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20070331
My reflection on Great Lent this year...
As I prepare to enter Holy Week this year I am reflecting on my journey through Great Lent that is now at an end. The older I get the more I realize my own shorting comings and how I have not kept the fast. This is the most sacred time of year in the Orthodox Church, yet it is also the time of year (or at least it seems to be) when the evil one seeks to work the hardest to pull the faithful off of the ladder of divine ascent. If you have kept abreast of the news in the Orthodox world, specifically in this country, as I have over the past weeks, I would imagine that your heart is aching and sorrowful. Two of the three major Orthodox jurisdictions in this country are facing horrible unspeakable scandals. One of the latter is facing multiple scandals that have been on going for some time. I will not relate these stories here they have been publicized enough, and can be found on the Internet, and in local Church and public newspapers. What these stories have revealed to me is how sinful we all are and how miserably we have treasured, and kept what Christ has given us, that is His Church.
Issues of sexual immorality by clergy, misappropriation of Church funds, lay people disrespecting the authority of the Church, and Her clergy: bishops, priests, and deacons feuding with each other to a point which has gone well past the realm of unbelievable, in fact, these actions are well into what some would call the twilight zone. What these actions are is nothing short of evil and opening the door to the devil himself, inviting him into our hearts. This is nothing new in the Church and has been going on since the time of Christ Himself. I am not sure where the expression “it is always darkest before the dawn” (I see the dawn here as the Resurrection of Christ –which is truly our only hope!) came from but that is the situation I see in the Orthodox Church today here in the United States. I was reminded of this when I was reflecting on the Gospels. Men and women, clergy and laity alike, have fallen asleep like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The disciples did not see Judas coming to betray the Lord; they did not see the evil which was right before them because they were “sleeping for sorrow”. Was this sleep, the sleep of despair, sin, confusion, or a combination of all of these things –or even something worse? In Matthew’s Gospel he records the words of the Lord to include: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is week.” (Matthew 26: 41) How much like the disobedient disciples have we become today?
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we have fallen asleep and cannot see the evil which is before us. By our actions we betray ourselves, we betray the Church, and therefore we betray Christ! Lord have mercy upon our souls! The truth of the matters with which we deal are not the physical and material world, but rather the spiritual world. When our clergy betray their offices and commit heinous offenses against man and God, and our people betray their obedience to the Church we all allow ourselves to fall into the sleep of sin as the Apostles did.
I do not pretend to have all the answers to the events which I have read about over the past few days. I do not pretend to be able to comfort those who have been hurt by these scandals; and I cannot offer absolution to those who have committed these sins. I do know that we must stop this sinful behavior and wake up! Tomorrow, Lazarus Saturday is customarily considered the bridge into Holy Week from Great Lent. The Church is providing us one last attempt to prepare, to stop sinning, as best we can for the feast of feasts. So that we can as St. John Chrysostom says, “…rejoice and enter into the joy of the Lord.” (Pascal sermon of St. John Chrysostom) Let us not tarry until the eleventh hour, let us stand up and be counted as devout and faithful servants of Christ the Lord. If we continue to sleep in this sin, which is of our own making, then we like Judas betray the Lord who has given us so much –in fact, He has given us everlasting life and salvation in the Kingdom of God.
If we arrest this sinful behavior then we can at least begin to do what needs be done. That being, let us first give comfort and support to those who have been wronged and hurt in the Church, let us provide for them a Church which is a place for communion with God and not the devil. Let us also examine ourselves and confess our own sins and not be judgmental of our brothers and sisters. For who is without sin? Who can cast the first stone? Let us be like the publican and beat our breast asking for God’s mercy. Let us finally then, remember and pray for those who have sinned and wronged us individually, as well as, others in the Church; remembering that it is the sinner whom Christ is seeking to call to repentance. We must pray for our enemies and those who have and would harm us, we must realize that their very souls are at stake and they, perhaps more than others, need our prayers more than ever. For years I have said that one should seek mercy and not justice; in these last days before Holy Week this year I now hope more than ever that God is merciful to us all!
Καλί Ανάσταση! Και Καλό Πάσχα!
+Panagiotis Hanley
Issues of sexual immorality by clergy, misappropriation of Church funds, lay people disrespecting the authority of the Church, and Her clergy: bishops, priests, and deacons feuding with each other to a point which has gone well past the realm of unbelievable, in fact, these actions are well into what some would call the twilight zone. What these actions are is nothing short of evil and opening the door to the devil himself, inviting him into our hearts. This is nothing new in the Church and has been going on since the time of Christ Himself. I am not sure where the expression “it is always darkest before the dawn” (I see the dawn here as the Resurrection of Christ –which is truly our only hope!) came from but that is the situation I see in the Orthodox Church today here in the United States. I was reminded of this when I was reflecting on the Gospels. Men and women, clergy and laity alike, have fallen asleep like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.
“And He came out, and went, as He was wont, to the Mount of Olives; and His disciples followed Him. And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeling down, and prayed…And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow, and He said unto them, Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” (Luke 22: 39-45 KJV) (See also Matthew 26: 38-45)
The disciples did not see Judas coming to betray the Lord; they did not see the evil which was right before them because they were “sleeping for sorrow”. Was this sleep, the sleep of despair, sin, confusion, or a combination of all of these things –or even something worse? In Matthew’s Gospel he records the words of the Lord to include: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is week.” (Matthew 26: 41) How much like the disobedient disciples have we become today?
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we have fallen asleep and cannot see the evil which is before us. By our actions we betray ourselves, we betray the Church, and therefore we betray Christ! Lord have mercy upon our souls! The truth of the matters with which we deal are not the physical and material world, but rather the spiritual world. When our clergy betray their offices and commit heinous offenses against man and God, and our people betray their obedience to the Church we all allow ourselves to fall into the sleep of sin as the Apostles did.
I do not pretend to have all the answers to the events which I have read about over the past few days. I do not pretend to be able to comfort those who have been hurt by these scandals; and I cannot offer absolution to those who have committed these sins. I do know that we must stop this sinful behavior and wake up! Tomorrow, Lazarus Saturday is customarily considered the bridge into Holy Week from Great Lent. The Church is providing us one last attempt to prepare, to stop sinning, as best we can for the feast of feasts. So that we can as St. John Chrysostom says, “…rejoice and enter into the joy of the Lord.” (Pascal sermon of St. John Chrysostom) Let us not tarry until the eleventh hour, let us stand up and be counted as devout and faithful servants of Christ the Lord. If we continue to sleep in this sin, which is of our own making, then we like Judas betray the Lord who has given us so much –in fact, He has given us everlasting life and salvation in the Kingdom of God.
If we arrest this sinful behavior then we can at least begin to do what needs be done. That being, let us first give comfort and support to those who have been wronged and hurt in the Church, let us provide for them a Church which is a place for communion with God and not the devil. Let us also examine ourselves and confess our own sins and not be judgmental of our brothers and sisters. For who is without sin? Who can cast the first stone? Let us be like the publican and beat our breast asking for God’s mercy. Let us finally then, remember and pray for those who have sinned and wronged us individually, as well as, others in the Church; remembering that it is the sinner whom Christ is seeking to call to repentance. We must pray for our enemies and those who have and would harm us, we must realize that their very souls are at stake and they, perhaps more than others, need our prayers more than ever. For years I have said that one should seek mercy and not justice; in these last days before Holy Week this year I now hope more than ever that God is merciful to us all!
Καλί Ανάσταση! Και Καλό Πάσχα!
+Panagiotis Hanley
20070310
Greeks revolt in Cyprus...
This article is from FOXNews.com Click here to view the entire story.
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Greek Cypriots demolished a wall Friday along the boundary that for decades has split Europe's last divided capital, a dramatic gesture that officials hope will kick-start reconciliation on the Mediterranean island.
The wall cuts across Ledra Street, which runs through the heart of the city's tourist area and is seen as the strongest symbol of the island's 32-year partition into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north.
Although five crossings have operated on the island since 2003, there are none in the city center.
A bulldozer began dismantling the wall late Thursday night in an unannounced move that Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said had been planned more than two weeks ago.
"This is a first positive step as a sign of goodwill on behalf of our side," government spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis said.
Rasit Pertev, undersecretary of the Turkish Cypriot president's office, described the event as "historic," and said it had come as a surprise to Turkish Cypriot officials, according to Turkey's Anatolia news agency.
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Greek Cypriots demolished a wall Friday along the boundary that for decades has split Europe's last divided capital, a dramatic gesture that officials hope will kick-start reconciliation on the Mediterranean island.
The wall cuts across Ledra Street, which runs through the heart of the city's tourist area and is seen as the strongest symbol of the island's 32-year partition into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north.
Although five crossings have operated on the island since 2003, there are none in the city center.
A bulldozer began dismantling the wall late Thursday night in an unannounced move that Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said had been planned more than two weeks ago.
"This is a first positive step as a sign of goodwill on behalf of our side," government spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis said.
Rasit Pertev, undersecretary of the Turkish Cypriot president's office, described the event as "historic," and said it had come as a surprise to Turkish Cypriot officials, according to Turkey's Anatolia news agency.
ACLU + Islam x lawsuit = stupidy!
I am tired of reading stories like this one. As far as the kid who didn't want to walk into a Baptist Church, which is basically an auditorium, to bad! Part of my first amendment right is to not have to put up with Islamic garbage like this. Finally one thing I can say for certain is that when this Great country falls, or is taken down by an enemy, it will be the ACLU which handed off the dagger to place in our backs; and with a smile too boot. A friend of mine once told me that you never know who holds the knife. I would add to that, unless of course you are dealing with the ACLU.
Taken from CNN.com An Associated Press story.
TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) -- The state American Civil Liberties Union chapter is suing the Newark public school district on behalf of a Muslim teen over a school's decision to hold its graduation ceremonies in a Baptist church.
The New Jersey ACLU said Wednesday it was suing the district because its decision to hold graduation in the church prevented West Side High School senior Bilal Shareef from attending. Shareef's religious beliefs forbid him from entering a building with religious images, the civil liberties group said.
The ceremony violated several provisions in the state constitution prohibiting public institutions from showing a religious preference, the ACLU asserts.
The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages and a ban on further public school ceremonies in places of worship.
District lawyer Perry Lattiboudere said Thursday that the district believes state law allows the use of religious facilities out of necessity. He added that the district makes efforts to cover up religious symbols in churches when it uses them for graduations.
The lawsuit in state Superior Court joins a long line of legal cases in the U.S. in recent decades that challenged practices in which public schools have become intertwined with religion.
The ACLU said the district promised after the 2005 ceremony to avoid holding a graduation at a religious location again.
But in 2006, graduation was again held at New Hope. And the principal at the time told seniors they would get two additional graduation tickets for family and friends if they attended a separate Roman Catholic baccalaureate Mass, according to the ACLU.
Lattiboudere said there were no secular spaces available to handle the school's roughly 250 graduating seniors and guests.
"There was clearly a need to use the facility in '05 and 2006. And we've made an effort to use nonreligious facilities," Lattiboudere said.
With about 43,000 students, the urban district is the state's largest. It's also among 31 districts in the state's neediest areas that get special financial aid.
Taken from CNN.com An Associated Press story.
TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) -- The state American Civil Liberties Union chapter is suing the Newark public school district on behalf of a Muslim teen over a school's decision to hold its graduation ceremonies in a Baptist church.
The New Jersey ACLU said Wednesday it was suing the district because its decision to hold graduation in the church prevented West Side High School senior Bilal Shareef from attending. Shareef's religious beliefs forbid him from entering a building with religious images, the civil liberties group said.
The ceremony violated several provisions in the state constitution prohibiting public institutions from showing a religious preference, the ACLU asserts.
The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages and a ban on further public school ceremonies in places of worship.
District lawyer Perry Lattiboudere said Thursday that the district believes state law allows the use of religious facilities out of necessity. He added that the district makes efforts to cover up religious symbols in churches when it uses them for graduations.
The lawsuit in state Superior Court joins a long line of legal cases in the U.S. in recent decades that challenged practices in which public schools have become intertwined with religion.
The ACLU said the district promised after the 2005 ceremony to avoid holding a graduation at a religious location again.
But in 2006, graduation was again held at New Hope. And the principal at the time told seniors they would get two additional graduation tickets for family and friends if they attended a separate Roman Catholic baccalaureate Mass, according to the ACLU.
Lattiboudere said there were no secular spaces available to handle the school's roughly 250 graduating seniors and guests.
"There was clearly a need to use the facility in '05 and 2006. And we've made an effort to use nonreligious facilities," Lattiboudere said.
With about 43,000 students, the urban district is the state's largest. It's also among 31 districts in the state's neediest areas that get special financial aid.
