Concerning Repentance and Spiritual Warfare

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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CONCERNING REPENTANCE AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE
By Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)

The whole of our earthly life, from birth to our last breath, in its final conclusion will appear as a single act without duration in time. Its content and quality will be seen at a glance. Imagine an absolutely clear glass filled with water. One look will tell whether the water is clean or not and if dirty, how dirty. So will it be with us when we cross into the other world. Every impulse, however transient, of our heat, every thought, leaves its mark on the general sum of our life. Suppose that just once during the whole course of my earthly existence an evil thought crossed my mind - murder, for instance (cf., St. Matthew 15:19). This single thought will leave a black spot on the body of my life unless it be wiped out by repentant self-condemnation. Nothing can be hidden. "There is nothing covered, that shall not be known" (St. Luke 12:2-3). We often reassure ourselves with the thought that nobody saw us, no one knows what we think or do. But when we begin to strive our utmost to prepare for eternity, everything is different and we year to be rid of all that is soiled within us.

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). Through sincere repentance and vigorous self-conviction before God and our fellows the inner man is cleansed - the water in the glass passed through the spiritual filter of repentance, becomes pure again. Hence, when I confess, I charge myself with every evil, since I cannot find any sin in the whole world that I have not committed, if only by permitting it to flash through my mind. The very possibility of such an impulse of my spirit shows my sinful state. And who can be quite sure that he is beyond the reach of wicked ideas? And where is the guarantee that the moment when a bad thought (logismos) comes to me will not be transmuted into eternity?

So long as we have life there is the possibility of reformation; but what happens to us after we depart hence, we do not yet know. On the material plane a mass, given a sufficiently powerful thrust, can theoretically, once it has left the sphere of gravity, fly at great speed forever in infinite cosmic space. Will it not be thus with the soul? Drawn by love for God, having left the body, the soul will go to God; or, contrariwise -- having discarded God, she will be "cast out into outer darkness" (St. Matthew 8:12), into the never-ending torment which is the opposite of a state of love. Therefore, in so far as we are able to see ourselves, we must thoroughly confess our sins lest we carry them with us after we die.

Direct resistance to evil or vain thoughts is not always the best way of combating them. It is often wiser to think on the Father's mighty, pre-eternal design for us. To know that even before the foundation of the world we were chosen to be perfect (cf., St. Matthew 5:48; Ephesians 2:10; and 1:4-5) is vital if we are to live as we should. To minimize God's initial idea for us is not just an error but a really black sin. Those who do not see in themselves and, worse, do not see in their brethren any permanent worth become like wild beasts in their mutual relations, and readily take to slaughtering each other. Oh, what a paradoxical mixture is man -- on the one hand, he inspires delight and wonder; on the other, sad bewilderment at his cruelty and savagery. The soul decides to pray for the world but such prayer never attains its ultimate purpose, since no one and nothing can deprive people of the freedom to yield to evil, to prefer darkness to light.

Prayer offered to God in veritable and proper fashion, "in spirit and in truth" (St. John 4:23) is an imperishable, inviolable reality. Psychologically we may forget about it in the bustle of daily life but is preserved forever by God Himself (cf. St. Luke 10:42). On the day of resurrection and judgment all that we have done of good in the course of our life will stand at our side, to justify us; and, vice versa, all the bad will convict us if we have not repented in due fashion. Ugly deeds and unkind words can be wiped clean by tears of repentance, however odd and logically impossible this may seem. The negative consequences to ourselves of our sins are healed; the bad effects of our behavior towards our neighbors are effaced; fullness of life is reconstructed by Divine power -- not, though, through the one-sided intervention of God but always in conjunction with repentance and a right disposition, since God performs nothing with man without man's co-operation...

"The Gospel ('Evaggelion' or 'glad tidings') both begins and ends with a call to repentance. And the teaching of the holy Ascetics and the holy Fathers of the Church is permeated with the consciousness that every time may pray to God not as a sinner, his prayer fails to reach the Divine Throne since the Son of God did not come to call to repentance those who think themselves righteous and so stand outside the truth (cf. 1 John 1:8) but those who acknowledge themselves to be sinners (cf. St. Matthew 9:13).

The foul sea that lies between us and our image of Paradise, we can cross only in the boat of repentance rowed by the oars of fear. And if the boat of repentance in which we cross the sea of this world to God is not rowed by the oars of fear, then we drown in the fowl sea...Repentance is the boat, fear is the navigator, and love the divine harbor...into this harbor come all the labor and are burdened with repentance, and when we reach (the harbor of) love, e have reached God' (Saint Isaac of Syria). (Source: We shall see Him as He is)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

How Important and Necessary is Worship?

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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HOW IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY IS WORSHIP?

From time immemorial man felt the need to pray and offer sacrifice to God or gods. The primitive man looked at nature and what he found powerful and mysterious i.e., sun, moon, river, waterfall, star, fire, animals, serpents, etc. would make them into gods which he worshiped and sacrifice to. Paganism came out of that need to believe is something greater than what he was.

Worship is a complex phenomenon that is difficult to capture within a definition. It has been described as a response of adoration evoked in one who has encountered the presence of God. It has also been depicted as the grateful rejoicing of those who have experienced God's action in their lives. At times it has been equated with the formal service or rites of a particular religion, and it has also been set out as a way of life.

We are all spiritual in that we have a soul, we are all religious in that we show reverence, love, and devotion through ceremonial prayer to the things our soul considers sacred. To deny one or the other or both is to deny the very essence of who we are. What animates, what moves us, what motivates us? It is our soul. Our soul is our spirit.

Hebrew (Judaic) worship came from the same Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai by God Himself. Therefore, our Orthodox Christian Worship is the Earthly Component of the Eternal Worship in Heaven. The structure and decoration of our place of worship (church building) along with the words, prayers, petitions, and rubrics of the divine services all reflect the nature of heavenly worship. It is where we go to hear the words of instruction or how to live life on earth in preparation for eternal life in heaven.

The notion of worship as an expression is basic to all of these descriptions. Worship expresses and mediates the Divine-human relationship. Underlying any understanding of worship is a prior understanding of God and human subjectivity. The possibility of worship implies both human subjects who desire a relationship with God and a God Who fulfills that desire. Ultimately, whatever particular expressions it may take, worship is the outcome of God's gracious self-gift.

Orthodox Christian worship has its foundation in Jesus Christ, the One in Whom we find both God's self-disclosure and a paradigm for a life of worship. Persons who are brought into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ are also made participants in Christ's worship because they share in His life. Koinonia is the term used in the New Testament to denote the shared life which is constitutive of Christian identity and which makes Christian worship possible. It is a gift received by all those who are baptized into the Christian community.

The gift of koinonia is one that calls forth a response. The koinonia received must become one which is lived, one which is manifested in a variety of ways. From the earliest days of the Church, participating in the Lord's Mystical Supper was recognized as a manifestation and intensification of the community's shared life in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Saint Paul made it clear to the Corinthians that participating in the life of their Lord and authentic remembering of His life and death in the Lord's Mystical Supper had to be accompanied by sharing in the attitude of self-giving which has dominated His life. He called upon various Christian communities to express their Koinonia by contributing to a common fund for the poor of Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-27). Christian worship is not be self-serving or individualistic. The gifts of all are to be placed in the service of building up the Church (1 Corinthians 14:26-27).

Liturgy is the formal worship of Christian assemblies. It is a form of ecclesial ritual action in which Christians gather to remember, express, and re-appropriate their identity as co-worshippers with Christ. Christian liturgical worship emerged from within the traditions of Jewish worship but finds it particular identity from its rootedness in the Paschal Mystery. This mystery provides a focus for the rhythm of the Church's feasts and seasons and has a central place in the celebration of the Mysteries (Sacraments) and the liturgy of the hours.

"In the liturgy, the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and His members". Although each worshipping assembly is bound in koinonia with all the other assemblies which constitute the Church, liturgy is actually performed by local assemblies gathered in particular places. Therefore, the historical, social, and cultural context of each assembly will affect its worship.

Identifying liturgical worship as a form of ritual action calls attention to the fact that is a symbolic process. Liturgical worship is a dynamic symbolic activity in which space, objects, actions, words, time, and relationships all play a significant role in the shaping of meaning. In the liturgy, worship is symbolically expressed or mediated.

However, Christian worship is not restricted to the liturgy. The symbolic actions of liturgical worship are intended to mediate lives of worship, lives of remembrance and hope, of praise and thanksgiving, lives which is the experience of those who have communion in God's spirit through Jesus Christ (Source: The New Dictionary of Theology).

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Teaching Our Children Our Holy Orthodox Christian Faith

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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TEACHING OUR CHILDREN OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FAITH

Our most precious gift from God and Creator are our children. Young souls who bring so many blessings and joy to our lives. Children who rely on our love and guidance to grow physically and spiritually. We have been entrusted by God with their lives and to do everything possible to teach them His Divine Commandments, Christian values, and to inspire them to become good people with sensitive and compassionate hearts. People who can make a positive difference in the complex world in which they live.

Our children today are pulled in different directions by various known and unknown forces. Because they are inexperienced in life and immature they act emotionally and are always in danger of making harmful and dangerous decisions. There are consequences to every decision that one makes whether good or bad. Our responsibility as parents or/grandparents is to protect them from becoming a statistic or victim.

No matter how old our child is we, as parents, never cease to worry about them. Unlike the animal world in which animals, birds and or/mammals, allow their offspring to mature and be independent of them before they are left on their own, human parents usually continue to guide and support their children for as long as they live.

We, as parents, know the many challenges and struggles of life. We know how vulnerable and trusting our children are. Without being paranoid and becoming over-protective of them we, as parents, feel that they need our support spiritually and materially. We, as Orthodox Christians, feel that faith in God is absolutely necessary if their life is to succeed and have any real meaning and or/have a purpose.

This is where the Church comes in. The Church is Christ. The Holy Church was given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to protect, to guide, to heal, to restore, to commune with Him, to save, to give one hope, to provide shelter, to be a harbor, to free us from evil, to reconcile us with God and one another, to give us a moral compass, to strengthen us spiritually, to taste what heaven is, to transform us into beings of light, to find inner peace and to become an instrument of peace and love. The Church is the bride of Christ and the place of our rebirth through water and the spirit.

Our children who were baptized in the Church need her. The Church is our spiritual mother, a mother which, just as a human mother, nurses us and protects us until we are ready to be on our own. It is through the Church of Christ that we can find Him and experience His unconditional love. The grace of God can be found only in the Church by which we are able through the Mysteries (Sacraments) to enjoy a direct communion with Him. I find it most troubling when Christian parents trivialize or ignore completely the importance of God and the Church in the lives of their children.

Where are the parish children? Why are they not in Church to worship on Sundays? Why are they not in Church school on Sunday morning? Is something more important on Sunday morning than to worship as a Christian family? Why are you, as a Christian parent, allowing a sports coach to dictate to you or even to threaten your child for not making it to the athletic practice on Sunday morning? Who is he or she? Why are you not offended by this attitude? Why are you not protesting as a Christian parent to this invasion and intrusion to your religious obligations?

The turnout of our children to our parish Religious Ministry this year is very weak and alarming. Your children are absent and so are you. Does one, an Orthodox Christian, turn to the Church only when you need her for a specific purpose, i.e., baptism, wedding, funeral, medical emergency, etc. How is that a Christian commitment?

I ask all of our parishioners with young children to drive them to church on Sundays, to participate in the sacred worship of our Church and to attend religious instruction at the Church School. We are blessed to have devout volunteer teachers and an unbelievable Coordinator Rachel Limberopoulos. The classrooms have been improved thanks to them and all of them are ready to teach. Don't disappoint us and do not deprive your children of learning something more of their Faith.

May our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ bless all of you.

In Christ's Service,

+Father George

On the Priesthood: Saint John Chrysostom (Part III)

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON THE MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) OF PRIESTHOOD (Part III)
By Saint John Chrysostomos

Saint John's Theology of Priesthood

Saint John Chrysostom's six books on the Priesthood shows the influence of Saint Gregory's "Fight to Pontus", and, therefore, we see developing the great tradition in pastoral theology that nearly two hundred years later would extend into the West through Saint Gregory the Great. Saint John Chrysostom wrote his treatise On the Priesthood. He wrote this work between 390 A.D. and 391 A.D. to defend himself from accusations that in his youth he had belittled the Office of the Priest by hiding from those who would ordain him. Saint John Chrysostom replies that he escaped ordination precisely because he had such high regard for the Office and did not believe he was worthy of it. The mystical nature of the Priestly Office, in Saint John's mind, involved a mystical bond between the priest and the faithful, reflecting the "mystery" of Christ's union with the Church as the Husband with His bride (the Church) (Ephesians 5:32).

In his work on the Priesthood, Saint John Chrysostom speaks admirably of the priest as the liturgical officiant, but his principal concern is with the Priestly Ministry more generally, following the Divine example of Jesus Christ, Who came to serve rather than be served. As he says, while the Priesthood is ranked among the heavenly ordinances, it is nevertheless is enacted on earth. And the tasks of the priest are numerous: he was the teacher and moral guide of the community; he was the liturgical leader, deciding which catechumens should be admitted to baptism, and he presided at the Divine Eucharist; he was the spiritual guide for those who wanted to lead more ascetic lives; he received visitors from other churches; he maintained an elaborate system of philanthropy for the care of strangers, the support of widows, orphans and the poor, he cared for the women who were ranked in the order of "virgins", ordained presbyters and deacons.

Through the Incarnation of the Son of God, a New Covenant between the Creator God and the creature (man) is bound. In it, the new priesthood is established, which is essentially the person bound by the God-man Who brought the heavens and the Divine world of grace close to the earth of one essence with the Father, the Eternal High Priest, brought about by His Sacrifice, the redemption of the world. His Priestly Ministry continues through His Mystical Body, the Church and spread to the whole created world.  His unsurpassable unique victim initiated the very nature of communication between God and man, which are connected to heaven and earth.

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

The Stewardship of the Saints

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE SAINTS

 Those who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness; obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still, others had a trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--of whom the world is not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God (Hebrews 11:33-12:2).

 The Epistle (Letter) of Saint Paul to the Hebrews, read on the Sunday after Pentecost when we commemorate All Saints, is a powerful testimony to the holy Saints of the Heavenly Church! In the early Church, this feast was known as "The Feast of All Christ's Witnesses". The hymn of this feast states: "To You, the Author of creation, the Church does offer the God-bearing Martyrs as the first-fruits of nature..."

 Our Christian Orthodox Church, born on the day of Pentecost, has been established on the Holy Cross and the Resurrection of Our Lord and has triumphantly and heroically marched through history because of these saintly witnesses of faith.  They are not few in number, but "a cloud of witnesses"; innumerable, thousands, millions, known and unknown; men, women, and children, who gave everything, their blood, and their lives, for Christ's love!

 These holy Saints were and continue to be the most chosen and wondrous people. They were heroic and illumined personalities. People as we are, but they possessed the grace of God that enabled them to surpass all odds. With their great faith, they are pinnacles of virtue and holiness! With all the strength of their soul, they loved and worshipped Christ! With all their might they gave themselves to Christ our Redeemer! Not for one moment did they doubt or hesitate to offer their lives as a sacrifice for salvation in Him! In the Fourth Century Saint Basil the Great wrote: "For the Christian, the tortures endured by the martyred saints that included: being burned at the stake; the sword; fed to wild animals; being fastened to iron spikes that tore their skin are not reason to be traumatized but inspired!"

 The first Church and all the Saints gave their witness for Christ Our Lord. In the many trials they faced that sometimes led to giving their very lives, they excelled in their commitment and conviction to our Savior. It is in remembrance of these virtues that your Department of Stewardship Ministries has chosen as its ministry campaign - The Stewardship of the Saints.  (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America)

 Thanking you for the support and efforts you offer our beloved Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Parish and our holy Church in America.

 With agape in Our Redeemer Christ,
+Father George

October 1 - Venerable John Koukouzelis

My beloved spiritual children in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

STEWARDSHIP OF SAINT JOHN KOUKOUZELIS (+ 1st October)

Christian Orthodox Stewardship is a practice that is often misunderstood and misused in the Church. Many think of Stewardship solely from a monetary perspective, as a means to financially support the sacred work of the Church. This is, of course, important, but Stewardship should not be limited to this - it is much more!

Christian Orthodox stewards are taught to give their time, talents, and treasure to the glory of God. There are many opportunities in parish life that enable us to support the Lord's work. It is a sacred privilege for each of us to participate in the life of the Church. We pledge ourselves to the Lord so that our offerings may be faithful and obedient to His teachings and the Sacred Traditions of our Christian Orthodox Faith.

Among the many ways, we can participate in our parish ministries is as a chanter, a reader, or member of the choir. We emulate the angelic choirs in heaven when we sing to the glory of God. There are also a number of Saints whose example we follow by managing our Time and using our musical Talent to sing to the Lord. Among them are: Saint Romanos the Melodist, Saint John of Damascus, Saint Andrew of Crete, Joseph the Hymnographer, and Saint Kassiane. There is also another Saint who is known for his love for the music of our Church, a pious man who possessed a marvelous voice, and a steward of the Faith who gave his Time and Talent to the glory of God. Who was this person? Saint John Koukouzelis whose feast we celebrate today.

As a young man, Saint John Koukouzelis was recognized for his musical talent. He was sent to the Conservatory of Music in Constantinople, where he became a popular singer for the Imperial Court. The success he enjoyed as an entertainer for the Emperor and his court should have given him every satisfaction, but John was not content with his life. He was concerned about the flattery and praise brought upon him for his musical talent and felt that his voice was not being used for its real purpose. John knew that the Emperor would never allow him to leave his position, so he fled to the Holy Mountain to search his soul and to pray to God for guidance. The Emperor became concerned about the disappearance of his favorite singer and offered a reward to anyone who could give him information about him.

At the Great Lavra Monastery, John did not reveal who he was or what position he had held in the Imperial Court. He simply wanted to be a shepherd and monk. While taking care of the flock, John would sing hymns to the Lord and to the Theotokos. One day, a couple of monks heard him singing with a voice so sweet and melodic that they thought that it was that of an Angel. The monks rushed back to the monastery and told the Abbot (Egoumenos) what they had heard and seen. When John returned, he was summoned by the Egoumenos who asked him why he was not willing to use his voice during the divine services. John explained his story to him, but the Egoumenos (Abbot) assured him that the Emperor would understand and accept his desire to pursue the monastic life. The Egoumenos instructed him to never hide the Talent that God had given him, but to use it to praise and glorify His Almighty Name. From that moment on, John served as the lead chanter in the monastery. As the Akathist Hymn was being sung during Great Lent one year, John was exhausted and sat down and fell asleep near the holy icon of the Holy Mother of God. The Theotokos appeared to him and said: "Greetings, John! Sing, and don't stop singing; and for this, I will never leave you." She then placed a gold coin into his hand and disappeared. Saint John woke up immediately, and in his hand was the gold coin.

The life of Saint John Koukouzelis is an example of how important it is to manage our Time so that we may use our Talents properly. We have all been entrusted with blessings from God, and He desires that we put them to good use. take a moment from your busy schedule and ask yourself: "Am I managing God's blessings as a good and faithful servant" May Saint John Koukouzelis intercede on your behalf and be an inspiration so that you use your Talents for the glory of God. (Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America)

MAY ALL OF YOU HAVE A BLESSED, HEALTHY, AND SAFE NEW MONTH!

With agape,
+Father George