“Israel treaded on the sea’s swelling billow, which had been rendered once again into dry land. Then the dark waters concealed all the Egyptian riders together, as a tomb laid in water, by the mighty strength of the right (hand) of the Master.” – Matins Hymn of Theophany
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This morning, as I trotted ever so slowly and cautiously in to the church office, I received a phone call from my Koumbaro and one of my best friends, Fr. Andrew Scordalakis, the pastor of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in San Diego, California. He called to say “Happy Birthday to Alexia,” who unbelievably turned 18 today! Indeed, this is my gratuitous shout-out for our daughter’s significant mile stone. Please forgive.
He was telling me about his plans for their annual Epiphany Cross Dive, where the warm waters of San Diego’s Mission Bay are blessed, followed by a beautiful cross tossed into the water, to be retrieved by a fortunate youth who will have an abundance of blessings and bragging rights for a solid year. So think about that lovely scenario, as you just shoveled yourselves out of your driveways this morning.
Kids in swimsuits will dive into the ocean and compete to retrieve a cross that has been thrown into the warm water.
In January.
That’s the San Diego version of Blessing the Waters.
I just bought a new pair of snow boots for Blessing the Waters, Sugar-House-Style.
Now, before you think I am jealous of my friend’s sunny circumstance (because I actually did miss Utah winters while away), we must not covet Fr. Andrew’s January weather because he deserves it. He is from near Buffalo, New York. Where he grew up and spent most of his adult life, there are no outdoor Blessing of the Waters services, only “Blessing of the Ice” ceremonies. Brrrrr.
It’s all relative. It’s all beautiful. It’s all cathartic and holy. No matter the temperature, its Theophany!
The Holy Trinity, in the wisdom of the Father, is revealed to us over the Waters of the Jordan River. The Lord could have chosen a high mountain to witness His Triune glory. He could have exposed His great mystery in the desert or the wilderness. Perhaps in a lush garden. But no, the light of God, the Persons of God, the definition of God and the reality of God were given to us over the flowing rush of living water.
Water is the source of life. At least in a balance it is. In over-abundance, it is dangerous and even deadly, like what happened to the Egyptian riders as referenced in the above hymn. Equally so, in scarcity, we parish without safe, clean and adequate water supplies.
In water, we are cleansed. In water, we are Baptized. In Water, our Lord Jesus Christ illustrated, through His divine humility, that to be “born of water and the Spirit” is the way to salvation and ever-lasting life.
We celebrate, through the Baptism of Christ, the redemption of the world, the sanctification of created matter and the ever-powerful bond between the Creator and the created.
I look forward to the opportunity to take the blessed Waters from our fount, and bring them into your homes and businesses. Please do not hesitate in sending in your House Blessing Form. What this does is transform Theology and Tradition into relevance and practice in our practical and daily lives. The abundant grace which flows within the banks of the Jordan is not found in a distant place, but rather in our living rooms and kitchens!
Look outside. Appreciate the unsoiled, pristine nature of newly-fallen snow. It is pure, elegant and lovely. Others may look outside their windows to see the calm and inviting waves of the Pacific Ocean.
Either way, cross yourselves and jump in. For the Lord has hallowed the Waters…gas, liquid or solid. Blue or grey. Fresh or salty. Wash yourselves and become clean. It is Holy Theophany. God is revealed and we are immortalized.
With Love in Christ Who Condescended to be Baptized,
Fr. Anthony
“We glorify the Holy Spirit together with the Father and the Son, from the conviction that He is not separated from the Divine Nature; for that which is foreign by nature does not share in the same honors.”
– St. Basil the Great
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christ is Born!
Glorify Him!
I pray that everyone enjoyed a blessed Christmas and is looking forward to a Happy New Year! This coming Sunday is not only the First Day of 2017, it is also the Feast of St. Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great. St. Basil was the Greek bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and was a contemporary of St. Nicholas of Myra, though St. Nicholas was only a deacon by the time St. Basil was already a bishop.
Of course, anyone from Greece can tell you that it is not St. Nicholas who brings gifts and toys to good boys and girls on Christmas Day, but rather St. Basil on January 1st. This tradition developed as he would place coins and valuables inside of breads and then distribute them to the poor. Like St. Nicholas, he is well-regarded for his generosity and creativity in philanthropic work. Of course, St. Basil, as one of the “Doctors of the Church,” is regarded more for his theology than his kind endeavors.
I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday as we commemorate this well-loved and prolific hierarch of the Church.
The following Sunday, directly following our Teaching Divine Liturgy (please refer to last week’s Pastoral Message for details), we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for our annual Vasilopita Celebration where pieces of “St. Basil’s Bread” will be given in honor of all the ministries and organizations of our parish, and where an auction for individual breads will take place. This is one of the most enjoyable traditions in our Greek Orthodox Church.
In remembrance of St. Basil’s placing of coins in his breads, a single coin is baked into each Vasilopita, with the recipient of the coin enjoying special blessings throughout the New Year.
Remember, we don’t say “good luck” in the church – we say “blessings!”
Please enjoy a blessed remainder of 2016. Our New Year’s Eve-Eve Party is shaping up to be a wonderful gathering (thank you Barbara Hillas), and next week I look forward to sharing some thoughts about the coming celebration of Theophany and our practice of House and Business Blessings.
Happy New Year and God Bless,
Fr. Anthony
“For a man’s complete sanctification, the body of the servant of the Lord must be united with the Body of Christ, and this is accomplished in the Mystery of Holy Communion. The true Body and the true Blood of Christ which we receive become part of the great Body of Christ.” – St. John the Wonderworker
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christ is Born!
Glorify Him!
Very recently, I attended our youngest son’s Christmas Program at school: the ritual where children are rapidly paraded on and off the stage while familiar songs about toys, reindeer and snow are enthusiastically presented in between the shuffle of one grade to another.
Like every other parent in attendance, I was there, primarily to see my own child sing; not the other 629 kids who were performing the same songs I sang as an elementary student. This was evident, witnessing the auditorium thin out as the program progressed, and the only spots in the house that continued to be popular were the front rows and side aisles where parents recorded their children’s two songs.
I also had iPhone in hand, ready to capture these brief moments of holiday cheer. The only problem was that, once again, Dimitri was in the back row on the far-right side, nearly blocked completely from my view. And further still, the little girl in front of him, wore a Santa hat that bounced up and down, making it even harder to get a proper visual.
I share this experience because I realize that a visual connection and proper perspective is imperative to connection and complete understanding. In a way, the same can be said in understanding worship.
In the wisdom of the Church, the bishop or priest celebrating the Divine Liturgy does so with his back facing the congregation of the faithful. This practice was not established to set the celebrant apart from the assembly of worshippers; quite the opposite. The bishop or priest has his back to the parish because he is facing the same direction as the parish. He leads in worship. He celebrates the Divine Liturgy with you, not at you.
But admittedly, there are great numbers of the faithful whose understanding of the Divine Liturgy might eventually stall since there is a lack of…visual and perspective.
So…with every church service, I’m like the kid in the Santa hat blocking your view of what you “came to see.” That is, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
So to offer an opportunity to grant that perspective and unveil the mystery of what takes place in the altar, before and during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, we have designated Sunday, January 8th as our first Teaching Divine Liturgy.
There are many things that will be different about the divine services on that day. These (extremely temporary) alterations to our traditional practices include:
Please do not be confused by the intentions of this service. I am not advocating for liturgical reform, and that the celebrant should always face the congregation, and that every Divine Liturgy must be transformed into a teaching lab. My didactic purpose is to grant an experience of learning through, as I’ve stated, a different perspective and an opportunity to be visually involved throughout the entirety of the service.
I would highly recommend that you attend the services beginning with the Kairos and Vesting. Once you have seen the spiritual process from beginning to end, your experience of the Divine Liturgy will never be the same.
This is a completely transformative experience!
As the above quote from St. John the Wonderworker states, the purpose of the Eucharist is for the sanctification of humankind. And in the Orthodox Church, The Divine Liturgy is the setting in which the Eucharist is celebrated, prepared and offered. Please take this opportunity to see, perhaps for the first time in your life, the fullness of sanctity through the gift of the Eucharistic Banquet!
With Much Love in Christ Who is to be Born in a Cave and Lain in a Manger,
Fr. Anthony