Sunday of Orthodoxy NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am

Transcript

1 Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 8306 NC HWY 751 Durham NC News & Announcements February 25, 2018 Sunday of Orthodoxy Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople 2/25/2018 Reginos, Bishop of Skopelos 2/25/2018 Holy Martyr Alexander of Thrace 2/25/2018 Markellos, Bishop of Apamea 2/25/2018 NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am To Our Visitors and Guests We welcome you to worship with us today, whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us. Although Holy Communion and other Sacraments are offered only to baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Antidoron is not a sacrament, but it is reminiscent of the agape feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. After the Divine Liturgy this morning please join us in the Church Hall for fellowship and refreshments. Please complete a Visitor s Card before you leave today and drop it in the offering tray, or give it to one of the parishioners after the service, or mail it to the Church Office. 1

2 The Sunday Epistle Reading Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers. Verse: For you are just in all you have done. The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews (11:24-26, 32-40) Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign enemies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated -- of whom the world was not worthy -- wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν. Πρὸς Ἑβραίους τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα (είναι απο 11:24-26, 32-40) Ἀδελφοί, πίστει Μωϋσῆς μέγας γενόμενος ἠρνήσατο λέγεσθαι υἱὸς θυγατρὸς Φαραώ, μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος συγκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν Αἰγύπτου θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπέβλεπεν γὰρ εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν. Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; Ἐπιλείψει γὰρ με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ τε καὶ Σαμψών καὶ Ἰεφθάε, Δαυίδ τε καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας, εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην, ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν, ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων, ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρός, ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρας, ἐνεδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας, ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, παρεμβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων. Ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν, οὐ προσδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἵνα κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι - ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος - ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσιν καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες, μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν. 2

3 The Sunday Gospel Reading The Gospel According to John (1:43-51) At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα (1:44-52) Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἠθέλησεν ὁ Ιησοῦς ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλιππον καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ἀκολούθει μοι. ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδά, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως Ανδρέου καὶ Πέτρου. εὑρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὃν ἔγραψε Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν, Ιησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Ιωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ Φίλιππος ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. εἶδεν ὁ Ιησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ισραηλίτης, ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστι. λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι, ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε. ἀπεκρίθη Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ῥαββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ισραήλ. ἀπεκρίθη Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὅτι εἶπόν σοι, εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ὄψει. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπ ἄρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Today s Coffee Hour: is being hosted by Andrew & Summer Kinard to celebrate their 4 th year anniversary that marks the day of their being received in the Orthodox Church by means of Holy Chrismation. 3

4 February Pre-Sanctified 2nd Wednesday of Lent - 6:30 pm March Friday - 2nd Salutation to the Virgin Mary - 6:30 pm 4 - Sunday of Saint Gregory of Palamas - 9:00 am 7 - Pre-Sanctified for the 3rd Wednesday of Lent - 6:30 pm 9 - Friday -3rd Salutation to the Virgin Mary - 6:30 pm 11 - Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross - 9:00 am 14 - Pre-Sanctified Liturgy for the 4th Wednesday of Lent - 6:30 pm 16-4th Salutation to the Virgin Mary - 6:30 pm 18 - Sunday of Saint John Climacus - 9:00 am 21 - Pre-Sanctified of the 5th Sunday of Lent - 6:30 pm 23 - Friday -The Akathyst Hymn - 6:30 pm 24 - Saturday - Great Vespers of the Annunciation at Winston Salem 25 -Sunday of the Feast of the Annunciation and St. Mary of Egypt- 9:00 am 27 - Pre-Sanctified for the Wednesday before Holy Week - 6:30 pm 31 - Saturday - Saturday of Lazarus - 9:00 am :30 Winston-Salem 4

5 5

6 IOCC Accomplishments More than 8,600 Syrian refugees and Lebanese families received hot meals through community kitchens in Lebanon. Ongoing projects in Greece address health and nutritional needs, support agricultural cooperatives, and offer food and education assistance, benefitting over 50,000 families. An estimated 13,500 adults in Ethiopia have learned how to prevent podoconiosis, and more than 180,000 pairs of shoes were provided to primary school students, who also learned about effective prevention. More than 120 volunteers have responded in the United States after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, clearing over 50 homes of debris and damaged items. The Lenten Fast Great Lent is the longest and strictest fasting season of the year. Week before Lent ("Cheesefare Week"): Meat and other animal products are prohibited, but eggs and dairy products are permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday. First Week of Lent: Only two full meals are eaten during the first five days, on Wednesday and Friday after the Presanctified Liturgy. Nothing is eaten from Monday morning until Wednesday evening, the longest time without food in the Church year. (Few laymen keep these rules in their fullness). For the Wednesday and Friday meals, as for all weekdays in Lent, meat and animal products, fish, dairy products, wine and oil are avoided. On Saturday of the first week, the usual rule for Lenten Saturdays begins (see below). Weekdays in the Second through Sixth Weeks: The strict fasting rule is kept every day: avoidance of meat, meat products, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil. Saturdays and Sundays in the Second through Sixth Weeks: Wine and oil are permitted; otherwise the strict fasting rule is kept. Holy Week: The Thursday evening meal is ideally the last meal taken until Pascha. At this meal, wine and oil are permitted. The Fast of Great and Holy Friday is the strictest fast day of the year: even those who have not kept a strict Lenten fast are strongly urged not to eat on this day. After St. Basil's Liturgy on Holy Saturday, a little wine and fruit may be taken for sustenance. The fast is sometimes broken on Saturday night after Resurrection Matins, or, at the latest, after the Divine Liturgy on Pascha. Wine and oil are permitted on several feast days if they fall on a weekday during Lent. Consult your parish calendar. On Annunciation and Palm Sunday, fish is also permitted. 6

7 Homemade Fasolatha (Bean) & Lentil Soups From Our Kitchen to Yours $8.00 per quart Proceeds to Benefit Saint Barbara Building Fund 7

8 Dear Families of St. Barbara, Our Greek Youth Dance program kicked off Sunday February 11 with a brief meeting with the parents then our first practice. Our youth dance troupe is growing so we will have three dance groups this year. Last year we had 23 dancers and this year we plan on 29! Most of the growth is in our younger group. We hope that by dividing the younger group into two it will enable the middle group more independence while allowing the youngest of our dancers some quality time with their teacher. The youngest group is intended for those ages 5-7. You may be returning from last year or relatively new to greek dancing. Classes for these dancers will be from 1-2 pm on Saturday's at the church. The middle group is intended for those ages You are likely returning for another year of dance from last year. Classes for these dancers will be after church and Sunday school on Sunday's. The oldest group is intended for those ages You are likely returning for another year of dance and were in this group last year. Classes for these dancers will also be after church and Sunday school on Sunday's. Have questions about which group you should go to? Just ask Keith or Chrys. The full schedule is below. If you have officially signed up Chrys and I will plan on seeing you there unless we hear otherwise. We have half the planned practices of some other well established programs, so each lesson is important. If you can't make it please let us know in advance so we can plan accordingly. Please let me or Chrys Mangum know of any questions. Thanks! Keith Rheinhardt Day / Date Youngest Group Ages 5-7 Grades pk-1 Middle Group Ages 7-10 Grades 2-5 Oldest Group Ages Grades 6-12 Sunday, February 11 After Church After Church After Church Saturday, February pm Sunday, February 18 After Church After Church Saturday, February pm Sunday, February 25 After Church After Church Saturday, March pm Sunday, March 4 After Church After Church Saturday, March pm Sunday, March 11 After Church After Church Saturday, March pm Sunday, March 18 After Church After Church Sunday, March 25 After Church After Church Saturday, March 31 Sunday, April 1 Saturday, April 7 No Practice - Lazarus Saturday through Easter Sunday, April 8 Saturday, April pm Sunday, April 15 After Church After Church Saturday, April pm Sunday, April 22 After Church After Church Saturday, April pm Sunday, April 29 After Church After Church Saturday, May 5 Sunday, May 6 Festival! Saturday, March pm 8

9 Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm on Feb. 21, 28, Mar. 7, 14, 21, & 28 As we already have seen, the Eucharistic Divine Liturgy is not celebrated in the Orthodox Church on Lenten weekdays. In order for the faithful to sustain their Lenten effort by participation in Holy Communion, the Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts is served. The service is an ancient one in the Orthodox Church. We officially hear about it in the canons of the seventh century, which obviously indicates its development at a much earlier date. On all days of the holy fast of Lent, except on the Sabbath, the Lord s Day, and the holy day of the Annunciation, the Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified is to be served (Canon 52, Quinisext, 692). The Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts is an evening service. It is the solemn lenten Vespers with the administration of Holy Communion added to it. There is no consecration of the eucharistic gifts at the pre-sanctified liturgy. Holy Communion is given from the eucharistic gifts sanctified on the previous Sunday at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, unless, of course, the feast of the Annunciation should intervene; hence its name of pre-sanctified. The Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts is served on Wednesday and Friday evenings, although some churches may celebrate it only on one of these days. It comes in the evening after a day of spiritual preparation and total abstinence. The faithful who are unable to make the effort of total fasting because of weakness or work, however, normally eat a light lenten meal in the early morning. During the psalms of Vespers, the pre-sanctified gifts are prepared for communion. They are transferred from the altar table where they have been reserved since the Divine Liturgy, and are placed on the table of oblation. After the evening hymn, the Old Testamental scriptures of Genesis and Proverbs are read, between which the celebrant blesses the kneeling congregation with a lighted candle and the words: The Light of Christ illumines all, indicating that all wisdom is given by Christ in the Church through the scriptures and sacraments. This blessing was originally directed primarily to the catechumens those preparing to be baptized on Easter who attended the service only to the time of the communion of the faithful. After the readings, the evening Psalm 141 is solemnly sung once again with the offering of incense. Then, after the litanies of intercession and those at which the catechumens were dismissed in former days, the pre-sanctified eucharistic gifts are brought to the altar in a solemn, silent procession. The song of the entrance calls the faithful to communion. Now the heavenly powers [i.e., the angels] do minister invisibly with us. For behold the King of Glory enters. Behold the mystical sacrifice, all fulfilled, is ushered in. Let us with faith and love draw near that we may be partakers of everlasting life. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. After the litany and prayers, the Our Father is sung and the faithful receive Holy Communion to the chanting of the verse from Psalm 34: O taste and see how good is the Lord. Alleluia. The post-communion hymns are sung and the faithful depart with a prayer to God who has brought us to these all-holy days for the cleansing of carnal passions, that he will bless us to fight the good fight, to accomplish the course of the fast, and to attain unto and to adore the holy resurrection of Christ. The Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts is traditionally considered to be the work of the sixth-century pope, Saint Gregory of Rome. The present service, however, is obviously the inspired liturgical creation of Christian Byzantium. 9

10 The Akathist Hymn at 6:30 pm on Fridays Feb. 23, Mar. 2, 9, 16 and 23. The Akathist Hymn is a profound, devotional poem, which sings the praises of the Holy Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary. It is one of the most beloved services in the Orthodox Church. It was composed in the imperial city of Constantinople, "the city of the Virgin," by St. Romanos the Melodist, who reposed in the year 556. The Akathist Hymn has proven so popular in the liturgical life of the Church that many other hymns have been written following its format. These include Akathists to Our Lord Jesus Christ, to the Cross, and to many Saints. The Akathist hymn consists of praises directed to the Mother of God, beginning with the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel: "Rejoice." As the hymn is chanted all of the events related to our Lord's Incarnation pass before us for our contemplation. The Archangel Gabriel marvels at the Divine self-emptying and the renewal of creation which will occur when Christ comes to dwell in the Virgin's womb. The unborn John the Baptist prophetically rejoices. The shepherds recognize Christ as a blameless Lamb, and rejoice that in the Virgin "the things of earth join chorus with the heavens." The pagan Magi following the light of the star, praise Her for revealing the light of the world. The word "akathistos" means "not sitting," i.e., standing; normally all participants stand while it is being prayed. The hymn is comprised of 24 stanzas, arranged in an acrostic following the Greek alphabet. The stanzas alternate between long and short. Each short stanza is written in prose and ends with the singing of "Alleluia." Each longer stanza ends with the refrain: "Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded." The first part of the hymn is about the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the Angel. It describes Mary s surprise at the news, her visit to her mother and Joseph s doubts as to her innocence. The second part is about the birth of Christ, the worship of the Shepherds and Magi, the flight to Egypt and the visit to Saint Simeon in the Temple. In the third part the hymn directs our attention to the renewal of the world by Christ s coming, and the amazement of the Angels and the wise men at the sight of the Incarnation of God s Son. The fourth and the last part is once more a lyric and rhetorical appraisal of Virgin Mary, whom the poet adorns with the most beautiful of adjectives asking her to accept his poetical offering and to intercede for the salvation of human race from the earthly sin. Orthodox Christian Observance of the Akathist Hymn is on the first 4 Fridays of Great Lent. 10

11 2018 Stewards through February 19, 2018 Our 2018 Stewardship Drive is off to a good start. The Stewardship Committee mailed out 157 forms to the Parish and as of now we have 93 Stewards for a 59% participation rate. Thank you to all who have pledged. Please give thoughtful and prayerful consideration to completing and returning your Stewardship & Building Fund form as soon as possible. Stewardship is the primary funding source of our operating obligations and Church s Ministries. THANK YOU! John & Elly Akerly Crist & Maria Frangakis Matina Papazoglou Susan Alexander Socratis & Aliki Gerondelis Dr. Ted & Theky Pappas Matthew and Vickie Amos Jim & Evy Glekas Kendal Parker Alexander & Laurel Arapoglou Christopher Goodwin George Pashales Marina Arvanitis Leonard & Elaine Goodwin Joseph Podgurski Basile & Mary Bakis Paul Kacoyanis Daniel & Lori Przybyl George & Marie Bakis Ed and Eve Kantner Jr. Olgha Qaqish Effie Barbee Antonios & Claire Karamalegos Keith & Alexia Rheinhardt Lance & Maria Barton Dr. Kenneth & Karen Korach Monica & Sergey Samoilenko Thalia Becak Andrew & Summer Kinard Andrea Stoney Tamar Beridze Dr. Chris & Demetra Kontos Marian Sunas Agape Blackley Helen D. Koutouzakis William & Jennifer Sullivan Barbara Bonfiglio Andrew Kuyper Senait K Tesfatsion Nick Bourbous Lee & Pauline Kuyper Tony Thompson Katherine M Callahan Father Stavroforos Mamaies Olga Thuer Manuel & Carole Capsalis Daniel & Hrisavgi Mangum Donna Trohanis Andrew & Cheryl Christakos Johnny & Catherine Mariakakis Dr. Dimitrios Varelas Dr. Arthur Christakos Dr. Peter & Joan Marinos Georgina Varelas Eleni Christakos John F. & MaryJon McWhirter John Varelas George & Deborah Christie Rod & Katharine Meadows Demetra Vlachos Dr. Bessie Chronaki John & Dawn Mehalek James &Frances Vurnakes Erie Cocolas David & Courtney Napier Alexa Waters Catherine Constantinou & Wes Platt Larry & Hope Odzak Diane Winans Lou Constantinou Richard Oladipo Preston & Catherine Wilson Sharan Dababnah Cindy Paliouras Robert & Roberta Wippich Gus & Vanessa Demetriades Jim & Helen Paliouras Grace Witham & Nick Brantley Anne Dennos John & Dena Paliouras Jonathan & Maria Wood George & Patricia Dennos Betty Bouclas Dorton Elena A. Dufault Laurice Ferris Nicholas Paliouras Peter & Evelyn Panos Yuri & Elena Panov Kleanthis & Angelika Papanikas Betsy Xenakis Dino & Kerri Zaferatos Christina Zehia Anthony & Evelyn Zehia 11

12 On Fasting - St. John Chrysostom Fasting is a medicine. But medicine, as beneficial as it is, becomes useless because of the inexperience of the user. He has to know the appropriate time that the medicine should be taken and the right amount of medicine and the condition of the body which is to take it, the weather conditions and the season of the year and the appropriate diet of the sick and many other things. If any of these things are overlooked, the medicine will do more harm than good. So, if one who is going to heal the body needs so much accuracy, when we care for the soul and are concerned about healing it from bad thoughts, it is necessary to examine and observe everything with every possible detail Fasting is the change of every part of our life, because the sacrifice of the fast is not the abstinence but the distancing from sins. Therefore, whoever limits the fast to the deprivation of food, he is the one who, in reality, abhors and ridicules the fast. Are you fasting? Show me your fast with your works. Which works? If you see someone who is poor, show him mercy. If you see an enemy, reconcile with him. If you see a friend who is becoming successful, do not be jealous of him! If you see a beautiful woman on the street, pass her by. In other words, not only should the mouth fast, but the eyes and the legs and the arms and all the other parts of the body should fast as well. Let the hands fast, remaining clean from stealing and greediness. Let the legs fast, avoiding roads which lead to sinful sights. Let the eyes fast by not fixing themselves on beautiful faces and by not observing the beauty of others. You are not eating meat, are you? You should not eat debauchery with your eyes as well. Let your hearing also fast. The fast of hearing is not to accept bad talk against others and sly defamations. Let the mouth fast from disgraceful and abusive words, because, what gain is there when, on the one hand we avoid eating chicken and fish and, on the other, we chew-up and consume our brothers? He who condemns and blasphemes is as if he has eaten brotherly meat, as if he has bitten into the flesh of his fellow man. It is because of this that Paul frightened us, saying: "If you chew up and consume one another be careful that you do not annihilate yourselves." You did not thrust your teeth into the flesh (of your neighbor) but you thrusted bad talk in his soul; you wounded it by spreading disfame, causing unestimatable damage both to yourself, to him, and to many others. If you cannot go without eating all day because of an ailment of the body, beloved one, no logical man will be able to criticize you for that. Besides, we have a Lord who is meek and loving (philanthropic) and who does not ask for anything beyond our power. Because he neither requires the abstinence from foods, neither that the fast take place for the simple sake of fasting, neither is its aim that we remain with empty stomachs, but that we fast to offer our entire selves to the dedication of spiritual things, having distanced ourselves from secular things. If we regulated our life with a sober mind and directed all of our interest toward spiritual things, and if we ate as much as we needed to satisfy our necessary needs and offered our entire lives to good works, we would not have any need of the help rendered by the fast. But because human nature is indifferent and gives itself over mostly to comforts and gratifications, for this reason the philanthropic Lord, like a loving and caring father, devised the therapy of the fast for us, so that our gratifications would be completely stopped and that our worldly cares be transferred to spiritual works. So, if there are 12

13 some who have gathered here and who are hindered by somatic ailments and cannot remain without food, I advise them to nullify the somatic ailment and not to deprive themselves from this spiritual teaching, but to care for it even more. For there exist, there really exist, ways which are even more important than abstinence from food which can open the gates which lead to God with boldness. He, therefore, who eats and cannot fast, let him display richer almsgiving, let him pray more, let him have a more intense desire to hear divine words. In this, our somatic illness is not a hindrance. Let him become reconciled with his enemies, let him distance from his soul every resentment. If he wants to accomplish these things, then he has done the true fast, which is what the Lord asks of us more than anything else. It is for this reason that he asks us to abstain from food, in order to place the flesh in subjection to the fulfillment of his commandments, whereby curbing its impetuousness. But if we are not about to offer to ourselves the help rendered by the fast because of bodily illness and at the same time display greater indifference, we will see ourselves in an unusual exaggerated way. For if the fast does not help us when all the aforementioned accomplishments are missing so much is the case when we display greater indifference because we cannot even use the medicine of fasting. Since you have learned these things from us, I pardon you, those who can, fast and you yourselves increase your acuteness and praiseworthy desire as much as possible. To the brothers, though, who cannot fast because of bodily illness, encourage them not to abandon this spiritual word, teaching them and passing on to them all the things we say here, showing them that he who eats and drinks with moderation is not unworthy to hear these things but he who is indifferent and slack. You should tell them the bold and daring saying that "he who eats for the glory of the Lord eats and he who does not eat for the glory of the Lord does not eat and pleases God." For he who fasts pleases God because he has the strength to endure the fatigue of the fast and he that eats also pleases God because nothing of this sort can harm the salvation of his soul, as long as he does not want it to. Because our philanthropic God showed us so many ways by which we can, if we desire, take part in God's power that it is impossible to mention them all. We have said enough about those who are missing, being that we want to eliminate them from the excuse of shame. For they should not be ashamed because food does not bring on shame but the act of some wrongdoing. Sin is a great shame. If we commit it not only should we feel ashamed but we should cover ourselves exactly the same way those who are wounded do. Even then we should not forsake ourselves but rush to confession and thanksgiving. We have such a Lord who asks nothing of us but to confess our sins, after the commitment of a sin which was due to our indifference, and to stop at that point and not to fall into the same one again. If we eat with moderation we should never be ashamed, because the Creator gave us such a body which cannot be supported in any other way except by receiving food. Let us only stop excessive food because that attributes a great deal to the health and well-being of the body. Let us therefore in every way cast off every destructive madness so that we may gain the goods which have been promised to us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. THE MEANING OF CONFESSION by V. Rev. Sergius Chetverikov THE PERIOD OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT is a time when we are invited to come to confession and receive Holy Communion.We are now in this period. All too often we receive no benefit from it. This lack of progress is caused by a careless attitude to Lent. 13

14 A serious attitude demands our understanding of Confession and Communion and why these Sacraments exist in the Orthodox Church. In order to understand clearly the meaning of confession, let us look at our inner, spiritual life. Two principles are always struggling within us good and evil. True Christian life begins for us only when we consciously take the side of good and try to vanquish evil. We are not leading a Christian life so long as we are careless in our spiritual life, so long as we do not distinguish good from evil and passively hand ourselves over to our desires and inclinations. Only when we become acutely aware of our inadequacy, condemn ourselves and seek renewal only then do we begin Christian life. Let us look at the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Pharisee goes to the temple, he does many good deeds but we still cannot say that he has true life. Why? He is completely satisfied with himself. He has no experience of his impurity. He boasts about his righteousness. he has not yet seen the abyss of his sinfulness. The Publican, on the contrary, cannot boast of any good deeds. But he has seen clearly the abyss of his sinfulness, and this vision has made him sorrowful. He asks only one thing of God mercy, salvation. This is true Christianity! It sometimes happens that a person does not pay attention to his inadequacies and even his sins and lives thoughtlessly for a long time and when the time comes his eyes are opened. The eyes of some are opened suddenly, unexpectedly; in the lives of others this can take place slowly and with much difficulty. Let us apply what has been said to ourselves. Observe some of your actions, intentions, and words. Yesterday you offended your neighbor with rude, harsh words, an insulting suspicion or poisonous mockery. The day before yesterday your spirit was pursued and muddied by a dirty, base desire, and you not only failed to drive it away, but even tried to take pleasure in it. You were given the opportunity to sacrifice your free time or your comfort in order to be of assistance to someone, but you did not do this. The list can go on. If you are attentive and honest you will see that your life is a whole network, an enormous tissue of small and great abominations. This filth constitutes a considerable portion of your existence. If we do not pay attention to all this, thinking that it is all normal and as it should be, we have not even begun to live as Christians. Our Christian life will begin only when we say: No! I don t want this to live in my soul! I want to be pure and good! I want to be a real Christian! As soon as you try to start out on this road, you will see how difficult, painful and exhausting is the struggle with evil in yourself. Sometimes it is only when you have already pronounced the harsh words or performed the evil actions that you begin to understand that you should not have said or done something. You realize that your whole inner life is defiled, corrupted by evil inclinations; your thoughts are confused, your desires are befouled, your will is enfeebled. How can a person free himself from all this corruption? How can it be eliminated? Must we retain it against our will? Sometimes a person has a sense of liberation when he shares his sorrows with someone else. We only share our sorrow with others in this way, however, we are not liberated from it. Another and more certain means of salvation is required. This means is the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confession. We know that Jesus Christ brought holy life to this world. This holy life is given to men by the Church in the holy Sacraments. The Church is established so that through her we can cleanse ourselves from all sinful corruption. In establishing the Sacrament of confession, Jesus Christ said to His disciples: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. (John 20:23). Priests, by the authority God gives them, forgive the sins of penitents, and the grace of the Holy Spirit purifies their hearts. Confession, therefore, is not an incomprehensible custom which must be observed for some unknown reason. It is a tremendously important and necessary means of our moral recovery and correction. A person who avoids confession can be compared to one who has a physical ailment and, while aware that there is medicine available for this ailment s treatment, does not use the medicine out of laziness and carelessness and in this way allows his condition to deteriorate. Our sins are a sickness of our souls. We are given a sure treatment for this sickness. Those who do not resort to this medicine retain their sin and increase their impurity. 14

15 15