Episodit
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Revelation, Session Two
Christ the Savior, Anderson SC
Fr. Anthony PerkinsSources:
The translation of the Apocalypse is from the Orthodox Study Bible.
Lawrence R. Farley, The Apocalypse of St. John: A Revelation of Love and Power, The Orthodox Bible Study Companion (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2011),
Bishop Averky, The Epistles and the Apocalypse (Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, Volume III. (Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2018).
Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ed. David G. Hunter, trans. Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, vol. 123, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011).
Venerable Bede, The Explanation of the Apocalypse, trans. Edward Marshall (Oxford: James Parker and Co., 1878).
William C. Weinrich, ed., Revelation, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005).
Correction from Last Week
Revelation was removed from active use because it was being used to support the Marcionists, not the Gnostics [or Montanism as I said in the class!].
The Orthodox Study Bible; “[I]n the second and third centuries Revelation was widely twisted and sensationally misinterpreted, and the erroneous teachings brought troublesome confusion to Christians – a trend that continues to this day.”
Review of Last Week
The Church wants us to be aware of the Last Judgement but from WITHIN the sacraments and the “good defense” God gives us through them.
Authorship and Dating of the Work
The author was St. John the Theologian
St. John’s disciple Papias of Hierapolis, St. Justin the Martyr (lived in Ephesus), St. Irenaeus (disciple of Polycarp of Smyrna who was a disciple of St. John), St. Hippolytus (disciple of St. Irenaeus), St. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and Origen were early leaders of the Church who knew and witnessed to this.
The work itself (see 1:2; also exile on Patmos).
The date of the work is AD 95/96
St. Irenaeus; Against Heresies (5.30.3)
Purpose of the Work
To show things that must shortly come to pass (1:1).
Pastoral protection and encouragement to the early Church against state persecution and (internal) heresy.
Apokalypsis means uncovering of something that has been hidden.
Style and Interpretation of the Work
Apocalyptic Literature. A “visceral” (Fr. Lawrence) and heavily symbolic genre. It is meant to be prophetic in every sense of the word.
“It is a human work. But it is also an apostolic work, and as an apostle, John tells the truth, striving to convey to us the substance and power of what the Lord revealed to him for our sake.” (Fr. Lawrence)
What are we to make of the diverse interpretations offered by saints?
Not to be taken literally in the modern sense; “Thus, for example, a literalistic understanding of the images of this book has given occasion, and even now continues to give occasion, for the false teaching of “Chiliasm” – the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.” (Bishop Averky)
Bishop Averky says four main categories of interpretation (and calls for a combination):
Visions and symbols of the “last times” (end of the world, the anti-christ, second coming)
Description of the historical pagan Roman persecutions against the Church in the first century.
Look for realization of the prophecies in recent history.
Allegorical and moral meaning.
The Orthodox Study Bible: “Faithfulness in tribulation” is the main theme, with subthemes of
Divine Judgment of human wickedness and
The symbolic presentation of most major New Testament teachings concerning eschatology, the study of the last things.
1:1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.
Andrew of Caesarea. “An apocalypse is the manifestation of hidden mysteries when the intellect is illuminated either through divine dreams or according to waking visions from divine enlightenment. To be given to Christ, it says, making this statement about him especially with respect to his human , since in the Gospel he above all others dwelt on the sublime and things that befit God. And here, the magnitude of the divinity of Christ is shown through the attending angel, and through the name of the teaching servants, for “all things are his servants.” The must come to pass soon means that some of the predictions concerning them are to come to pass immediately thereafter and the things regarding the end are not to be delayed, because “one thousand years” to God is “like yesterday’s day, which is reckoned as having elapsed.”
St. Bede. The revelation of Jesus Christ.
The progress with which the Church that had been founded by the Apostles was to be extended, or the end with which it was to be perfected, had need to be revealed, in order to strengthen the preachers of the faith against the opposition of the world. And John, in his own manner, refers the glory of the Son to the Father, and testifies that Jesus Christ has received from God.
shortly. That is, which are to happen to the Church in the present time.
signified. He wrapped up this revelation in mystical words, that it might not be manifested to all, and become lightly esteemed.
angel. For an angel appeared to John in the form of Christ, as will be seen more clearly in that which follows.
John. That through John He might lay open to all His servants the things which he, by the privilege of a peculiar chastity, obtained above all others to behold.
Oecumenius: When it is said to him, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him,” it is as though he said, “This revelation is given from the Father to the Son, and then from the Son to us,” his servants. By calling the saints the “servants” of Christ, he safeguards what is proper to his deity. For, to whom would men belong, unless to him who is the Maker and Creator of humankind? And who is the Creator of human-kind and of all creation? No one other than the only begotten Word and Son of God! For, the present author says in the Gospel, “All things were made through him.” And why does he wish to add “what must soon take place,” although those events which will take place have not yet occurred, even though a considerable span of time has passed, more than five hundred years, since these words were spoken? Because to the eyes of the eternal and endless God all ages are regarded as nothing, for, as the prophet says, “A thousand years in your sight, O Lord, are as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.”3 For this reason, therefore, he added “soon,” not to indicate a measure of time which must pass before the fulfillment of what must happen, but to indicate the power and eternality of God. For to him who is, any passage of time, even should it be great and considerable, is something small when compared with that which is unending
1:2. Who bore witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
OSB: Testimony of Jesus refers to a witness concerning Jesus; not the testimony of Christ Himself.
Andrew of Caesarea. “Christ,” he says, “declared these things to me through an angel, as a master to a household servant, as I had borne witness to my confession to him,” of which, on the basis of the visions to bear witness and, in view of the return of those who hear, to preach both the things which are and which escape human understanding and the things which will occur in the future, for, prophetically, he had seen them both. And clear from what he says: those things which are and those which must come to pass. These are descriptions both of the present time and of the future.
St. Bede; testimony. That thou mayest not doubt of the person of John, he is the same who gave testimony to the eternal Word of God incarnate, according as he saw, saying, “Whose glory we saw, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father.”
1:3. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Andrew of Caesarea. He blesses those who read and hear through the actions, for the present time is near, through which it is possible to acquire the blessing, and to all the work is laid open. As the Lord says, “Work [13] while it is day.” And elsewhere, the time is near, the time of the distribution of prizes, on account of the brevity of the present life in comparison to the future.
St. Bede. Blessed. Teachers and hearers are therefore blessed, because they who keep the Word of God find that a short time of labour is followed by everlasting joys.
Averky; “The book of the Apocalypse has, consequently, not only a prophetic but also a moral significance. The meaning of these words is as follows: blessed is he who, reading this book, will prepare himself by his life and deeds of piety for eternity, for the translation to eternity is near for each of us.
Fr. Lawrence. Seven beatitudes (blessings) are pronounced upon (Fr. Lawrence):
1:3 “the one who reads and the ones who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things which are written in it”
14:13 the martyrs “who die in the Lord from now on”
16:15 “the one who keeps alert,” faithfully awaiting the Lord’s Coming
19:9 “those who are called to the wedding supper of the Lamb”
20:6 the martyrs who have “a part in the first resurrection”
22:7 all who “keep the words of the prophecy of this book”
22:14 all those in the martyric Church, “those who wash their robes, so that they may have their right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.”
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(Galatians 2:16-20) Fr. Anthony kept close to his notes this week so as to avoid last week’s “hostage situation.” He addressed the temptation to recreate the Old Testament Law using The Way of Orthodoxy. This would be similar to the Judaizing and Babelizing temptation he warned against last week. Enjoy the show!
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Puuttuva jakso?
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Sources:
Andrew of Ceasarea: Commentary on the Apocalypse
Bishop Averky, The Epistles and the Apocalypse, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament (Volume III)
Fr. Lawrence R. Farley. The Apocalypse of St. John; A Revelation of Love and Power
St. Bede. Explanation of the Apocalypse; Letter of Bede to Eusebius
Fr. Thomas Hopko: AFR podcast - A Walk Through the Apocalypse (three parts)
Dr. Jeanie Constantinau: Search the Scriptures Live – Series
Fr. Stephen De Young; The Whole Counsel of God; Series on Revolution
Oca.org (Rainbow Series)
There was a certain hesitation on the part of the early Church to include the book of Revelation in the canonical scriptures of the New Testament. The reason for this was obviously the great difficulty of interpreting the apocalyptic symbols of the book. Nevertheless, since the document carried the name of the apostle John, and since it was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the instruction and edification of the Church, it came to be the last book listed in the Bible, although it is never read liturgically in the Orthodox Church. [Comment on historical reasons why!]
It is indeed difficult to interpret the book of Revelation, especially if one is unfamiliar with the images and symbols of the apocalyptic writings of the Bible, that is the Old Testament, and of the Judeo-Christian Tradition. There exists, however, a traditional approach to the interpretation of the book within the Church which offers insight into its meaning for the faithful.
The wrong method of interpreting the book of Revelation is to give some sort of exclusive meaning to its many visions, equating them with specific, concrete historical events and persons, and to fail to understand the symbolical significance of the many images which are used by the author following biblical and traditional sources.
First of all, the letters to the seven churches have both a historical and a universal meaning. The messages are clear and remain relevant to situations which have always existed in the Church and which exist today. For example, many older churches in all ages of history can he identified with the Church of Ephesus. Those under persecution can be compared with the Church in Smyrna. And not a few—perhaps some in America right now—can be judged with the Church in Laodicea. The seven letters remain forever as “prototypical” of churches that will exist until Christ’s kingdom comes.
The visions and prophecies of the main body of the book of Revelation present great difficulties, but mostly to those interpreters who would attempt to apply them to one or another historical event or person. If the general vision and prophecy of the book is seen as revealing the correlation between events “in heaven” and events “on earth,” between God and man, between the powers of goodness and the powers of evil, then, though many difficulties obviously remain, some will also immediately disappear.
In the book of Revelation, one comes to understand that the Kingdom of God is always over all and before all. One sees as well that the battle between the righteous and the evil is perpetually being waged. There are always the faithful who belong to the Lamb, being crowned and robed by Him for their victories. There are always the “beasts” and the “dragons” which need to be defeated. The “great harlot” and the “great Babylon” are forever to be destroyed. The “heavenly Jerusalem” is perpetually coming, and one day it will come and the final victory will be complete.
One notices as well that there is a universality and finality about the symbols and images of the book of Revelation, a meaning to be applied to them which has already been revealed in the scriptures of the Old Testament. Thus, for example, the image of Babylon stands for every society which fights against God, every body of persons united in wickedness and fleshliness. The image of harlotry universally applies as well to all who are corrupted by their passions and lusts, unfaithful to God Who has made them and loves them. The symbolic numerology also remains constant, with the number 666 (13.18), for example, symbolizing total depravity, unlike 7 which is the symbol of fulness; and the number 144,000 (14.3) being the symbol of total completion and the full number of the saved, the result of the multiplication of 12 times 12—the number of the tribes of Israel and the apostles of Christ. Thus, through the images of the book of Revelation, a depth of penetration into universal spiritual realities is disclosed which is greater than any particular earthly reality. The insight into the meaning of the book depends on the inspiration of God and the purity of heart of those who have eyes to see and ears to hear and minds willing and able to understand.
In the Orthodox Church, the book of Revelation has great liturgical significance. The worship of the Church has traditionally, quite consciously, been patterned after the divine and eternal realities revealed in this book. The prayer of the Church and its mystical celebration are one with the prayer and celebration of the kingdom of heaven. Thus, in Church, with the angels and saints, through Christ the Word and the Lamb, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the faithful believers of the assembly of the saved offer perpetual adoration to God the Father Almighty.
The book of Revelation, although never read in the Orthodox Church, bears witness to the divine reality which is the Church’s own very life. [Comment on other reasons!]
The Spirit and the Bride [the Church] say, “Come.” And let him who hears say, “Come.” And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price.
“Surely I am coming soon” [says Jesus, the Lord].
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (22.17, 20)
From: https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/doctrine-scripture/new-testament/book-of-revelation on 9/11/2024
The Last Judgment – The Experience of Prayer and Worship
St. Tikhon’s Seminary, Orthodox Daily Prayers (St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 1982).
Morning Prayers:
The Judge will come suddenly and the acts of every man will be revealed; but in the middle of the night we cry with fear: Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, O God; through the Theotokos, have mercy on us.
6th Prayer, by St. Basil the Great
… Grant us to pass through the entire night of this present life with a watchful heart and a sober mind, awaiting the coming of the bright and manifest day of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, when the Judge of all will come with glory to reward each according to his deeds. May we not be found fallen and lazy, but alert and roused to action, prepared to enter into His joy and the divine chamber of His glory, where the voice of those who feast is unceasing and indescribable is the delight of those who behold the inexpressible beauty of Thy countenance. For Thou art the true Light which enlightens and sanctifies all, and all creation hymns Thee unto ages of ages. Amen.
A Midnight Song to the Most Holy Theotokos
I am tossed in the tempest of life: direct me to the path of repentance. Deliver me from the eternal flame, from the evil worm, and from hell. Make me not a joy for demons, though I am guilty of many sins.
Compline
O Christ, give rest to the souls of Thy servants with the saints, where there is no sickness, sorrow or sighing, but everlasting life.
Resurrection Tropar, Tone 3
Let the heavens rejoice! Let the earth be glad! For the Lord has shown strength with His arm! He has trampled down death by death! He has become the firstborn of the dead! He has delivered us from the depths of hell, and has granted the world great mercy!Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
Guard my wretched soul at the time of my death, driving away the dark forms of the evil demons. Deliver me from eternal torments at the Day of Judgment and reveal me an heir of the inexpressible glory of your Son and our God.
Evening Prayers
4th Prayer, of St. Macarius the Great
… Covering me Thyself, protect me from every assault of the enemy through Thy divine Power, inexpressible Love for mankind and Strength. Cleanse, O God, cleanse the multitude of my sins. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me from the snares of the Evil One, and save my passionate soul. When Thou comest in glory, illumine me with the light of Thy countenance. May I fall uncondemned into a sleep free of apparitions. Keep the thoughts of Thy servant untroubled, and keep far from me every satanic activity. Enlighten the reason-endowed eyes of my heart, that I fall not into the sleep of death. Send to me an angel of peace, the guide and guardian of my soul and body, that he may deliver me from my enemies. Then, when I arise from my bed, I shall offer Thee prayers of thanksgiving…
For the Day
Lord, exclude me not from Thy heavenly blessings.
Lord, deliver me from eternal torments…
Lord Jesus Christ, inscribe me, Thy servant, in the book of life, and grant me a good end.…
Lord of Heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful, shameful and impure servant, in Thy Kingdom. …
8th Prayer, to our Lord Jesus Christ
… Yea, O Lord my Creator, Who desirest not the death of the sinner, but that he should return to Thee and live: grant repentance to me, wretched and unworthy. Snatch me from the jaws of the consuming serpent, its mouth opened to devour me and take me down to hell alive. …
Canon of Repentance
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!
When the thrones will be set up for the dread Judgment, the deeds of all men will be recalled. Alas for the sinners who will be sent to torment! Knowing this, my soul, repent of your evil deeds!
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!
The righteous shall rejoice, but sinners shall lament. No one will be able to help us at that moment—our deeds will condemn us! Before the end comes, repent of your evil deeds!
…
Our present path is wide and conducive to pleasures, but bitter will the Last Day be when the soul will part from the body. O man, beware of those pleasures, for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
…
Contemplate, my soul, the bitter hour of death and the dread judgment of your Creator and God. Threatening angels will seize you, my soul, and lead you to eternal flames. Repent before your death, therefore, crying: O Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!
…
Put not your hope in corruptible wealth, my soul, nor in things unjustly gathered. You do not know to whom you will leave it all. Instead, cry out: O Christ God, have mercy on me, the unworthy!
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!
Remember, my soul, both the eternal life and the Heavenly Kingdom prepared for the saints and the outer darkness and divine wrath prepared for the wicked. Then cry out: O Christ God, have mercy on me, the unworthy!
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!
How can I not weep when I think of death? I have seen my brother lying in the tomb without glory and without form. What can I expect? What can I hope? Only grant me, Lord, repentance before the end. (twice)
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!
I believe that Thou wilt come to judge the living and the dead, and that everyone will stand in his rank: the old and the young; masters and princes; virgins and priests. Where will I find myself? Therefore, I cry out: grant me, Lord, repentance before the end.
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Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!
I now turn to you, angels, archangels, and all the heavenly host who stand by the throne of God: pray to your Creator that He deliver my soul from eternal torments.
Have mercy on me. O God, have mercy on me!
I now weep before you, holy patriarchs, kings and prophets, apostles and hierarchs, and all the elect of Christ: help me at the Judgment, that my soul be saved from the strength of the Enemy.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!
I now lift up my hands to you, holy martyrs, desert-dwellers, virgins, righteous ones, and all saints who pray to the Lord for the whole world: may He have mercy on me at the hour of my death.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Help me, Mother of God, for I have great hope in you! Pray to your Son, that when He sits to judge the living and the dead, He may place me at His right hand, even though I am unworthy.
Canon to the Guardian Angel
I think of the Dread Day and weep over my evil deeds. How shall I answer the immortal King? Or how shall a prodigal like me dare to look up at the judge? O compassionate Father, only-begotten Son, and Holy Spirit: have mercy on me!
PRAYERS IN PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
1st Prayer, of Saint Basil the Great
O Lord Jesus Christ my God, may the communion of Thy most pure and life-creating mysteries not bring me into judgment, nor may I become weak in soul and body by partaking in an unworthy manner, but grant me to receive communion of Thy holy things without condemnation even to my very last breath, and by them to receive communion of the Holy Spirit, provision for the journey of eternal life, and an acceptable answer at Thy dread judgment seat; that I, together with all Thy chosen ones, may also be a partaker of the incorruptible blessings which Thou hast prepared for those who love thee, O Lord, in whom Thou art glorified forever. Amen.
…
3rd Prayer, of St. Simeon Metaphrastes
Through Thy glorious Ascension Thou didst deify the flesh which Thou didst assume, and placed it on the throne at the Father’s right hand. Grant me to receive a place at the right hand with the saved through communion of Thy holy mysteries…
Thou hast promised to come again to judge the world in righteousness. Grant that I may go to meet Thee in the clouds, my Judge and Creator, with all Thy saints; that I may glorify and praise Thee without end, together with Thy Father Who is without beginning, and Thy most holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
5th Prayer, of St. Basil the Great
for the correction and grounding of my life, for the increase of virtue and perfection, for the fulfillment of Thy commandments, for the communion of the Holy Spirit, for the journey of eternal life, for a good and acceptable answer at Thy dread judgment, but not for judgment or condemnation. Amen.
Troparia
With love hast Thou drawn me, O Christ, and with Thy divine love hast Thou changed me. Burn away my sins with a spiritual fire and satisfy me with joy in Thee, that I may joyfully magnify Thy two comings, O Good One.
How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the radiance of Thy saints? If I dare to enter the bridal-chamber, my garment accuses me, for it is not a wedding garment, and the angels will bind me and cast me out. Cleanse, O Lord, the filth of my soul and save me, for Thou lovest mankind.
And this prayer:
O Master Who lovest mankind! O Lord Jesus Christ my God! May these holy things not be to my condemnation, though I am unworthy of them. May they be for the cleansing and sanctification of my soul and body and a pledge of the life and Kingdom that are to come…
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION
Glory to Thee, O God! Glory to Thee, O God! Glory to Thee, O God!
… let them be for the healing of soul and body, the repelling of every adversary, the illumining of the eyes of my heart, the peace of my spiritual powers, a faith unashamed, a love unfeigned, the fulfilling of wisdom, the observing of Thy commandments, the receiving of Thy Divine Grace, and the attaining of Thy Kingdom. Preserved by them in Thy holiness, may I always remember Thy Grace and live not for myself alone, but for Thee, our Master and Benefactor. May I pass from this life in the hope of eternal life, and so attain to the everlasting rest, where the voice of those who feast is unceasing, and the gladness of those who behold the goodness of Thy countenance is unending. For Thou art the true desire and the ineffable joy of those who love Thee, O Christ our God, and all creation sings of Thy praise forever. Amen.
Another Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ our God: let Thy holy Body be my eternal life; Thy precious Blood, my remission of sins. Let this Eucharist be my joy, health, and gladness. Make me, a sinner, worthy to stand on the right hand of Thy glory at Thine awesome second Coming, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and of all the saints.
Sacraments Etc.
St. Tikhon’s Monastery, trans., The Great Book of Needs: Expanded and Supplemented, vol. I.
Naming on the Eighth Day
…, and that he (she) may be perfected by the dread Mysteries of Thy Christ, so that, having lived according to Thy commandments, and having preserved the seal unbroken, he (she) may receive the blessedness of the Elect in Thy Kingdom: By the grace and love for mankind of Thine Only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy Most-holy, Good and Lifegiving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. [1]
Making of a Catachemen
Inscribe him (her) in Thy Book of Life, and unite him (her) to the flock of Thine inheritance
Exorcism
for He shall come, and shall not tarry, to judge all the earth; and He shall punish thee and thy cooperating host in the fiery Gehenna, consigning thee to outer darkness, where the worm ceases not and the fire is not quenched.
Baptism
… that, being planted in the likeness of Thy death through Baptism, he (she) may become a partaker of resurrection; and, preserving the gift of Thy Holy Spirit, and increasing the deposit of grace, he (she) may receive the prize of his (her) high calling, and be numbered with the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.
Chrismation
confirm him (her) in the Orthodox Faith; deliver him (her) from the evil one and all his devices; and preserve his (her) soul in purity and righteousness, through the saving fear of Thee, that, in every deed and word, being acceptable unto Thee, he (she) may become a son (daughter) and heir of Thy heavenly Kingdom.
After Prayer
… Yes, for now he (she) that is illumined by the rays of grace through spiritual birth, has been given into your arms by me, a sinner: that he (she) that was in darkness, after rebirth, will stand before the Heavenly Father in another age, as pure as today, and, in soul, whiter than snow, from the bath of regeneration. Thus, undefiled and unblemished by the action of the serpent which comes from the flesh, he (she) shall stand before the sincere Judge, Who will render to each according to his deeds. And clearly today, through your lips the cursed satan was cast out and all his activities; and God the Creator of all adopted him (her), who by grace acquired spiritual birth, and was clothed as a member of the Church of Christ with the confession of the True Christian Faith. Thus, all the days of his (her) life let him (her) remain in the One Faith without parting from the Church, and in the grace of adoption by the immutable God. Let him (her) never turn aside to the works of the evil satan, and let him (her) ever stand opposed to him. And, with the help of God he (she) shall be revealed as a mighty destroyer of all his snares, as a soldier of Christ, strengthened by the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the war against him. And after such God-pleasing struggles, he (she) shall receive from the Originator and Judge of struggles labor in the Heavenly Kingdom—the great blessedness of life eternal.
Confession (this is not generally read, but is part of the teaching)
…. But do not conceal even one sin, not even because of shame, for I also am a man subject to passions, able to fall into similar sins, and I have experience of the weakness of man. And when despising the shame which you shall expose to the One God, through me, you will not be accused of these sins before the Angels of God and before all men at the dread Judgement. But if you hide anything, before me, from the One God, then you will be accused before the universal assembly, and you shall not be delivered from eternal punishment…
Another exhortation for Confession
… But abiding in continual repentance for sins, strive to increase good deeds, that, through repentance, you not only be delivered of eternal torment, but also that you may be counted worthy, by God, of unending life for your good work, from whom will always come assistance to you for all your good beginnings, for the performing of good deeds, and mercy and blessing all the days of your life, and that you may be counted worthy to receive in the future age the gift of eternal life.
Weddings/Crowning
O God, our God, Who didst come to Cana of Galilee, and didst bless the marriage there: Do Thou bless also these Thy servants, who, by Thy providence, are joined together in the communion of marriage. Bless their comings in and their goings out, replenish their life with good things, and accept their crowns in Thy Kingdom, preserving them spotless, undefiled, and without reproach, unto the ages of ages.
The Office of Holy Oil/Annointing
… For Thou didst not create man for destruction, but for the keeping of Thy commandments, and for the inheritance of life incorruptible, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Funeral
St. Tikhon’s Monastery, trans., The Great Book of Needs: Expanded and Supplemented, vol. III
BEFORE THE PARTING OF THE SOUL FROM THE BODY (comfort and protection against terror)
The rending of the bonds, the sundering of the natural law that holds the whole fleshly composition together, causes me anguish and unbearable necessity.
Glory.…
Do thou translate me, O Sovereign Lady, in the sacred and precious arms of the holy Angels, that sheltered by their wings, I not see the impious, foul and dark form of the demons.
Now and ever.…
O All-pure Chamber of God, count me worthy of the heavenly, supersensual Chamber, and kindle thou my smoldering and dimming light with the holy oil of thy mercy.
…
Do thou count me worthy to escape the hordes of bodiless barbarians, and rise through the aerial depths and enter into Heaven, that I may glorify thee unto the ages, O holy Theotokos.
O thou that gavest birth to the Lord Almighty, when I come to die, do thou banish far from me the commander of the bitter toll-gatherers and ruler of the earth, that I may glorify thee unto the ages, O holy Theotokos.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord.
When the last great trumpet sounds at the fearful and dread resurrection of judgment unto all that shall arise, do thou remember me then, O holy Theotokos.
THE OFFICE AT THE DEPARTURE OF THE SOUL FROM THE BODY
[rest, forgiveness, bosom of Abraham, deliverance from death, eternal life, paradise vs hell]
We beseech Thee, O Unoriginate Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Cast not into the bottom of [Hell] the soul that was infected by the plague of the soul-corrupting world, and has passed over unto Thee, the Creator, O God, my Savior.
With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Thy servant, where sickness is no more, neither sorrow nor sighing, but life everlasting.
In the nourishment of Paradise where the souls of the Righteous who served Thee abide [repeated often], do Thou, O Christ, join with them the soul of Thy servant who is singing: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.
… Deliver him (her) from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him (her) the participation and delight of Thine eternal good things prepared for them that love Thee...
Matins– rest, forgiveness, eternal life with the blessed
O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the devil, and given life unto Thy world: Do Thou Thyself, O Lord, give rest unto the soul of Thy departed servant, N., in a place of brightness, in a place of green pasture, in a place of repose, whence sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled away. As Thou art a good God and the Lover of Mankind, do Thou pardon every transgression that he (she) has committed, whether by word or deed or thought, for there is no man that lives yet does not sin. For Thou only art without sin; Thy righteousness is righteousness forever, and Thy word is truth.
I am an image of Thine ineffable glory, though I bear the wounds of sin. Take pity on Thy creature, O Master, and cleanse me by Thy loving-kindness. And grant me the desired fatherland, making me again a citizen of Paradise.
Refrain: Blessed art Thou, O Lord; teach me Thy statutes.
O Thou Who of old didst fashion me out of nothingness and didst honor me with Thine Image divine, but when I transgressed Thy commandment, didst return me again unto the earth whence I was taken: Raise me up according to Thy Likeness, that I may be restored to my former beauty.
Refrain: Blessed art Thou, O Lord; teach me Thy statutes.
Give rest, O God, to Thy servant and establish him (her) in Paradise, where the choirs of the Saints and the Righteous shine like the stars, O Lord. Give rest to Thy servant who has fallen asleep, overlooking all his (her) transgressions.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
(To the Holy Trinity) The threefold radiance of the one Godhead let us piously hymn, crying out: Holy art Thou, O Father Who hast no beginning, Co-unoriginate Son and Divine Spirit. Illumine us who serve Thee in faith, and snatch us from the fire eternal.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
(Theotokion) Rejoice, O pure One, who gavest birth to God in the flesh for the salvation of all, and through whom mankind has found salvation. Through thee may we find Paradise, O Theotokos pure and blessed.
In the dread day when Thou shalt come in Thine ineffable glory upon the clouds to judge the whole world, be Thou well-pleased, O Redeemer, that Thy faithful servant whom Thou hast received from the earth may meet thee with brightness.
May Christ give thee rest in the land of the living and open unto thee the gates of Paradise, and declare thee a citizen of the Kingdom. And may He grant thee forgiveness for those things wherein thou hast sinned in life, O thou who lovest Christ. …
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.
Let us give ear unto what the Almighty saith: Woe unto them that seek to behold the terrible day of the Lord! For it is darkness; for all things shall be tried with fire.
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians (Pericope 270—1 Thess. 4:13–17):
Brethren, I would not have you to be ignorant concerning those who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so will God bring with Him those also who die in Jesus. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord: that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have died. For the Lord Himself, with a shout of command, with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God, shall come down from Heaven; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The Gospel according to John (Pericope 16—John 5:24–30):
The Lord said to the Jews that came unto Him: “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that hears My Word and believes in Him that sent Me, has eternal life and shall not come into condemnation, but passes from death unto life. Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth—they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of Mine own Self do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, for I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father Who has sent Me.”
The Last Kiss.
When the soul is about to be carried away from the body with violence by dread Angels, it forgets all kinsmen and acquaintances and is troubled concerning standing before the tribunal that is to come, that shall pass judgment upon vain things and much-toiling flesh. Then, entreating the Judge, let us all pray that the Lord will forgive him (her) the things that he (she) has done.Save them that put their trust in thee, O Mother of the Sun that setteth not, O Begetter of God. With thy prayers entreat the Most-good God, we pray, that He will give rest unto him (her) that now has been taken away, where the souls of the Righteous repose. Show him (her) to be an heir of divine good things, in the courts of the Righteous, unto memory eternal, O all-undefiled One.
Glory … (TONE 6):
Beholding me voiceless and deprived of breath, weep for me, O brethren and friends, kinsmen and acquaintances. For yesterday I conversed with you, and suddenly the dread hour of death came upon me. But come, all you that love me, and kiss me with the last kiss. For no more will I walk with you or converse with you. For I depart unto the Judge with Whom there is no respect of persons. For slave and master stand together before Him, king and warrior, rich and poor, in equal worthiness; for each, according to his deeds, is glorified or put to shame. But I beg and entreat you all, that you pray without ceasing unto Christ God for me, that I not be brought down unto the place of torment according to my sins, but that He will appoint me to the place where is the light of life.
9th Hour (Final Prayer of St. Basil the Great)
Rescue us from the hand of the adversary, and forgive us our sins, and mortify our carnal mind; that, putting aside the old man, we may be clad with the new, and live for Thee, our Master and Benefactor; and that, so following after Thy commandments, we may attain unto rest eternal, where is the abode of all who rejoice.
Great Vespers
None – note that it does NOT include Octoechos and Menaion!
Orthros/Matins
Does NOT include Octoechos and Menaion.
Prayer of Light. . Illumine in our hearts the true Sun of Your righteousness, enlighten our minds and guard all our senses, that, as in the day, walking nobly in the way of Your commandments, we may attain to life eternal, for with You is the fountain of life, and that we may be vouchsafed to come to the enjoyment of Your unapproachable light.
Evlogetaria. Blessed art Thou, O Lord; teach me Thy statutes.
The company of the Angels was amazed, when they beheld Thee numbered among the dead, yet Thyself, O Savior, destroying the power of death, and with Thee raising up Adam and releasing all men from hades.
Tropar after Psalm 50. Jesus, having risen from the grave as He foretold, hath given unto us life eternal and Great Mercy.
Divine Liturgy
Does NOT include Octoechos and Menaion
Creed. …I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the world to come. Amen.
Anaphora.
… Thou it was who didst bring us from non- existence into being and, when we had fallen away, didst raise us up again and didst not cease to do all things until thou hadst brought us up to heaven and hadst endowed us with thy kingdom which is to come…… Having in remembrance, therefore, this saving commandment and all those things which have come to pass for us: the cross, the grave, the third-day resurrection, the ascension into heaven, the sitting at the right hand, and the second and glorious coming:
Thine own of thine own…
… That to those who shall partake thereof they may be unto vigilance of soul, unto forgiveness of sins, unto the communion of thy Holy Spirit, unto the fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven and unto boldness toward thee, not unto judgment nor unto condemnation…
Before Lord’s Prayer… Vouchsafe us to partake of thy heavenly and dread mysteries of this sacred and spiritual table, with a pure conscience, unto forgiveness of sins, unto pardon of transgressions, unto communion of the Holy Spirit, unto inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, unto boldness toward thee, and not unto judgment nor unto condemnation.
Lord’s Prayer. ..thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven…
Communion Prayer. …unto forgiveness of sins and unto life everlasting….
[1] St. Tikhon’s Monastery, trans., The Great Book of Needs: Expanded and Supplemented, vol. I (South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 2000), 7–8.
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Galatians 6:11-18. In today's episode, Fr. Anthony jokes that this homily might get him fired. He drew on St. John Chrysostom’s homily on these verses to make the case that what Circumcision is to Judaizing, Nationalism is to Babel. Both the Jewish law AND the division of people into nations have lost their justification thanks to the Incarnation and Pentecost. (Note: both Judaizing and ethnophylatism are heresies). Even though his point could have been made in half the time, and he gets lost in the weeds a few times, he made some important points, glory to God! Enjoy the show!
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In this episode, we are taken through a teaching liturgy in its full length. Enjoy the show!
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Before the service.
After attending the Divine Liturgy at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, emissaries of St. Volodymyr, the King of Kyivan-Rus’ reported: “We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. One thing we understood, was that God was in our midst!” This is the experience that is available to all of us when we come to Divine Liturgy; but as with all things, this experience will be greater the more we prepare for it and the more we understand and open ourselves up to it. The time of preparation is over – now is the time to grow in our understanding of it and to open ourselves up to it.For the next hour or two you can relax, open yourself up, and be vulnerable; you can’t really do that at school or work; you may not even be able to do it with your friends. You certainly can’t do it on social media. But if you do it here, you open yourself up NOT to the risk of hurt or manipulation but to the love and transformational mercy of God. The words, hymns, and actions of the Divine Liturgy are the way that God has chosen to work with us to accomplish His will that “all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” Through these words, hymns, and actions, He will strengthen our hearts, heal our pain, and help us realize just how good it is to be alive.
Today’s Liturgy is a Teaching Liturgy; I will be taking time at various points in the service in order to explain what is going on. Right now, I encourage you to strap in and prepare yourself for the powerful way God has chosen to meet and help us, His children: the Divine Liturgy.
After the First Antiphon
Right now, this may still look like a former medical center in downtown Anderson. But it is not; it is now a place of power. The barrier between earth and heaven has dissolved. This is what is known in mythologies and fairy tales as a “thin place.” But this is no mere story. Our reality is being merged with the reality of the constant and eternal worship that surrounds God’s throne. The beauty of the icons and altar, the music, the chanting, the vestments, the incense, the cloud of confessors, and the angels who came here with us; all these are part of the majesty of heavenly worship into which we are being drawn; this experience merging with that of the tens of thousands of angels, the thousands of archangels and the cherubim and seraphim who do this at the throne of God 24/7. We are like the Prophet Isaiah, the Prophet Daniel, the Apostle Paul, or St. John the Theologian, allowed to live through things that the eye cannot see nor the mind comprehend. If we open our hearts to this reality, we will be transformed by this mystical journey.After the Second Antiphon.
Why do we repeat things? Because they are important. Because they make us part of something greater. They pattern our souls according to the logic of love. When we pray, we are part of something magical: God working through us and with us to transform this world. Our every moment throughout the preceding days has been transformed by prayer; this is the continuance and crowning of that prayer.Before the Entrance
The Divine Liturgy did not always look exactly like it does now. For one, there used to be a lot more movement. Instead of singing the first antiphons in church, we would have sung them on the way to church. The service would have begun as the Gospel was brought from the outside into the sanctuary. Now the ritual of bringing the Gospel out of the altar to the people reminds us of something very important: that Christ God has come from heaven to be in our midst! This is what we are celebrating and confirming when we kiss the Gospel and exchange the words; “Christ is in our midst – He is and shall be.” God did not just take on flesh two thousand years ago, He lives in the Church and its voice is His voice.After the “Holy God”, Before the Epistle
In conversations, especially in conversations with people wiser and more knowledgeable than us, we should spend more time listening than speaking. Our liturgical dialogue with God is the same. Up to this point, we have been doing most of the talking, sharing our litanies of concerns with Him and asking for His mercy. Now it is time for us to stop talking and listen to His Word. The Epistles and Gospel readings are like food for our hungry souls. Before each reading, the deacon says; “Let us be attentive!” This is not the time for us to let our minds wander or count the number of tiles in the ceiling but rather a time to ask what God is trying to say to us and think of how we can improve our lives by putting His words into practice.After the Gospel Reading
For today’s homily, I want to address a common question that many of us have but are afraid to ask out loud: “Why do we do this every week?” We sometimes forget that the central action of the Divine Liturgy is a ritualized “meal”, when we all eat the “Mystical Supper” together. Meals need to be repeated regularly. This isn’t just because our bodies need nourishment. If this were the case we could just shove something into our mouths when our bodies started getting hungry. That’s important, but meals are more than that. Every evening when families sit down together to eat, they are affirming some very important things. They aren’t just a collection of hungry people, satisfying their bodily needs – they are a family that gathers to share stories and remember who they are. In fact, it is when they eat together that the family is most itself. No matter how busy their schedules are, families have to set aside this time together to maintain their connection and shared identity. I am convinced by observation and research that families that build their schedules around an evening meal are more resilient and that the children in such families are given a psychological boost that goes far beyond the nutrients they have been given.It can be a real drag to eat dinner together: we all have to set down our phones and pause our video games, leave the discord servers, and stop bingeing TikTok, YouTube, and Netflix! But the benefits are clear and this sacrifice is worth making. Even if it is the same thing pretty much every evening.
It’s the same for the Divine Liturgy. There are always other things that seem more fun to do on Sunday mornings: video games, doom-scrolling, movies, sports, and how about just sleeping in and going to Waffle House for breakfast? But there is no better way to build resilience and a healthy identity – I mean to know who we are at the deepest level, even below ideology and whatever other attribute the world is trying to get us to obsess over at the moment – than to set all that stuff aside for a couple of hours and enjoy the meal that the Lord has set aside for us.
Just like it’s okay for us to rather be doing something else at dinner time, it’s okay that part of us would rather be doing something else on Sunday morning. Part of growing up is learning to do what is good and right even when we’d rather be doing something fun and easy. That’s commitment. And commitment is both a critical component and a consequence of love.
Before the Great Entrance and the Cherubic Hymn
We are about to sing about how this is the time when we need to “Set aside our earthly cares” so that we can open ourselves up to something greater. The King of All Creation, the Ruler of the Heavenly Hosts, the One Who Is is with us now. We all know how crazy it is to see two people out on a date spending the whole time on their phones. But that is what we would be like if we used this time to worry about all the crazy things going on in our lives. At least for now, we need to let them go. Our problems will still be there when this is over … and if we do this thing well, we’ll be able to meet them with newfound strength. So let us lay aside all earthly cares as we ritualize the triumphant God in our midst.Before the Creed: The Kiss of Peace
The Divine Liturgy would be a waste of time for us – an empty ritual – if we did not have love for one another and for God. The priest reminds us of this right before we say the Creed when he says; “Let us love one another so that with one mind we may confess.”In the early Church, this would be the point in the service when everyone would greet one another with the “kiss of peace.” We symbolically offer this kiss of peace to one another as the priest says “Christ is in our midst” and everyone responds “He is and shall be.”
After the Creed and before the Holy Anaphora
Through our participation in this worship, the grace of God has allowed us to enter into a very special psychological, spiritual, and communal state. There is only love within us. There is only love among us. There is no remembrance of past wrongs, no prejudice, no expectations; there is only the reality of the God who lives in us and draws us as one towards His peace and perfection.This is not just some feeling that we cultivate – our salvation should never rely on something so unreliable as our feelings. God is not with us like some kind of imaginary friend or even just as a spirit whose presence cannot be known with the senses. He is actually with us. We have heard His words and we have sung His praises. Now we will do something that no mind can ever fully understand. It is hard enough for us to accept that the uncontainable and all-powerful God became fully human to be with and save us; it is an even greater mystery to understand why and how He – the God-man – decided to continue His salvific ministry to us by giving us His flesh to eat and His blood to drink in the Eucharistic Communion. This is how the God-man explained this to His followers back in the day;
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (John 6: 53-55)
And St. John, a witness to these events, then describes that “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:66)
Again, we cannot understand why or how the Lord has given us this method to accomplish our continuing transformation. It alternately mystifies, frightens, and humbles us. Without understanding, with the fear of God and with faith and love we join all of the saints from every place and age who have participated in this very same Communion – for there is only One Sacrifice. It is a Sacrifice that exists at the center of all our time and of all our space, a singularity that draws us towards it and through it and then on into something greater. Further up and further in!
During the upcoming prayers, the priest will ask for the Holy Spirit to come upon all of us and on the gifts being offered. God reliably answers this prayer, changing the bread and wine into Christ-God’s flesh and blood. The miraculous transformation then continues as we follow His command – eating His flesh and drinking His blood. For this is no ordinary meal but the medicine of immortality that transforms us into something better, something eternal, and something glorious.
So as to preserve the dignity of the Eucharistic Meal, I will not pause the service again until the end. Let us now enter into these, the most powerful prayers we know.
Before the Dismissal
This has been a miraculous time. God has come into our midst and then into our bodies through the Holy Eucharist. This is not just so that we can become better people, taking it “for the remission of sins” but so that we be the instruments that God uses to heal, transform, and bring joy to this fallen world.Let me leave you with this final thought;
How would you react if you found out your Army instructor was a Medal of Honor winner, your coach had won the Olympic gold, your medical school lecturer was a Nobel Prize winner, or your business school teacher was a member of the Fortune 500 who did it all from scratch? You’d pay more attention to their words. You’d have more respect for them and everything they said. You would not want to miss a single lesson. And the beauty is that you would become better by your extra attentiveness. Christ the Great Rabbi is here. Among us. Teaching us. Preparing us for paradise. We become better by attending to Him and all He teaches through His Church.
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In today's epistle reading from 1 Corinthians 3:9-17, St. Paul instructs us to build carefully upon our foundation - Jesus Christ. Wrapping up on his series on relationships, Fr. Anthony expounds upon St. Paul's lesson. He reminds us that all work we put in to build relationship will become manifest daily in the face of temptation. Fr. Anthony tells us how we must build every relationship upon Christ if it is to endure that tempation. Enjoy the show!
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In today's epistle reading from 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, St. Paul calls for unity in the body of Christ. In his homily, Fr. Anthony tells us how, without Christ, division is our natural state; how, without Christ, our gifts become occasion for division. He explains that opinions should not divide those who profess and live in Christ, and reminds us that if we are becoming holy, we are becoming united. Enjoy the show!
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In today's epistle reading from Romans 15:1-7, we are told to bear the burdens of those weaker than us for Christ's sake and God's glory. In his homily, Fr. Anthony expounds on the humility we must cultivate so we can carry the weak. He speaks of how we must set aside our ego to successfully bear with one another in patience - so that we may receive each other for God's glory. Enjoy the show!
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Romans 12:6-14. In today's homily, Fr Anthony speaks on rules of engagement for living in community. He reflects on the importance of spiritual development in overcoming division, and discusses how continual repentance encourages fellowship. Enjoy the show!
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For today's "Father Speak a Word", Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory about the beauty and challenge of being Orthodox in a liberal (i.e. capitalist) democracy. We use his substack essay "Magisterial Orthodox Social Teaching; Some preliminary thoughts." This is the first essay in a planned series triangulating off of the MP's "Social Doctrine" and the EP's "Social Ethos" to discuss Orthodox morality and ethics. We look forward to your questions - enjoy the show!
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Romans 10:1-10. Fr. Anthony continues his series on relationships, describing the grace that can abound when they are developed in Christ. He used St. John Chrysostom's homily as a guide (and perhaps should have followed it more closely). Enjoy the show!
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St. Matthew 8:5-13. Fr. Anthony waxes enthusiastic on the mystery and wonder of theology and love. [He forgot to explain how it ties into the Gospel reading, but he was on a roll!]. Enjoy the show!
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Sunday of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council.
Matthew 5:14-10.Fr. Anthony continues his Summer sermon series on relationships, this time focusing on what healthy Christian relationships do do improve discernment. Enjoy the show!
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In today's homily, Fr. Anthony gives a lesson on spiritual development (Conscience, Law, Grace) inspired by St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians (3:23-29; 4:1-5);
Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Enjoy the show!PS. The homily got the sisterly seal of approval!
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In this homily offered on the Sunday of the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles (and All Saints!), Fr. Anthony talks about the need for all of us to cherish our loved ones (to include our bishops, the heirs of the Apostles!), noting that gossiping is antithetical to this. Enjoy the show!
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St. John 17:1-13. Fr. Anthony continues his series of pithy homilies on relationships, this time describing how the sin of Arius (DON'T BE ARIUS!) destroys the possibility of healthy unity. Enjoy the show!
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Gospel: John 9:1-38.
Summer brings heat to Anderson SC... it also brings shorter homilies! Fr. Anthony continues his summer homily series on relationships by looking at what the blind man can teach us about living with and loving one another. Enjoy the show!
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In today's edition of "Father, Speak a Word," Fr. Gregory Jensen and Fr. Anthony Perkins talk about the temptation of betraying their own callings by idealizing a romantic vision of monasticism and either trying to impliment it in their parishes or "wagging their tales" after it. They use Fr. Gregory's "Father, speak a word" substack article "Puppies Wagging Their Tales; Some thoughts about the lack of vocational fidelity" as a springboard. There's also some rank punditry towards the end that some listeners might find interesting. Enjoy the show!
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The Way of Ascetics; Tito Colliander
Chapter Twenty-Six: ON THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE... The narrow way has no end: its quality is eternity. There every moment is a moment of beginning-the present includes the future: the day of judgment; the present includes the past: creation; for Christ is timelessly present everywhere, both in hell and in heaven. With the coming of the One, plurality disappears, even in time and space. Everything happens simultaneously, now and here and everywhere, in the depths of your heart. There you meet what you sought: the depth and height and breadth of the Cross: the Saviour and salvation. ...
Recorded at Christ the Savior, Anderson SC.
- Näytä enemmän
