducated, yet faithful and respectful people perceived the natural environment and how it should be retained pure and prosperous:
In the Sayings of the Desert Fathers on the Sinai, it is said about a monk known as the righteous George, that eight hungry Saracens once approached him for food, but he had nothing whatsoever to offer them because he survived solely on raw, wild capers, whose bitterness could kill even a camel. However, upon seeing them dying of extreme hunger, he said to one of them: “Take your bow and cross this mountain; there, you will find a herd of wild goats. Shoot one of them, whichever one you desire, but do not try to shoot another.” The Saracen departed and, as the old man advised, shot and slaughtered one of the animals. But when he tried to shoot another, his bow immediately snapped. So he returned with the meat and related the story to his friends.”
Your beloved brother in Christ and Fervent supplicant before God,
+BARTHOLOMEW
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome
and Ecumenical Patriarch

Happy New Year!

Posted on by Fr. Peter
September 1st is the start of the Ecclesiastical New Year in the Orthodox Church.  Below is a description of this day taken from the pages of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

For the maintenance of their armed forces, the Roman emperors decreed that their subjects in every district should be taxed every year. This same decree was reissued every fifteen years, since the Roman soldiers were obliged to serve for fifteen years. At the end of each fifteen-year period, an assessment was made of what economic changes had taken place, and a new tax was decreed, which was to be paid over the span of the fifteen years. This imperial decree, which was issued before the season of winter, was named Indictio, that is, Definiton, or Order. This name was adopted by the emperors in Constantinople also. At other times, the latter also used the term Epinemisis, that is, Distribution (Dianome). It is commonly held that Saint Constantine the Great introduced the Indiction decrees in A.D. 312, after he beheld the sign of the Cross in heaven and vanquished Maxentius and was proclaimed Emperor in the West. Some, however (and this seems more likely), ascribe the institution of the Indiction to Augustus Caesar, three years before the birth of Christ. Those who hold this view offer as proof the papal bull issued in A.D. 781 which is dated thus: Anno IV, Indictionis LIII -that is, the fourth year of the fifty-third Indiction. From this, we can deduce the aforementioned year (3 B.C.) by multiplying the fifty-two complete Indictions by the number of years in each (15), and adding the three years of the fifty-third Indiction. There are three types of Indictions: 1) That which was introduced in the West, and which is called Imperial, or Caesarean, or Constantinian, and which begins on the 24th of September; 2) The so-called Papal Indiction, which begins on the 1st of January; and 3) The Constantinopolitan, which was adopted by the Patriarchs of that city after the fall of the Eastern Empire in 1453. This Indiction is indicated in their own hand on the decrees they issue, without the numeration of the fifteen years. This Indiction begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special ceremony in the Church. Since the completion of each year takes place, as it were, with the harvest and gathering of the crops into storehouses, and we begin anew from henceforth the sowing of seed in the earth for the production of future crops, September is considered the beginning of the New Year. The Church also keeps festival this day, beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scriptures (Lev. 23:24-5 and Num. 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel celebrated the feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets on this day, offering hymns of thanksgiving. In addition to all the aforesaid, on this feast we also commemorate our Saviour’s entry into the synagogue in Nazareth, where He was given the book of the Prophet Esaias to read, and He opened it and found the place where it is written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for which cause He hath anointed Me…” (Luke 4:16-30).

It should be noted that to the present day, the Church has always celebrated the beginning of the New Year on September 1. This was the custom in Constantinople until its fall in 1453 and in Russia until the reign of Peter I. September 1 is still festively celebrated as the New Year at the Patriarchate of Constantinople; among the Jews also the New Year, although reckoned according to a moveable calendar, usually falls in September. The service of the Menaion for January 1 is for our Lord’s Circumcision and for the memorial of Saint Basil the Great, without any mention of its being the beginning of a new year.

Cremation, an Orthodox Perspective

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Recently some folks have asked me about being cremated and what does the church teach about cremation.  I have been giving this some thought and found this wonderful explanation on the website of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church.  The bottom line is the Orthodox Church does not allow cremation and cannot serve an Orthodox Funeral Service is one has been or will be cremated.  As the last part of the articles says, economia is always used for pastoral reasons.  If you have questions, or are planning your funeral, you should speak with your priest about this.

Why Orthodox Christians Are Not Cremated

Cremation (burning the bodies of those who have died to the point of ashes) is a practice which is being “sold” as a cost-effective, space-conservative alternative to traditional burial of the body. Throughout her history, however, the Orthodox Church has prohibited this practice. But, as in many areas of the Faith, we must take the time to learn why the Church takes such a position. In doing so, we not only grow in our own knowledge of the Lord and His Church, but we are better prepared to answer questions others ask us about our Orthodox Christian Faith.
The following passage is drawn from the Orthodox journal, “Life Transfigured” a publication of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City, and from “Contemporary Moral Issues” by Father Stanley Harakas.
Compiled by Father John Touloumes
A Growing Practice & Problem
In our country, cremation is increasingly being practiced. In part this is due to the influence of Oriental religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, and to the rise of neo-paganism. But it is also a result of the eroding of traditional beliefs among non-Orthodox Christians. In many Christian denominations — or at least among their liberal preachers — it is no longer necessary to believe in the “empty tomb, ” in Christ’s physical Resurrection. These teachers call the “empty tomb” a myth and reduce all the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus to merely spiritual experiences. The Orthodox conviction that the Son of God was also truly Man and was raised in His whole human nature — body and soul — explains the Church’s traditional rejection of cremation, a practice which is diametrically opposed to the expectation of the resurrection of the dead in Christ. If the Resurrection is merely a legend or a beautiful metaphor, then as Saint Paul writes, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15.17)
The Church’s Historical Foundations
The Church throughout her entire history has stressed the importance of understanding that Jesus was born with an actual human body with the same attributes and needs of any other human body, which upon being crucified died the same death that every other body has died. Three days later, the Resurrection included His human body.
Through all this Jesus makes abundantly clear that the whole of our humanity – body as well as soul – has been called to salvation and eternal life. All of human nature has been raised by Christ’s Ascension to the right hand of the Father. Jesus gave us many proofs of this, but it is seen most clearly in Christ’s appearance to Thomas. In his “Commentary on Saint John,” Saint Cyril of Alexandria writes:
“What need was there for the showing of His hands and side, if in accordance with the depravity of some, He did not rise with His own flesh? If He wanted His disciples to believe differently concerning Him, why did He not rather appear in a different and by putting the form of the flesh to shame, draw them towards a different understanding? But it was more important that He show Himself carefully at that time so that they should believe in the future resurrection of the flesh.”
Saint Cyril adds that the Body of Christ had to be raised in order to vanquish death and destroy the power of corruption. Christ’s body, which Saint Thomas proved through touching to be real, gives clear witness to the future resurrection of our own bodies.
In God’s Image
The human person is created in the image and likeness of God. When we are baptized it is not only the soul which becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit, but also the Body. When we receive Holy Communion, we take the real Body and Blood of Christ into our bodies. In the mysteries of Chrismation and Holy Unction it is our bodies which are anointed with Holy Chrism. Particularly clear proof of the sanctity of the body is given by those saints such as Saints Spyridon, Paraskevi, Savas, Gerasimos and Dionysios, whose bodies remain incorrupt centuries after their physical deaths. The Church knows innumerable accounts of healing occurring upon being blessed with the relics of a saint. These men and women lived the life in Christ so fully that not only were their souls taken to heaven but their bodies retain the sanctity and healing power of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Example of Holy Friday
The future resurrection of the believer’s soul and body, according to the truth which Christ revealed, dictates the nature of Orthodox traditions concerning the body at death. In an Orthodox funeral, “the mourners gather” as the “myrrhbearers to provide the last ministry to the Christian body in preparation for the Resurrection.” Anyone who has attended the Orthodox Great Friday services knows the sequence following Christ’s death: Joseph of Arimethea goes at great personal risk to beg Pilate for the body of Jesus. As our icons show, the Theotokos, Nicodemos, John the Apostle and the Myrrhbearing Women helped Joseph, covering the Most Precious Body with tears.
How We Care for the Body
The Church has unequivocally taught since Christ’s Crucifixion that the proper way to treat the dead is a reverent burial of the body in the context of a proper Church funeral and prayers for those who have fallen asleep in the Lord. We sing hymns and psalms to escort the dead on their way and to express gratitude to God for their life and death. We wrap the body in a new shroud, symbolizing the new dress of incorruption the person is destined to receive. We pour myrrh and oil on the body as we do at baptism. We accompany this with incense and candles, showing our belief that the person has been liberated from darkness and is going to the true Light. We place the body in the grave towards the east, denoting the Resurrection to come. We weep in our grief, but not unrestrainedly, as we know what happiness is to come.
The Process of Death
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15.55). Death is neither a finality nor it is merely an evolutionary step. The Church in her wisdom commemorates saints on the day they died in this life, calling it their day of birth into eternal life in heaven. A Christian death means eternal life with Christ, where at the Last Judgement body and soul will be reunited and glorified together.
The Bridal Chamber
A radiantly beautiful verse from the Orthros of Pascha concerning Christ’s bodily Resurrection from the grave encompasses the blessed hope He has given to each of us, saying:
“Today, as from a Bridal Chamber Christ has shown forth from the Tomb and filled the women with joy, saying: Proclaim the glad tidings to the Apostles!”
The Broad Picture
Acceptance of cremation, therefore, would represent a radical departure from an established practice for which there seems to be no adequate reason to institute a change. The argument that cemeteries waste space does not stand in a nation as immense as our own, especially when the universality of modern transportation makes burial sites away from urban centers easily accessible. The sky-rocketing cost of burial is not seen at this time as a compelling reason to sanction cremation, for the Church does not ask that funerals be extravagant and costly, but that a certain amount of respect be maintained for the human body that was once the temple of a human soul. Thus the Church, due to a pastoral concern for the preservation of right beliefs and right practice within the Tradition of the Fathers, and out of a sense of reverence for its departed, must continue its opposition to this practice. Each Orthodox Christian should know that since cremation is prohibited by the canons [rules of the Church], those who insist on their own cremation will not be permitted a funeral in the Church. Naturally, an exception occurs when the Church is confronted with the case of some accident or natural disaster where cremation is necessary to guard the health of the living. In these special situations, the Church allows cremation of Orthodox people with prior episcopal permission and only by “economia.”

The Divine Liturgy ~ Vestments, The Colors

Posted on by Fr. Peter
This is another article in the series on explaining the Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church.  This time I will attempt to explain the various color traditions of the Vestments worn by the Priests.

There are many varied traditions that one can find on what colors to wear at different times of the Church year.  There are two major influences, Slavic and Greek.  The Arabic is an influence but not as strong as the other two.  Here in Southbridge we are influenced by the Greek tradition.  Hard to believe that the Romanian Orthodox Church is Greek influenced but the common misconception is that Romanian is a Slavic country, but Romania is Latin so the West has also had a great influence on the Church.

In the Byzantine or Greek tradition there are two basic colors of vestments, Bright and Dark.  All a priest really needs is to have one bright, usually white, and one dark usually purple.  With these two vestments you can serve any Liturgy during the Church year.  The Orthodox Church does not have hard and fast rules on vestment colors like the Western Church does.  Some have adopted a much more complex scheme that would follow more of the Russian or Slavic style.  I tend to follow the Slavic style myself.

In the Slavic Tradition there are six different seasons or color schemes:

1.  Feasts of Our Lord Jesus Christ ~ Gold
2.  Feast of the Theotokos ~ Light Blue or White
3.  Feasts of the Cross ~ Purple or Dark Red
4.  Feasts for Martyrs ~ Red
5.  Feasts of Monastic Saints ~ Green
6.  Lent ~ Dark Color, Purple

White is worn for the fests and post feasts of Epiphany, Transfiguration, and Pascha.  It can also be worn on Christmas.  White is also used for Funerals and all Sacraments.

Green is worn for Pentecost, feasts of the Prophets and Angels, Elevation of the Holy Cross and Palm Sunday.  Green is also worn from Pentecost until Ss. Peter and Paul fast.

Gold is worn from Christmas to Epiphany and in some places during advent, although I wear purple or Red.  Gold is also worn on all Sunday’s unless white is worn.

Red is worn for Ss. Peter and Paul, Advent, the Angels, Elevation of the Cross and feasts of Martyrs.

Blue is worn for all feasts of the Theotokos.

Purple is worn on weekends in Lent, black can be worn for weekdays.  I wear purple during Lent as I do not have a black vestment.

So as you can see there is much variation even within the Slavic practice.  Again there is no hard and fast rule as to what one needs to wear or that the altar cloth and other cloths match the vestments.  The one rule is that the Vestments should be clean and free of holes and other such sign of wear.

In the end the local custom of the parish or of the priest of Diocese will dictate what is worn when.

Hurricane Earl

Posted on by Fr. Peter
So we are a few days away from what might or might not be.  I thought I would post some tips on caring for yourself in case something does make land fall.  One of the tips is to be able to survive on your own for up to four days.  It has been several years since we have had a storm hit this far north so reminding yourself of what to do and not to do is not a bad idea.  I do not think this will be big even if it makes it this far but it is always better to be safe then sorry.  Here are a few links of use:

Interactive Hurricane Tracker

Hurricane Preparedness

Suggested Supply List

Evacuation List

Katrina +5 ~ A Reflection

Posted on by Fr. Peter

On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast with all of her strength. The devastation from this Hurricane would not be felt for days but we can all remember the pictures on TV of what was going on.
A few days after this happened I was sent to Baton Rouge, Louisiana as part of an Emergency Response Team of the International Orthodox Christian Charities. We ere tasked with helping the local Orthodox Community deal with the aftermath of this event.
When we arrived we learned of the devastation first hand. It was Labor Day weekend and the ATM’s did not work and gas was getting hard to come by. Oh yes cell phone service was pretty bad as well. So much for modern technology.
We set to work coordinating a world wide response, working with the folks from several church groups and headquartered in the offices of Catholic Charities. Not only did they give us office space but they put us up next door in their retreat center, and they fed us most meals as well.
I have many memories, some good and some bad. Sometimes if I get the sent of something it will remind me of the smell that to this day is hard to describe. But I can still see the faces of 65 people whose name I never knew and probably will never know.
We had head that some people had been stranded at the airport in New Orleans. It was difficult to get into the city let alone get to the airport. We did get permission to go, and we secured some buses in the hopes of being able to bring some people out. The rumor was people had walked there and everything was running out.
Upon our arrival, we entered the airport through the baggage claim area. We had to be escorted around by armed security armed with automatic weapons. As I was leaving my room, almost as an after thought, I grabbed the small bag with my stole and a supply of oil used for anointing of the sick and left my room. Little did I know this would come in handy.
We were greeted by one of the doctors that had been assigned there and he told me of a section of the air port that was filled with patients from nursing homes in New Orleans. I was the first clergy person of any kind to come there, this was now about five days after the Hurricane. He asked if I would go and pray for these folks as they were not expected to survive.
As we moved through the air port I was exposed to the worst side of humanity. The side of people doing what they needed to do just to survive.
We entered what was being called the “black ward.” This was the place they sent people to die. It was a gate area, that only a few weeks before happy people leaving for all sorts of destinations gathered in. Now these people were preparing for another kind of journey. There were 65 men and women on Army cots all over the gate area. I set about anointing all of them. Not knowing their names or their religion, it did not matter to me then all I knew was these folks needed prayer. I would hold their hand, maybe stroke their hair and then anoint them with the oil as has been done by Orthodox priests for thousands of years. I spent a few moments with each one and then moved on to the next one.
Five years latter I still get emotional when I think of that day, as I am right now writing this. I can see each and every one of their faces, as they are burned on my memory. I thank God I was there for them and able to provide what solace I could. Some of them did not know I was there, and some did. Some would open their eyes and smile and some did not. One died as I was anointing her. What an awesome experience to be there for them at that time. I was also able to be there for the medical staff and give them some relief knowing that all of their patients had been prayed for.
Many lessons were learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Many fingers were pointed and blame was put on everyone. All I know is I was there for 65 strangers and maybe, just maybe I made their journey a little easier. God only knows for sure.

Photo Courtesy of Yahoo.com

Hell Hath No Fury

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Today the Orthodox Church celebrates the Beheading of the Holy and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John. This is one of the 12 great feats of the Church and falls on A Sunday this year. It is strange because outside of Great Lent Sunday is usually never a strict fast day but today, with the exception of wine and oil, it is a strict fast day for us Orthodox.
 
In the past John has had an issue with King Herod. The issue is the fact that Herod married his brother Philips wife, and that was just not done. John has spoken out about this and has made Herod’s wife extremely mad. During a birthday celebration, her daughter dances for the King and he is so pleased by this that he tells her she can have anything she wants even to half of his Kingdom. What does she ask for? She wants the head of John the Baptist. Her mother put her up to that.
Now Herod finds himself in a bit of pickle. If he breaks his word to her, the entire Kingdom will know and they will not trust him, but is he gives in… You see Herod is afraid of John. Well in the end he gives in and beheads John and the head is brought to his wife on a plate. John had made Herod’s wife mad and she exacted revenge on him.
There are many things that we can take with us from this feast. We need to stand up for things that we see are wrong. We need to speak out when anyone, including the government, is not doing the right thing. Yes we are to support and pray for the government but not when it goes against the will of God. We need to put God first in all things.
On of my predecessors here in the parish was a priest that spent 18 years in prison in Communist Romania. He was locked up because he was very critical of the government of Romania. Freedom of speech was not something that was tolerated in Romania and so he was locked up along with his brother. His brother died in prison but he was released and sent in exile to America. He served as priest here at St. Michael’s though the 1960’s and early 70’s.
He went to prison for standing up for what he believed. He did not preach what was popular but what was right. And he suffered the consequences for it. St. John did the same thing. He preached what was right, and he paid the price for it with his very life.
Are we willing to do the same thing, or when the going gets tough will we cut and run? Are we willing to die for what we believe? Are we willing to not just go along, but to stand up for what is right?
This is what it means to be a Christian. It’s not easy, just ask the martyrs.

When to Call the Priest

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Fr. John Peck from St. George Orthodox Church in Prescott Arizona has another great post on his parish website on the topic of When to call the parish priest.  Some folks are confused about when to call or not so Fr. John has some practical advice.
Many are confused about when they should call the parish priest in the many events of life. Calling the priest is necessary to maintain the bond of love in our community and to bring the Grace of God into our lives through the Holy Sacraments. The priest should be aware of the spiritual and physical needs of all our families in order to be the pastor. The priest should not be seen as “too busy”! He is here to shepherd us and his first priority is the people of the parish.

Read the Rest

Mother Teresa 100 Years Today

Posted on by Fr. Peter
“Today there is so much suffering – and I feel that the passion of Christ is being relived all over again – are we there to share that passion, to share that suffering of people?
Around the world, not only in the poor countries, but I found the poverty of the West so much more difficult to remove. When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But a person that is shut out, that feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person that has been thrown out from society – that poverty is so hurtable and so much, and I find that very difficult….
You must come to know the poor, maybe our people here have material things, everything, but I think that if we all look into our own homes, how difficult we find it sometimes to smile at each, other, and that the smile is the beginning of love. And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something….
This is something that you and I – it is a gift of God to us to be able to share our love with others. And let it be as it was for Jesus. Let us love one another as he loved us. Let us love Him with undivided love. And the joy of loving Him and each other – let us give now… Let us keep that joy of loving Jesus in our hearts. And share that joy with all that we come in touch with. And that radiating joy is real, for we have no reason not to be happy because we have Christ with us. Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor that we meet, Christ in the smile that we give and the smile that we receive. Let us make that one point: That no child will be unwanted, and also that we meet each other always with a smile, especially when it is difficult to smile.”

–Mother Teresa, MC
Lecture for the Nobel Peace Prize
Oslo, Norway
11 December 1979

Clergy Etiquette

Posted on by Fr. Peter
One of things I have noticed is a lack of etiquette with the clergy. I do not think this is intentional but rather it is a lack of education. So the hope is through this article education will take place.
When approaching a priest one makes a bow by reaching down and touching the floor with the right hand, place your right hand over the left and say, “Bless Father.” The priest then answers, “May the Lord Bless You,” blesses with the Sign of the Cross, and places his right hand in your hands, and you kiss his hand. The same is done when approaching a bishop but you would say, “Bless Master.”
The reason we kiss the right hand of the priest or the bishop is to show respect for the Apostolic Office and also because both the priest and the bishop hold the Divine Mysteries in their hands during the Divine Liturgy, we show respect to the Holy Eucharist when we kiss their hand. This should be done each time one greets a priest or a bishop not just in the church.
Orthodox Priests are formally addressed as “The Reverend Father,” if they are not monks. If monks they are addressed as “The Reverend Hieromonk.” Priests with special honors are addressed in this manner: An Archimandrite (The highest monastic rank below that of bishop), “The Very Reverend Archimandrite.” Protopresbyters, “The Very Reverend Protopresbyter.” In personal address all priests are call “Father” usually followed by their first name, (Father Peter)
Bishops in the Orthodox Church are addressed as “The Right Reverend Bishop,” followed by their first name. Archbishops, Metropolitans, and Patriarchs are addressed as “The Most Reverend Archbishop (or other title).” It is not correct to use the family name of the bishop. In personal address bishops are called, “Your Grace,” Archbishops and Metropolitans, “Your Eminence,” Patriarchs, “Your Beatitude,” With the exception of the Patriarch of Constantinople who is addressed as, “Your All-Holiness.”
As in all situations follow the lead of the clergy themselves. Some are less formal than others but you will never go wrong if you follow the proper etiquette. When showing respect to the clergy we are not showing respect just to the particular clergyman but to the office that they hold.
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