ORTHODIXIE ... Southern, Orthodox, Convert, Etc.

Common Declaration by Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Bartholomew I

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" (Ps 117:24)

This fraternal encounter which brings us together, Pope Benedict XVI of Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, is God's work, and in a certain sense his gift. We give thanks to the Author of all that is good, who allows us once again, in prayer and in dialogue, to express the joy we feel as brothers and to renew our commitment to move towards full communion. This commitment comes from the Lord's will and from our responsibility as Pastors in the Church of Christ. May our meeting be a sign and an encouragement for all of us to share the same sentiments and the same attitudes of fraternity, cooperation and communion in charity and truth. The Holy Spirit will help us to prepare the great day of the re-establishment of full unity, whenever and however God wills it. Then we shall truly be able to rejoice and be glad.

1. We have recalled with thankfulness the meetings of our venerable predecessors, blessed by the Lord, who showed the world the urgent need for unity and traced sure paths for attaining it, through dialogue, prayer and the daily life of the Church. Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I went as pilgrims to Jerusalem, to the very place where Jesus Christ died and rose again for the salvation of the world, and they also met again, here in the Phanar and in Rome. They left us a common declaration which retains all its value; it emphasizes that true dialogue in charity must sustain and inspire all relations between individuals and between Churches, that it "must be rooted in a total fidelity to the one Lord Jesus Christ and in mutual respect for their own traditions" (Tomos Agapis, 195). Nor have we forgotten the reciprocal visits of His Holiness Pope John Paul II and His Holiness Dimitrios I. It was during the visit of Pope John Paul II, his first ecumenical visit, that the creation of the Mixed Commission between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church was announced. This Commission met with the aim of declaring and re-establishing full communion. As far as relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople are concerned, we cannot fail to recall the solemn ecclesial act effacing the memory of the ancient anathemas which for centuries has had and still has a negative effect on relations between our Churches. We have not yet drawn from this act all the positive consequences which can flow from it in our progress towards full unity, to which the mixed Commission is called to make an important contribution. We exhort our faithful to take an active part in this process, through prayer and through significant gestures.

2. At the time of the plenary session of the mixed Commission for theological dialogue, which was recently held in Belgrade through the generous hospitality of the Serbian Orthodox Church, we expressed our profound joy at the resumption of the theological dialogue. This had been interrupted for several years because of various difficulties, but now the Commission has been able to work afresh in a spirit of friendship and cooperation. In treating the topic "Conciliarity and Authority in the Church" at local, regional and universal levels, the Commission undertook a phase of study on the ecclesiological and canonical consequence of the sacramental nature of the Church. This will permit us to address some of the principal questions that are still unresolved. We are committed to offer unceasing support, as in the past, to the work entrusted to this Commission and we accompany its members with our prayers.

3. As Pastors, we have first of all reflected on the mission to proclaim the Gospel in today's world. This mission, "Go, make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19), is today more timely and necessary than ever, even in traditionally Christian countries. Moreover, we cannot ignore the increase of secularization, relativism, even nihilism, especially in the Western world. All this calls for a renewed and powerful proclamation of the Gospel, adapted to the cultures of our time. Our traditions represent for us a patrimony which must be continually shared, proposed, and interpreted anew. This is why we must strengthen our cooperation and our common witness before the world.

4. We have viewed positively the process that has led to the formation of the European Union. Those engaged in this great project should not fail to take into consideration all aspects affecting the inalienable rights of the human person, especially religious freedom, a witness and guarantor of respect for all other freedoms. In every step towards unification, minorities must be protected, with their cultural traditions and the distinguishing features of their religion. In Europe, while remaining open to other religions and to their cultural contributions, we must unite our efforts to preserve Christian roots, traditions and values, to ensure respect for history, and thus to contribute to the European culture of the future and to the quality of human relations at every level. In this context, how could we not evoke the very ancient witnesses and the illustrious Christian heritage of the land in which our meeting is taking place, beginning with what the Acts of the Apostles tells us in evoking the figure of Saint Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles? In this land, the Gospel message and the cultural tradition of the ancient world met. This link, which has contributed so much to the Christian heritage that we share, remains timely and will bear more fruit in the future for evangelization and for our unity.

5. Our concern extends to those parts of today's world where Christians live and to the difficulties they have to face, particularly poverty, wars and terrorism, but equally to various forms of exploitation of the poor, of migrants, women and children. We are called to work together to promote respect for the rights of every human being, created in the image and likeness of God, and to foster economic, social and cultural development. Our theological and ethical traditions can offer a solid basis for a united approach in preaching and action. Above all, we wish to affirm that killing innocent people in God's name is an offence against him and against human dignity. We must all commit ourselves to the renewed service of humanity and the defence of human life, every human life. We take profoundly to heart the cause of peace in the Middle East, where our Lord lived, suffered, died and rose again, and where a great multitude of our Christian brethren have lived for centuries. We fervently hope that peace will be re-established in that region, that respectful coexistence will be strengthened between the different peoples that live there, between the Churches and between the different religions found there. To this end, we encourage the establishment of closer relationships between Christians, and of an authentic and honest interreligious dialogue, with a view to combating every form of violence and discrimination.

6. At present, in the face of the great threats to the natural environment, we want to express our concern at the negative consequences for humanity and for the whole of creation which can result from economic and echnological progress that does not know its limits. As religious leaders, we consider it one of our duties to encourage and to support all efforts made to protect God's creation, and to bequeath to future generations a world in which they will be able to live.

7. Finally, our thoughts turn towards all of you, the faithful of our Churches throughout the world, Bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, lay men and women engaged in ecclesial service, and all the baptized. In Christ we greet other Christians, assuring them of our rayers and our openness to dialogue and cooperation. In the words of the postle of the Gentiles, we greet all of you: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 1:2).

From the Phanar, 30 November 2006
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First, as you know, Indonesia is the most Muslim of nations. That's why your help is most needed.

Did you know about Orthodox Christianity in Indonesia?

Thanks to FWD from Fr Gordon Walker.

Secondly, my cyber pal, Jean-Michel, sent along this link which contains just about every single Christ-mas song you can think of and gobs of 'em flown in straight from obscurity. (See, I told you St Joseph was an old man!)

Jean-Michel, by the way, was the first person to buy One Flew Over the Onion Dome directly from the author. It's kind of exotic when you realize he lives in Belgium!

What? Got that special someone who has everything -- but suddenly you realize he doesn't have my book? PayPal, side margin, to the rescue!

And ... now THIS is E-vangelism all Orthodox-like. Cool!

Finally, someone (I believe it was Fr Victor Potapov from St John Baptist Cathedral, Washington, DC) sent along this link & review about an exciting Bible Exhibit.

A current museum exhibit that you might want to visit - "In the Beginning:
Bibles Before the Year 1000" at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of Art in
Washington, DC.

One of our parishioners wrote this review:

I visited the museum this past Saturday and enjoyed the exhibit a lot.

In the exhibit you can see over 70 of the earliest biblical artifacts in existence, including pages and fragments written in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian, Coptic, and even Glagolitic!

All exhibits have some kind of bias, and this one if no exception. From the earlier review in I had read in The Washington Post,I was expecting to find the objects accompanied by all the worst sorts of atheist propaganda about how much evolution the Bible had to undergo before it ultimately reaching its settled state; how the authorities worked at suppressing writings from the Christian communities that might have a potential to subvert the dogmatic teachings of the canonical texts; and how the modern techniques of textual criticism have allowed us to scientifically re-construct the "original" sayings of the authors, as separate from later "distortions" inserted by the church authorities, etc.

I was pleased to see that these modernistic elements were hardly in play at all. In fact, the whole presentation was quite reverent towards the texts as deserving of sacred status, and utterly respectful towards the labors of those who made the choice to dedicate all their efforts to copying, illuminating, and preserving them. One literally walks away from this exhibit with the feeling of amazement -- not at how MUCH the Bible had to evolve over the course of its development, but how LITTLE! How eloquently this testifies to the stability of faith of the church that was entrusted with making the message of the Gospel available for the enlightenment of the world!

A lot of mention is made of the various archeologists and benefactors who are credited with the "discovery" (though, one sometimes wonders if it might be more accurate to say "stealing") of early fragments, especially the American early 20th-Century industrialists Charles Lang Freer and Alfred Chester Beatty. Interestingly to me, no mention is made of the Russians, notably Tsar Alexander II, whose patronage made possible the discovery of one of the most significant manuscripts, the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century Greek manuscript of the entire Bible in its complete canonical unity as we know it today in the Orthodox Church, with both the Old and New Testaments, including the 15 deutero-canonical books of the Old Testament that were thrown out by the Protestant Reformers.

Two pages from Codex Sinaiticus from the book of the Prophet Ezekiel are the highlight in the exhibit; these were among latter-discovered fragments that were unearthed during restoration works at St. Catherine's monastery in 1975.

Probably the one impression that will stick with me the longest after the exhibit has closed, is what I was able to observe of how the museum visitors were responding to the exhibit. There were many families. The parents' comments about the items on display were vivid and remarkably informed. It was evident that many of them were faithful Believers and that they were viewing the experience as a chance to identify with the faith of centuries'-past forebears.

Somehow the exhibit manages to convey the idea that the workmanship of the scribes was not just a boring and tedious endeavor that was groaning for the soonest invention of the printing press and copy machines, but was itself a holy podvig that was worth all expense and effort to undertake. I felt myself drawn in with the spirit of those unnamed scribes whose handling of the words of life was like that expressed by the Prophet David: "The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold or silver." (Ps. 118)
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Yep! Looks like we all might just be havin' a Mary Christmas this year!

As far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing.

Here's Christianity Today on Mary the Revolutionary.

HT THUNDERSTRUCK

Amy's perplexed 'bout Prots and Mary.

And, of course, it all stems from this.

Well, actually this.

There's hope for our motley crew yet ...

"All generations shall call me blessed!"
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O Sun of righteousness by which the righteous beheld their own selves and became a mirror for their generations, open up within me the gate to awareness of Thee; grant me a joyful mind, one which sails above the rocks of error, so that I may reach that serene haven, as did our fathers of old who pleased Thee with their discerning lives. Sanctify me by Thy Mysteries, illumine my mind with knowledge of Thee, make Thine hope to shine out in my heart, hold me worthy to supplicate for it, O God my Father and Lord of my life; illumine Thy lamp within me, place in me what belongs to Thee so that I may forget what belongs to myself. Cast upon me the constraint of wonder of Thee, so that the constraint of nature may be overpowered by it. Stir up within me the vision of Thy Mysteries so that I may become aware of what was placed in me at holy baptism. Thou hast placed within me a Guide: may He show me Thy glory at all times.

-- Saint Isaac of Nineveh

Taken from a Mysticism e-list.
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Sleepless.
How to say, what to say?
Same old
Gospel
Tenth time
Round

Sleepless.
Where’s the wrong?
Broken. Promises
Judgmental
Other
Ness

Sleepless.
What would God have me do?
Silence
Worry
Struggle
Darkness

Sleepless.
Are the bills ...?
Should we be ...?
Where’s the ...?
The devil
Sigh

Sleepless.
Temptation
Doubts
Past
The Fall
falling

Briefly
falling

Joy comes in the ...

Falling
Glory to God.
Falling

Aslee ...
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The thing about Confession is it's natural. That is, it's Real. Most everything else we do with our sin is false and unnatural. We punish ourselves, justify our actions, and hide. Yet, in Confession -- in opening ourselves to God, the Light -- we expose the hypocrisy of our double life. In truth, we've been living a lie. Without Confession, Absolution, and Reconciliation we live a lie before God and Man as if it were Reality. In reality, no one is fooled -- not our neighbor nor ourselves. And, let's be real, certainly not God.
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Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

-- Prayer of President George Washington for our Country.

Thanks to FWD from Fr Josiah Trenham.
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Helen was two. All you had to do was ask her. "How old are you?"

"Two!" (The number of fingers accompanying this reply could vary.)

In truth, being two is hard. Barring extraordinary circumstances, during the ripe old age of two you enter the World of No.

Formerly, you lived in Yes World where everything you did was "Yes!"

You smile. Yes!

Laugh. Yes!

Stop crying. Yes!

Crawl. Yes!

Talk. Yes!

Walk. Yes!

Your every move and most waking moments is utterly adorable. Yes!

Then one day you entered discipline's door. Search as you may, the door to Yes World is, from that time forward, only a goal. Yes World has ambassadors, grandparents, teachers, and other wrinkled acquaintances. But the people you live with have apparently chosen, for the foreseeable future, to live in the World of No.

You mark on the walls. No!

Hit your brother. No!

Tear up the toilet paper. No!

Run through the parking lot. No!

Impersonate a beast in Church. No!

Eat all the chocolate. No!

It would be easy to believe, as grandparents apparently do, that parents have lost all measure of charity. That's not exactly true. As the comic says, "Grandchildren are God's way of rewarding you for not killing your children." In fact, all parents are familiar with the World of No.

Such struggles are also fleshed out in our spiritual lives.

“He who enters into a covenant of prayer with the Father in the name of Christ has first to consign himself to ‘Chastisement Kindergarten,’ then to ‘Suffering Primary School,’ then to the ‘Higher Institute of Affliction.’ ‘For it is fitting that he ... should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering’ (Heb.2.10). For it is impossible to share his glory without first sharing with him in his sufferings.”

So writes Matthew the Poor in his book, Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way.

He continues: “Everyone who wishes to be made perfect in faith has to be first made perfect and purified by the Spirit. He has to undergo the various kinds of discipline to become fit to witness to faith in God amidst sufferings and tribulations, and before the fiercest threats of death. For as one's sufferings bear witness to one's worthiness of glory, so will God also bear witness: ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ (Mt 25.34).

As you can see brothers and sisters, by God’s mercy and charity – Yes World – still exists. Let us all, children unto Him, persevere in faith, hope, and love.

This meditation originally appeared on the Antiochian webpage.
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I know, I know.

It's so last year.

Enjoy anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Click the above link. Interesting!
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We were on the way home and I was singing songs from the Liturgy. She, at the time - two years old, said, “Do it again, Dad!”

I remember this, especially from my oldest daughter, particularly the Trisagion hymn: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us!”

So, between the grocery store and the house, I must have sang the Trisagion about twenty times.

I laid her down for her nap and she said, “Sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’.” So, with almost a tear in my eye, appreciating the moment, I sang “Twinkle, twinkle, little star ...” When it was over she demanded: “Sing the ABC’s!” That’s when I told her it was nap time; time to go to sleep.

We do grow crusty and old, don’t we? Children love to sing, love to dance, love to experience the joy in life. Like Chesterton’s example below, God and children must be a lot alike. And to think, to get into the party, we’ve got to become just like them.

Holy God, have mercy on us!

A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough... It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again,” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again,” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

This meditation originally appeared on the Antiochian webpage.
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When the holy and most pure child Mary (Mariam or Miriam in Hebrew) reached the age of three, her parents, the righteous Joachim and Anna, fulfilled the vow they had made to dedicate her to God. Going in procession with a company of maidens carrying torches, they presented their child at the Temple in Jerusalem, where Zecharias the High Priest took her under his care, blessing her with these words: The Lord has glorified thy name in every generation; it is in thee that He will reveal the Redemption that he has prepared for his people in the last days. He then brought the child into the Holy of Holies something completely unheard-of, for under the Law only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy Place, and he only once a year on the Day of Atonement.  

In the icon of the feast, the maidens who accompany the Theotokos are shown bare-headed, as was customary for unmarried girls; but the Theotokos herself, though only three years old, wears the head-covering of a married woman to show her consecration to God.

The holy Virgin lived in the Temple for the next nine years, devoting herself entirely to prayer. In this time she attained the utter purity of heart befitting the destined Bearer of the Most High; she became in her own person the fulfilment and condensation of all of Israel's faithfulness. Saint Gregory Palamas says that, when the Theotokos entered the Holy of Holies, the time of preparation and testing of the Old Covenant came to an end for Israel, which was now ready, in the blessed Virgin, to bring forth the Savior.  When Mary approached marriageable age, she was entrusted to the chaste widower Joseph to guard her. (The Prologue says that a life of intentional virginity was unknown among the Hebrews, so the righteous Joseph undertook the forms of marriage so as not to cause scandal among the people.)

"Wherefore the Church rejoices and exhorts all the friends of God for their part to enter into the temple of their heart, there to make ready for the coming of the Lord by silence and prayer, withdrawing from the pleasures and cares of this world." (Synaxarion)

Source.

More.

Still more.
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Thanks to you, according to my counter, this site has now passed 200,000 hits since signing on with Site Meter back in 2004. It took about 20 months to hit 100,000 ... and about 9 more to hit the 200,000 mark.

When I bump into folks that read the blog, I find it kinda scary -- like they've been eaves dropping and maybe, uh-oh -- oh no! ... what did I say?

Anyway, so far so good ...

THANKS.
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AXIOS! Last Sunday, November 12th, Subdeacon Richard Petranek was ordained to the diaconate at St Joseph/Houston, Texas (pictured here) and yesterday, Sunday, November 19th, he was ordained to the priesthood at St George/Houston, Texas. Father Richard, who has been assigned to the pastorate at St Paul Church in west Houston, will serve his "Week of Liturgies" November 20th-26th.

Father Richard may be contacted at:
richardjp at houston dot rr dot com

I had the pleasure of interviewing Fr Richard back in May.

Pic courtesy of dnb.
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What? Me, Seminary?

HT Jean-Michel

This, ladies & gentleman, is no laughing matter! It's scary to know what personal information is being made public about us these days!
For example.

HT My oldest

It's hard to keep up with the gang at GetReligion. They're everywhere! GetReligion is like a magazine -- delivered up fresh daily MORE THAN daily!

Recent posts of note include this one, this too, and more ... (I also stole the pic from them.)

It's the weekend. It's the Fast. Dixie provides good prep.
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If you must, here 'tis.

Oh, and the bumper sticker.
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I don't like Fasting.
It's too expensive.
We have to change our daily status quo.
We have to give up our "same-oh same-oh."

It costs so much more to switch over to Organic Soy Milk from our regular milk. Veggie Burger costs more than hamburger, and eating out at Red Lobster is killing our budget!

The other day in coffee hour, we were talking about one of the ethnic groups in our church, and how they always mess things up for the rest of us by seeing things so differently, and how their kids are such a problem for everyone.

I could hardly get into the coffee hour because some weird visitors were standing by the door wondering if they would stay or leave. They were obviously not Orthodox! They were huddled as a family by the door, coats in hand. They looked like refugees from some disaster. I had to say, "Excuse me." and push past them just to get in to the food line. I think they finally left.

The coffee hour didn't have nearly enough doughnuts and bagels for me. I was so hungry! And they ran out of stuff before the children even came in from Church School. Man! It's a good thing we got our three doughnuts before they got there! You should have seen their faces when they pawed through the empty doughnut boxes! I know it's time to fast, but they need a lot more goodies on the table so we can have a good hearty coffee hour meal, and maybe something for the kids.

I get these letters from charities asking for money for the poor and such. I just can't do anything about it because we're spending all our money on these high tech substitutes for meat, and dairy. Besides, we're taking a cruise in a couple of months.

Ah fasting. I just don't enjoy it. It's just not fun for me, I'm sorry.


- humor from Ephrem Ron Moore

Pic FWD courtesy of Jean-Michel.
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I was blessed to read Dawn's manuscript back in the summer, while at Camp St Raphael. You'd think that would have given me enough time to produce my own review. Slack, slack, slack. In the meantime, as the time nears, here's one from another ...

In her new book, The Thrill of the Chaste, Dawn Eden writes with a naked truth and passion seen in few writers since Augustine and Pascal. Sprinkled with wit and quips, Dawn tackles a serious subject in a sometimes light-hearted Chestertonian manner by flipping the world upside down, removing the spin on life, and calling a thing what it really is. Yet, she remains bold enough to open her heart to the reader as she shares her own personal experiences in a manner that is anything but preachy. Having been part of the crowd disinterested in the pursuits of chastity and learning most often by trial and error, Dawn digs deep into the Sex in the City lifestyle and writes about it as is and the dangers that lifestyle holds for the modern woman.

Her book is rich with compassion and hope of renewal for those singles who have been misdirected by the Sex in the City message. Dawn provides not just an alternative view on life, but THE view of life as intended by delivering a message that is truly a counter-cultural remedy aimed at ending the woes found in today’s relationships. Through most of the book, she makes the case that the modern person is settling for too little pleasure by holding tightly to the Desperate Housewives mentality; clearly, we are meant for more than the whims and fads for which we too often settle.

The Thrill of the Chaste is a book that has been needed for many years to fill an absence in the chastity literature genera: the target audience is not teens but mature adults and young adults. In her book, Dawn also manages to bridge the gap between the secular and religious reasons for chastity as it calls us to rethink the meaning of sexuality. Staunch secularists will call it too religious. Conservative Christians will call it too secular, but what the text cannot be called is wrong. She speaks the truth, for she has “been there and done that”.

In brief, this is not your typical Christian self-help book or dating guide -- neither is Dawn your typical Christian. With ease, Dawn blows John Eldredge out of the water and kisses Joshua Harris goodbye. Dawn makes the case for chastity, and she proves it.

Thanks to FWD from Paul Catalanotto.

Of course, if you've not already, you must view this excellent PR stunt.
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Starting today. Click the above link.
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THE NATIVITY FAST begins today, November 15th, and continues through December 24th. This Fast is divided into two periods. The first period is November 15th through December 19th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine and oil) is observed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but with katalysis for wine and oil on Tuesday and Thursday (some also permit fish on Tuesday and Thursday during this first period), and for fish, wine and oil on Saturday and Sunday. The second period is December 20th through 24th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine and oil) is observed Monday through Friday, but with katalysis for wine and oil on Saturday and Sunday.

KATALYSIS: a loosening (relaxing).

Of course, for those of you following the Julian Calendar reckoning, the beginning of the Fast is 13 days yet.
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She had a white stripe of hair, off center from between the eyes, swooping back from her forehead -- always immaculately coiffed. (She's pictured here in red with my family back in July.) My wife was her "Godmother." We always joked in a flirtatious way, Sheila and I.

The accent, almost Cockney; the fiery personality, incorrigible. Dynamis!

She adored her husband. After he died, everyone thought she'd soon follow. She'd followed others -- even me. She followed me out of St Mary Parish, Asheville -- she, an Anglican from England at that! She became Orthodox, along with her dear husband (who'd served 40 years or so as an Episcopalian deacon). They helped give our new Antiochian Mission gravitas.

They even followed me when our mission joined the Russian Church Abroad. Her husband, Subdeacon Andrew, died shortly after on November 6, 1997.

She never missed a baptism (rarely missed church). Every single one, there she was. She never really felt too well, in all the years I knew her. Always problems. Family life, children -- grands & greats -- dominated her world. Our Lord and Lady (to whom she was especially devoted) sustained her, lifted her past worldly cares. She loved the Prayer Rope. She was a snazzy dresser. Always, ALWAYS, had her head covered in church -- Anglican, Russian, Antiochian -- even if services were held in a garage.

"I dunno." That was her most used phrase. "I dunno." She used it a lot, but I can't say that it was her favorite. She loved to give advice and, by golly, never followed that of others. Oh sure, she'd listen and nod. But, I tell you, that woman had a self-will of steel. God bless her. She never failed to tell you she loved you. But, just like Winnie the Pooh would emit, "O Bother," Sheila would exhale "I dunno ... I dunno."

She followed us back to Antioch excitedly, proclaiming her love for Bishop BASIL. She'd only met him once, back when we were in a store front. Yet the impact made never wavered.

In the course of our time together there were some times of extreme unpleasantness within the parish. Yet, having lived most of her adult days as the wife of a clergyman, she knew how such times could be. She hung in there! She encouraged us to do likewise. We had to move from the property that she and her husband had helped to purchase, where he'd first served as an Orthodox Subdeacon, and from whence he'd been buried. She came along. We set up shop a couple more places before it ended. Everywhere there was Liturgy, especially once in her home, she was there.

She always brought her sidekick, her best bud (and great granddaughter) Brittany. Though she always called her "Miss Brittany. "

Every year, from 1997 onward, at every new session of Adult Christian Ed she wanted to know what happened when you died. Essentially she was asking: "Will I see my husband again?" As mentioned earlier, we always thought she'd soon follow her husband to the other side. Yet, with Miss Brittany by her side, she struggled not to leave.

Hold on though we wish, sometimes God has other plans. I dunno. Death came yesterday for Sheila "Mary" Loveday Harris Douglas. A woman of intense and unwavering faith -- who'd married a man within whom there was no guile. Simply, delightful. God is [always] good. I thank Him for blessing me, my family and parishioners with her, their, friendship. And, as she always wished, I hope that the mystery beyond this life finds those two united in that which is to come.

May her memory be eternal!


OBIT
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Clippard likened this situation to that of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose priests were debating what color vestments they should wear as the communists were invading Russia.

"Can that happen to us?" he said. "You bet it can."

This too ...

The Saudi Arabian Royal Family and the Saudi government have opened and funded 1,156 Moslem study centers in universities across North America, he said: 138 in the United States, 28 in Canada -- including three in the University of Missouri system, in Columbia, Rolla and St. Louis. The Saudi government offers to fund fully a faculty position in Islamic studies, and then builds a mosque on or near the campus.

"They are after our sons and daughters, our students ..."

Here's the story.

Fr Stephen Freeman's new site is now in the side margin. Take a look.

Directions to Orthodoxy is a highly respected and worthy site. But, lets' face it, even with high-speed it was always snail-slow on the load. Not any more!


This, from them ...

According to the AFP news agency, the new version of the Sacred Scriptures was presented at a book fair in Frankfurt. Entitled, The Bible in a More Just Language, the translation has Jesus no longer referring to God as "Father," but as "our Mother and Father who are in heaven." Likewise, Jesus is no longer referred to as the "Son" but rather as the "child" of God. The title "Lord" is replaced with "God" or "the Eternal One." The devil, however, is still referred to with masculine pronouns. "

More.


Finally ... (and this story's lead might be a bit of a stretch):

VATICAN CITY Nov 13, 2006 (AP)— Pope Benedict XVI has called a meeting Thursday with top Vatican officials to discuss lifting the celibacy requirement for priests seeking to marry or who have already married.

More.

HT: NewsForum
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The Church of England has broken with tradition dogma by calling for doctors to be allowed to let sick newborn babies die.

Thanks to FWD from blog reg, Tikhon.
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This pic posted by Drudge got me longing for the good ol' days of my childhood. Back when I didn't know that campy was camp; but I did know that having a gay ol' time was watching the Flintstones.

It was a time when making music, and doing it well, mattered more than ... O. My. Gosh.

Speaking of Dynamic Duos, Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy is still one of my favorites. (I always thought the line about Jesus was an existentialist artistic reflection. In other words, it made sense within the context of the song, the quest.)

I believe it's possible to take one's struggles and temptations and turn them into a craft: poetry, prose, lyrics and art. (Even Confessions, ask St Augustine -- whose birthday is today.) The muse might possess a bit of madness but, as long as the madness is wrestled with, art is born.

Yet, in a fallen world, the madness itself may become the quest. Instead of the hound that drives a man toward greatness, it becomes the sole possession of a man blinded by self.

Elton sang the songs of my adolescence. Too bad he stopped growing after that.
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Pic from another church's Halloween service. Good Lord.

"Once I was at Mass in the Cathedral in Santa Fe during Indian fair, and the Indian moderator explained that the Buffalo dance was a way that his people had worshipped the Great Spirit, and now they danced in gratitude to Jesus and NOT TO APPLAUD – THE DANCE WAS A PRAYER. The dance was too long to do at mass, so they would finish it in the plaza afterwards. After Communion the tom-toms began; the men came out wearing their buffalo robes and the women with their rattles. They danced for half an hour around the church. At the end of the mass the idiot assistant bishop asked everyone to give these folks a big round of applause ..."

That's Lee Podles over at MereComments ...
Here's More.

For your scrutiny, here is an open letter (PDF) from Muslims to the Pope.

Speaking of the Pope ...

Wanna talk about me! Wanna talk about I! Wanna talk about Number One, O my, me, my ...

Thanks to FWD from Fr Miguel Grave de Peralta.

Ever wonder if there's any (worldly) famous Orthodox people? Here's some you might know.

(Oh and, the other night, thanks to soon-to-be-ordained Richard Petranek's wife, Elaine, I got to hear Tim Conway -- yes, of the Carol Burnett Show -- tell how he was "baptized" Greek Orthodox!)

PS -- Only a couple more days for you Old Calendars Halloweeners!
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"Whatever requires an undue amount of thought or trouble or involves a large expenditure of effort and causes our whole life to revolve, as it were, around solicitude for the flesh must be avoided by Christians."

-- St Basil the Great

Thanks to FWD from Fr Josiah Trenham.
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About that Halloween "Mass" ...

Like Dawn, I only watched the beginning snippet. Couldn't bear to see it through.

But, I can understand. Really, I can. It is often thought that mocking the devil is a holy endeavor. "Look! We can dress up like devils, serve the Mass, and still ... be able to live another day. Ha-ha! God doesn't care about our fun and frolic!" And, of course, that is true. He, the He, just plain don't care (for it). Find me a place in Scripture where the Lord longs for our "fun and frolic." God help us.

Still, I've been there. Kinda.

I remember when I was in college and attending a little Episcopal church on campus. We once had a visiting priest, a young man with a beard, to celebrate an evening Mass in a peculiar way. We stood around in a circle, the priest without any vestments -- in jeans & a flannel, all of us around the altar and, sans the eucharistic prayers -- but with the "Words of Institution," we passed around a styrofoam cup of wine and a disposable picnic plate with a slice of white bread. Each of us communed the person next to us. At the end we held hands, enjoyed a very pregnant moment of silence, and ended with an extemporaneous group prayer. And that was it.

The message: God doesn't mind if we just do it this way. Or any ol' way, for that matter. We don't need all that pomp and majesty stuff. All we need's each other.

One of my seminary profs, Dr Peter Toon, was once asked about receiving communion from suspected non-believing clergy -- say, heretics. He said, and you have to hear this in a gentle and dramatic English accent: "Sometimes, on your way to receive communion, you have to pray, 'Dear Lord, of Thy mercy, today please give me just a little piece of bread and a small sip of wine.'"

In other words, God does care. It does matter.

To that end, someone has taken the time to write a letter to Fr Fred, the priest who encouraged the "Devil Mass." Here's a quote:

You made the Mass into a joke with your idea of "fun and frolic". In fact these two words should not even enter into your speech when talking about the Mass. Christ did not institute the Sacrament of His Body and Blood so that we could come together to have fun and frolic together; He gave us the Eucharist so that we could proclaim His Death and Resurrection until He comes again and so that we as His believers could share in His Sacrifice that has been offered once and for all. I ask you for the sake of those who are under your care either treat the Lord present in the Eucharist with the respect and reverence He so rightly deserves or else leave the priesthood.

Go here for the whole letter.

Would that we all, Catholic, Orthodox & Other, took such matters as seriously as we do sports, shopping, surfing, and pleasuring. In other words, would that we Christians took the eucharist more seriously than we do fun and frolic.

After all, when it comes to fun and frolic, someone does care. (And he don't even mind if you mock him.)

But he can't save you.


Corrected spelling of the F-word thanks to blog reg, Doug.
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For several years Father Fred Bailey of Corpus Christichurch in the diocese of Orange, California, has had a special Halloween mass. It features devils giving out communion The cantor is a witch. Fred said “As goblins and ghouls, we raise one voice: Our Father…” but I doubt that the Father he addressed was the one in Heaven, but rather the Father of lies. Fred himself dressed up as Barney as the musicians played theme from the Adams Family ...

More ...
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No more boom box cars.

When I was young, you could play your KISS tapes as loud as you wanted. Back then, speakers had only a tinny AM type a sound. Even when Disco threatened world civ, no one's doors rattled with its dizzying round-n-round. No sir. But these days, it's quieter in Iraq than on the streets of a Merica.

If I am elected, I will see to it that there's a sound ordinance phone number, like the current 911 system, on every cell phone. You hear an offender -- you know the ones: Sounds like dinosaur at 5 o'clock in your rear view, light turns red, sits beside you, music so deafening you get that metallic taste in your mouth like you just been punched, your car starts rattling, you dare not look over at the black tinted windows with the wheels still spinnin though it's sitting still (except for the breathing doors which bulge with the "music" whose lyrics are spouting God knows what) ...

SO, you hear the offending dinosaur, what do you do?

You dial *7#7*7.

That's right. Dial *7#7*7.

This number contacts no one. Instead, it disables any thundering pimp wagon within 20 yards and automatically switches their ha-uge bling, bling sound system to pure AM radio static. Pure static.

This, my fellow Mericans, might seem extreme to some. But to these people I say, think about it, All Hillary Clinton All the Time, or even Sean Hannity for that matter, would be far, far worse. Intolerable.

As it now stands, should we tarry on this measure, in future generations English will no longer be spoken in this great land. Rather, a crude form of sign language will surely take its place. Though they've lost their minds, let us help our beloved thugs before they also lose their hearing.

Vote for me, Elmer P. Floodbottom.

* * * * *

Gore Vidal said, "Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never vote for president. One hopes it is the same half."

W.C. Fields said, "I never vote for anyone. I always vote against."

Quotes stolen from Writer's Almanac.
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The restaurant across the street from St George, Cleburne's Cafeteria, had a big Do yesterday, rolling back prices to 1941 -- to celebrate 65 years. (Dinners were 45 cents, desserts 08 cents, etc. Click here, scroll down.)

They hosted live entertainment all the day long.

Here's Helen with an Elvis impersonator.

Actually, I think that is Elvis.


While I have your attention ... here's the funniest thing you'll read in the next few minutes (maybe all day).
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Former Episcopalian, Orthodox Priest in Dixie, frequent Commentor on Pontifications, a fine pastor and all-round good guy, Fr Stephen Freeman ...

now has a blog.

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I beseech You, O God, send me help from your highest heavens so that I may keep afar from my heart every evil intention and every carnal wish.

Do not cast me, Lord, from your protection lest my adversary find me.
0 name of Jesus, key to all gifts, open up for me the great door to your treasurehouse so that I may enter and praise you with the praise that comes from the heart in return for your mercies which I have experienced in latter days; for you came and renewed me with an awareness of the New World.

I give praise to your holy nature, Lord, for you have made my nature a sanctuary for your hiddenness and a tabernacle for your Mysteries, a place where you can dwell, and a holy temple for your divinity.

0 Mystery exalted beyond every word and beyond silence, who became human in order to renew us by means of voluntary union with the flesh, reveal to me the path by which I may be raised up to your mysteries, traveling along a course that is clear and tranquil, free from the concerns of this world. Gather my mind into the silence of prayer, so that all my wandering thoughts may be silenced within me during that luminous converse of supplication and mystery-filled wonder.

-- Saint Isaac of Nineveh

Taken from a Mysticism e-list.
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The choice is between those who understand, even if they are poor specimens of Christian devotion, that the very existence of the Christian God must relegate politics to the status of a temporary and at best secondary good, and those who do not understand this, those for whom politics or sex or material status or some poisonous chimera amalgamated from them all -- a creature with the head of a CEO, the claws of a bond trader, and the groin of a streetwalker -- has rushed in to fill the empty niche above the altar.

Read it all.
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1) An imprisoned bishop.

Can you help?


2) Being a fake priest is big business in Japan.


3) Dr. Alveda King, MLK's neice:

"Please, I urge you, do be distracted by political rhetoric. The most pressing civil rights issue of this season is the protection of the lives of the pre-born."

"Your vote counts. Please cast it, for life!"

Finally ...

4) At Duke University, there were four sophomores taking chemistry. All of them had an "A" going into their final exam. These four friends were so confident, that the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party. They had a great time, but after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Duke until early Monday morning.

Rather than taking the final then, they decided not to show up for it and explain to their professor afterwards why they missed it. They explained that they visited friends, and on the way back they had a flat tire. As a result, they missed the final. The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day. The guys were excited and relieved. That night they studied for the exam.

At exam time, the Professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them each a test booklet. Each quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points. Cool, they thought! Each one in separate rooms, thinking this was going to be easy.... then they turned the page. On the second page was written ...

For 95 points: Which tire? _____
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"Guard your mind from evil thoughts concerning your neighbors, knowing that the demons put them there, aiming to blind you to your own sins and prevent you from directing yourself toward God."

-- The Venerable Elias the Egyptian (Feast - November 3rd)

Taken from the Prologue of Ohrid.

Racism is a sin almost nobody confesses. Like pollution, it is a "sin of the world" that is everybody's responsibility but apparently nobody's fault. One could hardly imagine a more fitting patron of Christian forgiveness (on the part of those discriminated against) and Christian justice (on the part of reformed racists) than Martin de Porres [Feast on the Roman Catholic calendar: November 3rd].

Source

November 3rd is also a lesser commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr George, the day we remember the translation of his holy relics to Lydda in Palestine.

O George the martyr,
O George the victor:
Through suffering, you conquered,
And through death you have been glorified.
You held all things to be of less value
Than truth, O George.
You gave up earthly power and honor,
And stood beside the Living Christ.

O George the martyr,
O George the victor:
Pierced and broken with horrible tortures,
You were sustained by God's hand.
All your pains were as nothing --
By the power of God's mighty hand.
We all bow down before you
And glorify your name.

O Martyr George,
O Victor George:
Have mercy on us now,
By your prayers, protect us
Before the throne of Christ God,
Our Almighty Savior;
And pray that we not fear torture,
And that, by patience, we conquer!

Also taken from the Prologue.
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Okay, y'all. Check it out.
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There was a priest who was serving a parish. He was not well liked by the people in this village. He smoked, drank, did drugs, and was constantly with women. The people complained so much about his behavior to the Bishop that the Bishop decided to do something about it. He went to the village, and talked with the people. They were sure they wanted this priest out of their village.

That night the Bishop decided that he would, in fact, remove this priest the very next morning. The Bishop went to sleep, and had a strange dream. The dream goes like this:

The Bishop was on his way to carry out the priests removal, and as he was walking hundreds of people were grabbing him trying to stop him. He didn't understand it, so he asked these people "why are you trying to stop me?" They answered "Because he is the only person that prays for us." The Bishop woke up and remembered his dream but didn't understand it. So he decided he would go talk to the priest first, and find out a little something about him.

He met the priest, and asked if it was true about his smoking, etc. The priest said "Yes, it is all true what the people say about me." Then the Bishop asked "Well, there must be something good about you." The priest couldn't think of anything. So the Bishop insisted that there must be something about him that is positive. The only thing that the priest could think of was that he said his prayer rule every morning, and he prayed for every soul that died in the community.

When the Bishop heard this he understood his dream, and shared it with the priest. The priest changed his way of living from that day forward, and he became a righteous priest.

Our Wednesday night Adult Ed class has been studying PRAYER. The above story was sent to me by a participant.
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October 31st, St George All Saints Party. Dressing up as Saints encouraged; super heroes and "benign beings" allowed; boogers & such discouraged.

Hover your cursor over the pics for captions; click pics to enlarge.













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Last night the Annual All Saints Party was held at St George, Houston. Dressing up as Saints is encouraged; super heroes and "benign beings" are allowed; boogers & such discouraged.

Hover your cursor over the pics for captions; click pics to enlarge.










Part Two to come ...
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