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Everything Else

Being Christian

As posted at Echo Faith a 9Rules member site.

Christianity For Sale

God does not want salesmen. Salesmen don’t care about the people they’re selling to. They don’t want to know their life-stories, the struggles they’ve dealt with, the passions they’ve pursued, the dreams they’ve had.

So many times in life I’ve felt like I’d been hired to be God’s salesman. It was my job, in all situations and conversations, to find that angle or loophole to slip God into the conversation and convert, convert, convert!

The problem with this mentality is when you’re busy looking for a loophole, you miss the conversation. It’s like a quarrelsome couple in a fight. When one talks, the other spends all their energy trying to think of a comeback and how to defend their position instead of actually listening to what the other side has to say.

We need to lose the briefcase and suit and just be real people. There’s no need to ‘sell your point’ as long as you live it. Don’t go out of the way to hide your christianity from conversation but don’t shout it out either. Being christian should be as much a part of us as being a graphic designer or being a husband, a sister, an artist, a construction worker, a skater, a girlfriend, or whatever combination of things makes you who you are.

Everything Else

Achieving Orthodoxy

A very interesting reprint From Ad Orientem of the essay: The Significance of Apostolic Succession in Heterodoxy* which was written by Metropolitan, later Patriarch, Sergii (Stragorodsky) and first published in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1935 (No. 23-24) and republished in the October 1961 edition of the JMP.

The editors note that the importance of the subject, the authority of the author and the unavailability of this essay to the wide circle of their readers convinced them to reprint Metropolitan Sergii’s essay.

Here are a few interesting excerpts.

…

For example the Old Catholic and the Belakrinitza hierarchies both base their origin on individual ordinations. The Orthodox Church unconditionally rejects the latter hierarchy and declares all of its acts as invalid, and those who enter the Church are received through chrismation. Our Church likewise does not recognize Old Catholic hierarchy. At this time no one knows how they are treated in the Greek East. However the relations of ruling Church circles towards the Old Catholics (at least in the past) has been most sympathetic both from our part and in the East. Particularly, individual consecration was not an unconditional impediment for the recognition of the Old Catholic hierarchy. In justification, reference was made to the acceptance by Western practice of individual consecration (one bishop and two specially empowered abbots). Perhaps this departure became established because the bishop’s office, in view of the development of Papal authority, does not differ much from that of the presbyter. Be that as it may, but if the Old Catholics truly adopted for themselves the teaching of the ancient undivided Church, and would not resort to dogmatism, analysis and arguments about details of teaching and ritual, and if the leaders would be less imitative of Protestants, it is very possible that Old Catholics would have by now received in communion with the recognition of their hierarchy.

…

In order to establish itself in communion, the heterodox “Church” must at least recognize its dogmatical and canonical defects and correct them, which it can do on its own initiative and then by that fact of correction it becomes a full member of the union of local Orthodox Churches, joined together by mutual communion in the Eucharist and prayer. In such a case there is no need of an official reception or a union with one of the existing Orthodox Churches. The Westerners, knowing only about unions with Rome which requires the suppression of any local customs or independence, are afraid that an invitation to unite with the Eastern Orthodox Church would result in the same attempt to subject them to the East with a loss of their own originality. This fear of course, chills any already lukewarm thoughts about Church union. In point of fact, if the Eucharistic communion with the Orthodox Church is merely a desirable embellishment of Church life and not life itself, then is it not reasonable from the point of an abstract idea, perhaps one which is fascinating and edifying, but practically not very beneficial, to risk some very precious realities? This leads to an exchange of many sweet words, much erudition, many arguments over secondary matters, much persistence in vindicating principles, but there is not that thirst which forces one “…to come to the waters” (Is. 55:1), there is no spiritual effort with which one can “accomplish great things” (G. Canon).

…

* Heterodoxy = anything not Orthodox i.e., R.C., Old Catholic, PNCC, Anglican, Protestant, etc.

Also note, since this was 1935, the term ‘Old Catholics’ includes the PNCC. Many of the Old Catholic churches have fallen so far from orthodoxy (women ‘priests’, homosexual union blessings) that I would venture to guess that they would no longer be viewed as they were in 1935.

Everything Else

Хрiстосъ Воскресе! Воистину Воскресе!

Pascha

The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom (Read Each Year at Pascha)

Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God? Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival! Is there anyone who is a grateful servant? Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting? Let them now receive their wages! If any have toiled from the first hour, let them receive their due reward; If any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude join in the Feast! And he that arrived after the sixth hour, let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss. And if any delayed until the ninth hour, let him not hesitate; but let him come too. And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, as well as to him that toiled from the first. To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows. He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor. The deed He honors and the intention He commends.

Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord! First and last alike receive your reward; rich and poor, rejoice together! Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!

You that have kept the fast, and you that have not, rejoice today for the Table is richly laden! Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith. Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.

He destroyed Hades when He descended into it. He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he said, “You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below.”

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with. It was in an uproar because it is mocked. It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed. It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated. It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive. Hell took a body, and discovered God. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, O death, are annihilated! Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, and life is liberated! Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!

Everything Else, ,

A new ministry

A colleague from our ecumenical group has offered me an opportunity to assume his nursing home ministry.

I begin tomorrow.

The nursing home is run by the Daughters of Sarah. There is a small group of Christians who live there and meet once a month for prayer, scripture, and fellowship.

In my seminary days I had a nursing home ministry. When I lived in Buffalo I worked at a senior respite center and in a hospital based skilled nursing facility. I look forward to resuming this type of work. I always found it to be rewarding. The Lord works in marvelous ways through us and teaches us greatly through the challenges such a ministry brings.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will work through my hands and words to bring our Lord’s healing love to these folks.

Please keep me in your prayers.

[dels]blogs4god/ministries[/dels]

Everything Else

Bible meme

I’ve been tagged by the Young Fogey:

1. How many Bibles are in your home?

Five full Bibles
Four children’s Bibles
Three partial ‘Bibles’

2. What rooms are they in?

The five full Bibles are in the family office.
One children’s Bible is in the dining room the others are in the children’s rooms.
Of the partial Bibles, one is in our office, and two are at our parish.

3. What translations do you have?

Whole Bibles

  1. The New American Bible (paperback, 1970)
  2. The New American Bible (1992 with revised New Testament)
  3. Douay/Confraternity Bible (1955, Daughters of St. Paul)
  4. The New English Bible with Apocrypha (1971, Oxford University Press)
  5. The New International Version

Children’s Bibles

  1. Read with me Bible (NIrV Children’s Bible, ZonderKidz, 2000)
  2. The Children’s Bible (Golden Press, 1965)
  3. The Beginners Bible (Zondervan, 1989)
  4. The Book for Children (Tyndale, 2000)

Partial

  1. The Lectionary for Mass, 1970 Edition
  2. Book of Sung Gospels, 3rd Edition, CanticaNova
  3. Christian Prayer, The Liturgy of the Hours, Helicon Press, 1976 (one volume edition)

4. Do you have a preference?

For beautiful reading I love the Douay/Confraternity edition. For study and homily preparation the NAB edition, since it is what is used at Holy Mass in the PNCC. For comparative I use online resources and generally refer to the Revised Standard Version and the NIV. The RSV with Apocrypha is the official study Bible of the PNCC.

5. Nominate an interesting verse:

1 John 4:18

Love has no room for fear;
rather, perfect love casts out all fear.

I pass this on to Edward Yong and Mr. and Mrs. Darwin.

Everything Else,

Vocation to the Diaconate

A reader asked:

…can [you] provide some information about how you came to become a deacon, and offer your advise for others who are discerning that call, it would be greatly appreciated.

As they say —“ start with humor. Asking a blogger to talk about himself is an oxymoron…

And here I was going to begin writing about discernment, formation, the time it takes to have an understanding of yourself and your relationship with Christ in the context of the Church.

It would all be good, sound, doctrinal stuff. It would also be insipid.

What I suggest is that you go on over to the Ancient Faith Radio website or directly to the Our Life in Christ website and listen to their podcasts regarding the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian (he was a deacon by the way).

Here’s the prayer:

O Lord and Master of my life,
Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair,
lust of power and idle talk;
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my
own transgressions and not to judge my brother,
for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.

The key to any vocation and to life in Christ is the humility found in this prayer.

The Lord needs to be the Master of your life. He should be enthroned as its center and seen as its purpose and goal.

For a deacon, humility is ultimately important. Some might look on the vocation as social work and charity under the guise of a confirmed role in the Church. That is very far from the truth. If people want to do charity, enter into social work, or just ‘do good’, there are plenty of opportunities both in the secular world and in parishes.

My vocation had its roots in my family life, the examples of the saints and heroes of the faith, regular attachment to the Church, and the struggles during the dark times of life. Ultimately, my vocation came from my desire to set myself aside; to let the fullness of Christ shine through me and through my service to Him. It is the desire to be an object the Lord uses to accomplish His purposes.

Can I say I am there? Absolutely not! I can only say that I try each day to orient myself to what God desires. It is difficult. It is tempting to focus on the self. Temptation and struggles abound. But when I am in Christ’s presence at the Holy Altar, I cannot help but be overwhelmed with the desire to serve Him; to perform the most menial of tasks, and from that deprecation of the self, to receive the grace to care for my brothers and sisters.

That sense or desire is more than a momentary impression or feeling. It grows with time into a longing desire. Everything flows from Christ and the way He taught us to follow the Father’s will. It flows from His very presence in the Holy Eucharist. It fills the nooks and crannies of your life, your relationship to work, school, friends, family, those who dislike or hate you, the whole world.

I have also written on vocations for our parish website. Check out: Do I have a vocation?

The becoming part is something that happens in your life. It is the way Jesus is moulding you. If you are allowing Him to mould and form you, then you are ready to inquire. There is a process of course, and I would refer you to Fr. Czeslaw Kroliczkowski, Vice-Rector of the Savanrola Theological Seminary for more information on the particulars.

Savonarola Theological Seminary of the
Polish National Catholic Church
1031 Cedar Ave
Scranton, PA 18505
School, (570) 961-9288
Office, (570) 343-0100

If you wish, send me a private E-mail and I will forward your inquiry to him by E-mail.

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