One Word at a Time ~ Joy

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Once again I am participating int he One Word at a Time Blog Carnival. The premise is simple, pick one word and write about it. This time around the word is ~ Joy.

Joy is one of those hard words to define. Is it an emotion or a state of mind. I often think of this word during the Divine Liturgy on Sunday. The Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church is supposed to life the worshiper, well any worship for that matter, is supposed to lift the worshiper up and give them a glimpse of what heaven is. Sometimes I ask myself if this is what heaven is Like I am not sure I want to go… LOL

Week after week folks come and fill our pews, or not in some of the Orthodox Churches as they do not have pews, and basically sit there like someone has killed their dog. Where is the joy? During this season of Easter we sing Christ is Risen, but some times it sounds more like we are taking Christ to the tomb. Sometimes I wish I had one of those cattle prods to get people going. Of course I write this with much humor in mind, so find some joy and lighten up.

What brings you joy? What makes us smile, or laugh? In times like these it is often hard to find joy. Maybe you have lost your job or your retirement funds took a hit and we have to work another year before we can retire. All of these things do not lend themselves to joy. Joy like love is more than a simple emotion I believe it is a state of mind. We can find joy in any situation.

The other night I was having a discussion about death. The person I was talking with did not want to talk about it but I pushed on anyway. She feared death and was not looking forward to it. I said as Christians this is what we are supposed to be looking for as we, I hope anyway, will be with God. Joy in death? Yes indeed joy in death.

Let us resolve to make joy part of our very existence. Smile daily, it take less energy to smile than it does to frown. Look people in the eye and the street and smile at them and say good morning, it just might bring joy to their life and I know it will bring joy to yours.

Water

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Yesterday in the Orthodox Church we commemorated the Woman at the well. The story deals with the life giving water that only Jesus can bring. It is an amazing story of peace and reconciliation.

On Saturday, a very large pipe burst just outside of Boston and more than 2 million people are now under a boil water order including my parents. All the water that comes out of the tap needs to be boiled for at least a minute before it is good enough to drink. I guess they water folks are using a back up system and the water is not treated so it is not safe to drink. You can bath in it but not drink it or brush your teeth and the like. The upside is they had water.

Down in Tennessee yesterday they saw some of the largest flooding in more than 100 years. A few of the folks I follow on Twitter and Facebook live in and around Franklin and it sounds like the whole place was under water. So they had more water than they could handle and the folks in Boston did not have enough.

It is amazing the things we take for granted. We walk over to the tap and run the water, fill a glass, and drink it down. We don’t think about it we just do it. How many of us run the water for a minute or more to make sure the water is hot? How many if us run the water the entire time we are brushing our teeth? How many of us take showers that last 20 minutes or more? The average tap will run about 1 gallon of water a minute, so a 20 minute shower will use 20 gallons of water!

God created this earth we live on and left to us to care for. We have not treated it well but we can change. We can recycle, conserve water etc. I am planting a garden here this year and I am also installing several rain barrels to collect the rain water to water the garden with. I am doing my bit, what are you doing?

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

Posted on by Fr. Peter
One of the most ancient cities of the Promised Land was Shechem, also called Sikima, located at the foot of Mount Gerazim. There the Israelites had heard the blessings in the days of Moses and Jesus of Navi. Near to this town, Jacob, who had come from Mesopotamia in the nineteenth century before Christ, bought a piece of land where there was a well. This well, preserved even until the time of Christ, was known as Jacob’s Well. Later, before he died in Egypt, he left that piece of land as a special inheritance to his son Joseph (Gen. 49:22). This town, before it was taken into possession by Samaria, was also the leading city of the kingdom of the ten tribes. In the time of the Romans it was called Neapolis, and at present Nablus. It was the first city in Canaan visited by the Patriarch Abraham. Here also, Jesus of Navi (Joshua) addressed the tribes of Israel for the last time. Almost three hundred years later, all Israel assembled there to make Roboam (Rehoboam) king.

When our Lord Jesus Christ, then, came at midday to this city, which is also called Sychar (John 4:5), He was wearied from the journey and the heat, and He sat down at this well. After a little while the Samaritan woman mentioned in today’s Gospel passage came to draw water. As she conversed at some length with the Lord and heard from Him secret things concerning herself, she believed in Him; through her many other Samaritans also believed.

Concerning the Samaritans we know the following: In the year 721 before Christ, Salmanasar (Shalmaneser), King of the Assyrians, took the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel into captivity, and relocated all these people to Babylon and the land of the Medes. From there he gathered various nations and sent them to Samaria. These nations had been idolaters from before.

Although they were later instructed in the Jewish faith and believed in the one God, they worshipped the idols also. Furthermore, they accepted only the Pentateuch of Moses, and rejected the other books of Holy Scripture. Nonetheless, they thought themselves to be descendants of Abraham and Jacob. Therefore, the pious Jews named these Judaizing and idolatrous peoples Samaritans, since they lived in Samaria, the former leading city of the Israelites, as well as in the other towns thereabout. The Jews rejected them as heathen and foreigners, and had no communion with them at all, as the Samaritan woman observed, “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Therefore, the name Samaritan is used derisively many times in the Gospel narrations. After the Ascension of the Lord, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the woman of Samaria was baptized by the holy Apostles and became a great preacher and Martyr of Christ; she was called Photine, and her feast is kept on February 26.

Immigration Reform

Posted on by Fr. Peter
First a little disclaimer. If you are one of the people who think we need to round up everyone who is here illegally you might not want to read any further or you might want to make sure you have taken your blood pressure pills….

The Archdiocese I serve in is made up of may 98% immigrants to the USA from Romania. I also have first hand experience of the immigration and visa situation. My former cantor came to the USA on a R-1 (religious worker) visa four years ago. He intention was to apply for a green card as soon as he was eligible. In the third and final year of this visa he began the process. As immigration seems to be a fluid situation the requirements were changing almost daily. He will fill out the required forms, attach the required check, and send it off. It would be returned with yet more requirements. We had a visit from Homeland Security to make sure we were real. I had to write letters attesting to the fact that he was doing what we said he was doing. Okay all of that is fine, but the process took so long that he visa was about to expire. Remember I said we started this process a year before his visa expired. Long story short (I know too late) his visa expired and he had to leave the USA and return to Romania. Situation resolved and now all is well.

We do need comprehensive immigration reform in the USA this I do not disagree with. We need to find some solution that makes it all work. Do I agree with undocumented people here, well I am not sure. Do I agree with undocumented people receiving benefits, well not in all cases. See it is complicated. But think of this. How much would it cost to round up the more than 1 million undocumented people here and what would that do to our already fragile economy? You see these people do many of the jobs that we Americans no longer do. Who cleans that hotel room you stayed in last night. Who picked those strawberries you put on your cereal this morning. Who cuts your lawn, etc. etc. etc. We need reform yes, but rounding people up is not the best idea.

Okay turn to Arizona. Arizona passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill last week. Arizona has a large problem, being a boarder state, that is crippling their economy. However giving law enforcement the power to pull people over just because of a suspicion that they might be illegal is not right. If I am driving down the street I am not going to get pulled over but Jose will. Of course racial profiling will not be allowed but come on! However, I do feel that as a sovereign state they have the right to pass that law. You see I am a big supporter of states rights.

If anyone cares I would like to suggest the following. Lets take a deep breath. Take this out of the political arena. Halt deportations. Keep people working. Tighten the border, and work on getting the illegals legal. If that means they need to leave for a time, okay, but I submit if we make all of them leave our economy will crash.

Yes we need reform but we need compassionate reform. These are people after all in search of the American dream and a better way of life for their family. This about that.

Mental Illness

Posted on by Fr. Peter
This is the fourth time I have begun this post. I was not satisfied with the results of the other three so they have gone into the trash can.

As many of you know I serve as Chaplain for a local fire department. Usually this entails hanging out at the fire house and talking to the guys. On occasion it gets a little more exciting that that. While out for lunch the other day, my pager went off then my phone rang. “We’ve had a jumper” the voice on the other end of the phone said.

It seems a young woman leaped from the fourth floor of her apartment building. At the time of the call the woman was still alive and being airlifted to a larger hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. Little is know about this woman other than this is not the first time she has tried this.

My role in situations like this is to participate in what we call a debriefing. We gather all those involved in the event and have them speak about what they saw and what they did and how they feel about all of this. We have learned, through experience, that the sooner we get folks to vocalize what they have seen, the faster they are able to put it behind them and get back on the job. Basically you learn to deal with it because seeing something like that will stay with you for a long time. All that responded did what they are trained to do and feel that they did everything possible for the woman.

But, what would lead someone to do this. What would cause someone to crawl out on a ledge and push themselves off? This is part of the mystery of metal illness. We see people everyday on the street, at work, at church, and in our own homes that might be going through some personal hell. This poor tortured soul did what she thought she needed to do. I am not sure if she is still alive but based on her injuries I hope for her sake she is not. I hope she is at peace and in a better place.

Mental illness in the silent killer and affects more people than we think. As the economy continues in the direction it is heading we will see more of this has people who feel they have no other choice but to end their own life, will take it. We will also see, as the economy continues in the direction it is headed, that services to people who are the most vulnerable in our society are cut or discontinued all together.

Please pray for this woman and please pray for all of those suffering from mental illness, those who care for them and those affected by their mental illness. Yes that’s right there are other affected by mental illness who do not suffer from the actual illness. The families and loved ones suffer along with the person. So please pray for all of them. Pray also for the professional that assist and in this case the professionals who responded to the incident and the doctors and nurses who treated her.

Who Do We Follow? Jesus or Jefferson?

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Long time readers of these pages will know that I follow more than 100 blogs on a daily basis. I find the opinions of people of different opinions of mine refreshing and it helps me to clarify in my own mind what I think and believe and why I believe it. It is not enough to only read or listen to people who think the same way we do. We need to engage in dialogue with people of various opinions. Just because we do not agree with them does not make them wrong just different.

I read the blog posted at EthicsDaily.com and find it very refreshing. Sometimes I get so mad I could spit nails but most of the time it makes me go hmmmmm. This was one of those times.

Nathan Napier has written a very thought provoking piece on Jefferson and Jesus. I often have this discussion of weather Jesus was a liberal or a Conservative. It is hard to take 21st Century titles and apply them to someone who lived in the 1st Century but we need to do that to try and make sense of things.

My political philosophy has changed over the years and continues to evolve. I started as a Regan Republican. The first election I ever voted in was for Ronald Regan. I was the Chairman of the Republican Party in Quincy for a few years and voted for George Bush the first time. However I have seen all the parties devolve into something resembling craziness of the last few years and I guess I would not consider myself a Classical Liberal.

I believe in less government and less government regulation. Let the chips fall where they may I say. No big bailouts. If GM is going under let it go. Same with Wall Street let is roll I say. The best thing about an economy is it will self correct of left alone. We want to do something to help it along but leave it alone and it will correct. Will it be hard, yes, but we should be saving money, putting it away for that rainy day.

I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey and his goal to get America out of debt. In his program you start with $1,000 in the bank and then start to pay down your debt. The $1,000 is the emergency fund that is used just for that. We should budget and track where our money goes. He say sometimes you need to eat rice and beans for a few years and “Live like no one else so you can live like no one else.” After your out of debt you need 3 to 5 months of expenses in the bank. That way if you loose your job you have a cushion of 3 to 5 months to find another one and not look for a hand out from the government.

I also believe that the church needs to play a much larger role in the social service sector. To quote Dave Ramsey again, “we need to give the government out of business.” When did we give over the care of our neighbor to the government. When did it become the role of the government to provide money to people who, for what ever reason, cannot work. When did it become the role of the government to fund homeless shelters and soup kitchens, that is and always has been the role of the church and society not the government.

Read the article and see of your mind is changed. I know I have more reading to do and thinking about how I think about what I think about.

South Park

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I am not what one would call a fan of the show but I do watch it from time to time. They always seem to offend everyone, not just one group but all groups. They have done shows on Homosexuality, Mormons, Scientologists (the funniest episode to date I think) and of course Christians. Recently the producers and creators planned to air a show critical of Islam and especially the Prophet Mohamed.

As would one imagine the Muslim world went crazy and they threatened the producers with death if the show aired. When the show aired it was censored. So my question is this. If the Muslims go crazy, and rightfully so by the way, why don’t we Christians rise up and complain when they poke fun at Christians?

For far too long we Christians have sat by and watched our faith get made fun of. Some often say they would never do this to Jews or Muslims and that is correct because when it happens they go crazy! We have many crazy Christians in this world and we need to unleash them when things like this happens. We need to stop laying down and taking it and rise up and fight.

Some have said the world does not respect the message of the Christian Church, well let’s get that respect back! Part of the problem is we are wishy washy on what we believe and what we teach. I am Orthodox and the Orthodox Church believes certain things about certain things and I preach the truth, as unpopular as that has become.

Hell and Satan to exists and sin is real in this world.

Christians rise up and reclaim your faith! Stop laying down and being a doormat.

Back on the Train

Posted on by Fr. Peter
So my journey continues. I boarded the train about a half hour ago in Chicago for the trip home. This time it will take me via Washington, DC so I will be going most of the way along the same route coming out but will end up going through Pennsylvania and on into Washington.

The meetings in DC were very productive. The staff of OCF does a great job preparing all of us for the meetings so we know what is coming up. We heard a series of reports from different departments and it is nice to see and hear what is going on on the college campuses all over the US.

Back to the train. This leg is called the Capitol Limited and the cars are double deckers.They have to use single deckers from NYC to Chicago because of the low tunnels and what not along the route. I am on the bottom of the sleeper car in a room, if you can believe it, is smaller than the one I had coming out. Virtually it is the same room but this one does not have a toilet in the room it is located down the hall.

So I have some reading to do and I have to work on my sermon for Sunday. I was going to do that one the way down but did not get to it.

Stay tuned for more updates.

UPDATE: 1:25pm ~ I have arrived in Washington, DC and I am now ensconced in the lounge. As part of the ticket I get access to the VIP Lounge, very nice, free drinks and snacks in here. I am going to try and get some food before my next train leaves at 3:25.

This leg of the trip was much more enjoyable. I think the train ride was smoother is that makes any sense. I slept like a rock which is better then I did on the way out. So most of this trip was in the dark and I was asleep so it went by very fast.

I had breakfast with a couple who were coming from the West Coast and they were raving about the trip. I think I would like to make that trip maybe next year. At this board meeting we set the dates for our next one. That meeting will be in October and will be in Jacksonville, Florida so it looks like I will be making that trip by train as well. I will also be returning to Chicago in July by train so look for more of these entries as I travel around.

Train Journey ~ Day 2

Posted on by Fr. Peter
As the sun was rising over western Ohio I made my way to the Dining car for breakfast. Not as great as the dinner I had last night but it was still a good take none the less.

I am on what is called the Lakeshore Limited train with service from NYC/Boston to Chicago. This train follows the route of some very early trains in the history of rail travel. If you are interested here is a Wikipedia Article on the LSL.

I have to say that this trip hearkens back to the lay back days of long ago when we were not in a supersonic hurry to get somewhere. This is a leisurely trip through some of the best country I have ever seen. Time to read and reflect, have a nice meal, meet some new people, rest, relax, and all of that. We seem to want to hurry up and get somewhere so we can hurry up and go somewhere else.

I had dinner with a couple from Vermont last night and last year they went from Boston to Seattle and back again on the train. They had a wonderful time. Maybe I should put that on the schedule for next year. Take about four days and they said the trip through the Rockies was spectacular.

Slow down and enjoy life.

More latter…

The Adventure Begins

Posted on by Fr. Peter

I have to go to Chicago for a board meeting of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship. The OCF is the campus ministry organization of the Orthodox Church and I serve as my Diocese Representative on the board. I also do not like to fly in fact I am petrified of the entire experience so I have chosen to take the train. You lucky readers get to enjoy the journey with me.

Wireless is only available in the station although I have my blackberry hooked up to act as a wireless device so we will have to check that out along the way.

It is now 9:25am and I am in the station on Route 128 in Boston. Business class seat to NYC and then the sleeper to Chicago. I was going to do the entire thing coach but I decided to upgrade to the sleeper. I am sure my colleagues in Chicago will be glad I did as I am not to pleasant to be around if I do not get much sleep. So the train leaves at 9:50am and will arrive in NYC around 1:50pm. Watch for updates.

UPDATE: 3:40pm ~ I am in my compartment, although I will have to leave it to change my mind… LOL Not bad. Nice trip to NYC from Boston and a quick lunch at TGI Fridays. Saw some nice landscapes along the way but I did some reading and I did nap a little, just a little.

UPDATE 6:50pm ~ Train has been stopped in Albany for about half an hour. This is where it meets up with the train from Boston. Because I did not get the sleeper from Boston I am now at the back of this train. That’s okay I am right next to the dining car and my meal reservation is at 7:30. Not sure what is on the menu.

Had an interesting conversation with the conductor. It seems that ridership is up and they have had to add more cars to the trains. He said February and March are usually low times in the train service but it has been great so far this year. Maybe we are seeing a resurgence in train travel. If you have the time this is the way to go for sure. I do not feel like I am cattle stuck into a seat and having to pay for everything.

So far the BlackBerry is working fine as a wireless device so updates will continue.

UPDATE 7:00pm ~ I forgot to mention that when I got on board, that what we say on the train, on board, the attendant asked me what time I would like to be awakened in the morning and if I wanted coffee! I could get used to this…

UPDATE 9:05pm ~ So I had my meal. Nice half chicken and some delightful conversation with my table mates. Each table seats 4 so if you are alone will have company. I then walked the 40 miles or so to the bar car for a little drink. I had to walk through coach to get there and I am so glad I took the upgrade, does not look like fun in there!

So I am somewhere between Utica and Syracuse, NY and I am thinking about trying to get some sleep. It has been along day and in about 12 hours I will be in Chicago. I have left a wake up call for 6:00am, breakfast and 7:00am then more train riding. I get in at 9:40am Chicago time tomorrow.

I might get one more update in before bed but if I don’t have good night and happy trails!

error: Content is protected !!