Rev. Peter M Preble – Page 80 – Open-Minded, Open-Hearted Minister & Soul Friend

What Have We Done With Our Freedom

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Fr. Peter

(basilica) Today, 17 December 2014, 12.00 hours, the bells were rung in all the cathedrals, churches and monasteries as sign of gratitude and solemn prayers were said for the first revolutionary heroes who sacrificed themselves 25 years ago at Timisoara for the freedom, faith and dignity of the Romanian people oppressed by the communist regime.

When we pray for our freedom we think of those who sacrificed themselves for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people

Today, at the end of the Te Deum celebrated in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest on the occasion of the name day of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, His Beatitude spoke about the importance of the sacrifice of the revolutionaries of Timisoara, in 1989.

“Today we remember from a national point of view the young people who sacrificed themselves on 17 December 1989, at Timisoara, where from the revolution for the liberation of the Romanian people from under the communist atheist dictatorship began. This is why we decided that today, at 12.00 hours, the bells should ring in the entire Romanian Patriarchate. During the Divine Liturgy, a special solemn service was celebrated for the heroes of the revolution from Timisoara of 17 December 1989. We pray Good God to put the souls of those who sacrificed themselves for faith, for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people with the righteous ones. When we pray for our freedom we think of those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people. They are remembered at every Divine Liturgy, heroes, Romanian soldiers and fighters of all times and places, so that those who died for the dignity and freedom of the Romanian people are included in this liturgical formula remembering the heroes who are not only soldiers, but also fighters, namely civilians who fought for the completion of the nation, for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people”, His Beatitude said.

When freedom leads us to division, neglect, feud, we do not have the holy freedom, but a decayed freedom

His Beatitude has also spoken about the way we use freedom and underlined the fact that if we use freedom for strengthening faith it means that our freedom glorified God.

“We must think now, 25 years after the revolution of December 1989, what we have done with our freedom. We wondered at the time how to get freedom, but now we must wonder how much our freedom brought us close to God and to one another. If we use our freedom for strengthening faith – such as the religion class in the public schools, building churches, increasing the charitable social activity – then it means that our freedom glorified God. When freedom leads us to division, neglect, feud, we do not have the holy freedom, but a decayed freedom. This is why Saint Peter the Apostle says “do not use your freedom as justification of feud, as reason to do evil”. Thus, with these thoughts in mind, of the heroes of the revolution of Timisoara of 17 December 1989, and thinking too that we shall celebrate a solemn service for all the heroes of the revolution of December 1989, let us pray God to put their souls with the righteous ones and strengthen us to keep on cultivating freedom and responsibility, the national unity and dignity for the glory of God and the welfare of the Romanian people”, the Patriarch of Romanian also said.

From 17-23 December 2014, the hierarchs, priests and deacons will celebrate solemn services at all the cemeteries, monuments and road side shrines dedicated to the heroes of December who sacrificed their lives 25 years ago.

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Archbishop Nicolae’s Nativity Message

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Fr. Peter

PASTORAL LETTER ON THE FEAST OF THE LORD’S NATIVITY 2014

† NICOLAE

by the mercies of God

Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas

To our beloved Clergy and faithful Orthodox Christians,
peace and joy from Christ the Lord,
and from us a hierarchical blessing.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

Very Reverend Fathers,

Beloved Faithful,

On this glorious feast I too proclaim the wondrous Nativity in Bethlehem of Judea, and I invite you to worship with understanding the One who was revealed as God and man. At a certain time and place God came down to earth. The Magi from the East understood the vision of the star, and desired to receive the revelation and to be partakers in this great event. It is fitting that we too with them should discover its meanings.

The coming of the Messiah had been foretold by the Old Testament prophets. The Prophet Isaiah reveals that the Messiah will be born of the seed of Jesse, the father of King David: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots” (Is. 11:1). Jeremiah says, “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth” (Jer. 23:5). The precise location of this raising up of the Messiah is told by the Prophet Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:1). This prophecy was known and invoked by the “chief priests and scribes of the people,” called by Herod to inform him about the birth of the “King of the Jews,” in the words of the Magi. A foreigner among the Jewish people, knowing little thus about the prophecies, Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, at the Magi’s question: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” The prophecies existed but they were forgotten and poorly understood. The Jews and their learned men were living in darkness and ignorance. Although members of the chosen people, chosen to give the Savior to the world, they did not comprehend the fulfillment of these prophecies. The wise and comprehending came to make clear the signs of the times and to worship the Messiah, thus fulfilling yet another prophecy: “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him” (Ps. 71:10-11).

Together with St. John Chrysostom we wonder: “How could the Magi know through the star that Christ is the King of the Jews?” For He was not the king of any earthly kingdom…. And He had nothing with Him that looked like a kingdom, no lance or shield, no horses or asses, nor any other such things” (The Sixth Homily on Matthew). Then the great preacher asks what was their motive in coming to worship Him: “After they had entered on so long a journey, and worshipped, and thrown all into confusion, they went away immediately. And what sign at all of royalty did they behold, when they saw a shed, and a manger, and a child in swaddling clothes, and a poor mother? And to whom moreover did they offer their gifts, and for what intent?”

The answer is given to us by this same father, John Chrysostom, who challenges us to understand the way God works. With the wise, with those who comprehend the mysteries of the heavens, God works through a sign. The luminous star was understood by the Magi as a revelation of God to them. But this wondrous movement of the star did not only involve their knowledge, but God Himself. “In my opinion,” continues St. John Chrysostom, “this was not only because of the star, but of God Himself, Who moved their souls, just as He did with King Cyrus when He caused him to free the Jews from bondage.” Thus the revelation of God is accomplished, working through signs that can be understood by the human being, but also revealing Himself to the soul, calling it to the fulfillment of those things that have been understood by the mind.

Very Reverend Fathers, Beloved Faithful,

In the guidance of the star, in the worship of the Magi, in their offering gifts to the Baby Jesus, we see the work of God with His creation. The Messiah came “in the fullness of time,” fulfilling the prophecies. Yet it was not the “scribes of the people” who recognized and received Him joyfully, but foreigners who knew how to interpret the signs of the times. The Messiah was born in a poor manger even though He was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The ignorance of those known as “scribes” made possible the discovery of the wisdom of the Magi, who brought Him royal gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their human wisdom brought them to a spiritual wisdom, for God, St. John continues, “desired to call them by the sight of a star, that He might raise up their minds above their own thoughts. For after He had directed and guided them, and brought them to the manger, He no longer spoke to them through a star, but through an angel,” cautioning them to return to their own country by another route. The star was the means of this journey toward spiritual things, toward their personal discovery of God through the angel. And this encounter with God transformed them into apostles. St. John assures us that once they had proclaimed the Messiah before Herod, they arrived back in their own country as heralds of the Savior and teachers of their own fellow countrymen.

For us too, the spiritual journey of the Magi is an invitation to understand with our mind and our heart the realities in which we live. It is fitting that we should use wisdom like the Magi to discern the signs of the times. It is right that we should understand the revelation of God and desire to receive it and be partakers in the presence of God in the world. It is proper that we should offer our gifts to Christ the King, who comes to save us. It is right that we should desire to become His apostles, like the Magi, in this world estranged from God, lacking in love, and incomprehending of the divine message. And our proclamation cannot be any other than that of the angels to the shepherds in Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14). We who receive Christ the Messiah who is born in the wretched manger should proclaim peace and understanding to the world. This proclamation is full of meaning for our world, troubled by war and the persecution of Christians. The Lord’s Nativity will thus be for us an occasion for renewed hope in God’s help and protection.

I extend to you a brotherly embrace in Christ the Lord, with my wish that you enjoy the holy days of Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Theophany in health, peace, and spiritual joys!

Many Years!

Your brother in prayer to God,

desirous of every heavenly good,

† NICOLAE

Chicago, the Feast of the Lord’s Nativity, 2014

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Ancestors

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Fr. Peter

I have been neglecting the blogging exercise that I agreed to participate in during this season of preparation for the feast of the Nativity. I feel like the folks in the Gospel passage from St. Luke this past Sunday. They all had an excuse to not come to the feast, sure I have excuses but none of them are valid! I just need to do it!

So the topic for today, actually it was for yesterday, is ancestors. We have been challenged by Fr. John to write a story about our family, well I am going to cheat and link to several stories I have written in the past about my family.

As many of you know my brothers and I have been involved in family research for many years and I have amassed a wealth of material and I have written about some of it in the past. So I give you links to three of the essays I have written in the past.

Uncles

William Henry Preble

The Preble Massacre

Alexander Walter Johnston, An Ordinary Guy

The Legend of Handkerchief Moody

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Self-Pity

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Fr. Peter

Self-Pity

I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.

D. H. Lawrence

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My First Children’s Sermon

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Fr. Peter

You may think this odd that I have been a priest for 10 years and never preached a Children’s sermon before this, but it is true. My parish really never had children, well in the time I have been here anyway, until now and we are very thankful for that.

So this past Sunday, December 7^th, I preached the first, of what I hope to be a monthly tradition, my first Children’s Sermon. I focused on the story of St. Nicholas helping the three maids with their dowry and in the end gave them all coins. I think it went well.

I will be honest and tell you I was a little nervous but in the end it was a fun experience for me and I hope the kids.

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#Giving Tuesday: Help Us Continue The Mission

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Fr. Peter

On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, you can help my parish launch a new tradition by joining a movement that celebrates human generosity called #GivingTuesday. We’re excited to participate in #GivingTuesday. Following up on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is a chance for us to give back to those who give so much.

If you have been following these pages for any length of time you know that my parish, St. Michael Orthodox Christian Church, in Southbridge provides a free meal to the community twice each month. We are entering our 5th year of this ministry in which we serve an average of 130 meals per month.

We need your help to continue, and maybe, expand this ministry.

Follow this link and donate to help us to continue this vital ministry in our community.

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Giving Thanks

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Fr. Peter

I truly love this time of year – it is in fact “the most wonderful time of the year.” Wait, wait it is not time for Christmas songs just yet! Anyway, I do love this time of giving thanks for all the blessings in our lives and yes, we all have blessings to be thankful for.

In the 12th chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke there is a story of a rich man whose land “brought forth plentifully” and he ran out of space to store all that he had. So he thought about it and decided he needed to build a larger barn to store all that he had. When he completed its construction he stepped back and said to his soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”

Now at first glance this sounds like a good story and the man is wise for storing things that he might need in the future. However, the story does not end there. That night God came to him and said, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” In other words that night the man died and all of his stores went to waste.

Now a clarification. I am not insinuating that we should not be prepared, we should – we should always be prepared and there is nothing wrong with living a life that is comfortable, but this man went overboard.

Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful for what we have and the very next day, Black Friday, most Americans will be standing in line for the latest gadget that someone has convinced you that you need and will be the best way to express your love to someone. We have bought into the notion that we need a bigger barn to store up all of our stuff in.

But what about the ones who have nothing? You have read my words before about taking care of our neighbor and how important that is to our spiritual lives; in fact it is a command that we have to follow. We do not know for sure, but we can infer from the story, that the man was not generous with his things and was not helping those in need. He kept all that he had for himself and did not share his good fortune with others. We also do not hear him giving thanks to God for the many blessings he received in his life.

The 4th century bishop and theologian Basil the Great worked in around the city he lived in trying to ease the pain of the less fortunate. He created what was called a Basilum, a small monastic village with doctors and other tradesmen who would help those around them. I guess you could say this was the first homeless shelter although by design it was to break the cycle of poverty rather than just provide a place to lay one’s head. Basil was very hard on those around him who had much but did not share.

Basil said many things but the quote I remember most is this one, “When someone steals another’s clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.”

This is what we need to think about and ponder in our own lives; I know I am going to ponder it. Be thankful for what we have, live a comfortable life, but remember those around us who are less fortunate.

This essay originally appeared in the The Quaboag Current and The Tantasqua Town Common

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Text of Joint Declaration Signed by Pope and Ecumenical Patriarch

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Fr. Peter

Vatican City, November 30, 2014 (Zenit.org) |

Here below is the Vatican-provided text of the joint declaration signed by Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew this morning in Istanbul:

***

COMMON DECLARATION

We, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, express our profound gratitude to God for the gift of this new encounter enabling us, in the presence of the members of the Holy Synod, the clergy and the faithful of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to celebrate together the feast of Saint Andrew, the first–called and brother of the Apostle Peter. Our remembrance of the Apostles, who proclaimed the good news of the Gospel to the world through their preaching and their witness of martyrdom, strengthens in us the aspiration to continue to walk together in order to overcome, in love and in truth, the obstacles that divide us.

On the occasion of our meeting in Jerusalem last May, in which we remembered the historical embrace of our venerable predecessors Pope Paul VI and the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, we signed a joint declaration. Today on the happy occasion of this further fraternal encounter, we wish to re–affirm together our shared intentions and concerns.

We express our sincere and firm resolution, in obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, to intensify our efforts to promote the full unity of all Christians, and above all between Catholics and Orthodox. As well, we intend to support the theological dialogue promoted by the Joint International Commission, instituted exactly thirty–five years ago by the Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios and Pope John Paul II here at the Phanar, and which is currently dealing with the most difficult questions that have marked the history of our division and that require careful and detailed study. To this end, we offer the assurance of our fervent prayer as Pastors of the Church, asking our faithful to join us in praying “that all may be one, that the world may believe” (Jn17:21).

We express our common concern for the current situation in Iraq, Syria and the whole Middle East. We are united in the desire for peace and stability and in the will to promote the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and reconciliation. While recognizing the efforts already being made to offer assistance to the region, at the same time, we call on all those who bear responsibility for the destiny of peoples to deepen their commitment to suffering communities, and to enable them, including the Christian ones, to remain in their native land. We cannot resign ourselves to a Middle East without Christians, who have professed the name of Jesus there for two thousand years. Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and have been forced violently from their homes. It even seems that the value of human life has been lost, that the human person no longer matters and may be sacrificed to other interests. And, tragically, all this is met by the indifference of many. As Saint Paul reminds us, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor 12:26). This is the law of the Christian life, and in this sense we can say that there is also an ecumenism of suffering. Just as the blood of the martyrs was a seed of strength and fertility for the Church, so too the sharing of daily sufferings can become an effective instrument of unity. The terrible situation of Christians and all those who are suffering in the Middle East calls not only for our constant prayer, but also for an appropriate response on the part of the international community.

The grave challenges facing the world in the present situation require the solidarity of all people of good will, and so we also recognize the importance of promoting a constructive dialogue with Islam based on mutual respect and friendship. Inspired by common values and strengthened by genuine fraternal sentiments, Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every person, especially in those regions where they once lived for centuries in peaceful coexistence and now tragically suffer together the horrors of war. Moreover, as Christian leaders, we call on all religious leaders to pursue and to strengthen interreligious dialogue and to make every effort to build a culture of peace and solidarity between persons and between peoples. We also remember all the people who experience the sufferings of war. In particular, we pray for peace in Ukraine, a country of ancient Christian tradition, while we call upon all parties involved to pursue the path of dialogue and of respect for international law in order to bring an end to the conflict and allow all Ukrainians to live in harmony.

Our thoughts turn to all the faithful of our Churches throughout the world, whom we greet, entrusting them to Christ our Saviour, that they may be untiring witnesses to the love of God. We raise our fervent prayer that the Lord may grant the gift of peace in love and unity to the entire human family.

“May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you” (2 Thess 3:16).

From the Phanar, 30 November 2014

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Less is More

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Fr. Peter

For the last few weeks I have been participating in the 40 Days of Pastoral Blogging exercise established by my friend Fr. John Peck. He has been giving us ideas on what to blog about but this is the first topic that I am using and I think it is a good one following on Thanksgiving.

Today is Black Friday, a day that many Americans will head to the malls and other places to buy worthless items that they believe will show their loved one just how much they are loved. They will camp out, stand in line, push, shove, and call people names and a whole variety of things we see on the news. In fact it will look like a riot but this one will be okay because it is all about money!

I am not sure why we equate love with material possessions? What is wrong with giving someone a gift that you made with your own hands? Why not give money to charity in the name of someone so that it might help someone less fortunate. Sure it is nice to get gifts and it is nice to witness the joy on a person’s face when they open a gift you purchased for them, but why does it have to be so crazy?

As a culture we are obsessed with things. We need to have the latest iPhone or tablet or video game or whatever. In some ways we act like sheep and we allow others to dictate what we need and what we want. Simplicity is what we should be moving towards and this is something that I need to adopt in my own life.

I often laugh when I think of the days when I first moved into the rectory at the church. I believe it took two trips with my small puck up truck to move me in and now if I was to move I think I would need a large van to move everything I have accumulated. Perhaps it is time to thin down and go through some of what I have and perhaps donate it to charity or just get rid of it. In other words, practice what I preach.

The best gift that we can give to one another is ourselves, to be really present to one another and to care for one another this is not something we can purchase in a store but requires us to move outside of ourselves and just be there for another person.