Where have I been?
Well it has just been crazy around here the last few weeks. Lent is supposed to be a time when we slow down and have more time to pray and contemplate things, ya right!
In a previous post I mentioned that Archbishop Nicolae was here and all the events of that visit. After he left I took a few days off and returned to the family homestead and rested and saw my brothers that I don’t get to see that often anymore.
Back at the church we had all of the activities of Sunday and the rest of the week to include St. Patrick’s day and the radio program and all other media stuff. It has just been a crazy but wonderful week. And to top it all off the weather is getting better! Right now the sun is shining and it looks like it is going to be a great day. I plan to go outside today and rake some leaves and open the doors of the church and let the fresh air blow in. The flowers that the ladies planted around the church are starting to poke their little heads through the soil and will soon be in full bloom, and before we know it Easter will be here.
So that is where I have been. But we did get a Facing East Podcast recorded after being off since December of 2008! So look for that on another post on this site as well as on iTunes.
You may have also read on this site that I am going to the host of the morning program on WESO 970 am here in Southbridge. What a crazy ride this has been as well. I began with a Sunday program, Shepherd of Souls, last August and then a Thursday show a few months ago. Now I am taking over the microphone for the morning show starting on March 30th. What does this mean? Well first and foremost it means getting up at 5:00am everyday and being on the air for two hours each day as well. But it will be fun and I have some great support so it should be fine. I also understand once you get a groove going it become easier, I will let you know.
So off to do laundry and get the day started. I need another cup of coffee!
Father Peter Live
My radio show will be streaming live on WESO 970 am. Listen at: www.fatherpeterlive.com
New Show
On March 30th I will be taking over the morning show on WESO 970 am the same station that runs Father Peter Live. The show will run from 7-9am Monday – Friday.
I need a name for the new show so if you can think of something let me know, leave me a comment here and I will consider it.
I am the host of the show but it will be regular morning drive radio, news, sports, information, all local stuff so let me know what you think.
The show will also stream online.
Cross Posted from www.fatherpeterlive.com
Evangelism
We just had one of the best Parish Council meetings I can remember since I came here almost 5 years ago. It was progressive and nice and we got many things accomplished.
Evangelism is one of those things that keeps coming up. We have a great product, Orthodoxy, but we do not know how to sell it. I know already some of you are made at me cuz I said product and sell, but the harsh reality is that it the name of the game.
So what do we do to sell the faith? We have it all just no one knows about it so how do we do it? What are other Orthodox, or not Orthodox people doing I need some ideas because I am fresh out. I am asking the readers of this blog to come to my aid here and help me come up with a plan to get butts in the seats.
Come on let’s put our heads together and think.
Thank you in advance. Now back to our regular programming.
Grand pan-Orthodox synod update
This idea has been floating around for many years and perhaps we are finally going to get some resolution to many problems that have come up over the years.
In the Orthodox world a synod of all the worlds bishops is very rare and I cannot for the life of me remember the date of the last one but it was decades ago. Many questions need to be answered including the churches in the New World, yes that would be us.
Here is an update from a blog I just found. Byzantine Texas, check it out it is a great blog.
Sunday of Orthodoxy
Yesterday we had a wonderful Liturgical celebration here at St. Michael’s. As I mentioned in a previous post, His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae was in attendance at the church for a pastoral visit. We also took the occasion to honor two parishioners and he elevated me to the rank of Protopresbyter.
The first honoree was Mr. Alexandra Malisory. What a wonderful lady that always greets everyone with a simile. She turned 100 this past week and His Eminence was on had to say Happy Birthday. We gave her an Icon of St. Michael in honor of her years of service to the church. She says that toast and feta cheese in the morning kept her alive all these years. Her daughter told me a wonderful story about a phone call they received this past week. The local paper had done a profile of her and a man in his 60’s read the story to call and tell her what an inspiration she was to him. It seems this man had been in a funk for a few years and did not want to leave the house. He was sad because of his age and felt that his life was over, well at 100 she is still going. He read the story and it broke him right out of the funk, and he got out of his chair and will start living again. You never know who you will reach.
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ext we really surprised Mr. Paul Porra. Paul is not only a parishioner but a good friend. Him and his wife Carol have really taken me in and we are, what I call, camping buddies. In fact we have a few camping trips planned already. We honored Paul for his years of service on the Parish Council as well as a delegate to our Archdiocese Congress. He is a very giving man who is always here at the church when we need something. He was given the Archdiocese Cross for Lay people, the highest award the Archdiocese can give to a layman.
Honoring people for the work they do is a wonderful thing, it is nice to recognize people and to honor them for their years of service. As our church struggles with the future direction it is important to remember and honor the past as we move into the future.
Pray for me
What a week we have coming up here at the church, here is the Schedule:
Today – Lent Retreat from 11:30 – 5pm followed by Vespers
Tonight His Eminence arrives for a pastoral visit. Had to send a parishioner to get him at the airport.
Tonight His Eminence arrives for a pastoral visit. Had to send a parishioner to get him at the airport.
Tomorrow – Sunday of Orthodoxy Liturgy with His Eminence, celebration of a parishioners 100th birthday, recognition of several parishioners for work they have done, small meal after church in honor of said people. Dinner with the parish Council and Archbishop at 5:30pm, then I hope sleep!
Monday – Meeting with Archbishop in the morning then the clergy from the Deanery arrive for a two day series of meetings here at the church. So include Tuesday in that mix as well with a trip to the airport with the Archbishop.
Wednesday – Breakfast meeting at 6:45, fire chaplains meeting from 10-2pm, presanctified liturgy and dinner at 6:30.
Thursday – Father Peter Live at 12pm.
Man I thought the clergy only worked one day a week! Going to be long and tiring but I will love every minute of it. So say a prayer for me and I will for you!
Forgiveness Sunday
I know this is a week late, forgive me!
Sermon Audio
The Holy Fathers have appointed the commemoration of Adam’s exile from the Paradise of delight here, on the eve of the holy Forty-day Fast, demonstrating to us not by simple words, but by actual deeds, how beneficial fasting is for man, and how harmful and destructive are insatiety and the transgressing of the divine commandments. For the first commandment that God gave to man was that of fasting, which the first-fashioned received but did not keep; and not only did they not become gods, as they had imagined, but they lost even that blessed life which they had, and they fell into corruption and death, and transmitted these and innumerable other evils to all of mankind. The God-bearing Fathers set these things before us today, that by bringing to mind what we have fallen from, and what we have suffered because of the insatiety and disobedience of the first-fashioned, we might be diligent to return again to that ancient bliss and glory by means of fasting and obedience to all the divine commands. Taking occasion from today’s Gospel (Matt. 6:14-21) to begin the Fast unencumbered by enmity, we also ask forgiveness this day, first from God, then from one another and all creation.
Gossip
I will never understand this need that some people have to gossip. Is it that they do not have enough to do or that their life is so filled with misery that they have to fill other peoples lives with misery? Are they so shallow that this is all they can concern themselves with? If you want to know what I think or what I said, ASK ME! Oh wait that is too difficult why go right to the source when you can make up your own stories to fill your shallow lives! Yes I am angry, and disappointed. Being a priest is hard enough without all of this made up stuff to add to it. The biggest one that still goes around town is that I did not visit someone in the hospital. This has caused me no end of pain and suffering when I clearly went. But the truth does not seem to matter to some people.
I have lost count the number of times I have been a target of such gossip and how destructive it is not only to me but to the person who is doing it. Gossip my friends plain and simple is a SIN, oh no I mentioned a SIN.
This gossip has ranged from things I have supposedly said, thoughts I supposedly have, one time there was a rumor that I had become the bishop of Alaska! I have to admit I kind of liked that one, but I did not even know I was a candidate.
We have less a week into lent and already the wheels have come off the wagon. Now I have to spend my day putting out fires once again. We have a beautiful day planned with Dr. Al Rossi from St. Vlad’s about living Lent in the Family, and I am going to spend my day on this nonsense with the very people who should be here listening to this retreat.
I have many things on my mind including a visit from my Archbishop this weekend and hosting a deanery meeting and now I have to deal with rumor and innuendo. All I have to say is get a life and leave mine alone!