Shame

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I cannot stay silent any longer and I know this is going to anger some people but as Philipa reminded me in my post about Liturgical Language it is my job to make people feel uncomfortable so here goes.

In the last few days it was announced that President Obama has been invited by Notre Dame University to speak at the commencement. Now what is wrong with this you might be asking. Well the main reason is his stand on life issues. This president has not met an abortion bill he has not supported. Now you all know, or maybe you don’t know, but I supported our president when he was running and I pray for him each and every day. But I don’t like some of his policies and when they are at odds with what the church teaches then we cannot support them in fact we have an obligation to tell him he is wrong and protest.

Okay so this morning I an reading my blogs and I come across this post on the blog of the American Orthodox Institute with a video of Archbishop Demitrios of the Greek Archdiocese hailing President Obama and calling him Alexander the Great. Your Eminence I am ashamed of you for calling him this, in fact I think you need to apologize to each and every Orthodox person in the world for this remark. How dare you suck up to the President this way. You never miss an opportunity to have your picture taken, the other day you were sucking up to the Secretary of State another one who has not met an abortion bill she did not like. These people are anti life and for all accounts anti church and here you are calling him Alexander the Great. You should have called him Herod!

Why do we find it necessary to fall into the cult of these people. Like I said we need to pray for him and we need to support our government when we can but to make a statement like this is just absolutely beyond belief. Your Eminence you head the largest Orthodox Archdiocese in America and when you speak you speak for all of us as the head of SCOBA, don’t get me started on that limp organization. You need to speak with authority and call him to task for his positions that are so against what the church teaches. While we are on this point why were you not on the stage with the Metr. Jonah and Archbishop Nicolae for the March for Life in Washington, DC not enough cameras around? We need your leadership on these issues and we need you to speak on these issues when you have the chance and not call our leaders Alexander the Great!

Orthodox bloggers I hope you pay attention and call him to task for this embarrassment and hold his feet to the fire. I am sure this post will get me in some trouble and I am sure there will be pressure to take it down and if it disappears you will know why. Read the article on the AOI blog and see what the Archbishop feels are important issues. I wish he put as much energy into life issues and poverty issues in the US as he does on events in Greece and Macedonia and other places.

I apologize in advance to my Greek friends this is not aimed at you only at what has transpired over the last few days.

Shame, Shame, Shame!

Sunday of the Holy Cross

Posted on by Fr. Peter
With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes apparent. Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings to our help the all-holy Cross, the joy of the world, the strength of the faithful, the staff of the just, and the hope of sinners, so that by venerating it reverently, we might receive strength and grace to complete the divine struggle of the Fast.

Prayers Please

Posted on by Fr. Peter
UPDATE: Larry was Elected today in the Second Ballot. AXIOS Bishop Elect Larry!

A very close friend of mine, Larry, is standing for election as the Episcopal Bishop of Long Island, New York today. I am not sure what time the election is but it will be held sometime today. There are seven well qualified candidates and I ask your prayers for Larry, his wife Jean, and his entire family. I have no doubt that Larry would make a great bishop. He has been the Chief Fire Chaplain here in Massachusetts for all of the years I have been involved in the Corps of Fire Chaplains and he is a man of integrity and a wonderful leader I am sure he is just what the Diocese of Long Island Needs.

In the extensive ramp up to the election today he, and all of the candidates, were asked many questions. I read over those questions and answers last night on the website of the diocese and the one that sticks in my mind is the question that ask about why you want to be bishop. The answer is classic but is classical Larry as well. He answers that he does not WANT to be bishop of Long Island he feels he is being CALLED to be bishop of Long Island! You go Larry!

That is what it is all about being called. I know that some people fight to become bishop and yes it even happens in our own Orthodox Church. Some feel they can do a better job then others can and other just want to pointy hat. Another example of this, I have a catholic friend of mine that I went to seminary with. Recently he was asked to leave his assignment and go to Washington, DC to Catholic University for studies in Canon Law. This is a great honor and knowing this man the way I do I know he did not seek this. In fact if you seek something like this you usually end up watching other go and you stay home. Anyway, when it was announced his so called friends were outraged that he was chosen and not them. Sad that they could not be happy for their friend and fellow priest, also sad that they are so filled with their own jealousy that they could not be happy. Oh well!

So please pray for Larry today and I will announce the results here as soon as I hear them.

Where have I been?

Posted on by Fr. Peter
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!

New Show

Posted on by Fr. Peter
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

Posted on by Fr. Peter

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

Posted on by Fr. Peter
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

Posted on by Fr. Peter
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.

Next 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.

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