St. Basil's Hymn

From the Monastery of Panagia Ypseni...

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St. Basil comes and passes by
He overlooks us, I know not why
He comes from Caesara Town
Mistress bring, mistress, bring, mistress, bring us something down

He carries pen and paper white
And sugar candies, sweet and bright
He brings his pen and ink for writing
You should see, you should see, you should see me in the fighting

The pen, it jumped up with one bound
And on the paper scribbled round
And then the paper started speaking
Yes, we swear, yes, we swear that the paper started speaking

The paper said, “Tis New Year’s Eve!
Oh, Mistress fair, I beg your leave;
Joy be your lot the whole year round
May your house, may your house, may your house be holy ground!”

“The New Year follows on Christ’s birth
So holy Christ who walks the earth
May bless you, every girl and boy
And fill all, and fill all—and fill all your hearts with joy!”

Greeting the new year - Maranatha!

An interesting post from Bishoy's Blog entitled "Why Is The Coptic New Year called Nayrouz?"

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Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus

The calendar of the Coptic Orthodox church begins with the beginning of the terrible reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian in 284 A.D. During his time, Christians in Egypt were tortured, massacred, and martyred in countless numbers. For early Coptic Christians, this was the “Era of the Martyrs.” As a result, the Copts based their calendar on this event, which is why the Coptic years end with “A.M.,” which is short for “Anno Martyrii” or “Year of the Martyrs.” Just as we write, for example, “2009 A.D.,” with “A.D.” representing “Anno Domini” or “Year of the Lord,” we denote the Coptic year with ”A.M.”

In addition, the Coptic Church commemorates three aspects of the seasons in her prayers and liturgies throughout the year:

• The waters of the rivers (`Cmou niamaiou nem niarwou)
• The winds of the heaven (`Cmou niayr `nte `tve)
• The fruits of the earth, the plants, the herbs, and the fruit-bearing trees (`Cmou nici] nem nicim)

The first season, that of the waters of the rivers, starts with Thout 1, which is also the first day of the new year in the Coptic. This was considered a “feast of the rivers,” because it is the day on which Egyptians would pray for the rising of the waters of the rivers in their year. These prayers and supplications were especially important for Egyptians, because the Nile River was the very life of Egypt’s agricultural production. The Copts thus called this feast “ni-aro-ou” after the Coptic word for ”river.”

According to Deacon Albair Mikhail’s Service Book for Deacons, there are three possible origins for the word “nayrouz” in the Coptic rite:

Some believe the word Nayrouz is of Persian origin, from the same word meaning “the beginning of the Year,” and that it was used in Egypt following the invasion of the Arabs. Others believe that it has its origin from the English language, from the words “New Rose”; that view, however, seems unlikely. A third view suggests the word originated from the Coptic word niiarwou , meaning rivers, and related to the word `cmou , meaning bless. The Ancient Egyptians repeatedly used these words in their temples for their gods to bless the Nile River and the crops. This latter view is considered the most correct.

However, Copts do not celebrate only the new year during this feast. Copts commemorate the following during this blessed period:

• They commemorate and meditate on the lives of the countless martyrs who died for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
• They joyfully celebrate the start of a new year and ask for the Lord’s blessing.
• They set their minds upon the Parousia, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following the Coptic Church’s lectionary which focuses its readings on this event so that believers may meditate not only on the past and their present lives on earth, but also on the next life in Christ’s kingdom. In doing so, they are like the early Christians who joyfully exclaimed, “Maranatha” or “Come, Lord, come.”

Theodicy and naturalism

Here's a snippet from a thought provoking post from the blog Khanya. It brings into the discussion evolution, the naturalistic fallacy, and the Christian response to both.

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In a recent blog post (Nouslife: Theodicy of the naturalists) Andii Bowsher raised a point that has puzzled me for some time: Loyal Rue, an evolutionary naturalist, says that scientists should not be too hasty in letting the rest of us in on the secret that religions are adaptive illusions that have enabled the human race to evolve and survive, because if we came to realise that we might abandon the illusions and thus lose their adaptive advantage. “If we expose our religions as the lies they really are, humanity might go extinct.”

And Andii’s puzzlement, like mine, is why, on a naturalistic account, we should care whether the human race goes extinct or not?

Kevin Parry, in a post on his blog a couple of years ago raises the same question in a slightly different way...

Complete article here.

The lessons of St. Anysia

I think the message from the blog post quoted below is especially important to parents. From the moment children are able to understand, I think most parents teach their children the Golden Rule. This maxim extends into every facet of a child's life so that he learns to think of the feelings of others in every action he does. As a result, we often fail to remember (and often impart to our children) that sometimes vocal refusal and even - dare I say it - being impolite is called for when the thing being fought over is a righteous one. I am reminded of the famous story from the Desert Fathers I've quote before (see here).

They say about Abba Agathon that some came to him, hearing that he had great discernment, and wanting to test whether he would become angry, they say to him, Are you Agathon? We hear about you that you are a fornicator, and a proud man. But he said, Indeed, a gossip and slanderer? And he said, I am he. They say further, Are you Agathon the heretic? And he answered, I am not a heretic. And they asked him, saying, Tell us why whatever we said to you, you also accepted, but this word you would not bear? He says to them, The first ones I ascribe to myself, for it is of benefit to my soul. But the heretic, that is a separation from God, and I do not wish to be separated from God. And they heard, amazed by his discernment, and went away strengthened.

The difference being when the offense is against you, bear it gladly. When the offense is against God, spare no effort in His defense. The martyr is a witness (μάρτυς) and we should all be so blessed as to be given an opportunity to make sacrifices for our faith.

“I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God's sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you, do not do me an untimely kindness. Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching to God. I am God's wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.”

- St. Ignatius of Antioch

That point should be clear to us and it should be clear to our children. The Faith is not a precious keepsake we keep in our chest of drawers and pull out when we want a warm feeling or solace in times of trouble. It is a light unto the nations never to be hidden (Isaiah 60).

1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

From the blog Frontier Orthodoxy...

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Often, in Orthodoxy, we encounter people who are overly scared of causing offense. Although this can be difficult to admit, there is a time for sidestepping the fear of offending and a time when refusing to cause offense is actually sinful. Yes, you read that right. Let me explain. Our default position should always be one of not causing offense and certainly not causing scandal. Yet, as the story of Anysia the Virgin reminds us, there are also times a little spittle in the face can be precisely what is needed:

Anysia the Virgin-Martyr of Thessaloniki

Upon being taken by a soldier, who intended to lead her to a pagan temple, she spit in his face. There are times to cause offense. As Orthodox Christians, this is a lesson we ought to learn. The use of this lesson will be rare, but it is a lesson that can be utilized. If a clergyman has caused real, legitimate abuse and/or possible illegal activities, we should not worry about offending him.

To apply this to a contemporary discussion around Christmas time, if people wish to greet us with a generic phrase, I don’t think we need to be worried about offending them with “Merry Christmas.” Indeed, even “Happy Holidays” is really “Happy Holy-days,” and shouldn’t bother us. Speaking and standing for the truth will be offensive sometimes, but that is how it goes. So, if we give away money to the Salvation Army or an Orthodox parish or charity, at the expense of bigger gifts for others or more gifts and they are offended, so be it.

Now, we will not confront too many large evils in American Orthodoxy in any direct sort of way, but we will confront lots of little spiritual battles, akin to a couple I’ve just mentioned. The biggest battles we will face, of course, will be internal and there, we must most definitely respond directly to evil. See, not wanting to offend someone who has clearly committed evil is akin to excusing ourselves when reflecting on our own lives. We should be direct and honest with ourselves. We are now in the Christmas season, after all. Christ has shown that he is willing to descend even into the midst of manure in a way that is given meaning by the fact that he descended into Hell. God is quite honest about where we’ve gone. Can we be so direct? I would submit that if we will be, we will enjoy our Christmas and Theophany seasons all the more, for we will be clear eyed, with all the lumber removed.

Fruits of the Middle East Synod

(byzcath.org) - Having participated in the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops held at the Vatican from 10-24 October 2010, on the theme of The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness, H. B. Patriarch Gregorios III undertook a number of activities to publicise this event.

Patriarch Gregorios called this Synod for the Middle East "a great gift of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Christian East, showing his special esteem for the Eastern Catholic Churches" and "an historic initiative."

Letter to Arab Heads of State

The Melkite Patriarch then undertook a series of post-synodal activities, through which he spoke to the Christian faithful. But he also wanted to challenge his Muslim brothers in Arab countries. He therefore wrote a letter to the Kings and Presidents of Arab countries before the Synodal Assembly (18 June 2010) and once it had been held (24 October 2010). He gave talks especially for Muslims in Beirut and Saida, Lebanon, and will be doing the same next month in Egypt (in Cairo and Alexandria) and in Jordan (Amman).

International Congress in Damascus

The biggest post-synodal event was the holding of an International Congress in Damascus, Syria, on 15 December 2010 entitled, The Impact of the Synod for the Middle East on Arab countries. This congress was organised jointly by the Syrian Ministry of the Awqaf and the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate.

Attending the congress from about thirty countries were some three thousand persons, including three Damascus based Patriarchs (Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic) the Syrian Catholic Patriarch (from Lebanon), representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchates of Russia and Romania, the Orthodox Churches of Cyprus and Greece, the Holy Apostolic See of Rome (the Archbishop Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches), as well as the Apostolic Nuncio to Syria and about twenty-five members of Episcopates of thirteen Orthodox and Catholic Churches from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Armenia, Jordan, Iran and Israel.

On the Muslim side, as well as the Syrian Ministers of the Awqaf and of Information, and the Grand Mufti of Syria, many religious and political personalities from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Libya and Iran attended, besides representatives of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Muslim-Christian dialogue centres and various Islamic institutions.

Christmas Plea for Peace to Western Heads of State

This week, Patriarch Gregorios III has written to Western leaders to apprise them of the Synod's importance with respect to three issues:

1. The importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East and the challenges facing it
2. Muslim-Christian dialogue
3. The impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the two preceding issues, and thus the urgent need for peace.

Patriarch Gregorios argues that if Western leaders "wish there still to be Christians in the Middle East in the Holy Land, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and the countries of the Gulf," they should help with efforts towards peace and stopping Israeli settlements on the West Bank, recognized in international law as Palestinian land. He adds that Christians and Muslims are concerned about the apparent inequity of imposing sanctions on "Syria, Iraq, and Iran, but never any that affect Israel."

The Soviet Story

For more on the film, see here.

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Prime Minister's visit prompts demand for cross removals

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Malaysian Insider) – Catholic church officials were told to remove crucifixes and to avoid hymns being sung when Prime Minister Najib Razak attended the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur’s Christmas tea party last Saturday.
The overzealous bid to protect the prime minister’s Islamic credentials was described by sources familiar with what happened as “paranoid” and done without Najib’s knowledge.

The sources also noted the actions of officials from the prime minister’s office could have jeopardised warming religious ties.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Najib’s men may have been spooked by the National Fatwa Council’s recent repeated announcements over Muslims at non-Muslim celebrations and had tripped over themselves to ensure his attendance at the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur’s Christmas Day high-tea passed without a hitch.

It was Najib’s first time attending a Christian function in his official role since taking over power in April last year.

The Malaysian Insider understands the PM had been invited to last year’s open house hosted by the Mar Thoma church in Brickfields here, but did not attend.

Najib has been instrumental in bringing the heads of different creeds to the same table earlier this year to try and peacefully resolve the long-standing interfaith disputes after a series of attacks against houses of worship nationwide.

The violence erupted following a controversial court ruling allowing Christians to also use the word “Allah” to refer to God beyond the Muslim context.

Sources disclosed that this year, the PM’s aides had issued a list of instructions to Archbiship Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam to facilitate Najib’s attendance on Christmas Day.

Among the directives given were:

• To remove any overt Christian symbol, such as crucifixes, from the party premises
• That carollers not belt out hymns
• Not to quote from Scriptures or say any Christian prayer during the visit.

Similar conditions have been laid in previous Christmas celebrations, including those graced by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong himself, said a member of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), the umbrella body representing the various denominations.

The instructions usually came from the staff without the knowledge of the dignitary, said the insider who has been on the organising committee on more than one occasion.

“Previously, the carollers even sang some Christmas hymns. The King was there. No one made a fuss. I don’t think they heard.

“I suspect the PM would not have objected either,” he had observed that a member of Najib’s office had conferred with Pakiam and made a quick circuit of the party grounds at Bukit Nanas shortly before the PM dropped in.

The Archbishop could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

But another member of the CFM echoed the observation.

“No conditions from PM. Only from his staff. That resolved by ABP very quickly,” the source told The Malaysian Insider in a text message, calling the Archbishop by initials.

The sources noted that Najib’s aides had little to be anxious about as the party was held outdoors where several marquees had been set up, where religious paraphernalia were the least likely to be fixed.

Grace was said before Najib turned up.

There were two groups of carollers serenading the crowd – one from Africa, the other a local outfit – but the guests were too caught up in their chatter and did not appear to be paying them any attention.

“They were overly fearful but there was nothing for them to be fearful about,” a source pointed out, dismissing Najib’s aides as too “paranoid”.

Coptic Church holds special prayer service in New York

H/T: OBL News

New York (Armenian Reporter) – In light of a recent spate of violence and persecution against Christians in Egypt, members of the Coptic Orthodox Church of America gathered at New York’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral for a special prayer service on December 14.

Some 1,000 people took part in the service, which was organized by Coptic Orthodox Bishops in the United States. Lacking a comparable sanctuary of their own, Coptic Church leaders had requested holding the service in the dignified solemn setting of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral.

The morning of worship and remarks included an address by Bishop David, the Coptic General Bishop of North America, and other Coptic bishops, as well as Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

“Our peoples share a common experience as diaspora communities; we share a common theological and liturgical heritage as members of the Oriental Orthodox tradition; and our histories have been connected since antiquity,” Archbishop Barsamian said. “We have stood together on occasions of great joy, but also in times of deep sorrow.”

Though currently a minority in Egypt, Coptic Christians have inhabited the region since ancient times, and are the descendants of the indigenous Egyptians of antiquity. Modern Egypt, a predominantly Muslim country, held contentious parliamentary elections last month.

In recent weeks, Copts have faced violence and vandalism in Abu Tisht and Talbia, and Coptic youth at prayer were met with armed force in Giza’s Omranieh district.

Hostility and disrespect have also been aimed at His Holiness Pope Shenouda, the spiritual leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

“It is a terrible thing, I feel, that these outrages, against one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, are taking place in Egypt,” Archbishop Barsamian said. “For as we are reminded from the stories of our Lord’s infancy, the land of Egypt was the very first refuge for the Holy Family: the land where they found relief from persecution, and the freedom to live their lives in peace.”

He went on to stress the importance of faith and prayer. “In the deepest sense, what we pray for today is for Egypt to be restored to the image it has always held in the Christian imagination: as a place of peace and safety,” Archbishop Barsamian said. “And especially in this season of our Lord’s birth-the season of hope, the season of peace on earth to men of good will-we must never lose faith in the power of God to inspire our fellow human beings-people of all backgrounds-to seek peace, justice and dignity, for all God’s children.”

Other speakers and participants included Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations; Bishop Serapion, of the Coptic Diocese of Los Angeles; Bishop Souriel, the Coptic Bishop of Sidney, Australia; Bishop Youssef, of the Coptic Diocese of the Southern United States; Bishop Macarius, the Coptic General Bishop of North America; and Bishop Michael, the Coptic General Bishop of Virginia. Others from the Eastern Diocese included Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian and the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, the Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian, and the Rev. Fr. Bedros Kadehjian.

A representative of the Syrian Catholic Church also attended the prayer service.

Sir Winston Churchill, eminently quotable

For more quotes see here and here.

Annual St. Herman’s conference of Orthodox Youth held

(HTOS) - December 24, 2010 was the first day of the annual St. Herman's Youth Conference, which is being held at Holy Trinity Monastery until December 28. The St. Herman's Conference was started more than three decades ago at Holy Trinity Monastery so that the youth of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad could strengthen their faith and make new friends. It was named in honor of St. Herman of Alaska (feast day December 12/25), one of the first Russian Orthodox missionaries to North America. From that time, the St. Herman's Conference has been held at various venues around the Eastern American Diocese, as well as Canada. This year is the first time the St. Herman's Conference has been held at Holy Trinity Monastery since 1988. In addition to attendees from ROCOR, a delegation from Moscow belonging to the Union of Orthodox Youth Organizations is also attending.

On Friday the 24th, after check-in at the Radisson Hotel in Utica, conference participants, aged 16 and up, arrived at the Monastery by bus, where they had a quick dinner prepared by the brotherhood. After dinner, His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada served Matins for St. Herman with the brotherhood and Conference Clergy. The service was sung by two choirs, in both Church Slavonic and English. After the service, participants returned to the hotel for refreshments and rest for the coming activities of the conference.

On December 25, 2010, the second day of the St. Herman's Youth Conference began with a hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the feast of St. Herman of Alaska. His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada served the liturgy with the Brotherhood and Conference Clergy. The Monastery Choir, as well as a Youth Choir composed of conference attendees, sang the service. After the liturgy, Bishop Gabriel gave a welcome address, with additional information from Fr. Peter Jackson.

After lunch, Fr. Seraphim Gan gave a lecture on the symbolism of the wedding ceremony, using two volunteers to literally walk through the order of the service. After the lecture, a youth delegation from Moscow representing the Union of Orthodox Youth Organizations presented slides and videos on their activities. Next, Fr. Serge Arlevsky gave an interesting and informative presentation on the meaning of the liturgical cycle.

After the lectures, the conference participants split into eleven discussion groups, and rotated around the seminary hall. Eleven moderators spent time discussing with the groups various topics including the practical aspects of fasting, the secular media, and prayer. The discussions were very lively and lasted well into the afternoon, when it was time for the Youth Choir to rehearse.

At five in the evening, the participants gathered in the St. Job of Pochaev chapel for the Communion Rule in English, and then had dinner. At 6:30 pm, the Youth and Monastery Choirs sang the Sunday Vigil served by His Grace Bishop Gabriel and clergy.

Large Western Europe diocese gets new Orthodox bishop

Bp. Nestor of Kaffa

Moscow, December 27 (Interfax) - The Holy Synod at its Friday session appointed new head of the Korsun Diocese that unites parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy, Spain, France and Switzerland. For this and other notes from the synod, see here.

The diocesan vicar Bishop Nestor of Kaffa was appointed to the see, parishes in Italy were also given to his archpastoral care, the Moscow Patriarchate reported on its official website.

Bishop Nestor, graduate of the Russian State University for Humanities and the Moscow Theological Academy is known as an advocate of active witness to Orthodoxy in the West. Establishing of the recently open Paris Seminary is among his achievements.

Former head of the Russian Church "West-European" see Archbishop Innokenty who administered it for 11 years is transferred to the Lithuanian See instead of Metropolitan Chrysostom of Vilna and Lithuania who retired on medical grounds.

Christmas in Bulgaria

Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim, center, leads the traditional Christmas Mass at the golden-domed Alexander Nevsky cathedral in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria on Saturday Dec. 25, 2010. (AP Photo / Valentina Petrova)

The crypt museum under St. George Cathedral in Beirut

(MSNBC) - People look down at a crypt museum, set to open for the public on Jan. 3, 2011, at Saint George Orthodox Cathedral in Beirut, Dec. 27, 2010. Eight layers of occupation from the Hellenistic period to the present, including the remains of five, possibly six successive churches were found during the excavation process, conducted by the Archaelogical Museum of the American University of Beirut, and the ruins are being preserved in the crypt museum.

The Church and the changing times

Christianity must remain eternally unchanging, in no way being dependent on or guided by the spirit of each age. Instead, Christianity is meant to govern and direct the spirit of the age for anyone who obeys its teachings."

- St. Theophan the Recluse

The complete teaching is available from the Preachers Institute here. It's rather long, but St. Theophan is very readable.

Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed

Troparion - Tone 2

Proclaim the wonder, O Joseph,
to David, the ancestor of God:
you saw a Virgin great with Child,
you gave glory with the shepherds,
you worshipped with the Magi,
you received the news from the angel.
Pray to Christ God to save our souls!

Kontakion - Tone 3

Today godly David is filled with joy;
Joseph and James offer praise.
The glorious crown of their kinship with Christ fills them with great joy.
They sing praises to the One ineffably born on earth,
and they cry out: "O Compassionate One, save those who honor You!"

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) to visit Dallas, TX

Dallas, TX (OCA-DOS) - His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) will visit here on the weekend of February 12-13, 2011. As part of his itinerary, Metropolitan Hilarion will be at St. Seraphim Cathedral for the Vigil service. He is scheduled to make a presentation after the Saturday evening Vigil.

“We are extremely honored to have His Eminence with us at St. Seraphim Cathedral and look forward to his visit” stated Archpriest Joseph Fester, Dean of St. Seraphim Cathedral and Chancellor of the Diocese of the South. “I first met Metropolitan Hilarion when he was attached as a priest to our OCA Representation Church in Moscow. He was a tremendous asset to our Representation Church in its formative years.”

Metropolitan Hilarion will be in Dallas for a series of talks and for the performance of his music at Highland Park Presbyterian Church on Sunday, February 13th. His "St Matthew Passion", grand oratorio for soloists, choir and orchestra, received standing ovations at its performances at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory (27 March 2007), at the Auditorium Conciliazione, Rome (29 March 2007), and at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne (28 September 2007). Equally well received was his "Christmas Oratorio.”

Born in 1966, Metropolitan Hilarion received his initial education in music, studying violin, piano and composition, at the Moscow Gnessins School and the Moscow State Conservatory. After military service from 1984-86, he entered, in January 1987, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he was tonsured a monk on 19 June, ordained deacon on 21 June and ordained priest on 19 August the same year.

In 1989 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary and in 1991 from the Moscow Theological Academy. From 1991 to 1993 he taught Homiletics, Dogmatic Theology, New Testament Studies and Byzantine Greek at the Moscow Theological Schools. In 1995 he completed his doctoral thesis on ‘St Symeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition’ at Oxford University, Great Britain, under the supervision of Bishop Kallistos Ware.

From 1995 to 2001 he served as Secretary for Inter-Christian Affairs of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. On 27 December 2001 he was elected Bishop, and on 14 January 2002 consecrated by His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, and 10 other bishops. He served as an Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Sourozh in Great Britain until his nomination, on 17 July 2002, as Head of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions.

On 7 May 2003 he was appointed Bishop of Vienna and Austria, as well as temporary administrator of the Diocese of Budapest and Hungary, in addition to his position as the Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions in Brussels.

On 31 March 2009 he was appointed Bishop of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations. On 20 April 2009 he was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop. Metropolitan Hilarion is the author of more than 300 publications, including numerous books in Russian, English, French, Italian, German and Finnish. Apart from his doctoral degree in philosophy from Oxford, he also holds a doctorate in theology from St Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris.

More information on Metropolitan Hilarion’s visit will be posted on the DOS and St Seraphim Cathedral websites as it becomes available.

S'nami Boh! God is with us!

Christos Razdajetsja! Slavite Jeho!

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Rod of the root of Jesse,
and flower that blossomed from his stem, O Christ,
Thou hast sprung from the Virgin.
From the Mountain overshadowed by the forest
Thou hast come, made flesh from her that knew not wedlock,
O God who art not formed from matter.
Glory to Thy power, O Lord.

- Canon of Nativity, Ode 4

... the cave became a beautiful palace for the Queen.

A Christian pilgrim is reflected in an icon at the Church of the Nativity, where many Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Thursday. So far this year, 1.4 million tourists have visited the traditional birthplace of Jesus and 90,000 are expected during the Christmas season, a significant increase over last year, according to Israeli government figures. The numbers of visitors have been rising steadily in recent years.(AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

The KJV and the English language

(NPR) - In Begat, David Crystal sets out to prove that the King James Bible has contributed more to the English language than any other literary source.

If you've ever "fought the good fight" or chuckled at "what comes out of the mouths of babes," you just might agree with him.

Phrases with roots in the King James Bible are everywhere. Crystal tells NPR's Neal Conan that writing Begat began with his curiosity about a simple question: How many English language idioms come from the King James Bible? When Crystal posed this question to people, they guessed a wide range of answers — anywhere from 50 to 1,000. So he decided he'd better read the Bible and figure it out.

"I went through it and looked for every instance of an expression that I thought was current in modern English," Crystal says. "And then I thought: I'd better read it again, just to make sure I haven't missed any." And after that second reading, he had a figure.

"I found 257," Crystal reports. He acknowledges that there's "no magic in that figure" and that someone else could read through the Bible and come up with a different number entirely. Still, he thinks that 257 is about right. And "it makes the point that it isn't as high a figure as some people expect. On the other hand, it's twice the number that Shakespeare introduced, so it's not doing badly."

The King James Bible clearly has had "a huge influence on the English language." But, warns Crystal, "only a very tiny number of the expressions ... are unique to the King James Bible. The vast majority come from other Bibles from the 16th century." The turns of phrase in those other Bibles "were simply siphoned through the King James Bible."

But that's not because the translators of the King James Bible were lazy. They were instructed by the king to be conservative, to use the other Bibles where possible. "And only after they found those translations wanting, should they do their own thing."

So, truly, the King James Bible popularized the expressions that were already in biblical use. The King James version was appointed to be read in all churches, so "people started not just to quote these expressions, but to play with them — 'What hath Google wrought,' indeed."

The New Testament hosts most of the phrases that have made it into contemporary speech. "The sayings of Jesus have been a very important influence on English language tradition," Crystal says. In the Old Testament, books like Numbers and Deuteronomy are helpful if you want to learn how to build an ark, "but won't give you much by way of modern idiom."

Popular culture is riddled with takes on these phrases. "All kinds of pop singers — from the most profound folk singers like Joan Baez and so on to the most radical punk rockers ... produce biblical quotations just like the best of them."

But, says Crystal, some parts of the Bible are too sacred for adaptation into general idiomatic usage. "As soon as you get to very important parts of the Bible, such as the words of Jesus just before his crucifixion," or his words on the cross, the translations are so momentous and emotional, that Crystal predicts "it's most unlikely" they'll come up in conversation...

Complete article here.

An eight part series on reading the Bible

Fr. Ted's blog has an excellent series that "look[ed] at the Scriptures focusing on some methods and means by which the Patristic writers interpreted our Scriptures." Here's a snippet from the final posting. If this whets your appetite, I suggest reading them from the beginning here.

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In reading through some of the Patristic Biblical commentators, we do see the variety of meanings they felt were put into the text by God Himself. Their goal was always to come to the full revelation of God – to completely understand the text as God intended us to comprehend it – and to get all the possible meanings that God had put into the text. Theodoret of Cyrus (d. 457AD) was a bishop in the Antiochian tradition of biblical studies. Generally the Antiochians downplayed the use of allegory in their interpretation of Scripture, but in their writings we also can see that the differences between a typological reading and an allegorical reading can sometimes be slim. They knew full well that St. Paul himself used both typology and allegory in his own reading of interpretation of the Jewish scriptures...

No Christmas for Iraqi Christians

KIRKUK, Iraq (AP) – Iraqi Christians on Wednesday called off Christmas festivities across the country as al-Qaida insurgents threatened more attacks on a beleaguered community still terrified from a bloody siege at a Baghdad church two months earlier. That and the continued murders and beatings going on daily.

A council representing Christian denominations across Iraq advised its followers to cancel public Christmas celebrations out of concern over new terror attacks and as a show of mourning for the victims of the church siege and other violence.

Church officials in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul, the southern city of Basra and in the capital confirmed they will not put up Christmas decorations or hold evening Mass and have urged worshippers to refrain from decorating their homes. Even an appearance by Santa Claus was called off.

"Nobody can ignore the threats of al-Qaida against Iraqi Christians," said Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako in Kirkuk. "We cannot find a single source of joy that makes us celebrate. The situation of the Christians is bleak."

Christians across Iraq have been living in fear since a Baghdad church attack in October that left 68 people dead. Days later insurgents targeted Christian homes and neighborhoods across the capital with a series of bombs.

An al-Qaida front group that claimed responsibility for the church siege vowed at the time to carry out a reign of terror against Christians.

The Islamic State of Iraq renewed its threats in a message posted late Tuesday on a website frequented by Islamic extremists. The group said it wants the release of two women it claims are being held captive by Egypt's Coptic Church.

Muslim extremists in Egypt say the church has detained the women for allegedly converting to Islam. The church denies the allegations but extremists in Iraq have latched onto the issue. The message Tuesday was addressed to Iraq's Christian community and said it was designed to "pressure" Egypt.

Sunni Muslim extremists that make up groups like al-Qaida perceive Christians to be nonbelievers aligned with Western countries such as the U.S.

Few reliable statistics exist on the number of Christians in this nation of 29 million. A recent State Department report says Christian leaders estimate 400,000 to 600,000 remain, down from a prewar level as high as 1.4 million by some estimates.

Since the deadly church siege, the U.N. estimates some 1,000 Christian families have fled to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq which is generally much safer.

For those who remain, this Christmas will be a somber affair.

In the northern city of Kirkuk, 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Sako said church officials will not put up Christmas decorations outside the church and urged worshippers to refrain from decorating their homes.

A traditional Santa Claus appearance outside one of the city's churches has also been called off, he said. Money usually used on celebrations or gifts will instead go to help Christian refugees, he said.

Ashour Binyamin, a 55-year-old Christian from Kirkuk said he and his family would not go to church on Christmas but instead would celebrate at home.

At Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church where more than 120 parishioners were held hostage by gunmen on Oct. 31, there will be no Christmas tree and Mass on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day has been canceled. Only a modest manger display representing the birth of Jesus Christ will mark the occasion.

"We have canceled all celebrations in the church," said Father Mukhlis. "We are still in deep sorrow over the innocent victims who fell during the evil attack."

In the Karradah neighborhood, where many of the city's remaining Christians live, a number of churches were guarded by security forces Wednesday and surrounded by razor wire. Shop owners in the neighborhood said few people were buying the Christmas trees and Santa Claus toys on sale.

One Christian woman vowed to go to church on Christmas Day, despite what she described as the failure of the government to protect her small minority. But she would not be visiting any friends during the holiday season because all of them have already fled the city.

"We did not put any decorations inside or outside our house this year," said Ikhlas Bahnam. "We see no reason to celebrate."

In Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Syrian Orthodox priest Faiz Wadee said there will be no public Christmas celebrations either.

Christians in Iraq's second-largest city of Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad decided to cancel all celebrations as well. Saad Matti, a Christian legislator on the Basra provincial council, said the decision was made out of respect for the victims of the church siege and because of the al-Qaida threats.

"There will be only a small Mass in one church in Basra without any signs of joy or decoration and under the protection of Iraqi security forces," he said. "We are fully aware of al-Qaida threats."

Matti said Christians would also tone down their celebrations out of respect for a Shiite holiday going on at the same time. The majority of Iraqis are Shiite Muslims, especially in the south.

Even among Iraqi Christians who've managed to escape the violence here, the mood was subdued.

Maher Murqous, an Iraqi Christian from Mosul who fled to neighboring Syria after being threatened by militants, said his relatives are still at risk in Iraq. Since they cannot celebrate, neither will he.

"We will pray for the sake of Iraq. That's all we can do," he said.

Some Orthodox Christmas music available online

JOHNSTOWN, PA (ACROD) - In anticipation of the coming Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, audio files of selected traditional Carpatho-Rusyn Christmas as sung By St. John's Male Chorus of Bridgeport Connecticut, and St. Michael's Choir of Binghamton, NY are now available for your listening pleasure. Please click here to listen.

Met. Jonah to bless Kemp, TX monastery grounds

(Nativity Monastery) - It is our pleasure to announce to you that His Beatitude Jonah, Metropolitan of all America and Canada, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the South, will be visiting the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ Monastery on Thursday December 23, 2010 to celebrate the first anniversary of the monastery at its new location in Kemp TX.

As a part of the Archpastoral visit, is Beatitude Jonah will bless the grounds where we will begin the construction of a new Chapel this next year. He will then celebrate the anniversary Divine Liturgy with other visiting clergy and the faithful. The choir from St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church, in Tyler TX, will sing for the Divine Liturgy. A reception and luncheon will follow.

Parents are encouraged to bring your children to this special event. When you RSVP, please let Sister Barbara know how many children will be attending with you.

Schedule of Events (all times are approximate):

9:30 AM - Blessing of the grounds for the new Chapel
10:00 AM - Hierarchical Divine Liturgy
12:30 PM - Reception / Luncheon

The reception and luncheon will take place at the Cedar Creek Country Club, located just a few minutes from the monastery at 18392 Country Club Drive, Kemp TX 75143.

Monastery Map Link

Country Club Map Link

We have limited seating available for the luncheon and we need to let the County Club know how many guests we will have for the luncheon. Therefore, all those planning to attend the Divine Liturgy and / or the reception and luncheon are asked to please RSVP to the monastery no later than 6:00 PM on Sunday December 19th. You may RSVP by calling the monastery at 903-498-4474 or by sending an email to: nativitymonastery@gmail.com.

Christmas approaches...

... time to pull a tree into the house.

Accusations fly after New York monastery scandal breaks

NEW YORK (TNH via pokrov.org) - Bishop Vikentios of Apameia has made stunning allegations about Metropolitan Paisios of Tyana tenure at the Saint Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery and its Dependencies in Astoria, N.Y., including charges that the Metropolitan sexually abused the Bishop’s brother, Spyros Malamatenios, who was 17 at the time. In a long interview with The National Herald, Bishop Vikentios (Malamatenios), a close associate of Metropolitan Paisios (Loulourgas) for 40 years and co-founder of the Monastery, outlined a sordid tale of sex and other alleged wrongdoings. In the lengthy interview - which was taken on tape - live and unconditionally at the Headquarters of TNH in New York, Bishop Vikentios made revelations of alleged serious excesses by the Metropolitan, including that he was involved with people of both sexes, including the young nun, Christonymphi, who now has given up the Monastic vows and talked to the police. Bishop Vikentios also revealed that, according to his information, the former nun had been pregnant but did not know by whom. Simultaneously, Bishop Vikentios asked “forgiveness from the victims’ of Paisios,” at least one of whom, Andreas Georgiou, is already launching a lawsuit against the Monastery and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Other alleged victims are expected to follow.

The Metropolitan left the Monastery after submitting two letters of resignation in October, citing health reasons, and returned to Athens, Greece. TNH called him at his residence there on Dec. 11 to give him the opportunity to comment on the allegations and the Bishop’s entire interview, but when the Metropolitan heard who the call was from he hung up the phone.

Bishop Vikentios confirmed reports that a gun was found by the Patriarchal Exarchy in the room of Metropolitan Paisios and that he also sold the golden offerings known as tamata of the faithful at the Monastery’s Greek festival, also taking much of the gold to Greece, which was melted and made hierarchical crosses and pictorials. Bishop Vikentios alleged that even his own life is at risk. He stated that based on the Charter granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Chrysovalantou Monastery, and also according to New York State’s regulations governing the Legal Corporation of the Chrysovalantou Monastery, both interim Abbots appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey and Bishop Elias of Philomilion, are considered illegal. Vikentios said he believes that the Monastery will be driven into bankruptcy due to economic decline, and called Metropolitan Evangelos’ behavior toward him as “completely unbecoming” upon Evangelos’ coming to his residence at the church of St. Nectarios in Brooklyn, on Dec. 6, which he said could result in the arrest of Metropolitan Evangelos by the police.

Bishop Vikentios also said that the money delivered by the former nun Christonymphi to the Astoria Police Station he believes belongs to the Monastery and not Paisios.

He also talked about the role of a man identified as Konstantinos B., said to have uncovered the scandal, and who allegedly also participated in group sex events with Metropolitan Paisios. The man was said to have given that testimony to the police and the FBI. Here are some excerpts of the extensive revelatory interview of Bishop Vikentios, which will be published in its entirely in Greek in the weekly Magazine of The National Herald’s edition Dec. 17-18.

Read more »

How Santa stole Christmas

From the blog Gladsome Light Dialogues a post entitled "How Santa stole Christmas or Resisting the de-Christianization of Christianity"...

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“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three
measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Mt. 13:33)

Christ came into the world as one of us, to change us from within. He is the leaven of a new world, and although born as a little babe, in a humble and forgotten manger he starts a chain reaction that will reach the entire earth.

The apostles were the first to react to this catalyst and they were changed into something better, from humble fishermen into fishers of men, becoming themselves agents of change for the world.

Through their missionary work entire populations were converted to Christianity, temples were changed into churches, pagan holidays were changed into Christian ones, all transfigured by grace, going back to the fullness of serving the One and True God. .

Today we see a reversed phenomenon, a sort of a de-Christianization of Christianity.

Under secular influence, Christian holidays, like Christmas for instance, are converted or perverted into a shape and form that has nothing to do with their intended spiritual purpose. They retain a very thin outer shell but they are emptied of all their content that has to do with salvation, and then re-filled with consumerism waste and rejuvenated pagan rituals.

In the self-proclaimed post-Christian era the main reason for the season is not Christ anymore, but indulgence. We indulge in food, drink, parties, gifts and so on, banking on the idea that Christmas is only once a year and we need to seize the opportunity. But the true opportunity that resides with the genuine meaning of Christmas passes by us, and Christ again enters the world humble, unattended and ignored.

That is exactly what Christ wants to change, to stop us from ignoring Him, and re-direct us into a new relation ship with Him. Our chance to be changed is now, when He comes on earth humble, loving and ready to forgive. If we miss this chance at His second coming will be too late because then He will arrive us a righteous and fearful Judge, holding us accountable for all we have already received and not used, probably wasted.

Now is not too late to resist the unhealthy change that takes over the world and keep the season as what was meant for: a vigil for the coming of Christ in the world, not a nonstop party in expectation of an overweight consumerist jolly maker. Preparing for Christ’s coming involves going against the current with fasting, prayer and sacrificial love instead of overindulging in cheap entertainment and self-gratification.

Only in this way we will be able to recognize Christmas, as we should, a glorious event that reshaped the entire cosmos, an event that will fill our entire being with joy and peace, not just for the season but for eternity.

Christ is born, glorify him!

The Ecumenical Patriarch defends interfaith dialogues

Constantinople (AsiaNews) - On the eve of the holiday season, Bartholomew I delivered a major address before an highly qualified audience from the Orthodox world, defending the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s choice for inter-faith dialogue. "We will insist on dialogue, despite the criticism that we suffer," he said. "There is, unfortunately, a certain religious fundamentalism, a tragic phenomenon, which can be found among Orthodox and Catholics, among Muslims and Jews. These are people who think they alone have the right to exist on earth, almost as if they alone have the right to rule on this our planet according to the Old Testament. And they say there is no room for anyone else, and are therefore opposed to any dialogue."

The Patriarch continued: "We are subject to criticism and attack because we maintain relations with the Pope (because we are strong supporters of the ecumenical dialogue between Orthodox and Catholics), with Islam and the Jewish world. But we will continue to move forward on our journey, according to the path laid by our predecessors, well aware of our actions, regardless of the criticisms of which we are object. These fringes, characterized by extreme positions, are everywhere. It is therefore natural that we suffer their criticisms, according to their ideological dictates, all of us who try to widen our horizons and have a theological view of things. Because we want the peaceful coexistence of all, based on the principles of charity and friendship. "

Bartholomew I added: "This is the credo of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and I want to remember that in 1920 the regent of the patriarchal see, along with the synod, had addressed to Catholics and Protestants an encyclical, called 'The community of churches', along the lines of the newly created 'society of nations'. That encyclical is considered today by the World Council of Churches as the 'Charter' of the ecumenical movement of our time. This is a well known fact to insiders, and it is good that it should be made as widely known to as many people as possible”.

Then Bartholomew I went on to highlight: "With regard to interreligious dialogue, it is our belief and our creed. Because we need to know each other better, to work together while respecting the religious beliefs of others, their cultural identity, without oppression. This is the only way to live in peace. For this reason, the Patriarchate, in addition to having a dialogue with other Churches and Christian denominations, has established over the past 25 years a dialogue with Islam and Judaism. We have had several successful meetings. With the Muslims and Jews, our brothers, we do not discuss purely theological issues as it would be difficult. But we talk about social issues, social issues that effect all people, all humanity, all over the world. "

Ecology has been one of the favorite themes of the Ecumenical Patriarchate since 1989. The Patriarch said: "Everything that we try to do, we do because we believe it is our duty, because the Church should be actively present in the contemporary world and be sensitive to people's problems, raise awareness and encourage them to love and protect nature like their own homes". He added: "The environment, nature, is God's creation and do not belong only to us who live today in 2010. They belong to all future generations. "

Bishop Dositheos, spokesman for the Patriarchate, commented on the Patriarch’s homily for AsiaNews, "a certain confusion prevails in some sectors of the Orthodox Christian world between the two terms, tradition and traditionalism. Tradition, to which those minorities often refer, is the ongoing search to interpret and understand the truth, while traditionalism which essentially belong to these minorities, is an intellectual sterility which often is identified with nationalism in the Orthodox world”.

Chicago, the police, and the Orthodox Church

H/T: Choosing to Look East!

Technical note: mobile viewing

The good people developing for Blogger just released a knob to enable a more mobile-friendly version of the blog. I've enabled it and it seems to be quite a smart enhancement. Please do tell me if a problem should arise.

Episcopal Assembly site officially online

I've been watching the site slowly coalesce for the past few months, but it looks like they are now officially announcing it. I played with the find-a-parish functionality just yesterday and it seems to work well. I'm fond of Orthodoxy in America, but hope the functionality and design flair of that site makes its way onto the official parish roster tool on the assembly site.

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NEW YORK, NY (OCA) - The web site of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America -- formerly known as the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America -- made its debut on Friday, December 17, 2010. It may be accessed here.

In addition to information on the Assembly's history, establishment, and current activities, the site provides comprehensive lists of all member Churches and hierarchs; a wealth of informative documents, statements, and addresses highlighting its inaugural meeting; directories of Assembly agencies, endorsed organizations, commissions, consultations, and committees; a soon-to-be expanded directory of parishes and institutions; and a wealth of other information and resources.

The Assembly met for the first time in New York, NY May 26-28, 2010, under the chairmanship of His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Over 60 Orthodox Christian hierarchs, including His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah and the diocesan and auxiliary bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, participated.

This Assembly is the result of the decision of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, which met in Chambésy Switzerland in June 2009, after the extraordinary Synaxis of all the Heads of the Autocephalous Churches convened by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. One of twelve assemblies that have been or will be convened around the world in regions where there is no singular Orthodox presence, the Assembly includes all active canonical bishops who reside and minister in North and Central America and will meet annually. The Assembly is the successor of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA].

Hating

H/T: Pithless Thoughts

'Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer' premiering

(ARCHONS) - A major motion-picture about divine wisdom, timeless insight, silence and prayer, entitled, “Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer” will premiere for three-months on Comcast and Verizon Fios Video-On-Demand, beginning on December 15, 2010.

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offers a foreword and introduction to this story as it travels to the far reaches of the east, discovering the Jesus Prayer firsthand with Emmy award winning theologian and author, Dr. Norris J. Chumley, and renowned historian and priest, Very Rev. Dr. John A. McGuckin. They take a modern exodus to the ancient lands where Christianity and the Church began, witnessing the Jesus Prayer directly in monasteries and chapels, many places that are off-limits to the outside world.

'The Origins of Advent' by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon

H/T: Opuscula Theologica

(orthodoxytoday.org) - In the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian churches of the West, the several weeks prior to Christmas are known as Advent, a name from a Latin word meaning "coming." It happens that the beginning of Advent always falls on the Sunday closest to November 30, the ancient feast day (in both East and West) of the Apostle Andrew. Among Christians in the West, this preparatory season, which tends to be slightly less rigorous than Lent and often involves no special fasting at all, always begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Thus, from year to year it will vary in length between 3 and 4 weeks, but always with four Sundays. It is worth noting that many of the Eastern Catholic Churches in the US have severely curtailed their involvement in the Nativity Fast. The Ruthenian Church in particular has almost completed removed observance of it, only leaving an optional day of fasting on Fridays. There is some thought of returning to the original observance as can be seen by recent editorials in eparchial newsletters.

The observance of the season of Advent is fairly late. One finds no sermons for Advent, for instance, among the liturgical homilies of St. Leo the Great in the mid-fifth century. About that time, however, the season was already was already emerging in Spain and Gaul. A thousand years later, the time of the Reformation, Advent was preserved among the liturgical customs of the Anglicans and Lutherans; in more recent years, other Protestant groups have informally begun to restore it, pretty much as it had originally started--one congregation at a time.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the corresponding penitential season of preparation for Christmas always begins on November 15, the day after the Feast of the Apostle Philip. For this reason it is popularly known as St. Philip's Fast. A simple count of the days between November 15 and December 25 shows that this special period lasts exactly 40 days, the same as Lent.

More recently Christians of the Orthodox Church have begun to call this season by its Latin name, "Advent." One now finds the term standard in publications of the Antiochian Archdiocese, for instance. The adoption of the word "Advent" by Eastern Orthodox Christians is inspired by the same reason that prompted the adoption of other Latin theological terms, such "Sacraments," "Incarnation," and "Trinity." Very simply, these are the recognizable theological terms that have passed into Western languages. They also happen to be theologically accurate! If the Christian West can adopt Greek terms like "Christology," it seems only fair for the Christian East to adopt Latin terms like "Incarnation."

(On the other hand, one finds some Orthodox Christians, especially among recent, hyperactive converts from Western churches, who resist the adoption of the word "Advent," preferring to speak of "Winter Lent" or some such anomaly. One is hard pressed to explain this eccentric, lamentable preference for Anglo-Saxon over Latin on a point of theology.)

Several other features of Advent deserve some comment:

• First, in the West the First Sunday of Advent is treated as the beginning of the liturgical year. (In the East, the liturgical year does not begin with Advent but on September 1, which bears the traditional title, "Crown of the Year." Its historical relationship to the Jewish feast of Rosh Hashana is obvious.)
• Second, during the twentieth century there arose the lovely custom of the Advent wreath, both in church buildings and in homes. This wreath lies horizontal and is adorned with four candles. The latter, symbolic of the four millennia covered in Old Testament history, are lit, one at a time, on each Saturday evening preceding the four Sundays of Advent, by way of marking the stages in the season until Christmas. This modern practice has already started in some Orthodox Christian homes, where the longer season requires six candles on the Advent wreath.
• Third, because of its emphasis on repentance, Advent is a season of great seriousness, not a time proper for festivity, much less of partying and secular concerns. Advent is not part of the Christmas holidays, and Christians of earlier times would be shocked at the current habit of treating this as a period of jolly good times and "Christmas cheer," complete with office parties, the trimming of Christmas trees and other domestic adornments, the exchange of gifts, caroling, and even the singing of Christmas music in church.

All of these festive things are part of the celebration of Christmas itself, which lasts the 12 days from December 25 to January 6. The seasons of the liturgical year involve more than liturgical services. The liturgical seasons is supposed to govern the lives of those who observe them. For this reason, anticipating these properly Christmas activities during Advent considerably lessens the chance of our being properly prepared, by repentance, for the grace of that greater season; it also heightens the likelihood that we will fall prey to the worldly spirit that the commercial world would encourage during this time.

Prophet Daniel, Vessel of Clear Prophecy

Troparion - Tone 2

Great are the accomplishments of faith,
for the Three Holy Youths rejoiced in the fountain of flames as though in the waters of rest;
and the prophet Daniel appeared, a shepherd to the lions as though they were sheep.
So by their prayers, O Christ God, save our souls!

Kontakion - Tone 3

When your pure heart was purged by the Spirit
you became a vessel of clear prophecy;
you saw things far away as though they were near at hand.
When cast into their den you tamed the lions.
Therefore, we honor you, blessed prophet, glorious Daniel.

Nativity: Renewal of Mankind

From the blog Orthodox Way of Life...

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God, having formed man with His own hands in His own image He in his love allowed man free will to follow his own initiative. Because of the deceit of the devil man was not strong enough to withstand his temptations and separated himself from God. God then through the incarnation set about to recreate man anew.

Saint Gregory Palamas puts it this way,

So now God not only forms human nature anew by His own hand in a mysterious way, but also keeps it near Him. Not only does He assume this nature and raise it up from the fall, but He inexpressibly clothes Himself in it an unites Himself inseparable with it and born as both God and man: from a woman, in the first instance, that He might take upon Himself the same nature which He formed in our forefathers; and from a woman who was a virgin, in the second, so that He might make man anew.

The Incarnation is an integral part of God's plan for mankind. With free will, so man could mature in His likeness to love God with his whole heart and mind just as God loved man, mankind was lost, separated from God and unable on His own power to reunite himself with God. Through the Incarnation God renewed mankind.

Saint Gregory tells us,

If He had been born from seed, He would not have been a new man and, being part of the old stock, and inheriting that fall, He would not have been able to receive the fullness of the incorruptible Godhead in Himself and become an inexhaustible source of hallowing. And so, not only would He not have been able to cleanse, with abundance of power, our forefathers defilement caused by sin, but neither would He have been sufficient to sanctify those who came later...

God in His incarnation gave us more than a one time event. His renewal of Mankind established an eternal spring of healing water by training the Apostles who with the power of the Holy Spirit established the Church as an unending source of His healing power for mankind to be renewed from ages to ages.

Saint Gregory says,

But creation needed a well containing it own spring, that those who drew near it and drank their full might remain undefeated by the attacks of weaknesses and deprivations inherent in the created world.... Building now the new Jerusalem, raising up a temple for Himself with living stones and gathering us into a holy and world wide Church, He sets in its foundation, which is Christ, the ever-flowing fount of grace.

Today we have this "ever-flowing fount of Grace in His presence in His Church. The incarnation calls all of us to be partakers of this grace through our way of life. Through our daily prayer, repentance, participation in the Sacraments we are filled with the Holy Spirit to live the virtuous life He taught us in His life as fully man here on earth. We can think of the Nativity as much more than the birth of a chid in a manger. It is also the birth of His Church though which we participate to this day to come in unity with Him learning to live the virtuous way of life he showed us to be possible once we were renewed by becoming part of Him in His Church.

'Physician Heal Thyself' Pan-Orthodox retreat completed

(AFR) - On December 7-9, clergy from all over the west gathered for their second annual retreat at the Holy Monastery of the Theotokos, the Life Giving Spring, in Dunlap, California. Led by four bishops, His Eminence, Metropolitan Gerasimos [Greek Archdiocese]; His Grace, Bishop Joseph [Antiochian Archdiocese]; His Grace, Bishop Benjamin [OCA]; and His Grace, Bishop Maxim [Serbian Patriarchate], clergy of all jurisdictions enjoyed the beautiful facilities of the St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, listened to speakers, and worshipped together. Clergy came back to their parishes refreshed and edified by the teaching on the topic "Physician Heal Thyself--Orthodox steps of spiritual transformation" with Retreat Master Archimandrite Meletios (Webber), Abbot of the St. John the Wonderworker Monastery in Manton, CA.