It is funny that this is the word this time. This past week I attended a conference about future Orthodox unity in the Americas. Speaker after speaker talked about the future and then one speaker mentioned we need to honor and preserve the past as we move forward.
I think too many times in our lives we think the old is not any good and we need to throw it off to make room for the new. I find that a preposterous idea. As a student of history I have learned that we need to learn from the past so we do not make the same mistakes. We need to honor the memory of those who came before us.
My church, the Orthodox Church, is a church that is deeply rooted in tradition. Tradition is one of the major hallmarks if you will of the church and we claim and unbroken line back to the Apostolic ministry of the 1st century church. Talk about remembering!
This year my parish will celebrate 85 years of ministry here in our little Town. I was thinking as I prepare for all of the activities of the weekend the number of people that have crossed to door step of our church. Right outside my office door hangs a picture of the faces of the founding members of this parish. Some of their families are still here today and some have moved on. I often look at those faces and think of the stories that each one has. What brought them here from the land of their birth and what was the reason they stayed here. Each line in each face tells a story.
I will go to the cemetery sometime during the weekend to visit the grave of the first priest here at St. Michael. I try and visit his grave each time I happen to be at the cemetery but this weekend I will make a pilgrimage if you will. He was the found priest and I like to ask him to pray for me in my ministry and help me with wisdom in this position. It makes me feel good to know that the first person to serve this church is praying for the current minister.
We must remember and never forget the past. We need to honor those who have come before us and learn from their wisdom and counsel. Sit with someone and talk about the past and learn from it. If we do not remember who will?
Congratulations to your parish on 85 years of ministry. I agree with you that remembering the saints who came before us can encourage us and help spur us on, as do their prayers.
"We must remember and never forget the past. We need to honor those who have come before us and learn from their wisdom and counsel. Sit with someone and talk about the past and learn from it. If we do not remember who will?"
ABSOLUTELY!
Too many times these days we reject the lessons of the past thinking we are 'better' or somehow more capable than our predecessors.
This is a great post. Thank you, Father.
Yes Father, how true, that we must remember the past. Because it is the past that enlightens the future. Actually there is no future without the past. The past has given us growth. I will come back and read your post it is rewardng.dernshi
Your post s totally true. There is no future with out the past.This means the future on earth or the future in heaven. We all have an impact on this earth to leave something and that something will change the future for others.Leave your mark and continue the journey like many id for us in the past, and made the world better for us.
What a descriptive and enlightening post, Fr. Yes I agree totally, that is why, we commit the same mstake over and over. Hystory is there so that we can take the best and grow from the rest. We must never forget those who came before us to make our present better. There is no future without the past. Please remember that the present will be the past tomorrow.
Wow, 85 years… congrats!
Thank you for posting and being a part of the carnival again.
What a great rememberance, never to forget those who came before us and encourage us to do better and to grow so that the world would be a better place for those to come. There is no future wthout the past. For the future is all the past collected together to make the new world.