Pope at Ground Zero

Posted on by Fr. Peter
If you live in the US you know that the Pope is due here tomorrow. He will be visiting Washington, DC and New York City. He will also turn 81 on Wednesday. I hope I have half of his energy when and if I turn 81. Anyway on his schedule is a stop at ground zero for a small prayer service. The Vatican has released the text of his prayer. In this prayer he prays for the conversion of the terrorists. I find this very interesting and fitting with the prayers that we Orthodox pray in the Proskomide and also in the Liturgy of St. Basil. We pray for those who love us and for those who hate us. These words always strike me when I pray them. It is always interesting to pray for ones enemies but we must. Here is the text of the Holy Father’s prayer:
“O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain.

“We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here — the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001.

“We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness.

“Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope. We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury, and loss on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

“Our hearts are one with theirs as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering. God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth.

“Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events.

“Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain. Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.”

5th Sunday of Great Lent ~ St. Mary of Egypt

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone

Let us worship the Word who is unoriginate * with the Father and the Spirit, and from a Virgin was born * for our salvation, O believers, and let us sing His praise. * For in His goodness He was pleased * to ascend the Cross in the flesh, and to undergo death, * and to raise up those who had died, * by His glorious Resurrection.

Resurrectional Kontakion in the Plagal of the First Tone

You descended to Hades, my Savior, and shattered its gates, as the Almighty. As Creator, You raised the dead with yourself, and smashed the sting of death, O Christ. You freed Adam from the curse, O Lover of humanity. Therefore we all cry out to You, Save us, O Lord.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: “Hail, unwedded bride!”

Reading:

The memory of this Saint is celebrated on April 1, where her life is recorded. Since the end of the holy Forty Days is drawing nigh, it has been appointed for this day also, so that if we think it hard to practice a little abstinence forty days, we might be roused by the heroism of her who fasted in the wilderness forty-seven years; and also that the great loving-kindness of God, and His readiness to receive the repentant, might be demonstrated in very deed.

From www.goarch.org

Did the Pope Visit my Blog?

Posted on by Fr. Peter
One of the more mundane tasks I do each morning is check the stats on my blog. This morning when I checked I noticed I had a visitor from the Vatican. Maybe His Holiness was checking me out before his visit to the US next week.

Anyway, Welcome!

Redemption

Posted on by Fr. Peter
This past Tuesday, April 8th was the first baseball game of the season at Fenway Park in Boston. There were many activities that day, including a baseball game. As is the current trend someone of note is called up to throw out the first pitch of the game. Out from under the new banner hanging on the Green Monster, strode none other than Bill Buckner. Now if you don’t now anything about his read his wikipedia entry here, I will wait.
Welcome back! I will draw your attention to the part about the 1986 world series and the ball rolling between his legs. Most people believe that this is why we lost the series that year. So Bill Buckner was booed and hated for years after that. Well, as he walked across the outfield to the pitchers mound everyone in the park got to their feet and cheered him on. The local news cut to a guy that said, “we forgive you Bill.” Ahhhhh the ultimate redemption.

If a Red Sox fan can forgive Bill Buckner for loosing the world series why do we find it so hard to forgive those who have wronged us. For us Orthodox we are still in the season of Great Lent. We begin this season with the Sunday of Forgiveness so that we start the time off in the right state of mind. At the beginning of the liturgy the deacon prays in Peace let us Pray to the Lord. We must be at peace with one another, we must forgive one another, before we can approach God for forgiveness.

If there is someone who has hurt you or wronged you in some way reach out and forgive them and pray for them. If they are gone then ask for their forgiveness or write them a letter and tell them that you forgive them and then burn the letter and as the smoke rises pray with the psalmist let my prayer arise like incense before thee.

If I may have offended anyone please forgive me!

Pope Benedict on St. Benedict

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Recently Pope Benedict gave a talk on St. Benedict of Nursia the patron of his papacy. As a former Benedictine I have a special place in my heart for St. Benedict who both churches call the father of Western Monasticism. It was during my time in the monastery when I was introduced to the eastern church and read the Way of the Pilgrim for the first time. Click the link below to read the speech.

“The Great Monk Is Still a True Teacher”

Love…

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I will admit at the start of this post that I am watching the Red Sox opener at Fenway while writing so I might be a little distracted.
The last word in the phrase before communion is Love. Fr. Greg has a post on the Greek meaning of the word on his blog. What is the love that the author of the Liturgy is referring too? Is it simply love for God or is it more than that?

My gut tells me that it is love of God and love of neighbor. Just as Jesus tells us in the Gospel. So how can we be unreconciled with our neighbor (is that a word?) and still approach the cup? The rubrics for the Liturgy say that the priest must be reconciled to all men before serving the Liturgy. In the Old Testament we read that if you bring your sacrifice to the altar and you are not reconciled with your neighbor, then leave it, go see your neighbor and then return and make your sacrifice. So it would seem that this word has a double meaning.

My friend and fellow pilgrim Huw has a much better grasp on the OT then I do perhaps he will weigh in on this topic from an OT perspective.

Okay top of the eighth inning and the Sox are in the lead 5-0 that’s a good thing!

Update: Huw on Love!

Condition of our Soul

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Maybe not the best title for this post but I did not know what else to use.

In the Liturgy of St. Basil, right before the Our Father we hear this prayer read by the priest, or maybe we do not:

Our God, the God who saves, You teach us justly to thank You for the good things which You have done and still do for us. You are our God who has accepted these Gifts. Cleanse us from every defilement of flesh and spirit, and teach us how to live in holiness by Your fear, so that receiving the portion of Your holy Gifts with a clear conscience we may be united with the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ. Having received them worthily, may we have Christ dwelling in our hearts, and may we become the temple of Your Holy Spirit. Yes, our God, let none of us be guilty before these, Your awesome and heavenly Mysteries, nor be infirm in body and soul by partaking of them unworthily. But enable us, even up to our last breath, to receive a portion of Your holy Gifts worthily, as provision for eternal life and as an acceptable defense at the awesome judgment seat of Your Christ. So that we also, together with all the saints who through the ages have pleased You, may become partakers of Your eternal good things, which You, Lord, have prepared for those who love You.

I am struck by a couple of the lines. Cleanse us from every defilement of flesh and spirit… This seems confessional to me and maybe even an absolution of sin. Let none of us be guilty before these… Let none of us? It would seem that we are asking to be made worthy of reception. Now perhaps it assumes a sacramental confession has taken place I don’t know we could argue that I guess. It continues, nor be inform in body and souls by partaking of them unworthily. In a previous discussion one of the commenter’s said that I as priest should protect the faithful from receiving the gifts unworthily. It would seem that is taken care of here as well.

So it would seem that the onus is on the one who is receiving the gifts to receive them in a spirit of worthiness whatever that may be. I also find it interesting that in no place in the Liturgy are the requirements, other than the ones discussed, are spelled out. Like I said before maybe it is assumed that everyone knows the rules already.

Now a clarification for Bob on my April 6th comment on coming to Communion in my church. I will never refuse anyone who approaches the cup communion as I think that causes scandal and embarrassment. I will however speak with the persona after the fact and advise them of the situation, as I see it. As I have mentioned before I am not advocating a wholesale openness of Communion but Baptized, belief in the creed, and the real presence, by all means. But I will ask you this question Bob, how am I supposed to test this? I ask this in all seriousness. I have people in and out of this church all the time that I do not know. It is hard enough keeping up with my parishioners let alone guests. And very rarely does some come who is not Orthodox to begin with. So Bob, help me out here how can I gauge this?

Clarification of Thought

Posted on by Fr. Peter
One of my favorite authors is Peter Maurin co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. Maybe he is one of my favorites because my all time favorite actor Martin Sheen played him in the movie about Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement.

Maurin advocated round table discussion for the clarification of thought. He believed that we learned best through dialogue. When we are able to have a discussion we can learn from one another.

I am attempting to have a round table discussion here on the blog about some parts of the faith for a clarification of thought. I welcome your participation at whatever level you wish to participate. I have noticed a very large increase in hits since my original post on Communion.

Growth comes through learning and learning comes through discussion. There is nothing wrong with discussion.

Faith…

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Fr. Greg continues his look at the Greek translation of the phrase Approach in the fear of God with faith and with love.
What is this faith that we speak of? Do we mean the entire body of faith of the Orthodox or a portion of it?
Let us turn to the Liturgy to see f the answer is there. After communion the priest lifts the chalice and sings, “Save, O God, your people and bless your inheritance.” The people then respond, ” We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity, Who has saved us.”
So what is the true faith that we have found. A quick read of this phrase would suggest, I think, that it is the worship of the Undivided Trinity and nothing else. Now with a Trinitarian belief come a whole host of other beliefs as well. Perhaps the faith is the Creed that we say at the Liturgy, or maybe it is the whole body of faith. I am not sure that the writer of the Liturgy would have added that part unless it was important. can we sum up all of our belief in the Trinity. Father (creator) Son (redeemer) Holy Spirit (sanctifier)? can we talk about the Trinity in such a way that we can discuss the whole of the faith? Then can someone with a belief in the Trinity then approach?

Thoughts?

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