In case you missed it last night here is the Resurrection Liturgy from St. Michael’s Church in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It starts of rather dark and at one point we go outside so there is no sound, but hang in there.
The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom
This is the traditional homily read at the Resurrection Liturgy. I was going to post it but my good friend Huw posted on his blog so here is the link.
Christ is Risen Indeed He is Risen
Albanian: Krishti Ungjall! Vertete Ungjall!Arabic: Al Maseeh Qam! Haqqan Qam!
Armenian: Christos harjav i merelotz! Orhniale harutjun Christosi!
Byelorussian: Khristos Uvoskros! Zaprowdu Uvoskros!
Chinese: Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Coptic: Pikhirstof aftonf! Khen o methni aftonf!
Czech: Kristus vstal zmrtvy’ch! Skutec ne vstal!
Danish: Kristus er opstanden! Ja, sandelig opstanden!
Dutch: Christus is opgestaan! Hij is waarlijk opgestaan!
English: Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!
Estonian: Kristus on surnuist ülestõusnud! Tõesti ülestõusnud!
Finnish: Kristus nousi Kuolleista! Totisesti Nousi!
French: Christ est Ressuscité! En Vérité, Il est Ressuscité!
Gaelic: Erid Krist! G’deya! n erid she!
Irish Gaelic: Tá Críosd ar éirigh! Go deimhin, tá e ar éirigh!
Scots’ Gaelic: Tha Crìosd air èiridh! Gu dearbh, tha e air èiridh!
Georgian: Kriste aghsdga! Cheshmaritad aghsdga!
Greek: Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!
Hebrew: Ha Mashiyach qam! Ken hoo qam!
Hungarian: Krisztus feltámadt! Valóban feltámadt!
Italian: Cristo è risorto! È veramente risorto!
Japanese: Harisutosu Fukkatsu! Jitsu Ni Fukkatsu!
Latin: Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!
Norwegian: Kristus er oppstanden! Han er sannelig opstanden!
Polish: Khristus Zmartvikstau! Zaiste Zmartvikstau!
Portugese: Christo Ressuscitou! Em Verdade Ressuscitou!
Romanian: Hristos a Inviat! Adeverat a Inviat!
Russian: Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres!
Serbian: Hristos Vaskrese! Vaistinu Vaskrese!
Slavonic: Christos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!
Slovak: Kristus vstal zmr’tvych! Skutoc ne vstal!
Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado! Verdaderamente ha resucitado!
Sweedish: Kristus är upstånden! Ja, Han är sannerligen uppstånden!
Syriac: Meshiha qam! Bashrira qam!
Ukranian: Kristos Voskres! Voistinu voskres!
Welsh: Atgyfododd Crist! Atgyfododd in wir!
Icon: www.goarch.org
Greetings: www.orthodox.net
Holy Week So Far
Things have been very busy here in the Village. It is funny that no matter what size parish you have there seems to be the same amount of work to be done as a larger one. First off this is way too late for Holy Week. We start our services at 7pm and the SUN IS STILL UP! And last night was oppressively hot in the church. Well one good thing we do not have to turn the heat on.
So this year we added three presanctified liturgies to the line up of Holy Week Liturgies. I love the presanctified liturgy. The words are wonderful and the whole atmosphere is very different from the regular run of the mill liturgy that we are used too. I will have to do a post just on the presanctified. It is weird doing an evening service in the morning and the morning service at night but such is the liturgical cycle of the church during this time.
Last night was the first long service of Holy Week. The Service of Unction. I also love this service. There are seven readings, seven prayers, and seven Gospel readings all about the healing power of the Church. The prayers are a wonderful reminder of our theology. In the liturgy book I use the prayers are printed in small print. That usually means silent prayers. I wonder how many of my fellow clergy skip these all together? I come out and stand before the table with the oil on it, that sounds funny but I am sure you know what I mean, and pray these prayers. The service was a little more and an hour and half. Then one by one the faithful come forward for the anointing. This is a part of pastoral ministry that I do not get to do very often. Then the round of confessions. Each night more and more people will come for their once a year confession. This is an extremely humbling time for me as I listen to the hurts of people. The things they are struggling with and try and find some words of encouragement. Sometimes, like the other night, they turn into long conversations about life and other such things.
Confession after Unction brings up and interesting point that needs to be flushed out about after Holy Week. The prayers of the service ask for the sins of the faithful to be forgiven. Sometimes the same words from the prayer of absolution are used. So why go to confession after if the prayers have already been said? I know that Fr. Schemann of blessed memory wrote about general confession, not to supplant individual confession, so would this be along the same lines? your comments are needed here.
Yesterday afternoon was so nice I had to get out of the office for a few hours so I went to the cottage, a trailer actually, and raked leaves and sat in the sun with the dog. It was nice and I got my first blister of the season. Today will be another glorious day.
So today we have the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil at 10am and the reading of the 12 Gospels at 7pm and more confessions. Between all of that I have a hospital visit to make then to the florist wholesaler to get all the flowers, no lilies this year, and some other stops for bits that I need for the rest of the week.
So the work never ends and this is the busy time of the year for a priest. Next week I can relax a little and spend sometime reading again. I have not been up to date on entries. I had planned to make some entries on the different days of Holy Week but only managed to get Monday up, yesterday. So we will see. I also planned to get a podcast in this week but not sure that will happen either.
We are going to try and stream the service tonight and if that works we will stream the rest of the services this week. If you are in the area, Orthodox or not, come on by!
Saturday of Lazarus
Yesterday on the Church Calendar was the Saturday of St. Lazarus. On this day we recall Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Had a good turnout in church in part because we had a 40 day memorial so the family was there it was nice to have a full church.
This day is the bridge between Great Lent (which ended last night at Vespers) and Holy Week that begins today with Palm Sunday. I was going to record my homily but once again I forgot to press the little record button on my digital recorder. You have to push it two times to record. So I will just post my notes from the homily and see if you can make any sense out of them. I have not written a homily out in about a year so these notes tend to wander. I hope to record today’s homily and will post that latter on as a podcast.
And Jesus Wept…
The Saturday before Palm Sunday is know on the Orthodox Calendar as Lazarus Saturday. The Gospel reading for this day comes from the Gospel according to St. John. St. John is the only one of the four Gospel writers to have this account of the friend of Jesus and His sisters.
The Saturday of Lazarus and Palm Sunday are the connecting days between Great Lent and Holy Week. At the Vespers of Lazarus Saturday Great Lent comes to a close. The day itself is a celebration of Resurrection and is one of the only days that the Resurrectional Liturgy of Sunday is celebrated. The theme of this day is the victory of Christ over Hades. Hades signifies death and the inescapable darkness that swallows up life. But through the raising of Lazarus death begins to tremble as a duel between life and death begins and will end with the Cross and Resurrection of Christ.
The writer of the fourth Gospel uses the figure of Lazarus; much like the writer of Genesis used Adam, as a representation of all of Humanity. Lazarus is each one of us and his resurrection is a foreshadow of the resurrection of all that will come in the end times. Bethany, the home of Lazarus and his sisters is representational of the entire world.
The Gospel writer calls Lazarus the friend of Jesus. We, all of humanity that is, were created for friendship with God. Our Fore parents, Adam and Eve, walked with God in the Garden. We were created for an intimate knowledge and friendship with the Creator and to be in communion with Him. We were created to share our life with Him and for Him to share His life with us.
So it would appear that Jesus took His time getting to Bethany after he heard of the sickness of His friend. Bethany was a days journey from where Jesus was. A day for the message to reach Him, two days while He contemplated His next move and a days journey for Jesus and the others with Him. Why four days? Jewish Talmudic tradition taught that for three days the soul returned to the grave thinking that it would return to the body; however when it sees that the color of its face has changed it goes away and leaves. Four days would have made sure he was in fact dead by Jewish tradition. So he arrives to find Lazarus dead and in the tomb.
The shortest verse in Scripture comes at this point in the story. We read in verse 35 and Jesus wept. Why did He weep? Surely He knew that He would go to Bethany and raise His friend from the dead. Was he showing his human side by doing this? Can we separate the human and divine in Jesus? The Orthodox Church teaches that all of the actions of Christ are both divine and human they are actions of the same person, the Incarnate Son of God. So when the human weeps the divine also weeps.
At the grave of Lazarus Jesus comes face to face with death. Death as the power of sin and destruction, of hatred and of despair. He meets the enemy of God and His creation and He wept. It was because of His weeping that He had the power to raise Lazarus. The power of resurrection is not Divine it is the power of love, love as power. God is love and love creates life, love weeps at the grave of one who has fallen asleep and love restores life.
The tears of Jesus were tears of love and in these tears is the power of love. Tears for His creation that has fallen into sin and death. Love is the foundation of life and the source of life. Because two people loved each other we have life. Love is at work here at the grave of Lazarus love that redeems and restores the darkened life of humanity. It is love that says LAZARUS COME FORTH!
We see in this Saturday of Lazarus the beginning of the Cross and the supreme sacrifice of love. We also see in this day a foretaste of the common resurrection. What we shall see in a week is the ultimate triumph of love, the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Round Up of Papal Address
I started the week by posting the text of the Pope’s speeches and Homilies in the different places. But time got away with me and I was unable to keep up with it. Although they are available in other places I thought I would just post links to the rest of the speeches. I did not see any of these but have read most of them. I will have to say I like this guy and I think he has much to say to all Christians if we just listen.
Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations
Ecumenical Meeting at St. Joseph’s Church
Homily St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Meeting with Seminarians and Youth
After Mass at Yankee Stadium today and a prayer at Ground Zero the Pope will leave for Rome. I would like to thank His Holiness for coming to the United States and sharing his words with us. I will pray for him as he returns to Rome and for his continued leadership.
1 in 5 veterans found with mental disorder
By Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times April 18, 2008
WASHINGTON – The latest and most comprehensive study of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has concluded that nearly 1 in every 5 veterans is suffering from depression or stress disorders and that many are not getting adequate care.
The study shows that mental disorders are more prevalent and lasting than previously known, surfacing belatedly and lingering after troops have been discharged into civilian and family life.
An estimated 300,000 veterans among the nearly 1.7 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are battling depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. More than half of those people, according to the study conducted by the Rand Corp., are slipping through the cracks in the bureaucratic system, going without necessary treatment.
The Rand study underscores one of the hard lessons of modern counterinsurgency conflicts: Such wars might kill fewer soldiers than traditional fights but can leave deeper psychological scars.
Screening techniques for stress disorders are vastly improved from previous wars, making comparisons with Vietnam, Korea, or World War II difficult or impossible. But a chief difference is that in Iraq and Afghanistan, all service members, not just combat infantry, are regularly exposed to roadside bombs and civilian massacres. That distinction subjects a wider swath of military personnel to the stresses of war.
“We call it ‘360-365’ combat,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense. “What that means is veterans are completely surrounded by combat for one year. Nearly all of our soldiers are under fire, or being subjected mortar rounds, or roadside bombs, or witnessing the deaths of civilians or fellow soldiers.”
Military officials praised the Rand study yesterday, arguing that its findings were consistent with their studies and said it would reinforce their efforts to try to improve mental health care. Veterans Affairs officials, while questioning the study’s methodology, said their department has intensified efforts to find discharged service members suffering from mental disorders.
The Rand Study was undertaken for the California Community Foundation, which has funded other programs for returning veterans. Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker, the Army surgeon general, said the study would help draw the nation’s attention. “They are making this a national debate,” Schoomaker said.
The Army previously has said that an estimated 1 in 6 service members suffers from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a slightly lower rate than Rand’s study found. In addition to PTSD rates, the Rand study found that 19.5 percent of people who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffered a concussion or another traumatic brain injury during their combat tour, a number similar to Army estimates.
Taken together, the study shows that 31 percent of those who have served in combat have suffered brain injuries, stress disorders, or both.
Combat-related mental ailments and stress can lead to suicide, homelessness and physical health problems. But more mundane disorders can have long-term social consequences.
“These conditions can impair relationships, disrupt marriages, aggravate the difficulties of parenting, and cause problems in children that may extend the consequences of combat trauma across generations,” the study says.
Failure to treat disorders adequately can cost the government billions of dollars, said Lisa H. Jaycox, another of the study’s authors.
Some service members avoid a diagnosis of a mental health problem, fearing negative consequences, according to the study. These troops worry about damage to their military careers and relationships with co-workers. “When we asked folks what was limiting them from getting the help that they need, among the top barriers that were reported were really negative career repercussions,” said Terri Tanielian, one of the study’s authors.
The study suggests two key changes. It suggests ways to allow service members to get mental health care “off the record” to avoid any stigma. And since some soldiers and Marines fear that seeking treatment will prevent their redeployment, the study recommends that fitness-for-duty reports not rely on decisions to seek mental health care.
Address during Meeting with Representatives of Other Religions
My dear friends,
I am pleased to have this occasion to meet with you today. I thank Bishop Sklba for his words of welcome, and I cordially greet all those in attendance representing various religions in the United States of America. Several of you kindly accepted the invitation to compose the reflections contained in today’s program. For your thoughtful words on how each of your traditions bears witness to peace, I am particularly grateful. Thank you all.
This country has a long history of cooperation between different religions in many spheres of public life. Interreligious prayer services during the national feast of Thanksgiving, joint initiatives in charitable activities, a shared voice on important public issues: these are some ways in which members of different religions come together to enhance mutual understanding and promote the common good. I encourage all religious groups in America to persevere in their collaboration and thus enrich public life with the spiritual values that motivate your action in the world.
The place where we are now gathered was founded specifically for promoting this type of collaboration. Indeed, the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center seeks to offer a Christian voice to the “human search for meaning and purpose in life” in a world of “varied religious, ethnic and cultural communities” (Mission Statement). This institution reminds us of this nation’s conviction that all people should be free to pursue happiness in a way consonant with their nature as creatures endowed with reason and free will.
Americans have always valued the ability to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience. Alexis de Tocqueville, the French historian and observer of American affairs, was fascinated with this aspect of the nation. He remarked that this is a country in which religion and freedom are “intimately linked” in contributing to a stable democracy that fosters social virtues and participation in the communal life of all its citizens. In urban areas, it is common for individuals from different cultural backgrounds and religions to engage with one another daily in commercial, social and educational settings. Today, in classrooms throughout the country, young Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and indeed children of all religions sit side-by-side, learning with one another and from one another. This diversity gives rise to new challenges that spark a deeper reflection on the core principles of a democratic society. May others take heart from your experience, realizing that a united society can indeed arise from a plurality of peoples – “E pluribus unum”: “out of many, one” – provided that all recognize religious liberty as a basic civil right (cf. Dignitatis Humanae, 2).
The task of upholding religious freedom is never completed. New situations and challenges invite citizens and leaders to reflect on how their decisions respect this basic human right. Protecting religious freedom within the rule of law does not guarantee that peoples – particularly minorities – will be spared from unjust forms of discrimination and prejudice. This requires constant effort on the part of all members of society to ensure that citizens are afforded the opportunity to worship peaceably and to pass on their religious heritage to their children.
The transmission of religious traditions to succeeding generations not only helps to preserve a heritage; it also sustains and nourishes the surrounding culture in the present day. The same holds true for dialogue between religions; both the participants and society are enriched. As we grow in understanding of one another, we see that we share an esteem for ethical values, discernable to human reason, which are revered by all peoples of goodwill. The world begs for a common witness to these values. I therefore invite all religious people to view dialogue not only as a means of enhancing mutual understanding, but also as a way of serving society at large. By bearing witness to those moral truths which they hold in common with all men and women of goodwill, religious groups will exert a positive influence on the wider culture, and inspire neighbors, co-workers and fellow citizens to join in the task of strengthening the ties of solidarity. In the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “no greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of faith”.
A concrete example of the contribution religious communities make to civil society is faith-based schools. These institutions enrich children both intellectually and spiritually. Led by their teachers to discover the divinely bestowed dignity of each human being, young people learn to respect the beliefs and practices of others, thus enhancing a nation’s civic life.
What an enormous responsibility religious leaders have: to imbue society with a profound awe and respect for human life and freedom; to ensure that human dignity is recognized and cherished; to facilitate peace and justice; to teach children what is right, good and reasonable!
There is a further point I wish to touch upon here. I have noticed a growing interest among governments to sponsor programs intended to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue. These are praiseworthy initiatives. At the same time, religious freedom, interreligious dialogue and faith-based education aim at something more than a consensus regarding ways to implement practical strategies for advancing peace. The broader purpose of dialogue is to discover the truth. What is the origin and destiny of mankind? What are good and evil? What awaits us at the end of our earthly existence? Only by addressing these deeper questions can we build a solid basis for the peace and security of the human family, for “wherever and whenever men and women are enlightened by the splendor of truth, they naturally set out on the path of peace” (Message for the 2006 World Day of Peace, 3).
We are living in an age when these questions are too often marginalized. Yet they can never be erased from the human heart. Throughout history, men and women have striven to articulate their restlessness with this passing world. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the Psalms are full of such expressions: “My spirit is overwhelmed within me” (Ps 143:4; cf. Ps 6:6; 31:10; 32:3; 38:8; 77:3); “why are you cast down, my soul, why groan within me?” (Ps 42:5). The response is always one of faith: “Hope in God, I will praise him still; my Savior and my God” (Ps 42:5, 11; cf. Ps 43:5; 62:5). Spiritual leaders have a special duty, and we might say competence, to place the deeper questions at the forefront of human consciousness, to reawaken mankind to the mystery of human existence, and to make space in a frenetic world for reflection and prayer.
Confronted with these deeper questions concerning the origin and destiny of mankind, Christianity proposes Jesus of Nazareth. He, we believe, is the eternal Logos who became flesh in order to reconcile man to God and reveal the underlying reason of all things. It is he whom we bring to the forum of interreligious dialogue. The ardent desire to follow in his footsteps spurs Christians to open their minds and hearts in dialogue (cf. Lk 10:25-37; Jn 4:7-26).
Dear friends, in our attempt to discover points of commonality, perhaps we have shied away from the responsibility to discuss our differences with calmness and clarity. While always uniting our hearts and minds in the call for peace, we must also listen attentively to the voice of truth. In this way, our dialogue will not stop at identifying a common set of values, but go on to probe their ultimate foundation. We have no reason to fear, for the truth unveils for us the essential relationship between the world and God. We are able to perceive that peace is a “heavenly gift” that calls us to conform human history to the divine order. Herein lies the “truth of peace” (cf. Message for the 2006 World Day of Peace).
As we have seen then, the higher goal of interreligious dialogue requires a clear exposition of our respective religious tenets. In this regard, colleges, universities and study centers are important forums for a candid exchange of religious ideas. The Holy See, for its part, seeks to carry forward this important work through the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, and various Pontifical Universities.
Dear friends, let our sincere dialogue and cooperation inspire all people to ponder the deeper questions of their origin and destiny. May the followers of all religions stand together in defending and promoting life and religious freedom everywhere. By giving ourselves generously to this sacred task – through dialogue and countless small acts of love, understanding and compassion – we can be instruments of peace for the whole human family.
Peace upon you all!