Liturgy Prayers – Prayer of the First Antiphon

Posted on by Fr. Peter
With Great Lent just around the corner I thought I would do some posting on the silent prayers of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. These are the prayers that the priest says while other things are going on during the Liturgy. Most priests I know do not say these prayers out loud, but I have made a practice out of saying them so the congregation can hear them. I do not have a deacon here in the parish so I am chanting the Litanies when the prayers would normally be read.

First up is the prayer of the First Antiphon:

O Lord Our God, whose might is incomparable and glory is incomprehensible, whose mercy is immeasurable and love toward mankind inexpressible, O master, in your compassion look on us and on this holy church and grant the riches of your mercies and compassion to us and to those that pray with us.

This seems an all encompassing prayer that begins by praising God for all that He has done and then asks for specific prayers for the church congregation. The line that I find most interesting is the last part, where we ask for compassion to us and to those that pray with us. Some have said that the “us” is the priest in the regal sense. He is asking for compassion for himself as well as for the congregation. I feel that by saying these prayers aloud and the congregation following along and praying with me, that we are praying not only for ourselves at this point but also for all those in the world. This puts a global face on the liturgy and brings us into the prayer of the church.
The previous litany, known as the great litany, is the common bond in all of the liturgical services in the church. Each of the services, Orthros, Vespers, and the Divine Liturgy, share this common element. In it we begin by praying: “In peace let us pray to the Lord.” Peace in necessary for the full and complete appreciation of the Liturgy. If we do not have peace of mind and peace in our hearts then we are not worthy to stand before the Altar and beg forgiveness and to offer thanks. We must be reconciled to all before we can ask for reconciliation. Not always and easy task.

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Posted on by Fr. Peter

1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Luke 15:11-32

Having acknowledged our sins and sought the Lord’s forgiveness, we now see that we are called to action. We must return to God, our Father, who willingly and lovingly accepts us if only we make the slightest motion to return home to Him. This is the theme of the third Pre-Lenten Sunday.
The Gospel lesson for the Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

“There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”

We are presented with a young man, who against his father’s advice, had taken all his possessions, wasted them through foolishness, resorted to tending pigs in order to make a living, and found himself sharing the food which they refused to eat. But “he came to himself” and remembered life as it was at his father’s house. He got up and returned home, hoping only to be accepted as a servant. His father ran to meet him. He kissed his son, clothed him regally, and celebrated his return with much festivity for, in the words of his father, “my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

Hijinks in Boston

Posted on by Fr. Peter
So it would seem that all of Boston was in a uproar yesterday over some stupid prank by the TBS network. Some fun loving people put things that appeared to be bombs in various places around the city and once spotted set off a military like operation. Okay some may say that they over reacted to the whole thing, but in this post 9/11 world I am glad we take such things serious. In my opinion the TBS network should reimburse the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the costs of yesterdays little stunt. I understand that two men have been arrested for posting the things all over town. There are numerous sites on net where one can read about the thing but there are too many to post. Outrage is welcome!

New Name

Posted on by Fr. Peter
When I started this blog it was with the intention that I would post things about Monasticism both East and West. Well a quick look back at the posts during the last year will see that I have not really done that. I am considering changing the name of this here blog to something more fitting to what I have been posting but I am not sure yet. I need to give this some thought as well as seek advice from those of you who have been blogging for longer than I. Is there a downside to changing the name of the blog?

Anyway stay tuned for more updates.

Road Trip

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Yesterday I met up with Fr. Greg and Chris D at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts. What an amazing place this is. You would never know that this place is there, but there it is right in the middle of this old New England town. This description is from their literature:

The Museum of Russian Icons was founded as a non-profit educational museum by Gordon Lankton. It was through his travels to Russia during the past 18 years that Mr. Lankton developed his fascination with icons and Russian history. Since then he has made over forty trips to the former Soviet Union and his collection now contains over two hundred icons from the 15th-21st centuries. The Museum of Russian Icons is the institutional home of his collection. The museum, overlooking Central Park, is a 19th century structure and one of the first buildings in Clinton.

The museum is just the right size and not overwhelming and one can just walk around and take in all of the great Icons. They are all labeled so one knows what one is looking at, and there are even little magnifying glasses hanging nearby so you can get a good look. Nothing is behind glass so you get a real good look. Open Tuesday-Saturday and admission is a mere $5.00 to get in. If you are in the area check it out.
After the visit to the museum we took lunch at this great Irish place called The Old Timer Restaurant and Tap Room also in Clinton. What a great day, and thanks to Fr. Greg and Chris D for inviting yours truly to go along for the trip.

Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

Posted on by Fr. Peter

2 Timothy 3:10-15
Luke 18:10-14

Nothing begins without the desire to see Jesus and when we truly see Him, then and only then are we able to see ourselves. This is the second step in our approach to Great Lent and Pascha and the theme of the Second pre–lenten Sunday.
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is taken from Luke 28:10-14. Two men went to the temple to pray. The pharisee was actually a very religious man. He fasted, prayed, and gave away ten percent of his goods. Yet he boasted about his accomplishment and, as a result, his prayers were rejected by God. The publican on the other hand, was truly evil, a genuine sinner. He sought to make a change in his life, however, by confessing his sinfulness and begging God for mercy. Consequently, he was justified and accepted by God.
Like the pharisee, we to are filled with pride and boastfulness; unlike the publican, we often refuse to acknowledge our sinfulness, confess it, and beg for mercy.
On this Sunday we are invited to take a deeper look inward, to search the depths of our souls and to beg for mercy. We are called, through our vision of Jesus, to acknowledge our sins and to fall before the face of God in repentance, making the publican’s prayer our own: “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Adapted from “Pre-Lenten Sundays”

Sunday of Zacchaeus

Posted on by Fr. Peter

1 Timothy 4:9-15
Luke 19:1-10

Update: I should have posted this last week but time got away from me…

We know that we are approaching the beginning of Great Lent when we hear, at the Sunday Liturgy, the reading from Luke 19:1-10 concerning Zacchaeus, the tax collector. The Sunday of Zacchaeus id the first of the pre–lenten Sundays which take us, step by step, to the beginning of Great Lent and, ultimately, to Pascha.
We begin with this particular lesson because Zacchaeus himself began his repentance with a simple desire: he wanted to see Jesus Christ.
Jesus was passing by. A great crowd was gathered. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but the crowd was so great and he was so short, so he climbed up into a tree and thereby enabled himself to look above the heads of the crowd at the Master. Jesus saw him and called him down. He went to his house and there Zacchaeus repented and returned four times as much as he has stolen, gave the remainder of his possessions to the poor, and became a true disciple of Christ.
The message of this lesson is clear: everything begins with the simple desire to see Jesus. Nothing can happen without this desire. We must desire to see Jesus as well. This is our first step toward the approaching Great Lent and Pascha.
Adapted from “Pre-Lenten Sundays”

Hand Kissing

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Fr. Tim Finigan has a post about greeting the bishop and should one kiss his hand or not. It got me thinking about the orthodox practice in this area and I would like to share some of my thoughts.
The custom is to refer to a bishop in the Orthodox Church as Your Grace, if an Archbishop Your Eminence, Patriarch, Your Beatitude. In the case of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople then he is referred to as His All Holiness. Okay so that is a mouthful but that is tradition for you. When speaking with the bishop you should refer to him by his title, i.e. Your Grace. When you approach the bishop you should make a small metanyia and bless yourself then hold your hands together to receive his blessing and then his hand to kiss. We are not kissing the hand of a man here but reverencing his office as successors to the apostles. Thanks to Fr. Tim for giving me the correct words.
In Orthodox and Catholic theology we understand the office of bishop of that as being passed down from the apostolic ministry itself. Bishops today are inheritors of that ministry of the Apostles that walked with Jesus. We call this Apostolic Succession as there is an unbroken line from the Apostles to the bishop standing in front of you.
The faithful should approach a priest in the same manner. Small metanyia, bless yourself, then hold your hands out to receive his blessing and his hand to kiss. Same reason we are not kissing the hand of a man but we reverence the office of priest. Whatever you feel about the person this is the custom.
I remember when I was in Guatemala at the orphanage and preparing for vespers. The children would all line up in front of me to receive my blessing and kiss my hand. I had been a priest about a year and half at this point and my hand was kissed more that week than it was before or after. Like some traditions this one has fallen into disuse.
When I was first ordained and the faithful would kiss my hand it was a very strange thing for me to get used to. I remember one of the priests at the seminary sharing a similar story and he said that it would insult the person if you pulled your hand away. They are reverencing the office and saying thank you for the blessing you just gave them.
Just some random thoughts.

St. Conan

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Bishop of the Isle of Man, died January, 684; an Irish missionary, also known as Mochonna. He is not to be confounded with St. Conindrius, who is said to have been a disciple of St. Patrick, and to have lived to be a very advanced age (17 November, 560). The Bollandists place St. Conan amongst the early bishops of Man, and Colgan gives an account of his life and labours. Unfortunately the history of the Isle of Man in the fifth and sixth centuries is very obscure, and it is difficult to get at definite facts, yet St. Conan, or Mochonna, who is also described as “Bishop of Inis-Patrick” left a distinct impress of his zeal for souls in Manxland. Some authorities give the date of his death as 26 January, but Colgan, quoting from the ancient Irish martyrologies, gives 13 January, on which day St. ConanUs feast is observed. There are also several minor Irish saints of the same name, including St. Conan of Assaroe (8 March), and St. Conan of Ballinamore (26 April).

Deep Freeze

Posted on by Fr. Peter
As I sit here in the warmth of my office I see that the old mercury has fallen to -1 degrees F. I ventured outside to check on the church and noticed that our digital thermostat was not reading a number all it said was low. I was expecting it to say hey turn on the heat!
It is times like this that I call to mind those who have no place to keep warm and who live on the streets. We can debate the reasons latter but let us remember them today and also those who work outside for a living. I have one parishioner who works for the power company and this time of year they are very busy. Keep safe and warm today and lift up those outside in prayer.
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