Zacchaeus and the Temptation of Comparison

Pre-Lent began on February 6 with the Sunday of Zacchaeus (Luke 19-1-10).  This chief tax-collector received Jesus joyfully into his house and became for all believers a model of Godly desire and repentance.  As we continue our preparations for the Great Fast, I would like to offer this reflection (slightly edited for space) by Fr. Steven Kostoff. 

Archpriest Steven Kostoff

…There is a point that I would like to (make) as a general comment on reading and reflecting on the Scriptures, and their “application” to our own lives. Or, rather, I would like to (offer) a word of caution in the face of what I would call “the temptation of comparison.”

By this I mean that when we read the Scriptures and encounter a character such as Zacchaeus – or other unnamed publicans – as well as the prodigal son, and other “great sinners;” we may well console ourselves with this consciously or unconsciously formulated train of thought: “Well, I am not quite so bad as these sinners. I am basically a good person who has not fallen to the depths of sin that these figures found in the Gospels have. They are there precisely to show us that even great sinners can be forgiven by God in His mercy. And I appreciate the dramatic effect of such a lesson. I certainly need to improve myself; and I certainly need to work on my relationship with God. But I have not defrauded others as Zacchaeus did, and I have not wasted my life in loose living as did the prodigal son. Most people like and respect me. Of course, I, too, am sinful, but in comparison to the sinners mentioned in the Gospels, it would be false humility on my part to admit to an equally sinful life. In other words, I may be a sinner, but I am not such a great sinner.” Even if “objectively” true – and we can never claim absolute certainty about that—such a line of reasoning would basically waste the entire meaning of the passage on us, and perhaps further mean that we would have been better off not even listening to or reading the given passage! Such self-righteousness is considered to be a great sin in the Gospels. If, in comparison to Zacchaeus and the prodigal son, we are not as bad of sinners, does that mean that we are not as equally in need of the mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and love of God?

We seem to be drawn to such comparisons because we always come out looking good, or at least better than the other, when making these comparisons. One further and fascinating attribute of “human nature.” This, in turn, appeals to our vanity and self-regard. We are very much preoccupied with how others perceive us; our self-image as projected outwardly is of great concern to us. We would be mortified – and then either angered or depressed—if we thought that others thought poorly of us. We have a deeply-felt need to be able “to hold our head high” when compared to our neighbor. If only we were as concerned about how God may see us!

There may be another revealing side to the “temptation of comparison:” How does our repentance “compare” with that of Zacchaeus or the prodigal son, or other great sinners encountered in the Gospels? When the Lord came to his home, Zacchaeus was moved to give one-half of his possessions to the poor, and he agreed to restore fourfold what we had stolen from others. Do our fruits of repentance even begin to match that of Zacchaeus? And who compares well with the prodigal son throwing himself on the mercy of his father with no expectations in return? Have any of us been so overwhelmed by the saving presence of Christ and the sheer graciousness of the Gospel to react in such a manner? Perhaps it is this comparison that can teach us some humility.

Before approaching the chalice in order to receive the Eucharist, each one of us makes the same confession as we collectively share the same preparatory prayer: “I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the living God Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first.” The very point of this public confession is that we are not comparing ourselves with others, but confessing to our own sinfulness before God. If analyzed comparatively, such a prayer would be reduced to a kind of empty rhetoric. Compared to the great villains of history and the great sinners that fill our news stories, we again come off as good, decent human beings. But that does not mean that we are in less need of the saving grace of the Gospel. Do I need “less grace” than the great sinners of history and contemporary life because I am comparatively not as bad? Hopefully, the absurdity of such a question is more than immediate. The only way that we can effectively prepare for the approaching Lenten season is to open our minds and hearts to the Gospel lessons of humility, repentance, conversion, the fruits of repentance and a renewed love of God and neighbor. We do this by listening to each Gospel passage as a direct call from Christ: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!”

Visit of His Grace Gerasim, Bishop of Ft. Worth

Sunday, December 5

Fr. Basil Zebrun 

(Portions of the following article were taken from Fr. Thomas Hopko’s Orthodox Faith Series, Worship, Volume 2, published by the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Christian Education, and from These Truths We Hold, published by St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press).

INTRODUCTION:

This year our community is transferring the Feast of St. Barbara to Sunday, December 5. In honor of our Patronal Feast we will be blessed with a pastoral visit by His Grace Gerasim, Bishop of Ft. Worth.  Anticipating this event, I would like to review – once again – basic protocol, how to conduct oneself personally and liturgically in the presence of a hierarch.  An expanded version of these fundamentals is located in the Church’s vestibule.     

WHAT WE SEE AND DO WHEN THE BISHOP ARRIVES:     

It is indeed, a very special occasion when a bishop comes to visit, although as far as Bishop Gerasim is concerned we probably should not use the word visit, since Ft. Worth is his Episcopal See. We will not greet him as an outside, foreign dignitary, but rather as a father in Christ, coming to be with his children. The same thinking, the same experience would apply when greeting Archbishop Alexander.

The faithful will greet His Grace Gerasim on December 5 at 9:30 am, at the front doors of the Church. It is proper that people gather early, awaiting the arrival of the bishop and not the other way around. We ask that everyone be in Church prior to the greeting:  9:15 or 9:20 am would be good.  Those with food for the reception should arrive a bit earlier if possible. People may also congregate in the hall to take photos.  As the greeting and procession gets under way, the faithful located in the hall should walk behind the bishop and clergy into the Church, and then remain in place for the vesting and/or the reading of the Hours, as well as for the Liturgy proper.

When the bishop enters the building, he will be met with both bread and salt, as well as a bouquet of flowers. These gifts are offered as signs of love, respect and hospitality. Throughout the service the choir and faithful will sing, multiple times in Greek, Eis Polla Eti Despota! “Many years to you, Master.” A more extended version will also be sung, translated: “Preserve O Lord, our Master and Bishop: Many years to you, Master.”

GREETING THE BISHOP PERSONALLY: 

When greeting the bishop personally – at coffee hour for example – before any formal conversation takes place, it is traditional to extend both hands for a blessing (right hand in the left), accompanying this gesture with the words, Master bless. The bishop will make the sign of the Cross, lay his hand in ours. We then kiss his hand.

Since Bishop Gerasim is (let’s say) a “regular” hierarch and not an Archbishop, when speaking to him directly one refers to him as, Your Grace. If speaking about him to someone else, one refers to him as, His Grace, or as, Bishop Gerasim.  One would begin speaking to an Archbishop, however, with the words, Your Eminence; a Metropolitan, Your Beatitude. 

Customarily, when receiving a hierarch into their midst, Orthodox Christians in America today maintain a balance between formalities, and experiencing the bishop as a father in Christ who desires to maintain a loving relationship with his flock.  We offer great respect and proper protocol.  We do so, though, with love, knowing that His Grace is “one of us;” together we strive to, “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” as told to us by St. Paul.

With these things in mind, we look forward to Bishop Gerasim’s visit for the Feast of St. Barbara and to future visits by His Grace. 

An Epistle of Love

Archpriest Sergei Glagolev

During the Twelfth All-American Council (Sobor) held in Pittsburgh, July 25-30, 1999, Archpriest Sergei Glagolev asked His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius if he could address the brother clergy at a special clergy breakfast following liturgy. At the time, Father Sergei didn’t know that God would continue to bless him with so many years after, but he felt like this might be his last hurrah and he wished to make some final remarks to cherished friends and brothers, as well as words of encouragement to those just beginning the priestly ranks.

Father Sergei gave a most inspiring talk that focused on Love: Christian Love, Christ-like Love that all clergy must demonstrate within their pastorate. It was a stellar speech and one of those moments where not only did everyone listen in spiritual, spell-bound silence, but was delivered almost like a sacrament unto the hearers, words of love.

Later that day I asked Father Sergei if I could have a copy of his speech, which he gratefully gave me – with all of its corrected spelling, notations, and additions.

Here is that speech, a true epistle of love:

 - Archpriest John Memorich

(All-American Council 22: July 1999): 

Your Beatitude, most respected Archpastors and Bishops, beloved pastors and brothers in Christ: 

Christ is in our midst!

How good it is on this last day of the last All-American Council of this millennium for us to come together as the brotherhood of archpastors and pastors, to break bread together in “agape” – the meal of love – the logical extension of the Holy Eucharist we have celebrated together “in behalf of all and for all.” And may the Council end today with the warm brotherly embrace of one another – having been enabled by the Spirit’s grace not simply to know “about” each other, but to know each other more profoundly, perhaps even deeply enough to care.

Yet love – more especially Christian brotherly love – is always a risky business. Love (and this “knowing each other” is akin to love) makes us vulnerable. Love leads us to the Cross. There is no other way to pastor, let alone live the Christian life.

Many years ago, the late Archbishop John of San Francisco sent me as Chancellor of the Western States to confirm on his behalf a young priest as parish pastor. I could see that the parishioners seemed to like the young man, and so I was emboldened to ask one of the men on the Parish Council how the priest was doing during his first year in the parish. The man sighed and said, “Oh, he’s alright, I guess, but all he ever talks about is love.” What else is there to talk about, I remember thinking, God the Father having delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His Love (Col. 1:13). “Owe no one anything except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the law…love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:8,10). 

But I knew where that parishioner was coming from: all that talk about “knowing each other, loving one another,” made him feel vulnerable. Why not talk about the “rules” – surely, that feels more “religious:” what makes us more “Orthodox,” – the rules, you know: when to stand, sit, kneel and cross yourself, what not to eat and when, what text to use, what not to omit, how to dress, for whom you can or cannot pray – you know, the rules.

I invited the same Archbishop John to address the San Francisco Cathedral Sisterhood during one Great Fast – it was his Cathedral, and he knew the women well. He spoke for more than an hour about the meaning of Christian fasting. At the end, a cathedral lady stood up and protested, “But, your Eminence, you have not told us what we can or cannot eat!” With a deep sigh – and yet with a twinkle in his eye, the Archbishop answered, “Dear ladies, don’t eat each other.” [At this point the clergy all laughed loudly and Father Sergei said off the cuff, “It’s true, it really happened; you can’t make things like this up.”] “Above all things,” Saint Peter says to the newly baptized in Christ, “have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8).

I remember reading for the first time the story of the Grand Inquisitor, in Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov while still in seminary in the 1940’s. You remember how furious the old Cardinal was over our Lord Jesus appearing in his city and upsetting his rule of law and order with all that sweet talk about beauty, love, and forgiveness. Our Lord answered his accuser’s tirade with the kiss of peace. In the end, it is not “heresy-cleansing,” but beauty that will save the universe. Christ is the Light, and in the beauty of His Light shall we see light.

We are pastors because we are called to be “people-persons.” Surely, we love liturgy as life, for in worship we are called into the very glory of Christ’s presence. But liturgy and life is also a relationship: to the Holy Trinity, to the Theotokos and all the angels and saints, and not least, a relationship to each other, to those who worship with us and those who do not, those within and without liturgy and life. Having offered up the whole cosmos as an act of love in Christ “in behalf of all and for all,” and having called to mind each and all, the faithful respond, “and all mankind!” Here we have to be mindful: I remember years ago how Charlie Brown so succinctly paraphrased a Dostoyevskian phrase: having had enough of Lucy, he cries out, “I love all mankind, it’s people I can’t stand!” It’s easy to love the presbyterium, the Brotherhood; it’s the “brother” who’s hard to take.

I read recently an excerpt from Saint John Chrysostom’s Johanine commentary on Our Lord’s restoration and commission of Saint Peter (John 21). “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” – our Lord asks Saint Peter thrice (thereby absolving the three-times denial). “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You,” Saint Peter replies thrice. “Then feed My Lambs. Tend My Sheep. Feed My Sheep.” Of course, Jesus knows Peter loves Him. Chrysostom says Our Lord here speaks of His own love for each and every member of His Precious Body the Church – and those who are yet to come, as well as those who are yet to turn away from their denial – for all, in behalf of all. Our Lord is saying to Saint Peter – and thus to all who pastor: Love Me – love My Sheep. Love Me – feed My Lambs. Love Me – tend to My Sheep. Love Me – feed My Sheep. If you love Me, you must love them with My love.  

Returning from the reconstruction of Saint Catherine’s Church of the Orthodox Church in America’s Representation in Moscow last month, our delegation stopped briefly in Helsinki for a visit with Metropolitan Leo and the vibrant Orthodox Church of Finland. The Finnish Orthodox woman who was guiding us on the Metropolitan’s behalf was giving us some insights into Finnish character. She remarked that Finnish representatives who are sent to Western Europe and North America have to take special courses in small talk and pleasantries because trivial conversation is not part of Finnish national culture. She demonstrated with an anecdote about a Finnish couple who was married for 48 years. One evening the wife burst into tears and could not be comforted. After much prodding by her bewildered husband, she blurted out that on their wedding day, he told her that he loved her, but has never said he loved her ever since. “Darling,” said the husband, “if I ever change my mind, I’ll tell you.”

As you know, Saint Herman, our first North American Saint, was from Valaamo in Finland (thus he was probably a man of few words). Yet you see how in Christ he adapted to the needs of his Native American people. For the cover of the Akathist of the Canonization of Saint Herman of Alaska in 1970, Father Vladimir Borichevsky chose a drawing of Saint Herman giving cookies he baked to delighted Aleut children. In Christ, he found ways to tell his new American family that he loved them. He showed them that he loved them. Of course, you know that no matter what we do, somebody is going to criticize. Father Borichevsky was lambasted. Of all the writings we have about Saint Herman, surely baking and giving cookies to delight children hardly depicts the sanctity of the man! It doesn’t? The critic completely missed the point, didn’t he. Didn’t he?

Please, dear brothers, don’t wait any longer to tell the flock Christ has entrusted to you, that you love them. Show them that you love them. And when they stray, gather them together, and bring them back to Christ. “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? Then tend to My Sheep.”

I am an old man, and our Lord may not give me another chance to speak to you. Later, when people might ask what I had to say, tell them that all I ever talked about was love.

God bless you each and every one.

Pray for me, a sinner.

Thank you for your patience.

Archpriest Sergei Glagolev

Nativity of the Theotokos: September 8

Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann

The Church’s veneration of Mary has always been rooted in her obedience to God, her willing choice to accept a humanly impossible calling. The Orthodox Church has always emphasized Mary’s connection to humanity and delighted in her as the best, purest, most sublime fruition of human history and of man’s quest for God, for ultimate meaning, for ultimate content of human life. 

If in Western Christianity veneration of Mary was centered upon her perpetual virginity, the heart of Orthodox Christian East’s devotion, contemplation, and joyful delight has always been her Motherhood, her flesh and blood connection to Jesus Christ. The East rejoices that the human role in the divine plan is pivotal. The Son of God comes to earth, appears in order to redeem the world, He becomes human to incorporate man into His divine vocation, but humanity takes part in this. If it is understood that Christ’s “co-nature” with us is as a human being and not some phantom or bodiless apparition, that He is one of us and forever united to us through His humanity, then devotion to Mary also becomes understandable, for she is the one who gave Him His human nature, His flesh and blood. She is the one through whom Christ can always call Himself “The Son of Man.”

Son of God, Son of Man…God descending and becoming man so that man could become divine, could become partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), or as the teachers of Church expressed it, “deified.” Precisely here, in this extraordinary revelation of man’s authentic nature and calling, is the source that gratitude and tenderness which cherishes Mary as our link to Christ and, in Him, to God. And nowhere is this reflected more clearly that in the Nativity of the Mother of God.

Nothing about this event is mentioned anywhere in the Holy Scriptures. But why should there be? Is there anything remarkable, anything especially unique about the normal birth of a child, a birth like any other? The Church began to commemorate the event with a special feast…because, on the contrary, the very fact that it is routine discloses something fresh and radiant about everything we call routine and ordinary, it gives new depth to the unremarkable details of human life…And with each birth the world is itself in some sense created anew and given as a gift to this new human being to be his life, his path, his creation.

This feast therefore is first a general celebration of Man’s birth, and we no longer remember the anguish, as the Gospel says, “for joy that a human being is born into the world” (Jn. 16:21). Secondly, we now know whose particular birth, whose coming we celebrate: Mary’s. We know the uniqueness, the beauty, the grace of precisely this child, her destiny, her meaning for us and for the whole world. And thirdly, we celebrate all who prepared the way for Mary, who contributed to her inheritance of grace and beauty…And therefore the Feast of her Nativity is also a celebration of human history, a celebration of faith in man, a celebration of man. 

Sadly, the inheritance of evil is far more visible and better known. There is so much evil around us that this faith in man, in his freedom, in the possibility of handing down a radiant inheritance of goodness has almost evaporated and been replaced by cynicism and suspicion. This hostile cynicism and discouraging suspicion are precisely what seduce us to distance ourselves from the Church when it celebrates with such joy and faith this birth of a little girl in whom are concentrated all the goodness, spiritual beauty, harmony and perfection that are elements of genuine human nature. Thus, in celebrating Mary’s birth we find ourselves already on the road to Bethlehem, moving toward the joyful mystery of Mary as the Mother to God.  

Eis Polla Eti Despota! Bishop Gerasim of Ft. Worth

(Some of the following information taken from the Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church, trans. Isabel Hapgood; oca.org; acrod.org; and from recent DOS communications.)

On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, meeting in their regular Spring 2021 Session, elected the Very Reverend Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel) Bishop of Fort Worth, Auxiliary to His Eminence Archbishop Alexander and the Diocese of the South.  Currently, Archimandrite Gerasim is the Dean of St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas and Administrator of the Diocese of the South.

CONSECRATION:

Bishop-elect Gerasim will be consecrated on the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at St. Seraphim Cathedral.  Participating bishops will be greeted formally that day by clergy and laity at 9:00 am. A Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will follow, along with a reception. 

According to Canon I of the Apostolic Canons (4th century), the consecration of a bishop (the laying on of hands) must be accomplished by three or more hierarchs. On rare occasions two hierarchs may perform the consecration. The elevation of the candidate takes place early within the Liturgy, prior to the reading of Scripture. The timing of the consecration – before the Epistle and Gospel lessons – indicates the bishop’s main responsibility as a teacher of the Faith.  After the singing of “Holy God…” the bishop-elect kneels in front of the Altar table, touching it with his forehead.  The Book of the Gospels is opened and laid upon his neck, with the writing pointed downward.  The consecrating bishops place their hands on the Gospel and say the prayer of consecration, asking for the descent and grace of the Holy Spirit.  The new bishop is then clothed in the vestments of his office and presented to the people.  The faithful exclaim three times, “Axios!” (He is worthy!).  The Hierarchical Liturgy continues in normal fashion.   

The laying on of hands has Biblical foundations: Acts 1:15-26; Acts 6: 2-6; 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6. Prior to the Liturgy on June 29, Bishop Gerasim will make a public Statement of Faith, and a public Profession of Faith the night before, just prior to Great Vespers.

ENTHRONEMENT:

The newly ordained will be Enthroned as Bishop of Ft. Worth on the Feast of the Synaxis of the Apostles, Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at St. Barbara Orthodox Church in Ft. Worth.  A Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated that morning. The bishops will be greeted formally at 9:00 am with the traditional bread and salt, as well as flowers. Bishop Gerasim and Archbishop Alexander will officiate, along with additional clergy. The official prayer of Installation or Enthronement will take place at the end of the service. A Lenten reception will follow in the parish hall.

YOUR HELP NEEDED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED:

Preparations are being made for the Enthronement on June 30 at St. Barbara’s.  In the next week a cleaning date (prior to Pentecost) will be announced.  A set-up schedule (table and chairs) will also be announced as more information is received about visiting dignitaries.  We would like to have as well, a list of greeters and of reception (kitchen) crew members. A rehearsal for Altar servers might be possible with Dr. Vitaly Permiakov and Antwain Davis who will join us that week.  Your help in these areas will be most appreciated.  Thank you in advance.  Please see Fr. Basil or Matushka Christine for more details.

PARENTS:

Parents may wish to review with children the proper way of receiving a blessing from a Bishop.  When addressing directly Metropolitan Tikhon we say, “Your Beatitude…” When addressing directly Archbishop Alexander we say, “Your Eminence…”  When addressing Bishop Gerasim we will say, “Your Grace…” We simply extend both hands, placing the right hand (open) inside the left.  The bishop will then place his right hand in ours after making the sign of the Cross.  We then kiss his right hand.  Similar to when one receives a blessing from a priest. 

The following petitions may be used until the time of Archimandrite Gerasim’s consecration:

PRAYERS FOR THE BISHOP-ELECT:

Again, we pray thee, O Lord our God: through thy grace and compassion, have mercy on thy servant, Archimandrite Gerasim, Bishop-elect of Fort Worth. Fulfill all his petitions and forgive all his sins; accept his prayers and alms before the throne of thy dominion, and protect him from all enemies, both visible and invisible; deliver him from temptation, sorrow, danger, and distress; keep him firm in the faith, and grant him health and length of days. Let us all say: O Lord, hearken and have mercy.

O Master who lovest mankind, look down with a merciful eye upon thy servant, Archimandrite Gerasim, Bishop-elect of Fort Worth, and give ear to our prayer offered in faith, for thou thyself hast said, “All things whatsoever ye would ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Wherefore, though we are unworthy, yet we hope in thy mercy, and we beseech thee: Show mercy upon thy servant; fulfill all his good desires; keep him steadfast in the faith, and preserve him in peace, safety, honor, health, and length of days. Let us all say: quickly hearken and have mercy.

Paschal (Resurrection) Season: 2021

(Some of the following information taken from Fr. Thomas Hopko’s, The Orthodox Faith, Volume 2, Worship, published by the O.C.A.’s Department of Christian Education)

Bright Week

The week following Pascha (Easter), is called Bright Week, by the Church.  Pascha is celebrated this year by the Orthodox Church on May 2, one month after Christians of the Western Tradition.  As Holy Week was a final time of anticipation and preparation for “the Feast of Feasts,” so Bright Week is a period of unique Resurrection joy, manifested outwardly in diverse ways.  For instance, during Bright Week there is no fasting at all from various types of food; all liturgical hymns, ideally, are to be sung rather than read; and the Church remains highly decorated, with the royal doors and deacon’s doors of the iconostasis left open as they were during the Midnight Service.  This latter practice emphasizes visually that the gates of God’s Kingdom have been open to man through the Cross, Tomb and Resurrection of Christ.  Services during Bright Week are celebrated in a particularly glorious manner, identical to that experienced during the Midnight Service and Resurrection Vespers on Pascha Sunday.  The traditional announcement, “Christ is Risen,” is sung repeatedly by the Church choir, and people greet one another with this same message of hope. 

Introduction to the Paschal Season

While Bright Week is a time of profound, perhaps uncommon celebration, the Resurrection season is not limited to one week.  For forty days, until Ascension (this year June 10), the faithful recall in songs and greetings the joyous news that ‘Christ has trampled down death by death, bestowing life upon those in the tombs.’  Clergy and altar servers continue to wear their brightest vestments, and everyone stands (rather than kneels) in prayer, both at home and in Church.  The practice of standing in prayer during the Paschal Season serves to stress our belief that in Christ we are already resurrected beings, residents on earth yet citizens of Heaven. The faithful continue this practice until Pentecost (this year June 20), when after Liturgy for the first time since Holy Week we kneel in prayer during three special prayers that are read from the ambo by the clergy.

The five Sundays following Pascha emphasize, through the appointed Scripture readings and hymns, (1) post-resurrection appearances of Christ;  (2) the Church’s early life and missionary endeavors (epistle readings are taken from the Book of Acts); and (3) aspects of baptism, through which we ourselves have died and risen with Christ to a new life in God (Gospel readings are taken from the most “sacramental” of Gospel accounts, that of John the Theologian or Evangelist).  Fr. Thomas Hopko (of blessed memory) in his Orthodox Faith Handbook Series, Volume II, provides a summary of the meaning of the five Sundays of Pascha.  The following contains quotes and paraphrases from that summary.       

Thomas Sunday (May 9)                                                                          

On the Sunday following Pascha, called in our liturgical books “the Second Sunday,” the stress is on the Apostle Thomas’ vision of Christ.  The significance of the day comes to us in the words of the Gospel:  “Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands;  and put out your hand, and place it in My side;  do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered Him, 

“My Lord and My God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen

Me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”  (John 20:27-29).

In this last statement Christ refers to all those who will come after the Apostles and become disciples through their words. This includes Christians of every century, including our own.  We have not seen Christ with our physical eyes, nor touched His risen body with our physical hands, yet in the Holy Spirit we have seen and touched and tasted the Word of Life (1 John 1:1-4), and so we believe.  In the early Church it was only on this day that those baptized at Pascha removed their (baptismal) robes and entered once again into the life of this world.    

The Myrrhbearing Women (May 16)

The Third Sunday after Pascha is dedicated to the Myrrhbearing Women who cared for the body of the Savior at His death and who were the first witnesses of His Resurrection.  The three troparia of Holy Friday, (having to do with the Noble Joseph of Arimethea anointing and burying the Body of Jesus;  Christ’s descent into hell and its defeat;  and the angel’s proclamation to the myrrhbearing women of Christ’s resurrection) are sung once again and form the theme of the day: 

     "The noble Joseph, when he had taken down Thy most pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, and placed it in a new tomb." 

      "When Thou didst descend to death, O Life Immortal, Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead."

      "The angel came to the myrrhbearing women at the tomb and said: Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption! So proclaim: The Lord is risen, granting the world great mercy."

The Paralytic (May 23)

The Fourth Sunday is dedicated to Christ’s healing of the Paralytic (John 5).  The man is healed by Christ while waiting to be put down into the pool of water.  Through baptism in the church we too are healed and saved by Christ for eternal life.  Thus, in the church, we are told, together with the paralytic, to “sin no more that nothing worse befall you” (John 5:14).  Our Lord’s question to the man, “Do you want to be healed?” is directed to us as well, reminding us that the gift of life and illumination through the Resurrection brings with it responsibilities.  It must be nurtured and shared with others.  

The Feast of Mid-Pentecost

In the middle of the Fourth Week, there is a day which is called by the Church, the Feast of Mid-Pentecost (this year May 26).  On this day we recall that Christ, “in the middle of the feast” teaches men of His saving mission and offers to all “the waters of immortality” (John 7:14).  Again, we are reminded of the Master’s presence and His saving promise: “If anyone is thirsty let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). 

The Samaritan Woman (May 30)

The Fifth Sunday after Pascha deals with the Woman of Samaria with whom Christ spoke at Jacob’s Well (John 4).  Again, the theme is the “living water” and the recognition of Jesus as God’s Messiah (John 4: 10-11; 25-26).  We are reminded of our new life in Him, of our own drinking of the “living water,” of our own true worship of God in the Christian Messianic Age “in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4: 23-24).  We see as well that salvation is offered to all:  Jews and Gentiles, men and women, saints and sinners.

The Blind Man (June 6)

Finally, the Sixth Sunday commemorates the healing of the man blind from birth (John 9).  We are identified with that man who came to see and to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.  The Lord has anointed our eyes with His own divine hands and washed them with the waters of baptism (John 9: 6-11).  In Christ we are given the power to see and confess Him as God’s only-begotten Son, and we are given the ability to comprehend clearly and with love, our own lives, the lives of others and the world around us.

Ascension, Pentecost and All Saints Sunday

The Paschal Season ends with the great feast of Ascension (again, this year June 10) on which believers celebrate the Lord’s ascent in order to be glorified with God the Father and to glorify us with Himself.  He goes in order to “prepare a place” for us, and to take us into the blessedness of God’s presence.  He goes to open the way for all flesh into the “heavenly sanctuary...the Holy Place not made by hands” (See Hebrews 8-10).  Furthermore, Christ ascends in order to send the Holy Spirit (an event celebrated on Pentecost) who proceeds from the Father, to bear witness to Him (Christ) and His Gospel in the world, by making Him (Christ) powerfully present in the lives of His disciples.

On Pentecost (June 20) the Church celebrates the final act of God’s self-revelation and self-donation to the world.  God’s plan of salvation – starting with and including the formation of His chosen people, Israel; the sending of the prophets; the birth of Christ; His teachings, miracles, sufferings, death, burial and resurrection – all of this culminates with the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and the birth of the New Israel, the Church of God, the life of which is the continued presence of the Spirit in our midst.

The Sunday after Pentecost, that of All Saints (June 27), reveals the power of the Holy Spirit in this world, the reason that He was given.  The Saints are those who, without a doubt, have been saved and transformed by the Spirit’s presence, a fate open to all who believe.  And then finally, on July 4, we commemorate All Saints of America, as a logical follow up to the previous Sunday.  This celebration affirms God’s presence and activity amongst His disciples in North America, placing before us local and contemporary examples of sanctity.    

Thus, a journey which began for us way back on February 14 with the Sunday of Zacchaeus will end on July 4.  But the journey was taken for a reason.  The seasons of fasting and celebration that we have experienced are to lead us to a deeper faith in Christ as Savior.  They are to instill within us a stronger commitment to our own mission, to be Christ’s witnesses “to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

The Cross, Tomb and Resurrection: A Three-Day Pascha

(The following is a brief reflection on Holy Friday, Holy Saturday and Pascha in the Orthodox Church. Much of the following information was compiled from writings by Fr. Alexander Schmemann and Fr. Thomas Hopko.

NOTE: Because of COVID restrictions, as well as limited personnel available to celebrate the more complicated services, the schedule for the last three days of Holy Week has been modified this year for St. Barbara’s.  The decision was not made lightly, and only after a great deal of thought. We hope, however, that these 2021 modifications, as well as a slightly expanded Bright Week schedule will be of benefit, especially to those unable to drive at night.)   

“The Cross, Tomb and Resurrection of Christ,” is a liturgical formula frequently heard in Orthodox Christian services. These final events of our Lord’s ministry are inseparably linked to one another. Their commemoration on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Holy Week form, what has been called, a three-day Pascha. Christ’s crucifixion is His Self-Offering for the sins of the world, His exodus from this life. That which follows is the Tomb, in which the Lord “rested” on the Blessed Sabbath from the work of re-creation. His rest however, was anything but static. The Icon for the day depicts the Savior’s descent into hell, filling all things with His glory, even death itself.  And then, our Lord’s Rising on the Third Day signals the resurrection of those who with faith worship His power, who take up their own cross and follow Jesus.  

Great & Holy Friday (April 30):

On the one hand, this is the most solemn of days, the day of Christ’s Passion, His Death and Burial.  On this day the Church invites us, as we kneel before the tomb of Christ, to realize the awful reality and power of sin and evil in “this world,” and in our own lives as well.   It is this power that led ultimately to “the sin of all sins, the crime of all crimes” the total rejection and murder of God Himself (Fr. Alexander Schmemann).

On the other hand, the Church affirms that this day of evil is also the day of redemption.  “The death of Christ is revealed to us as a saving death, an offering of love” (Fr. Alexander Schmemann).  Holy Friday is the beginning of the Lord’s Pascha, for the One Who is raised, is the One Who is crucified for us and for our salvation.  “By death Christ tramples down death…”  Thus, the tomb of Christ, placed in the center of the Church, is lavishly adorned with flowers, for from the tomb comes life.

The afternoon service is often referred to as “Burial Vespers.”  During its celebration the final events in the life of Christ are brought to mind through the scripture readings and the hymnography.  At the conclusion of Vespers, the faithful kneel and the choir sings, in a very slow manner, the troparia for the day which speak of Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus burying the Body of Jesus; and the angel’s announcement to the Myrrhbearing Women that, “Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption.”   As these words are heard the clergy and servers make a procession around the tomb with the “winding sheet” on which is an icon of the crucified Lord. This winding sheet is placed on top of the tomb and venerated by the faithful.  

Service for Holy Friday will be celebrated at 3:00 pm. 

Great & Holy Saturday (May 1):  

On the morning of this day, at 10:00 am, we will celebrate the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil.  This service “inaugurates the Paschal celebration…”  On ‘Lord I Call Upon Thee’ certain Sunday Resurrection hymns are sung, followed by special verses for Holy Saturday which stress the Death of Christ as the descent into Hades, the region of death, for its destruction.

"A pivotal point of the service occurs after the Entrance, when fifteen Old Testament lessons are read, all centered on the promise of the Resurrection, all glorifying the ultimate Victory of God…The epistle lesson is that which is read at Baptisms (Romans 6:3-11), referring to Christ’s Death and Resurrection as the source of the death in us of the “old man,” and the resurrection of the new man, whose life is in the Risen Lord  (Here we must remember that Pascha has always been the most traditional time for Baptisms of catechumens).  During the verses immediately after the epistle reading the dark Lenten vestments and altar coverings are put aside and the clergy vest in their brightest robes.  An announcement of the Resurrection is then read from the last chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel. The Liturgy of St. Basil continues in this white and joyful light, revealing the Tomb of Christ as the Life-giving Tomb, introducing us into the ultimate reality of Christ’s Resurrection, communicating His life to us…”  (Fr. Schmemann). 

It should be noted that on Holy Saturday every major act of the Vesperal Liturgy takes place in front of the Tomb: all processions, readings and Holy Communion.

Service celebrated at 10 am.

Pascha (May 2): 

Because this year is unique, the Main Resurrection service (Matins and Divine Liturgy) will begin at 10:00 am on Sunday morning.  During Matins the Paschal Canon will be heard along with “Christ is Risen,” sung many times. the Sermon of St. John Chrysostom will be read. During the Liturgy, the Prologue of St. John’s Gospel will be chanted.  We hope to have this done in several languages, symbolic of the universal character of the Christian Faith.  A Gospel lesson will be read as well during the Vespers at 5 pm. 

Paschal Matins and Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday May 2, from 10:00 am to 12 noon, followed by the Blessing of Paschal Baskets.  Agape Vespers will be celebrated on Sunday, May 2, at 5 pm.

Sunday of the Prodigal Son: Remembering Others and Returning to the Father

(Sermon, Feb. 28) “Remembering this saving commandment and all those things which have come to pass for us: the Cross, the Tomb, the Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into heaven, the Sitting at the right hand of God the Father, the Second and Glorious Coming...” (Prayer at the Consecration of the Gifts at Liturgy)

“Remembering our all-holy immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves, and each other and all our life, unto Christ our God.” (Exclamation following each Litany)

The Orthodox Church has a lengthy history and an equally long memory of her experiences with God throughout the centuries.  On a personal level, however, individual Christians tend to have short memories when it comes to positive moments and events. In contrast, they cling tenaciously to the negative, to thoughts of how they were injured, either by others or simply by circumstances in life.  

The Church is all too familiar with these human tendencies.  In her wisdom, therefore, she offers a rich tradition that celebrates God’s saving activity in the lives of people: lest we forget. Orthodox Christians have inherited, for example, icons, prayers and a 2000-year-history that bear witness to the mighty works of the Lord performed in each generation, to individuals transformed by divine grace. We are to learn from their experiences, and always remember that, God is with us! He never abandons those whom He loves.

At the first Passover, the Israelites were instructed to recall, to relive each year, and to tell their children about God’s deliverance of His people from bondage to the enemy. (Exodus 13) We Christians have the same mandate, except in our case the enemy is not Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The enemy is identified with death, worldly corruption and the devil. Thus, each Holy Week prior to the Christian Passover (Pascha), we recall step by step, Christ’s Procession to the Cross, the details surrounding His Burial, the events immediately after the Resurrection, and the Old Testament prophecies concerning these things.  Similar attention surrounds the feasts of Christmas and Theophany (the Winter Pascha), as well as additional feasts of the Church throughout the year.  

Remembrance, however, is not only fundamental to the Faith.  More specifically, it is at the heart of the Gospel heard on this third Sunday of Pre-Lent, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) The father never forgot his youngest son who had gone astray. All the months, perhaps years of praying, of wondering what happened to his child, ended emotionally with an outburst of tears, as the father embraced his son “once dead, now alive, once lost, but now found.” (15:24,32).

The wayward boy also never forgot. He certainly rejected his birthright for a period of time, but buried in his subconscious were memories of his home. As the months went by, he became more self-aware, acknowledging to himself his former dignity, as well as personal acts of betrayal. This ultimately became the impetus for repentance, for the son’s return to the father.

During the upcoming Fast (begins March 15), we will be called to remember how Man has betrayed God through sin, how each of us personally is guilty – on some level – of denying our birthright in Christ. We too, therefore, must return to the Heavenly Father through heartfelt repentance, a loving Father Who awaits us with open arms.

It is important to note that the story of the Prodigal affirms the place of freewill in the life of Man. Ultimately, all advice and counsel, even grace itself, must be freely received by an open heart willing to change.

Quite telling is the fact that the father in the Gospel never went after his son to force him to do the right thing. He could have very easily enlisted the help of his eldest son and servants for a rescue mission, but he did not. As a result, the Prodigal had to learn the hard way, discover for himself the foolishness of his actions. Nothing that a desperate father could have said to his rebellious child in such a situation would have made an impact on the boy’s heart, unless he was in a receptive state of mind.  To be sure, he could have been brought back forcibly to the estate, but inwardly – in spirit – he would have remained a Prodigal.   

In like manner, the Heavenly Father honors our freedom. He never coerces Christians or non-Christians. Instead, He invites, calls, encourages, instructs, warns us of what might lie ahead, and allows for every possible door of opportunity. He even gives freely to Man the gift of grace, “the power and effectual operation of the Holy Spirit,” to bring about a profound transformation within believers. But it all must be received willingly.

This explains prolonged periods of preparation before major Church celebrations, such as Pascha being preceded by Lent.  As we approach God, it is not just a matter of His acceptance of us, but of how open we are to His presence in our lives.     

The upcoming Fast will be welcomed wholeheartedly by many. It will prove difficult, even irritating for others, precisely because it involves freedom, self-discipline, and preparation.

No one forces us to fast, pray, to guard our senses, to practice charity toward others. No one is watching daily to see if we adults are following the disciplines of Lent designed to soften our hearts. No one, in fact, is keeping track of whether or not we generally follow the teachings of Christ. In the final analysis, we are responsible for our words, actions and thoughts, for our spiritual progress or lack thereof. We are responsible, but the Church through her longstanding tradition – by the act of continual remembrance – is able to show us the way, provide us with the grace of redemption, the Spirit of enlightenment which must be willingly received and nurtured in the lives of believers. 

If we are open to possibilities, much can be learned through the act of remembrance, recalling the events of our Lord’s ministry, invoking as well the names of those who have gone to their rest before us. We glean much from our forefathers’ mistakes, and especially from their spiritual victories. We benefit greatly from their prayers on our behalf, and from our union with them in Christ.

Again, the Fast begins on March 15. Even though we still “enjoy” COVID-related restrictions, the Coronavirus cannot overcome the gift of grace and a strong desire to be with God. St. Paul assures the believer, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, (is) able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) It has been noted by our bishops that the Crosses currently before us offer many hidden opportunities to approach the Lord.

Taking all this to heart, let us indeed enter the upcoming Fast with joy and all seriousness, using the time wisely for the glory of God, to the best of our abilities.  

Forgetfulness (of God) is Foolishness

Archpriest Steven Kostoff

And he (Jesus) told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’  And he said, ‘I will do this:  I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’  But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”  (LK. 12:16-21)

Whenever I hear this particular parable, I think of the words of Tevye the Dairyman in Shalom Aleichem’s delightful Yiddish stories about that warm and attractive character.  (Also, of course, the main character in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof”). In his musing about God one day, Tevye said:  “The more man plans, the harder God laughs.”  Profound theological thought from a poor dairyman!

It is hard to recall a more straightforward parable in terms of its over-all meaning and intent.  The Lord is here speaking of the inevitability and unavoidability of impending death.  Death is universal and ubiquitous.  And it remains the great equalizer between rich and poor. More specifically, though, the Lord is here dramatizing an unexpected death, one that catches a person totally unprepared and thus rendered a “fool” in the process.  The rich landowner’s foolishness is revealed in the fact that he had forgotten about God in his pursuit of his “treasure.”  His forgetfulness is his foolishness. There is no indication that the landowner was a particularly sinful person.  He may have even seemed pious and God-fearing on the surface.  But Christ often specifically warns against surface appearances, or what we call “lip service” to God, while the heart is actually quite distant.  Then again, the word sin, from the Gk. amartia, actually means “missing the mark.”  So, while a person may refrain from committing sinful acts, that same person can be completely “missing the mark” when it comes to a real relationship with God.  One can have social status and be totally lost at the same time.  The rich landowner reached a point where he began to evaluate everything in life based on the “self” and not on God.  His “portfolio building” resulted in an impoverished relationship with God.

Universal truths are often taken for granted or limited to banal platitudes of recognition.  This is probably the most true when we speak of our own impending deaths.  It is so true, that very truth has lost any revelatory dimension.  There is also the unconscious denial and the rationalizations that we use to “cope” with the hard truth of death.  And we cannot spend our time living in fear of an unexpected death.  That would only paralyze our capacity for living.  Yet, how many human beings throughout the world will this very day experience what the rich landowner of the parable did!  A “cardiac episode,” a fatal accident, victimization through a horrific crime.  This is the “stuff” of daily living.  And these things will happen to countless human beings this very day.  A Christian, needs to have a realistic awareness of precisely such possibilities.  But beyond such a realistic awareness, hopefully a life rich toward God.

This parable is not about creating a sense of fear or trembling in the face of death.  Our Christian hope is meant to liberate us of just such anxiety and fear.  However, I believe that we can speak of a “warning” given to us by the Lord.  Or perhaps a call to vigilance and preparedness.  Of setting our “priorities” in order, as we may say today. We need not be so swept up in our activities and pursuits that we forget God in the process.  There is no real excuse for that. Such an outcome renders our “successes” null and void. When we inevitably die and leave behind everything that we have accumulated, we can either hear the words, “Fool!” as in the parable; or “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  According to Christ this will depend on whether or not we spent a lifetime trying to get “rich towards God.”

(Father Steven Kostoff is rector of Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a member of the adjunct faculty of the theology department at Xavier University in Cincinnati, where he has taught various courses on Orthodox theology.)

2020 Stress Test: Some Thoughts on the Coronavirus and Church Order

Fr. Basil Zebrun

(This past year provided people ample time for prayer and reflection, as well as opportunities to get bored and irritated with the world’s “new norm.” Additionally, many have expressed anger and grief, losing loved ones to the Coronavirus, as well as jobs to extreme economic slowdowns.  My brother priests and I – like everyone else – have thought a great deal about this disease, its effect on people’s lives and thinking. One particular concern has naturally been COVID’s effect on believers – clergy and laymen – and their relationship to the Body of Christ. The following article reflects just a few of our common thoughts along these lines. It offers no ultimate answers to many questions posed by Church members, but is a personal exercise, enabling me to clear my head, and to sort through some of the confusion of the past nine or ten months. It provides me as well, the present opportunity to share the thinking of others whose advice and counsel I value. I encourage readers to review the recently posted Encyclical of Hope by the OCA’s Synod of Bishops (oca.org) which addresses the issue of COVID-19 and the faithful, in a much more comprehensive manner.)                     

2020 functioned as a stress test of sorts for the Orthodox Church and her members. Challenges related to COVID-19 revealed both strengths and weaknesses of faith amongst Orthodox Christians, as well as differing views on Church order. Confusion was experienced in light of varied responses by bishops to the pandemic.  Many believers during the past nine months found themselves asking, “Whose teachings do we accept about the possibility or impossibility of getting sick while in Church?  Which practices should we agree to follow, when it comes to masks or no masks in Church, multiple Communion spoons or one, social distancing during services, and sign-up lists for worship?” Exacerbating the situation all along, was the hyper-politicization of anything related to the Coronavirus.  

Discussions of the above issues proved enlightening and surprising, as well as tiring. There was however – based on my limited exposure to COVID conversations – one fundamental item of Church order mentioned, but not greatly emphasized: the role of one’s bishop as a father in Christ and the administrator of his diocese. He is after all, the person ultimately responsible for the welfare of communities entrusted to his care. Members of these communities are his spiritual children, who ordinarily are sensitive to his wishes. They follow his directives, knowing that they are not issued haphazardly, but only after much prayer, thought and deliberation with others. Each bishop is responsible for his own flock.  Members of that flock look to him as their shepherd, the sacramental presence of Christ, the Chief Shepherd. 

It seems that the advent of COVID-19 tested these basic principles of Church order in unique ways, at least in North America. In light of the pandemic, each bishop issued directives for parishes subject to his care. Directives differed, however, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, from diocese to diocese. Variations led to confusion, and not a few Orthodox Christians, especially in large metropolitan areas, opted to follow directives from other hierarchs that matched their personal ways of thinking and comfort zones.  Accordingly, some believers chose to attend multiple Orthodox Churches from Sunday to Sunday, while others stayed at their home parishes following, ignoring and/or questioning local parish and diocesan guidelines.        

Such activity, however, threw light on an additional widespread issue: the contemporary understanding in North America of what it means to be a “member” of a particular parish and/or diocese?  For years, multiple overlapping jurisdictions in this country, along with the positive fruit of Pan-Orthodox cooperation, have helped to blur lines of community.  Thankfully, believers feel quite comfortable in whatever Church they attend liturgy. Consequently, people have sincerely wondered, “may we accept as a norm, Orthodox Christians at large who have little to no clear accountability to any one parish or to any one bishop?” Such a notion is outside of my personal experience or way of thinking.  It is certainly foreign to practices involving clergy ordinations and subsequent assignments: i.e., there are no priests or deacons possessing at large status. Each is attached to a specific altar. Overall, however, the idea of laity at large also seems inconsistent with Orthodoxy’s understanding of Church and community, the believer’s experience of belonging to a specific family, with a particular father in Christ. Yet, here and abroad, there do exist many Orthodox Christians who function on this level of membership. Jurisdictional irregularities in North America easily allow for such a practice to take place.      

On Tuesday, December 29, Archbishop Alexander met in Dallas with clergy of the Southcentral Deanery of the Diocese of the South.  At this gathering, His Eminence, along with Archimandrite Gerasim (Diocesan Administrator and Dean) highlighted the resiliency of our communities in the year 2020, their ability to adapt successfully, under trying circumstances.  He also touched briefly on matters related to the smooth functioning of any diocese. In the process he provided an informative article by Bishop Alexis of Bethesda concerning obedience in the priestly life. Quoting St. Silouan, His Grace began by asserting that, ‘the spirit of obedience is necessary not only in monks, but in everyone else too.”  The article was meant simply to reinforce to the clergy the notion of proper Church order, as they and their parishioners follow the directives of Archbishop Alexander and the OCA’s Synod of Bishops regarding the pandemic.       

The deanery meeting, however, brought to mind certain vows from the Orthodox Chrismation Service.  When a catechumen is received into the Church, he affirms his wholehearted acceptance of basic Orthodox teachings and practices: “I believe and confess it,” he says aloud after each question from the priest.  Included in his confession, is faith in Christ as the Chief Shepherd, and in the Holy Spirit as the Guide and Pilot of the Church. He declares openly his acceptance of Conciliar decrees, the traditional interpretation of Scripture, seven major sacraments, veneration of saints and icons, and prayers for the departed.  He also acknowledges bishops and other leaders as being appointed by Christ to rule the Church.  

At the very end of this list, the catechumen makes a specific pledge: “true obedience, unto (his) life’s end, in guidance which is salutary unto the soul, to the Holy Synod (of Bishops) … and to the Bishop of this Diocese, as the true Pastors appointed by the Holy Spirit; and to the Priests ordained by them” (Hapgood Service Book, pp. 460-461). 

The wording of that particular vow may be open to interpretation. Its necessity may even be questioned since the place of bishops in the Church is already acknowledged by the catechumen, and because some service books do not include it.  Jurisdictional anomalies also call into question the current meaning and purpose of this vow on a practical level. Logically, however, if one makes such a pledge publicly, in the context of a particular, local community, the only reasons to disregard it would be for matters of heresy or immoral teachings espoused by one’s bishop. It is certain that current ecclesiastical disciplines related to the Coronavirus do not fall into these two categories, although some people may have different thoughts.                 

My opinion, and that of others, is that relative to Church life across the country, the challenges of COVID-19 in 2020 simply placed a bright spotlight on – among other things – issues that existed before the pandemic. These are slowly being addressed, however, by hierarchs and theologians: i.e., how Orthodox Christians today relate to their respective bishops, parishes, dioceses, and to Church order overall. Our present situation also calls into question how the faithful might respond to future hardships more difficult than what is now experienced: a stress test of sorts. We have been living in unique times for the present generation of Orthodox Christians in North America. The past nine months provided strong opportunities to exercise Christian charity, and to discuss Orthodox fundamentals. They offered the chance to grow spiritually, to learn from our mistakes, as well as from wisdom shared by others.