The Decline of Christianity in America

“One of them, an expert in the law, tested him [Jesus] with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:35-40 (NIV)

According to the Eastern-Rite Lectionary, today’s gospel reading (above) for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost is commonly referred to by Orthodox Catholic Christians as “the Gospel of the greatest commandment in the Law” (Евангелие о наибольшей заповеди в Законе). What is the essence of the greatest commandment? Love! If the foundation of Christianity is love of God and love of neighbor, one would reasonably expect to experience unconditional love overflowing in our churches and our lives, in joyful fulfillment of our Lord’s greatest commandment.

Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to be the experience for a lot of folks.This past week, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) released a report about the growing number of people who profess no religious affiliation or have renounced a previous religious affiliation. In the overall survey, Americans identified as important motivations in leaving their childhood religion are: they stopped believing in the religion’s teachings (60%), their family was never that religious when they were growing up (32%), and their experience of negative religious teachings about or treatment of gay and lesbian people (29%). Fewer than one in five Americans who left their childhood religion point to the clergy sexual-abuse scandal (19%), a traumatic event in their life (18%), or their congregation becoming too focused on politics (16%) as an important reason for disaffiliating.

Religious believers have a great deal to learn from these results. Love, prayer, humility, and a deep investigation of scripture and tradition can stem the exodus from the Church. I prefer to reframe the data as a challenge and opportunity for necessary change. The details give me inspiration and hope that the Church will interpret the study results as the Holy Spirit’s call to renewal, rather than doom and gloom disaster.

The Church is presented with the opportunity to understand and acknowledge that its present failure to love is driving people away. Rather than doubling down on flawed exegesis of scripture, the Church can embrace the deep compatibility of science and faith, holding fast to the essential truths while contextually reforming antiquated tradition. In obedience to Christ’s greatest commandment, the Church can positively embrace those who have disaffiliated from the Faith and refreshingly present the good news of Christ’s welcome to all.

I am reminded of a prayer by Saint Julian of Norwich that seems fitting to share. She prayed:

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother and Savior. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for in love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. Amen.

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Byzantine Slavic Orthodox Catholic Cross

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This Byzantine Slavic Orthodox Cross is engraved with a beautiful image of Christ crucified on the front and the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner”) in Slavonic on the reverse side. The dimensions of the Cross are .8″ wide by 1.3″ high. A 21″ black cord chain with clasp is included. The crosses were blessed on the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross in the monastery chapel.

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Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Cross

“Then He [Jesus] said to them: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” — Luke 9:23

On Feasts of the Church that commemorate the holy and life-giving Cross, I try to spend some quiet time pondering the meaning of our Lord’s words to “take up one’s cross” in the here and now?

My first thought is that crosses come in many forms: poverty, losses, injustices, loneliness, betrayals, illnesses, and other hardships. Accepting these circumstances in one’s life without complaint and despondency translates into “taking up one’s cross.”

Another thought is that “taking up one’s cross” means self-denial. The majority, if not all people, want to experience self-fulfillment, but only a minority choose self-denial. The paradox is that the only path to fulfillment is self-denial. Our Lord tells us that there is no other way. I understand self-denial as making an intentional effort to avoid things that are temporarily pleasurable but are eternally painful, namely sin.

I also relate the words of “taking up one’s cross” with pain. This thought may initially cause one to wince; but stop and think about it… any great achievement requires concerted effort along with pain. We even have a common saying “no pain, no gain.” Athletes suffer pain in the training of their bodies. Likewise, spiritual athletes must be willing to suffer temporal pain for eternal gain.

Finally, “taking up one’s cross” means dying to self everyday. How? By allowing our difficult circumstances to transform us into being more Christ–like. When we experience the pain of an insult, disappointment, suffering, physical challenge, failure, injustice, or hardship, it’s an opportunity to die to pride, die to ego, die to sin, die to self. And if we die to self, we come alive in grace. We transform the present sufferings and inconveniences into love by turning to God in trust, believing good can come out of suffering… as it did on Golgotha.

So these are my thoughts regarding the meaning to “take up one’s cross” on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, commemorating the finding of the Life-giving Cross in the year 326 and its recovery from Persia in 628.

May God grant us the strength and grace to endure all so that we may be ever thankful and faithfully proclaim “Glory to God for all things!” Through the prayers of your Most-Holy Mother and by the power of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us and save us. Amen!

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Nativity of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

Joyous greetings on the great Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Mother of God and Blessed Virgin Mary!

Today we celebrate the birth of the Queen of heaven and earth – the fruit of prayer, alms and good deeds by her holy parents, Saints Joachim and Anna.

Let us praise the holy Virgin Mary with hearts that are innocent as children’s and with lives that are pure and free from the stain of sin. To rightfully honor her, who was to become the Mother of God’s Son, it is necessary to emulate her kindness, gentleness, patience, love and empathy toward all. If, on the other hand, our hearts are filled with sin, hatred, anger and evil , our prayers and deeds lack merit before the All-Holy Virgin Mary.

With Joyful minds filled with hope and with hearts filled with mercy and humility, let us humbly bow before and venerate the holy icon of the Mother of God, as we raise our voices in prayer:

“Open to us the doors of mercy, O most blessed Theotokos, trusting in you may we not perish, but through you be delivered from all adversity: for you are the salvation of Christians.” 

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Indiction: The Ecclesiastical New Year

September (1/14) is celebrated as the Ecclesiastical or Church New Year by Orthodox Christians. It is also a day marked by prayers for the environment, reminding us to be good stewards of the world around us.

By marking the start of a new year in September, the Orthodox Catholic Church associates the new year with harvesting crops. As preparations for winter are being made, so too are preparations for the upcoming year.

For Christians, it is a time of thanksgiving, remembering the good weather and abundant rain the Lord provided for that year’s harvest—something we pray for at every Divine Liturgy.

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Our Lady of Perpetual Help Blessed Keychain

We have no greater help, No greater hope, than you, O Most Pure Virgin; Help us then, For we hope in you, We glory in you, We are your servants, Do not abandon us. – Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Beautiful Holy Queen

We would like to offer others a blessed item from the 82nd Annual Pilgrimage “Theotokos: An Inexhaustible Fountain of Mercy” held at the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

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Proudly display your faith everywhere you go with this unique keychain of Our Lady of Perpetual Help! The rectangular keychain can also be used as an interior auto mirror pendant.  The beautiful silver zinc alloy keychain makes a great gift for the drivers in your circle of family and friends! All keychains were blessed by holy water from the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

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Eighty-Second Annual Otpust-Pilgrimage