Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

In today's Gospel reading we are told of one of the miracles of Christ. That miracle is a great haul of fish. The Gospel starts with a scene of fishermen washing their nets. We learn that one of the fishermen is Peter. Our Lord tells Peter to take Him out in one of the boats for a catch of fish. Peter explains his doubt because they were fishing all night and caught nothing. However, Peter follows the Lord's command. When Peter drops his net at the Lord's command, it is filled to the breaking point. Peter's response to this miracle is to ask the Lord to depart from him because he is a sinful man. Our Lord's response is that from now on, Peter and his partners, James and John, will catch men instead of fish.

God performs miracles to remind us that He is watchful over the world, that God governs the world and orders it. Thus, what may seem to be the natural order of things in the minds of people is disturbed by the action of God. God is the creator and order of the world. As our Lord says, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Miracles also remind us that without God they can do nothing. Saint Paul reminds us of this when he says, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase" (I Corinthians 3:6-7).

There is a proverb that is similar to this that says, "Men propose, but God disposes." We often have many desires in our hearts and minds. We plan many things. Many of these plans remain as unrealized ideas. Other plans get put into action, ending in failure, while still other plans are put into action, ending in success. These plans are those that were adopted by God.

The plans that are adopted by God are His, are like Him, and come from Him. All that is not from God, like God, and are not God's, are rejected by God. We are reminded of this in the Psalms, where it says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Psalms 127:1). If we plan or build something in our own name, it will fail; but if we plan and build to honor God, it will be successful.

The Universal Exaltation of the Holy Cross September 14

It was of Your own free will that You were raised upon the Cross. * Generously bestow Your mercies upon Your new community named for You, O Christ God! * By Your power gladden the faithful * and let them triumph over every evil, * for Your Cross is their ally and their weapon is peace, * assuring unfailing victory.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross originated in Jerusalem in the year 355 to commemorate the dedication of the Basilica of the Resurrection. When the true Cross of Jesus was found shortly afterwards, this event was commemorated on the same day. In time, the Feast of the Exaltation supplanted the feast of the dedication.

In 395, St. John Chrysostom wrote of three crosses which were discovered beneath Golgotha by the Empress Helena. Many other writers speak of miracles which occurred through contact with the true Cross. It was through one of these miracles that the true Cross was recognized by St. Helena and St. Macarius, the Bishop of Jerusalem.

The Holy Cross was kept in the Basilica of the Resurrection in Jerusalem until 614, when the Persians conquered the city and burned the Church. In 628, Emperor Heraclius III defeated the Persians and returned the Holy Cross to Jerusalem. A portion of the Cross was taken to Rome in the seventh century by Sergius I, a Pope of Byzantine origin.

As we celebrate this Major Feast let us remind ourselves that the power of the Cross is given to each and every Christian. But just as a soldier must learn to properly wield his weapons in battle, so a warrior of Christ must learn how correctly to make the sign of the Cross. A shield has no effect if carelessly waved about in the air. Likewise, there are many who receive no benefit from the sign of the Cross because they make it mechanically or haphazardly.

The Cross, once a tool of death, has become a means to life, an instrument of our salvation; it gives strength to resist temptation, to refrain from gossip or harsh words and it dispels fear. Amen.

The Nativity of the Theotokos - September 8

The birth and early life of the Virgin Mary is not recorded in the Gospels or other books of the New Testament, however this information can be found in a work dating from the second century known as the Book of James or Protevangelion.

According to the story found in this book, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, were childless for many years. They remained faithful to God, but their prayers for a child were unanswered. One day, when Joachim came to the temple to make an offering, he was turned away by the High Priest who chastised him for his lack of children. To hide his shame, Joachim retreated to the hill country to live among the shepherds and their flocks. As Joachim was praying, his wife Anna was praying at the same time at their house in Jerusalem. An angel appeared to both of them and announced that Anna would have a child whose name would be known throughout the world. Anna promised to offer her child as a gift to the Lord. Joachim returned home, and in due time Anna bore a daughter, Mary.

The Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, therefore is a glorification of the miracle of Mary's birth, of Mary herself, and of her righteous parents. It is the celebration as well of the very first preparation of the salvation of the world.

 

The Beheading of St. John the Baptist

The Beheading of St. John the Baptist

 

The life of St. John the Forerunner, from its first days was entirely dedicated to the One Who would come after him. St. John suffered the loss of his mother soon after childbirth while his father's life ended at the hands of King Herod's servants in the temple.

Following the Baptism of the Lord, St. John the Baptist was locked up in prison by Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch (ruler of one fourth of the Holy Land) and governor of Galilee. Why? Because John the Baptist openly denounced Herod for having left his lawful wife, the daughter of the Arabian king Aretas, and then instead cohabiting with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip (Luke 3:19-20) At Herod's birthday celebration, Salome, Herodias's daughter, enchanted Herod with her dancing. He swore to give her half his kingdom or whatever she asked for. Prompted by her mother Salome asked for the head of the Baptist. Herod could not refuse as he made his pledge before all his guests. Although it saddened him greatly he had Saint John the Baptist beheaded in prison. (Matthew 14:6-12)

According to Tradition, the mouth of the dead preacher of repentance once more opened and proclaimed: "Herod, you should not have the wife of your brother Philip." Salome took the platter with the head of St. John and gave it to her mother. The frenzied Herodias repeatedly stabbed the tongue of the prophet with a needle and buried his holy head in an unclean place. But the pious Joanna, wife of Herod's steward Chuza, buried the head of John the Baptist in an earthen vessel on the Mount of Olives, where Herod had a parcel of land. The holy body of John the Baptist was taken that night by his disciples and buried at Sebastia, there where the wicked deed had been done.

The Beheading of St. John the Baptist, a Feast day established by the Church, is also a strict fast day because of the grief of Christians at the violent death of the saint. In remembrance of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist it has been a pious custom amongst our faithful on this day to not eat food from a flat plate, use a knife, or eat food that is round in shape.

Learning to Trust….

 

We have a light fixture over our front door that glints in the sun and is attractive to birds. Every year without fail, a bird tries to build its nest on that light. Because I know that any nest that is built there is bound to fall, I always break up the nests just as the birds begin to make them. After several frustrating attempts, they move to a large maple tree in our garden, and there safely build their seasonal home far from any danger of falling.

 

Like those unknowing feathered creatures, we too, oftentimes find that our dreams and plans are frustrated and lead to failure. We cannot help but wonder why God allows the earthly nests that we struggle so hard and work to build to fall apart and crumble before us. But the fact is that we cannot see as God does; if we too could judge events from the perspective of eternity, we would come to understand that God seeks for us a higher destiny, and a place of true serenity and provision for our deepest needs.

 

Scripture teaches us that God led his people of Israel out of Egypt and into a forty-year journey of hardship in a lonely and forbidding wilderness. And yet, at the end of that journey, they were led from bondage to a glorious land that flowed with milk and honey. From down trodden slaves, He transformed them into a mighty nation envied by others.

 

How wonderful it would be if we could each learn to trust God in those times when we too experience the dark passages that enter our lives. How reassured we would be if we never questioned God's wisdom and goodness, even at those times when we find him disturbing the nests that we try to build.

 

When we come to accept the providential care of God with childlike simplicity we soon discover that the barriers we encounter in our lives can in retrospect, come to be numbered among our greatest blessings.

 

-Rev. Andrew J Demotses

 

Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust.

Psalm 16:1

Why do we Bless Flowers on the Feast the Dormition?

Holy Tradition tells us that all the Apostles, Saint Thomas, were transported mystically to Jerusalem in order to be with the Mother of God-Theotokos as she died and present at her burial. When Thomas arrived the next day, they opened the tomb so that he could say his farewell. They found only an empty tomb filled with sweet-smelling flowers.

Therefore as part of our celebration we bless sweet-this great sign of her holiness. At the conclusion of the Divine Services flowers and herbs are blessed and the faithful keep them in their homes. During times of family strife or illness, the flower petals are placed in the censer with the incense, and the whole house is censed.

Lord God almighty, You fill all things with Your Word. You commanded the earth to bring forth fruit in due season, and You gave it to mankind for our joy and life. By Your Holy Spirit, bless + now these flowers which have been brought before You in this holy temple to honor the Falling Asleep of the Mother of Your only Son. Purify from all defilement these, Your servants, who receive them, and fill their houses with all fragrance. May all e flowers obtain protection of body and soul; and may Your healing grace be a remedy for our salvation…

Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos

Beneath your tender mercy we flee, Birthgiver-of-God. Reject not our prayer in our trouble, deliver us from harm, Only Pure and Blessed Lady. Amen

We fly to your patronage, O Virgin Mother of God. Despise not our prayers in our necessities, but who are alone pure and blessed, deliver us from all danger. Amen

Sunday of All Saints

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfection of our faith.

Today we are keeping the Day of All Saints, of all those who have heard Christ speak, whose hearts and minds have been set afire, and went out into the world to bring to the whole world the good news. The news that God has so loved the world, that He has entered into it never to leave it, and that in His Resurrection He has taken all that is the world - in His Flesh the whole visible world, in His soul all the human world - and has established it on the right hand of the Father.

This is not only the glory of the Church, it is a call addressed to each of us. Today we are called by the Gospel, we are encouraged by the Epistle, so to love God as to become truly His disciples, and that means that our faith in Him must be and become, day after day, more truly faithful, so that seeing us, seeing how we live, seeing who we are, people could believe that Christ has come to save the world and is worth following as a Master and as a Friend.

St James, speaking to people of his time said: "If you want to show me your faith without your works, I will show you my faith by my works…" Let us then go into the world to bring to a world which is in great misery now, in distress that it has lost its way, the good news. Not only the news that God has come and is in our midst, that He has shown us the way, that He is the way and He has given an example for everyone to follow, not in a slavish way, not as a hireling, but with the joy that following this way means that we are fulfilled and that life is deep in us and it can flow on to others.

This is the message of today's feast. In the next two weeks we will keep more particularly the feast of our particular Church like Vladimir and his mother St. Olga or the patron of our Eparchy St. Josaphat and even the saints glorified in our own country St. Elizabeth Seton or St. John Neumann, - people of our blood, our flesh, our kin. Let us think of them and let us try to live in such a way that they may rejoice that they have a following worthy of Christ and worthy of their lives. Amen.