Life Along the Orthodox Way
“The person who waits upon moods is impoverished. If the painter only wanted to paint when in the mood for it, he would not get very far. In religion, as in art and science, along with the times of high excitement, there are times of sober work and practice. We must practice our communion with God; otherwise we will not find the right tone, the right word, the right language, when God surprises us with His presence.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
via the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Facebook Page
Behind the lurid tales of Catholic Priests abusing children are some facts that rarely get covered. Any case of abuse is one too many but I thought you might be interested in getting a larger picture…
http://www.themediareport.com/fast-facts/
Saw this quote on the Facebook page of the Bulgarian Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America. Your thoughts?
“The Church is intolerant in principle because she believes; she is tolerant in practice because she loves. The enemies of the Church are tolerant in principle because they do not believe; they are intolerant in practice because they do not love.”
Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
if you wish to capture the true meaning and beauty of the season consider making the church services that are part of this day and season the center of your celebration. Too often, I think the services of Christmas Eve or morning are either something that we have to ‘get through” so the “real” party can begin or ignored altogether as some quaint relic of a bygone era.
What a profound witness it would be to the world to see our church services on this day, in fact every day, filled to capacity and beyond. After all, why should the world care about, or just simply respect, our worship if we don’t?
What a profound change in ourselves there would be, as well, if we made worship not simply an event to be managed in our busy schedules but rather a way of life. How different, how holy, how refreshing would our existence be in a life centered on God? The change in orientation of our lives would be a gift to ourselves, and the world, that would last far after the Christmas batteries have gone dead and our world would be challenged and changed for the good in ways we can’t even imagine.
O Lord, grant that I may meet the coming day in peace.
Help me in all things to rely upon Your Holy Will.
In every hour of the day, reveal Your will to me.
Bless my dealings with all who surround me.
Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with the firm conviction that Your will governs all.
In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings.
In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You.
Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.
Give me the strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring.
Direct my will.
Teach me to pray.
Pray Thou Thyself in me.
Amen.
December 7, 2013
The President and Mrs. Obama; The White House; 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; Washington D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President and Mrs. Obama,
Greetings and best wishes to you and to your two precious daughters in the spirit of this Holy Christmas season. I was honored to receive your invitation to attend a White House holiday reception on Friday, December 6th, 2013.
I remember fondly my attendance at the White House reception two years ago. The photograph which we took together on that auspicious occasion continues to adorn my office. Unfortunately Mr. President, I did not attend your holiday reception this year because while I do have the joy of Christmas, I do not have the peace of Christmas. This is the peace which the angels proclaimed on that Holy Night “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14). Although I am Lebanese by birth and a proud American citizen for the past fifty-seven years, I received my secondary education in the cities of Homs and Damascus, Syria.
Mr. President I do not have the peace of Christmas because there is no peace either in Lebanon or in Syria. During the time which I spent in Syria as a student and secretary to the late Patriarch Alexandros Tahan, I ate the bread of Syria, I drank the water of Syria, I breathed the air of Syria and I enjoyed the most generous hospitality of the Syrian people.
No Mr. President, I do not have the peace of Christmas while two of my brother archibishops Boulos Yazigi and Youhanna Ibrahim are still in captivity in northern Syria with no news since their abduction. Actually Mr. President, we do not know whether they are alive or dead. Two weeks ago, Mr. President, twelve of our Orthodox nuns were abducted from the convent of St. Thekla of Maaloula, Syria. These nuns are innocent women who care for some orphans in the convent. These peaceful women do not have arms and do not fight but pray for peace every day and night. I contacted the State Department and spoke to Ambassador Ford who promised me that he is doing everything possible to gain the release of the two abducted Archbishops and the nuns, but to no avail.
Recently a video appeared on Al-Jazeera network which reportedly showed the nuns and the Abbess of the convent, Mother Pelagia in captivity, and she said that they were living in a villa. What a mockery! If the abductors wanted the nuns to escape the bombardment of Maaloula, they could have sent them to the Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus, which can accommodate one hundred nuns. We know the truth Mr. President. The truth is that the video was made under extreme psychological pressure, which these nuns are enduring every day. There is every reason to fear for their safety.
Finally Mr. President, anything that you can do as the leader of the free world to stop the bloodshed and destruction in Syria will be very deeply appreciated. May the peace of Christmas which this broken world does not understand dwell in your hearts and in the hearts of your family forever.
Sincerely yours,
Metropolitan PHILIP (Saliba)
Primate
The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese
of North America
“Let the wealthy learn to seek the wealth of good wishes, and to be rich in holiness; the beauty of wealth consists not in the possession of money-bags, but in the maintenance of the poor. It is in the sick and needy that riches shine most.”
St. Ambrose of Milan, Letter II, ch. 26
If every Christian worshipped that majestic mystery at Christmas, lived that worship in every moment of our celebrations, yes, but also actually worshipped in churches, storefronts, cathedrals, living rooms and high schools on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day — wherever the body of believers they call home worships weekly — we wouldn’t have to worry about getting “Christ back into Christmas.”
Read more here. Ignore the comments section.
The Beautiful Path 