Church and State

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Today on the blog of Brent Abrahamson, Southbridge and Beyond, he called me out in a post, Seeing the Light. Now let me say right up front that I have never met Mr. Abrahamson but I have been reading his blog for a while and he also write for the local paper. I like his style and his writing. He took issue with the fact that I endorsed a candidate on my blog in the up coming special election to fill the vacant Senate Seat in Massachusetts.

I endorsed Scott Brown, the Republican, because his issues on life are within the teachings of the Orthodox Church of which I am a priest. He took issue because the church is not supposed to do this. Well when I write on this blog I no more represent my church then does anyone who blogs represent who they work for. Why are clergy not able to have opinions without people screaming church and state and want to remove our tax exempt status. Here is the quote from the blog:

Church blogs should remain politically neutral. Since a local priest has used his blog to endorse the Republican candidate for the open Massachusetts U. S. Senate seat, the church should forfeit its tax-free status. The blog not only contains the political views of the church’s spiritual leader, but it also contains sermons and Bible readings. If such pairings on the internet do not violate any church’s right to a tax-free status, then the law needs updating.

So I responded with this comment:

Great post as always and as the former morning host on WESO I agree that they have nothing to do with Webster or Southbridge anymore. As the name of the company the owns the station says Money Matters.I am also the local priest that endorsed a candiate on his blog and one correction needs to be made. My blog is just that mine. It is not a church no more than your blog belongs to any of the papers you write for. Yes I am a priest and yes I am a citizien and in a free society have a right to write about my thoughts and feelings, I wonder if I had endorsed the Democrate would I have made your list. I have not, nor would I ever, speak from the pulpit about a candidate but I will talk about my churches position on social issues and let the people make their own decision.Thanks for your blog I like your writings and I look forward to what you have to day. I don’t always agree but I like your thoughts and style. Keep up the good work.

A reader, someone who in anonymous. I find this interesting since in another place in the same post that he calls me out he rails against anonymous posts as not being courageous yet he allows them:

Father Peter, with all due respect, I’m not buying your ‘Blog is Mine” statement. Oh, I’ve not doubt that it is yours, but does everybody know that? You seemingly represent your church – even though you say you’d never endorse a candidate from the pulpit. Come on, let’s get real here. If you speak of and endorse certain “acceptable” social issues from your pulpit, then that’s basically the same thing as endorsing the candidates who agree with your positions. Quite frankly, you’re splitting hairs. I agree with Brent. If your church wants the luxury of a no-tax status, then you should be barred from doing this. I’d ask, why not just pay taxes like everyone else, and then you can speak about and endorse anything you please? Also, I’ve read most of Brent’s blogs, have you? If so, you’d realize that he certainly doesn’t endorse every Democrat that comes down the pike, nor every position they take, and I feel confident in saying that he’d feel exactly the same way no matter which side of the aisle you endorse. (I added the bold type)

So A Reader believes that I should not be able to teach from the pulpit what my church teaches on certain social issues. This is exactly the mindset that led the founding fathers to put the establishment clause in the Constitution to begin with. The clause was not protect the state from religion but the very opposite, to protect the church from the state!

Let me say at this point that I like the give and take this is what a free society is all about being able to air ones opinions on issues. I thank Mr. Abrahamson for posting this so we could have this discussion. I need to meet him one day and have coffee I think I would like him. But I digress…

So the comments continue:

Thanks for commenting. I do appreciate your position, but I believe one statement that you made suggests an underlying mindset:I wonder if I had endorsed the Democrate[sic] would I have made your list.My opinions on the proper separation of Church and State do not change depending on the candidate endorsed. That suggestion is both dismissive and, frankly, insulting.I fully support your right as an individual to express your thoughts and feelings. The inclusion of church teachings and dogma and your identification as a priest of the particular denomination certainly must be considered connected. When specific endorsement of a candidate is included among matters of spirituality and the personal viewpoints of a religious leader who does frequently make reference to his Denomination at large, I believe that violates at least the spirit of the rules regarding churches and a tax-exempt status.As for my blog or my column in a newspaper, it is clearly my opinion. I don’t claim to speak for any organization, so I don’t think the parallel you have tried to draw fits.In my opinion, when churches want to enter into partisan politics, they should reject any largesse from the State.Thanks again for your input.

To which I responded:

To A Reader,Thanks for your comments and I have a question. So I am not supposed to teach what my church teaches on social issues? How about people who advocate for homeless issues and run non profits should they loose their status as well or are churches the only ones that are not allowed to speak?Brent, I do not speak for any organization on my blog other than my own. I teach my my church teaches on the issues and I ask the same question are churches the only ones not allowed to speak on issues? Can Schools and teachers speak or do they run the risk of loosing their tax exempt status as well?

And he responded:

Well, Fr. Peter, you can keep making the straw man argument. Speaking out on issues and endorsing a specific candidate for public office are not the same thing. The schools and teachers analogy is hardly legitimate. Clergy can speak out all they want. If the church wants special consideration from the State, then there are restrictions.

And my follow up:

Okay, so let me ask the question in another way. If the Executive Director of the Southbridge Interfaith Hospitality Network talk about homeless issues or endorses a candidate because they are good on homeless issues should SIHN loose their tax status? Or if the head of the American Red Cross does, or a college president or any member or head of any tax exempt organization speak out should they loose their status or is it just churches that cannot speak?

If you wish to check the comments you can at the end of the article I did not edit them in anyway other than using the bold on the one statement above.

So I ask all of you who read this the same questions. Can other people who head not for profit organizations endorse candidates on their blogs? If so should they have their tax status revoked? When someone blogs do they represent the companies they work for or is this distinction just left to the clergy? Comments are open.

Patriarch Daniel’s New Year Address: Let’s unite liberty and responsibility to do good

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel in his New Year Address urges the Romanians to nurture the gift of national unity and peace among people and unite liberty and responsibility,’ in order they should accomplish the good.’

On this New Year’s Eve we are all called to say prayers to God and thank Him for the well, He has bestowed on us in 2009 and ask His help to improve our lives with the good deeds of the Faith in the New Year 2010. Let’s pray for the Romanians living beyond the country’s borders, who are happy when they feel the love and praise of those at home.

Let’s nurture the gift of national unity and peace among people. Let’s be diligent and merciful, and help the people around us. I wish you all peace, good health and happiness and may Lord help you in the New Year, Patriarch Daniel concluded his New Year Address.

New Year

Posted on by Fr. Peter
On January 1st each year, some people make resolutions and then by the end of the month they have forgotten them. The New Year is the great Do Over! It is a “Get out of Jail Free Card” We get to remake ourselves and promise to loose weight, be better people or whatever we want to do. Most of us set our goals way to high and before long, done!

2009 is all but a memory now and for some they will be glad it is over. It is also the end of a decade, and again for some they will be glad to see it gone. It started with such great hope and then life changed for most of us, a change that will be with us forever.

Another good thing about New Years is it give us a chance to look back and take stock of what is behind us. We need to know where we have come from so we know where we are going. We study history so we do not make the same mistakes. This is true even in our own lives. Take some time and review your own history and make plans for the future.

If you make resolutions, and I have not been a great one for making resolutions, but if you do make them realistic, small steps that can be measured and marked. It is the small victories that make us want to move forward. Set goals that can be checked off a list. I like checking things off a list it makes me feel like I am accomplishing stuff. Work on one item at a time and check them off the list.

The other way we can accomplish our goals is to find someone who will keep us accountable. I am a person who works best with a deadline, even if I wait till the last minute, deadlines keep me focused and if I have to report to someone well then I better get busy. In the Orthodox tradition we rely on the Spiritual Father/Director relationship for this accountability. Maybe this year it is time to start spiritual direction. This is not something to be feared and it is not just for the uber-religious out there, it is for everyone. A monthly check up will keep you on track and heal you to reach your goals and keep you accountable.

Fellow Blogger Fr. James Coles, has listed a few resolutions and I am going to borrow a couple of his and add some of mine. Each month I will look back and see how well I am doing with them and report here, and you, dear readers, will help keep me accountable.

So here goes:

1. 1 hour of prayer, reading, writing each day

2. Read through the Bible in one year. Here is a guide and I am already a day behind.

3. 1 day a month that is technology free. No email, blog, twitter, facebook, cell phone, etc. A desert day if you will.

4. Walk outside, for an hour at least 3 times per week for an hour! (This one I will need help with)

5. Be more attentive

So let’s see how we do. What are you resolving to do this year?

The Blessing of the New Year

Posted on by Fr. Peter

God, bless to me the new day,
Never vouchsafed to me before;
It is to bless Thine own presence
Thou hast given me this time, O God.

Bless Thou to me mine eye,
May mine eye bless all it sees;
I will bless my neighbor,
May my neighbor bless me.
God, give me a clean heart,
Let me not from sight of Thine eye;
Bless to me my children and my wife,
And bless to me my means and my cattle.

From: Carmina Gadelica ~ Collected by Alexander Carmichael

Met. Jonah calls all Orthodox to March for Life

Posted on by Fr. Peter
WASHINGTON, DC (OCA) – Orthodox Christians everywhere — especially those within driving distance of the US capital — are being encouraged to bear witness to their faith at the annual March for Life on Friday, January 22, 2010.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah has issued a special invitation encouraging youth and young adults to join him in proclaiming that all life is indeed a gift from God.

The faithful are asked to gather by noon under the “Orthodox Christians for Life” banner to the left of the stage at the Ellipse, between the Washington Monument and the national Mall. Metropolitan Jonah will be the first of several speakers to address the public at the pre-March program.

At the conclusion of the March, Metropolitan Jonah will offer prayers for the victims of abortion.

On Thursday, January 21, the eve of the March, the faithful are encouraged to join Metropolitan Jonah for Vespers at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, 3500 Massachusetts Ave. NW, at 7:00 p.m. A reception will follow.

On the morning of the March, Metropolitan Jonah and members of the Holy Synod of Bishops will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy at the cathedral at 8:00 a.m.

Students from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Crestwood, NY and Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA, will form a combined choir to render the liturgical responses at both services. Classes at both seminaries will be suspended for the day to encourage participation by faculty and students alike.

Following the March, Metropolitan Jonah will offer the invocation at the annual Rose Dinner at DC’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.

While additional details concerning the the Orthodox Christian witness will be forthcoming, general information on the March may be found at www.marchforlife.org/content/view/13/26.

H/T to Byzantine Texas

Love Your Enemies

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I am re posting this sermon on Love as part of the One Word at a Time Blog Carnival. This time around the focus is on Love. In this Scripture passage Jesus asks, no He commands, that we love those who hate us, not a very easy thing to do.
Luke 6:31-36

The Lord said, “And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

This is one of if not the most difficult passages of Scripture that we face in the normal readings of the year in the Orthodox Church. Jesus clearly is telling us that we must love our enemies. He does not suggest that we do this he, dare I say, commands us to do this.

The question we need to ask is how do we know whether a person abides in God and is sincere in the Christian Faith? The answer comes from an anonymous Russian saint. “Where there is love for one’s enemies, there God also is.” We must do this as difficult as it may be we must love our enemies.

A hostile person hates because he fears you will strike him so he strikes first. The last thing that he expects from you is love, so love him. Charm and disarm I always say. Love is the only thing that can destroy hostility. We need to love our enemies because he is first of all an enemy to himself. The very fact that this person dislikes you could simply mean that he needs you. His soul is warped by his hatred of you, and you alone can warm him and free him. They simply need someone to love them. Love is the only thing capable of transforming and enemy into a friend. Returning hate only multiplies hate, only love can break the cycle of hate.

So how do we make this love possible? What are some steps that we can take?

First we have to love God. When asked what the commandments are Jesus responded with Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your souls and love your neighbor as yourself. We first need to love God so we can have the capacity to love others. We should also love ourselves! If we truly love God and know Him as our Lord and Savior then our heart will be predisposed to love others including our enemy.

Secondly we should do good those those who hate you. In the Divine Liturgy we pray for those who loves us and those who hate us. St. Paul tells the Romans to overcome evil with good. We must make the first step. We must reach out to those who hate us. Of they hit us we must offer them the other cheek. If we find that it is not working then we need to double the dose and keep working at it. Love concurs all!

Third, pray for those who persecute you. The highest privilege we can offer is to pray for someone. To offer to take their needs to God in prayer is a wonderful thing that even the oldest of us can do. Asking for prayer and then praying for someone is important and a simple example of love.

Fourth, look for some good in the person. No one is evil to the core and there is always some good in that person. Find what is good and use that to compliment the person. Again do this with love and watch what happens. People like to be complimented and what does it cost you to be charitable to someone.

The last and hardest of all is to develop the capacity to forgive. I loving your enemy is not hard enough we must also be able to forgive. In the Lord’s prayer we pray to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. In order for us to be forgiven we need to be able to forgive, again not an easy thing to do. But, with God all things are possible. Through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit we can develop this capacity to forgive. Jesus would not ask this of us if we were not capable of doing it. Most times we do not forgive because we do not know how to forgive. Forgiveness begins with ourselves. We must be able to forgive ourselves then we will be able to forgive others.

Hatred is destructive and no good can come from hate. Hate comes from the evil one and we have no room for the evil one. Hatred allows the evil to take root in our soul and darken it. Use the example of Jesus on the Cross who forgave those who had just crucified Him. Father forgive them for they know not what they do!

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

Sunday after the Nativity of Christ ~ Stephen the Protomartyr

Posted on by Fr. Peter
The holy, glorious, all-laudable Apostle Stephen the Protomartyr (Gk. Στέφανος, “crown”) was an early Christian convert from among the Hellenistic Jews, one of the original seven deacons ordained by the Apostles, and the first martyr of the Orthodox Church. The Church remembers the martyrdom of St. Stephen on December 27, and the translations of his relics on August 2, as well as commemorating him on June 15 with Ss. Fortunatus and Achaicus.

St. Stephen was a Jew living in the Hellenic provinces, related to the Apostle Paul and one of the first seven deacons ordained by the Apostles to serve the Church in Jerusalem (thus making him an archdeacon).

In the words of Asterias:St Stephen was “the starting point of the martyrs, the instructore of suffering for Christ, the foundation of righteous confession, since Stephen was the first to shed his blood for the Gospel.”

The Holy Spirit worked powerfully through his faith, enabling him to perform many miracles and always defeat the Jews who would dispute with him.

The Jews in their hatred of St. Stephen lied about him to the people, but St. Stephen with his face illumined reminded the people of the miracles God had worked through him and even rebuked the Jews for killing the innocent Christ.

The people were enraged by what they thought was blasphemy and ‘gnashed their teeth’ at Stephen. It was then that he saw his Christ in the heavens and declared it so. Hearing this, the Jews took him outside the city and stoned him to death, with his kinsman Saul (later St. Paul) holding their coats while they did it. Afar off on a hill was the Virgin Mary and St. John the Theologian who witnessed this first martyrdom for the Son of God and prayed for him while he was being stoned. This occurred about a year after the first Pentecost.

The body of the holy Protomartyr Stephen, left to be consumed by body at the foothill of the city for two days to be eaten by dogs. But on the second night, Gamaliel— teacher of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Barnabas— along with his son, secretly came and took the body to his own estate, in Capharganda, to be buried.

Nicodemus, who died while weeping at this grave, was also buried there along with Gamaliel’s godson Abibus and Gamaliel himself upon his repose.

After many years the memory of St. Stephen’s burial place had left the minds of men, until 415 when Gamaliel appeared three times to Father Lucian, priest at Capharganda. He revealed to Fr. Lucian the place of his burial and everything about it. Fr. Lucian received the blessing of the Patriarch to exhume the saints from their grave where a strong, sweet fragrance filled the cave.

St. Stephen’s relics were translated to Zion and honorably buried, and many of the sick were healed by his relics. The other three relics were placed inside a church atop the cave on a hill. Eventually, his relics were translated to Constantinople.

Today, you wil find his whole right arm at The Holy Trinity of St. Sergius Lavra, established by St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1345, at Sergiyev Posad, Russia Video of The Holy Trinity monastery

Sunday after the Nativity of Christ ~ Joseph the Betrothed

Posted on by Fr. Peter
The holy and righteous Joseph the Betrothed, also referred to as Joseph of Nazareth, was the foster-father of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament (Matthew 1:16; Luke 3:23). Not much is known of Joseph except that he was “of the House of David” and lived in the town of Nazareth. His date of death is unknown, though he was still living when Jesus was 12 years old.

He was betrothed to the Virgin Mary at the time that Mary conceived Jesus. Luke says that he lived at Nazareth in Galilee (Luke 2:4); however, according to Matthew, it was only after the return from Egypt that he settled in Nazareth (Matthew 2:23). He is called a “just man”. He was by trade a carpenter (Matthew 13:55). He is last mentioned in connection with the journey to Jerusalem, when Jesus was twelve years old. It is probable that Joseph died before Jesus entered on his public ministry because only Mary was present at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, and he is not described at the crucifixion along with Mary (John 19:25). In addition, St. Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body of Jesus, a duty that would have fallen to St. Joseph had he been alive.

Jesus Christ is described as being the brother of James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and several sisters (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). A tradition at least as early as the second century, still adopted by the Orthodox Church, explains that these “brothers and sisters” were from Joseph’s marriage to Salome who left him a widower before he was betrothed to Mary and so making them step-brothers and step-sisters. He was the older brother to Cleopas, who was also married to a woman named Mary.

That Jesus commended Mary to the care of John the Evangelist while he was hanging on the cross has been interpreted to also suggest that Joseph had died by that time, and that Joseph and Mary did not have any other children who might care for Mary.

In many icons of the Nativity, Joseph is shown being tempted by the Devil (depicted as an old man with furled wings) to break off his betrothal, and resisting that temptation (cf. Nativity Icon).

Also in the imagery of the Christian church, statues of Joseph depict his staff topped with flowers, recalling the Protevangelion’s account of how Mary’s spouse was chosen. Among the collected walking sticks of widowers in Israel, Joseph was distinguished when his staff burst into flower.

St Joseph is commemorated on the Sunday after the Nativity. If there is no Sunday between December 25 and January 1, his feast is moved to December 26, along with David the King and James the Brother of our Lord. The Righteous Joseph is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Forefathers. There is an akathist hymn dedicated to him.

Proper of Ordinary Weekdays ~ Saturday

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Saturday – Dedicated to All Saints

Troparion of All Saints (Tone 2)

O You apostles, martyrs, prophets, hierarchs, righteous one and holy women who have fought the good fight and kept the faith, since you have acquired favor with the Savior, we beseech you to intercede with Him in his goodness that He may save our souls.

Troparion of the Dead (Tone 8)

O Lord in your goodness remember your servants and forgive every sin they have committed in their life, for there is none without sin but Yourself who have power to grant rest to the departed.

Theotokion (Tone 2)

O holy Mother, Mother of the Inexpressible Light, we honor you with angelic hymns and we all exalt you with great devotion.

Kontakion of the Dead (Tone 8)

With the saints, O Lord, grant rest the souls of your servants, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but everlasting life.

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