The Holy & Great-Martyr Katerina: Beauty Queen of the Church

Arabic Original by Father Georges Massouh,

Antiochian Orthodox Priest of the Archdiocese of Mount Lebanon

English Translation by Father Charles Baz,

Antiochian Orthodox Priest of the Archdiocese of North America

On this day, being the twenty-fifth of November, we commemorate "the Holy and Great-Martyr Katerina the All-wise" as she is called in the Orthodox Church. Katerina came from a noble family, as the Synaxarion (Church Book containing the Saints Vitae) describes her vita (vita is the 'life' of a Saint). She lived in Alexandria, Egypt. She was highly educated in the sciences of her day, in that she excelled in philosophy, rhetoric, poetry, natural sciences, and linguistics, having been taught all of these "before she reached the tender age of twenty years".

Katerina understood that her faith obligated her to place her intelligence, talents, and gifts to the service of the Church. She faced the persecuting Emperor Maximian (305-311) who ordered all of his subjects to worship and honor the Roman gods. Katerina rejected his decree by saying: "Idolatry is a corrupt concept in that it cannot be comprehended by the prudent mind, since idols do not essentially exist. More so,  common sense would dictate that there could only be One God Who is the Source and Creator of all things. Even philosophers accept this understanding, hence they too reject the falsehood of polytheism."

Maximian, having realized the weakness of his argument against Katerina, summoned his philosophers and wise men in order to counter her claims, and perhaps, even attempt to convince her to change her mind. But instead, Katerina succeeded in refuting the wise men of the emperor by revealing the inconsistencies of their ideologies and teachings. Finally the emperor resolved to have her executed, along with some of his wise men who were convinced by her arguments and were led to Christianity. Thus, Katerina finished the race of her young earthly life through her martyrdom, where she received countless tortures and ultimately beheading.

What does the commemoration of Saint Katerina mean to us today?

In our day and age, sadly, many presume that the era of idols and idol worship has ceased to exist. Some base this presumption on the fact that there are no physical idols before which people prostrate and worship. But the fact is, if we take a thorough look around us, we can clearly see the 'god of money' roaming everywhere, despite the Lord's warning: "You cannot worship two masters, God and mammon/money" Matthew 6:24 & Luke 13. In our current times there exists also the 'god of war', as world leaders try to compete with one another by starting wars 'in the Name of God.' There exist also the 'goddess of beauty' and the 'god of wine' and so on, all of which have their sources in Greek, Roman, and other ancient civilizations. These 'gods' do exist in our day and age, and they take hold of people's lives around us, through the encompassing spirit of consumerism. In Arabic, consumerism and destruction share the same linguistic root (H-L-K: Halâk & Is-ti-hlâk).

The spirit of consumerism, which encompasses all 'gods' sadly impacts many people during the annual holiday season. During the Christmas 'holiday' many, if not most, people are preoccupied with a lot of falsehoods which really drift them away from the real meaning and purpose of the Feast: Shopping, decorations, exchange of gifts, Santa Claus, and the like. These falsehoods make us forget 'Who' the Author and Purpose of this Feast is, Namely, the One Who so loved the poor and homeless, to the point that He condescended from the riches of His Divinity and chose to be Incarnate, homeless and poor, in order to share His humanity with them and us.

The commemoration of Saint Katerina obliges us in this season to depart from the spirit of consumerism. Our conduct in this season -- the season of preparation for the Nativity of our Lord according to the Flesh -- must reflect the hymnology of the Church in celebration of the Holy Martyr Katerina, as we sing: "O All-Wise Katerina, thy words have turned many from the foolishness of idol worship to salvation."

But we must caution the distinction in here, in that we are not strictly against the good causes of modernity, development, and advancement, but, we are against the ugly effects of these things: We are against the enslavement of the human person, who as a result of consumerism, has become reduced to a mere number or statistic, nameless, having lost a real sense of purpose, which is the mastery of self-control (from the Greek ἐγκράτεια), as God intended, where the mind/heart control the desires, and not the exact opposite as is the sad case in our days.

The life of Saint Katerina teaches us that she placed all of her intellectual, philosophic, and scientific knowledge in defense of the Church. She despised worldly attractions -- while she herself was a beautiful young woman -- and deemed them as vain lusts. Her life describes her as being "of exceeding beauty and attractive comeliness", yet she did not capitalize on these things, for which cause she was not beguiled by haughtiness and self-conceit. Instead, she used these 'gifts' to enrich the Faith and make it steadfast in the hearts of all believers. "She did not make light of her young age," yet she became a beacon in the Church. All of these aspects of Saint Katerina's life affirm the notion that intelligence can indeed be put to great use for the goodness and wellbeing of the Church and Faith. The Almighty God has distinguished us from all other creatures by endowing us with intelligence, and "God saw all that He created, and behold, it was good." Katerina placed her intelligence at the Church's service, and by doing so she did great.

Now we praise Katerina, and we honor her memory by giving her name -- which in Latin means "Pure One" -- to our daughters, to our Churches, and to our Monastic communities. But, and here is the challenge, are we all willing to emulate this Great Martyr and Saint, by placing our talents and intelligences to the service of the Church? Are we willing to offer ourselves, even in martyrdom, in testimony of our faith?

القدّيسة كاترينا ملكة جَمال الكنيسة

الأربعاء 25 تشرين الثاني 2015 - 06:47 الأب جورج مسوح

اليوم، الواقع فيه الخامس والعشرون من شهر تشرين الثاني، عيد "القدّيسة العظيمة في شهيدات المسيح كاترينا الكلّيّة الحكمة"، كما تصفها الكنيسة الأرثوذكسيّة. وهي، على ما جاء في سيرتها، من عائلة نبيلة عاشت في مدينة الإسكندريّة، وحصّلت علوم زمانها فبرعت في الفلسفة والبلاغة والشعر والعلوم الطبيعيّة واللغات، "كلّ ذلك ولم يتجاوز عمرها العشرين ربيعًا."

أدركت كاترينا باكرًا أنّ إيمانها يحتّم عليها أن تضع ذكاءها ومواهبها ومعارفها في خدمة الكنيسة. فواجهت الإمبراطور مكسيميانُس (305-311) الذي دعا رعاياه كافّة إلى عبادة الآلهة الرومانيّة وتكريمها، فقالت له رافضةً الخضوع لإرادته: "إنّ عبادة الأوثان مفسدة لا يجيزها العقل السليم، والأوثان لا وجود لها، بل المنطق يُظهر أنّه لا يمكن أن يكون هناك غير إله واحد هو أصل الموجودات كلّها وعلّتها. وهذا سلّم به كبار الفلاسفة الوثنيّين وبيّنوا، في المقابل، فساد الاعتقاد بكثرة الآلهة".

 أدرك مكسيميانُس ضعف حجّته أمام كاترينا فاستدعى الفلاسفة والحكماء لمجادلتها وإقناعها بعدم صواب رأيها. لكنّ كاترينا سرعان ما أفحمتهم، وبيّنت التناقض والتضارب والتضادّ في أقوالهم وتعاليمهم ومعتقداتهم، فأمر الإمبراطور بقتلها هي وبعض الحكماء الذين اقتنعوا بآرائها واعتنقوا المسيحيّة. وهكذا استشهدت بعد تعذيبات مريرة بقطع رأسها.

 ماذا يعني لنا اليوم التعييد لتذكار القدّيسة كاترينا؟

 يسود الاعتقاد في زماننا الحاضر بأنّ الأوثان قد انتهى زمانها، فليس ثمّة تماثيل وأصنام يقف أمامها الناس ليعبدوها أو ليسجدوا أمامها، إلاّ أنّنا، إن أنعمنا النظر في ما حولنا، لرأينا أنّ "إله المال" ("لا تعبدوا ربَّين الله والمال" في كلّ زمان ومكان)، و"إله الحرب" (قادة العالم الذين يشنّون الحروب باسم الله)، و"إلهة الجمال"، و"إله الخمر"، وسواها من آلهة الأساطير اليونانيّة والرومانيّة والحضارات القديمة كافّة، ما زالت مهيمنة على الحياة العصريّة عبر النمط الطاغي عليه روح الاستهلاك المهلك. وليس صدفة أنّ الاستهلاك والهلاك يشتقّان من الجذر ذاته.

 اللافت أنّ هذا النمط من عبادة الآلهة يزداد حضورًا في مواسم الأعياد الكبرى، وبخاصّة في عيد الميلاد المجيد، حيث يلتهي الناس بكلّ المظاهر التي لا تمتّ بصلة إلى معنى العيد الحقيقيّ، من زينة وتبادل هدايا وبابا نويل، وينسون صاحب العيد حبيب الفقراء والذين بلا مأوى. لذلك، التعييد لكاترينا يكون بالابتعاد عن هذا النمط الاستهلاكيّ القاتل، كي يتلاءم سلوكنا مع ما تقوله الكنيسة في صلاة العيد: "أيّتها الكلّيّة الحكمة كاترينا، إنّ كلامك قد اجتذب كثيرين من حماقة العبادة الوثنيّة إلى الخلاص".

 لسنا، إذ نقول هذا الكلام، أعداء الحداثة والازدهار والتطوّر والعمران والرفاهيّة، بيد أنّنا لا يمكن أن نكون إلاّ ضدّ هذا الوجه البشع منها، ضدّ استعباد الإنسان وجعله وسيلة لا غايةً، ضدّ سيطرة الشهوات على العقل والقلب، ضدّ تشييء الإنسان وتحويله إلى رقم بلا اسم.

 تعلمنا سيرة القدّيسة كاترينا أيضًا أنّها وضعت كلّ طاقاتها العقليّة والعلميّة والفلسفيّة في الدفاع عن الكنيسة، وتخلّت عن مغريات هذا الدنيا وما تثيره من شهوات باطلة، هي التي تشير سيرتها إلى "جمالها الفائق وحُسنها الجذّاب"، لم تستكبر بمواهبها لتغذّي أنانيّتها وغرورها، بل استعملت هذه المواهب لدعم الإيمان وترسيخه في قلوب المؤمنين، "لم تستهنْ بحداثتها"، فأصبحت منارةً في الكنيسة. هذا يعني أيضًا أنّ استعمال العقل ليس عيبًا ولا نقصًا في الإيمان. لقد ميّزَنا الله عن باقي المخلوقات بالعقل، وكلّ ما خلقه الله رآه حسنًا. كاترينا استعملت عقلها لخدمة الكنيسة، وقد فعلت حسنًا.

الآن، نمتدح كاترينا، ونسمّي بناتنا وكنائسنا ودياراتنا باسمها... لكن هل ثمّة مَن يريد التمثّل بها، فيخدم الكنيسة بعلمه وبمواهبه، ولو اقتضى منه ذلك تقديم ذاته شهادة عن الإيمان؟

لمزيد من المعلومات عن سيرة القدّيسة كاترينا: الأرشمندريت الراهب توما بيطار، سير القدّيسين وسائر الأعياد في الكنيسة الأرثوذكسيّة (السنكسار)، الجزء الأوّل، ص 458-461.

“…For We Have Done Nothing Good Upon the Earth…”

From the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

Last Sunday, 29 March 2015, being the Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast, the Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints, Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (+379) was celebrated for the last time on a Sunday, the Lord’s Day that is, in this Anno Domini (i.e. “Year of our Lord”) 2015. The next time we shall celebrate it again will be during Holy Thursday and Saturday, and not on a Sunday, that is not until Next Year’s (2016) First Sunday of the Great Fast.

The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil, chronologically and by use, predates that of Saint John Chrysostom. It was more common in the Ancient Church, at least within the First Millennium, until that of Chrysostom gradually became more popular in Constantinople, late in the First Millennium, and became thereby more widespread in use. To this day, the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is the most common liturgy used in the Byzantine Orthodox Church, throughout the year, with the exception of when the Divine Liturgies of Basil and Gregory Dialogos replace it. Thus in modern history, most of us erroneously associate the 2 non-Chrysostom Liturgies with the Great Fast (Sundays of Basil, and Presanctified of Gregory on Weekdays), for in the Ancient Church the Liturgies and their use was more flux than nowadays, and there were even more common Liturgies associated with Saint James, Mark, and others. Therefore when we speak of liturgies and their use, we must realize that we are applying our current practices, and not seeing them in light of the historic life of the Church, at least within the First Millennium.

In our day and age, the practice of celebrating the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil (unfortunately) is limited to 10 Times per year and sometimes this is not fully practiced in all churches, because the Paramon (i.e. Preparation/Pre-Feast) of the Nativity & Holy Theophany cannot be celebrated with St. Basil’s Liturgy, that is, when these Feasts fall on a Saturday or Sunday. 

In any case, “nowadays” St. Basil’s is celebrated thusly:

5 Sundays of the Great Fast

Great & Holy Thursday

Great & Holy Saturday

Paramon of the Nativity

Paramon of Holy Theophany

January 1^ST – Feast & Repose of Saint Basil

In essence, since most people come to Church on Sundays, they only would be able to enjoy the glorious liturgy of Saint Basil 5 Times during the 5 Sundays of the Great Fast. To the liturgically illiterate, they recognize the Basilian Liturgy with only one aspect, namely, that it is longer in duration. These would normally complain to the Priest about the duration of the Liturgy. But to the liturgically literate, and more importantly the faithful, that is those who prayerfully follow along with the Priest with their Service Books open in front of them, they instead look forward to these celebrations, and attentively/prayerfully participate in this glorious liturgy.

To many scholars who wish to meticulously dissect the Basilian Liturgy, either to identify it or differentiate from the Chrysostomite Liturgy, they see only two major differences—besides the duration in length—and these would be:

1.     The Longer Basilian Anaphora Prayer, which basically takes the form of Scriptural Salvation History, that is, it summarily retells the whole story from a Biblical perspective of what transpired from Adam to Christ, leading to the Last Supper, and,

2.     The Different Formulae of Consecration at the Epiclesis Prayer, whereas the Chrysostomite uses the term “change” the Basilian substitutes with “show”

But what do scholars know? They only expend countless hours digging through manuals and manuscripts only to summarize their viewpoints in theses and dissertations. In short, they do not live and pray the liturgies, and that is why they fail to see the other distinctive elements in the Basilian Liturgy, that is, other than the 2 pointed above. You see the Divine Liturgy, in the teaching of the Memory Eternal Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, cannot be reduced to a mere text, or else it becomes a lifeless corpse. The liturgy is and must be lived, practiced, by anticipation and with participation, and most importantly, with a prayerful mind and heart. Is it any wonder that he referred to the liturgy of the Eucharist as an "organism"?

The Prayers of the Basilian Liturgy are quite different from those of the Chrysostomite Liturgy: They are much more profound, beseeching in essence, intercessory in supplication, penitential in nature, and in my humble opinion, they point out the real relationship between God and Man, the former as Creator, and the latter as created. The “other” long Prayer associated with the Basilian Liturgy is the one said during the chanting of the Megalynarion, in which supplications are made for all, especially family members (i.e. children, parents, husbands, wives, etc.).

It is not my attempt to present in here a full account of the Basilian Liturgy as I admit I am not a scholar (and I do not wish to be). Doing so would require several books. I am simply a prayerful Priest who wishes to invite people to participate more during the Divine Liturgy, so that they can read along in their minds the same prayers which every Priest says during the Divine Liturgy. But I wish to point out in this reflection a simple prayer said during the Epiclesis (i.e. the “calling upon” the Holy Spirit to do His work). To that extent, it would be most expedient if I provide this prayer in 3 languages, with my own emphases in Bold:

“Because of this, O all-holy Master, we also, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, whom Thou hast made worthy to minister at Thy holy Altar, not through our own righteousness, for we have done nothing good upon the earth, but because of Thy mercies and compassion, which Thou hast richly poured out upon us, dare to draw nigh to Thy holy Altar, and, presenting unto Thee the antitypes of the holy Body and Blood of Thy Christ, we pray Thee and call upon Thee, O Holy of Holies, by the favor of Thy goodness, that Thy Holy Spirit may come upon us and upon these Gifts here set forth, and bless them and hallow them, and show…”

لأجل هذا أيُّها السيِّد الكليُّ قدسه، نجسر نحن أيضاً عبيدك الخطأة غير المستحقِّين، الذين قد أُهِّلنا لخدمة مذبحك المقدَّس، لا من أجل برِّنا، لأنَّنا لم نصنع شيئاً من الصلاح على الأرض، بل من أجل مراحمك ورأفاتك التي أفضتها علينا بسخاء، أن ندنو إلى مذبحك المقدَّس. وإذ وضعنا رسمَي جسد مسيحك ودمه المقدَّسين، نسألك ونطلب إليك، يا قدوس القدِّيسين، أن يحلَّ بمسرَّة صلاحك روحك القدُّوس علينا، وعلى هذه القرابين الموضوعة، ويباركها، ويقدِّسها، ويُظهِر...

“Διὰ τοῦτο, Δέσποτα, Πανάγιε καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ ἀνάξιοι δοῦλοί σου οἱ καταξιωθέντες λειτουργεῖν τῷ ἁγίῳ σου θυσιαστηρίῳ, οὐ διὰ τὰς δικαιοσύνας ἡμῶν, οὐ γὰρ ἐποιήσαμέν τι ἀγαθὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰ ἐλέη σου καὶ τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς σου, οὓς ἐξέχεας πλουσίως ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, θαρροῦντες προσεγγίζομεν τῷ ἁγίῳ σου θυσιαστηρίῳ, καὶ προθέντες τὰ ἀντίτυπα τοῦ ἁγίου Σώματος καὶ Αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου, σοῦ δεόμεθα, καὶ σὲ παρακαλοῦμεν, Ἅγιε, Ἁγίων, εὐδοκίᾳ τῆς σῆς ἀγαθότητος, ἐλθεῖν τὸ Πνεῦμά σου τὸ Ἅγιον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ προκείμενα Δῶρα ταῦτα, καὶ εὐλογῆσαι αὐτά, καὶ ἁγιάσαι, καὶ ἀναδεῖξαι…”

The bold text in this prayer is my humble reflection, which is also the title of this blog. This is a Priestly prayer, and therefore it applies first and foremost to the Celebrant, whether he is a Priest or Bishop. But it does not stop here. It likewise applies to the participants, the faithful attendants of the Divine Liturgy itself.

For one thing, in the Orthodox Church, the Priest, unlike in other traditions, cannot celebrate the Liturgy on his own, because he is simply not allowed. The Divine Liturgy is a corporate functions, done with a Celebrant (i.e. Priest or Bishop) present, in the company of the Faithful. In the Orthodox Church, there are no "Individual Liturgies" or "Clergy (alone) Liturgies", etc. In the Orthodox Church you need both: The Faithful present, as well as the Celebrant. This is what constitutes the word "Liturgy" which from the Greek Λειτουργια it basically stands for the "corporate worship/work of the people" of God. Thus, all of the prayers during the liturgy that are said by the Celebrant are in the First Person Plural -- that guarded by Thy might we may ascribe glory -- and so on. The only exceptional prayer in the Divine Liturgy which takes the First Person Singular form is the Priestly Prayer during the chanting of the Cherubic Hymn, because this prayer applies strictly to the Celebrant. But apart from this one prayer, the liturgical function of the Celebrant in the Orthodox Church can be described primarily as twofold: He prays for and with the people.

We turn now to the highlight of this reflection, the Priestly Prayer during the Epiclesis, which says: "For we have done nothing good upon the earth." To the shallow observer, this statement appears futile and destructive, and the best reaction would probably be to simply ignore it. But to the spiritually mature, this is a very profound statement. It is a relational statement, stating the exact relationship between God and man. The two are not at odds, but instead are set in comparison: One is the Creator whereas the other is the created; one is Good, Perfect, and Holy, therefore the other must be in need of these. The two cannot be equal, and will never be. One depends on the other, and therefore this relationship is synergistic (from the Greek, which means working together). Only the spiritually mature can comprehend and understand this statement, and humbly accepts it.

The profundity of this short sentence is preceded by the statement: "Not through our own righteousness."  This at last explains it all. It all has to do with Saint Paul's teaching concerning righteousness, vis-á-vis his Epistle to the Romans. Righteousness, as was understood by the Judaism at the time of Christ, was simply the function of doing good, accomplished by any person. Abraham, they believed, was righteous because he did what was good in the sight of God. Here Saint Paul interjects to reject this notion. To him, Abraham's good deed alone did not justify him. Rather, it was Abraham's obedience to the Almighty which resulted in the good deed hence "it was accounted to him as righteousness." Abraham, therefore, was not essentially good, only his obedient response resulted in the good deed, which became his righteousness.

The same applies to all of us, and not only to Abraham. Are we not, the faithful, children of Abraham? Did not the Theotokos confess this in her Magnificat, saying: "...to our forefathers, to Abraham and his posterity forever"? Did not the rich man, condemned and tormented and separated in Hell as he was, refer to him as "Father, Abraham"? Therefore, applying the teaching of Saint Paul to our own lives, we too must become obedient and faithful as Abraham was, then and only then our deeds can be accounted as righteous, in the sight of God. The good that we do is not innate, because there is nothing innately good in us. Instead, it is a reflection of God's goodness in us. This is how things transpired in the lives of the men and women in Scripture, in the actions of the Prophets, Patriarchs, Apostles, and Saints. None of them was innately good, created perfectly, free from sin and corruption. They all needed God in their lives, and so do we.

The good that we do must always reflect God's goodness in us, and not erroneously be a reflection of us. We must mirror God in our words, in our lives, and in our actions. Apart from God there is no righteousness that can be everlasting, but with God all things are possible. Together, by having faith and becoming obedient to God, we can say like Saint Paul: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

To Him therefore, Christ our True God, be glory forever and ever. Amen.

In Loving Memory of Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko

The last of the “giants” of Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has reposed in the Lord, and the very sad news of his passing has captured my whole mind and entire being. I have had very fond memories of my Alma Mater, but none could have been more vivid than the times spent with its Dean during my 3 years of study in that theological school. It is hard even for me to believe that on the 15th Anniversary of my graduation from SVOTS, I look back at my theological school by means of reflecting on the death of Father Thomas. I consider Father Thomas the “last” of the “giants”, neither to undermine nor to degrade any of the present, past, or future faculty, but on the contrary, my consideration is contextual to Father Thomas Hopko’s own contemporaries, “giants” like Schmemann, Florovsky, Meyendorff, Verhovskoy, and Kesich, all of Blessed Memory, contemporaries of Hopko while here on this earth, and now he is their contemporary in God’s Hands, in the Kingdom of Heaven that is, where the Saints shine like the Stars in Heaven.

Father Thomas was in many ways like them – I admit, I did not know any of them personally, except for Professor Vasselin Kesich, but only through their literary works – and in a few ways he was different from all of the faculty and deans. Father Thomas, to my knowledge, was the only faculty and dean of SVOTS who truly labored as a Priest in Christ’s Vineyard, in the Church that is, for almost a quarter of a century, and then later returned to seminary to teach and be a Professor. Unlike many, he had rightly possessed a good amount of pastoral experience, which made him stand out among his peers. To some of my colleagues who did not appreciate this experience of Father Thomas, they considered his “off the subject discussions” during his class lectures as “boring.” These former colleagues were in no doubt the “scholarly” type, and could not appreciate this aspect of Father Thomas, perhaps, and this is my personal assumption, they had entered the seminary for academic purposes only, not ever desiring to be laborers in Christ’s Vineyard, whether as lay or clergy ministers. On the other hand, my other colleagues, who like myself ended up – by God’s purpose and design, and not ours – as ordained laborers in His Vineyard, we sincerely appreciated this aspect of Father Thomas. Those of us who entered seminary for the sole purpose to prepare for the Priesthood, in many ways thirsted for lectures that Father Thomas offered, because his lectures offered us a unique perspective and personal insight to the ministry.

Father Thomas was of the first a Humble Man: Although he was well-rounded in academics, possessing a vast knowledge of Holy Scriptures, Dogma, History, Hagiology, Linguistics, and Liturgics, his methodology and conduct in any of the classes he instructed were very humble. The “standard policy” during his tenure as Dean of SVOTS was very simple: “If you write any paper in any of my classes, you have to quote the Scripture, and do so correctly and contextually.” He used to instruct us by way of this reminder: “The Bible is the Most Important Book you will have to learn while you are here in seminary. When you go out into the world, you cannot discuss liturgics, or canons, or dogma with the average lay person; most likely these topics will be insignificant to him or her. On the other hand, the Bible is the only thing that constitutes a tangible reference to that person, because the Bible is the only Book that every lay person has access to.” To this day, I humbly admit, I have taken on Father Hopko’s advice, and it has served me well in my 15 years of ministry, both as lay and ordained minister.

Father Thomas was a Humorous Man: He had a real sense of humor. He did not go around quipping jokes all the time, but rather, his jokes were contextual to his lectures. He possessed a keen memory which always amazed me. During the discussion of any joke, he would remember the exact place and time of a real life incident. Whether the situational joke involving his presence took place in Lebanon, Greece, Spain, Russia, or anywhere in the world that he visited, he had a very keen memory of that incident, which brought a spark of joy and excitement to us in class. He did not joke with any of us outside of the classroom, but only in class, which made us appreciate the gentleman in him. One incident happened between me and him which I shall never forget as long as I live. It was during the last week of my third year at SVOTS, and I noticed him sitting at my table during every meal in the refectory, and smiling and having fun with us. I remarked to him my surprise, and told him that this “behavior” was somewhat strange and unseen before, to which he responded in front of my colleagues: “Well, pal, because you will be out of here next week” remarking that I would graduate from seminary.

Father Thomas was a Genuine Man: I say this as a Priest. Outside of the classroom, he possessed the great skill as a personal communicator. He always understood his audience, whether it was a few people, a lot of people, or just one person. I was always impressed by his keen memory of the names of the many people he encountered in his life, whether it was a year ago or decades ago. On one occasion, he showed me a picture taken of him and someone else during his seminary days, while the two were in Greece. He asked me: "Charles, who else do you see in this picture?" I looked intently and thought for a bit, then I responded: "My God, is this Elias Audi?" (now Metropolitan of Beirut). He then informed me that the two had been fellow classmates at SVOTS and spent one summer together in Greece.

In his communication with others, he always realized his context: I remember seeing him with elderly people, communicating to them on their level; and likewise with little children doing the same. But with his students he neither tolerated failure nor “academic condescension.” You see, to Father Thomas, it did not matter whether you were the “scholarly type” or any other type. What mattered to him the most was that you were a human person, a hypostasis in Greek. God put you on this earth for a reason, and whatever that reason is, only God knows it, and only God will show you that reason. When it comes to this understanding, according to Father Thomas, every person has a purpose to fulfill in life. His property of genuineness brings to mind this fact that I vividly remember: Of the 20 or so instructors I had at SVOTS, Father Thomas was the only one who wept in class, more than once, for the right reasons and at the right time, not to make a point, but for the sole purpose to show us that we are only human. As I look back to 15 years ago, I reflect on the shortest verse in the New Testament (“And Jesus Wept” John 11:35), and the only significant person to me who made sense of this verse was in the person of Father Thomas.

He was also genuine in the matter of something that many Americans appreciated the least – speaking in reverse that is – and that had to do with human sexuality. You see, sadly, most of our American sitcom programs use sexuality as a means for comedy, and many Americans, whether knowingly or not, pay attention to these “jokes” and make light of them. Father Thomas, on the contrary, did not like this aspect of modern society. This brings to mind an incident that happened during my first year at SVOTS, 18 years ago. I forgot the exact context, because I was neither present nor involved, but what happened was the following: Some students, on some occasion unknown to me, decided to imitate an American sitcom, and they apparently joked about something that was sexual in nature in some play they did. The next morning the entire student body – we were a large student body back then, amounting to almost a 100 students – was called to an “Important Meeting” to take place in the Hall beneath the Three Hierarchs Chapel. Once we were all assembled, Father Thomas had a grilling to deliver, and he said: “God created sex for a reason, and that is to be glorified in the household of marriage. Sex is not to be made fun of in simile to many of the sitcoms. I am ashamed of the fact that what happened recently constituted a joke on sex. As long as I am the Dean of this seminary, this will never take place again.” And we all left, wondering at what had happened previously, that is, those of us who were absent from that event. In essence, we all got the message.

Father Thomas was also genuine as a Dean of a respected Theological School. He did not tolerate cheating, failure, or misbehavior. I remember that during my 3 years of study (1997-2000) a few students disappeared from campus, only to find out years later that they were expelled from school. Father Thomas was very adamant about Forgiveness Vespers: Each year he boldly and bluntly instructed the entire student body, at the Three Hierarchs Chapel, that all must be present during that evening service, in order to ask for and accept the forgiveness of others. No excuses were ever accepted. Anyone who avoided that service would suffer the consequences from being expelled from seminary.

Father Thomas was a Personal Friend: Last but not least, I shall always remember and cherish this fact. During my first birthday while in seminary, and upon his discovery that our birthdays were on the same day (March 28), the friendship between Father Thomas and me somewhat grew exponentially. He always used to say to me, on our birthdays: “You see, Charlie, God never makes any mistakes. He designed to have our birthdays on the same day so that we can have a special relationship.” It was indeed a special relationship: Every year, for 3 years, I would go to my mailbox on March 28th and find an envelope in there addressed to me. Every envelope had the Dean’s Stationary Card enclosed with a sweet and personal Birthday message. He would always address it as “our birthday” and not “your birthday.” That made me feel very special, and I shall always remember and cherish these 3 birthdays I had at SVOTS. To this day I have preserved these cards inside the Bible case, containing the Bible I possessed while in seminary (Picture of Cards included). On the date of my graduation, I received a final gift from Father Thomas Hopko: I saw a small white box in my mailbox with my name on it. As I opened it, tears started to roll down on my face. It contained a beautiful Russian Hand-Engraved Cross. With it was a small note saying: “Charles: May this Cross be the Only Joy in your life!”

What shall I say to you my Friend, Brother of the Altar, Teacher, and Dean? Is it easy for me to accept this reality? Absolutely not, because I feel like I have lost a father. To say that I will miss you would be a very small thing. I have missed you for the past 15 years, and now I shall miss you the more, but in a different way. You have taught me many things; you have instructed me in many ways; and you have loved me more than I deserve. Before 1997, I was ignorant in theology. All that I know now, and for the rest of my life, I had a good foundation to build on through your labor of love. The culmination of your life, my dear Father Thomas, was “Speaking the Truth in Love.” I shall humbly dare to do so at your passing:

You have paralleled Saint Paul, my dear Father Thomas: You have “fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have preserved the faith. Finally, there is laid up for you the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to you on that Day, and not to you only but also to all who have loved His manifestation (i.e. His Epiphany).” You have followed in the footsteps of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, and He, not any of us, will tell you today: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” 

In Arabic, we Orthodox Christians do not say "Good-bye" but "Ela-lliqa" (إلى اللقاء) which means: "Until we meet again."

God be with you, Father Thomas, pray for us at the Throne of Mercy.

FAITH & WORKS

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

FAITH & WORKS

          The Gospel of Jesus Christ contains the eternal truth for mankind, because it is a revelation of God directed toward mankind for salvation. God fully revealed Himself in Jesus Christ our Lord, but the Gospel Reading which we hear each and every Sunday, without a doubt, contains a teaching concerning both, faith and works. These two concrete realities are related, and together they constitute a solid basis for our Christian belief. A true Orthodox Christian is someone who believes in the right things, and, accomplishes his faith by good works according to the teachings of the Gospel. The fruit of our faith, or for that matter the fruit of any faith, is evidenced in the works produced by that faith. Saint Paul teaches us that “in Christ Jesus, all that matters, is faith working through love” Galatians 5:6.

          The first Bishop of Jerusalem, Saint James, elaborates further on this point in his Universal Epistle. The Epistle of Saint James, unlike any other document in the New Testament, speaks plainly about true faith, and more importantly, it articulates the importance of good works as proof of the true faith. According to Saint James, faith and good works are inseparable, especially when he says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” James 2:26. According to our Lord’s teaching, God’s judgment will be based on the kind of works that we do. Our Lord clearly states that, “those who have done good will rise to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil will rise to the resurrection of condemnation” Saint John’s Gospel 5:29.

          What this boils down to is simple: The Lord desires for us that we should not be like the hypocrites which he condemned on several occasions. A hypocrite is someone who says or believes in one thing and does another. If we believe in love, and yet we exercise hate, that makes us hypocrites. One cannot say that God is love and yet acts in a hateful way toward others. If God is love, and we believe in God, we should act toward others in a loving way. As Saint John states in his First Epistle, “Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in works and in truth” First John 3:18. To say to a hungry man, “I love you,” and yet do nothing about it would make us liars. To say to an orphan, “I love you,” and yet fail to act with sympathy would make us hypocrites. To say to a poor man, “I love you” and yet fail to be generous toward him would bring God’s judgment upon us.

          Finally, in retrospect, what is often said in the secular world makes a lot of sense in here. You are all familiar with the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” This saying applies to faith and works as well: Faith without works is dead, and works without faith are dead also. “Someone will say, ‘you have faith and I have works;” show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” Saint James 2:18.

ماذا عن الصَّوم؟

بِٱسمِ الآبِ وَالإِبنِ وَالرُّوحِ القُدُسِ، آمِين

        إِنَّ الصَّومَ الحَقِيقِيَّ لَيسَ مُجَرَّدَ تَغيِِيرِ أَكلٍ بِأَكلٍ أَو مُجَرَّدَ إِمسَاكٍ لِسَاعَاتٍ مَحدُودَةٍ. أَلصَّومُ الحَقِيقِيُّ يَرتَكِزُ عَلَى أَعمَالِ الرَّحمَةِ. فَالرَّبُّ يُذَكِّرُنَا أَنَّ صَومَنَا لَيسَ مُرتَبِطًا بِالحُزنِ كَمَا كَانَ عِندَ الفَرِّيسِيِّينَ، لأَنَّهُ طَلَبَ أَن تُرسَمَ عَلامَاتُ الفَرَحِ عَلَى وُجُوهِنَا، حَيثُ قَالَ: "أَمَّا أَنتَ فَإِذَا صُمتَ فَادهَن رَأسَكَ وَٱغسِل وَجهَكَ لِئَلاَّ تَظهَرَ لِلنَّاسِ صَائِمًا". ثُمَّ يُتَابِعُ الرَّبُّ يَسُوعُ الحَدِيثَ بِقَولِهِ: "لا تَكنِزُوا لَكُم كُنُوزًا عَلَى الأَرضِ" بِمِعنَى أَنَّ هَذَا المَوسِمَ يَتَمَيَّزُ بِتَوزِيعِ مَا نَستَطِيعُ تَوزِيعَهُ عَلَى الفُقَرَاءِ وَالمَسَاكِين. مَاذَا يَنفَعُ أَلاَّ تَأكُلَ وَلَكَ قُدرَةٌ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، أَمَّا الفَقِيرُ لا يَستَطِيعُ أَن يَأكُلَ فِي أَيَّامِ الصِّيَامِ وَفِي غَيرِ الصِّيَامِ؟ أَلصَّومُ إِذًا هُوَ فُرصَةٌ لِتَعزِيزِ المَحَبَّةِ، وَالمَحَبَّةُ لا تَعنِي شَيئًا إِذَا لَمْ تَتَضَمَّنِ العَطَاءَ المَادِّيَّ المُعطَى بِفَرَحٍ.

       الكَنزُ الحَقِيقِيُّ، أَيُّهَا الإِخوَةُ وَالأَخَواتِ، هُو الفَائِضُ بِالنِّسبَةِ لَنَا. فَإِن أَرَدتَ أَن تَكُونَ مُحِبًّا لأَخِيكَ المُحتَاجِ، لا يَبقَى لَكَ فَائِضٌ، فَإِذَا تَعَلَّقتَ بِهِ وَلَم تُنفِقْهُ فَهُنَاكَ يَكُونُ قَلبُكَ. إِذًا أَنتَ تَصُومُ بِقَلبِكَ أَوَّلاً، ثُمَّ تَتَحَكَّمُ بِمَالِكَ حَتَى لا يُفسِدُكَ وَلا يَستَعبِدُكَ.  أَلمَالُ الَّذِي بَينَ أَيدِينَا أَو فِي المَصرِفِ مِلكُ اللهِ وَأَنتَ لا تَملِكُ شَيئًا.  إِنِ ٱئتَمَنَكَ رَبُّكَ عَلَى أَشيَاءِ هَذِه الدُّنيَا لَيسَ فَقَط لأَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنعَمَ عَلَيكَ بِهَا، بَل لأَنَّكَ مُؤتَمَنٌ عَلَى المَالِ كَيفَمَا أَتَاكَ.  أَللهُ لا يُبَاحِثُكَ فِي سُلُوكِ أَبِيكَ أَو جَدِّكَ، إِنَّمَا يُبَاحِثُكَ فِي سُلُوكِكَ أَنتَ.  يَقُولُ لَكَ: هَذَا الَّذِي وَصَلَ إِلَيكَ إِنَّمَا اعتَبَرتُكَ حَارِسًا لَهُ لأَنَّهُ مَالِي وَأَنَا أَبُو الفُقَرَاءِ، فَعَلَيكَ أَن تُدَبِّرَ أَمرَهُم مِن حَيثُ أَنَّهُم إِخوَتُكَ، وَأَن تُعطِيَهُم بِتَوَاضُعٍ لِتَربَحَ بِالإِحسَانِ بَرَكَاتِ التَّوَاضُعِ. أَلصَّومُ الحَقِيقِيُّ إِذَا تَجَرَّدَ مِن أَعمَالِ الرَّحمَةِ تُجَاهَ الآخَرِينَ يَكُونُ صَومًا بَاطِلاً، وَهَذَا مَا قَالَهُ الرَّبُّ بِوُضُوحٍ.

        نَحنُ الآنَ فِي مَوسِمِ الصِّيَامِ الَّذِي تَتَزَيَّنُ بِهِ الكَنِيسَةُ، وَتُطلِقُ عَلَيهِ إِسمًا خَاصًّا: إِنَّهُ "مَوسِمُ الرَّبِيعِ" فِي الخِدَمِ الكَنَسِيَّةِ، لأَنَّ مُعظَمَ الخِدَمِ وَأَهَمُّهَا نَجِدُهَا فِي هَذَا المَوسِم. هَذَا المَوسِمُ يُهَيِّئُنَا لاستِقبَالِ الفَرَحِ بِعِيدِ القِيَامَةِ البَهِجِ فِي الفِصحِ المَجِيدِ المُقَدَّس. عَلَينَا جَمِيعُنَا أَن نَستَعِدَّ لِلِقَاءِ رَبِّنَا. كَثِيرُونَ يَتَذَمَّرُونَ مِن نَوعِ الأَطعِمَةِ فِي هَذَا المَوسِمِ، وَهَذَا تَذَمُّرٌ طَبِيعِيٌّ لِلضُّعَفَاء فَقَط. أَمَّا الخَطَرُ الأَشَدُّ وَالمَحظُورُ هُوَ أَن نَتَذَمَّرَ فِي عَطَائِنَا لِلغَيرِ وَفِي صَلاتِنَا. مَعرَكَتُنَا هِيَ لَيسَت مَعَ لَحمٍ أَو دَمٍ بَل مَعَ الأَعدَاءِ الغَيرِ المَنظُورِين، مَعَ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَالأَبَالِسَةِ الَّتِي تُشغِلَ نَفسَهَا فِي إِبعَادِنَا عَنِ الله. سِلاحُنَا الوَحِيدُ هُوَ الصِّيَامُ فِي هَذِه المَعرَكَة، لأَنَّهُ بِالصَّومِ ٱستَأهَلَ مُوسَى أَن يَتَسَلَّمَ الشَّرِيعَةَ مِن لَدُنِ اللهِ، وَبِهِ صَارَ إِيلِيَّا مُنَاجِيًا للهِ، وَبِالصَّومِ قَهَرَ الرَّبُّ إِبلِيسَ فِي البَرِّيَّة. جَعَلَهُ اللهُ صَومًا مُبَارَكًا عَلَى الجَمِيعِ، آمِين.

Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers 2012

TRIUMPH OF ORTHODOXY: 4 MARCH 2012

Hieromartyr Konon of Isauria; Martyrs Archelaos and his 152 companions in Egypt; New-martyr John the Bulgarian; Repose of Nikolai of Zhicha and Ochrid

SUNDAY EVENING VESPERS SERVICE

Priest:       Blessed is our God, always now and ever and unto ages of ages.

People:      Amen.

Come, let us worship and fall down before God our King.

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God.

Come, let us worship and fall down before the Very Christ, our King and our God.

PSALM 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul.  O Lord my God, Thou art very great!  Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, Who hast stretched out the heavens like a tent, Who hast laid the beams of Thy chambers in the waters, Who makest the clouds Thy chariot, Who ridest upon the wings of the wind, Who makest the winds Thy messengers, fire and flame Thy ministers.  Thou didst set the earth on its foundations, so that it should not be shaken. Thou didst cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.  At Thy rebuke they fled; at the sound of Thy thunder they took to flight.  The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which Thou didst appoint for them. Thou didst set a bound that they should not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.  Thou makest springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills.  They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst. By them the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.  From Thy lofty abode Thou waterest the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy work.  Thou dost cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the heart of man, and oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.

The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted.  In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the trees.  The high mountains are a refuge for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the badgers.  Thou hast appointed the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. Thou makest darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep forth.  The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.  When the sun rises, they get them away and lie down in their dens.  Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening.  O Lord, how manifold are Thy works, in Wisdom hast Thou made them all.  The earth is full of Thy creatures.  Yonder is the sea, great and wide, which teems with things innumerable, living things both small and great.  There go the ships, and Leviathan, which Thou didst form to sport in it.  These all look to Thee, to give them their food in due season.  When Thou givest them, they gather it up; when Thou openest Thy hand, they are filled with good things.  When Thou hidest Thy face, they are dismayed; when Thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust.  When Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the ground.  May the glory of the Lord endure for ever!  May the Lord rejoice in His works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!  I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.  May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord!  Let sinners be consumed from of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.  Bless the Lord, O my soul!  Praise the Lord!

The sun knows its time for setting.  Thou makest darkness, and it is night.  O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In Wisdom hast Thou made them all.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (3 times)

O our God and our Hope, glory to Thee.

THE GREAT LITANY

Priest:       In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir:        Lord, have mercy. (Repeated after each petition)

Priest:       For the peace from above, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For the peace of the whole world, the good estate of the holy churches of God, and for the union of all men, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For this holy house, and for those who with faith, reverence, and fear of God enter therein, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For our Metropolitans (NN.) for the venerable priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For the President of the United States and all civil authorities, and for our armed forces and those in defense of peace and freedom everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For this city, and for every city and land, and for the faithful who dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For healthful seasons, for the abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For travelers by sea, by land, and by air; for the sick and suffering; for captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest:       Help us; save us; and have mercy upon us; and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Priest:       Calling to remembrance our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary; with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Choir:        To Thee, O Lord.

Priest:       For unto Thee are due all glory, honor and worship: To the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir:        Amen. 

PSALM 140 – In TONE 5

            O Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hear me. Hear me, O Lord. Lord, I have cried out unto Thee, hear me.  Give ear to the voice of my supplication, when I cry unto Thee. Hear Me, O Lord.

            Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as the incense, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord.

Ä  Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth and a protecting door about my lips.

Ä  Incline not my heart to evil works, to make excuses in sins.

Ä  With men that work iniquity: and I will not communicate with the choicest of them.

Ä  The just man shall correct me in mercy and shall reprove me, but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head.

Ä  For my prayer also shall still be against the things with which they are well pleased, their judges falling upon the rock, have been swallowed up.

Ä  They shall hear my words for they are sweet, as when the thickness of the earth is broken up upon the ground, their bones are scattered by the side of hell.

Ä  But to Thee, O Lord, Lord are mine eyes; in Thee have I put my trust, take not away me soul.

Ä  Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and the traps of the workers of iniquity.

Ä  Let the wicked fall into their own nets while I alone escape.

Ä  I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.

Ä  I poured out my supplication before Him. I showed before him my trouble.

Ä  When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path.

Ä  In the way wherein I walked have they secretly laid a snare for me.

Ä  I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no one that would know me. Refuge failed me. No one care for my soul.

Ä  I cried unto Thee, O Lord, I said: “Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”

Ä  Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low.

Ä  Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.

Penitential Stichera – TONE 5

Ä  Bring My soul out of prison that I may praise Thy Name

Woe to me who have angered Thee, my merciful God and Lord! How many times have I promised to repent, O Christ, and then have been found to be a liar in my heedlessness? I have stained my baptismal garment; I have annulled my covenants with You. I have even disregarded my second baptismal commitment, made before angels and men, when I put on the monastic habit of renunciation. Wherefore, O Savior, do not let me be totally destroyed!

Ä  The righteous shall wait for me until Thou recompense me

What defense will you have on the Day of Judgment, O wretched soul? Who shall rescue thee from being condemned to the eternal fire and all the torments? None but you yourself can be reconciled with the Compassionate One by abandoning thy lawless deeds and acquiring a life pleasing to God, weeping daily for the many faults into which you fall at every hour by thought, word and deed. Ask Christ to grant thee perfect forgiveness.

Ä  Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice

O Savior, do not let my habitual sins prevail over me, nor let the demon who wars against me ever become my lord, bringing me down to his will. Snatch me away from his dominion, tyranny and dark torments. Rule in me, O Lover of Mankind, and make me worthy to be totally Thine, living according to Thy will, O Word. May I rest in Thee, that I may find forgiveness, salvation and great mercy.

Ä  Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication

The evil one had thy glory, 0 supreme commanders, when he once shone forth as the Morning Star together with you. Because of his evilness, the adversary was cast down to earth and was darkened with deep gloom. He hastens to make me fall with him, although I have been honored by the image of the Creator. Though I have fallen, Christ has raised me up. Wherefore, be protectors to me in my wretchedness, 0 wise ones. Be my providers and helpers, and pray that salvation and great mercy be granted unto me.

For Sunday of Orthodoxy – TONE 4

Ä  If Thou O Lord should mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand? But with Thee there is forgiveness

Grant me reverence, estrangement from evil, and perfect discipline, who am now drowned in the passions of the flesh, estranged from Thee, and entirely without hope, O my God, King of all. Save me, thy prodigal son, by the bounty of thy goodness, O Jesus the Almighty, the Savior of our souls.

Ä  Because of Thy Name, have I waited for Thee, O Lord; my soul has waited upon Thy word; my soul has hoped in the Lord   

When Moses the wonderful was purified by fasting, he beheld the beloved One. Wherefore, emulate him, my humble soul, and hasten to be purified of evils on the day of abstinence, that the Lord may bestow forgiveness on thee, and that thou mayest behold Him, for He is the Almighty, the good Lord, and the Lover of mankind.

For Sunday of Orthodoxy – TONE 7

Ä  From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch let Israel trust in the Lord

Let us, O brethren, begin the second week of the Fast, fulfilling it day by day with rejoicing, making unto ourselves, like Elijah the Tishbite, a fiery chariot of the great cardinal virtues, elevating our minds by subduing our passions, arming ourselves with purity, to chase away and vanquish the enemy.

For Hieromartyr Konon – TONE 1

Ä  For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is abundant redemption, and he will deliver Israel from all his iniquities

O illustrious martyr, through the many afflictions and intolerable chastisements thou didst suffer, thou didst put to flight the cunning serpent, trampling him under thy feet which had been bearers of the Good News. In thy glory, pray to Christ to grant our souls peace and great mercy.

Ä  Praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye peoples

O illustrious martyr, illumined by the Holy Spirit, thou didst scatter the shadows of the dark demons and pass on toward the never–setting Light in the joy of God. Pray to Him now to grant our souls peace and great mercy.

Ä  For His mercy is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever

O admirable martyr, the Trinity dwelt in thee; the holy temple where thy body did repose has become a river of miracles through thee. O Blessed one, Konon, intercede that our souls be given peace and great mercy.

THEOTOKION – TONE 1

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit +

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen

Put an end to the instability of my spirit and the illusions of my mind. Remove all traces of the dark passions. Calm the turbulence in my soul, I beg thee, that I may magnify thy goodness, O Virgin! In thee I have a protectress in my life and a help in my weakness.

THE ENTRANCE

Deacon:  Wisdom! Let us attend!

O Gladsome Light, of the Holy Glory, of the Father Immortal, Heavenly, Holy, Blessed Jesus Christ.  In that we now are come unto the setting of the sun, and behold the light of evening, we hymn Thee: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit God.  For meet it is that at all times Thou shouldst be magnified, by voices holy: “O Son of God, Who bestowest Life!” For which cause all the world doth glorify Thee.

Fw~v iJlaro<n aJgi>av do>xhv, ajqana>tou Patro>v, oujrani>ou, aJgi>ou, ma>karov, Ijhsou~ Criste>, ejlqo>ntev ejpi< th<n hjli>ou du>sin, ijdo>ntev fw~v ejsperino>n, uJmnou~men Pate>ra, UiJo>n, kai< a[gion Pneu~ma Qeo>n,  ]Axio>n se> ejn pa~si kairoi~v, uJmnei~sqai qwnai<v aijsiai>v, UiJe< Qeou~, Zwh<n oJ didou>v, Dio< oJ ko>smov se< doxa>zei.

PROKEIMENON: Psalm 60—TONE 8

Deacon:   The Evening Prokeimenon!

Choir:        O Lord, Thou hast given an inheritance to them that fear Thy Name.

Reader:     From the ends of the earth have I cried unto Thee!

Choir:        (Repeat the Prokeimenon)

Reader:     I will take refuge under the shadow of Thy wings!

Choir:        (Repeat the Prokeimenon)

Reader:     So will I sing praises unto Thy Name forever!

Choir:        (Repeat the Prokeimenon)

Reader:     O Lord, Thou hast given an inheritance:

Choir:        To them that fear Thy Name.

THE EVENING PRAYER

PEOPLE: Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy Name forever. Amen.  Let Thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, even as we have put our hope on Thee.  Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statues.  Blessed art Thou, O Master, make me to understand Thy commandments.  Blessed art Thou, O Holy One, enlighten me with Thy precepts.  Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever. Despise not the works of Thy hands: To Thee belongeth worship! To Thee belongeth praise! To Thee belongeth glory: To the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

THE EVENING LITANY

Priest:       Let us complete our evening prayer unto the Lord.

Choir:        Lord, have mercy. (Repeated after each petition)

Priest:       Help us, save us, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Priest:       That the whole evening may be holy, perfect, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.

Choir:        Grant this, O Lord. (Repeated after each petition)

Priest:       An angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.

Priest:       Pardon and forgiveness of our sins and transgressions, let us ask of the Lord.

Priest:       All things good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord.

Priest:       That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.

Priest:       A Christian ending to our life, painless, blameless and peaceful, and a good defense before the fearful judgment seat of Christ, let us ask.

Priest:       Calling to remembrance our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary; with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ our God.

Choir:        To Thee, O Lord.

Priest:       For Thou art a Good God and lovest mankind and unto Thee do we ascribe glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Choir:        Amen.

Priest:       Peace be to all.

Choir:        And to thy spirit.

Priest:       Let us bow our heads unto the Lord.

Choir:        To Thee, O Lord.

Priest:       Blessed and glorified be the might of Thy kingdom, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Choir:        Amen.

APOSTICHA: Sunday of Orthodoxy – TONE 8

Come, let us purify our souls with alms and mercy to the poor, not blowing the trumpet, nor making public what we accomplish in charity, lest the left hand know what the right hand doeth, and vainglory do away with the fruits of alms. Let us, however, plead secretly with Him Who knoweth our secrets, crying: Father, forgive us our trespasses, for Thou art the Lover of mankind.

Ä  To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the Heavens.  Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He have mercy on us!

Come, let us purify our souls with alms and mercy to the poor, not blowing the trumpet, nor making public what we accomplish in charity, lest the left hand know what the right hand doeth, and vainglory do away with the fruits of alms. Let us, however, plead secretly with Him Who knoweth our secrets, crying: Father, forgive us our trespasses, for Thou art the Lover of mankind.

Ä  Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.  Too long our soul has been sated with the scorn of those who are at ease, the contempt of the proud!

Every place ye sanctify, O martyrs of the Lord, and every sickness ye heal. Wherefore, now, intercede with Christ, asking Him to deliver our souls from the traps and snares of the enemy.

THEOTOKION For Sunday of Orthodoxy – TONE 8

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit +

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen

The celestials do praise thee, O full of grace, the spouseless Mother. We glorify thine inapprehensible birth-giving. Wherefore, O Theotokos, intercede for the salvation of our souls.

PROCESSION with the ICONS

The Procession with the Icons around the inner perimeter of the Church now takes place, while the Troparion of the Sunday of Orthodoxy is chanted as many times as necessary until the procession ends on the Solea. 

TROPARION OF ORTHODOXY SUNDAY—TONE 2

Thy Pure Image do we venerate, O Good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God; for by Thine own will Thou didst ascend the Cross in thy body, to save Thy creatures from the bondage of the enemy.  Thou hast verily filled all with joy, since Thou didst come, O our Savior, to save the world.

The First Station of the Procession:

At the North Side of the Church

Priest:   Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy great goodness, we pray thee: Hearken and have mercy.

Choir:    Lord, have mercy. Thrice (Repeated after each petition)

Priest:   Again we pray for our Metropolitans (NN.), and for all our brethren in Christ.

Priest:  Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation and visitation, and pardon and remission of sins for the servants of God, all Orthodox Christians of true worship, who are gathered in this Holy Church, all members and benefactors, and for the forgiveness of their sins.

Priest:   For Thou art a Merciful God and lovest mankind, and unto thee we ascribe glory:  To the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir:    Amen. 

The Choir sings the Troparion of Orthodoxy Sunday

The Second Station of the Procession:

At the West Side of the Church

Priest:    Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy great goodness, we pray thee: Hearken and have mercy.

Choir:    Lord, have mercy. Thrice (Repeated after each petition)

Priest:   Again we pray for the blessed memory and everlasting repose of the souls of Thy servants departed this life, Kings, Patriarchs, Priests, Deacons, Monastics, and Hiero-Monks, and for the souls of all pious and Orthodox Christians, Parents, Brothers, Sisters, and relatives, for the forgiveness of their sins, both voluntary and involuntary.

Priest:   For Thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of Thy departed servants, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father Who is from Everlasting, and Thine All-Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Spirit: Now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir:    Amen.

The Choir sings the Troparion of Orthodoxy Sunday

The Third Station of the Procession:

At the South Side of the Church

Priest:   Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy great goodness, we pray thee: Hearken and have mercy.

Choir:    Lord, have mercy. Thrice (Repeated after each petition)

Priest:   Again we pray for this Holy Church, and this city and every city and country, that they may be spared from famine, pestilence, earthquake, flood, fire, sword, foreign invasion and civil war; that our loving God may be kind, Merciful and placable, and that He may prevent from us all danger, and save us from His Just anger that hangs over us, and have mercy on us.

Priest:   Again we pray that the Lord our God may hearken to the voice of the supplications of us sinners, and have mercy on us.

Priest:   Hear us, O God our Savior, the Hope of all who live at the far ends of the world and far out at sea; be kind to us, O Master, forgive us our sins and have mercy upon us, for Thou art Gracious and lovest mankind, and unto Thee we send up glory: To the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir:    Amen.

The Choir sings the Troparion of Orthodoxy Sunday

The Procession ends at the Solea!

THE SYNODIKON

As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received, as the Teachers have dogmatized, as the Universe has agreed, as Grace has shone forth, as Truth has revealed, as falsehood has been dissolved, as Wisdom has presented, as Christ awarded, thus we declare, thus we assert, thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor His Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honoring the Saints as true servants of the same Lord of all, and accordingly offering them veneration.

(Louder) This is the Faith of the Apostles!

This is the Faith of the Fathers!

This is the Faith of the Orthodox!

This is the Faith which has established the universe!

Immediately thereafter,

The Great Prokeimenon is chanted,

Followed by Everyone’s Recital of the Creed!

THE CREED

I believe in One God, Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; and in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-Begotten, Begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made; of One Essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became Man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose Kingdom shall have no end.  And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the world to come!                             Amen

Prayer of Saint Simeon the God-receiver

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.

The Clergy re-enter the Sanctuary.

THE HOMILY

The Homily is delivered at this point of the service.  After the Homily is delivered, at the recital of the Trisagion Prayers, the Clergy exit the Sanctuary, stand at the Solea for the conclusion of service as usual!

The Trisagion Prayers

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal:  Have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal:  Have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal:  Have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy Name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir:  Amen.

THE APOLYTIKIA—TONE 5

            Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb: for thou hast born the Savior of our souls.           

(Prostration)

            O Baptizer of Christ, remember our congregation, that we may escape from our iniquities; for to thee was given grace to intercede for us.        

(Prostration)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

            O Pure Apostles, and all ye saints, pray for our sakes, that we escape from tribulations and sorrows; for we have taken you as fervid intercessors with the Savior.

(Prostration)

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

            We have taken refuge under the wing of thy compassion, O Theotokos.  Turn not away from our beseechings in tribulation, but save us from distress, O thou who alone art pure and blessed.

(Prostration)

Reader: Lord, have mercy (Forty Times)

            Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen:             More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, thou who without stain barest God the Word, and art truly Theotokos: we magnify thee.

            Bless Father in the Name of the Lord.

Priest: Christ our God the Existing One is blessed always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Reader: Amen. O heavenly King, uphold our rulers; strengthen the Faith; calm the nations; give peace to the world; Protect this city:  Grant repose to our departed fathers, and brethren that they may dwell with the righteous, and accept us in repentance and confession: for Thou art Good and lovest mankind.

THE PRAYER OF ST EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN

O Lord and Master of my Life, take from me the spirit of sloth, meddling, lust of power, and idle talk!

(Prostration)

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant!

(Prostration)

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother; for thou art blessed unto ages of ages! Amen

(Prostration)

THE DISMISSAL

Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ our God and our Hope, Glory to Thee.

Choir:  Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.  Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy. Father, Bless!

Priest: May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of His all-blameless holy Mother, by the protection of the honorable bodiless powers of heaven, of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John, Patron of this Holy Church, of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, of the Holy Hieromartyr Konon of Isauria; the Martyrs Archelaos and his 152 companions in Egypt; the New-martyr John the Bulgarian; and, the Repose of Nikolai of Zhicha and Ochrid, whose memory we celebrate today, and of all the saints, have mercy upon us and save us, for as much as He is Good and loveth mankind.

If a BISHOP is present:

Choir:  Preserve, O Lord, our Master and Chief Priest, and grant him many years.  Many years, to thee Master.  Many years, to thee Master.  Many years, unto thee, O Master.

Bishop: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us.

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy master, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us.

Choir:  Amen.

Priest: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us.

Choir:  Amen.