Saint Antony the Great

Today (January 30) the Church commemorates Saint Antony the Great, considered to be the founder of the monastic way of life.

Venerable Antony the Great was born in Egypt around the year 250 to noble and wealthy parents, who raised him in the Christian faith. At the age of eighteen years old, he lost his parents and was left alone with his sister, who was in his care. One day he walked into the church thinking about the holy apostles, how they left everything to follow the Lord. Entering the church, he heard the words of the Gospel:

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21.).

These words struck Antony as if the Lord had spoken to him personally. Shortly thereafter, Antony donated the inheritance received from his parents to aid the poor inhabitants of the village, but wondered to whose care he would leave his sister. Preoccupied with such thoughts, he entered the church and again heard our Savior’s words as though they were specifically directed to him:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

Antony placed his sister in the care of some pious nuns and left his home in the city to live in solitude, serving only the Lord.

Saint Antony’s separation from the world happened gradually. At first, he stayed near the town in the habitation of a pious man, who lived alone and tried to imitate him. He visited other hermits who lived in the vicinity of the city, and was edified by their counsel. Already at this time he was known for his spiritual feats and was called “Friend of God.”

After seeking direction from an elder, Antony settled into a remote cave. One of his friends periodically brought him food. Finally Saint Antony abandoned inhabited places, crossed the river Nile, and settled in the ruins of a military fortification. He took with him enough bread for six months; and, thereafter, he received bread from his friends only twice a year through a hole in the roof. He endured many temptations in his ascetic struggles.

After having lived in isolation for twenty years, several of Antony’s friends settled near him. They pleaded with him to come out of his voluntary isolation, threatening to break down his door. When the venerable Antony finally exited his dwelling, his friends were amazed to find him absent of any signs of emaciation and fatigue. Heavenly peace reigned in his soul and was reflected on his face. Quiet, reserved, and affable, the elder soon became the father and mentor of many.

The desert blossomed. The surrounding mountains became inhabited by countless monks. Many people regularly gathered to sing, pray, fast, and care for the poor. Saint Antony did not give his disciples any specific rules for monastic life. He cared only about how to instill in them piety, inspiring them with devotion to ascetic struggle, to prayer, to renunciation of all earthly things, and to acceptance of the will of God in all circumstances.

Saint Antony died in old age (106 years of age in 356 A.D.) and for his ascetic labors earned the title “Great”.

St Antony was the founder of eremitical monasticism, whereby several hermits under the guidance of a mentor or Abba, live separately in huts or caves (hermitages), consecrated to prayer, fasting, and good works. Several monasteries joined under one spiritual director is called a “Lavra”.

During the lifetime of the venerable Antony the Great, another type of monasticism appeared: monastics gathered in one community, sharing tasks according to each one’s ability, sharing common meals, and adhering to a standardized set of rules. Such communities were called cenobites or monasteries. The spiritual elders of these communities were called “Archimandrites”. The righteous Pachomius is honored as the founder of cenobitic monasticism.

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Sunday of Zacchaeus

The paschal season of the Church is preceded by the season of Great Lent. The first sign of the approach of Great Lent in the Byzantine (Eastern) Christian tradition comes five Sundays before its beginning. On this first preparatory Sunday the Gospel reading is about Zacchaeus the tax-collector. It tells how Christ brought salvation to this sinful man and how his life was greatly changed simply because he “sought to see who Jesus was” (Lk 19:3).

Zacchaeus was a publican, a Jew, who was responsible for collecting taxes from his fellow citizens for the benefit of the Roman government. Publicans often collected taxes by immorally squeezing, so to say, the taxes from the people using all sorts of harassment and threats. Often demanding two to three times more than the amount they themselves were required to pay to the Roman officials, publicans were enriched at the expense of their own people’s basic needs. And Zacchaeus for this reason was very rich and was greatly disliked by the people, who called him a sinner. But this sinner awakened to his iniquity when our Lord came to Jericho and visited his home.

Confessing his disgraceful fraud, greed, and spiritually destructive love of money, Zacchaeus sincerely repented before the the Lord for all of his iniquities. He promised to make restitution by giving half of his wealth to the poor, and by paying to those he had falsely accused four times as much as they had lost. In this, he went beyond the requirements of the Law (Ex. 22:3-12).

Our lenten journey begins with a recognition of our own sinfulness, just as Zacchaeus recognized his. The desire and effort to see Jesus begins the entire movement through lent towards Pascha (Easter). It is the first step on the path to salvation.

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Holy Martyr Tatiana of Rome

According to the “older” liturgical calendar, the Church today honors the the Holy Martyr Tatiana, who was born in ancient Rome of noble parents.

Her father, a former consul, was a secret Christian and was distinguished by his piety. He raised his daughter, Saint Tatiana, in piety and fear of God, teaching her the holy scriptures.

When Saint Tatiana reached adulthood, she willed to spend her life in celibacy and chastity, as a bride of Christ. She served Him daily with prayer and fasting, mortifying her flesh and enslaving her spirit. In honor of her virtuous life she was blessed to serve the Church as a deaconess. Saint Tatiana refused to deny Christ and was executed for her faith, receiving the holy crown of martyrdom.

Through the prayers of the Holy Martyr Tatiana, may Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen!

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Bulgarian Orthodox Church Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for saving 48,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Nazi death camps in World War II, a press release published on the site of the church said Thursday.

The nomination was officially submitted to the Nobel Committee in the beginning of January on the initiative of Israel’s former Health Minister and MP, Gen. Efraim Sneh, Haifa University law professor Moshe Keshet (name may be misspelt) and attorney Moshe Aloni, supported with the signatures of over 200 descendants of saved Bulgarian Jews.

In itself, this nomination is an acknowledgement of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church which has always abided by high Christian ideals and has shown love for the brother, regardless of how difficult the circumstances and times are. “In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love” (1 Jn 4:18), the press release says.

“During World War II, some people risked their lives and heroically saved Bulgarian Jews from sure death and persecution, but the Bulgarian orthodox Church was the only religious institution on a territory controlled by Hitler to openly and officially declare its position,” the press release says. With their determination and consistent adherence to evangelical moral ideals, the Church, headed by Exarch Stephen and the Holy Synod, played a leading role in the salvation of Bulgarian Jews.

The prize-winner will be announced in October. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov commented that even if the peace prize was not given to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the nomination campaign would make the good deed of the Bulgarian people better known. This is the second time that the Church has been nominated for a Nobel Prize following an earlier initiative in 2013, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the salvation of Bulgarian Jews on the initiative of PACE honorary member Luchezar Toshev.

What should be noted in the present nomination is that it comes from the Israeli side and with the powerful support of the Bulgarian community in Israel, the press release points out.

Source: Sofia

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Theophany: Baptism of the Lord

Greetings on the Great Feast of Theophany!

The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Theophany on January 19th. The term Theophany means “a visible manifestation of God,” and is so called because at the time of our Lord’s baptism in the river Jordan, the Holy Trinity was revealed to humanity. As Christ was baptized, the voice of God proclaimed Jesus as His Son and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove.

The account of our Lord’s baptism is recorded in Saint Matthew’s gospel:

Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of Goddescending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:13-17).

The icon of the Theophany of Christ reminds us about one of the Old Testament events – the great flood, which cleansed the earth of sin. The Holy Spirit, descending in the form of a dove, reminds us of the dove which was sent by God to Noah to affirm God’s reconciliation with humanity after the flood.

In honor of the Lord’s baptism, the blessing of water is prescribed in the liturgical rubrics. Traditionally, the rite is performed twice: the first blessing takes place inside the church on the eve of the feast and the second blessing is held outside at rivers, lakes, springs, and wells on the actual day of the feast.

The blessed theophany water is called “agiasma” from the Greek word for sanctified. The blessed water is treated with great reverence by pious believers, only drinking the water on empty stomachs after appropriate prayer. When ingested with faith, holy water helps in the healing of both physical and spiritual illnesses. The holy water is also sprinkled to bless one’s home.

The annual celebration of the Feast of Theophany provides an opportunity for us to embrace a humble spirit of gratitude to God for incarnating into the world and for restoring our broken relationship.

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Saint Seraphim of Sarov on Prayer

“Of course, every good deed done for Christ’s sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us this grace most of all, for it is always at hand, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

“For instance, you would like to go to church, but there’s no church or the service is over; you would like to give alms to a beggar, but there isn’t one, or you have nothing to give; you would like to preserve your virginity, but you have not the strength to do so because of your temperament, or because of the violence of the wiles of the enemy, which, because of your human weakness, you cannot withstand; you would like to do some other good deed for Christ’s sake, but either you have not the strength or the opportunity is lacking.”

“This certainly does not apply to prayer. Prayer is always possible for everyone, rich and poor, noble and humble, strong and weak, healthy and sick, righteous and sinful.”

– Saint Seraphim of Sarov

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The Old Orthodox New Year

The Old New Year or the Orthodox New Year is an informal traditional holiday, celebrated as the start of the New Year by the Julian calendar. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Old New Year falls on January 14 in the Gregorian calendar.

On this day are two additional commemorations. The Church commemorates the Circumcision of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ eight days after His birth (Luke 2:21) in accordance with the command given by God to Abraham when He promised to make an everlasting covenant with him and all his descendants (Genesis 17:10-12).

Also, the feast and commemoration of Saint Basil is celebrated this day with the Divine Liturgy attributed to him, the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great. This is one of ten times during the year when the Liturgy of Saint Basil is celebrated.

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The Gifts of the Magi

According to the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh as expensive gifts to the young Jesus. Have you ever wondered why the gifts consisted of gold, frankincense, and myrrh?

These valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil. In fact, these same three items were apparently among the gifts, recorded in ancient inscriptions, that King Seleucus II Callinicus offered to the god Apollo at the temple in Miletus in 243 B.C. The Book of Isaiah, when describing Jerusalem’s glorious restoration, tells of nations and kings who will come and “bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).

In addition to the honor and status implied by the value of the gifts of the magi, scholars think that these three were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus Himself—gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and burial preparations.

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The Festive Season of Christmas

God came into the world to free us from the power of the fallen world and to once again restore humanity’s relationship with God! Let us celebrate in our hearts the joy of the birth of Christ the Savior in Bethlehem, enlightening humanity with the light of divine truth.

From the depth of our hearts and souls we lift up our special intentions to the Lord Jesus Christ during these holy days. He, the Knower of Hearts, hears us and mercifully grants us divine love, bestowing us His blessing, that we may spend all the days of our lives in strengthened faith, love, and service for the salvation of our souls and the world.

May the grace of the newborn Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, bless and abide with you and your beloved ones!

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The Nativity of Christ

Christ is Born! Glorify Him! + Christos Razdajetsja! Slavite Jeho!

“A strange and most wonderful mystery do I see: the cave is heaven; the Virgin is the throne of the cherubim; the manger is a space, in which Christ, the God whom nothing can contain, is laid. Him do we praise and magnify!” – Ode 9, Nativity Canon

The holiday season is always a special time of year. Not only do we love spending time with family and friends, but we are truly in awe at the amazing gift of Jesus. His birth is the sign of God’s grace and love to the world, and He is the greatest gift that anyone could ever receive.

During this festive season, it is truly a humble honor to remember in thought and prayer our family and friends. We thank all for taking the time to read this blog and to support our mission.

We wish you and your family a blessed Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and pray to our newborn Lord and Savior that you continue to reap His blessings throughout the New Year! From our family to yours, we wish you a very blessed Feast of our Lord’s Nativity!

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Holy Supper on Christmas Eve

The tradition of Holy Supper (Svjatyj Večer) is observed on the eve before the Nativity of Christ by families of Slavic descent. The meal with its traditions is full of meaning and symbolism. Even those who have unfortunately abandoned this glorious tradition likely fondly recall and cherish the childhood memories.

The various foods and customs surrounding this meal differed from village to village, indeed from family to family, and thus became a unique part of a family’s heritage. This custom of gathering together in joy as a family and sharing a special meal is not only a nostalgic memory but a vital way of reaffirming today God’s love for the world, a vital way of reaffirming the importance of the family where we learn to love and be loved. We do this in celebration of God’s love manifest in Christ Jesus.

Holy Supper begins at twilight when the ‘first star’ appears. The table is covered with a white tablecloth in memory of the swaddling clothes of Christ. Hay or straw is strewn on the floor and table to remind us of the poverty of the cave in which Jesus was born. A large loaf of bread (kračún) is the centerpiece of the table symbolizing Christ the Bread of Life. A candle in the center of this bread recalls the Star of Bethlehem, which marked the birth of our Lord, the true Light of the World. An extra place is always set at the table, for none are turned away in honor of the Holy Family having no place to stay.

The meal begins with the singing of the Christmas tropar (hymn) and the lighting of a candle placed in the center of the bread, symbolizing the star of Bethlehem. The hymn is followed by a traditional toast (vinčovánie) in thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year and for all good things in the coming year:

We greet you with the Feast of Christ’s Nativity and wish that the Infant Jesus shower upon all of you His choicest blessings. May we all live in health, peace, and happiness and may we all celebrate another Christmas together. A Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him! + Christós Raždájetsja! Slavíte Jého!

The head of the house anoints with honey the forehead of all present with the words:

May we love one another as the bee loves honey.

A common cup of wine is then passed around for each to drink with the words:

May God unite us in faith and love.

Bread is broken and passed to all. It is then dipped into the honey and eaten with a clove of garlic with the words:

Life is comprised of both the bitter and the sweet. May we love one another and may God spare us from all evil.

The meal traditionally consists of twelve courses, symbolic of the twelve apostles. The twelve lenten dishes usually served in our household are: bread, garlic, honey, mushroom-sauerkraut soup, fish, bobal’ki, pirohi, mushroom stuffed cabbage (holubtsi), potatoes, sauerkraut, peas and mushrooms in gravy (zapráška), and dried fruit. The twelve lenten foods are eaten without knives or pepper. Pepper symbolizes arguments and knives the cutting of friendship

The meal ends with a closing prayer:

May He who was born in a cavern and lay in a manger for our salvation, Christ our true God, through the prayers of the Holy Theotokos, of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke and of all the saints have mercy on and save us for He is good and loves all. Amen

After Holy Supper, the candle is blown out gently and if the smoke rises straight up it signifies abundant blessings in the new year.

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Saint Victoria the Martyr

Saint Victoria (d. 250 A.D.) was a Christian noblewoman from Rome. She, together with her sister, St. Anatolia, were forced into arranged marriages with two pagan noblemen.

Both Victoria and Anatolia desired to devote themselves entirely to God rather than marry. Upon this refusal, their suitors denounced the sisters as Christians to the authorities under the persecution of Roman Emperor Decius. The sisters were seized and put under house arrest in order to break their faith and convince them to marry. Instead of weakening, their faith in Christ became more resolute.

While under house arrest they sold all of their belongings, gave their money to the poor, and converted the servants and guards who attended them to Christianity. Both St. Victoria and her sister were eventually killed for their faith; first Anatolia, and later Victoria. St. Victoria was stabbed through the heart at the request of her rejected suitor, Eugenius. Her feast day is December 23rd/January 5th.

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