First Sunday of Lent - The Sunday of Orthodoxy

[尼古拉前执事]

THE ORDER FOR A HYMN OF SUPPLICATION FOR THE CONVERSION OF THOSE IN ERROR CHANTED ON THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY AND IN OTHER CASES OF NECESSITY

Chanted on the Sunday of Orthodoxy and in Other Cases of Necessity, in monasteries, and in city and village churches, on the first Sunday of the Great Fast, also blessing missionaries to chant it: (a) before undertaking to converse with schismatics and sectarians; (b) when they reconcile to the Orthodox Church those who have returned to the path of Truth; and (c) before the opening sessions of diocesan missionary conferences and other similar events.

After the conclusion of the Liturgy, the clergy go forth from the sanctuary and, having made three bows, begin thus:

The Deacon saith: Bless, Master! The senior celebrating priest saith: Blessed is our God ... People: Amen. O heavenly King ... Reader: Trisagion through Our Father ... Lord, have mercy! (12 times), Glory ... Now and ever ... O come, let us worship (thrice); and Psalm 74.

We will confess Thee, O God, we will confess Thee, and we will call upon Thy name. I will tell of all Thy wonders. When I am given the appointed time, I will judge uprightly. The earth is melted and all that dwell therein; it is I that made steadfast the pillars thereof. I said to the transgressors: Do not transgress; and to the sinners: Lift not up the horn. Lift not up your horn on high, and speak not unrighteousness against God. For judgment cometh not from the byways, nor from the west, nor from the desert mountains, for God is judge. This man He humbleth, and another He exalteth; for in the hand of the Lord there is a brimming cup of unmingled wine. And He hath inclined it from side to side, but the dregs thereof were not fully emptied out; all the sinners of the earth shall drink of them. But as for me, I will rejoice for ever; I will chant unto the God of Jacob. And all the horns of the sinners will I break, but the horn of the righteous man shall be exalted.

Glory ... ; Now and ever ... ; Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God! Thrice.

The deacon then intoneth the usual Great Litany, with additions, to each petition of which the people respond ... Lord, have mercy! ... :

In peace, let us pray to the Lord. For the peace from above, and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. For the peace of the whole world, the good estate of the holy churches of God, and the union of all, let us pray to the Lord. For this holy temple, and for them that with faith, reverence, and the fear of God enter herein, let us pray to the Lord. For the Orthodox episcopate of the persecuted Church of Russia; for our lord the Most Reverend Metropolitan N., First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad; for our lord the Right Reverend Bishop (Archbishop) N. (whose diocese it is); for the venerable priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord. For the suffering land of Russia and its Orthodox people both in the homeland and in the diaspora, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord. For this land and its authorities, let us pray to the Lord. For this city (town, holy monastery), for every city and country, and the faithful that dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord. For seasonable weather, abundance of the fruits of the earth, and peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord. For travelers by sea, land and air; for the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord. That Christ may look upon His Holy Church with a merciful eye, preserve it unharmed and invincible to heresies and superstitions, and protect it with His peace, let us pray to the Lord. That He may heal her divisions, turn all who have fallen away to a knowledge of the Truth by the power of the Holy Spirit, and number them among His chosen flock, let us pray to the Lord. That with the light of His divine understanding He may enlighten the minds of those who have become benighted by unbelief, and may strengthen His faithful and preserve them unwavering in the right Faith, let us pray to the Lord. That we may be delivered from all tribulations, wrath and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. Help us, save us, have mercy upon us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace. Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life to Christ our God. People: To Thee, O Lord. Priest: For unto Thee is due all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Then the Deacon intoneth "God is the Lord ... " and the following troparion are chanted in Tone IV: Glorifying Thee, O Lord, we, Thine unworthy servants, thankful for Thy great benefactions bestowed upon us, praise, bless, hymn, magnify and give thanks for Thy loving-kindness, and as servants we cry out to Thee with love: O our Savior and Benefactor, glory to Thee! Glory ... , and this troparion, in Tone III:

As unprofitable servants who have been freely vouchsafed Thy benefactions and gifts, O Master, earnestly having recourse to Thee, we offer such thanksgiving as we are able, and, glorifying Thee as our Benefactor and Creator, we cry aloud: Glory to Thee, O all-compassionate God! Now and ever ... , and this troparion, in Tone IV: O Lord, Thou Life and Resurrection of all, make firm this habitation for ever, as Thou didst the majesty of the firmament on high, and hast shown forth the beauty of this holy habitation of Thy glory here below; and accept the prayers we offer Thee unceasingly there, through the Theotokos.

The foregoing troparia are the ones chanted on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. But on other occasions of need, we chant, at Now and ever ... , the troparion of Pentecost, in Tone VIII, Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who revealed the fishermen as all-wise, having sent down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them didst fish for the whole world! O Thou Who lovest mankind, glory to Thee!

Deacon: Let us attend! Priest: Peace be unto all! Reader: And to thy spirit. Deacon: Wisdom! Reader: The Prokimenon in Tone IV: They that are planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God shall they blossom forth. Stichos: The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall hope in Him. Deacon: Wisdom! Reader: The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans. Deacon: Let us attend!

Reader: Brethren, now I beseech you: Mark those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For those who are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own body, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad, therefore, on your behalf; but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Priest: Peace be to thee who readest. Reader: And to thy spirit. Deacon: Wisdom! Reader: Alleluia, in Tone IV: O Shepherd of Israel, attend, Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep. People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Deacon: Wisdom! Aright! Let us hear the Holy Gospel. Priest: Peace be unto all! People: And to thy spirit. Deacon: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. People: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee. Deacon: Let us attend. Priest: The Lord said: ... Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father, Who is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye ... If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray ... And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more over that sheep than over the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father, Who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church; but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen and a tax collector. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

People: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee. The Deacon then intoneth the following litany: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy. (And after each petition, all respond Lord, have mercy! Thrice.)

Again we pray for the Orthodox episcopate of the persecuted Church of Russia; for our lord the Most Reverend Metropolitan N., First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad; for our lord the Right Reverend Bishop (Archbishop) N. (whose diocese it is); and all our brethren in Christ. O Thou Who desirest not the death of sinners, but awaitest their conversion and repentance, turn all who have fallen away to Thy Holy Church, we pray Thee, O merciful Lord, hearken and have mercy. O Thou Who in Thy glory hast ordered this world, cause those who oppose Thy word to convert and, together with all the faithful, to glorify Thee, our God, with true faith and piety, we pray Thee, O almighty Creator, hearken and have mercy. O Thou Who gavest us the commandment to love Thee, our God, and our neighbor, cause hatred, enmity, strife, vengeance, oath-breaking and other iniquities to cease, and let true love reign in our hearts, we pray Thee, O our Savior, hearken and mercifully have mercy. Priest: Hearken unto us, O God our Savior, Thou hope of all the ends of the earth and of those who be far off at sea; and be gracious, be gracious, O Master, unto our sins, and have mercy on us; for a merciful God art Thou, Who lovest mankind, and unto Thee do we send up glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. People: Amen.

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord People: Lord, have mercy! And the Priest then readeth the following Prayer:

O God Most High, Master and Author of all creation, Who hast filled all things with Thy majesty and sustainest all things by Thy power! To Thee, our most generous Lord, do we offer thanksgiving, unworthy though we are, for Thou dost not turn away from us because of our iniquities, but dost even anticipate us in Thy compassions. Thou didst send Thine only-begotten Son for our deliverance, and madest known Thine immeasurable condescension toward the human race, in that Thou greatly desirest and awaitest that we turn to Thee and be saved. Condescending to the weakness of our nature, Thou dost strengthen us with the all-powerful grace of Thy Holy Spirit, dost console us with saving faith and perfect hope in eternal blessings, and, guiding Thy chosen ones to the heavenly Sion, dost keep us like the apple of Thine eye. We confess Thy great and incomparable love for mankind and Thy lovingkindness, O Lord. But seeing manifold stumbling blocks, we earnestly entreat Thee, O God most good: Look upon Thy Church, and behold how, though we have joyously received Thy Gospel of salvation, yet the thorns of vanity and the passions let it bear but little fruit in certain places, and no fruit in others; and with the increase of iniquities, some opposing the truth of Thy Gospel by heresies, others by schism, fall away from Thy dignity, reject Thy grace, and incur the judgement of Thine all-holy word. O all-compassionate and omnipotent Lord Who art not utterly angered: Be merciful, Thy Church beseecheth Thee, putting forward as intercessor before Thee Jesus Christ, the Author and Accomplisher of our salvation. Be merciful unto us; strengthen us in the right Faith by Thy power, and with Thy divine light illumine the spiritual eyes of those in error, that they may come to understand Thy Truth. Soften the hardness of their hearts and open their ears, that they may recognize Thy voice and turn to Thee, our Savior. O Lord, set aright their division and their life which is not in accord with Christian piety; cause all to live holy and blameless lives, and thus root the saving Faith firmly and make it to bear fruit in our hearts. Turn not Thy face away from us, O Lord; grant us the joy of Thy salvation; impart holy zeal to the pastors of Thy Church, and season their care for the salvation and conversion of those in error with the spirit of the Gospel: that, guided thus, we may all attain the place where are perfection of faith, fulfillment of hope and true love, and may there, with the choirs of the most pure hosts of heaven, glorify Thee, our Lord ... the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: unto ages of ages. People: Amen.

Deacon: Wisdom! People: More honorable than the cherubim ...

And the customary ending and dismissal.

Translated by Isaac E. Lambertsen from the Church Slavonic service (St. Petersburg: Synodal Press, 1902; reprinted at Jordanville, NY: St. Job of Pochaev Press, 1967). Revised translation copyright © 1998. All rights reserved by the translator.

[尼古拉前执事]

TRIUMPH OF ORTHODOXY
by Protopriest Michael Konstantinov
(from the series of sermons on Russian Radio in Australia)

The dogma of icon veneration holds a special place among Christian dogmas and has a special historical significance. For over one hundred years, the iconoclastic heresy rent the Church of Christ. By the will of the iconoclastic emperors, holy icons were thrown out of churches, burned and destroyed, and the zealots of Orthodoxy were subjected to cruel persecution. Even the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787, confirming the dogma of the veneration of icons, did not bring the Church the desired peace. Even fifty years after this Council, the heresy of iconoclasm continued to upset the Church, until the year 842, when the veneration of icons was universally restored. In memory of this event, the Church established that on the first Sunday of Great Lent every year, the "Triumph of Orthodoxy is to be celebrated. The Seventh Ecumenical Council decreed that the existence of icons and their veneration is based by the Church not on Holy Scripture, which iconoclasts point to as containing no evidence in favor of icons, but on Holy Tradition. The first icon of the Savior, the Image-Not-Made-by-Hands, existed when the Holy Scripture of the New Testament had not yet existed. Holy Scripture itself is Holy Tradition laid down in writing. Over the first several decades of its history, the New Testament Church did not have Scripture, but lived only by Tradition.

The Seventh Ecumenical Council confirmed the divine inspiration of icons, for the very same Holy Spirit Who inspires the teachings of the Apostles and Holy Fathers, appears and inspires icon-painting. In both instances, the source of inspiration is the same. This justifies calling the icon "theology in images on par with theology in words (Holy Scripture).

The venerated icons from the first centuries of Christianity have not survived to our day, but church tradition speaks of them, as do historical references. The word "icon comes from the Greek and means "image, "portrait. In the history of the Church by Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, who lived in the third century, we find the following: "I saw many portraits of the Savior, of Peter and Paul, who survived to our day. Eusebius also gave a detailed description of a statue of the Savior in the city of Paneas (Caesarea Philippi, Palestine), erected by the woman with an issue of blood.

In examining the question of the veneration of icons, we must understand the difference between the image and that which is portrayed. An icon cannot be of the same substance as the subject, for then it would be the subject itself, for it would share the same nature. Honor bestowed upon an image is paid to the subject depicted by it. What was impossible to portray in the Old Testament becomes possible in the New, when God the Word, the Second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, Who is indescribable either by word or by image, but assumes man s nature, is born of the Virgin Theotokos, remaining completely God, becoming completely Man, becoming visible, tangible, and consequently, describable. So the very existence of the icon is based on the Divine Incarnation. That is why in the eyes of the Church, the rejection of an icon of Christ is the rejection of the truth and the immutability of His very incarnation, and, consequently, the rejection of His plan for our salvation. At the Seventh Ecumenical Council, the Church condemned the iconoclastic heresy. In our day, there are still those who preach the heresy of iconoclasm and reject the veneration of holy icons. Let us pray the Lord that they "come into the true wisdom and that we become examples of the Orthodox Christian faith and life. Amen.

Protopriest Michael Konstantinov*

*Protopriest Michael Konstantinov has been rector of the Churches of Archangel Michael and St. George in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, for over 30 years.

[Protopriest Dionysi]

The Sermon of St Tikhon on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy:

This Sunday, Brethren, begins the week of Orthodoxy, or the week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, because it is today that the Holy Orthodox Church solemnly recalls its victory over the Iconoclast heresy and other heresies and gratefully remembers all who fought for the Orthodox faith in word, writing, teaching, suffering, or godly living.

Keeping the day of Orthodoxy, Orthodox people ought to remember it is their sacred duty to stand firm in their Orthodox faith and carefully to keep it.

For us it is a precious treasure: in it we were born and raised; all the important events of our life are related to it, and it is ever ready to give us its help and blessing in all our needs and good undertakings, however unimportant they may seem. It supplies us with strength, good cheer and consolation, it heals, purifies and saves us.

The Orthodox faith is also dear to us because it is the Faith of our Fathers. For its sake the Apostles bore pain and labored; martyrs and preachers suffered for it; champions, who were like unto the saints, shed their tears and their blood; pastors and teachers fought for it; and our ancestors stood for it, whose legacy it was that to us it should be dearer than the pupil of our eyes.

And as to us, their descendants - do we preserve the Orthodox faith, do we keep to its Gospels? Of yore, the prophet Elijah, this great worker for the glory of God, complained that the Sons of Israel have abandoned the Testament of the Lord, leaning away from it towards the gods of the heathen. Yet the Lord revealed to His prophet, that amongst the Israelites there still were seven thousand people who have not knelt before Baal (3 Kings 19 LXX]). Likewise, no doubt, in our days also there are some true followers of Christ. 'The Lord knoweth them that are His.' (2 Tim 2.19)

We do occasionally meet sons of the Church, who are obedient to Her decrees, who honor their spiritual pastors, love the Church of God and the beauty of its exterior, who are eager to attend to its Divine Service and to lead a good life, who recognize their human failings and sincerely repent of their sins.

But are there many such among us? Are there not more people, 'in whom the weeds of vanity and passion allow but little fruit to the influence of the Gospel, or even in whom it is altogether fruitless, who resist the truth of the Gospel, because of the increase of their sins, who renounce the gift of the Lord and repudiate the Grace of God'.

'I have given birth to sons and have glorified them, yet they deny Me,' said the Lord in the olden days concerning Israel. And today also there are many who were born, raised and glorified by the Lord in the Orthodox faith, yet who deny their faith, pay no attention to the teachings of the Church, do not keep its injunctions, do not listen to their spiritual pastors and remain cold towards the divine service and the Church of God.

How speedily some of us lose the Orthodox faith in this country of many creeds and tribes! They begin their apostasy with things, which in their eyes have but little importance. They judge it is 'old fashioned' and 'not accepted amongst educated people' to observe all such customs as: praying before and after meals, or even morning and night, to wear a cross, to keep icons in their houses and to keep church holidays and fast days. They even do not stop at this, but go further: they seldom go to church and sometimes not at all, as a man has to have some rest on a Sunday (...in a saloon); they do not go to confession, they dispense with church marriage and delay baptizing their children.

And in this way their ties with Orthodox faith are broken! They remember the Church on their deathbed, and some don't even do that! To excuse their apostasy they naively say: 'this is not the old country, this is America, and consequently it is impossible to observe all the demands of the Church.', as if the word of Christ is of use for the old country only and not for the whole world. As if the Orthodox faith is not the foundation of the world!

'Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel into anger.' (Is 1.4)

If you do not preserve the Orthodox faith and the commandments of God, the least you can do is not to humiliate your hearts by inventing false excuses for your sins!

If you do not honor our customs, the least you can do is not to laugh at things you do not know or understand.

If you do not accept the motherly care of the Holy Orthodox Church, the least you can do is to confess you act wrongly, that you are sinning against the Church and behave like children!

If you do, the Orthodox Church may forgive you, like a loving mother, your coldness and slights, and will receive you back into her embrace, as if you were erring children.

Holding to the Orthodox faith, as to something holy, loving it with all their hearts and prizing it above all, Orthodox people ought, moreover, to endeavor to spread it amongst people of other creeds.

Christ the Savior has said that 'neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candle stick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.' (Mt 5.15)

The light of Orthodoxy was not lit to shine only on a small number of men. The Orthodox Church is universal; it remembers the words of its Founder: 'Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature' (Lk 16.15), 'go ye therefore and teach all nations' (Mt 28.19).

We ought to share our spiritual wealth, our truth, light and joy with others, who are deprived of these blessings, but often are seeking them and thirsting for them.

Once 'a vision appeared to Paul in the night, there stood a man from Macedonia and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia, and help us,' (Acts 16.9) after which the apostle started for this country to preach Christ. We also hear a similar inviting voice. We live surrounded by people of alien creeds; in the sea of other religions, our Church is a small island of salvation, towards which swim some of the people, plunged in the sea of life. 'Come, hurry, help,' we sometimes hear from the heathen of far Alaska, and oftener from those who are our brothers in blood and once were our brothers in faith also, the Uniates. 'Receive us into your community, give us one of your good pastors, send us a Priest that we might have the Divine Service performed for us of a holy day, help us to build a church, to start a school for our children, so that they do not lose in America their faith and nationality,' those are the wails we often hear, especially of late.

And are we to remain deaf and insensible? God save us from such a lack of sympathy. Otherwise woe unto us, 'for we have taken away the key of knowledge, we entered not in ourselves, and them that were entering in we hindered.' (Lk 11.52)

But who is to work for the spread of the Orthodox faith, for the increase of the children of the Orthodox Church? Pastors and missionaries, you answer. You are right; but are they to be alone?

St. Paul wisely compares the Church of Christ to a body, and the life of a body is shared by all the members. So it ought to be in the life of the Church also. 'The whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.' (Eph 4.16)

At the beginning, not only pastors alone suffered for the faith of Christ, but lay people also, men, women and even children. Heresies were fought against by lay people as well. Likewise, the spread of Christ's faith ought to be near and precious to the heart of every Christian. In this work every member of the Church ought to take a lively and heart-felt interest. This interest may show itself in personal preaching of the Gospel of Christ.

And to our great joy, we know of such examples amongst our lay brethren. In Sitka, members of the Indian brotherhood do missionary work amongst other inhabitants of their villages. And one zealous brother took a trip to a distant village (Kilisno), and helped the local Priest very much in shielding the simple and credulous children of the Orthodox Church against alien influences, by his own explanations and persuasions. Moreover, in many places of the United States, those who have left Uniatism to join Orthodoxy point out to their friends where the truth is to be found, and dispose them to enter the Orthodox Church.

Needless to say, it is not everybody among us who has the opportunity or the faculty to preach the gospel personally. And in view of this I shall indicate to you, Brethren, what every man can do for the spread of Orthodoxy and what he ought to do.

The Apostolic Epistles often disclose the fact, that when the Apostles went to distant places to preach, the faithful often helped them with their prayers and their offerings. Saint Paul sought this help of the Christians especially.

Consequently we can express the interests we take in the cause of the Gospel in praying to the Lord,

that He should take this holy cause under His protection,
that He should give its servants the strength to do their work worthily,
that He should help them to conquer difficulties and dangers, which are part of the work,
that He should not allow them to grow depressed or weaken in their zeal;
that He should open the hearts of the unbelieving for the hearing and acceptance of the Gospel of Christ,
that He should impart to them the word of truth,
that He should unite them to the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church;
that He should confirm, increase and pacify His Church, keeping it forever invincible,

we pray for all this, but mostly with lips and but seldom with the heart.

Don't we often hear such remarks as these: 'what is the use of these special prayers for the newly initiated? They do not exist in our time, except, perhaps, in the out of the way places of America and Asia; let them pray for such where there are any; as to our country such prayers only needlessly prolong the service which is not short by any means, as it is.' Woe to our lack of wisdom! Woe to our carelessness and idleness!

Offering earnest prayers for the successful preaching of Christ, we can also show our interest by helping it materially. It was so in the primitive Church, and the Apostles lovingly accepted material help to the cause of the preaching, seeing in it an expression of Christian love and zeal.

In our days, these offerings are especially needed, because for the lack of them the work often comes to a dead stop. For the lack of them preachers can not be sent out, or supported, churches can not be built or schools founded, the needy amongst the newly converted can not be helped. All this needs money and members of other religions always find a way of supplying it.

Perhaps, you will say, that these people are richer than ourselves. This is true enough, but great means are accumulated by small, and if everybody amongst us gave what he could towards this purpose, we also could raise considerable means. Accordingly, do not be ashamed of the smallness of your offering. If you have much, offer all you can, but do offer, do not lose the chance of helping the cause of the conversion of your neighbors to Christ, because by so doing, in the words of St. James, 'you shall save your own soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins' (Jas 5.19-20).

Orthodox people! In celebrating the day of Orthodoxy, you must devote yourselves to the Orthodox faith not in word or tongue only, but in deed and in truth.
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[Грешник]

February 16/29, 2004
Beloved Clergy and Parishioners in the Lord, Grace and Peace be with you.

THE SUNDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF THE GREAT FAST
or SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY
The Reading is from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews [§ mid 329]. Brethren:
Gk. usage, Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40; Sl. usage, Heb. 11:24-26, 32-12:2.
11 24By faith Moses, "having become full-grown [Ex. 2:11]," refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter, 25having chosen rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin, 26since he deemed the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures in Egypt; for he kept on looking away from the treasures to the recompense....32And what more shall I say? For the time will fail me narrating about Gideon and Barak and also Samson and Jephthae, and about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith struggled against kingdoms, wrought righteousness, attained to promises, stopped mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edges of the sword, were empowered out of weakness, became strong in battle, turned back encampments of aliens. 35Women received their dead by resurrection. And others were tortured, not accepting release, that they might attain a better resurr! ection. 36And others received trial of mockings and of scourgings, and, moreover, of bonds and of imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted; they died, murdered by the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in need, afflicted, ill-treated- 38of whom the world was not worthy. They were made to wander in deserts, and in mountains, and in caves, and in the holes of the earth. 39And these all, having been approved by testimony through faith, received not for themselves the promise, 40God having foreseen some better thing concerning us, that they should not be made perfect without us.
12 1Therefore we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses which is set around us, and having laid aside every weight and sin that is easily circumvented, let us by means of patience be running the course which is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the originator and accomplisher of our faith.

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John [§ 5]. At that time:
1 43Jesus intended to go forth into Galilee; and He findeth Philip, and saith to him, "Follow thou Me." 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him, "We have found the One of Whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote-Jesus the son of Joseph, Who is from Nazareth." 46And Nathanael said to him, "Out of Nazareth can there be any good thing?" Philip saith to him, "Come and see." 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and saith concerning him, "Behold, truly an Israelite in whom is no guile." 48Nathanael saith to Him, "From what place knowest Thou me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." 49Nathanael answered, and saith to Him, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel." 50Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to thee, 'I saw thee underneat! h the fig tree,' believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these." 51And He saith to him, "Verily, verily, I say to thee, henceforth ye shall see the heaven having been opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

Code: Select all

 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.
 Today we celebrate the Victory of Orthodoxy over all heresies.  It is the First Sunday of the Great Fast.  We congratulate everybody on this Sunday of Orthodoxy.  This is our joy, our love, and we will sacrifice our lives for the Orthodox Faith.  This is the only good thing on earth.  This is why God became incarnate - to establish His Church, which the gates of hell will never prevail against.  This is the treasure hidden in the field - the Orthodox Faith.  This is the precious pearl, which a person should sell all that he has to purchase - Orthodoxy.  This is the net which is cast into the world, and all men are drawn to the truth - the Orthodox Church.  
 This feast is centered around the Commemoration of the Restoration of the Holy Icons.  How often do we hear Protestants decry that icons are idols?  They say that there should be no images of these divine realities.  They say this on the one hand, criticizing the holy icons which have been in the Christian tradition fifteen hundred years before their religion was even invented, yet on the other hand, they do not shrink from making their own icons using a different medium.  
 This past month we have heard in the news media, the commotion that the motion picture "The Passion of the Christ" is stirring in our society. But let me ask you, we make our icons in the Orthodox fashion according to the tradition handed down to us through Christ Himself, and is not the motion picture of the Passion of the Christ an icon, so to speak, of the Roman Catholics and Protestants? Yes, it is. The Orthodox make accurate icons, but the Roman Catholics and Protestants make, and forever will make, inaccurate icons. This film has been criticized roundly because it is an attempt by Mel Gibson to portray the Passion as accurately, and precisely according to reliable sources as possible. What can be more reliable than the Scriptures themselves, yet for such a great attempt, they have gone contrary to the Scriptures. But this is not unusual. Every depiction from Hollywood about our Saviour is riddled with errors. This is why I believe that! it is not possible to depict Christ in the movies. 
 It is a noble effort to record things like this accurately, yet it has never been done.  I think now that it is clear that God will not permit it to be done because the movie industry is not worthy of such a task.  The actors say and do things which are contrary to holiness. They do not know how to depict holiness. They do not know how, because they are bereft of holiness themselves. Should an Orthodox Christian view this movie? The answer, of course, is NO. It will only cause confusion. 
 Should a non-Orthodox Christian or unbeliever see this movie? Why not? They are always subjecting themselves to the themes that come from Hollywood, which are riddled with plots dealing with sex, murders, envy, and the such, and all other such wastes of time. It is refreshing that they could see something dealing with the Christ, even though it is inaccurate. 
 If an Orthodox Christian, sees the production, he will be disappointed. He will ask such obvious questions as: "Why was the Good Thief on the left and the unrepentant thief on the right? Why was the sun not darkened, as it says in the Gospel? Why was the holy St. Mary Magdalene portrayed as an adulteress? Why was the Crucifixion depicted with three nails and Christ crucified on the ground first? Why was not the centurion depicted converting and confessing Christ as it says in the script...ures?  Why was the devil depicted as a woman with a snake coming out of her mouth?  One could go on and on... But how can one depict something so earth shattering as the crucifixion, for we heard today in the hymns of the Church, "When Thou wast crucified, O Christ, Thou didst shake the foundations of the earth."?
 How can a movie depict the foundation of the earth being shaken?  How can a movie depict the Divine Energies working in such a way that it affected all who were present, and even all those on the earth?  This film, or icon, since it is a product of Western thought, depicts the bloody and horrific sufferings of a christ who had no power.  It was not a depiction of our Christ, Who is all-powerful.  Those who have seen it expressed their gratefulness that they went to Compline afterwards, and Compline helped blot out many of the memories.
 So, ultimately, the "Christians" - Protestants and Roman Catholics - are going to view this film, and they are going to make a statement to Hollywood.  It has been a box office success, bringing in millions of dollars to the disappointment of the Hollywood Jewish establishment who constantly want to offer the American public garbage and immorality.  
 For the Orthodox Christian, however, it is better that they stay home and not watch such spectacles.  

Church / Monastery News:

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 The Church in Bulgaria has received four more souls into its bosom.  The servants of God Martin and Maria and their children Magdalina and Christo.  Please keep them in your prayers.
 The first week of the Great Fast, of course, is a time of struggle.  We all received temptations according to our strength, but thank God we were all able to persevere.  
 This week we received another novice. His name is Matthew. He comes to us from Minneapolis. He is a native of Colombia, South America. Please keep him in your prayers.

Question Box:

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 Q. Should Orthodox Christians vote?
 Yes.  Voting can be a powerful means to stop certain atrocities such as abortion.  When we vote for a candidate who is against legalized abortion, we are doing a Christian work.  
 
 Q.  When one gets sleepy or tired, can they do reverences and prostrations during the prayer service, discreetly without disturbing anyone?
 Yes, why not?  Anything you have to do to keep awake is good.  Do it discreetly, though, so as not to disturb other worshippers.  In some monasteries, when Vigil gets very long, the deacon goes around the church with holy water laced with rose water, and sprinkles everybody's hands which are cupped to receive it, so they may wipe their faces, and thereby help them stay awake.
 
 Q. How does one commemorate a saint?  
 By mentioning his name in prayer.  For example, "Through the prayers of our holy and God-bearing Father Theodore the Studite, may the Lord have mercy on me [or on my family, etc.]."

Please pray for:

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 Our Vladika Metropolitan Valentine.  He had black spots on his feet, which indicate a circulation problem, but thank God they disappeared.

Crumbs from the trapeza table:
St. Theodore the Studite, Catechesis 54 (On fasting and dispassion; spoken at the beginning of the fast, on Wednesday of the First Week):
In everything be good to one another, compassionate, reasonable, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and thoughts. And now, may you be found worthy without condemnation to reach the supreme day of the Resurrection, but in the age to come at the resurrection of the dead to gain the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the might, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

In Christ,

+Bishop Gregory, and those with me.

[Kollyvas]

http://www.orthodox.net/greatlent/sunda ... verky.html

The Sunday of Orthodoxy,
The First Sunday Of Great Lent
Sermon by Archbishop Averky
SERMON OF ARCHBISHOP AVERKY SUNDAY ORTHODOXY

"This is the Apostolic faith, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the Orthodox faith ”

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, you will hear these solemn and significant words in the Rite of Orthodoxy which the Holy Church has established to be served on this day. The first week of Holy and Great Lent has ended a week of intensified prayer and ascetical repentance. Now the Holy Church, desiring to encourage and console us, has established for us in this first week of Great Lent, on its first Sunday, a spiritual celebration, one most dear and close to our hearts - The Triumph of Orthodoxy.

This celebration was first performed in 842 in Constantinople in the presence of the Blessed Empress Theodora by His Holiness Patriarch Methodius in memory of the overthrow of the last terrible heresy to shake Christ's Church, the heresy of iconoclasm. But in this celebration the Holy Church marks the triumph of the holy Orthodox faith in general, her victory over all impious heresies, false teachings and schisms.

Our Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour founded His Church on earth so that all belonging to her could be saved, could elude the nets of the devil and enter into the Heavenly Kingdom prepared for them.

The devil exerted all his strength to overthrow and destroy the Church of Christ and, through this, to hinder the salvation of men, At first he raised up terrible persecutions against the Church on the part of the Jews and pagans. For almost three centuries the blood of Christian martyrs flowed without ceasing. But the devil did not succeed in his task. The blood of the martyrs, according to the apt statement of the Christian apologist Tertullian, became the seeds of Christians. Christianity triumphed over its persecutors. The meek lambs of Christ's flock transformed the wolf-like rage of their persecutors into lamb-like meekness.

But the devil did not resist after the defeat he suffered at the hands of the martyrs .When the Church of Christ triumphed in the world he raised up a new, even more dangerous persecution against her: from within the Church, as the Holy Apostle Paul had foretold in his conversation with the Ephesian presbyters: "men arose speaking perverse things". Paul called such men grievous wolves. [Acts 20:29,30]. These were so-called heretics who tried to pervert the true teaching of Christ concerning faith and piety in order to make this teaching ineffective for men.

When this happened, the Holy Church, in the person of its best servants, took up arms against these heretics in order to defend its true, undistorted teaching. There began to be convoked first local and then ecumenical councils. Bishops came together from all the corners of the earth and through the Holy Spirit they gave voice to the pure and undistorted Truth, following the example of the First Apostolic Council of Jerusalem [Acts 15:6-29]. They also cut off heretics from the Church and anathematized them.

This was in according with the clear commandment of Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself who said, If he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. [Matthew 18:17]. And in accordance with the commandment of the Holy Apostle Paul, that great apostle to the nations who said, But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed [Galatians 1:8]. And in another place he states: If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha [I Cor. 16:22].

Thus our moving, majestic and solemn Rite of ORTHOD0XY takes its beginning from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and from his great Apostle, called by Him to be the apostle to the nations, i.e. of the whole pagan world.

From the ninth century on the Holy Church has established that this rite should be served on the first Sunday of Holy Great Lent and that it be named Orthodox Sunday. The rite, brothers and sisters, is particularly important and significant in the evil times we are experiencing, times in which the Orthodox : faith is wavering and shaking.

This wavering and shaking of the Orthodox faith is due to those very persons who ought to be strengthening and supporting it in the souls of the faithful. Those who should be pillars of Holy Orthodoxy high ranking hierarchs including the heads of certain Local Churches are departing from the Truth of H0LY ORTHODOXY. It is terrible to have to say that even the head of the Constantinopolitan Church, which is known as the Ecumenical Church, the man considered to be the first hierarch of all ORTHODOXY, has set out this path! On all of this there undoubtedly lies the print of the Apostasy about which the Holy Apostle Paul foretold [II Thess. 2:3] the apostasy of Christians from Christ.

We are now face to face with this Apostasy.The major threat to true Christian faith, the Orthodox faith, is the so called "Ecumenical Movement", headed by what is known as the "World Council of Churches", a body which denies the doctrine of the unity and infallibility of the True Church of Christ and attempts to create from all the presently existing and distorted the faith, a new false Church which, from our point of view, will without any doubt be the Church of Antichrist, that false church which the Antichrist, whose coming is now being rapidly prepared in the world, will head.

From the teaching of the Word of God and the Holy Fathers of the Church we know that the Antichrist will be both the religious and political leader of all humanity: he will stand at the head of a new universal false church which the Antichrist, whose coming is now being rapidly prepared in the world, will head. From the teaching of the Word of God and the Holy Fathers of the Church, we know that the Antichrist will be both the religious and political leader of all humanity: he will stand at the head of the new universal false Church; he will also be the director of one new world government and will attempt to submit all to his absolute power.

The Orthodox faith ” this is the faith of the Apostles, the faith of the Fathers, it is that faith which the Apostolic Fathers, the direct disciples of the Holy Apostles, and the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church and their lawful successors, established by the Holy Spirit, interpreted for us in their marvellous and inspired writings.

Brothers and sisters, we must hold this faith steadfastly if we desire eternal salvation!

Now we shall perform with you this deeply instructive, moving and highly solemn rite which consists of two parts: the first part is the prayer of the Holy Church for all those who have gone astray or fallen away from the true Orthodox faith; in the second part the Holy Church pronounces dread anathema against all false teachers, heretics and schismatics who have grown stubborn in their malice and who do not wish to reunite with the true Church of Christ but instead struggle against her.

Then we shall sing Eternal Memory for all departed defenders of Holy Orthodoxy and Many Years for those defenders of the Holy Orthodox faith and Church who are still among the living.

Amen.

Sunday Of Orthodoxy 1971