by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Christ's greatest gift to the Church is the gift of the Holy Spirit; this gift is, moreover, original, unique, and exclusive. Now if someone finds this assertion unsurprising, I suspect he may not have given it the critical reflection it calls for. There should be at least a few faithful Bible-readers, I think, who are disposed to wonder if it is true. Consider, for instance: Does not our hymnography proclaim that the Holy Spirit is "everywhere present and filling all things"? Since the Spirit hovered over the face of the deep in the first instance of Creation, doesn't He already fill the length and breadth of the Universe? And, moreover, doesn't the … [Read more...]
The Days Before Us: Holy Week
Each Day in Holy Week is devoted to a particular theme. Review these each day with members of your family, especially your children, during the coming week. The Beginning of the Cross Lazarus Saturday "Having fulfilled Forty Days... we ask to see the Holy Week of Thy Passion." With these words sung at Vespers, Lent comes to its end and we enter into the annual commemoration of Christ's suffering, death and Resurrection. It begins on Lazarus Saturday. The double feast of Lazarus' resurrection and the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is described in liturgical texts as the "beginning of the Cross" and is to be understood therefore, within the context of the Holy Week. … [Read more...]
During Times of Plague, Priests Do What Priests Need To Do
by Terry Mattingly The second wave of influenza in the fall of 1918 was the worst yet. By the time Father Nicola Yanney reached Wichita, Kansas, a citywide quarantine was in effect. A 16-year-old girl had already died, creating a sense of panic. The missionary priest -- his territory reached from Missouri to Colorado and from Oklahoma to North Dakota -- couldn’t even hold her funeral in the city’s new Orthodox sanctuary. As he traveled back to his home church in Kearney, Nebraska, he kept anointing the sick, hearing confessions and taking Holy Communion to those stricken by the infamous “Spanish flu.” After days of door-to-door ministry in the snow, Yanney collapsed and called his … [Read more...]
ASONA Parish Pandemic Preparedness
The CDC has called for businesses, hospitals, schools, and individuals to begin preparing to respond to a possible Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and pandemic. This means churches also. Should a pandemic event occur, it would require an immediate, measured, and coordinated parish response. Our parish is small, so it will be less of a burden than it would be on larger communities. It's not a time for panic, but for careful, measured preparation. While the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is believed to be low at this time, everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health threat. The CDC is recommending that everyone make preparations NOW. … [Read more...]
About Closed Communion
by Abbot Tryphon Closed communion protects those who do not hold to the Church's teachings regarding the Holy Mysteries When a stranger approaches the Holy Gifts during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy it is the norm in the Orthodox Church for the priest to ask the person to "kiss the chalice". Not knowing if the person is Orthodox, or whether they are in good standing with the Church, the priest can not give them communion. This "closed communion" is not meant as a way of separating ourselves from visitors as though we were better than them, but as our way of guarding the Holy Mysteries from being received by someone who is not part of the Church and who may hold to views concerning … [Read more...]
