Kairos Quarterly Volume 1

7/30/2019 Kairos Quarterly Volume 1

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Kairos Quarterly is published with a blessing of theMost Reverend George, Bishop of Mayfield of the

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia at the

Hermitage of the Holy Cross in Wayne, WV.

The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflectthe views of the entire Hermitage brotherhood or the

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR).

Please contact us if you have any questions, suggestions or comments at:

Hermitage of the Holy Cross505 Holy Cross RoadWayne, WV, 25570

304-849-4726www.holycross-hermitage.comgiftshop@holycross-hermitage.com

Hermitage of the Holy Cross


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C O N T E N T S

Introduction p. 2

The Transfiguration of Place: An Orthodox Christian Vision of Localism (Part I)by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick p. 6

Why We Fast Before Nativity (Christmas) by Vincent Martini p. 11

Nativity Homilyby Bishop Basil (Rodzianko) p. 13

Old Christmas in Appalachia p. 14

Shape-Note Carol Singing p. 15

Notes from the Little Mountain p. 17

Homily on St. Catherine p. 19

Final Thoughts p. 21

The Incarnation (A Poem) p. 23


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n 1934, poet and social critic T. S. Eliot

(1888-1965) wrote the following words:

The Eagle soars in the summit of Heaven,The Hunter with his dogs pursues his circuit.O perpetual revolution of configured stars,O perpetual recurrence of determined seasons,O world of spring and autumn, birth and dying!

The endless cycle of idea and action,Endless invention, endless experiment,Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;

Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word.All our knowledge brings us nearer to death,But nearness to death nonearer to God.Where is the Life we havelost in living?Where is the wisdom we

have lost in knowledge?Where is the knowledge wehave lost in information?The cycles of Heaven in

twenty centuriesBrings us farther from Godand nearer to the Dust.

These words, writtennearly 80 years ago, cannotbut seem to be prophetic toour 21st century ear. After2,000 years since the time ofChrist, our world, sadly, seems to slip furtherand further into spiritual malaise and coldnessof heart. In the early years of Romanpersecution, the Church was a small, minoritycommunity of struggling men and women whogave up all to follow Christ. It has been notedthat the Church is, once again, becoming asmall, minority community in this world. Thedifference now, however, is that we are livingin a post-Christian age. The sun sets in theWest, as a world-weary Europe and herchildren in America begin to forget Christ and

to embrace a new type of Enlightened

paganism.It is for this reason that the words of T. S.

Eliot ring so true today. We live in a societyfueled by Consumerism, yet for as much as weconsume, we are a society that is spirituallyhungry and thirsting for Living Water.

Indeed, where is the Life we have lost inliving? - the True Life of the world, born in acave because this busy world could not findroom for Him at the inn? Do we also not haveroom for Him within our hearts, offering himonly a cold stone upon which to lay His head?

Indeed, where is thewisdom we have lost inknowledge? - this wisdomthat led the Magi by a star tothe Savior of the world and tothe one thing needful(Luke 10:42).

t the Lord(Luke 2:10,11).

Indeed, where is theknowledge we have lost in

information? - thisknowledge that the angeldelivered unto the shepherdson that glorious night: Behold,

I bring you tidings of great joy,which shall be to all people.For

unto you is born this day in thecity of David a Savior, which is

Chris

In our society dominated by the internet,

Facebook and infotainment, we have all theknowledge that we could possibly wantavailable at our fingertips. But this vast sea ofmostly useless information more often thannot drowns out what is truly important wehave knowledge of words, but not of theWord.

After two thousand years, we have gainedso much, yet a spiritual emptiness grows.

I

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Through science, medicine, technology,communications, commerce, etc., we have, ifyou will, gained the world but at what cost?What have we lost in the process?

The Heart is Deep

At the edge of an uncertain century, thesequestions should be of utmost urgency andimportance to Orthodox Christians. We wouldsuggest that what we have lost is just what itmeans to be human; we have lost part of ourown souls.

One man of our own time who made thisobservation was Fr. Seraphim Rose. Hisdiscovery of this fact was not one of arm-chairspeculation, but was born out of his own painand personal experience. As with all godly

suffering, this proved to be foundational to hisspiritual growth.

In Fr. SeraphimRoses biographywe read a storyoften told at hismonastery inNorthernCalifornia of azealous young man

who arrived at Mt.Athos and wishedto become a monk.The young manpleaded with theElder, saying:"Holy Father! Myheart burns for thespiritual life, for asceticism, for unceasingcommunion with God, for obedience to anElder. Instruct me, please, holy Father, that I

may attain to spiritual advancement." Going tothe bookshelf, the Abbot pulled down a copyof David Copperfield by Charles Dickens."Read this, son," he said. "But Father!"objected the disturbed aspirant. "This isheterodox Victorian sentimentality, a productof the Western captivity! This isn't spiritual; it'snot even Orthodox! I need writings which willteach me spirituality!" The Abbot smiled,

saying, "Unless you first develop normal,human, Christian feelings and learn to viewlife as little Davey did with simplicity,kindness, warmth, and forgiveness then allthe Orthodox spiritual writings will be of littlebenefit to you." i

This story, in many ways, sums up the entiretheme and thrust of this journal that is,rediscovering our humanity in Christ, Whowas the Perfect Man, and promoting whatFr. Seraphim Rose called an Orthodoxy ofthe Heart.

In his later years, Fr. Seraphim often spokeof this Orthodoxy of the Heart passionatelyand directly. He said:

True Christianity does not mean just havingthe right opinions about Christianitythis is

not enough to save ones soul. St. Tikhon (ofZadonsk) says: If someone should say thattrue faith is the correct holding andconfession of correct dogmas, he would betelling the truth, for a believer absolutelyneeds the Orthodox holding and confessionof dogmas. But this knowledge and confessionby itself does not make a man a faithful andtrue Christian. The keeping and confession ofOrthodox dogmas is always to be found intrue faith in Christ, but the true faith of Christis not always to be found in the confession of

Orthodoxy... The knowledge of correctdogmas is in the mind, and it is often fruitless,arrogant, and proud... The true faith in Christis in the heart, and it is fruitful, humble,patient, loving, merciful, compassionate,hungering and thirsting for righteousness; itwithdraws from worldly lusts and clings toGod alone, strives and seeks always for what isheavenly and eternal, struggles against everysin, and constantly seeks and begs help fromGod for this. St. Tikhon, therefore, gives usa start in understanding what Orthodoxy is: itis something first of all of the heart, not justthe mind, something living and warm, notabstract and cold, something that is learnedand practiced in life, not just in school. ii

Fr. Seraphim Rose

These words by Fr. Seraphim Rose have hadno small effect on the thinking and theformation of this journal, and they shouldprove relevant to all struggling OrthodoxChristians in an un-Christian, de-humanizingcontemporary culture.

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It is time for the Lord to act.

What of the use of the word, Kairos, then?The Greek word kairos () is foundboth in the Scriptures and in the DivineLiturgy, and it means a right or opportunemoment a moment in time in which God

cuts though our ordinary, regular time(chronos) and acts. It is the original Greekword which the deacon speaks at thebeginning of Divine Liturgy when he says tothe priest, It is time for the Lord to act(Kairos tou poiesai to Kyrio).

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware spoke ofKairos in an address he gave in the year 2000entitled The Witness of the OrthodoxChurch, saying:

On the threshold of a new millennium, howare we as Orthodox to understand the presentmoment, our immediate moment ofopportunity? What is the kairos that we arebeing invited to seize? In what ways are webeing called to repent and to "change ourmind"? Using this same word kairos, St Paulwrites: "See, now is the acceptable time; see,now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). Howare we to interpret and to live out this grace-given "now", poised as we are at the end ofone century and the start of another?

If we are to understand the immediate kairos,if we are to live creatively in the presentmoment, we must also look back to the past,for without an appreciation of the past oursense of the present lacks depth

What is the main task of Orthodox theology atthe outset of the new millennium? My ownanswer is that what is required more thananything else is a fuller understanding of thehuman person. How little we know aboutourselves! "The heart is deep" (Ps. 63 [64]:6).What does it mean to be a human beingaccording to the image and likeness of God?iii

What does it mean to be a human beingaccording to the image and likeness of God?This is a recurring theme in this journal, andthe time is ripe for such a meditation on thistheme.

We live in a crucial time in the history ofmankind and of the Church. We must be wiseas serpents and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16),redeeming the time because the days are evil (Eph.5:16). In this season of Advent, thepreparation for the Nativity of Christ, we awaitGods entry into the world to save us from sinand death. We must prepare ourselves,however, to be made worthy of such anawesome event which no words can possiblyconvey.

* * *

There is no shortage of Orthodox readingmaterial in English today, both on the internetand in print, and this is truly a blessing. Thisjournal was formed not so much out of a needto fill a gap, but more as a labor of love.

Reading the transcript of Fr. Andrew StephenDamicks talk entitled A Transfiguration ofPlace (found on page 6) was a huge impetusfor the formation of this journal, as was Fr.Andrew Phillips Orthodox England, the Road

to Emmaus journal, and far too many others tobe named.

Herein we wish to offer our own humbleobservations about place, faith, community,culture and Orthodoxy of the Heart as it islived on our little mountain in West Virginia.We wish to share our own experiences, as wellas bits of wisdom and inspiration that we havefound helpful and spiritually profitable overthe years, and we hope that you might findsome benefit from these little treasures as well.Being a Russian Orthodox monastery ofmostly American converts in the hills andculture of Appalachia sometimes makes for aninteresting mix. Thus, we hope, in some smallway, to provide a perspective that is unique.

Furthermore, we take as the standard ofthis journal St. Pauls admonition to redeemthe time (Eph. 5:16). It has long been thetradition of the Church to take what is good,what is beautiful and what is true and toredeem and transfigure it in Christ. We seethis tradition clearly in St. Basils Address toYoung Men on Greek Literature, St. JustinMartyrs claim on Greek truths as ours (i.e.,the Churchs), and in St. Paul himself who

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said, Whatsoever things are true, whatsoeverthings are honest, whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things arelovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if

there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,

think on these things (Phil. 4:8). We wish to

continue this tradition in this journal,redeeming all things in Christ. In this way, wewill take our kairos our own moment ofcrisis and decisive action and use our timewisely, directing all things to Christ. Thus, wehope to gain knowledge not of words, but ofthe Word, and to live so that we may have Life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

We feel that it is fitting that the first issue ofthis journal should coincide with the season ofthe Nativity. The mystery of the Incarnation isa mystery of Love. Gods Incarnation in theflesh is the key to our humanity, for Christbrings us Life in a little grotto in Bethlehem.St. Irenaeus of Lyons said, The glory of God

is man fully alive. Therefore, Awake thou thatsleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall

give thee light (Eph. 5:14). Throw off yourslumber, you weary world, and greet the Childborn of a Virgin, Who gives us LifeEverlasting, and cry out saying

i

Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene, ch. 96, p. 959.iiFr. Seraphim Rose, Orthodoxy in the USA, OW, no. 94 (1980), pp. 216-17.iii

The Free Library. 2000. Gale, Cengage Learning. July 15, 2012http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Witness+of+the+Orthodox+Church.-a062298590


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By Fr. Andrew Damick

The following is a transcript of a talk given by Fr.Andrew Damick at the St. Emmelia OrthodoxHomeschooling Conference at Antiochian Village inApril of 2011. Fr. Andrew is a priest at St. PaulOrthodox Church in Emmaus, PA, and his insights

have been a major impetus for this journal. Therefore, wefound it fitting, with Fr. Andrews blessing, to includethe entirety of his article on Orthodoxy, localism, andpersonhood in the first issues of Kairos. For more

writings by Fr. Andrew, we urge you to visit his twoblogs, Roads from Emmaus and Orthodoxy and

Heterodoxy.

here is a mythical place where many ofus, including myself, have often fantasizedabout moving to. In it, people live a mostly

agrarian lifestyle. There is little government, andwhat there is consists mainly of the post office, aninformal sort of border patrol, and a handful ofpolicemen who are little more than a community

watch. There is also a mayor, but his primaryduties are to give toasts and to preside at partiesand such. Most people live in the homes theirparents lived in, and hardly anyone ever thinksabout buying up property and renting it out. Andcertainly, no one there would ever kill anyoneelse, no matter how annoying they became.

Life there is dedicated to the good things andthe slow things, to plants and livestock and goodfood. On birthdays, people give away presentsrather than get them, which means that if you go

to plenty of birthday parties, you will have a fairlysteady stream of presents coming in. Andanything you dont happen to like can get re-gifted, and no one particularly cares.

I am of course describing the Shire, thefictional home of hobbits, invented by author andOxford Anglo-Saxon professor J. R. R. Tolkien tobe reminiscent of the rural England of his youth,before what in those days was called the GreatWar but what we now call World War I. The Great

War radically changed the face of Europe and ofthe world in general, though not only in terms ofgeographic borders. In that conflict, for the firsttime, the world came together in a new way, notfor cultural or religious reasons, but rather tomake war. And that war was fought by tearingmen from their homes, taking them on long, longjourneys, and most especially by pitting themagainst one another by using machines.

Tanks were first used in that war, developedby the British mainly as a means of breaking upthe deadlocks of trench warfare. Although theyhad been imagined and described in a 1903 shortstory by H. G. Wells called The Land Ironclads,the first working tanks were rolled out inSeptember of 1916 at the Battle of the Somme inFrance. With the distances traveled by soldiers inthat war, and with the ground they were able toacquire with the use of tanks, no longer were mendefending their homes and families by campingout next to them and digging trenches. Instead,

they were rolling out massive armored units,wielding these terrible weapons, fighting forsomething much more ephemeral than home andfamily. They were of course fighting to turn backinvasions from the Germans and their allies, butthe mechanized era of warfare that wasinaugurated in 1916 became the beginning of avery new kind of culture, something never seenbefore in the history of mankind.

A maelstrom followed, upending all the oldrules of commerce, communication and

economy, fueled by something exciting and yet, inretrospect, culturally very dangerous. You see,with the industrialization of war also came theindustrialization of life in general, particularlywith the most pervasive of industrial productstransportation.

Transportation turned out to be a temptationwe as a race simply could not resist. At first, evereasier access to transportation meant that

T

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frequent travel was no longer solely for thewealthy. Yet it came to be critical to commerce.And it has now come to define us as people.Whole cities and suburbs are built assuming thattheir residents own cars. Many modern suburbs sopresume the use of the car that a walker wouldhave to travel for miles and miles to find a place

to buy food.And this mobility not only connects our

homes with numerous places once too far away tomake frequent stops, but it has also has changedus into people who no longer really have homes.Since the 1940s, another decade of majorindustrial advance, in a given year, between oneout of eight and one out of five Americans willmove to another community. 42% of Americanshave lived in more than one state, and nearly oneout of seven has lived in at least four states.

People who move this often are not, as youmay imagine, going to live like hobbits. Hobbitsare largely self-governing, but a mobile populacerequires much more detailedand precisely defined legal-ities. With a neighbor-hoodwhere people dont reallyknow each other, since theirhouses are basically forparking their cars and forsleeping at night, a moreexternalized and impersonal

polity must prevail. Likewise,for a people who are unlikelyto have much sense ofpersonal loyalty to the townthey live in, not having grownup there, there will need tobe lines of information andentertainment that transcendthe mundane local life and turn the mind towardwhat is national and, indeed in more and morecases, inter-national.

This brings us back, however, to the politicsof hobbits. One might ask how hobbits, who reallyhave little in the way of legal life or a ruling class,could have politics. After all, we think of politicsthese days in terms of the power-brokering of themighty, those who now wield those great fleets notonly of tanks but also of stealth bombers, nuclearmissiles and aircraft carriers. But political life hasnot always been defined by the clashing ofgovernments and policies. In former times, the

term politics referred much more broadly to allpublic life.

With that understanding, hobbit politics havenumerous qualities which we might admire,though I think most people nowadays wouldprobably prefer the Shire mainly as a vacationdestination, not as somewhere they would want tolive. After all, there are no video games there, norare there exotic restaurants or Internet access orany of the other kinds of entertainments andcomforts made possible by quick and cheaptransportation. But hobbit politics are definedmost of all by their place. Even the hobbits inTolkiens books who leave the Shire are constantlytalking about it and trying to get back. The Shireis a place that its people love, and even within theShires four Farthings and its little internal towns,people rarely move. Thus, generations upon

generations of hobbits may live in the sameneighborhood, walking the same streets, living inthe same homes, tending the same gardens for

centuries. This dedication tothe same place has a name foritlocalism.

My reading of history issuch that most people werebasically localists until recenttimes, though there was noneed for a name for it. Therewas no television or cheap oil

or cheap broadband access todraw our attention every-where but here. Necessity andeconomics required that weknow our neighbors, if onlyso we could trade or buy ournecessities, so that we couldfind husbands and wives for

our children, so that we would not be left bereftof comfort and help when tragedy struck. Butnow, all those connections have been strippedaway, and our collective alienation is so acute thatwe grope around politically to try to find national,systemic solutions to almost all our challenges. Itreally used to be that your local family doctorwould probably treat you anyway when youcouldnt pay him, but once our government toldhim that wed pay him so he wouldnt have to becharitable any more, something precious was lost.But why should he care? He probably doesnt

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even live in the same neighborhood as you,anyway.

The Locus and Economy of Community

Lets think about this effect for a moment:What if transportation became so expensive that

you could no longer travel easily? What if youlived your whole life within about a mile of yourhouse? What if your community really had anactual locus to it, that is, a place? What if youwalked almost everywhere you went? What wouldlife look like?

Because you would see them all the time, youwould probably know almost everyone in yourneighborhood. Because the streets would be filledwith walking people, you would have a porch onthe front of your house and probably not a patio

in the backa porch is a place of publicconnection, while the patio is for privacy. Youwould be more concerned with how your lawnlooks, not just whether its mowed but whether itactually frames the life you want to live. You wouldhave a garden in your yard, because a lot of thethings you want to eat just wouldnt be at thestores in your neighborhood. And those stores inyour neighborhood would be less specialized andmore geared toward the general basics of thehome and garden.

I think its hard for us to imagine what thiswould be like because were so oriented towardconstant mobility. Our societal watchwords areeasier and faster. All our technologicaldevelopment seems to be pointed in thatdirectionthings that make life easier and faster.The ATM is faster: I dont have to go in and see abank teller, and I can use it any time, day or night.Online bill-pay is easier: I dont have to send anenvelope to some far-off place, nor do I have topractice my penmanship. The superhighway isfaster: I dont have to drive through all those

small towns with their stoplights. My smartphoneis both easier and faster: I dont have to lookthings up in a book, call an informed person onthe phone or even be inconvenienced by sitting ata computer.

But all these technological wonderswhich,it must be admitted, have also been used formuch goodleave us both freed and alsoenslaved. Every time I use another labor-saving

device, I am almost inevitably cut off fromanother person with whom I had an opportunityto have a relationship. Every time I prefercentralization over localization, I am de-localizingmyself. Every time I login to Facebook, I amneither seeing actual faces nor reading a book.This is the nervous system of the simulacrum

commonly called globalization.The essence of globalization is supposedly

interconnectedness, that all of us who wereformerly cut off from one another now have thepossibility of becoming networked. But if we thinkabout what is actually happening here, we are notmore connected but more isolated. We may havemore connections, but they are much moreanemic relationships. A man with a thousandfriendships will have a hard time maintaining onegood one, because he just wont have the time.

His interconnectedness actually limits or preventsreal connection.

Or consider something like the supermarket.In that one building, there are products from allover the world. Probably tens of thousands offarmers contribute to the products in onesupermarket, not to mention those who work inthe packaging and shipping industries. With onefull shopping cart, I could be contributing to thelivelihood of thousands of people. And yet thesedays, I do not have to interact with even one. I caneven use the self-check-out machines rather than

letting an employee scan my bar-codes for me.

We hear about how we are now a globalcommunity and a global economy, but Iwonder what exactly that means. In the grocerystore, my money is distributed in minisculeamounts in tens of thousands of directions. Ontelevision and on the Internet, I read and watchabout people suffering in far-off places. I haveopinions about politics in North Africa andWisconsin. My tax dollars go to people not onlythroughout my state and my country, but also the

whole world. I know more about musicians fromanother country than I do in my ownPennsylvania borough. But I dont know any ofthose people. It is almost impossible for me tohave a relationship with any of them. Our web ofeconomic and political interdependence isessentially anonymous. I dont know them, andthey dont know me. Public life has become aboutpolicies and publicity, but there is little in the wayof the palpable.

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But why does that matter? Why shouldnt Igive my one thousandth of a cent to a producefarmer in South America and another thousandthto a Malaysian chair maker?

It is because we do not really depend on oneanother, at least, not very much. I have no senseof loyalty to them or responsibility for them. Ourinterdependence is so diffuse that there is almostno possibility that any of our hearts would bestirred to gratitude or to admiration for the workwe do for each other. We cannot even look eachother in the eye. And that is a spiritual problem.

Globalization: An Impediment to Salvation

We use the word community to mean a lot ofdifferent things these days. We talk aboutcommunity in terms of race, partisan politics,

academics, etc., but it is more and more rare tohear community used to refer to a group of peoplewho all live and work and worship in the sameplace. At issue here is really communion, thecoming together of separated people to share acommon life. That is what communion andcommunity are fundamentally about.

But where globalization takes the most hold,community is erased. Yes, we still have friendshipsand other relationships, but now we base themmore and more on things we have in common.

What we have in common is less a truly commonlife of interdependence with our neighbors butmore often common interests, common ideas. Onthe whole we dont harvest in common, shop incommon, worship in common, and work incommon with the people who live around us.What we now have in common is somethingintangibleideology and preferences, rather thanplace.

The people I work with, worship with, livewith, study with, and shop with may all be entirelyseparate groups of people. And the tenuousnessof those relationships therefore depends on themaintenance of my behaviors in those disparaterealms of activity. Some of them almost evenpreclude the possibility of relationship. I often seepeople I recognize in the places I go, but I haveno idea what their names are, and in some places,it would probably be considered rude if I were toapproach them. And if I no longer go to aparticular store, I may never see someone I see

there ever again. If I change churches, I may losetouch entirely with someone there.

We supposedly live in a global village, but ifso, then it is a village where no one knows eachothers names and where no one sees each other,yet we trade bits of information and currency.Thats not like any village Ive ever heard of. Weare being presented with the illusion ofcommunity, with the virtual reality of community,yet without the solidity of it, the incarnationalwarmth and nearness of real community.

Why is this a spiritual problem? Why does itmatter that our economies, our lives and ourrelationships have been so transformed? Does thatsomehow mean I cant be saved, that I cant growin the image and likeness of Christ?

The Incarnation bears many implicationswithin it, and place is one of them. Christ was notincarnate in a universal body killed upon auniversal cross in a universal city. No, He had onebody, taken from one woman, crucified on onecross in the one city of Jerusalem.

Christianity was always meant to be local,evidenced by the many small churches built inmany places throughout its history, rather thanthis ridiculous, monocultural, globalist idea whichinsists that churches should resemble rock-n-rollarenas that seat thousands. Every street corner wasmeant to be sanctified. We were not meant to

drive out of the suburbs and fill up some massivestadium in order to have a mass trance in grouphysteria over a rock-n-roll band that puts Jesusname into otherwise secular songs which (badly)imitate the pop music of the monoculture. Yes,Christianity is a universal faith, but it is not a massfaith of faceless consumers who buy into a blandreligious product.

Of course, even if youre not a believer, thetruth is that the time will likely come when ourcurrencys bottom will drop out or we lose our

ability to travel easily and cheaply (due to a spikein transportation costs, most especially of oil).When either or both of those things happen, itwill be the relationships youve built in yourcommunity which could not only save your lifebut allow you to grow and thrive while the rest ofthe country flails about. (It will also be the deathof the mega-churches.)

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The good news of the Gospel is that Christsincarnation, death and resurrection can savemankind. But if we are losing the very object ofthat salvationmankindthen how can we besaved? We can see the repercussions around usalready. Have you not noticed that those whoselives are the most thoroughly defined by the

virtual, electronic reality often have the leastinterest in doing things like getting up from the

chair and going to church? Church is just too

human.

More and more, Im starting to suspect that,even if a life defined by globalization is not anoutright obstacle to salvation, it is probably animpediment. The reason I think this is that whatglobalization has effectively done is to de-humanize us. When God made us, He made us ascommunal beings, people in communion with

each other and also with the place where we live.When God made man, He placed him in agarden. He did not plug him into an Ethernetport. And when man sinned, the consequences ofthat act included exile from his place.

Now, what I am saying is by no means acondemnation of all electronic communication,international shipping and commerce, etc. Butwhen we unthinkingly embrace such things andallow our lives to be reshaped by them soprofoundly, should we not consider the spiritualconsequences? Is not our age one in which the

primary question facing us seems to be What is ahuman being? Whether we are discussingabortion, homosexual desire, bioethics, cloning,euthanasia, and so on, it is clear that we have nowreached an age in which humanity is becomingmore and more uncertain as to just what it is.With lives so permeated with interchangeabletechnological parts, it seems almost inevitable thatwe would begin to look at ourselves in the sameway. Without a true understanding of ourhumanity, then we cannot see the tragedy of sin.And if we do not see our sin, then salvation

becomes irrelevant to us.

So we know that place has a lot to do withhumanity as God created us. And sin means exile.Exile is one of the key elements of the Fall ofmankind. And as Orthodox Christians, we believethat salvation consists precisely in getting up fromthe Fall and returning to Paradise. Another way of

putting it is that salvation consists in becomingfully human. Death and corruption entered intothe world with the first Adam, but the New Adam,Jesus Christ, inaugurates eternal life andincorruption. And if we are to become like theNew Adam, then that means we are becomingfully human. We are not only being divinized byour contact with the divine, but we are alsobecoming truly humanized by that contact.

But globalizations dehumanization ofmankind introduces a new kind of problem forour theology. While the great revolution of

Christian theology was that God became a man,that divine Incarnation was not only possible butthe very center and height of human naturespotential, then what happens when we lose sightof what it means to be human? The miracle ofChristianity is that, through the humanity of Jesus,we access His divinity. But what happens when wecut off our access to humanity?

What this means for us as Christians whodesire to live the Gospel and to preach the Gospelto others is that we now have the task ofarticulating a vigorous theology of humanity. Wehave arrived upon an age when we will have toshow ourselves and the world just what it means tobe human. Because if we do not, then we have cutourselves off from the one conduit toward divinitythat God gave us. When we look at Jesus Christ,before us stands the perfect Man. But what good

is His perfection to us, if we do not even knowwhat a man is? The Gospels miraculous goodnews is that God became a man. But if we haveforgotten what a man is, then how is this goodnews?

In some sense, I believe we have now enteredinto a new stage of evangelism, one in which wemust not only preach the Incarnationthat

through Gods humanity in Jesus we can accessHis divinitybut now we have to start even earlierin the chain. Now we have to show what it meanssimply to be human. Because if we do not knowhow to reach humanity, then we are cut off fromdivinity, and the Incarnations awesome power isnullified for us.


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By Vincent Martini

he time of preparation before the greatfeast of the Nativity of Christ (i.e.Christmas) is, through the wisdom ofour holy fathers, intended to be a time of

purposeful asceticism, almsgiving, and learning tosay yes to God while saying no to ones owndesires.

Christmas (especially in the present day) hasbecome a time of great anxiety and materialismfor many, despite the fact that most every songone hears, most every retail ad that one reads, andmost every film with Christmas as a theme thatone watches will try to convince them thatChristmas is a time for warmth, joy, spending timewith ones family and even taking a break fromthe regular hustle and bustle of everyday life. Ifonly this were to be the case.

On the contrary, Christmasa period of timethat seems to grow longer and more arduous bythe yearis preceded by ominous social mediastatus updates that lament, I cant believe it is

already November; Christmas is just around thecorner, or My children wont stop bothering meabout [insert the latest and greatest video game orelectronic gadget here]; I cant wait untilChristmas is over with, and so forth. Many willalso simply write or say things like: Wow. I am notready for Christmas. Where has the time gone?

This palpable grief and anxiety should not beso, beloved ones. No, we have certainly missed thepurpose of this feast of Nativityand the time ofpreparation and fasting that precedes itif all we

can do is approach it with great stress and sorrow.As I mentioned from the very beginning, the

time before NativityAdvent (or Coming) inthe west, and the fast of Saint Philip the Apostle(due to its beginnings on the eve of this Saintsfeast) or simply the Nativity fast in the OrthodoxChurchis intended to be utilized for onesspiritual benefit (and indeed, for the life of theworld), not for remorse and regret.

The fast of Saint Philip/Nativity fast (at least inits present form) dates to the year 1166 and aSynod of Constantinople, where our holy fathersinaugurated a 40 day period of fasting andpreparation before the annual celebration ofChrists Incarnation. This period of 40 days isanalogous to the 40 days that the prophet Mosesfasted before receiving the statutes of God. Of thisconnection, a great Saint writes:

The Nativity Forty-day Fast represents the fastundertaken by Moses, whohaving fasted forforty days and forty nightsreceived theCommandments of God, written on stone tablets.And we, fasting for forty days, will reflect uponand receive from the Virgin the living Wordnotwritten upon stone, but born, incarnateand wewill commune of His Divine Body.Saint Symeon of Thessaloniki (AD 1381-1429)

If nothing else, then, the time of prayer andfasting before Nativity reminds us that we, as

Orthodox Christians, are given the immense andunthinkable blessing, privilege, and honor ofreceiving the very Body and Blood of our Lord,God and Savior Jesus Christ. But as we say yes toChrist in the holy mysteries, we must also learn tosay no to ourselves and to make it a point toboth follow Christ and to serve those in need.

It is no coincidence that Christ, in the Gospelreading on the eve of this fast (according to theold or Church Calendar), exhorts the Churchwith whoever does not bear his cross as well asforsake all that he has cannot be my disciple

(According to Luke, 14:27,33). While the faithfulprepare to receive Christ through his Incarnationon the feast of Nativity (and through the mysteriesof the Orthodox faith), one must also beprepared to relinquish whatever it is one possessesor holds onto that might keep them from theuncreated light and glory of his everlastingkingdom.

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But as the faithful are called to a period ofSpiritual quietude and asceticism during this fast,one does not engage in asceticism and bear theirown cross as an end unto itself. Rather, we learnto say no to ourselves so that we can say yes toGod. And in saying yes to the poor and theneedy, we are saying yes to Christ, so that we

might share in the vision of Cornelius, and hear:Thy prayers andthine alms are comeup for a memorialbefore God (Acts ofthe Apostles, 10:4).

An effectiveremedy for theanxieties and desiresof this time of year isfound in a concern

for our fellow man.Rather than being socaught up in thematerialism and metoo nature ofpopular celebration,Orthodox Christians should play a pivotal role inshowing a wholly better and more noble way.

Incidentally, the subsequent Gospel lessons ofthis fast remind the faithful not only why they areparticipating in it, but also how one can make themost of it: We should not lay up treasure for

ourselves, while neglecting God (Luke 12:16-21),but should rather be rich towards God (and byconsequence, those who are in need). We shouldnever make excuses when it comes to serving orhelping those in distress (Luke 13:10-17). And, ofcourse, we should be willing to sell all that [we]have and distribute to the poor (Luke 18:22).

It is in these virtues and in a genuine concernand care for others that we can be released fromthe false cares of this world, especially as they aretypically found during the Nativity or Christmas

season. If we give to the poor, we are giving toGod. If we say no to our own desires, we can

fulfill the needs of those who are looking forsomeoneanyonethat is willing to say yes ontheir behalf.

As families, we can help our children give ordonate to a family, friend, or even a completestranger that is in need, rather than providingthem with more unnecessary stuff. As

individuals, we canhonor the fast, spendmore time in prayer,and make a consciouseffort to love ourneighbors asourselves and todedicate this seasonto be a time forascetic, Spiritualgrowth. We can

practice the religionof Saint James that ispure and undefiledbefore God: to visitorphans and widowsin their afflictions

and to keep oneself unstained by the world(Epistle of St James, 1:27).

So then, beloved brothers and sisters, ratherthan approaching this Nativity season withfeelings of anxiety and distress, dedicate yourselfto the true spirit of the season and the greater

purpose that lies within: the salvation and healingof the world.

What are some other ways that we as OrthodoxChristians can make the most of the Nativity fast,and avoid the burdens and desires that areregularly associated with the Christmas season?

Vincent Martini has a BA in Philosophy from Indiana

University and is an Orthodox convert / layman in theAntiochian Archdiocese of North America. He resides in

northwest Arkansas. For more articles written byVincent, visit his blog, On Behalf of All.

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by Bishop Basil (Rodzianko)

Christ is Born!

The main message of Christmas is inone single word. In one single name. Thename of Jesus. Just as the main message ofEaster is in the other name of our Savior:Christ. Messiah.

And the main message itself is in thewords of the angel to Joseph, that He willbe called Jesus! Savior! Because He willsave His people from their sins. Not tosave the people from others. Not to save

the people from anything from outside.Not just only to forgive sins. Not just onlyto save us from the consequences and

from the punishment of sins. But to save usfrom sin itself!

That is why God is born today in thisworld. Because this world is in a tragicsituation because of our sin, and modernscience confirms this, both in our ownnature, and in the nature around us, andin the entire universe.

A tiny, invisible creature enters into thecells of people, and it is doomed to death.And it is linked with sin. Clearly.

Or the nuclear energy of the atom isreleased by our sins and devastateseverything.

And we learn now from modern sciencethat all stars, and the sun, and everythingin the universe is under that threat, andconstantly there are such explosions in theworld.

That is the meaning of salvationthrough the star of Bethlehem, showing us

the other world the world createdwithout sin. And the star of Bethlehem isnot only a symbol, but something which

still from the lost Paradise.Amen.

His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop Basil

(Rodzianko) of San Francisco was a

prominent Orthodox personality through hisreligious radio programs that were

broadcasted to the Soviet Union over a period

of forty years in the late twentieth century. He

also lectured widely about Russian

spirituality and Orthodox Christianity. A

wonderful account of him can be found in

Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)s book,

Everyday Saints. For a brief biography as well

as photos and sermons given by Bishop Basil,visit the website dedicated to him at

http://www.rodzianko.org/.

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Appalachian Old Christmas

he people of Appalachia, with whomwe at the monastery share a home inWest Virginia, are a people who havebeen Protestant for many generations

past. Though they arent Orthodox, andthough many of their ancestors in Americamay never have been exposed to theOrthodox Church, they are people who, intheir own way, hold a deep faith in God andhave preserved many traditions that hearkenback to ages past.

The Scotch-Irish pioneers who settled in

the deep hollows and rugged hills of theAppalachian Mountains carried on withmany traditions that they preserved fromthe Old World. While some of thosetraditions and beliefs might seem rather likesuperstitions tomost modernpeople, they wereheld by a devoutmajority whosevery survival andwell-being couldbe attributed totheir observanceof each and everydetail of theirsurroundings whether it be theheight of a hornet nest, the date of a killingfrost, the place in the woods where somerare herb grew, or an arcane bit of Scriptureprinted upon the yellowed pages of an oldfamily Bible.

As a Russian Orthodox monastery whichobserves the Julian, or old, calendar, wewere surprised to learn about Appalachian"Old Christmas", which is a most solemnand reverent time for families living in themountains. The initial change-over from theJulian calendar to the Gregorian calendarby the British Empire and the American

colonies in 1752 caused a difference ofeleven days. Thus, the date of newChristmas on December 25thwas eleven daysahead of old Christmas, which fell (at thattime) on January 5th. Some Protestantsrefused to honor the new calendar becauseit was decreed by the Pope, so theircelebration of Christmas remained on theJulian calendar which now falls on January7. In the Appalachian Mountains, thecelebration of Old Christmas remained untilabout World War I. Though they might alsoobserve new Christmas on December 25th,the festivities were very different. December25th was marked with revelry and parties and

visiting, but January 6th was primarily areverent family observance.

The people ofAppalachia

regarded OldChristmas Eve asa night when theHoly Spirit would

manifest Himselfupon the earth inmany subtle ways.On that night,mountain folkbelieved, no

matter how hard the ground was frozen,elder bushes would sprout up out of theground. More miraculously, however, it wasbelieved that if a person would stay awakeuntil almost midnight on Old Christmas

Eve, then sneak quietly out to a barn or afield where any cattle or sheep were kept,they could hear the animals pray.Supposedly, at the exact stroke of midnighton Old Christmas Eve, the animals wouldstart moo-ing and baa-ing in a peaceful wayas they reverentially knelt on the ground.This belief undoubtedly harkened back tothe stable in Bethlehem, and to the animals

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that were present when the Christ Child wasrevealed to the Magi.

Today, hardly anyone knows of OldChristmas. But, the elder bushes and theanimals of the barn and field have surely not

forgotten... should anyone like to find outfor themselves, on Old Christmas Eve.

Source: The Tellico Plains Mountain Press -http://www.telliquah.com/OldXmas.htm, and Garys WorldAppalachia http://garysworldblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/appalachian-christmas.html.Photo by http://www.forestwander.com/.

Since the Feast of the Nativity of 2003, ithas been the tradition of our monastery tosing Christmas carols. On the day of Nativity,after Divine Liturgy and breakfast at themonastery, the monastic community visitsthe Orthodox Church of Christ the Savior inthe town of Wayne to greet our brothers andsisters in Christ with the joy of the Feast.

We sing many of the traditional and more

familiar Christmas carols, such as WhatChild is This, God Rest You MerryGentlemen, Good Christian Men Rejoice,and many other classic carols that weremember from childhood. However, thesecarols are a warm-up for a special treat:shape-note carols.

Having done some research into earlyAmerican Christmas music, we discoveredthis nearly forgotten form of singing. Shape-note is a type of traditional, rural religious

singing, and it is called shape-note becausethe notes appear in different shapes to helpthe singers to identify the pitch.

Full of bold and rustic harmonies of a sortgenerally eschewed by classical musicians,shape-note singing was popular in latecolonial America. Such music was stamped

out in northern states after the AmericanRevolution by a wave of educated musicians immigrants who considered the music theyfound in the New World too rough andunsophisticated for their delicate ears. In therural South and in the Appalachians,however, these indigenous harmoniesthrived and grew, so that shape-note singingis still practiced even today by some groupsof enthusiasts in the southern states.

These Christmas songs are Orthodox incontent, and the musical aesthetic issometimes surprisingly similar to that ofSlavic folk-songs and carols. They soundvastly different from the Christmas musicone is likely to hear in the shopping malls oron the radio, and their words are as strikingas if they were lifted straight from theGospels, Isaiah and the Prophets. Shape-notesinging is a dear tradition to the monks andlocal parishioners every Nativity, and we arehappy to carry on this nearly lost tradition inour own small way.

To learn more about shape-note singing, we highlysuggest the wonderful documentary film, Awake,My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp.

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The basic shapes of shape-note singing. These notes were developed so that ordinary people who had no

musical training or background could easily know which note to sing.

A page from Southern Harmony, a shape-note hymn and tune book compiled by William "Singin'Billy"Walker. The book was released in 1835 under the full title ofThe Southern Harmony, and

Musical Companion.

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In this section, we hope to regularly includeglimpses into the working life of prayer at ourmonastery in the form of small stories and articlessuch as this one. This article first appeared in our25th Anniversary Commemorative Book whichwas printed and released in the Summer of 2011.

For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God

will enlighten my darkness.- Psalm 18:28

n the order of the Blessing of Bees inthe Book of Needs, the priest asks theLord to bless and sanctify these bees by

Thine own deep compassion, that they mayabundantly bear fruit for the beauty andadornment of Thy temple and Thy holy altars.Pure beeswax, like wine, wheat, and oliveoil, is an important element of worship in

the Orthodox Church, and pure beeswaxcandles are used both in private andliturgical worship not simply to illuminedark spaces, but to symbolize the Eternaland Uncreated Light of Christ. In the wordsof Metropolitan Vitaly: By lighting a candle,each Christian enters into closer contactwith the church and the service,

participating in it more actively and invisiblywarming his soul by the visible light of thecandle.

As with other monastic obediences,candle-making is a prayerful andsacramental work. Candles are used inevery act of worship throughout the entirechurch year, and it is for this reason thatcandles are often needed in large quantitiesby parishes, monasteries and individuals. Ittakes a large amount of bees to create asignificant amount of beeswax, and thebeehives at the Hermitage are simply not

large enough to create the wax needed forcandle-making. Thus, the wax that goesinto Hermitage beeswax candles is primarilysupplied from other beekeepers, as well asfrom recycled candles stubs.

All of the candles produced at theHermitage are traditionally made bydipping. Beeswax is first cleaned through aprocess of fine straining to remove anynatural impurities. Then the candles arecarefully dipped to produce many varieties

of candles for many different purposes. Ona normal day, anywhere from 700 to 4,000candles are handmade at the Hermitage the number depending on the size anddiameter of the candles being produced.

Beeswax candles have always been thetraditional candle of choice of theOrthodox Church, partly for their purity

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and beauty, but also because of theircleanliness. Paraffin candles, a popular(and cheaper) alternative, are made frompetroleum and other chemicals, and theycreate smoke and fumes that are not only

unhealthy for people, but over time candestroy icons and frescos. The use ofbeeswax candles ensures the longer life oficons and the beauty of the church.

Candles have always had a vital role inthe life of the Church both in thecorporate cycle of divine services and in the

private prayers and piety of the Faithful.The spiritual meaning of the candle wasbeautifully expressed by Met. Vitaly when hesaid: The burning candle represents theentire life of the faithful, from birth to

death. It stands for the inner flame of lovefor and devotion to God. A Christianshould burn like a candle before God, andhis whole being should gradually beconsumed by this divine flame thus markingthe end of his earthly life.

I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not

walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

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h~=n~=J==Nativity 2012

God is Wondrous in His SaintsA Few Words Concerning those Christ-bearers Who Have Gone before Us

(November 24/December 7)

But before all these, they shall lay their hands onyou, and persecute you, delivering you up to the

synagogues, and into prisons, being brought beforekings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall

turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in

your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall

answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom,

which all your adversaries shall not be able to

gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by

parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends;

and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name'ssake. But there shall not an hair of your head

perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.

(Luke 21:12-19)

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the

Holy Spirit.

e behold today three events. We arestill basking in the radiance of the

feast of the Entry of the Most HolyTheotokos into the Temple. For mankind, thisis one of the brightest, most wondrous feasts:One of us, the Virgin Mary, entered into thevery depths of God's mystery. Her Entry intothe temple, her life in the Holy of Holies arean image of how from an early age sheentered into Divine realms, into the verydepths, the very treasure-house of relation-

ships, communion of the human soul with theLiving God in prayer: not into the saying ofprayers, not into many words, but into thedeepness if the sacred shrine which made herthe Mother of God. On the day of the Entryinto the Temple of the Most Pure Theotokosthe greatness of man is revealed before us, forman is able to enter into these mysterious,wondrous depths and commune with God inHis holy place.

We celebrate today also the day of St.Catherine of Alexandria. She was also young

girl, eighteen years old, when she had to standbefore human judges. Betrayed by her paganparents for believing in Christ, she wasabandoned by all her blood relatives, theclosest people she had, and she was left tostand alone before the judge from whom shecould expect no mercy, surrounded by acrowd from whom she could expect nothingbut enmity.

And to her also occurred what we readtoday in the Gospel passage appointed for her

commemoration day; about what will happenwhen the end of time approaches: There willbe wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes,people will rise up against people, nationsagainst nations; hatred will possess thousandsof people

This hatred first of all crashes down uponthose who believe in Christ, because we who

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believe in Christlike the Mother of God, likethe young, fragile and unconquerableCatherinebelieve in the one Lord, the oneKing, and worship God alone, refusing toworship those idols, bethey the authorities or

others set up around us.We must be ready to belike Catherine and bebrought to humanjudgment to witness, asChrist says; in order tostand before people,and while condemnedto imprisonment, totorture, and death, wewould triumphantlypreach our love for Godand our faithfulness toHim, and demonstrateour unfailing love notonly for those who loveus, but also for thosewho hate us, who wishus evil, and who do us evil. Then, we will notneed to search for words of wisdom; then, wewill not need to find convincing argumentsfaithfulness, love, truth, and holiness canshine forth in that moment before people

through each one of us far more convincinglythan any words.

Therefore, when we see that theprophecies of Christ are now being fulfilled,and love truly is going cold, that there reallyare rumors noised about wars, kingdom isrising against kingdom, nation against nation,betrayal is increasing, and people of faith,people with pure hearts, even the closest

relatives of persecutors and man-haters aregiving themselves into their hands, we shouldremember Christ's words: When you hear allthis, look up, and lift your heads (Lk. 21:28),

because it means that thetime is nearing of the

final freedom, the finalvictory of God, thetriumph of love, thetriumph of Christ

Therefore let us learnfrom the Most HolyVirgin and the fragile

unconquerableCatherine, and from theinnumerable witnesses ofChrist, to live without

fear in a terrifying world,to fearlessly await all thatcan happen, and beafraid of only one thing:that faith fade in ourhearts, that love die inour hearts, that we would

cease to be faithful to the end. In patience, infirm faith we will save our souls fromdestruction and decay, and then thousandswill be saved around us; in the words of St.Seraphim of Sarov: "Acquire the spirit of

peace, and thousands will be sav

and

ed aroundyou." Amen.

- Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

ranslation by OrthoChristian.com

From:

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h~=n~=J==Nativity 2012

=

by Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)

t seems by now that anybody who may bereading this will most likely have read

Archimandrite Tikhons wonderful book,

Everyday Saints. This book, first published andreleased in English in early November, has

become an instant successand is widely popular withpeople of all ages and

backgrounds. The book isvery popular in ourmonastery as well and wasan instant favorite amongthe brotherhood. Sinceits reading in trapeza, ithas spawned numerousdiscussions on prayer, the

spiritual life, and on the many wonderfulpeople and places woven through thenarrative of the book.

It is no wonder why this book is so popular.Archimandrite Tikhon, a former film studentwith experience in script writing, has a style ofwriting that is equally entertaining andengaging. His stories and images come aliveand pull you into his world of Holy and

sometimes un-Holy Russia.This, indeed, is the literal translation of the

title of his book from the original Russian

e Unholy Saints. Thoughthe phrase unholy saints may sound strange

in English, it is this sense of the rougharound the edges spiritual life as it is livedand practiced that is immediately andpersonally understood by many of us.

This is a book about common people who,with Gods help and by Gods grace, go on to

do un-common and quite extraordinarythings. Whether it is the saintly fatherliness ofFr. John Krestiankin, the shrewd but deepwisdom of Fr. Nathaniel, the touching loveand forgiveness of Mother Frosya, the patient

compassion of Bishop Basil Rodzianko, thebig-hearted spiritual bravery of Abbot Alipius,or the humble repentance of Bishop Gabriel,we find in each and every one of these stories

(these true stories) something to motivate,admire and emulate.

It has been said that saints are made, not

born. We see in Everyday Saints this process.We see how, even with all of our flaws andimperfections, God has a plan for each of usand, if we are only willing to let God act in our

lives, we can become instruments for Godswork on earth. Archimandrite Tikhon speaksof this in his book when he writes:

My friends were all ordinary people. There aremany like them in our Church. And of coursethey are very far indeed from canonizationYet, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, when thegreat mystery of the Eucharist is finished andthe Holy Gifts are placed upon the altar table,the priest proclaims: Holy things are for theholy! What this means is that the Body and theBlood of Christ are now being taken in by holy

people. But who are these people? They are thepeople who are now in our Church, priests andlaypersons alike, coming here to us with faithand waiting for Communion. They do thisbecause they are faithful Christians who areyearning to draw closer to God. It turns out thatin spite of our frailties and sins, we, the peoplewho compose the Church on earth are, to God,also saints. (pp. 488-9)

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In reading the lives, stories and struggles inEveryday Saints, we not only learn aboutpeople and events that happened in a passive

way, but we find that we begin to love thesepeople as if we knew them ourselves. These

stories become our stories. We get a sense, aswell, of the Church as a family. In a place likeRussia, with its long history of Orthodoxy andits intricate connection with the land and thepeople, as well as the years of openpersecution and hardship under theCommunist yoke perhaps this sense offamily is stronger. The love within family isunconditional. Like the father in the story of

the Prodigal Son, this love Beareth all things,

believeth all things, hopeth all things, endurethall things (1 Cor. 13:7). This sense of family

comes across through the pages of EverydaySaints, and it reminds us that, yes, the Churchis more than jurisdictions, committees,meetings, brain-storming sessions, lecturesand legal definitions. The Church is a family,with a common Father.

On this note, we plan to include a regularsection in this journal entitled Our OrthodoxFamily, which will provided glimpses into thelives and stories of Orthodox Christians bothsaints and un-holy saints, who have pavedthe way for Orthodoxy in North America and

the New World our own Orthodox family.In reading the lives of St. Tikhon of Moscow,St. Raphael of Brooklyn, St. Alexis Toth, St.John of San Francisco, and many other saintsthat have graced our land, we catch glimpsesof this sense of family in our OrthodoxChurch. This understanding of family, it oftenseems, is missing from our personal faith. Wemust learn the history of our common

Orthodox ancestors in America not merely forthe sake of knowing history, but also to knowwho we are, and where we came from. Having acommon ancestry and a common history, andknowing more about our Fathers in the Faith,St. Tikhon, St. Raphael, etc. we will have abetter sense of family.

We could not do better than to end thisfirst journal with the words of St. Nikolai

Velimirvich another saint who was nostranger to America. In response to aconcerned layperson about the state of theworld, he nicely sums up the idea of family

and this first issue ofKairos in general whenhe writes:

You write how things are difficult for the world,and yet the world knows not why. If the worlddoes not know, the Church of God does.Things are difficult in the world because peopleare not brethren. Kinship between individualsand nations as been forgotten and people acttowards their neighbors as towards strangers ina foreign land Christ said, All ye are brethren(Matt. 23:8). You are brethren because youhave one Father who is in Heaven, and you willremain brethren as long as you confess yourone Father So, things are difficult for peoplebecause of the lack of brotherhood, nothingelse. A man is estranged from his neighbor andcannot call him a brother. A man has isolatedhimself. A man feels like an orphan without anykin no kinship in heaven means no kinshipon earth. Estranged brothers are trying todivide their earthly treasure, but are notsucceeding. A field is never justly divided forcontending brothers. Progress would meanrenewing brotherhood among men. And thiscan be achieved only through confession of onecommon Father. The Heavenly Father expectsthis from His children. Today, He could say the

same thing as He did long ago, I have nourishedand brought up children, And they have rebelled

against Me (Isa. 1:2). Blessed are those whohave not fallen away. They will never feel aslonely, abandoned orphans without a Fatherand many brethren. Blessed are they, for theywill know an even closer kinship of Godspeople closer than brotherhood. They willknow unity in Christ which has been promisedto Christs disciples. That higher kinship is aunity like that of God in the Holy Trinity indivisible and unmingled. That they may be one

as we are (John 17:11). This was Christs last

wish. This is what the Son of God said to theFather through the Holy Spirit. And this is theultimate unity of men, the ultimate perfection.This is the final goal, and it is only in strivingfor this final goal that people can say withoutlies or doubt the lofty words forward andprogress.Peace and blessing of God to you. 6

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the incarnation(A Poem)

With the eyes of our mind we seek Thee in faith, O Redeemer;With every breath of our soul we await Thee in hope, O King and Savior;

With the longing of our heart we grasp for Thee in love, O Most High Creator.

As the prophet of old, we do now make bold,To set all our hope in Thee, yea, in Thee alone;

A mighty thirst does all mankind, in common, have,To unite with Thee, O Almighty and Infinite Godhead.

Ancient Memory; Unquenchable Desire;Creator of all, of searching after Thee, we shall never tire;

And even as Thou didst descend and become a babe of old,So do Thou now come to meet us, O Immanuel.

Espying the perfect Virgin whom Thou didst choose according to Thy will;Taking flesh of her, Thou made her to be the door to heaven for all;

Therefore, disdain us not, but prepare our souls, through her, to receive Thee;Sanctifying us with Thy chastity, beauty, and sacred, most comely purity.

As angels, as thrones; as the Virgin, the throne,O Father, by Thy Spirit, each one of us also, make a God-bearing one.Make all things new, eternally alive, enlightened, joyous and true;

Christ is born of the Most Holy, and we too partake, though very lowly.

Let us never cease our upward gaze,That we may be filled with the Spirit even today;

For behold: now is the day of salvation.

Let us never cease fixing our hearts upon the One, in simplicity and purity,That we may not be put to shame when He cometh to judge all impartially;

For behold: the kingdom of heaven is within each and every one.

Christ cometh from the heavens, into the bread of mankind, as leaven,That His Very Self would find, in us, a heaven of rest greater than heaven.


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Kairos Quarterly Volume 1

Documents

Transcript of Kairos Quarterly Volume 1