GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA HELLENIC COMMUNITY OF WA PARISH & COMMUNITY OF STS. CONSTANTINE & HELENE PARISH NEWSLETTER

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1 GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA HELLENIC COMMUNITY OF WA PARISH & COMMUNITY OF STS. CONSTANTINE & HELENE PARISH NEWSLETTER Archimandrite Fr. Elpidios Karalis (T&F) (Mobile) address: Rev. Fr. John Athanasiou (Mobile) Address: Issue: Sunday 17 June

2 E N C Y C L I C A L (The Encyclical below will be read out in all Churches around Australia on Sunday 17 June) Dearly beloved, We are writing this urgent Encyclical to assist you in perceiving how it would be possible for us, as Orthodox Christians, to deal with the Bill before Parliament which has been proposed by various political parties, in relation to marriage between two people (men or women) of the same gender. In most countries of western Europe, as well as in the United States of America, this new type of marriage has been voted for, or is about to be voted upon, and is considered a democratic right of every citizen. As this matter has also recently begun to occupy Australian Parliaments, Members of Parliament and Senators will be called upon in the coming weeks to cast a conscience vote freely and independently of their political party, either for or against the proposed legislation. In light of this, the canonical Orthodox Bishops of the Episcopal Assembly of Oceania wasted no time in sending a written statement to the political authorities, expressing our clear disagreement with the proposal. Our Orthodox view is contrary, not because we have hostile feelings towards our fellow citizens who think or decide differently, but because the proposed alteration to the traditional form of marriage (between a man and a woman) is diametrically against the sacredness of marriage and of the family, as taught by the Christian faith and Greek Orthodox Tradition. Therefore a sacred duty of every responsible member of our Church (whether male or female), is to request that his or her local Member of Parliament vote in Parliament against the Marriage Amendment Bill. No-one should be indifferent to this issue, as there is a danger that we will be overwhelmed by the well-organized same sex marriage lobby. 2

3 As a result you are strongly encouraged to write immediately to your local Member of Parliament directly or through the online facility provided by our Archdiocese (marriage.greekorthodox.org.au). In the hope that no one will show indifference, I thank you for your collaboration in this matter, and wish all of you the abundance of God s blessing. Sydney, 28 th May, 2012 With fervent prayers to the Lord Archbishop S T Y L I A N O S Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia 2012 Winter Appeal A reminder to all that we are currently collecting clean blankets, sleeping bags and non perishable foods for the 2012 Winter Appeal. Goods such as Biscuits, Sugar, Oil, Long Life Milk, Breakfast Bars, Pasta, Electrolyte Drinks (e.g. Powerade & Gatorade), Canned Fish, Canned Meat, Canned fruits, Canned Vegetables, Canned Soups, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Crackers, Potato Chips, Chocolate Bars, Flour, Salt, Bottled Water, Cereal, Rice, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Coffee, Tea Bags, Baby Food, Baby Formula, Cereal Bars and Juice Cartons are all welcome. In addition we are also collecting Nappies, Soap, Powder and deodorants. PLEASE HELP US SO WE CAN HELP OTHERS Closing Date is Sunday 29 July

4 The Fast of the Holy Apostles Fr Elpidios Throughout the entire year the Church has prescribed a number of fasting periods. The main ones include: 1. The Lenten Fast 2. Holy Week Fast 3. The Christmas Fast (15 November 24 December) 4. The Fast of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), which precedes the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (1-14 August). The Church has also prescribed various fasting days throughout the year. These include: 1. Wednesdays and Fridays. We fast on these two days since the fast on Wednesday is in memory of the betrayal of Christ by Judas and the fast on Friday is in remembrance of Christ s Passion and Crucifixion. 2. August 29 (Beheading of St John the Baptist) 3. September 14 (The Elevation of the Holy Cross) 4. January 5 (Eve of Epiphany/Baptism of Christ) The Church also has another fasting period during the year that many people are not aware of. This is the Fast of the Holy Apostles. This fasting period begins on the Monday after the Sunday of all Saints (the Sunday next after Pentecost Sunday) and lasts until June 28, the day prior to the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The length of this fast varies each year depending on the date of Pascha (Easter); the earlier the date of Pascha then the longer the duration of the Fast of the Holy Apostles. This year, the Fast of the Holy Apostles started on Monday 11 June (2012). The Fast of the Holy Apostles is not as strict as the Fast of Great Lent and Holy Week or that of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. During the Fast of the Holy Apostles the faithful are permitted to eat fish every day except Wednesdays and Fridays. However, no meat or dairy products are consumed during the duration of this fast. The Fast of the Holy Apostles is not a fast that has just appeared in the last few decades. In fact, it is very ancient dating back to the first centuries of Christianity. For example St. Ambrose (+397) and St. Leo the Great (+461) make mention of a fast following the feast of Pentecost. 4

5 So what is the purpose of the Fast of the Holy Apostles? As outlined by St. Symeon of Thessalonica ( 1429), "The Fast of the Apostles is justly established in their honour, for through them we have received numerous benefits and for us they are exemplars and teachers of the fast... For one week after the descent of the Holy Spirit, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution composed by Clement we celebrate and then during the following week we fast in honour of the Apostles" (Mystagogy, 2009). STS. CONSTANTINE AND HELENE SUNDAY SCHOOL TIME: AM In the classroom adjacent to Fr Elpidios office Classes taken by Qualified Teachers All Children Welcome to attend Church Lunch Church of Sts Constantine & Helene Date: Sunday 22 July 2012 Venue: Lower Hall of the Hellenic Community Centre (Northbridge) Time: 11.30am Cost: $20 Proceeds go towards the 2012 Short Course in Orthodox Studies For tickets see George Pynes at the Church Pangari (Candle Stand) or Contact Fr Elpidios on

6 Infant Baptisms PARISH NEWS The following parents recently baptised their children at the Church of Sts Constantine and Helene: Adam Smythe and Melissa (nee) Malaxos. The child received the name Anna. The godfather was George (Jeremy) Malaxos. Nelson Nelio and Christina (nee) Thanos. The child received the name Annalia. The godmother was Christin Foundas. Shane Stewart and Fotini (nee) Apergis. The child received the name Nate. The godmother was Konstandina Otley. Paul Said and Tina (nee) Pitsonis. The child received the name Maximus. The godmother was Samantha Pitsonis. Nikolaos Karpatsis and Anna-Maria (nee) Kandis. The child received the name Alexandros. The godfather was Alexandros Katopodis. Funerals Our deepest sympathy to the family of Konstandina Alex who recently reposed in the Lord at the age of 84. Commemorating our Loved Ones It is important that we commemorate our loved ones at the Divine Liturgy, especially the ones who have left this life in hope of eternal life. In preparing our list of names for the priest it is important that we clearly label our list so the parish priest is able to identify the names of the living from the names of the ones who have died (fallen asleep). On the list for the living the heading on top of the sheet must read For the Living. On the list of the people who have departed this world the heading on top of the sheet must read For the Departed. Normally we place a Cross above the names of the departed. 6

7 Weekday Church Services (8-10am) Friday Saturday Saturday Wednesday Tuesday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 29 June (Apostles Peter & Paul) 30 June (Synaxis of the 12 Apostles) 07 July (Great Martyr Kyriaki) 11 July (Great Martyr Euphemia) 17 July (Great Martyr Marina) 20 July (Prophet Elijah) 23 July (Prophet Ezekiel) 24 July (Great Martyr Christina) 25 July (Dormition of St. Anna) 26 July (Martyr Paraskeve) 7 July (Great Martyr Panteleimon) Supplication Service (Paraclesis) to the Mother of God every Tuesday at 9am Castellorizian Centenary Below is the link and instructions for obtaining images from the recent Castellorizian Association conference held in Perth. To access the gallery follow these instructions:- The link to the gallery will be:- Select Castellorizian Centenary gallery and press enter. Scroll through the gallery. To see the photographs in a larger format click on the image then hit next to view more images. (Con Tsapazi Photography) 7

8 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" 8 Fr John In today's pluralistic society we realise that all people have to be acknowledged notwithstanding that their worldview is different from ours. We acknowledge multiculturalism as a positive influence in pointing to common ground in diversity. Hence, we respect each other's right to be different and celebrate that difference. We live in this world and we acknowledge a need to share the world with peoples that are different in customs, manners, thinking and day to day living from our own. However, when it comes to religion a line needs to be drawn. Our Orthodox faith has its roots in our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which has come down from the apostles to us. We believe in one Catholic and apostolic Church. This means that our church has been, through the laying of hands, passed down from Christ through generation to generation. This also means our Church has had its understanding of the relationship between man and God expounded through the Holy Fathers and the Ecumenical Councils from generation to generation so that the clear flame of our faith has been passed down like a torch from one hand to the other, being ever clarified and brightened by the resolution of controversies that beset it from time to time. Being an Orthodox Christian means being the inheritor of the living tradition that ever blows through our church. We do not have to discuss the nature of our faith anew with each generation as this has been determined by the church through its historical journey. Some people may ask that as there is one God then does it really matter what that God is called? To them religion is relative as all faiths lead back to the one true God, hence there is no real difference in what is believed. This religious relativism is something to be wary of. The Bible makes this clear. Christ says in Matthew s gospel "take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Christ", and they will lead many astray." In other words many of those claiming to be called to prophecy will not be prophesying in the name of the living God but in their own name. False prophets have existed throughout human history, Jeremiah warns us, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with their vain hopes; they speak visions of their own minds, not from the

9 mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, "it shall be well with you"; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, "no evil shall come upon you." People are searching nowadays in various ways for spiritual understanding. Even those who profess to be the followers of Jesus do so in a way which is quite alien to him. These so-called followers invariably believe in sola scriptura. In other words, they contend that all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness is to be found solely in the Bible. This is the position even of the Reformation churches. The Westminster confession of Faith of 1646 stated that "all things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them". What does this mean to the person that believes solely in the Bible? It means that each person can have their own personal relationship with Christ in their own image. In other words, they believe in Christ based upon their subjective understanding of what they are reading. Accordingly each person, depending upon their background, worldview, understanding and prejudices will anticipate a Christ that is reflective of their values. In some ways, Christ becomes no more than a reflection of what they are. This understanding has little to do with Christ as understood by the traditional churches. We believe that Christ is the centre of our existence and that we need to follow the Christ that lived some 2000 years ago rather than a warped understanding of a "Christ" shaped by the mind of each individual who calls themselves a Christian whether "born-again " or "charismatic ". It also means that there is no place for the ecumenical councils or the church fathers. After all what matters to the born-again Christian is how he sees Christ and not how some other person saw Christ. To them blasphemies, heresies, schisms and excommunications over the faith as Christianity sought to find itself are a closed book. So long as they believe and liberally fall under the label of "Christ" then they can sing hallelujah and "we are saved". How sad. How can someone have a relationship with Christ when they do not know him? It is not possible to know someone unless you have fully considered a character of a person in all its fullness rather than relying upon some 200 odd sentences uttered by Christ in the Gospels. It also means that there is no place in the church for the saints. Saints to them are irrelevant as they are not required to their faith. Let us not forget icons which are considered to be 9

10 idolatry so they are also out. Ultimately, their religion becomes twodimensional and a parody of true faith. Whenever we see someone about to follow the false prophets of religions that offer easy answers to difficult questions and guaranteed salvation we should try and take them in hand by encouraging them to meet with a Priest so their mind can be clarified and their soul saved. Remember we are all in the church and we have a responsibility to each other so that we do not stray but stay in the sheepfolds of the Master. DISTANCE EDUCATION (ONLINE) St Andrew s Greek Orthodox Theological College For more information click on the following link: Announcement The Nativity of St John the Baptist is commemorated on Sunday June 24 and the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St John of the Mountain in Forrestfield will be celebrating its feast day. The programme is as follows: Saturday 23 June pm Vespers service presided by His Grace Bishop Nikandros of Dorylaeon Sunday 24 June am Divine Liturgy presided by His Grace Bishop Nikandros of Dorylaeon followed by a memorial service for the benefactors of the Holy Monastery. A luncheon will follow. 10

11 Greek Studies at St. Andrew s Grammar and Beyond Background Information I was privileged to attend a presentation by Dr George Frazis at St. George s College on e-learning in the Greek Diaspora at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese National Schools event in Adelaide, 2 nd to 5 th May, this year. E-learning in the Greek Diaspora This is an ambitious and innovative project, which is currently being developed and expected to conclude in December 2013, to complement teaching and learning in the field of Greek Diaspora education. The project deals with e-learning methods for Greeks abroad, developed by the Centre for Intercultural and Migration Studies at the University of Crete (E.DIA.M.ME) by Professor Michael Damanakis, from the University of Crete. Professor Damanakis has kindly extended an invitation for me to attend the international conference at the University of Crete from July 9 to July 14, This will be a wonderful opportunity for our school to benefit from the experiences of the pilot schools, the planning for the implementation of the global Greek Language programme in 2013, and to establish networks with fellow Greek Orthodox Schools around the world. Greek Language Education in the Diaspora The new programme Greek Language Education in the Diaspora, moves along three axis: (i) production of teaching materials and studies programmes (ii) teacher training conventional and distance learning (iii) structures and methodologies for e-learning 11

12 The programme addresses student target groups on the basis of ethnicity and competence in Greek: fellow Greek-speaking; fellow Greek non-speakers and foreign non-speakers. Target groups are: (i) preschool and primary school age (with limited Greek communication competence) (ii) secondary school age (with limited Greek communication competence) (iii) primary school age (without Greek language competence) (iv) secondary age (without Greek language competence) (v) Primary School and Secondary School fluent Greek speakers Pilot Schools Thirty Greek Diaspora teachers coming from Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Mozambique and Uruguay participated in a conference at the University of Crete, last year and became pilot e-learning schools in the project. St. George s College in Adelaide was one of these pilot schools. Greek Studies Co-ordinator K-12 the new way forward As the new Greek Studies co-ordinator this year, I am now embarking on a professional learning journey which, will involve: research, planning, networking, preparation, facilitation, communication, collaboration and leadership with the aim to introduce this innovative, educative and exciting global e-learning programme to St. Andrew s Grammar School in Education Leading Technology ICT at St. Andrew s Grammar School Innovative teaching practices in the ICT domain have already been introduced into the Secondary School with the implementation of the 1:1 ipad2 program in Years 7-10 for students and teachers in 2012 and into Year 11 in The Secondary School is perfectly poised to be able to take advantage of the latest and the best offerings in the teaching of the Greek language. The possibility of introducing the 1:1 ipad programme into Year 5 and 6 is currently been canvassed. This will support the e-learning Greek language program. The existing library computer laboratories will also support the e-learning programme. I am both personally (as an Australian born Greek) and professionally excited and delighted to be able to contribute to the harmonic coexistence of 12

13 different social and national groups as well as the preservation of ties between Greece and Australia in my role as the new Greek Studies Co-ordinator at St. Andrew s. Communication I will continue to update the various stakeholders: parents, students, teachers, administrators and managers at St. Andrew s Grammar and in the broader community: Hellenic, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and other educators /systems of the Greek Language Education: e-learning in the Diaspora at St. Andrew s Grammar. Mrs Maria Coate Greek Studies Co-ordinator K-12 Head of Secondary St. Andrew s Grammar School Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia Speak up for Marriage Website Click on the above link and view the Latest News section in order to hear the SBS Radio Interview Speak up for marriage (Greek) featuring the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos. In addition you will come across the article Denmark forces Churches to perform same gender marriages. Visit the above website and speak up for marriage. Please note, each person must lodge only one submission, however family members may use the same address multiple times. 13

14 2012 GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA NATIONAL SCHOOLS EVENT The St. Andrew's Grammar (WA) 2012 team embarked enthusiastically on their interstate sporting competition to Adelaide on Tuesday May 1 st organised by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. The team comprised of students from years 9-11 including: Dusan Olijic, Alex Peijic, Andreas Farasalas, Michael Karigiannis, Strahinja Nikolic, Jovan Drasko, Amaren Mootoosamy, Jack Matsos, James Nicolaides, Pearce Javat and Salman Argagliou. The blessing and opening ceremony was led by His Grace Bishop Nikandros at the Greek Orthodox Church of St George in Thebarton (SA). The competition was amongst seven Greek Orthodox Schools from around Australia: All Saints Grammar; St. Euphemia College; St. Spyridon College; Oakleigh Grammar: St. John s College; St. Andrew s Grammar and St. George College. The host school was St. George College in Adelaide. I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work of the Principal, Dr George Panagopoulos; the Manager of Modern Greek, Dr George Frazis and the PE coordinator, Mr Michael Rodas for making us feel welcome. Our students played volleyball and soccer against the other schools in a round robin competition. They conducted themselves in an exemplary manner and were excellent sportsmen and ambassadors of our school. Amaren Mootoosamy was awarded Fairest and Best player for volleyball and Jack Matsos for soccer. At the glendi, students presented a number of items including: Greek dance; Greek music; Greek plays and poetry. This was an opportunity for social interaction amongst the students and staff from all of the schools. I represented the Principal of St. Andrew s Grammar, Mr Simon Midson, at the Principal s meeting where plans were put in place for next year s event and where I was privileged to be part of a presentation by Dr George Frazis regarding an e-learning programme that has been created at the University of Crete (and is currently being piloted by selected schools) for global implementation in As Greek Studies Co-ordinator, I am very excited about the prospect of being able to deliver this Modern Greek language programme to our students next year. 14

15 I would like to thank Mrs Christine Hiotis who did an outstanding job in organising the trip to Adelaide. We plan to take more teams next year and to prepare our students with a rigorous training programme beginning in Term Three and continuing into Term Four and Term One next year. The dates for next year s National Schools Event are: Wednesday 8th May Friday 10th May. As the event will be held in Melbourne, we will depart Perth on Tuesday, 7th May and stay for the week-end in Melbourne, returning on Sunday 12th May. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to engage with our Greek Orthodox students from around Australia. Mrs Maria Coate Greek Studies Co-ordinator K-12 Head of Secondary St. Andrew s Grammar School Above: Mrs. Christine Hiotis and Students from St. Andrew s Grammar (WA) 15

16 A PRISONER, A SHIPWRECKED SAILOR AND THE DIVINE LITURGY Often we forget the significance of the Divine Liturgy but the accounts below remind us of how the Fathers celebrated the Divine Liturgy not only on Sundays and feast days but also on behalf of others in times of need whether they were dead or alive. In a certain place, there was a prisoner heavily bound in chains. His wife had the habit on specific days of having the Divine Liturgy celebrated on his behalf. After many years when the prisoner returned to his homeland he mentioned to his wife that on designated days his chains were invisibly and curiously loosened. Astonished, his spouse confirmed that the days on which her husband was given some relief and comfort corresponded to those days on which she had had Liturgy celebrated on his behalf. In another instance, a sailor recounted this miracle that happened to him: Together with Bishop Agathon of Panormos (present day Palermo, Italy) he was sailing to Rome. During the trip the sailor was in a small boat that was tied by a rope to the ship. At a certain point, because of the rough seas the rope broke and the boat was carried off by the waves and disappeared. The ship which was carrying the Bishop was cast ashore by the sea on the Island of Ustica. Ustica is a small island on the Tyrrhenian Sea, near Palermo. There he waited for three days, on the outside chance that the boat and the sailor would appear, but to no avail. The Bishop came to the conclusion that the sailor had drowned and thus arranged to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the repose of his soul. After doing this, the Bishop left for Italy; there however, in the port of Rome he encountered the sailor alive! He thus felt immense gratitude that the sailor had been saved, asking him, with friendly and affectionate curiosity how he had avoided the fearful danger of shipwreck. Thereupon the sailor related his adventure to him in detail: For a long time I struggled in the waters with the boat, he said, which was continually filling with water and which capsized many times until finally the keel was on top. Maintaining this struggle, as the boat was being swept away by the waves, I became completely exhausted. My strength more and more waned with hunger. At some point, I became faint and fell into a state between sleep and wakefulness; that is, I was neither awake nor asleep. As I was in this state, the sailor continued, there appeared before me, on the open sea, someone who was holding some bread and who offered it to me. I thereupon, having eaten and being 16

17 filled, somehow recovered my strength. In a little while there arrived at that precise point a ship that put me in tow and subsequently took me safely to shore. The Bishop listened in amazement to this narration and asked to be told on what day the unknown person in question appeared to him on the open sea and gave him bread. And the sailor clearly verified that this happened on the very day on which the Bishop had celebrated the Liturgy at Ustica. Source: Evergetinos Taken from the Pantanassa Greek Orthodox Monastery Website. July 1974 A Year Never to be Forgotten In July of 1974, the peaceful island of Cyprus was invaded by Turkey and subsequently saw one third of the population expelled from their homes. On Sunday the 15th of July there will be a wreath laying service at 12pm at the war memorial in Kings Park to honour all those who lost their lives. On this day we will also be remembering those that are still missing and those who lost their livelihood, their happiness and their freedom. Marriage: The Great Sacrament Below are quotes taken from a sermon by Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra, Mount Athos, delivered in the Church of St. Nicholas, Trikala, Greece, 17 January, 1971 Nobody would dispute that the most important day in a person's life, after his birth and baptism, is that of his marriage. It is no surprise, then, that the aim of so many contemporary worldly and institutional upheavals is precisely to crush this most honorable and sacred mystery of marriage. For many people, marriage is only an opportunity for pleasures and amusements. 17

18 Life, however, is a serious affair. It is a spiritual struggle, a progression toward a goal: heaven. The most crucial juncture, and the most important means, of this progression is marriage. It is not permissible for anyone to avoid the bonds of marriage, whether he concludes a mystical marriage by devoting himself to God as a monk, or whether he concludes a sacramental one with a spouse. When a son or daughter comes to choose a partner, they should take into account their parents' opinion. How often have parents felt knives piercing their hearts when their children don't ask them about the person who will be their companion in life? The child should discuss these matters with his parents, because they have life experience and a special intuition enabling them to be aware of the things which concern them. But this doesn't mean that the father and mother should pressure the child. Ultimately he should be free to make his own decision. If you pressure your child to marry, he will consider you responsible if things don't go well. Nothing good comes from pressure. You must help him, but you must also allow him to choose the person he prefers or loves but not someone he pities or feels sorry for. If your child, after getting to know someone, tells you, "I feel sorry for the poor soul, I'll marry him", then you know that you're on the threshold of a failed marriage. Only a person whom he or she prefers or loves can stand by the side of your child. Both the man and the woman should be attracted to each other, and they should truly want to live together, in an inward way, unhurriedly. On this matter, however, it is not possible to pressure our children. Sometimes, out of a distorted love, we feel that our children are our possessions, that they are our property, and that we can do what we want with them. And thus our child becomes a creature incapable of living life either married or unmarried. Moreover, if you want to have a truly successful marriage, don't approach a young woman or man who is unable to leave his or her parents. The commandment of Christ is clear: "a man leaves his father and mother, and is united to his wife" (Mark 10.7). The man you will make your husband should be spirited. But how can he be spirited when he hasn't realized, hasn't understood, hasn't digested the fact that his parents' house is simply a flower-pot in which he was put to grow, to be taken out later, and transplanted somewhere else? There is another serious matter to which you should also pay attention: their family. Get to know well the father, the mother, the grandfather, the grandmother, the uncle, the aunt. Above all, pay attention to the person's faith. Does he or she have faith? Does the person whom you're thinking of making the companion of your life have ideals? If Christ means nothing to 18

19 him, how are you going to be able to enter his heart? If he has not been able to value Christ, do you think he will value you? Discuss things in advance with your spiritual father. Examine every detail with him, and he will stand by your side as a true friend, and, when you reach the desired goal, then your marriage will be a gift from God (cf. 1 Corinthians 7.7). God gives his own gift to each one of us. Not that God makes the choice by saying "you go here", and "you go there," but he gives us the desire to choose what our heart desires, and the courage and the strength to carry it out. If you choose your spouse in this way, then thank God. Bring him into touch with your spiritual father. If you don't have one, the two of you should choose a spiritual father together, who will be your Elder, your father, the one who will remind you of, and show you God. You will have many difficulties in life. There will be a storm of issues. Worries will surround you, and maintaining your Christian life will not be easy. But don't worry. God will help you. Do what is within your power. Can you read a spiritual book for five minutes a day? Then read. Can you pray for five minutes a day? Pray. And if you can't manage five minutes, pray for two. The rest is God's affair. The wreaths, or wedding crowns, are also symbols of Christ's presence. More specifically, they are symbols of martyrdom, their willingness to suffer for Christ and one another. Husband and wife wear crowns to show that they are ready to die to themselves for Christ. To say that "I am married" means that I live and die for Christ. "I am married" means that I desire and thirst for Christ. Crowns are also signs of royalty, and thus husband and wife are king and queen, and their home is a kingdom, a kingdom of the Church, an extension of the Church. "I am married" means, then, that I am a king, I am a queen, a true and faithful member of the Church. The crowns also symbolize the final victory which will be attained in the kingdom of heaven. When the priest removes the crowns, he says to Christ: "take their crowns to Your kingdom", take them to Your kingdom, and keep them there, until the final victory. And so marriage is a road: its starts out from earth and ends in heaven. It is a joining together, a bond with Christ, who assures us that He will lead us to heaven, to be with Him always. Marriage is a bridge leading us from earth to heaven. It is as if the sacrament is saying: Above and beyond love, above and beyond your husband, your wife, above the daily events that make up your lives, remember that you are destined for heaven, that you have set out on a road which will take you there without fail. The bride and the bridegroom give their hands to one another, and the priest takes hold of them both, and leads them round the 19

20 table dancing and singing. Marriage is a movement, a progression, a journey which will end in heaven, in eternity. In marriage, it seems that two people come together. However, in reality, it's not two but three. The man marries the woman, and the woman marries the man, but the two together also marry Christ. So three take part in the mystery, and three remain together in life. In the dance around the table during the wedding service, the couple is led by the priest, who is a type of Christ. This means that Christ has seized us, rescued us, redeemed us, and made us his. And this is the "great mystery" of marriage (cf. Galatians 3.13). In Latin, the word "mystery" was rendered by the word sacramentum, which means an oath, a pledge of loyalty unto death. And marriage is an oath, a pact, a joining together, a bond, as we have said. It is a permanent bond with Christ. "I am married", then, means that I enslave my heart to Christ. If you marry, this is the meaning that marriage has in the Orthodox Church. "I am married" means "I am the slave of Christ. Source: Above: A Greek Orthodox Class being taken at St Mark s Anglican School in Hillary s where students attend after hours Greek School Classes 20