Byzantine, Texas

The first paragraphs from what I thought was an enjoyable read from Reading Notes . An Orthodox priest I know once said that the two most important questions in life are, “Does a bird fly because it has wings or does it have wings so it can fly?” and “What think ye of Christ?” I always thought it would be fascinating to ask a class full of contemporary students, though I doubt I will ever get the opportunity given my “field.” Maybe it’s unnecessary. I can already guess what some (most?) of the answers would be. Perhaps more distressing is the fact that so few would realize the central importance of both questions and that answering them ought to require more than passing reference to things “everybody” knows by the time they leave high school. Today is Cheesefare Saturday for Orthodox Christians, but just a few days ago it was Ash Wednesday for the Catholics and some miscellaneous Protestant confessions. Being an employee of the U.S.’s “largest Catholic university,” it wasn’t terribly ...

The below is referring to this declaration. ( NFTU ) - Things just get more and more mind-blowing in Antioch. Changes were made to the by-laws this week with effects on all the Bishops. According to the decision of the Holy Synod, all Bishops are now auxilliary Bishops to either the Patriarch or the Metropolitan. Articles #75 and #76 define the Patriarch and the Metropolitan as the "reference points" ("locus"? "primate"? The English translation of the Arabic was done by Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Archdiocese and is suitably unclear) and point #77 makes all Bishops into auxilliaries ("all bishops within the Antiochian see are auxilliary Bishops and directly under their spiritual authority.") It would appear that the Antiochian Synod is submitting to Roman ideas concerning episcopal authority (That is, a universal or patriarchal jurisdiction of sorts) . Further, it seems the self-ruled Archidiocese is now ruled solely by one "self...

I am reminded of a story retold to me about a very influential local pro-lifer. In convincing Hispanic women - often through his pregnancy clinic - to have their children he was rewarded by being made a godfather. He took this as a wonderful honor and happily agreed to this quite a few times. All was fine until it was time for their quinceañeras . Imagine the surprise at being asked to give money in addition to scheduling with the church and coordinating the party for dozens of girls. ( SPC ) - Georgia has stemmed a long-term population decline thanks to an unpredecented offer by the head of its Orthodox Church to be godfather to thousands of children, the civil registry agency said Friday. The agency linked a sharp increase in births and marriages to improved living standards and the offer by the patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church to become godfather to every third child born to a Georgian family. In a statement, the agency said the number of births in 2008 had increased by 19 ...

Word Incarnate has a thought provoking post on the remembrance of God in prayer. It is not an easy read. Expect to leave the post up in another tab/window or bookmark it. Just in case you’re already confused, that’s Greek for “remembrance of God.” In the practice of prayer in the Byzantine tradition, remembrance of God is really the foundation of all prayer. Often the Jesus Prayer is the principal way to do this, but remembrance of God is more fundamental than any particular form of prayer. It is simply a conscious, attentive being in the presence of God... “…mneme Theou, remembering God, means something that is more than merely a ’subjective’ recollection. ‘Objectively,’ if one can say that, it means reconnecting oneself to God and His grace. The effort, the process involved, is very like that needed to remember a forgotten fact. It too sometimes succeeds and sometimes fails. It succeeds, paradoxically, when we ‘forget ourselves,’ forget our ordinary thoughts, our ordinary mo...

Written by then Hieromonk Jonah (now Metropolitan) in 1999, this is an amusing and very on-point rendering of Convert Fever. Living where I do a lot of the parishioners I meet at Orthodox churches fit into some version of this effusive approach to Eastern practices. Torn Notebook writes on a similar topic as does This is Life (see #16). The priest looked out of the altar, checking to see if the choir director was ready to begin the hours before the Divine Liturgy. Just as he was ready to say, "Blessed is our God," his newest convert, Bill, made a grand entrance into the church, having just gotten back from his latest pilgrimage to another monastery. Bill -- or Vasili, as he now insisted on being called -- had been a normal young evangelical convert, clean-cut, single, and working his first job out of college. Then he discovered Orthodoxy in a bookstore, and with great zeal embraced the Faith. He was chrismated after a usual six-month catechumenate, during which he read jus...

Normally I don't post political material, but this letter speaks to a larger context than the purely political. It speaks to the nature of mankind, the freedom of belief for a billion people, and the cost of inaction to a person's soul. ( China Aid ) – On February 23, 2009, Congressman Frank R. Wolf (R-VA, 10th District) sent the following letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding her remarks indicating that human rights would not be a priority for her visit to China. The following is the full text of Congressman Wolf’s letter: Dear Secretary Clinton: I write to share my dismay, also voiced by a number of leading human rights organizations, at your comments during your recent Asia trip indicating that human rights will not be a priority in your engagement with China. These statements come on the heels of the U.S. failing to participate in the United Nations review of the human rights record of China, among other worst offenders. Both are deeply troubling commentar...

Metropolitan Philip is always a joy to listen to. He doesn't overly embroider his words and you come away from his talks and interviews knowing what he believes and what he wants to do. ( AOI ) In this historic interview on Ancient Faith Radio, Metropolitan Philip talks candidly about such things as Orthodox unity, music, our witness to the world, his most memorable accomplishments as well as his biggest disappointments. This two part interview was conducted by Fr. Peter Gillquist, Chairman of the Department of Missions and Evangelism in the Antiochian Archdiocese.

Occasionally a prayer is read that speaks directly to you. If you'll indulge me, here is such a prayer I heard last Sunday: Blessed are You, Lord, highly exalted and glorified and good. In Your divine providence You set the length of the year, and have anchored us in these days of inner peace. To Your servants give the good fruit of righteousness in all their works. Give them might and power for the destruction of sin, and for the renewal of soul and mind, that during the forty days of fast, we might overcome the crafty contrivances of the intruder, for You are our God. Through prayer and fasting You have made men equal to angels, and the fasting Moses You entrusted with the tablets of the Law written by Your divine hand. Now, O Lord, return us to the safe harbor of the honorable passion of Your Christ, that with the wood of the Cross as our weapon, we may be victors over sin and worthy of Your joyful third-day Resurrection. Through the prayers and supplications of the all-holy and...

CAIRO, EGYPT ( Worthy News ) -- Six Christian brothers who refused to close their cafe during the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, were behind bars in Egypt Saturday, February 21, after they were sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor, a rights group confirmed. United Copts of Great Britain, which represents Coptic Christians, said Ashraf Morris Ghatas, Magdy Morris Ghatas, Osama Morris Ghatas, Nabil Morris Ghatas, Walid Morris Ghatas and Hany Morris Ghatas were detained January 22 on charges of "resisting arrest" and "assaulting" authorities." However the group said they only resisted an "unprovoked" police raid last September in Port Sa’id, a city in Egypt’s Nile delta, "motivated by religious zeal on the side of the Muslim members" of the Egyptian police force. Video footage seen by Worthy News shows about a dozen police raiding the cafe and apparently attacking people. Soon after broken tables and chairs can be seen. Police ...

I have always found the way Oriental Orthodox hierarchs take their people to task refreshing. There is a bit of the firebrand mixed with an avuncular delivery. His Holiness is not in the best of health, but continues an active travel schedule. ( Coptreal ) - As usual, Coptic Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark's Church, delivered a sermon full of stinging remarks and thorny issues. In his sermon on Sunday evening, he called for the quick formation of a committee of civil engineers to inspect the cracks on the walls of the Orthodox Church in Alexandria. "If the engineers in Alexandria aren't happy, I'll send some of mine from here in Cairo. We won't wait for anything dangerous to happen to the faithful, will we?" he said. When cheers and applauses went up from the audience, the Pope scolded them saying: "You can't do that. There are no applauses or cheers at Church". Bravo! He also called on the church officials to make...

( EC-PATR ) - By God's Grace Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church, Grace and Peace from our Savior Jesus Christ And Prayers, Blessings and Forgiveness from Us "Come, all peoples, let us today welcome The gift of fasting The period of repentance granted to us by God" (Monday, First Week of Fasting) Brethren and beloved children in the Lord, The fast proposed to us by our Holy Church is not any deprivation, but a charisma. And the repentance to which it calls us is not any punishment, but a divine gift. When the Church urges us, through the words of Scripture, not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth "where most and rust consume" but instead to store up treasures in heaven, where there is no danger of corruption, it is telling us the truth. For the Church is not of this world, even though it lives in this world and knows it. It knows humanity: our real need and distress. It knows our time well: the ...

OrthoCuban has a first post in a multi-part series entitled, "Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox?" A good question. My experience (with friends and family who have converted and having spoken to priests on the matter) is that the experience one catechumen has can differ wildly from another based on jurisdiction. I know a person who entered the Church after taking three classes and another who did so after almost a year and a half of classes and conversation with the Economos. Some of this is a result of a set formation process and some of it is the discretion of the priest. In the West, the Latin Church has the RCIA program (a set, year long, class often attended weekly) that people are sent to. The Eastern Catholic Churches are much less structured (surprise!) and tend to follow the Orthodox practice of a parish-centric system. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the role of the priest, who often acts as the spiritual father for Orthodox catechumens, i...

Blogger broke following status for some people today. If you happen to see that your following list is blank or half-visible then you have been affected. Simply set your following type (Anonymous/Public) again and it should repopulate.

I was pointed to a website that has the Divine Liturgy outlined with the related Biblical passages below each line. It's quite handy. A quite common question from so-called 'Bible church' visitors is "Where is that in the Bible?" This can be a helpful resource. Here is the intro to that page . There Biblical references for everything that is said during the Divine Liturgy. Below is the text of the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. Under each line, you will see "Bible References:" along with the Book, Chapter and Verse(s). While many have studied why we say and do the Divine Liturgy as it relates to the Bible, we would like to acknowledge in particular the work done by V. Rev. Fr. Constantine Nasr of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. The title of his book is called "The Bible In The Liturgy" (Not an easy to find book. Light and Life Publishing has it.) , and it was published by Theosis Publishing Company. His work is t...

( SPC ) - The International Society for Orthodox Church Music ( ISOCM ) recently launched an expanded version of their website at www.isocm.com which will enable the Society to enhance the development of musical resources throughout the worldwide family of Orthodox Churches. quot;Orthodox musicians are found in all corners of the world today, and the ISOCM wants to reinforce the unity of Orthodox Christianity in tangible ways for those living in modern society," according to the Rev. Ivan Moody, ISOCM Board Chairman, "The expanded ISOCM website will serve as a portal to Orthodox music resources on the web." The ISOCM was founded in June 2005 by a group of musicians and scholars with the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Leo of Karelia and all Finland, following the First International Conference on Orthodox Church Music held at the University of Joensuu. "During the initial conference it became apparent very quickly there is a need for an organization like the ...

I began reading The Life of Antony and the Letter to Marcellinus this weekend. I mention this because Athanasius' book expresses an approach to asceticism I find quite approachable and gives succor to those of us now approaching the fasting time or who are already fasting. It is also worth mentioning that this book (whether the Paulist Press version or another) is not a difficult read. You can read through it with periodic stops to meditate or highlight, but it's not like reading On the Incarnation for example. Two ideas seem central to his teachings: vigilance and the newness of today. On vigilance: More and more then he mortified the body and kept it under subjection, so that he would not, after conquering some challenges, trip up in others. There is a reoccurring idea of posting guard at all avenues the devil might attack you from. He searches for a weak spot. Orthodoxwiki states, "Orthodox Christians are expected to pay closer attention to their private prayers...

In recent memory for most of us getting pregnant and then giving birth to a healthy baby was seen as a miracle. Not long ago people had large families and expected that many of their children would not survive their first years. These stories show how far we have fallen. One woman sues because she was accidentally given the wrong baby. Another woman killed the child in her womb because it wasn't what she ordered. If you replace 'baby' with 'car' or 'what I ordered for lunch' how different would the wording be? It doesn't seem like it would be very different at all. Baby's mixed up after delivery at hospital: Women given wrong egg during implantation: ( Telegraph ) - The mistake happened when the woman, who is in her twenties, underwent IVF treatment at a government-run hospital in Kagawa Prefecture. But medical tests during the early stages of pregnancy revealed the implanted egg was unlikely to have come from the mother. Further investigations led t...

H/T: Gladsome Light Dialogues

Adventures of an Orthodox Mom posted on making Mt. Athos-style prosphora complete with step-by-step instructions and accompanying pictures. Today I made prosphora and I decided to post how we do it here at the monastery. It's very different from the typical phrosphora used in most churches. This is the way they make it on the Holy Mountain and in other Athonite monasteries. The texture of this type of dough is very different from regular dough and usually has a sourdough sort of taste to it. We use something called "prozimi" (starter) instead of yeast to make the bread rise. Prozimi itself is a miracle. On either September 14 (Exaltation of the Precious Cross) or on Holy Friday a bowl containing only water and flour is taken into the altar during the Gospel reading. The priest then blesses it. Afterwards our Gerondissa (female spiritual elder... compare "geronta" or "staretz") takes it into the kitchen and places it in the oven (the oven is not on) a...

As my wife is great with child and the due date nears I find myself in need of Lenten cookbook recommendations so I can help out in the kitchen. They don't have to be for complete beginners (she knows better than to leave me alone with fire and her cookware) so feel free to recommend your favorites via comment or email. Individual recipes also appreciated - they may end up reposted here. To all men in a similar situation I recommend this post entitled 'Helping Your Pregnant Wife '. It begins: Dr. Awesome, I hear that Mrs. Awesome is pregnant with Dr. Awesome Jr. Congratulations! My wife is also pregnant with our second and she has not been her usually cheerful self of late, which is not surprising since she generally feels like death warmed over. Would you mind sharing some Awesome tips on being a supportive husband for your pregnant wife? I want to help her out and not lose my mind at the same time. Dave

From the American Orthodox Institute : Ed. GOA leaders could learn from the moral courage of Pope Benedict. They remained silent when Orthodox Senators Olympia Snowe and Paul Sarbanes voted against a ban on partial birth abortion. See: Senators Sarbanes and Snowe Betray the Moral Heritage of the Orthodox Christian Faith . VATICAN CITY ( Pew Forum ) - Pope Benedict XVI lectured House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the "dignity of human life" at a private meeting here on Wednesday (Feb. 18), a decidedly less cordial reception than is frequently given many U.S. leaders. Pelosi, D-Calif., describes herself as an ardent Catholic but raised eyebrows last year by saying "doctors of the church" disagreed on when life begins and that abortion "continues to be an issue of controversy" in the Catholic Church. The comments earned her a public scolding from a number of U.S. bishops, who said the church has believed abortion is wrong since the first century. The wording of a V...

The complete article is here . Responding to an offer of monastic hospitality from the Benedictine community of St. Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, CA, the brotherhood of Holy Resurrection Monastery is embarking on an exciting new venture. For the next three years the two communities will live side by side, while maintaining their own integrity, in order to give powerful witness to the possibility of deep unity in authentic diversity within the Catholic Church, east and west.

( Fordham ) - Though he lived more than 17 centuries ago, the Greek Orthodox saint Athanasius is an exemplary model for Orthodox Christians today, a scholar and theologian said at Fordham on Feb. 18. "St. Athanasius stands as the supreme model of successful surviving, learning and living for Christians in a hostile world," said the Rev. Stanley Harakas, Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology Emeritus at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Father Harakas, a prolific author and priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, was the keynote speaker at Fordham’s Orthodoxy in America lecture, which took place on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. His talk, "The Future of Orthodox Christianity in America: A Normative Approach," was the sixth in the annual series. Father Harakas said St. Athanasius is a useful model for Orthodox Christians as they anticipate their future in this country because "his battles for the Orthodox faith, his acceptance of...

( ICON ) - His Holiness Baselius Marthoma Didymus I consecrated seven new bishops today (February 19., 2009) at St. George Orthodox Church, Puthupally, the Oriental Georgian pilgrim centre of The East. HH was assisted by H.B Paulose Mar Milithios, Catholicate designate and all the other bishops. The new bishops are H.G. Yuhanon Mar Polycarpos, H.G. Mathews Mar Theodosius, H.G. Joseph Mar Dionysius, H.G. Abraham Mar Epiphanios, H.G. Mathews Mar Themothios, H.G. Alexios Mar Eusebios and H.G. Yuhanon Mar Dioscoros. More videos here . Note the older practice maintained here of shaking the ripidia:

Feb 16 ( Eurasianet ) - With diplomatic ties between Georgia and Russia ruptured, the two countries’ shared Orthodox Christian faith has emerged as the primary conduit for dialogue between Tbilisi and Moscow. That post-war connection first came into play on August 15, three days after the end of active fighting between Georgian and Russian troops, when the 76-year-old Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch Ilia II traveled into the Russian-occupied territory to bring back the bodies of slain Georgian soldiers. He traveled at the intercession of his Russian counterpart, the late Patriarch Alexy II. Nearly four months later, at Alexy II’s funeral, Ilia II again acted as intermediary. This time, he reportedly delivered a message from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev concerning Georgia’s "territorial integrity." A Georgian church delegation again returned to the Russian capital for the February 1 installation of Alexy II’s successor, Kirill. Th...

As I reported earlier . Here are photos of the event unavailable at the time. More pictures available here .

Adventures of an Orthodox Mom has started a pen-pal program for kids. I quite like the idea and signed my kids up. Wow! I'm so excited that so many of you want to sign your kid's up for the Pen Pal Program! We have over 25 kids signed up so far and I'm planning on creating a flyer and sending it to different churches soon too. What I need from all of you who signed up is: Your child's name and their patron or favorite saint Birthdate (be sure to include the year) Interests or hobbies (be specific) Your email address or a way to contact you Please get this information to me by this Saturday, February 21. I'm planning to partner them up and e-mail you their partners on Monday! Please spread the word to help this program grow! Thanks everyone!

( WCC ) - In a meeting organized by the World Council of Churches in Dar Sayedat Al Jabal, Fatka, Lebanon, between 10 and 11 February 2009, twelve church leaders from all over Iraq discussed the current situation of its Christians community. Representatives from different Iraqi churches participated in the meeting together with bishops from the Syrian and Armenian Orthodox Churches and the Chaldean Church in Lebanon, and the General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches. Participants agreed on the following points: Christians have belonged to Iraq since the nation’s birth; they are not merely a minority but an essential part of Iraqi society and deeply rooted in its history and civilization. As authentic children of this land, they have the right to live freely in it and enjoy equal rights and responsibilities along with all other citizens. The participants called upon Iraqi Christians not to leave the country, but to stay in their homeland and participate actively in its re...

Being a member of a lot of homeschooling groups online (Eastern Orthodox, pan-Eastern, local) I can attest to the rarity (non-existence) of Orthodox homeschooling conferences. From March 26th through 29th the inaugural St. Emmelia Orthodox Homeschooling Conference will be held at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, PA. It is actually being put on by the people of the Orthodox Christian Classical Homeschool group and not by the Antiochian archdiocese so, if current discussion is any indication, I expect quite a few jurisdictions to be represented. Lots of speakers, workshops, and curriculum sharing. Homeschooling and Orthodoxy are still not on firm ground in the US. Every week parents join online groups seeking solid Orthodox curricula to choose from. It's often the very first thing people ask about. Parents are largely reliant on other parents to try a program and give a critique of their experience - price, ease of use, appropriate age range, how well it can be integrated into ...

An interesting post from OrthoCuban on something I had just pondered myself recently: You can read it in any etiquette manual. In a Christian wedding, the left side is the bride’s side, while the right side is the groom’s side. But, where does this come from? Well, frankly, I cannot prove where this comes from. But, I have an interesting piece of evidence for you. Go into an Orthodox church sometime and look at the iconostasis up front. In the middle you will see an opening called the royal doors. On either side of the royal doors you will see two icons. On the left is an icon of the Virgin Mary. On the right is an icon of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There are additional icons, but just notice those two. You see, the bride’s side is the side in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos. The groom’s side is the side in front of the icon of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the iconostasis itself was a rather late developement. But a communion rail with icons (or holy pictures) existed c...