Category: Pastoral Letters

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, November 30th is the Feast of St. Andrew the First Called Apostle. As his missionary journeys led him to a fishing town known as Byzantium, he laid the foundation for the epicenter of Eastern Christendom. He was the first bishop of that which would become Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine, once he relocated the imperial city, and named it after himself. Therefore, St. Andrew is the patron saint of Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Itself.

Here in America, there is a distinguished group of Greek Orthodox Christians known as Archons; those who’s ministry it is to support, witness, educate about, and help sustain the Ecumenical Patriarchate in modern day Istanbul. Our Church does not enjoy the protections, the wealth, the comforts of the Vatican. Every day, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Bartholomew lives very precariously in nothing less than hostile surroundings. The support received through the Archons, both financially and in terms of awareness is invaluable to the existence of the Mother Church in a less than friendly, anti-Christian country. 

Last Sunday was designated by our Archdiocese as “Archon Sunday,” an opportunity to bring awareness…to those who bring awareness.

As a parish, because of my accident side-lining me for a few weeks, we have fallen behind on a few of these special Sundays (look for a makeup “Church Musicians Sunday” and “Camp for the Future Sunday”). Since we celebrate St. Andrew tomorrow, it is most appropriate that we observe the work of the Archons on this day. 

I wish to offer my sincere appreciation and respect to our parish’s lone Archon, Dr. Charles Beck, MD. Thank you, Charles, for your distinguished support of the Mother Church and Her mission in the world.

Since I cannot possibly articulate the value of this group and bring a proper perspective on the impact of Archon Sunday, please enjoy the following Encyclical from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America that was to be read in church last Sunday. 

Archiepiscopal Encyclical for Archon Sunday

Unto the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, Presvyteres and Diakonisses, the Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, the Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, the Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and the entirety of the Christ-named Plenitude of the Sacred Archdiocese of America:

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, one of the two who had heard what John said, followed Jesus. First, he went and found his brother, the aforementioned Simon. (John 1:41-42) Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, Last year, the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Sacred Archdiocese of America inaugurated “Archon Sunday,” in order to recognize the esteemed Order of Saint Andrew the First Called Disciple, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and to honor the Feast of their Heavenly Patron.

In the days preceding the Feast of Saint Andrew on Sunday, November 30th, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will visit Nicaea (modern İznik), the site of the First Ecumenical Council, together with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Their Beatitudes of the Elder Patriarchates – the full complement of the ancient Pentarchy – in order to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of the Three Hundred and Eighteen Fathers gathered in Nicaea and the Creed, and their declaration of the Faith of the Apostles, which we recite at every Divine Service.

Following the Nicaean event, the Pope will be present for the Feastday Liturgy of Saint Andrew in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Holy Great-Martyr George the Trophy Bearer, bearing witness to the enduring ecumenical progress that has been made over the last fifty years. There will be a special pilgrimage with many Archons for these most significant events, which signal real progress in the goal of a unified Christendom.

Throughout, we shall manifest the love of Andrew for his brother Simon, who went first out of love to share with his brother (renamed Peter by the Lord), the good news of finding the Messiah. Therefore, all parishes are urged to take time on this Sunday, November 23rd, to acknowledge the Archons of the Great Church of Christ, and to take full advantage of the many initiatives of the Order of Saint Andrew, which can be found on their website, https://archons.org. As children of the Mother Church of Constantinople, we all – Archon or no – have a responsibility to Her and Her spiritual mission, to share the Gospel of the Messiah, Who was found first by Saint Andrew, with all our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

With Blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

†ELPIDOPHOROS Archbishop of America

To all who celebrate their Name Day tomorrow, the Andrews and Andreas, Chronia Polla! Many Years!

With Much Love in Christ

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Tuesday, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV will be together for a most historic commemoration as they gather in Nicaea to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of the 1st Ecumenical Council and the drafting of the Nicene Creed. For Orthodox Christians, the Nicaean Creed is not an historical document for scholars to contemplate or a point in history to simply be appreciated. It represents the first articulation of our Faith. It defines our beliefs. It celebrates the relationship between the Three Persons of our Triune God, and the Lord’s relationship with each of us. We as a people. We as a family of believers. We as individuals, baptized, illumined and made whole. We recite it as we sacramentally enter the Church. And in unison, we proclaim it at every Divine Liturgy. By it and through it, we are affirmed, justified and inspired. 

But I also found an interesting article in Christianity Today Concerning this milestone in history. It was refreshing to see what Western Christianity in general has to say about the event and the Creed, Itself. Please enjoy this read. And remember to give thanks to our loving Savior that after 1700 years, you still maintain and are grounded in the doctrinal truths as expressed in the Creed. You belong to the very Church which composed it. And you remain true to their traditions. I have personally stood in the ruins of the church in Nicaea where the Creed was drafted and first proclaimed. Praying in that space and reciting the Creed with my fellow pilgrims, I felt a sense of awe, appreciation, connection, and responsibility. 

I hope you enjoy this article:

“This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the formulation of the Nicene Creed. If you’re not deeply familiar with Christian history or theology, that might sound like an obscure detail. You might even be wondering: what does a fourth-century church meeting have to do with me today?

Actually, quite a lot.

Let’s take a quick journey down history lane.

The Council that changed everything

The First Council of Nicaea took place in 325 AD, called together by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in the city of Nicaea (modern-day İznik, Turkey). His aim? To bring unity to a fragmented empire.

While Constantine sought political stability, the bishops who gathered were focused on something deeper: the unity and clarity of Christian belief. At the heart of their discussions was a growing controversy known as Arianism – a teaching that denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ.

The result? The Council of Nicaea produced the Nicene Creed, set a lasting precedent for ecumenical councils (global gatherings of Christian leaders to define core beliefs), and even established a unified date for celebrating Easter.

Now that we’ve got the basics of what the Council of Nicaea was all about, you might still be asking: why does the Nicene Creed matter so much today?

The birth of the Nicene Creed

Well, as previously mentioned, one of the most enduring outcomes of this council was the creation of the Nicene Creed.

In today’s churches, you’ll hear a wide range of messages – some deeply rooted in Scripture, others perhaps less so. But the Nicene Creed brings us back to the centre. It grounds our congregations in the truth of Christ Himself, cutting through the noise and reminding us of what matters most.

The creed didn’t just resolve one theological debate; it set the foundation for what most Christians – Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant – believe about God today.

It condemned Arianism, asserting the belief in one God – the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ as true God, begotten, not made, and of one substance with the Father (and that He was incarnated, crucified, resurrected and ascended) and the Holy Spirit as Lord and giver of life.

It also declared the belief in a united church, set apart for God’s purposes, open to all and present worldwide and built on the foundations of the apostles’ teachings.

It acknowledged one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and pointed to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

The Creed is still said every week in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and many Protestant churches around the world.

Why this still matters

Let’s be real, Christian churches today can feel divided. Different doctrines, different styles of worship, even disagreements over what’s essential to the faith. Sometimes, that lack of unity is exhausting and confusing – not just for believers, but for seekers and sceptics watching from the outside.

That’s exactly why this anniversary is so powerful! It centers us. It reminds us of our shared foundation. It points us back to Christ and affirms our belief in the God who came down, died, rose, and is still alive and active today.

Even if you’ve never studied the Council of Nicaea, if you’ve ever said the words of the Nicene Creed, then you’ve participated in a tradition that stretches back 1,700 years. It has shaped how you think about God’s love, salvation, and your purpose in the world even if you didn’t realize it. This anniversary is more than just a historical footnote. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with what we believe and why it matters.”

So, if Evangelical Christians can articulate such a lovely appreciation for the Nicaean Creed, let it’s teaching penetrate our hearts even more deeply. Happy Anniversary to the First Ecumenical Council. You still look great after 1700 years!

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

The entire world has found you to be a great champion in times of peril; for you put the heathen to flight, O victorious one. As you brought to naught the boasts of Lyaeus, and gave courage to Nestor in the stadium, in the same way, O Holy Great Martyr Demetrios, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

Apolytikion of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, October 26th, with abundant joy, the Church celebrates The Great Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-Flowing of Thessaloniki. He was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessaloniki. Three centuries had elapsed and Roman paganism, spiritually shattered and defeated by the multitude of martyrs and confessors of the Savior, intensified its persecutions. The parents of Saint Demetrios were secret Christians, and he was baptized and raised in the Christian Faith in a secret church in his father’s home. Imagine, the Great Apostle Paul had established the Church in Thessaloniki, and though it continued to grow from his first apostolic visit, polytheistic roots and the violent, pagan nature continued wage war against the gentleness of Christ. 

By the time Demetrios had reached maturity and his father had died, Emperor Galerius Maximian had ascended the throne (305). Maximian, confident in Demetrios’s education as well as his administrative and military abilities, appointed him to his father’s position as proconsul of the Thessaloniki district. The young commander’s principal duties were to defend the city from barbarians and to eradicate Christianity. The Emperor’s policy regarding Christians was expressed simply: “Put to death anyone who calls on the name of Christ.” The Emperor did not suspect that by appointing Demetrios he had provided him with the opportunity to bring many people to Christ.

Accepting the appointment, Demetrios returned to Thessaloniki and confessed and glorified our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of persecuting and executing Christians, he began to teach the Christian Faith openly to the inhabitants of the city and to overthrow pagan customs and the worship of idols. The compiler of his Life, Saint Simeon Metaphrastes (November 9), says that because of his teaching zeal he became “a second Apostle Paul” for Thessaloniki, particularly since “the Apostle to the Gentiles” founded the first community of believers in the city (1 Thess. and 2 Thess.).

The Lord also destined Saint Demetrios to follow Saint Paul on the path to martyrdom. When Maximian learned that the newly-appointed proconsul was a Christian, and that he had converted many Roman subjects to Christianity, the Emperor’s rage knew no bounds. Returning from a campaign in the area of the Black Sea, the Emperor decided to lead his army through Thessaloniki, determined to massacre the Christians.

Learning of this, Saint Demetrios ordered his faithful servant Lupus to give his wealth to the poor saying, “Distribute my earthly riches among them, for we shall seek heavenly riches for ourselves.” He began to pray and fast, preparing himself for martyrdom.

When the Emperor came into the city, he summoned Demetrios, who boldly confessed himself a Christian and denounced the falsehood and futility of Roman polytheism. Maximian ordered Demetrios to be thrown into prison. An Angel appeared to him, comforting and encouraging him.

Meanwhile the Emperor amused himself by staging games in the circus. His champion was a German by the name of Lyaeos. He challenged Christians to wrestle with him on a platform built over the upturned spears of the victorious soldiers. A brave Christian named Nestor went to the prison to Saint Demetrios, his instructor in the Faith, asking for his blessing to fight the barbarian. With the blessing and prayers of Saint Demetrios, Nestor defeated the fierce German and hurled him from the platform onto the spears of the soldiers, just as the murderous pagan would have done with the Christian.

The enraged commander ordered the execution of the holy Martyr Nestor (October 27) and sent a guard to the prison to kill Saint Demetrios. At dawn on October 26, 306 soldiers appeared in the Saint’s underground prison and ran him through with lances. His faithful servant, Saint Lupus, gathered up the blood-soaked garment of Saint Demetrios he took the imperial ring from his finger, a symbol of his high status, and dipped it in the blood. With the ring and other holy things sanctified the blood of Saint Demetrios, Saint Lupus began to heal the infirm. The Emperor ordered his soldiers to arrest and kill him.

The body of the holy Great Martyr Demetrios was cast out for wild animals to devour, but the Christians took it and secretly buried it in the earth.

During the reign of Saint Constantine (306-337), a church was built over the grave of Saint Demetrios. A hundred years later, during the construction of a majestic new church on the old spot, the incorrupt relics of the holy martyr were uncovered. Since the seventh century a miraculous flow of fragrant myrrh has been found beneath the crypt of the Great Martyr Demetrios, so he is called “the Myrrh-Flowing.”

St. Demetrios is not only among the most popular and much-loved saints within Mediterranean culture, but in the Slavonic world, as well. He was an inspiration and protector of the youth in his contemporary time. To this day, he is regarded as a patron saint to children and the vulnerable. May his prayers continue to guide, strengthen, and instruct in the ways of Christ and His Gospel. 

Holy Saint Demetrios, Intercede for Us!

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today, Saturday, October 18th we celebrate the life and ministry St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist. He was a native of Syrian Antioch, a companion of the holy Apostle Paul (Phil.1:24, 2 Tim. 4:10-11), and a physician enlightened in the Greek medical arts. Hearing about Christ, Luke arrived in Palestine and fervently accepted the preaching of salvation from the Lord Himself. As one of the Seventy Apostles, Saint Luke was sent by the Lord with the others to preach the Kingdom of Heaven during the Savior’s earthly life (Luke 10:1-3). After the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saints Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus.

Luke accompanied Saint Paul on his second missionary journey, and from that time they were inseparable. When Paul’s coworkers had forsaken him, only Luke remained to assist him in his ministry (2 Tim. 4:10-11). After the martyric death of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul, Saint Luke left Rome to preach in Achaia, Libya, Egypt and the Thebaid. He ended his life by suffering martyrdom in the city of Thebes.

Tradition credits Saint Luke with painting the first icons of the Mother of God. “Let the grace of Him Who was born of Me and My mercy be with these Icons,” said the All-Pure Virgin after seeing the icons. Saint Luke also painted icons of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul. Saint Luke’s Gospel was written in the years 62-63 at Rome, under the guidance of the Apostle Paul. In the preliminary verses (1:1-3), Saint Luke precisely sets forth the purpose of his work. He proposes to record, in chronological order, everything known by Christians about Jesus Christ and His teachings. By doing this, he provided a firmer historical basis for Christian teaching (1:4). He carefully investigated the facts, and made generous use of the oral tradition of the Church and of what the All-Pure Virgin Mary Herself had told him (2:19, 51).

In Saint Luke’s Gospel, the message of the salvation made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the preaching of the Gospel, are of primary importance.

Saint Luke also wrote the Acts of the Holy Apostles at Rome around 62-63 A.D. The Book of Acts, which is a continuation of the four Gospels, speaks about the works and the fruits of the holy Apostles after the Ascension of the Savior. At the center of the narrative is the Council of the holy Apostles at Jerusalem in the year 51, a Church event of great significance, which resulted in the separation of Christianity from Judaism and its independent dissemination into the world (Acts 15:6-29). The theological focus of the Book of Acts is the coming of the Holy Spirit, Who will guide the Church “into all truth” (John 16:13) until the Second Coming of Christ.

The holy relics of Saint Luke were taken from Constantinople and brought to Padua, Italy at some point in history. Perhaps this was during the infamous Crusade of 1204. In 1992, Metropolitan Hieronymus (Jerome) of Thebes requested the Roman Catholic bishop in Thebes to obtain a portion of Saint Luke’s relics for the saint’s empty sepulchre in the Orthodox cathedral in Thebes.

The Roman Catholic bishop Antonio Mattiazzo of Padua, noting that Orthodox pilgrims came to Padua to venerate the relics while many Catholics did not even know that the relics were there, appointed a committee to investigate the relics in Padua, and the skull of Saint Luke in the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Vico in Prague.

The skeleton was determined to be that of an elderly man of strong build. In 2001, a tooth found in the coffin was judged to be consistent with the DNA of Syrians living near the area of Antioch dating from 72-416 A.D. The skull in Prague perfectly fit the neck bone of the skelton. The tooth found in the coffin in Padua was also found to fit the jawbone of the skull.

Bishop Mattiazzo sent a rib from the relics to Metropolitan Hieronymus to be venerated in Saint Luke’s original tomb in the Orthodox cathedral at Thebes.

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

The Son who shone forth from the Father, was born of woman in two natures. Having beheld Him, we do not deny the image of His form. Devoutly depicting it we honor it in faith. Therefore the Church, maintaining the true faith, venerates the icon of Christ’s incarnation.

Kontakion Hymn of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow the Church remembers the 350 holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council under the holy Patriarch Tarasius (February 25).

The Synod of 787, the second to meet at Nicea, refuted the Iconoclast heresy during the reign of Empress Irene and her son Constantine VI.

The Council decreed that the veneration of icons was not idolatry (Exodus 20:4-5), because the honor shown to them is not directed to the wood or paint, but passes to the prototype (the person depicted).

It also upheld the possibility of depicting Christ, Who became man and took flesh at His Incarnation. The Father, on the other hand, cannot be represented in His eternal nature, because “no man has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).

In our Greek Orthodox practice, the holy God-bearing Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council are commemorated on October 11 (if it is a Sunday), or on the Sunday which follows October 11. And that, my beloved in the Lord, is why we celebrate these great luminaries of the Faith, their doctrinal galvanization, and the unity of the Church tomorrow on October 12th. Through their intercessions may we also find clarity, vision, steadfastness and joy in witnessing our Orthodox Christian Faith. I remain, 

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow on October 5th we celebrate Saint Charitina of Amisos in Pontus who lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305). Orphaned at a young age, she became the servant of a noble Roman Christian named Claudianus, or Claudius, who brought her up as his own daughter. The young girl was very pretty, sensible, and kind. She imparted her love for Christ to others and brought many to the path of salvation. Saint Charitina was meek, humble, obedient and silent. Although she was not yet baptized, she was a Christian at heart. She studied the Law of God both day and night. And vowed to preserve her virginity as a true bride of Christ.

Because Saint Charitina brought many others to the Christian Faith, Dometius, one of Emperor Diocletian’s governors, came to hear of her and sent a letter to Claudius, ordering him to send Charitina to him so that he might question her. Claudius had no doubts about the result of this interrogation. Grieved at the prospect of losing her, he put on sackcloth and wept bitter tears. Charitina comforted him, saying: “Do not grieve, my Master, but rejoice, for I am to become an acceptable sacrifice to God, for my sins and for yours.”

Claudius replied: “O Servant of God, remember me when you stand before the heavenly King in the ranks of the Holy Martyrs.” 

The Saint was brought before a judge at the tribunal. He asked her: “Is it true that you are a Christian, and that you delude others by bringing them to your impious faith?”

Charitina replied: “It is true that I am a Christian, but it is a lie that I delude others. On the contrary, I lead them from deception to the path of truth, bringing them to my Christ.”

After this, and repeatedly, many vile methods of torture were thrust upon her, and by God’s providence and protection, she was either spared or immediately restored to health. Finaly, as her executioners sent several men to violently defile her, she prayed earnestly to God that she be received by Him before her virginal body would be subjected to their intended vile acts, and so, as she prayed, she surrendered her pure soul to God.

When the judge saw that she was dead, he had her body placed in a sack weighted with stones and tossed it into the sea. By Divine Providence, her body was brought to the shore three days later. Her master Claudius found her body and buried her with appropriate honor and reverence. Fragments of Saint Charitina’s Holy Relics are found in the Monasteries of Kykkos, Cyprus, and Jerusalem of Boeotia.

Through the Intercessions of the Virgin Martyr Charitina, may we receive her strength, resolve, inspiration, and especially her love for Christ. I remain,

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Dr. Jane Goodall at the Templeton Prize Ceremony

The earth groans, but it also hopes. The question is whether we will participate in the song of its pain or in the hymn of its gratitude.

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If the Pope arrived in the United States, we would have seen every detail of his visit in all versions of print, television, digital and social media. That would be big news. Did most of us even know that our own Orthodox world leader, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was in the US for more than two weeks? What a joy to receive him, who prays for us and safeguards the Faith. Having met His All-Holiness six times in my life, from large-scale gatherings to private audiences, I can personally attest to the humility, brilliance, sanctity and sincerity of our shepherd of shepherds. 

His visit to the United States this time was not so much for pastoral reasons, but rather to validate and celebrate his life-long efforts on behalf of the ecological, environmental, and anthropological connections to Orthodox Theology. His decades-long message that our love for God should be evident in our love for the environment was cemented in history with his nomination and reception of the most prestigious award possible at the intersection of Theology and Science – The Templeton Prize.

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople received the 2025 Templeton Prize at a ceremony in New York on Wednesday, September 24, becoming the first leader of an Orthodox Church to receive the award. The prize, worth approximately $1.4 million, recognizes individuals who bridge religion and science while advancing spiritual understanding.

The ceremony was attended by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who first dubbed Bartholomew the “Green Patriarch” in 1997. In his acceptance speech, the Patriarch emphasized the interconnection between environmental and spiritual responsibility.

“The God who breathed stars and humans into being is the same God who grieves when a single sparrow falls, when a coral reef bleaches white as bone, and when a child gasps for clean air,” Patriarch Bartholomew stated, noting that the award belongs not to him personally but to the ecumenical vision served by the Patriarchate for decades.

The Patriarch traced the Orthodox Church’s environmental commitment to 1989, when his predecessor Patriarch Demetrios established September 1 as a day of prayer for the protection of creation. He called for reuniting science and faith, comparing a physicist studying glacier acceleration to a theologian reading about “the groans of creation” in the Apostle Paul’s writings as “two people reading the same book in different languages.”

In his address, His All-Holiness criticized religious communities that embraced “conspiracy theories” during the COVID-19 pandemic and condemned those who limit themselves to “words of faith” without action. He emphasized the connection between consumerist greed and environmental destruction, proposing ascetic practices as a “joyful discipline” that heals excess and restores harmony. He also expressed concern for young people’s “existential anxiety about the environment,” calling this a “moral failure” of older generations, and stressed that environmental protection requires social justice, stating “we cannot heal the planet without healing our relationships with each other.”

The Patriarch concluded his speech by stating: “The earth groans, but it also hopes. The question is whether we will participate in the song of its pain or in the hymn of its gratitude.”

The Templeton Prize has been awarded annually since 1972 to individuals including Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Francis Collins. The $1.4 million award supports the recipient’s ongoing work and initiatives.

During his visit, he also met with President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine. 

As Greek Orthodox Christians, we can take great joy in the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarch is not only a man of principle, vision, and dignity, but sees creation, in all its glory, in all its diversity, and in all its grandeur through the prism of its delicate balance. God Grant Him Many Years!

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

On the Sunday Following the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross:

Nicolaos Kabasilas in order to give us to understand God’s love, he uses the example of those who are in love.  As the couple always seek the one for the other, and when they are together they are feeling wonderfully;  in a similar manner God loved so much the world, that He became man to seek of what it was lost.  God does not only call all men to repentance, but He Himself came into the world, took up flesh becoming a perfect man, but without sin, and suffered on the cross death.  Through His death He granted life to all those who believe in His name.

Two are the basic characteristics of true love.  The first is that the one who loves offers everything to the other who is being loved; and secondly, the first suffers everything for the second.  When someone suffers for the one who he loves, then this expression of love is greater then offering.   Because of the guilt of sin, man was unable to reconcile himself to God, God had to become man and suffered for man’s sake.  Dying on the Cross God the Logos became the one and only mediator  between God and man. 

In God’s love for man one must seek the reason for His incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection on the third day.  All these historical events took place, “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). 

No one else had so much love as Christ did for mankind, for He did not only suffered pain, but consider His sufferings valuable.  He offers Himself to all the members of His divine Body, sanctifies them and grants eternal life to all who believe in His name.  Through Christ’s love man is cleansed from sin, because when one loves Christ he struggles against all evil.

The relationship between Christ and the Orthodox Christians is not an emotional  condition, but it is the fruit of the extreme love for Christ.  This love for Christ guides man to renounce the love for all material things.  When man loves God, then there can be no place in his heart for anything else.  For this reason the holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church teach that, he who sins is in reality renouncement Christ’s love in exchange for the love of worldly matters.

The love of the holy Saints of our Church is proved in that they gave everything for His name sake.  St. Paul the Apostle teaches us saying, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written:   ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter’.  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Rom. 8:35-39).

My beloved friends, today our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ calls upon each and everyone of us to follow Him.  Christ is the Way, the Life and the Resurrection.  Christ calls us, not by force, but out of love, to follow Him by our own free choice and will.  No one can force us to do good or evil.  It is in our own will the way of life that we should follow.

To follow Christ means that one has to carry his cross, as Christ carried His own Cross.  An Orthodox Christian is called to crucify the old man who is within him and to rise as a new creation.  Only if one crucifies his sinful desires can he achieve the resurrection of the virtues.  One must accept suffering and sacrifice for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom, which ultimately brings salvation.  To be a disciple of Christ is costly: it requires giving up all claims to everything the world holds dear.

In our daily life we all are called to renounce sin and to follow Christ.  To achieve sanctification and salvation one must be purified by the Grace of God granted through the Cross.  Our life is a gift from God, “for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). 

You have riches, but they are not forever.  God gave them to you in order to see how you will use them for His glory and the benefit of your fellow man.  Let us all recall the foolish rich man.  He had everything that anyone could wish for, but he lost his eternal soul, because he never thought about the needs of his fellow man.  He never considered to work for virtues, but wasted all his time in working out how to make more money, more and more.  At the end when he had so much that he did not know what to do with it, his soul was demanded by the devil to be taken away.

He did not follow Christ.  He did not renounce himself.  He did not carry his cross, but on the contrary he lived a life surrounded by material and worldly maters.  If one loses his soul, what did he achieve?  Nothing, because our purpose in life is to achieve our salvation in Christ Jesus.  If one loses his soul, then what would all the riches in the world profit him?  If one loses his soul, then what would your properties help you, for you will be placed in the ground.

Every time that one visits the cemetery, let us hear the voices of those who cry out to us saying: Here is the vanity of the earth.  Here is where all the pleasures of life end.  Here is where the worldly glory ends.  But after death occurs our souls face the real life, the real world. 

For this reason, my beloved friends, let us all hear the calling of Christ.  Let us, with a humble heart, turn to Christ our God and ask Him His divine Grace and Love.  He is always there for us, waiting for our repentance.  Let us take up our cross and follow Him, who died for our salvation.  Let us confess His name before men, so that He will also confess for us before His Father who is in Heaven (Matth. l0:32).

– By His Eminence Metropolitan PANTELEIMON of Antinoes

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

As You were mercifully crucified for our sake, grant mercy to those who are called by Your name; make all Orthodox Christians glad by Your power, granting them victories over their adversaries, by bestowing on them the invincible trophy, Your weapon of peace.

Kontakion of the Feast

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow is the Major Feast of the Elevation of the Cross. It is the day we lift up, consider, venerate, and contemplate the extreme mystery that is the Cross of Christ. It is violent. It is glorious. It is mournful. It is joy. It is death, itself. It bred life, itself. It wells up tears of sorrow yet pours fourth tears of gratitude.  It is repulsive. It is beautiful. In fear we flee from its shadow. In faith, we draw near to its light. In grief we look away from it. In the hope of the Resurrection, we gaze up at it. It is the Cross of Christ. It is all those things. Glory to Him Who ascended it unto our Salvation

Fr. Thomas Hopko explains well this Feast, This tale of “Harmolipe” (Joyful Sorrow).

The Elevation of the Cross, celebrated on the fourteenth of September, commemorates the finding of Christ’s Cross by Saint Helen, the mother of the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century; and, after it was taken by the Persians, of its recovery by the Emperor Heraclius in the seventh century at which time it was “elevated” in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. From this latter event the “universal elevation” of the Cross was celebrated annually in all of the churches of the Christian Empire.

As You were mercifully crucified for our sake, grant mercy to those who are called by Your name; make all Orthodox Christians glad by Your power, granting them victories over their adversaries, by bestowing on them the invincible trophy, Thy weapon of peace.

Kontakion of the Feast

The day of the Elevation of the Cross became, as it were, the national holiday of the Eastern Christian Empire similar to the Fourth of July in the United States. The Cross, the official emblem of the Empire which was placed on all public buildings and uniforms, was officially elevated on this day by the bishops and priests. They blessed the four directions of the universe with the Cross, while the faithful repeated the chanting of “Lord have mercy.” This ritual is still done in the churches today after the solemn presentation and elevation of the Cross at the end of the Vigil service of the holy day following the Great Doxology of Matins.

The troparion of the feast which was, one might say, the “national anthem” sung on all public occasions in the Christian Empires of Byzantium and Russia, originally petitioned God to save the people, to grant victory in war and to preserve the empire “by the virtue of the Cross.” Today the troparion, and all the hymns of the day, are “spiritualized” as the “adversaries” become the spiritually wicked and sinful including the devil and his armies, and “Orthodox Christians” replace the names of ruling officials of the Empire.

Save O Lord Your people, and bless your inheretence. Grant victory to the faithful against the adversaries of the Faith. And protect your people by Your Holy Cross.

Apolytikion of the Feast

When we elevate the Cross and bow down before it in veneration and worship to God, we proclaim that we belong to the Kingdom “not of this world,” and that our only true and enduring citizenship is with the saints in the “city of God” (Eph 2.19; Heb 11.10; Rev 21–22).

This central hymn of the Elevation of the Cross which lasts for eight days in the Church is sung many times. It replaces the Thrice-Holy of the Divine Liturgy. The normal antiphons are also replaced by special verses from the psalms which have direct reference to Christ’s crucifixion on the Cross (Ps 22, 74, 99). At the Matins, in the gospel reading from Saint John, Christ says that when He is elevated on the Cross He will draw all men to Himself (Jn 12.28–36). The long gospel reading at the Divine Liturgy is the passion account from this same gospel.

Thus, at the Elevation of the Cross the Christians make their official rededication to the crucified Lord and pledge their undivided allegiance to Him by the adoration of His holy feet nailed to the life-creating Cross. This is the meaning of this holy day of fasting and repentance in the Church today.

Please remember that following the Divine Liturgy, we will have a special collection to benefit our Metropolis students at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Our practice is to not pass trays in the church (if fact we don’t even own any of that fancy, velvet-lined, brass plates). But we will have a basket set up in the Narthex to demonstrate our support for those who are studying at our Seminary. 

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I trust and pray you are well. God bless you always!

Since we are now in the full swing of Sunday School and the church (thankfully) is filling up, I’d like to reintroduce our Church Etiquette guide in the Sunday Bulletin. Those guidelines are published so that everyone’s worship experience is celebrated and with the least number of interruptions or distractions.

But in fairness, I have been asked, “why can’t we walk in at this time?” Or “why should we be standing at that time?” So, to clear things up, I offer this simple explanation as to why we do what we do, and don’t do what we don’t do, during the Divine Services of the Church – especially on Sunday mornings.

In the Bulletin, we remind the Faithful that we do not enter the church during certain times. These times include the entrances, processions, readings from the Epistle and the Gospel, the homily, the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer and the Nicene Creed, during the Consecration of the Holy Gifts, and pretty much any time the priest is facing the congregation and addressing them.

Wow. Admittedly, that is a long list of designated times of no movement during the services. But you will notice that these are areas of the service that are of a heightened importance and require an environment of sanctity and respect. For those who have already assembled to worship, it is incredibly distracting to move around or lose attention. Most especially, when the Gospel is being read, we all need to be highly aware of every spoken word of Scripture. We need to be listening intently and concentrating. That means even in the narthex, when the Gospel is being read, we need to be focused on the Word. And of course, it’s just common courtesy not to be walking in while people are listening to the sermon.

Please let’s also be equally aware, that it is just as distracting to leave the church during these times. Please refrain from going out during these times as well.

Standing in church is a posture that represents attentiveness, respect, and reverence. We stand during the receiving of Holy Communion because the Very Body and Blood of Christ are present in our midst. If the king is in the room, we do not sit casually. So, when the King is in the church, we stand attentively. I realize this is a new tradition or expectation to many of our new, faithful worshippers. But I believe that with time and practice, patience and endurance will follow. 

You will also notice the stanchion rope in the back of the church. This rope is placed there to reduce movement up and down the center aisle during worship services. The center aisle is used for censing and processions and should not be used unless an usher or parish council member removes the rope. Since the church is filling up, they will monitor seating and allow individuals to take those inside seats. But please, do not step over the rope to enter or exit the church.

I love the fact that we enjoy seeing each other in church. And Sunday mornings are the ideal times to catch up with our friends and family. But please, refrain from idol talk and especially laughter while inside the church. Standing in line for Communion, or for antidoron after church may seem like a great time to visit, but please remember, we are still assembled for worship at those times, and our most appropriate demeanor is still appreciated. 

If you are ever in church and not able to find a seat, and are required to stand in the back, please be careful not to lean against the west wall and scrape against the iconography. To be sure, the paint used is tough and hardy. But why test its limits? Please stand tall just away from the wall. 

Lastly, please remember that for any strange reason, that may require you to cross from one side of the church to the other during services, please do so from the back of the church, not in front.

While I realize that this little treatise sounds obnoxious with all the do’s and don’ts, but I offer it sincerely with the intent of heightening our awareness to proper etiquette while in the church. Thank you for receiving this information in the manner in which it was intended. I remain,

With Much Love in Christ, 

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter