Tuesday, February 20, 2018

ASH WEDNESDAY — February 21

“From this day, from this hour, from this minute, let us strive to love God above all, and fulfill His holy will” — St. Herman of Alaska

Wednesday, February 21st, is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. It would be very difficult to over-emphasize the importance of Lent to our spiritual lives, so please do your best to clear your schedule and to be in church at 6:30 PM for Ash Wednesday Services. 

Confessions will be heard at mid-day on Ash Wednesday from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.

Ash Wednesday Services begin at 6:30 PM, and will consist of Solemn Vespers, the Imposition of Ashes, and the Sung Litany.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Western Rite of the Orthodox Church. Ashes are placed on the foreheads of Christians on Ash Wednesday in the form of a cross. The words (based on Genesis 3:19) used to accompany this ceremony are, "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris" — “Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." 

Beginning Lent with the imposition of ashes is credited to St. Gregory I, the Great (c. 540–604). The formula, based on the words spoken to Adam and Eve after their fall, reminds the faithful of their own sinfulness and mortality, and thus of their need to repent and turn to Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Fr. William Saunders writes, “The liturgical use of ashes originates in Old Testament times. Ashes symbolized mourning, mortality and penance. For instance, in the Book of Esther, Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes when he heard of the decree of King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes, 485-464 B.C.) of Persia to kill all of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire (Est 4:1). Job (whose story was written between the 7th and 5th centuries B.C.) repented in sackcloth and ashes (Job 42:6). Prophesying the Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem, Daniel (c. 550 B.C.) wrote, "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" (Dn 9:3). In the fifth century B.C., after Jonah's preaching of conversion and repentance, the town of Ninevah proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, and the king covered himself with sackcloth and sat in the ashes (Jon 3:5-6). These Old Testament examples evidence both a recognized practice of using ashes and a common understanding of their symbolism.

Jesus Himself also made reference to ashes. Referring to towns that refused to repent of sin although they had witnessed the miracles and heard the good news, our Lord said, "If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have reformed in sackcloth and ashes long ago" (Mt 11:21).

The early Church continued the usage of ashes for the same symbolic reasons. In his book, De Poenitentia, Tertullian (c. 160-220) prescribed that the penitent must "live without joy in the roughness of sackcloth and the squalor of ashes." Eusebius (260-340), the famous early Church historian, recounted in his The History of the Church how an apostate named Natalis came to Pope Zephyrinus clothed in sackcloth and ashes begging forgiveness. Also during this time, for those who were required to do public penance, the priest sprinkled ashes on the head of the person leaving confession.

In the Middle Ages (at least by the time of the eighth century), those who were about to die were laid on the ground on top of sackcloth sprinkled with ashes. The priest would bless the dying person with holy water, saying, "Remember that thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return." After the sprinkling, the priest asked, "Art thou content with sackcloth and ashes in testimony of thy penance before the Lord in the day of judgment?" To which the dying person replied, "I am content." In all of these examples, the symbolism of mourning, mortality and penance is clear.

Eventually, the use of ashes was adapted to mark the beginning of Lent, the 40-day preparation period (not including Sundays) for Easter. The ritual for the "Day of Ashes" is found in the earliest editions of the Gregorian Sacramentary, which dates at least to the eighth century. About the year 1000, an Anglo-Saxon priest named Aelfric preached: "We read in the books, both in the Old Law and in the New, that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast." As an aside, Aelfric reinforced his point by then telling of a man who refused to go to Church on Ash Wednesday and receive ashes; the man was killed a few days later in a boar hunt. Since this time, the Church has used ashes to mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, when we remember our mortality and mourn for our sins.

In our present liturgy for Ash Wednesday, we use ashes made from the burned palm branches distributed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year. The priest blesses the ashes and imposes them on the foreheads of the faithful, making the sign of the cross …  As we begin this holy season of Lent in preparation for Easter, we must remember the significance of the ashes we have received: We mourn and do penance for our sins. We again convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died and rose for our salvation. We renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ. Finally, mindful that the kingdom of this world passes away, we strive to live the kingdom of God now and look forward to its fulfillment in Heaven.”

Those of us who have been trying to follow the Lord, but have the humility to recognize the sin in our lives and that we continue fall short of our high calling in Christ, can say on Ash Wednesday, “Today, I will begin again.” And those who have never turned to Christ, or who have fallen away from following Him can say, “Today, I will begin.” Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season is a time for beginnings and for new beginnings. Let us make the most of this important and grace-filled day and season. Please invite family and friends to join us for Ash Wednesday Services. It can be the beginning of a new life as an intentional disciple of Jesus Christ.

To help us begin a holy and spiritually profitable Lent, I am attaching links to a several helpful articles. Please remember that they are written by Eastern Rite priests and may mention certain Eastern Rite Services or practices that do not necessarily apply to us in the Western Rite of the Orthodox Church.

THE HEALING POWER OF FORGIVENESS


ON NOT TRYING HARDER


THE FIRST WEEK OF GREAT LENT: PASTORAL ADVICE


ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES — Wednesday, February 21

CONFESSIONS will be heard from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. 

Confessions can also be heard during the Psalms (but not the Canticles) at Solemn Vespers on Wednesday evening.  

SOLEMN VESPERS, IMPOSITION OF ASHES, AND THE SUNG LITANY at 6:30 PM.

Everyone is invited to attend. Visitors are always welcome. We are a faithful, friendly and vibrant parish, and we have a place for you. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you on Ash Wednesday.

Please forgive me, a sinner, for any offense I may have caused you. Pray for me as I do for you. Many God grant us all a holy and spiritually profitable Lent.

HOLY CROSS ORTHODOX CHURCH
7545 Main Street
Ralston, Nebraska 68127
(402) 573-6558

Monday, February 19, 2018

THE FUTURE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE WESTERN WORLD WILL LIKELY BE WESTERN RITE — Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch

A MUST HEAR interview with Fr. John Mangels who reports that His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch opined that the future of the Orthodox Church in the Western world will likely be Western Rite.

Fr. John Mangels has been an Orthodox priest for 28 years, and has pastored in both the Eastern and Western rites of the Orthodox Church. He had been an Old Catholic priest for 12 years before entering the Orthodox Church. Fr. John is currently the rector of St. Augustine’s Orthodox Church, a Western Rite parish in Denver Colorado.




Wednesday, February 7, 2018

FORMER ANGLICAN BISHOP SAM SEAMANS TO VISIT HOLY CROSS PARISH

Fr. Samuel Seamans, formerly a bishop with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), will be joining us at Holy Cross Orthodox Church for a Pre-Lenten Retreat with Metropolitan Jonah on Saturday and Sunday, February 10 and 11.

Metropolitan Jonah is perhaps the best known Orthodox bishop in America. A former Anglican himself, he was a featured speaker at the Inaugural Synod of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) in 2009, and addressed its Provincial Synod again in 2012. Later, Metropolitan Jonah addressed a Conference of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen (FCC), the group that organized the great St. Louis Church Congress in 1977.

The theme of the Pre-Lenten Retreat is, The Pillars of Orthodox Spirituality.

The Retreat begins at 9:15 AM on Saturday, February 10th with Matins (Morning Prayer), followed by the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM, with lunch in our parish hall after the Liturgy. 

The Conferences on the theme of The Pillars of Orthodox Spirituality will be held from 12:30 to 4:30 PM, with Vespers at 5:00 PM, followed by a reception for Metropolitan Jonah.

The Retreat continues on Sunday, February 11th, with the formal Reception of a Bishop and Matins at 9:15 AM, followed by the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM, and a catered luncheon in our parish hall immediately after the Liturgy. 

In addition to the Conferences on Saturday, Metropolitan Jonah will be the homilist or preacher at both Eucharistic Liturgies and will be the luncheon speaker on Sunday. 

There will be ample opportunities for discussions with both Metropolitan Jonah and with the clergy of Holy Cross Orthodox Church. In addition, Fr. Samuel Seamans, a former traditional Anglican bishop who is now an Orthodox priest and the pastor of a Western Rite Orthodox parish in Arkansas, will be available to discuss his journey to Orthodoxy.

The public is invited to attend and fully participate in the Retreat. So far, we are expecting clergy and laity from seven States, and from as far away as New York. There is no cost for the Retreat or the meals, but free will offerings will be taken.

The favor of a response is requested so we can better plan for meals, but is not required. Questions about the Retreat or directions are also welcome. You can call the church office at (402) 573-6558 or email me at venovak@hughes.net.

We will be looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!


HOLY CROSS ORTHODOX CHURCH
7545 Main Street
Ralston, Nebraska 68127
(402) 573-6558

Friday, February 2, 2018

RETREAT WITH METROPOLITAN JONAH — Saturday and Sunday, February 10 & 11

Metropolitan Jonah will be conducting a Pre-Lenten Retreat at Holy Cross parish in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday and Sunday, February 10th and 11th. The public is invited to attend.

Metropolitan Jonah is perhaps the best known Orthodox bishop in America. A former Anglican, he entered the Orthodox Church in college under the influence of Fr. Seraphim (Rose), another convert who may one day be canonized a Saint. 

He entered the monastic life at the famous Valaam Monastery in Russia, and later became the abbot of the St. John of San Francisco Monastery in Northern California. Consecrated a bishop in 2008, he was soon elected primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and served in that capacity from 2008 to 2012, eventually transferring back to the Russian Orthodox Church where he now serves as a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR).

Metropolitan Jonah was a main speaker at the Inaugural Synod of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) in 2009, and addressed its Provincial Synod again in 2012. In 2013, he spoke at a Conference of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen (FCC), the group that organized the great St. Louis Church Congress in 1977.  

I have had the privilege of personally knowing his Eminence since 2014, when I was invited to serve Vespers, Matins and the Eucharistic Liturgy with him on the Feast of St. Benedict of Nursia at St. Benedict’s Orthodox Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The theme of the Pre-Lenten Retreat is The Pillars of Orthodox Spirituality.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Everyone!  Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Protestants, seekers of God, and those who are not sure if there even is a God — everyone will benefit from this Retreat. 

The Orthodox Church is the oldest Church in the world, dating back some 2,000 years to the Holy City of Jerusalem. As the oldest Church in the world, Orthodox spirituality is ancient, and antedates the later Reformation/Counter-Reformation debates, and other controversies that have divided Western Christians over the past millennium. 

The Pillars of Orthodox Spirituality will take Christians of all traditions back to the spirituality of the “undivided” Church of the first millennium of Christianity where they will encounter the living Christ. The Retreat will introduce participants to a new (to most in the West) approach to Christianity that is both ancient and Eastern. The Orthodox Church is often called the Eastern Orthodox Church because Christianity originated in the East, in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, — not in Rome, Wittenberg, Geneva, Canterbury or the United States. Most Westerners tend to forget that.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

The Pre-Lenten Retreat begins at 9:15 AM on Saturday, February 10th with Matins (Morning Prayer), followed by the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM, with lunch in our parish hall after the Liturgy. 

The Conferences on the theme of The Pillars of Orthodox Spirituality will be held from 12:30 to 4:30 PM, with Vespers at 5:00 PM, followed by a Reception for Metropolitan Jonah.

The Retreat continues on Sunday, February 11th, with the formal Reception of a Bishop and Matins at 9:15 AM, followed by the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM, and a catered luncheon in our parish hall immediately after the Liturgy. 

In addition to the Conferences on Saturday, Metropolitan Jonah will be the homilist or preacher at both Eucharistic Liturgies and will be the luncheon speaker on Sunday. 

WHO IS COMING?

While this is a parish Pre-Lenten Retreat, the public is welcome and everyone is invited to attend and participate. So far, we are expecting clergy and laity from seven States and from as far away as New York. There is no cost for the Retreat or the meals, but Free Will Offerings will be taken.

WHAT IS TO BE GAINED?

First and foremost an encounter with Jesus Christ in the the Divine Office and the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist, and an inspiring introduction to ancient Christian spirituality that will help us all to have a holy and spiritually profitable Lent. 

Additionally, for those who are interested in learning more about Western Rite Orthodoxy, there will be the opportunity to immerse yourself for two days in the liturgical, spiritual and parish life of a Western Rite Orthodox parish. 

Over the course of two days we will sing Matins twice, Vespers once, and celebrate the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist — commonly called the Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass — twice. 

There will be ample opportunities for discussions with both Metropolitan Jonah and with the clergy of Holy Cross Orthodox Church. In addition, we will have Fr. Samuel Seamans with us. Fr. Samuel is a former traditional Anglican bishop who is now an Orthodox priest and the pastor of a Western Rite Orthodox parish in Arkansas. He will also be available to talk about his journey to Orthodoxy.

Please feel free to share this blog post with others. Everyone is invited to attend and will be most welcome.

The favor of a response is requested so we can better plan for meals, but is not required. Questions about the Retreat or directions are also welcome. You can call the church office at (402) 573-6558 or email me at venovak@hughes.net.

I hope that you can join us next week for the Retreat. We are a faithful, friendly and vibrant parish, and we have a place for you. See you there!

HOLY CROSS ORTHODOX CHURCH
7545 Main Street
Ralston, Nebraska 68127
(402) 573-6558