Life in Prison: A Lesson of Faith

Posted by OCPM on Jun 21, 2013 i

Several months ago, His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco received an unexpected letter. It was from four Orthodox men serving life sentences in a “concrete Jericho”—a maximum security prison in California—asking for the “unthinkable”: His Eminence to visit and bless the prison. “Struck by the intensity of their words,” he visited the men during Great Lent, talking and praying with them and offering them Holy Eucharist. Afterward, His Eminence sent a thoughtful reflection to OCPM, which includes excerpts from the letters the men sent him. You can read his reflection here.

It was a typical afternoon in my office at the Metropolis of San Francisco. I was responding to phone calls, answering emails and sorting through my mail. I came across an envelope from someone whose name I did not recognize, but the return address was clearly from a prison. I opened the envelope, wondering who the sender was and what the content might be. Much to my surprise, the letter was from a group of four male Orthodox inmates wanting to share their personal stories with me about their journey with the faith along with a simple request that someday I might be able to visit. For the past six years, these men have been ministered to by one of our Metropolis priests, but they somehow felt compelled to write to me directly, seeking my blessings and visitation. Their sincere and humble words were also marked with doubt, knowing that many obstacles would need to be maneuvered, and that many other Christian leaders had previously tried unsuccessfully to penetrate the walls of the prison.

However, as great as these obstacles might be and regardless of the rigors of my schedule, I was struck by the intensity of their words: “We hope that more than ‘hearing of the ear,’ we will, God permitting, one day ‘with the eye see You,’ in the words of the Righteous Job (42:5). We pray that God’s providence will allow for Your visitation and blessing of this prison….where no Bishop of Christ has walked before. All four of us are serving life in prison, and so when we pray ‘For this holy House, and for those who enter it…’ we really mean the permanent place of our earthly sojourn”. Their letter continued, “Your Eminence, please pray for us, that Christ may complete what He has mercifully commenced in our lives. Pray that we may remain on the road of repentance and faith, that we may be obedient…and that we may keep in our hearts that ‘Pearl of Great Price’ which has thus far kept us.”

It was at that very moment I called the priest who ministers to these men and, through God’s grace, we were able to arrange a visit to the prison. Yes, there were obstacles; forms to fill out, security clearances and scheduling. Everything fell into place and our visit was scheduled for Friday, April 26, 2013. The day finally arrived and, as we traveled to the prison, I prayed for God’s guidance, wisdom and strength to provide for the spiritual needs of these men. Then, I looked up and facing me was a concrete city, surrounded by barbed wire with numerous guard towers watching over the prison. Accompanying me was the priest who has become their spiritual father, and a recent Holy Cross graduate. We were warmly welcomed by the prison staff. They told us we had to wear security vests. The staff were very kind and respectful, allowing me to place the vest under my robe, and letting me wear my engolpion into the prison, even though we were not permitted to bring in any other personal articles.

Now, after all this preparation, the heavy doors slowly started to open and the prison guard led us to what the prisoners refer to as a “steel and concrete labyrinth”. We were about to enter unfamiliar territory, but we all knew that the power of God would guide us in this special ministry, and that the Holy Spirit would give us the right words to nourish their hungry souls. We spent an hour together. Words like “powerful”, “humbling” and “life-changing” can barely convey the impact this afternoon had on all of us.

Following a rather intense yet uplifting conversation, I led these devoted men in reciting the Prayers for Holy Communion, and offered to them the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. They approached the Holy Sacrament with humility, with tears of repentance, and with deep and abiding faith. I also prayed for the healing of their souls and bodies, anointing them with Holy Oil of Saint Nectarios. I gave to each of them a small cross and icon card of Saint Ephraim the Syrian, as a reminder of our common faith, and to encourage their continued prayer life for the strengthening of their souls.

Within a week of my visit to the prison, I received another letter. This time, recognizing the sender’s name. I opened the letter, eager to hear from these men with whom I shared a meaningful dialogue about our faith, God’s love, and the power of forgiveness. Here is what they said:

“At first, it was unthinkable: would a simple letter of invitation result in a visit to our prison by His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco? Then, it was unlikely: His Eminence wanted to come, but how could he – in the midst of services of the Great Fast – and with all the administrative red tape; the complexity of visitor approval on such a short notice? After all, we remembered the sad experience of the Roman Catholic bishops, who a few years ago attempted to penetrate our concrete ‘Jericho’, but the walls didn’t budge. Finally, as things miraculously fell into place the visitation drew near, it became downright frightful!”

The letter continues on to describe the moment we walked through the yard door, escorted by a lieutenant from the prison. The prisoners wrote, “We kissed the hand giving the blessing; we were speechless…. We sat and listened, two things became apparent: the Metropolitan didn’t come to give a pep talk or for a photo-op; he really saw us and desired to know us as persons – who we were and how we came to the Faith….He came to impart to us Christ’s truth, which we are not always ready to receive.”

“His Eminence spoke about the ‘real life’, which was not to be found outside of prison, in prison, or even in ourselves – that is, in our thoughts, wants, occupations – but only in Christ, in a life hidden in God. We were reminded of our ultimate blessing to be possessors of that life, no matter our past or what brought us to prison (to be sure, everyone who gathered around Metropolitan Gerasimos that day is serving life for murder). He said that the only substantial difference between the so-called ‘free’ life and life in prison is its structural regimentation, and the reason why the Church Fathers make us feel uncomfortable is because they call us to that higher life outside of ourselves – in Christ, regardless of where one finds himself, on whichever side of the barbed wire.”

Their profound letter concluded with a reflection on their personal struggles. They stated, “It is often through difficulties that God’s love draws His prodigal children home. The Metropolitan said that even though we can’t always know God’s will, we can always know His love and mercy….Our hierarch told us at our parting ‘we are never alone.’ The Saints are praying for us, the ‘great cloud of witnesses’ (Hebrews 12:1), with whom we are partakers in Christ….It is still difficult to believe that the invisible Christ was visibly present to us through His ministers. And yet, as we set our hearts on the events of Holy Week and turn our gaze toward Holy Pascha, we know by faith that this is what always happens in Christ, Who is ‘God with us’: the Crucified and Risen Savior filled our empty man-made tomb with His eternal life, illuminating sinners sitting in the shadow of death. May we keep His grace in our hearts, through the prayers of our spiritual father, and of our hierarch!”

The lesson to be derived from this pertains to all of us, because God offers His healing power of forgiveness unconditionally. Whether we are confined in a physical prison or are a prisoner to our own sins, we have the opportunity and blessing to receive God’s grace and mercy. Forgiving ourselves, forgiving each other, and ultimately seeking the Lord’s forgiveness…these are all acts of great faith and are the stepping stones to salvation.

http://theorthodoxprisonministry.org/life-in-prison-a-lesson-of-faith/

Meeting of the Lord and Zacchaeus: Homily of Fr. John Behr

A homily delivered by Fr. John Behr in the Three Hierarchs Chapel at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple and Zacchaeus Sunday (Sunday, February 2, 2014).

Giotto, Presentation of Christ at the Temple, 1306, Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, Padua, Italy

Today, as we celebrate the meeting of Christ and the righteous Simeon and Anna, in the temple, we come to an end of a series of feasts that have taken us through the darkness of the long and cold winter nights: a series of feasts bringing out different aspects of God’s search or outreach to us: the Word becoming flesh in the small dark cavern, in the depths of the earth, the manifestation of God to us, through the passage through the waters.

And now, in obedience to the Mosaic Law, forty days after his birth, Christ, the first-born son, is brought to the temple so that he might complete the law, and the law might be completed by him.

Being brought to the temple, he is met by the righteous elder Simeon and the prophetess Anna: the old now passes, and the new has come, and the place where they meet, where the old meets the new and the new is revealed, is in the Temple, the place to which Jesus is brought as a sacrifice.

We heard last night in the readings from Isaiah that it was in the temple that Isaiah saw the Lord of glory enthroned and prophesied, that this same Lord would be worshipped by none other than the Egyptians—the biblical symbol of the gentiles hostile to Israel and their God. Now these words are fulfilled: Christ is brought into the temple, and he rests in the arms of the elder as on a throne. Israel’s glory has dawned in Christ, who is the light of revelation to the Gentiles. And now that Israel has accomplished its task of bringing the Messiah into the world, Simeon can depart in peace: the promises made in the beginning to Abraham about the calling of the nations are now fulfilled, so that in Abraham’s seed, all nations of the world are now blessed.

The very age of the righteous elder and the prophetess indicate the passing away of the ancient customs, the rituals and prescriptions, for these were only ever, as the apostle puts it, a shadow of the good things to come whereas the reality belongs to Christ, the one who was received in the arms of the elder, the one who was to cause the fall and rising again of many in Israel, the one who thus bestows upon us the resurrection—the new creation. All this, the righteous elder Simeon sees, and more: he foresees the pain that would wound the one who gave birth painlessly to the Son of God, that he will be a sign spoken against—but a sign that therefore reveals the thoughts of our hearts.

Today then, standing in the temple with Simeon, we do indeed come to the completion of the movement of God towards us, so that we can also say, let us depart in peace: the glory of God is revealed, enlightening those who sat in darkness.

Jesus and Zaccheus, Basilica of Sant’Angelo in Formis, Capua (Caserta)

But if the movement of God towards us is completed in this way, our movement now begins. We must begin to set our own sights upon the journey to Jerusalem, something we are reminded about by the second Gospel reading today: that about Zacchaeus—which alerts us to the coming pre-Lenten Sundays. If this movement of God towards us is indeed light coming into the world, enlightening those who sit in darkness, then there are various points of which we should take note.

Firstly, it means that we must recognize that we are indeed the ones who have been sitting in darkness. Only now, in the light of Christ, can we begin to realize how dark indeed has been our supposedly enlightened world and our all-too-human behavior, however decent, civilized, polite, it may seem. And, recognizing that we are the ones sitting in darkness, our response should be as Zacchaeus: not simply waiting around on the off-chance that the Lord will pass by, but, the Gospel says, he eagerly sought the Lord; he demonstrated an intense desire to seek him out, to actively find him.

The second point would be that as we begin to allow his light to shine upon us and in us, we will certainly begin to understand what it means that he is a sign spoken against, revealing the thoughts of our hearts; for as we begin to try to live by this sign, we will assuredly find all our resistances coming to the surface, all the reasons, the thoughts of our hearts which usually remain unconscious, all the reasons why we should do otherwise, or with less enthusiasm or zeal, or perhaps start tomorrow. In other words, the light that we are given enables us to see ourselves as we truly are, a feat that St Isaac says is greater than raising the dead. This is our own path to Golgotha. And, as with Zacchaeus, this requires recognizing how we stand. The Gospel reading places great emphasis on Zacchaeus’ small stature. He was short. Zacchaeus knew that he had to be lifted up, up from this earth, to see the Lord, and he does this by ascending the tree, an image of taking up the cross. Our problem, on the other hand, is that we do not know this: we think that we are something, something great and grand, someone important, with our own sense of self-worth.

We are indeed important and valuable in God’s eyes: out of love for us, he came to dwell among us, to save, redeem, and recreate us. But it is all too easy for our own sense of well-being and self-worth to get in the way, to prevent us from even realizing that we stand in need of what God has to offer; we spend most of our lives in delusion, not knowing that we are, in fact, small, needy, sinful, before him: it is for the sinners that he has come, to call them to repentance, not those who imagine themselves to be basically alright, needing Christ only for an extra religious element to their lives.

And finally, although we have been given so much more to see than was Simeon (we have repeatedly been present at his birth, his baptism, his passion and his resurrection), we have not yet really begun to see the Lord as did Simeon: to know that he is indeed our rest, our eternal rest, to find in him the peace that keeps us in peace throughout the storms of the sea of life, rather than being blown about from one crisis to the next, from one emotional bruise to another, or from one preoccupying thought to yet another habituated action that we will regret. Rather, what is required of us, to find this peace, is the repentance shown by Zacchaeus: a ready repentance, a change of mind, manifest not only in how we feel about things, but how we act: “half my goods I give to the poor; and will restore fourfold what I have defrauded.”

It is in these ways that we move from sitting in darkness to being enlightened by the light of God—the light that is also the peace of God. So let us pray that we may also learn to meet Jesus in the temple, so that we might also find in him the completion of our heart’s desire, and so ourselves come to know his mercy and peace; for this, as we will sing shortly, is the true sacrifice of praise.

Fr. John Behr (SVOTS ’97) is the Dean of St Vladimir’s Seminary and Professor of Patristics, teaching courses in patristics, dogmatics and scriptural exegesis at the seminary, and also at Fordham University, where he is the Distinguished Lecturer in Patristics.

http://svotssynaxis.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/meeting-of-the-lord-and-zacchaeus/

The Presentation of Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, in the Temple: A Homily on the Importance of Attending Great Vespers and Matins in the Orthodox Church

           

             Today we celebrate a great feast of the Church that speaks directly to the spiritual challenges that we all face on a daily basis, both as particular people and as members of this parish community.  For today we celebrate the presentation of the infant Jesus Christ, forty days after His birth, in the temple.  The Theotokos and St. Joseph bring the young Savior there in compliance with the Old Testament law, making the offering of a poor family that could not afford a lamb, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the old man St. Simeon proclaims that this Child is the salvation “of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.”  The aged prophetess St. Anna also recognizes Him as the fulfillment of God’s promises.

            Our epistle reading from Hebrews reminds us that the One brought into the temple that day is the Great High Priest Who offers Himself, Who becomes the Passover Lamb through Whom sin and death are destroyed so that we also may enter into the Heavenly Temple, into the very life of God.  In ways that our minds cannot fully understand, Christ’s offering and priesthood are eternal, as He now intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father.  He fulfills all the foreshadowing of the Old Testament to bring us through Him into the true Temple, the eternal Sanctuary of the Kingdom of Heaven.

            Every day of our lives, in all that we say and do, we have the opportunity to join ourselves more deeply to Christ, to become more fully “partakers of the divine nature” whose lives are constant offerings to the Lord.  He created us and all that is, and His salvation is the fulfillment of the entire universe. All that we must leave behind is our corruption, our sin and its sickening effects.  Even as the person with a broken bone wants to get past the resulting pain and disability in order to regain health and strength, we want to do the same thing in every dimension of lives.  The focus is not on legal judgment, but on the healing of our distorted, weakened selves and world.

            A very important aspect of this healing that we have not talked about a great deal in our parish is the strength that we find through participation in the full liturgical life of the Church.   By that I do not mean coming to the Divine Liturgy on Sunday and major feast days whenever possible, which is a fundamental practice of the Orthodox Christian life.    At least for Sunday liturgy, we do that fairly well here at St. Luke.  Instead, I want to draw your attention this morning to the two other services that we celebrate virtually every weekend, Great Vespers on Saturday evening and Matins on Sunday morning.

            These services, along with others, are conducted daily in monasteries, but most parishes understandably serve them only on Saturday night and Sunday morning.  We do so because of the great glory and dignity of Sunday as the day of resurrection, the day in which we celebrate Christ’s resurrection.  His High Priesthood shines forth in the Divine Liturgy of every Sunday, for it is through Him that we enter into the Heavenly Banquet, into the joy of the true Temple of the Kingdom of Heaven.  And when we receive Communion, we are united with God in the most profound and intimate way possible.  His Body and Blood truly become our own.

            As we all know, deliberate preparation is in order each time that we receive the Eucharist.  We must say the prayers of preparation; we must fast from food and drink; and we must take Confession on a regular basis and especially when we have a guilty conscience or are aware of having committed grave sin.  None of us should ever take Communion for granted or fail to prepare ourselves as best we can.  Whenever you have questions about anything related to taking Communion, just let me know.

            Participation in Great Vespers is also very helpful preparation for the Sunday Divine Liturgy.  It is actually the first service of Sunday, for in biblical times the day began with sundown the night before.  Vespers is much simpler and less ornate than the Divine Liturgy, as it consists of prayers, hymns, readings and Psalms that recall our creation, our fall, and the shining of the “Gladsome Light” Jesus Christ Who rose victorious from the tomb.  Portions of the service focus on the distinctive themes of that particular Sunday and prepare us to meditate upon them in preparation for Liturgy.  Sometimes there are Old Testament readings, and the service usually lasts about an hour.   

            “Orthros” means “early dawn” and we pray at that time on Sundays because that is when the women went to the tomb of Christ and received the good news of His resurrection.  “Matins” means “morning” and is simply another name for the service.  On most Sundays, the service focuses on the resurrection.  Each week, the priest reads one of eleven accounts from the gospels of Christ’s appearances after His resurrection.  The chanters sing one of the eight resurrection troparia and there are various other readings and chants that relate to the saints being commemorated and the season of the church year.  We move from orthros into liturgy with the Great Doxology that begins “Glory to Thee, Who has shown us the light.”  That’s when we turn up the lights and open the royal doors, for we are now entering through our Great High Priest into the great glory of the liturgy of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The One who was taken to the temple as a baby now takes us into the true Temple, into heavenly worship of the Holy Trinity as He nourishes us with His Body and Blood.

            If something is important to us, we prepare for it.  The more we put into something, the more we get out of it.  Attending vespers and matins prepares us to share in the great blessing of the Divine Liturgy and especially of receiving Communion.  It will also strengthen our parish as a community, for at the very heart of the life of the Church is our worship, which is not limited to an hour and half on Sunday mornings.  We do not have as many services as larger parishes with a full-time priest and more chanters and servers, but we do what we can.  As your priest, I ask you to do what you can to strengthen your spiritual life and our collective entrance into the Heavenly Temple by coming to vespers and orthros whenever that is possible for you.  You will find it to be a blessing in your life and not a major inconvenience.   

            Of course, some have health problems, transportation issues, and work schedules that make it impossible for them to do so with regularity; if so, pray at home.  Most of us, however, could attend either service at least once a month.  Rest assured that this is not some kind legal requirement and no one is taking roll; instead, it is an invitation to join ourselves as fully as we can to Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest Who wants us to share with Him in the joy of the Heavenly Temple.    Sts. Simeon and Anna were prepared by years of prayer and fasting to meet Him in the Jerusalem temple, and now He makes it possible for us to meet Him in the Temple of Heaven, and even to dine at His table.  There is no question that we all need to prepare for that, for we want the eyes of our hearts to be as open as possible to the “light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel,” our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and honor, together with His Un-originate Father and the All-Holy, Good, and Life-Giving Spirit, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.                    

Common Statement by Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

On January 30, 2014, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East concluded his five-day visit to Russia, and the following Common Statement with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was released:

At the invitation of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East John X paid his official visit to the Russian Orthodox Church from January 25 to 30, 2014. The Patriarchate of Antioch is going now through difficult times because of the violence committed in its homeland and its tragic consequences of the political crisis for its people. This visit has given the two sister Churches the opportunity to discuss several disturbing issues affecting their witness and ministry. The two Churches feel the need to state the following:

1. The important mission of a Church in a society is to bear witness in word and deed to God's love for each person, regardless of his or her religious belief or national identity. Following the words of Christ "Blessed are peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Mt. 5:9), we proclaim peace and respect for the human dignity and rights. Every human being is an object of Divine Compassion; it is because of God's love that the Incarnation took place and that the Holy Spirit continues to work in our midst. This basic principle inspires the two sister Churches in their actions, service and cooperation.

2. The developments in Syria today with their violence, killings and inhuman behavior are a source of sorrow for the faithful in the both Churches. We absolutely reject the ordeal of murder, displacement and kidnapping.

The two Churches believe that it is only through an open and honest dialogue that it is possible to guarantee a real peace in Syria, her independence and territorial integrity and to ensure equal rights and opportunities for her citizens. We appeal to the international community to intensify its efforts for the establishment of peace in Syria by supporting the ongoing process which has started in Geneva. A peaceful Syria in which national and religious diversity is respected will be an important factor in the peaceful process throughout the Middle East.

The two Churches also hope that all the political problems in Lebanon, Iraq and all the countries in the Middle East will be dealt with in a spirit of peace that rejects violence and all types of pressure that may come from extremist positions or terrorist acts.

We also stress that Christians of the Patriarchate of Antioch have been rooted in the Middle East for twenty centuries and they constitute an integral part of the local society as its full-fledged citizens. We believe it extremely important to help create the conditions in which the Church of Ancient Antioch can successfully continue carrying out her saving ministry to her people.

This is also an occasion for the two Churches to declare once again the urgent need for effective actions to be taken for the immediate release of all persons kidnapped in Syria, in particular our two beloved brothers, Metropolitans Paul of Aleppo and John, the priests, nuns and orphans of the Convent in Maalula.

3. During the discussions which took place between the two Churches' representatives, it has become clear that there are many areas where cooperation between the two Churches will be very beneficial. One of these areas are immediate actions such as the humanitarian aid that was sent by the Russian people to their brothers and sisters in Syria as an expression of their love. Many other areas were also identified for strengthening relations between the faithful of the two Churches, such as theological education, pilgrimage and the exchange of delegations.

4. The two Churches agree that every effort has to be made to enhance Orthodox witness in the world today. Orthodoxy is called upon to bring to the world the richness of its spirituality in dealing with social and human issues and to make all mankind aware of the Joy that was brought by our Savior. To make this living witness effective the Orthodox unity is of great importance. This is why careful preparations for any meeting on the pan-Orthodox level through special committees attended by representatives of all the Orthodox Churches are a necessary condition for the success of such meetings. This will require the Orthodox Churches' joint work in a spirit of love and openness so that all the problems they encounter may be overcome.

5. This visit was also an occasion to exchange ideas about inter-Christian communication. The two churches agreed that they should coordinate their efforts in order to advance in the right direction the process of dialogue for promoting the role of the Church in the modern world.

6. The Churches of Antioch and Russia both have an experience of co-existence with Islam. We reject any type of extremism and hate speech. We appeal to Christians and Muslims to work together for the benefit of their homelands.

7. In order to maintain their witness to the spirit of love that prevails between two Churches and to follow up the matters discussed a special committee has been set up in the course of this visit to plan the future actions to be implemented.

Thank you to the Russian Orthodox Church Department for External Church Relations for publishing official stories and photography from this important sojourn by Patriarch John X, including the photo above.

http://www.antiochian.org/common-statement-patriarch-john-x-antioch-and-all-east-and-patriarch-kirill-moscow-and-all-russia

“Food, Sex, and Sports: Idols or Pathways to Salvation?”

Putting words on a page often helps to clarify our thinking.  In writing The Forgotten Faith:  Ancient Insights for Contemporary Believers from Eastern Christianity (Cascade Books, 2013), I attempted to present key Orthodox insights in ways that average Americans could appreciate them, not as exotic or abstract ideas, but as invitations to the abundant life found in Jesus Christ.  To connect with people today, we have to begin where they live, so to speak, which may require making some unusual connections.  So here we go…      

Food, sex, and athletics are probably more real to most people in our society than is the Lord.   Contrary to the assumptions of popular culture, true Christianity is not an escape from the world as know it to an invisible and imaginary realm.  Our Orthodox faith does not require us to abandon or condemn any dimension of life, but instead to offer all that we are and do for fulfillment, blessing, and healing.  There is no part of our existence that is intrinsically evil or cut off from the good news of our salvation.  We become more fully who God created us to be through the practices of our Orthodox faith in the world as know it.

Take eating and drinking, for example.  The biblical story of the corruption of humanity and the entire creation begins with the abuse of food in the Garden of Eden.  There was nothing wrong with the fruit of the vine, but Adam and Eve chose to use it to satisfy their self-centered desires instead of obeying God and growing closer to Him. Jesus Christ set right the place of food by using bread and wine as Communion, as the menu of the Heavenly Banquet.  Almost all of us struggle with passions related to overindulgence in food and drink of one form or another.  The Lord does not save us by condemning what we tend to abuse, but instead by Himself becoming our food and drink.  He fulfills the original role of the fruits of creation in giving life and strengthening our relationship with God and one another.

Orthodox Christians fast, not because there is something wrong with food itself, but because there is something wrong with each of us personally and spiritually.  In other words, we have followed Adam and Eve in using these blessings for something other than their intended purposes and, consequently, have become slaves to our distorted desires.  No wonder that so many people today are obese, have eating disorders, or develop diabetes due to an unhealthy diet.  By learning to discipline our appetites a bit on fast days, we gain some experience in controlling other self-centered desires for pleasure or simply getting our own way.  We can direct the money saved by eating a humble diet to serving Christ in the poor, even as we grow in humility when we find it hard to be content with broccoli and tofu instead of steak and eggs.  It is through the struggle to discipline our desires that we become more fully the people God created human beings to be in the first place. 

   If fasting is not a sufficiently touchy topic, let’s turn now to sex.  As the lyrics of both country music and rap demonstrate, the temptations in this area of life are powerful even as the consequences of our missteps in it are grave.  Since contemporary American culture has lost all sense of chastity, it is imperative that Orthodox believers—especially our youth—are solidly grounded in traditional Christian teaching and practice about holiness in the relationship between man and woman.  Unfortunately, movies, music, the internet, and other forms of media celebrate corrupt ways of living that lead people very far from the paths to the Kingdom that Jesus Christ blessed and the saints have exemplified.  Though it is terribly unpopular to say today, we must bear witness to the countercultural view that sexual intimacy should occur only within marriage between one man and one woman.  Here two persons become one and, in the normal course of things, bring a new person into the world from their embodied love for one another.  Not simply a matter of morality or biology, we encounter a profound image of the Holy Trinity in the Christian family, for distinctive persons share a common life and love.  Our aim in sexual ethics is higher than enhancing public health or securing consent between the parties involved, for marriage and celibacy are both means of participating in the eternal life that Christ has brought to the world. We should not be surprised that the One who created us as man and woman also directs us how to use our sexuality for our salvation.  To embrace anything less is to distort what it means for human beings to be in the image and likeness of God as male and female.   

            Despite what the advocates of the sexual revolution maintain, there is nothing new under the sun.  St. Paul dealt with just about every form of human decadence imaginable in Corinth, and Jesus Christ taught a sexual ethic in the Sermon on the Mount that still challenges even the most righteous to grow in purity of heart.  Whether we are married or celibate, we all have more than enough challenge to fight our own passions and keep a close watch on our thoughts and desires.  The self-righteous judgment of anyone else is simply not our concern.  Again contrary to popular opinion, it is possible—and it is imperative for Orthodox believers-- to maintain the ancient Christian vision of sexuality and marriage without becoming like the Pharisees.  Both St. Photini (the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4) and St. Mary of Egypt, for example, got off to a bad start in this regard, but ultimately became great saints of the Church.  Thank God, there is hope for us all to become more fully who God intends us to be.

            Given the skimpy costumes and suggestive movements of some cheerleaders and dance teams today, there is at least some connection in popular culture between sex and athletics.  Though we rarely think of sports in relation to religion, there are also some similarities between gatherings of fans and of worshippers.  Both congregate as a community to take on a collective identity that they show by what they say and do.  Orthodox stand up, raise their voices, and make distinctive hand gestures (i.e., cross themselves) in a familiar pattern, as do fans of many sports. Where I live in West Texas, high school football fans drive long distances, sit or stand in blazing heat or bitter cold, and then arrive back home in the middle of the night. Truth be told, many sports fans make a much greater offering of time, energy, and effort for their teams than many Orthodox do for the worship of the Church.  There is no question that more families and kids make participation in athletics a higher priority than participation in the worship of God.  Some who cannot imagine making time for vespers or matins, for example, think nothing of enduring the hardships of sports practice for hours in very hot or cold temperatures. 

            It is all a matter of priorities, of course.  Human beings are going to worship something, and in our culture athletics has become a god to many people.  There is certainly nothing wrong with sports in and of itself, but the excessive focus that so many place on it should serve as a reminder that the true race is not for the perishable crown of the praise of others, but for the imperishable crown that God gives to His true and faithful servants. Instead of judging anyone, we should be reminded by the dedication of sports enthusiasts that it is human nature to sacrifice for what we love and to take joy even in daunting tasks that require discipline and steadfast commitment.  If athletes and fans devote so much for what amounts to healthful entertainment, how much more should Orthodox Christians devote themselves to fighting their passions, serving Christ in their neighbors, and participating in the collective worship of the Church as a foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet?

Let’s be clear:  To worship the stomachs, sexual desires, and athletic abilities of human beings is simply to commit idolatry and degrade ourselves.  In contrast, to offer them and every other dimension of our life and world to God is to embrace the calling to grow in the divine likeness.  That’s not an escape from reality; instead, it is our pathway to real life in a universe created, redeemed, and sustained by God.  All creation finds its proper place and fulfillment in Him, including you and me.  

ALL SHRINES OF MA'LOULA EITHER DESTROYED OR DESECRATED

Ma'loula, January 13, 2014

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/67574.htm

    

A radical Jabhat al-Nusra "opposition" group, which occupied the small Christian town of Ma'loula in Syria in the last months of 2013, desecrated absolutely all shrines of the town, reports al Hadas portal with the reference to materials of the al Akhbar Lebanese newspaper.

According to evidence of eyewitnesses who fled from Ma'loula during the latest warfare in the region, members of al Nusra tried to change the religious and architectural-historical look of the ancient Christian town entirely: completely destroying some churches, the militants brought down all bells from other ones. The fate of two other world-famous monuments of Ma'loula was no less tragic: extremists blew up the statue of Christ the Savior, which had stood at the entrance of St. Thecla Convent, as well as the statue of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, which had stood close to the Safir hotel, the latter of which served as the main shelter for Takfirists for many months.

Nevertheless, many artifacts that were stolen from the town have survived, becoming smuggled goods. According to the information received by al Akhbar from reliable sources, the al Nusra militants are currently the most active dealers of black market antiques of the Middle East. Local smugglers are helping with "exporting" of the Ma'loula's antiquities abroad, transporting Christian monuments to many European countries—mainly to Italy and Turkey. It was reported that a great number of ancient icons, (icon) settings, crosses, reliquaries, and statues have already been taken out from Syria and sent abroad.

In close connection with this, there are ongoing attempts to release the Ma'loula nuns, who disappeared from the town in December 2013. Last week, Robert Abiad, head of the Lebanese Orthodox Council, accompanied by relatives of the kidnapped nuns from St. Thecla Convent, met with major general Abbas Ibrahim, chief of the Lebanese security service. In his interview with al Akhbar following the meeting, R. Abiad noted that "the negotiations were very fruitful, for all possible, serious efforts were being made to secure the release the kidnapped nuns." "Fortunately, security forces of Iraq have also joined negotiations with the kidnappers, as one of the abducted girls is a citizen of the Iraqi Republic," added the head of the Council.

Moreover, as it became known, on Sunday militants from the Jabhat al Nusra group had abducted Archbishop Abdo Arish, brother of the Metropolitan of Melkite Catholic Church in Homs, in the Syrian town of Ma'loula, reports ITAR-TASS.

Fr. Joseph Huneycutt's Review of The Forgotten Faith: Ancient Insights for Contemporary Believers from Eastern Christianity (Cascade Books, 2013)

REVIEW: The Forgotten Faith – by Philip LeMasters

January 15, 2014 By Fr. Joseph Huneycutt Leave a Comment

This book is an excellent treatise on the Eastern Orthodox Christian Faith, written primarily for seekers of Truth by a former Baptist, Father Philip LeMasters, a priest of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and pastor of St Luke Orthodox Church, Abilene. Fr Philip is also the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Religion at McMurry University and the Corporate Secretary of the Board of Trustees of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

That’s a mouthful of cred about the author – a man I know personally – but I had no knowledge of the man wrote the Foreword:  Everett Ferguson.  This mystery, at least for me, adds to the melody of this work as I will explain later.

Right out of the gate, in the Preface, the tenor is set:

Christianity in our culture is often a mile wide and an inch deep.  It provides a bit of inspiration and moral guidance that prop up whatever way of life particular people happen to want.  Heaven forbid, however, that Jesus Christ should actually require something of us or challenge our preconceived notions about the good life.  This book invites readers to encounter something entirely different … (xi)

The author then lays out the essence and practice of Orthodox Christianity with the straightforward precision of an experienced teacher.  His agenda seems to be:  The better I teach, the more you learn, the fewer questions go unanswered.  The teaching is methodical, practical, and convincing.  Fr Philip loves Eastern Christianity, believes his beloved to be unique and true, and presents his love to you with love.  If you are looking for a book that compares and contrasts various Christian beliefs and traditions, passing judgments on the same, this is not your choice, nor his task.

Then again, as is well attested, if you are looking for a book by an adult convert to the Ancient Christian Faith you have a plethora of sundry titles to choose from these days.  Some have even joked that, upon conversion to Orthodoxy, one’s published testimony seems almost required!  What sets this book apart is the style of the presentation.

When my mother asked me once whether I regretted my religious upbringing as a Baptist, I assured her that I did not.  Orthodoxy is the fulfillment of all the good Christian teaching and formation that I received in the denomination of my youth.  I honestly don’t think that I have rejected anything from my earlier Christian experience, though much has been completed and put in a larger and healthier spiritual context.  (10)

No fears, though, as Fr Philip’s latest book does not include a “Sinners Prayer” or a Pledge Form:

If this book serves to enrich the spiritual lives of those who read it and to encourage them to learn more about Eastern Christianity, it will have met my goal in writing it.(13)

Beginning with Moses and the revelation of God in the Burning Bush, Fr Philip goes about presenting the Holy Trinity in a way that appreciates the mystery but leaves little to be questioned.  By the time the Incarnation appears, readers are already poised to embrace the central tenet of the Ancient Faith. Whether the Trinity, the Incarnation, of the perpetual Virginity of Mary, the key to the mystery is the same:

Our knowledge of God is limited entirely to what he has revealed. (30)

To know him is to be in relationship with him, to experience and participate in his life.(32)

Then, when even “Bible Believing Christians” might be ready to shout Amen, this former Baptist writes:

The Bible is part of the truth passed down in the Body of Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but not the only authoritative witness of God’s truth.  The contents of the New Testament were not formally canonized until around AD 400, but the Church had been worshipping and proclaiming the gospel ever since the day of Pentecost.  The Son of God was incarnate as a human being, not a book.  When controversies arose that required clarification on matters crucial to the message of salvation, such as the Holy Trinity or the two natures of Christ, councils met at places such as Nicaea and Chalcedon.  They produced creeds and pronouncements that also witnessed authoritatively to the Good News.  Councils, creeds, the canon of scripture, icons, liturgy, the lives of the saints, etc., are all sources of theological knowledge in Eastern Christianity.  There is no need to choose one and reject others.  The Bible is part, but not all, of the tradition. (33)

Then, it must be added before leaving this thought, he states:

Orthodoxy never had or needed a Reformation because the Church did not develop traditions contrary to scripture. (34)

Those who are already members of the Orthodox Church will find much here that is previously known and appreciated but here presented in a succinct, quotable form.  Subjects such as the Eucharist, fasting – even sex – are discussed on a down to earth, common sense level.  And, speaking of levels, Fr Philip softens the message on fasting and asceticism:

A good rule of thumb is to stretch ourselves a bit, but not beyond what we can do with some regularity and without being total jerks to those around us.  No matter how pious we may feel, it is not part of Christian discipleship to make other people suffer for our sins.  (49)

The chapter devoted to Mary is a must read for all who seek answers involving the mystery of the Incarnation:  “Our best example of a human being in communion with God is Mary …”  The revelation of the Mother of God, while ultimately incomprehensible, is presented here in a way that anyone with a mother can appreciate.  One of the stumbling blocks for many Protestant seekers is the Orthodox belief that Mary is Ever-Virgin.  Yet, it is true; the Virginity of Mary is fundamental, elemental, and foundational to the Faith.

My Protestant friends are sometimes surprised to learn the Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Wesley all believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary.  Before the Protestant Reformation, hardly anyone questioned this teaching.  In talking with skeptical friends over the years, I have become comfortable with the conclusion that the Church teaches this point about Mary simply because we believe that it is true.  Had it somehow been otherwise, Christ would still be our Savior.  The point here is not abstract theological necessity, but faithfulness to what the Holy Spirit has revealed. (66)

In sum,

There is no reason to be afraid of honoring his and our mother.  (68)

By far, at least for this reviewer, one of the best sections of the book is titled Football, Liturgical Worship, and Real Life.  (An affinity for football here is a plus, but not mandatory.)  Fr Philip takes the common knowledge of American sport and translates it to the Faith “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

The church is filled with beautiful icons and the sweet smell of incense permeates the atmosphere.  Parishioners make the sign of the cross many times.  During Sunday Matins they normally come forward to kiss a bejeweled book containing the readings from the Gospels.  After Liturgy, they kiss a cross that the priest holds in his hand.  Orthodox liturgy is a multimedia endeavor that appeals to all five senses.  I have noticed that even high school stadiums in my part of the world now fill the senses with video playing on the score board, fake smoke surrounding the teams as they take the field, and an ongoing battle of the hands throughout the contest.  Cheer leaders, drill teams, and band members – as well as the players, of course – wear glitzy uniforms.  Some fans paint their faces, while many more don their school colors and sometimes wave handmade signs to inspire the players.  Yes, it is a sight to behold.  (70)

Granted, such an analogy excerpted here without full context may leave more than a bit to be desired.  As mentioned, it is a whole chapter.  But, suffice it to say:

Like the spectators at an athletic event, however, we take on a shared identity when we gather publicly to serve something (in this case, Someone) larger than ourselves.  We are the Church, the Body of Christ, in communion with people around the world who believe, worship, and seek to live as Orthodox Christians.  This communion extends even beyond this world to include the great cloud of witnesses that have finished the race together with the heavenly host.  We do not paint our faces or twirl terrible towels or yell “kill him!,” but we do become a new community that together prays, proclaims a shared faith, and takes Communion.  Instead of a tomahawk chop, we make the sign of the cross and bow down making prostration before the Lord.  In place of uniforms, the clergy and altar servers wear vestments that reflect the divine glory of heavenly worship.  They do not stand at the altar in their workaday duds, even as players on the field do not.  They have a special role to play that is not of this world.  (71)

Here are a few more nuggets from The Forgotten Faith:

Orthodox clergy are expected to worship during the services.  (74)

We will look in vain for any passage in the Bible that presents confession of sin as a solitary matter between the individual and God.  (78)

No, infants do not understand what happens in the holy mystery of the Eucharist, but neither do they have to know about the nutritional benefits of mother’s milk in order to profit from nursing.  (79)

Since so many Americans assume that being a good Christian simply means being nice, moral, patriotic, and middle class, we could use some holy fools to shock us out of our complacency.  (97)

Of course, given our current time of societal struggle, seekers will want to know  the Orthodox view of the omnipresent discussion of sex:

Surely everyone struggles with unholy sexual passions in one way or another and there is no room for self-righteous condemnation in genuine Christianity.  The Church provides the same compassion to gays and lesbians that it provides to anyone else who struggles with temptation and humbly asks for God’s mercy when they sin.  Orthodoxy is not homophobic in the sense of having irrational fear or hatred of people who find themselves attracted to members of the same sex or somehow disconnected from their own male or female bodies.  When parishioners go to their priest for counseling on how to lead a holy life and grow as Christians, they receive guidance on how to fight their passions and gain the spiritual strength necessary to abstain from unholy sexual acts of whatever variety.  When people stumble and truly repent, spiritual fathers assure them of God’s forgiveness and help them to get back up and move forward step by step.  The focus is on the journey to theosis, not an unhealthy obsession about sexual desires of any kind.  (136)

It’s a good book.  The Forgotten Faith is a pragmatic, sound exposition of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Faith written by an American convert for Americans who are seeking the Truth.  It also serves as a reminder to those of us who have entered into the communion of the Holy Church just what it is that She, and we, are about.

Now, about the guy who wrote the Foreword; I have only a cursory knowledge of him – which was obtained via Google:

Everett Ferguson (PhD, Harvard) is professor emeritus of Bible and distinguished scholar-in-residence at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, where he taught church history and Greek. He is the author of numerous works, including Backgrounds of Early Christianity, Early Christians Speak, and Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries. He was also general editor of the two-volume Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.

Now that’s some cred!  Dr Ferguson, a Protestant, is a member of the Church of Christ.  Here’s a portion of what he says about The Forgotten Faith:

On moral issues Orthodoxy stands in tension with contemporary issues in American life and culture.  On abortion, marriage, sexual ethics, and euthanasia it holds to the common historical Christian positions.  But on these questions as well as on capital punishment, environmental stewardship, and the danger of greed and consumerism the Orthodox operate from theological commitments, not from a philosophical or political agenda.

Which brings me to this:  Many Americans are searching the Truth; indeed we all long for the Kingdom.  Yet our longing is often whetted by merely surfing the internet, scratching the surface, never venturing far from quick answers provided by instant media.  I did the same to learn but a tiny bit about the author of the Foreword.  But that does not mean I know him.  In the same way, in order to know the Forgotten Faith, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Body of Christ, you must present yourself to Her in worship of the Triune God.  Fr Philip LeMasters, with The Forgotten Faith, has issued the invitation.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/orthodixie/2014/01/review-the-forgotten-faith-by-philip-lemasters.html