Language of faith

Posted on by Fr. Peter
SARAH ROLLES
The Prince Albert Daily Herald, Canada

The Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Prince Albert traditionally holds all its sermons in the Ukrainian language – but that’s changed. It has recently started holding one Sunday ceremony a week in English.

“We want to open our doors to everyone,” said Rev. Michael Lomaszkiewicz. “And language is the tool of communication.”

It has been evident that younger generations have been few in attendance at all Sunday services for any faith and the Ukrainian Orthodox church realizes that.”

The expansion to English-language services will aid attendance by allowing access to those who otherwise may not understand the nuances of the service, he added.

“We want the young people we have and others to feel comfortable praying with us as well as understand us,” said Lomaszkiewcz.

The church still adheres to all its traditions but believes that a few ceremonies in English may help a few people who don’t understand Ukrainian hear and understand the words of God easier.

“It doesn’t hurt our traditions,” said Lomaszkiewcz. “The lord gave us the gift of being able to speak different languages.”

The Holy Trinity Orthodox church will also be holding their annual Epiphany Eve Service on Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. in English. The Epiphany is a traditional annual event that involves blessing members of the churches homes with holy water. The service will start with the blessing of the water then a holy supper to follow.

Balkans freeze as Russia cuts gas supply

Posted on by Fr. Peter
SOFIA, Bulgaria: Bulgarian school children bundled in wool coats sang songs to keep warm in their bitterly cold classroom. Bosnians drove hours to snap up electric heaters. And in Serbia, millions woke up to the Eastern Orthodox Christmas under the threat of winter hardship.

Russia’s decision to cut gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine on Wednesday hit the Balkans hard as a deep freeze descended on much of the region.

Tens of thousands of households were left without heat because of a pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine that has left more than a dozen countries with dwindling energy supplies in the coldest months of the year.

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Blessing of the Water includes prayer for everyone in the Valley

Posted on by Fr. Peter
YOUNGSTOWN — Water references such as “the clouds refresh humanity,” “washing away man’s sin” and “baptism of salvation” flowed in a Blessing of the Water service Tuesday afternoon on the icy shore of Lake Glacier at Mill Creek MetroParks.

The prayer service relates to the feast of Holy Theophany, the baptism of Jesus, where water plays a prominent role, and revelation of the Holy Trinity.

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Spirituality helps teens cope with chronic illness

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Spirituality may help teens cope with chronic illness, which can make life a living hell.

Two recent studies, conducted by Michael Yi and Sian Cotton in University of Cincinnati (UC), investigated how adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may use spirituality to cope with illness.

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Confession varies among world’s major religions

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Verses from the Torah, the Bible and the Quran speak of the importance of confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness from a God who is merciful.

But there are many differences in the process. Some faiths distinguish between major and minor sins. Some faiths say you should confess to God through a priest, while others admonish the faithful to take their confessions directly to God.

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War takes toll on Gaza children

Posted on by Fr. Peter
We seem to forget that children need to be protected and they are part of the vulnerable population in any society.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDT6pwporgc]

Since the Israeli offensive in Gaza began on December 27, it is estimated that about 770 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have been killed. Roughly half of the Palestinians killed are believed to be civilians. Among them are many children, perhaps the most defenceless victims of the conflict.

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January 9th ~ St. Fillan of Strathfillan

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Saint Fillan, Filan, Phillan, Fáelán (Old Irish) or Faolan (modern Gaelic) is the name of (probably) two Scottish saints, of Irish origin. The career of a historic individual lies behind at least one of these ‘saints’ (fl. 8th century), but much of the tradition surrounding ‘Fillan’ seems to be of a purely legendary character.
St Fillan of Munster, the son of Feriach, grandson of Cellach Cualann, King of Leinster, received the monastic habit in the abbey of Saint Fintan Munnu and came to Scotland from Ireland in 717 as a hermit along with his mother St Kentigerna and his uncle St Comgan. He is said to have been a monk at Taghmon in Wexford before eventually settling in Pittenweem (‘the Place of the Cave’), Fife, Scotland later in the 8th century.

St Fillan was the abbot of a Fife monastery and retired to Glen Dochart and Strathfillan near Tyndrum in Perthshire. At an Augustinian priory at Kirkton Farm adjacent to the West Highland Way, the priory’s lay-abbot, who was its superior in the reign of William the Lion, held high rank in the Scottish kingdom. This monastery was restored in the reign of Robert I of Scotland (Robert the Bruce), and became a cell of the abbey of canons regular at Inchaffray. The new foundation received a grant from King Robert, in gratitude for the aid which he was supposed to have obtained from a relic of the saint (an arm-bone) on the eve of the great victory over King Edward II’s English soldiers at the Battle of Bannockburn. The saint’s original chapel was up river, slightly northwest from the priory and adjacent to a deep body of water which became known as St Fillan’s Pool.

January 8th ~ St. Nathalan

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Nathalan (died 678 AD) was a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, who was active in the district now known as Aberdeenshire, Scotland. (Butler, 1866)(Watt, 1985) Nathalan was born in the village of Tullich, for which he was eventually appoointed as bishop. He is also known by the names Saint Nachlan and Saint Nauchlan.

Metropolitan Jonah to take part in 2009 March for Life

Posted on by Fr. Peter
SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] — On Thursday, January 22, 2009, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah will join Orthodox Christian clergy and faithful from across America for the 36th annual March for Life in Washington, DC.

On the evening of Wednesday, January 21, 2008, Metropolitan Jonah will celebrate Vespers at St. Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, DC, at 7:00 PM. The following day, he will take part in the March and will be one of the first religious leaders to give a message at the rally on Capitol Hill. That evening, Metropolitan Jonah will give the invocation at the March for Life’s annual Rose Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Washington.

“The Orthodox Church in America has designated the Sunday before January 22, the annual date for the March for Life, as ‘Sanctity of Life Sunday,'” said OCA Director of Communications, Archpriest Andrew Jarmus. “This year, the Sanctity of Life Sunday will fall on January 18. We will shortly be posting Metropolitan Jonah’s message for the Sanctity of Life Sunday and special petitions to be included in the Divine Liturgy on that day.”

More information about the 36th March for Life may be found at www.marchforlife.org.

IOCC Delivers Emergency Food Supplies to Children in Gaza

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Baltimore, MD — International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is providing fortified biscuits and milk for about 23,000 children in Gaza. IOCC expects to deliver these supplies by Saturday to the southern areas of Khan Yunis and Rafah. The conflict, now in its second week, has displaced more than 20,000 people from their homes.

IOCC will also provide a shipment of quilts to Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. East Jerusalem YMCA, a long time partner, will assist in delivering IOCC supplies. While news agencies are reporting that forces have agreed to suspend fighting for three hours each day to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, it still remains dangerous to move supplies.

IOCC has been working in cooperation with Action by Churches Together (ACT) member agencies to coordinate a response to the current crisis. Since 1997, IOCC has implemented a variety of educational, employment and school repair programs in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

Help IOCC speed relief to families who have been caught in this conflict. Visit www.iocc.org, call IOCC toll free at 1-877-803-4622, or mail a check or money order payable to “IOCC” and write “Middle East Relief” in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.

IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $275 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.

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