Month: February 2017

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This morning I had a wonderful experience, in that I was invited to offer the Invocation at the Senate Chamber of the Utah State Capitol. Driving up State Street to the massive building, a source of great municipal pride in our state, I had forgotten just how large it is. The last time I remember being inside the Capitol was at a high school dance that took place under the rotunda.

That was a long time ago.

Driving up to the building, climbing up those massive stairs, feeling strained to pull open the heavy, bronze doors, and walking into the vast, beautiful space was a wonderful reminder of the grandeur that is required of public monuments, civic spaces and official structures. If the buildings are tall, spacious, elaborate, gilded and fortified, then the governments they house must, in turn, be stable, grounded and powerful.

To be sure, the Utah State Capitol Building is impressive and beautiful. So many buildings, now, and in history evoke similar feelings of awe as one would approach. I’ve had similar experiences as I climbed the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, waited in line to enter the vast entrance (still to me, the Cathedral) of Aghia Sophia in (while we’re at it, Constantinople) Istanbul, our Nation’s Capital in Washington D.C., the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Louvre Museum in Paris.

For different reasons, and under different circumstances, approaching these places was just as marvelous as entering them. All impressive. All hallowed. All beautiful.

But all…just buildings.

The Parthenon, to prove the point I’m about to make, isn’t even a building anymore – just ruins of what was once a building.

St. Paul, in the above mentioned verse, reminds us, as Christ Himself spoke of, that as important as buildings and structures, and temples and churches may be, the real Temple of God is in the creation of the person. When Christ said that he would destroy the Temple (His Crucifixion) and raise it up, again, in three days (His Resurrection), He was not speaking of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was referencing Himself. Attached to that concept is St. Paul’s affirmation that the person means more to God than the building. The worshipper, not the place of worship is paramount to Him.

We need those places more than He does.

Today, I walked up to, and into an impressive, secular building. In the past, I have approached and entered inspiring houses of worship. But on this day, as we contemplate the Temple as the person, not a building, I call upon our parish to accomplish something of great worth.

We need to build something.

No, I am not speaking of building a church dedicated to St. Anna. That will come in its own time, on another day.

We need to build a home in Mexico. We have been called to participate in the home building initiative of Project Mexico. Under the prayerful guidance of our own Fr. Nicholas Andruchow, Project Mexico is a pan-Orthodox ministry in Tijuana, Mexico, concentrated on building homes for the poor. Faithful parishioners from throughout the world take week-long missionary trips to Project Mexico and participate in the construction of humble structures, arguably, more lovely than any State Capitol, so that those in need can attain shelter, protection, dignity and safety. In their own words,

“Since 1988, Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage has been building secure, safe and weather-tight homes for some of the most impoverished families in northern Mexico. Built strictly by volunteer labor, these homes provide families economic security and hope for a brighter future. While serving these families, the volunteers discover that they have been transformed. Through their service to others, they realize that they have received much more than they had given. To date, we have hosted well over 11,000 volunteers on our 16-acre ranch as we continue to humbly bear the burdens of others in the name of Christ.”

St. Anna’s is currently scheduled to lead a trip to Project Mexico, August 16th-August 23rd, 2017. We have spots for approximately 15 people. We are currently looking for a chairman to champion this venture and help us to organize, plan, and embark!

If you are interested in leading this amazing opportunity, please contact me at franthony@stannagocutah.org. Walking into vast buildings, gazing up, looking around, soaking it all in is an exhilarating experience. However, “recognizing the least of our brethren” as God’s holy Temple, and erecting a small, one-room brick box that will protect his family, is something that is truly impressive. Actually, impressive. Perhaps, even, to God.

With Love in He Who is the Builder of the House,

Fr. Anthony

“For You are the resurrection, the life and the repose of Your departed servants, O Christ our God, and to You we give the glory, as to Your Father who is everlasting, and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.” – Prayer of the Trisagion, Funeral and Memorial Service

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There is a common question that many elderly Orthodox people ask their children and grandchildren. Eventually, we will all have this question posed to us around the dinner table, through an email or while watching a kid’s soccer game. It’s not something they thought about as children and grandchildren themselves, but one day, and all of a sudden, the question pops into their minds. If we are blessed to live a long and productive life, the question will streak through our heads as well; with a dramatic sense of urgency, coupled with slight pangs of panic.
The age-old question:
“Who is going to make Kollyva for ME when I die?”
Of course, this question had more relevance generations ago, before we could call Jim, or Mary or whoever any given parish directs you to “order” Kollyva (boiled Memorial wheat). Back in the day, you didn’t “order” Kollyva; you stayed in the kitchen with Yiayia for an entire Saturday and learned how to make it. And you did this many times throughout your youth, because it, like many things, is harder than it seems, and involves many steps towards completion. And at some time, you were called upon to put all of that practice, experience, and secret ingredients to the test when a Loved One departed this earth and their Memorial Service was approaching.
So, in these “modern times,” the question stands:
Who is going to make Kollyva for me when I die? That’s a rhetorical question for literary sake of course. You will recall, I’m still too young to worry about such things.
Even though the art (and it is an art) of creating beautiful trays of Kollyva has been largely forgotten in many homes, it’s not so tragic, in that Yiayia’s question has less to do with boiled wheat than it does remembrance. What she is really asking is this:
“Will you remember me when I’m gone?”
“Will my positive influences, prayerful lessons, tender moments and fond memories fade with time, or will I live on to posthumously touch your grandchildren through the patterns, traditions, tendencies and mannerisms which you received from me?”
“Will you remember that I loved you more than life itself and continued to make great sacrifices for the sake of your becoming a faithful, productive and decent person?”
“Will you forget about me?”
Our precious Orthodox practice of memorializing the dead answers that question. We keep our loved ones in mind so that their voice never fades and their influence never becomes irrelevant. And as Christians, we remember through prayer. It’s not enough to experience affectionate recollections. We pray for the dead. We pray with the dead. We experience Christ Who is the victory for the dead.
Since Saturday is the day which the Church dedicates to the memory of those who are asleep in the Lord, the practice of dedicating the last two Saturdays before Great Lent, and the first Saturday of Great Lent as Saturdays of the Souls. We set aside this time to collectively lift up those who have gone before us in the hope of the Resurrection.
Piously, and with our grandmother’s question in mind, we bring small bowls of Kollyva to the church in honor of her memory, and ALL of our departed Loved Ones. There isn’t really anybody to bail us out of this practice. It’s one thing to ask “that guy or lady” at church to make Kollyva for a Sunday Memorial – you know, industrial sized for the entire congregation. But the Saturday of the Souls services, while universal in scope, as we are all gathered together in prayer for the same purpose, are also intimate and personal, for we bring our own names, carry our own memories, and lift up our own remembrances.
Don’t forget your Kollyva.
The Kollyva is symbolic of the resurrection of the dead on the day of the Second Coming of Christ. Saint Paul said, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” (1 Corinthians 15:34), and Saint John wrote, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (St. John 12:24).
Thus, as the wheat is buried in the soil and disintegrates without actually dying, but is regenerated into a new plant that bears more fruit, so then, our bodies will be raised again from the very corruptible matter from which it was created. However, it will be raised not in its earthly substance but in an incorruptible, transfigured state which “will clad the mortal body with an immortal garment,” in the words of Saint Paul
(1 Corinthians 15:53).
I hope to see you in the church for these services the next three Saturdays. If you are truly unable to prepare and bring a Kollyva, please don’t use that as an excuse not to come. Write down your names (for the departed) and bring them to the services. They will be read and lifted up in prayer, just the same.
“Who is going to make Kollyva for me when I die?”
Don’t worry, Yiayia. We got this!
With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony

“According to thy mercy, pour out upon me, who am miserable, at least one small drop of grace to make me understand and be converted, that I might make at least some small effort to correct myself. For if thy grace does not illumine my soul, I will not be able to see the carelessness and negligence that the passions have produced in me through
my apathy and recklessness.” – St. Ephraim the Syrian

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Once again, the fact that time passes quickly, when you are having fun, has been confirmed and experienced. Early in the Fall, our St. Anna’s Adult Religious Education classes began with great enthusiasm and ended this week, capping off months of vibrant conversations, engaged learners and faithful Christians willing and excited to grow in their faith.

Participants of the Weekly Bible Study and the Orthodox Spirituality Inquirers Class will come together, next Wednesday for a Paraklasis Services dedicated to the Theotokos in gratitude for our gatherings in the spirit of fellowship, scriptural knowledge and the desire to learn the tenets of our precious Orthodox Church.

While the Bible Study introduced the Book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian and Evangelist, the Spirituality Class immersed themselves in areas of Orthodox doctrine, theology, liturgics, practice, tradition, Tradition (there is a difference) and history.

The time truly did fly.

And I think it was because each and every one of the people who participated in our classes involved themselves to the degree which St. Ephraim wrote about in the above-referenced quote.

When we endeavor to receive a measure of God’s grace, it is not a passive exercise or dis-engaged practice. Growth in the Spirit comes from time spent in prayer, study, meditation upon the Scriptures, spiritually-edifying readings, and, of course, participation in the divine services of the Church.

Our study of the Book of Revelation was not always easy or even enjoyable. It’s hard stuff with hard information to convey.

The imagery, symbolism, cryptic messages, and unrecognizable presentations of Jesus Christ caused great levels of anxiety and trepidation in some of our students. Especially in the beginning. Working through this text took great levels of effort, trust and dedication that I greatly appreciated through the months of our study. Believe me, this was not an easy Book to teach, but with Patristic sources and through a proper, Orthodox perspective, the participants in the class continued to inspire me and for that, I am ever grateful.

The thing about Inquirers’ Classes that is so engaging is the fact that most people in the room are there for the same reason, but on entirely different journeys. We come together to learn the essentials of the faith, but some through their first, formal exposure to Orthodoxy, some are engaged couples, some are Orthodox Christians since the cradle who want to recapture what has been missing since Sunday School and others are just plain curious about ancient, exotic and historically-grounded traditions.

This class, by nature is much more interactive, with questions – fantastic questions – coming from the hearts of people who thirst for knowledge, hunger for guidance and are starved for authentic Christian teachings; unaltered through the ages and steadfastly resisting the temptation of adding to true doctrines and messing with fundamentals of theology.

St. Ephraim’s words inspire us, especially as we approach the inaugural steps of the Fast, to spend time in cultivating our relationship with God, seek corrective measures as we tend to the well-being of our souls, and move to rise from the preverbal “spiritual couch” and get the spiritual heart pumping!

When we neglect our relationships, they fail. When we neglect our bodies, they become ill. When we neglect our souls, ultimate death creeps around us and pulls us away from seeing God’s face with clarity and vibrancy.

Yes, our classes are over for the season. And the reason I use the opportunity of this message as a retroactive commercial of sorts, to pique your interest in learning about our Faith, or beliefs, our Church, and ultimately to be continually introduced to Christ in new ways.

Those ways now come in the form of multiple Lenten services which will begin soon enough. Please consider coming to services that perhaps you have never witnessed. This is how the apathy and recklessness of the soul, which St. Ephraim warns, is combatted and thwarted.

Be like the nervous Book of Revelation student – stretch your horizon, build our measure of faith through new experiences and be the beneficiary of newly-cultivated, spiritual fruits.

So, once again, to the participants of our now-concluded classes, thank you for your interest and your participation. I invite, actually beg your feedback and suggestions on how to improve our class content and what I can do to be a better teacher to, and for you.

I look forward to seeing you at Paraklesis next Wednesday (of course the entire parish is welcome to participate) and at the services of the Lenten Season (of course the entire parish is expected to participate) so that we can grow together, in Christ, for Christ and through Christ.

With Much Love in our Savior,

Fr. Anthony