My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Lord, God, and Savior JESUS CHRIST,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

PRAYER AND WORSHIP IN OUR ORTHODOX SACRED TRADITION

"The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers
worshipped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the
place where one ought to worship. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me,
the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem,
worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we
worship, for salvation is of the Jews. BUT THE HOUR IS COMING, AND NOW
IS, WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN
SPIRIT AND TRUTH FOR THE FATHER IS SEEKING SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM.
GOD IS SPIRIT; AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT
AND TRUTH" (John 4:19-24).

Our Lord’s life was one of unceasing prayer and worship and therefore He is the example par excellence to emulate and imitate in our personal life. If we need guidance on how to pray and worship we ought to seek His help and say to Him: "Lord, teach me how to pray? And He will say: "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, is say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father Who is in the secret place; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, DO NOT USE VAIN REPETITIONS AS THE HEATHEN DO. FOR THEY THINK THAT THEY WILL BE HEARD FOR THEIR MANY WORDS. Therefore, do NOT be like them. For your Father KNOWS THE THINGS YOU HAVE NEED OF BEFORE YOU ASK HIM. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father…" (Matthew 6:5-13).

When a true Christian prays, he or she prays not to an abstract deity but God the Father, our Creator. Understanding always Who God is and who we are, our prayer to Him should be offered with humility, a sense of unworthiness, contrition, and without demands or arrogance. Almighty and All-Knowing God has no need for our "babble." Our prayer must come from "broken and contrite heart" (Psalm 51:17). Not only are we a finite creature but, worse than that, we are a sinful creature. Admitting to Him: "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight" (Psalm 51:3-4). This psalm also teaches us the need for repentance, seeking God’s mercy and it teaches us to worship in spirit. Psalm 51 [50] is the most used in our Holy Orthodox Church. It is said three times daily–Orthros (Matins), Third Hour, and Apotheipnon (Compline)–as well as in every Divine Liturgy, where is recited by the priest as a sign of repentance while he censes before the Great Entrance.

During the Divine Liturgy, at the moment when all the faithful are kneeling with profound reverence, because it is at this time, that the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist is consecrated by God the Holy Spirit, the faithful offer together the following prayer: "We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks to Thee, O Lord, and we pray to Thee, O our God." Our personal prayer must always contain the same elements: PRAISING, BLESSING, AND GIVING THANKS to our God. It may be brief but it contains everything that should be said in prayer. Prayer must not be marginalized and should not be reduced to a grocery list of items that God must supply us with or to approach God and attempt to negotiate with Him the outcome of our demands. That kind of attitude not only is offensive to Him but ceases to be a prayer. To foolishly try to deceive God would be an exercise in futility if not an outright blasphemy. We ought to know by now. that no person is a mystery to the All-Knowing Creator. We are reminded of this in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I sanctified you."

Prayer is a privilege that is bestowed to all Christians due to our incorporation through the Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation, into the Body of Jesus Christ which is the Ecclesia (Church). Every Orthodox Christian is saved as a faithful member of the Church, as a member of the Body of Christ, together with the other faithful members. A genuine Christian cannot pray as a private individual for himself alone but as a child of the Heavenly Father Who is the Father of all. The personal prayer and the corporate liturgical prayer of worship must remain inseparable and both should strengthen our spiritual life. Worshipping God (Λατρεύω τόν Θεόν) is an intuitive human response to God’s love. Man from time immemorial feels the need to worship his Creator, Fashioner, Provider, and Benefactor. However, mankind cannot worship a false god. The Lord our God is the True Son of the True Father; thus we do not worship any false god, false gods do not exist in themselves. An idol, or image, depicts some god as having a form or shape, but the True God has NO FORM OR SHAPE. Therefore, let us love and be obedient to the True God with intensity, for this is very pleasing to Him.

The life of Desert Fathers and all the Saints and ascetics of the Church was one of unceasing prayer. For them, prayer was the only path to God. They were so absorbed in prayer that they would not think of anything else including water, food, or even sleep. Their only nourishment was prayer through which they were in constant communication with God. Praying for them was natural and not done out of tradition or part of a regiment or discipline. Saint John Chrysostom writes: "As Christians we are obligated to honor and appreciate the Saints of God for two reasons. The first reason is because all the Saints had placed the hope of their spiritual salvation upon the sacred prayers. The second reason is because the prayers which they offered to God with joy and fear have been preserved in their sacred writings."

Let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison

Lord Jesus Christ my God, today grant me a good day without sin and vain distractions. Lord, do not abandon me. Lord,
do not turn away from me. Lord, extend to me a hand of assistance. Lord, support me in the fear of You. Let this fear of You
but also Your love be implanted deeply into my heart. Lord, grant compunction and humility to my heart. Lord, grant me
constant tears and contrition and the remembrance of death. Lord, deliver me from every temptation of the spirit and of the
body. Lord, uproot from me negligence, laziness, sorrow, forgetfulness, insensitivity, callousness, and the surrender to
captivity of my mind. Lord, as You know and as You want, have mercy on me and forgive all of my transgressions. Lord, having
attained peace through a good repentance and a ready and full confession. I hope that You will permit my lamentable soul,
in due time, to make its exodus from this body in pure and perfect faith. Amen. [Saint Paisios the Great]

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"From the Great Multitude of my sins, ill am I in body,
ill am in my soul." (Small Paraklesis to the Most Holy
Theotokos)

A Paralytic Is Healed

"Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity
thirty-eight years…Afterward Jesus found him in
the temple, and said to him, "See you have been
made well, SIN NO MORE, LEST A WORSE THING
COME UPON YOU…" (John 5:5-14).

According to the specific hymn from the Small Paraklesis to the Theotokos, there is a direct connection between sin and illness. The holy Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans writes, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). In other words sin’s rewated is "death" but God’s "gift" in Christ is "eternal life." Participation in Christ and the Spirit leads to fullness of life. We understand that the gift of life is not magical, but requires synergy of the believer in obedience to God. We are all His children and as He leads us by the power of the HolySpirit the body becomes the follower and not the leader.We, therefore, must personally choose the way of the Spirit and deliberately put to death sinful deeds. The true believer understands his/her weakness and needs the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only brings us strength, He empowers us in "our weakness," especially helping us to pray. Prayer in the spirit, also called prayer without words, is the highest form of prayer. The Holy Fathers of the Church identify three stages: (a) saying the words of the prayers; (b) saying the words with meaning and full concentration; (c) praying without words, when one is so filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit and so in union with God that words are inadequate.

Sin is most destructive spiritually and physically. A sinful life is a life that obstructs our communion and union with God. It aggressively attacks His image in us and corrupts the image of God inherent in those who bear human nature, diminishes the Divine Likeness within them, distorts the whole human being and energies within man. Sin according to the Holy Scripture is "lawlessness" and "wrongdoing" (1 John 3:4; 5:17). The Greek word for sin is "αμαρτία" (amartia) which originally meant "missing the mark," that is, going the wrong way or direction and the wrong goal. It means choosing the way of death and not the way of life. Saint Theophylact writes: "Note Saint John uses the present tense when he talks about our need to purify ourselves. The practice of virtue is an ongoing thing and has its own inner dynamic. If we stop living this way or put it off until some future time, there is nothing virtuous about that at all." Sin is very much like a deadly virus that threatens our very existence and therefore we must take every possible precaution to protect ourselves from catching it.

In the Orthodox Christian Tradition sin is not considered to be natural or a normal way of life. To be truly human is to be righteous, good, pure, God-fearing, and moral. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:8-9). The Christian, though sinful, "does not sin" (v. 9, literally. "does not keep on sinning" as the godless world does. However, all people sin in thought, word, or deed. Only our Lord Jesus Christ is without sin. Saint John the Baptist testified of Jesus that He was the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. He could do this because THERE WAS NO SIN IN HIM. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse of all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8-2:6).

We all witness currently the outright denial of evil or sin by mostly unbelievers. However, tragically there are "Christian" groups and "churches" who also deny both the existence of evil and sin. Heretical "bishops" and "clergy" who condone everything wicked and sinful. They, who call themselves "Christians," reject the teachings of the Old and New Testaments about Heaven and Hell, of the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ, of right or wrong, of the miracles of Christ, of condoning and promoting the various unnatural sexual life-styles, the rejection Christian precepts of morality, virtue, values, human dignity, and godliness. They deliberately and knowingly give a heretical and false interpretation of the Divine Teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and are disobedient to the Divine Commandments of God. They have themselves enemies of Our Savior Jesus Christ and are making every effort to distort the truth, betray Christ,and attempt to undermine and subvert Christianity. And yet, we must pray for them and entreat our loving and merciful God to enlighten their minds and hearts so that they see that their actions are leading them to eternal damnation and repent.

It is imperative that we become true to ourselves. Saint Isaac the Syrian writes: "O Mystery, be exalted beyond word and beyond silence, who became human in order to renew us by means of voluntary union with the flesh. Reveal to me the path by which I may be raised up to your mysteries, traveling along a course that is clear and tranquil, free from the illusions of this world. Gather my mind into the silence of prayer, so that wandering thoughts may be silenced within me during that luminous converse of suppliations and mystery-filled wonder."

It is a struggle, because the things of this earthly world and life are deceptive and of much distraction. The Saints of our Faith have been our constant godly examples of virtue, of holiness, and prayer. We turn to another prayer of Saint Isaac the Syrian who brings comfort and hope to us:

I beseech You, Lord, do not set against me the sins of my youth, the ignorance of my old age, and the frailty of my nature, which is too strong for me and has caused me to sink into reflection on things that are hateful. Rather, turn my heart toward You, away from the troublesome distraction of lust. Cause to dwell in me a hidden light. Your acts of goodness toward me always anticipate any kind of volition on my part to do well and any readiness for virtue on the part of my heart."

Our lives are too busy with worldly cares and concerns. Therefore, our lives in the world are full of distractions. One of the hardest challenges for most of us is to be quiet with ourselves.It;s hard to sit and simply be silent because there are so many thoughts, problems, aspirations, responsibilities, telephone, computers, etc. It actually becomes a daily battle and trial. If we, however, are striving to have a spiritual life we must learn how to combat the thoughts, noise, and activities. Keeping our attention centered on the presence of God everywhere and at all times. Our God must become our one and only important priority in our life. He must always be first in everything. Being a Christian is not merely being a follower of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian means to be completely united with Him and for our life in Him be constantly renewed. This task can be accomplished if our commitment to Him is real, then, we ought to be willing to serve Him freely, and to surrender to Him, that which He has given us, life itself. Our aim should always be to grow to be more like Christ and we must also be built into the structure of His Temple, which is the Church. "Believers are being fashioned together into a single living edifice (Church), a spiritual house, cemented by love, having the same mind together with Christ."

I believe, that it is understood, from all the unhappiness, illnesses, and death which we frequently witness, that indeed, promiscuity, estrangement from God, the rejection of God’s commandments, the rebelliousness against the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the betrayal of His love and Sacrifice on the Cross to save us, the distortion of God’s image in man, the corruption of human nature, the hatred of anything that is good and righteous, disrespect for human life as indicated by the millions of aborted children, unwarranted and unnecessary wars, divisions among the people, divisions and heretical teaching among the Christian, and much more, have wrought destruction and hopelessness. The cure is repentance! To understand what is the correct thing according to God, and to implement His commandments in our lives. Because sin ruptures our relationship with God and others, we need to reconcile with Him and our neighbor. God’s forgiveness and our sins against Him is unconditional and absolute. God does not reject us, objectify us, or bear anger or resentment against us. God does not punish us. Rather, by sinning we alienate ourselves from God, we punish ourselves. By asking God for forgiveness, we open ourselves to His love and acceptance, His grace and compassion. An example of how God treats his sinful and rebellious children we need only to read the Parable of the Prodigal son. He lovingly and compassionately rejoices over the return of his son and says: "And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (Luke 15:22-24).

Body (flesh) and soul are severely injured by sin. Man’s soul is priceless. The human soul is vulnerable to temptation and sinfulness. When flesh and soul act together to commit a sin the spiritual injury is tremendous. Both feel the crime committed and the pain or suffering that follows immediately. This great spiritual illness affects both the body and the soul. Saint John of Damascus writes "The soul is a living essence, uncomplicated, incorporeal, invisible — in its proper nature — to the eyes of the body, immortal, reasoning and intelligent, formless, making use of an organic body and being the source of its powers of life…". It is an absolute prerequisite that the soul be cleansed of the blameworthy passions. The word soul (ψυχή) psyche, in Greek, means life or vital breath, so we might think of it as the breath of God that God breathed into man when he was made and given life. Saint Gregory the Theologian says that the soul is the breath of God and while being heavenly, it endures being mixed with what is of the dust." At the General Resurrection we will arise in a new renewed form uniting body and soul.

The Holy Fathers of the Church teach that it is the characteristic of the soul to govern the strivings of the body and for the body to accept this governance. Saint Paul writes that the "body wars against" the soul. The soul has the ability to enter into warfare with the passions of the body. However, our present condition is a difficult and unnatural one as the body is in control of the soul and the soul is separated from God. We must be vigilant and protect our soul from all evil and sinful thoughts, desires, and deeds. Both body and soul have the opportunity to reconcile with God, to repent and ro be healed, cleansed and healed by Him. Every Orthodox Christian must participate in the Mystery (Sacrament) of Confession/Reconciliation. All must approach the sacrament with a sincere and contrite spirit, with humble heart and to supplicate our Creator to forgive and restore us, body and soul, to our authentic and pristine beauty. In other words to SAVE US. Amen.

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

On June 29th Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates the Holy,
Glorious, and All-Famed Chiefs of the Apostles, PETER AND PAUL.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Fourth Tone

O FOREMOST of the Apostles and teachers of the world, intercede
ye with the Master of All that He grant peace to the world and great
mercy to our souls.

Kontakion Hymn. Second Tone

Thou hast taken to Thyself, O Lord, the firm and God-proclaiming
heralds, the chief Apostles, for the enjoyment of Thy blessings and
for repose; for Thou hast accepted their labours and death as above
all sacrifice, O Thou Who alone knowest the secrets of our hearts.

+



The divinely-blessed PETER was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He was the son of Jonas and the brother of Andrew the First-called. He was a fisherman by trade, unlearned and poor, and was called Simon; later he was renamed Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who looked at him and said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter)" (John 1;42). On being raised by the Lord to the dignity of an Apostle and becoming inseparable from Him as His zealous Disciple, he followed Him from the beginning of His preaching of salvation up until the very Passion, when, in the court of Caiphas the high priest, he denied Him thrice because of his fear of the Jews and of the danger at hand. But again, after many bitter tears, he received complete forgiveness of his transgression. After the Resurrection of Christ and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Judea, Antioch, and certain parts of Asia, and finally came to Rome, where he was crucified upside down by Nero, and thus he ascended to the eternal habitations about the year 66 or 68 A.D., leaving two Catholic (General) Epistles to the Church of Christ.

PAUL, the chosen vessel of Christ, the glory of the Church, the Apostle of the Nations and teacher of the whole world, was a Jew by race, of the Tribe of Benjamin, having Tarsus as his homeland. He was a Roman citizen, fluent in the Greek language, an expert in knowledge of the Law, a Pharisee, born of a Pharisee, and a disciple of Gamaliel, a Pharisee and notable teacher of the Law in Jerusalem. For this cause, from the beginning, Paul was a most fervent zealot for the traditions of the Jews and a great persecutor of the Church of Christ; at that time, his name was Saul (Acts 22:3-4). In his great passion of rage and fury against the Disciples of the Lord, he went to Damascus bearing letters of introduction from the high priest. His intention was to bring the Disciples of Christ back to Jerusalem in bonds. As he was approaching Damascus, about midday there suddenly shone upon him a Light from Heaven. Falling on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest Me?" And he asked, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And that heavenly voice and brilliance made him tremble and he was blinded for a time. He was led by the hand into the city, and on account of a Divine Revelation to the Apostle Ananias, he was baptized by him, and both his bodily and spiritual eyes were opened for the knowledge of the Sun of Righteousness. And straightway–O wondrous transformation!–beyond all expectation, he spoke with boldness in the synagogues, proclaiming that
"Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 9:1-21).

As for his zeal in preaching the Gospel after these things had come to pass, as for his unabating labours and afflictions of diverse kinds, the wounds, the prisons, the bonds, the beatings, the stonings, the shipwrecks, the journeys, the perils on land, on the sea, in cities, in wildernesses, the continual vigils, the daily fasting, the hunger, the thirst, the nakedness, and all those other things that he endured for the Name of Christ, and which he underwent before nations and kings and the Isreaelites, and above all, his care for all the Churches, his fiery longing for the salvation of all, whereby he became all things to all men, that he might save them all if possible, and because of which, with his heart aflame, he continuously travelled throughout all parts, visiting them all, and like a bird of heaven flying from Asia and Europe, the West and East, neither staying nor abiding in any one place–all these things are related incident by incident in the Book of the Acts, and as he himself tells them in his Epistles. His Epistles, being fourteen (14) in number, are explained in 250 homilies by Saint John Chrysostom and make manifest the loftiness of his thoughts, the abundance of the revelations made to him, the wisdom given to him from God, wherewith he brings together ina wondrous manner the Old with the New Testaments, and expounds the mysteries thereof which has been concealed under types; he confirms the doctrines of the Faith, expounds the ethical teaching of the Gospel, and demonstrates with exactness the duties incumbent upon every rank, age, and order of man. In all these things his teaching proved to be a spiritual trumpet, and his speech was seen to be more radiant than the sun, and by these means, he clearly sounded forth the word of truth and illumined the ends of the world. Having completed the work of his ministry, he likewise ended his life in martyrdom when he was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero, at the same time, some say, when Peter was crucified. (Source: The Great Horologion)

_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– By Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

Orthodox House of Worship: The Liturgical Vestments of an
Orthodox Priest. (Part IV)

Vesting of Priest

He vests with the TUNIC (Sticharion) saying:

My soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for He
has clothed me with the garment of salvation.
He has covered me with the robe of gladness;
as a bridegroom He has set crown on me; and
as a bride adorns herself with jewels, so He
has Adorned me.

He blesses the STOLE (Epitrachelion), and says, as he vests:

Blessed is God, Who pours out His grace upon His Priests,
as myrrh upon the head, that runs down the beard, the beard
of Aaron, that runs down the border of his robe.

He blesses the belt (Zone), and says as he vests:

Blessed is God, Who girds me with strength and makes my
way blameless. He made my feet like hind’s feet, and set
me secure on the heights.

As he puts on the cuffs (Epimanikia)

(Right) Thy hand, O Lord, has been glorified in power. Thy
right hand, O Lord, has shattered the enemies. In the
greatness of Thy Majesty Thou hast overthrown Thy
adversaries.

(Let) Thy hands have made and fashioned me. Give me
understanding that I may learn Thy Commandments.

If he has been awarded the shield (Epigonation), he puts it on, saying:

Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Mighty One, in Thy comeliness and
in Thy beauty. Go forth and prosper and reign, because of truth and
meekness and righteousness. Thy right hand shall guide Thee
wondrously always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

He blesses the chasuble (Phelonion), and says, as he vests:

Thy Priests, O Lord, shall clothe themselves with righteousness,
and Thy Saints shall rejoice with joy always, now and ever and
unto ages of ages. Amen.
+

THE SYMBOLISM AND MEANING OF THE VESTMENTS

The Tunic (Sticharion): This is a garment which has sleeves and reaches to the ground. This
vestment signifies THE TUNIC WHICH THE SOLDIERS PUT ON CHRIST BEFORE His
Crucifixion (Matthew 27:27-28). It also commemorates the white raiment of the Angel, who
announced to the women disciples of the good news of the Lord’s Resurrection (Matthew 28:3;
Mark 16:5). Th Tunic or Alb is usually white and by its whiteness this vestment reminds the
celebrant of the spotless innocence and purity of body and soul, which ought to adorn him
at all times, but especially when he celebrates the Divine Liturgy.

The Stole (Epitrachelion): This is a narrow and long piece of cloth which covers both shoulders
of the Priest and encircles his neck, the parts uniting in the front and rahing to the hem of the Tunic.
The Stole is the proper emblem of the Priestly power and is, therefore, used at every divine service,
in churches and in private homes, in public and in private. It signifies first, the yoke or burden of
the Priestly Office and second, the grace of the Holy Spirit which flows down upon the officiating
Priest.

The Belt (Zone) or Cincture: This is the vestment with which the Priest fastens the Alb (Tunic) and
Stole (Epitrachelion) on his body in order to facilitate his movements and attest his readiness for
service, as a man girds himself when he set out on a journey or undertakes a task. So, also, the
Priest girds himself when he sets about his sacred diakonia (ministry) and regarding his belt as
the strength of Divine Power.

The Cuffs (Epimanikia): The cuffs which the Priest fastens about his wrists over the sleeves of the
Alb so as to facilitate the movements of his hands during the Divine Liturgy. They signify, first, the
chains with which the soldiers bound the arms of Christ, and, second, the creative power of God.

The Chasuble (Phelonion): It is a sleeveless vestment and the most richly adorned, which is warn over
all the rest. It denotes the scarlet garment which Christ wore in the courtroom of Pilate (Matthew 27:28).
It denotes the cloak, which the Apostles wore during their travels (2 Timothy 4:13), reminding the Priest
that they also are wayfarers. The Priest completes his vesting by putting on the Phelonion and recites:
“Thy Priests, O Lord, shall clothe themselves with righteousness and Thy Saints shall rejoice” (Psalm 132:9).

The celebrants of the Divine Liturgy are the clergymen, who have received the grace of the Holy Spirit through the Mysterion (Sacrament) of Priesthood or Ordination. They are the BISHOPS, THE PRIESTS (PRESBYTERS), AND THE DEACONS (DIAKONOI).

Thy Mysterion of Priesthood (Hierosynis) derives its origin from Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, from Whom all the other Mysteries (Sacraments) also originate. Jesus Christ as the High Priest offered Himself as a Sacrifice on the Cross “for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28) and conferred His Priesthood upon His Holy Apostles (John 20:21-23; Matthew 18:18; Luke 10:16). From the Holy Apostles the Office of Priesthood passed over to the first clergymen of the Church and from them to their successors until it has arrived unto our days. This is called APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION, which in our Orthodox Church is fundamental, because it alone confers upon the clergymen the Divinely appointed authority and power to administer the Mysteria (Sacraments) and to stand as representatives of the Divine Power here on earth.

On the Three Orders of Priesthood, the Priest occupies the central position in the Church. The term Priest is used in the Christian Church with a new meaning, not the same as in Hebrew or Greek before Jesus Christ. The Christian Priest is an instrument of Christ and continues His work, standing always at the side of his people. He is their spiritual father, he knows them all “by name” (John 10:2-16), and he gives them “new life” by teaching them the Word of God and administering the Mysteria (Sacraments) for them (John 3:3-7; 1 Corinthians 4:15).

The Priest administers all the Mysteria (Sacraments), with the exception of Ordination. However, celebrating the Divine Liturgy is his principal function. Just as in the Life of Christ His Sacrifice upon the Cross is of predominant importance, so in the life of the Church the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist takes FIRST PLACE. Thus, during the Divine Liturgy the Priest is engaged IN HIS HOLIEST MISSION.

The Priest is indispensable in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. The Deacon may not celebrate the Divine Liturgy alone, since his only capacity being to assist the Priest. Even though a bishop is officiating, the priest must be present.

The Deacon is recognized by that article of clothing called ORARION. And what is an orarion? It is a wide band, one end of which hangs towards the back from the left shoulder, the other end of which the Deacon holds in his right hand as he says the petitions. The ORARION means that the Deacon, mimicking the Angels, has to be praying constantly. The orarion brings to mind Saint Paul’s admonition: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Another part of the Deacon’s vestments are the cuffs. And the teachers of the Church say the cuffs that the Deacons, Priests, and Bishops wear represent the fetters with which they shackled Christ. The clergyman has to be ready FOR PERSECUTION, JAIL, AND MARTYRDOM FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL, OF CHRIST.

The Bishop is distinguished by the following parts of his vestments: The OMOPHORION (the Pallium), which is a wide band that is put across his shoulders and comes down to his chest. It reminds one of the Parable of the lost sheep. Just as a shepherd who has lost a sheep is not unconcerned but goes up and down the mountains and ravines looking for it, and when he finds it puts it over his shoulders and brings it back to the fold, in the same way the Bishop has to labor to bring those people into the fold of the Church who have distanced themselves from God and are in danger of being lost in the ravines and gullies of sin.

Another vestment of the Bishop is the SAKKOS. It corresponds to the Priest’s Chasuble (Phelonion). It symbolizes the red mantle of the Lord, and on the side where the two parts come together, there are small round bells which mean that the words and deeds of the bishop must be powerful, so that like a loud-ringing they will reach the ears of all and they will glorify God. The bishop also wears a pectoral with an icon of Christ on it to remember Saint Paul’s words: “Is is no longer I who live, but it is Christ Who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20).

The above mentioned are the most important vestments of the Clergy in the Orthodox Church. Tragically, they have in some cases become simply a formality in our era and a sign of our times. Clergy who desire to live a secular and worldly life become one with the world and, therefore, are unable to save it. For some the colorful and beautiful vestments become a distraction and a stumbling block to their Priestly and divine mission. The Orthodox Priest does not wear these magnificent vestments to dazzle the people he serves and to impress them with his singing voice, his sermon or by theatrical performance of the Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy was not created to entertain the faithful! The Priest must leave all that is human and worldly outside the church, forget himself and his passions, his vanity, his pride and to humbly and with a genuine sense of unworthiness serve his Master and Lord Jesus Christ. The good and truly pious Priest knows if he is acting appropriately and honors his Priesthood by the fact that he most likely becomes an object of ridicule and sarcasm at the hands of a sinful world. The DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD MUST BE PROTECT AT ANY COST. To sacrifice the dignity of the Office is a grave sin. No Priest should be afraid of martyrdom and be ready to give his life for our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Every Priest should remember the holy words of the Holy Apostle Paul: “It is no longer I who live, BUT IT IS CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME.” (Galatians 2:20). The Priesthood, is the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, and it should never be mocked or compromised by naive and vain men. Loving and truly caring and serving people is the mission of the Orthodox Priest. For one to use to aggrandize himself and to seek popularity is totally wrong and sinful. It is truly a dishonor to the Priesthood and brings disgrace to the one doing it. When the Priest vests those awesome vestments he longer lives, he has no longer a human identity, he cannot be the worldly and passionate man that he was before he vested and recited those solemn and most divine prayers as he was vesting. The TRUE AND ACTUAL CELEBRANT IS NEVER THE MAN PRIEST BUT THE ARCHPRIEST CHRIST WHO IS GIVING HIS SACRIFICIAL BODY AND BLOOD THROUGH THE MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) OF THE DIVINE EUCHARIST. BELOVED BROTHERS IN CHRIST LISTEN TO THE BEAUTIFUL PRAYER THAT WE RECITE DURING THE DIVINE LITURGY:

“Look down, O Lord Jesus Christ our God from Thy Holy dwelling-place and
from the Throne of Glory of Thy Kingdom, and come to sanctify us, Thou Who
sittest on High with the Father, and ARE HERE INVISIBLY PRESENT WITH US.
And do Thou deign by Thy Mighty hand to give to us of Thy Immaculate Body
and of Thy Precious Blood, and through us to all the people.” (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom)

OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST IS PRESENT IN EVERY DIVINE LITURGY THAT WE CONDUCT AND HE IS THE TRUE CELEBRANT AND THE ONE WHO OFFICIATES! Let us NOT be pompous and egotistical and think or believe that the people are there for us and to watch our beautiful performance. We MUST NOT treat the faithful AS AN AUDIENCE! The faithful are present to MEET the PHYSICIAN OF OUR SOULS AND BODIES. They come TO BE HEALED AND BE FORGIVEN AND HEALED BY HIM. They do NOT come there as coming to a “theater”, but THEY COME TO BE RESTORED, TO COMMUNE WITH GOD, TO BECOME ONE WITH HIM AND WITH ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE HOLY AND PRECIOUS BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. It is very wise to, as someone had said to once, “to conduct the Divine Liturgy AS THOUGH IT IS YOUR LAST!

__________

“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

The Orthodox House of Worship: Sacred Articles

The Patent or Disk (Δισκάριον), a small round metal disk with a stemmed base which represents the Manger where Christ was placed after His Birth. During the divine service of Offertory (Oblation) the priest takes the bread of oblation or (prosphora in his left hand and the lance (spear) in his right hand, and touching the lance on the seal of the prosphora, he elevates them both to the level of his head and says: "Thou hast redeemed us from the curse of the law by Thy Precious Blood. Nailed on the Cross and pierced with a spear, Thou hast bestowed immortality upon mankind, O Our Savior, glory to Thee."

Then the Priest makes the sign of the Cross over the Credence with the prosphora and the lance, reciting: "Blessed is our God, always, now and forever and from all ages to all ages." The he makes the sign of the Cross with the lance three times over the seal of prosphora, saying, each time: "In remembrance of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:24; Luke 22:19). Next the Priest cuts out a portion of the bread from the central part of the prosphora’s seal in the shape of a cube, called in Greek Αμνός (‘Amnos’) means Lamb, which at first represents the Body of Christ and into which it later changes. The Priest recalls the prophecy of Isaiah who foresaw long beforehand the Sacrifice of the Messiah (Isaiah 53:7-8). The Priest inverts the Holy Bread, placing the seal upon the paten, while the Deacon says: Sacrifice Master. The Priest then cuts the Holy Bread cross-wise, taking care not to cut through the seal, and says: "Sacrificed is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world, for the life of the world and its salvation." The Priest inverts the Holy Bread again so that the seal is on top, while the Deacon says: Pierce Master. The Priest pierces the right side of the Holy Bread under the letters IC and says: "One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness, and his witness is true." The Deacon takes the wine and water and says to the Priest: Bless, Master, the holy union. After the Priest’s blessing, pours the blessed wine and water into the chalice or cup. The Priest says, "In honor and memory of our Most Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary. Through her prayers, O Lord, accept this sacrifice upon Thy heavenly Altar." He then removes a triangular particle of the prosphora and places it on the right side of the Holy Bread and says "The Queen stood on Thy right side, arrayed in golden robs, all glorious." The Priest removes nine other particles and places them on the left side of the Holy Bread and commemorates various Saints, Apostles, Hierarchs, Holy Fathers, Martyrs, Unmercenaries, Righteous Ancestors of God, Saint John Chrysostom, Deacons and Monastics, those departed, and Prophets beginning with the Saint John the honorable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist. Then the Priest remembers the Bishop who ordained him, and concludes the remembrance: "Remember, O Lord, my unworthiness also, and forgive me all my sins, both voluntary and involuntary. The Deacon present the censer to him and says, "Bless, Master the incense. The Priest says: "We offer Thee incense, O Christ our God for an odor of spiritual fragrance. Receive it upon Thy Heavenly Altar, and send down upon us in return the grace of Thine All-Holy Spirit. The Deacon says, "Let us pray to the Lord. The Priest censes the star (asterisk) and places it over the Holy Bread saying: "And the star came and stood over the place where the young Child was. Immediately following blesses the three veils and covers the paten and chalice with them and senses the Offerings, saying: "Blessed is our God, Who is thus well-pleased! Glory to Thee." And the Deacon replies, "Always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

We become Christians through the sanctified water of the Baptismal Font and with the holy paten and chalice, we are fed the food of immortality. This food is Holy Communion, the Pure Body and Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was Sacrificed on Golgotha for the salvation of the world. And just as without being baptized you cannot be called a Christian, without Holy Communion you cannot live a Christian life. Christ Himself said it: "Whosoever eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath Eternal Life" (John 6:54). The Paten and Chalice are the most holy articles of our Holy Orthodox Church.

Another sacred article used at worship is the Censer (Θυμιατήριον)¨is a vessel in which incense is burned. It was used in ancient times in the Temple by Aaron (1 Chronicles 23:13) and it is now used by the Church. This vessel, usually of silver, hangs from three chains with small bells. In the New Testament the first who presented incense to the Lord were the Wise Men (Matthew 2:11). Incensing before the Altar and the holy icons is a tribute of honor to Our Lord and to the Saints. The incensing toward the worshippers, first, expresses the wish of the priest that their prayers may ascend to heaven as the smoke of the incense rise aloft Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8), second, it reminds them that their prayers ascend to God when their lives are "a sweet fragrance" (Philippian 4:18). In the ancient world, incense was used in both secular and liturgical life. Altars, people, and objects were sensed as a sign of honor and dedication. In the services of the Church, incense is a symbol of prayer. In the Book of Revelation 8:3 it is revealed the use of incense in Heaven: "Then another Angel, having A GOLDEN CENSER, CAME AND STOOD AT THE ALTAR. HE WAS GIVEN MUCH INCENSE THAT HE SHOULD OFFER IT WITH THE PRAYERS OF ALL THE SAINTS UPON THE GOLDEN ALTAR WHICH WAS BEFORE THE THRONE. AND THE SMOKE OF THE INCENSE WITH THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS ASCENDED BEFORE GOD FROM THE ANGEL’S HAND. Then the Angel took the censer, filled it with the fire from the altar, and were noises, thundering, lightnings. and an earthquake" (8:3-5). "Much incense" is present in heaven. It symbolizes "the prayers of all the Saints." Incense as (a) commanded by God to Moses for use in Israel’s worship (Exodus 25:6; Isaiah 4:5; 6:4; Luke 1:9-11); (b) used throughout Israel’s history under the Old Covenant (1 Chronicles 23:13); (c) prophesied by the Lord Himself, to be used in the Church incense will be offered "among the Gentiles in every place" (Mal. 1:11) (d) brought by the Magi as a gift to Jesus (Matthew 2:11) (e) used in Christian worship from the beginning even till today.

(To be continued)

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST1 HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE ORTHODOX HOUSE OF WORSHIP (Part II)

"Then the Priests brought in the ark to its place, INTO THE INNER
SANCTUARY OF THE TEMPLE, TO THE HOLY OF HOLIES, under
the wings of the Cherubim overshadowed the ark and the holy
things… Nothing was in the ark except the two Stone Tablets of
the COVENANT Moses put there at Hereb… When the Priests
came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the house, so the
Priests could not stand there ministering because of the cloud
for the glory of the Lord filled the house" (3 Kingdoms 8:6-11).

"The Lord said to him (king Solomon), I have heard your prayer and
I have done for you everything in your prayer. I CONSECRATED
THIS HOUSE YOU BUILT TO PLACE MY NAME THERE FOREVER"
{3 Kingdoms 9:3).

+

The Entrance Prayers and the Vesting
[When the Priest desires to perform the Divine Liturgy…he

[And after the prayer the Priest anoints him/her who has been baptized with the