A Broken Vessel

In childhood I found myself preoccupied with angst and prayerful hope for peace between the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. My maternal family roots derive from Wales, Scotland, and England; my maternal great mother’s surname was Stuart, allegedly a descendant of “Bloody Mary” Queen of Scots. I really detested Elizabeth!

Concurrently I anguished over the Soviet’s power and it’s systematic destruction of Russian culture and all remnants of “Holy Rus”. After the initial funeral scene in the film “Dr. Zhivago”, my sentiments and sensibilities were tortured throughout the remainder of the movie. I immaturely fantasized and prayed for the return of the Tsar, who would surely right all wrongs and reestablish an Orthodox Christian empire before the final reign of the antichrist and Armegeddon.

Likewise the conflict in the Middle East has always weighed very heavily on my heart. Having been raised with both Jewish and Arab friends, I was regularly exposed to divergent perspectives, leaving me confused and anxiety-ridden like a stalemated ping-pong match.

Sadly, after 40 years, things have not really changed much. Although there have certainly been periods of respite and brief sighs of exhilarated hope, the current media headlines again report renewed conflict in Northern Ireland, civil-strife between Russia and Ukraine, and aggressive massacres between Israelis and Palestinians.

Rather than despair, I find myself spiritually drawn to more fervent prayer, seeking God to enlighten me how this unworthy and broken vessel might incarnate the justice of God and be an “instrument of peace” in the place I’ve been planted. Such contemplation brings to mind our Savior’s words: “Blessed are the peacemakers… Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Realm of Heaven. Let anyone with ears listen!”

Fr. Vlad, a sinner

Poustinnik at Ploss Lake

“Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved” – Saint Seraphim of Sarov (Russian: Преподобнный Серафим Саровский)

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Acquire the Spirit of Peace

“Acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.” – St. Seraphim of Sarov

Hope

True hope seeks the one Realm of God and is sure that everything necessary for this mortal life will surely be given. The heart cannot have peace until it acquires this hope. This hope pacifies it fully and brings joy to it. The most holy lips of the Saviour spoke about this very hope: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Mercy

It is necessary to be merciful to those wretched and wandering. The great lightgivers of the Church took great care concerning this. In relation to this virtue we must try by all means to fulfill the following law of God: “Be merciful, just as God is merciful” (Luke 6:36). The wise heed these saving words, but the foolish do not heed them. For this reason the reward is also different, as is said: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Non-Judgment and the Forgiveness of Offenses

It is not right to judge anyone, even if you have seen someone sinning with your own eyes, as is said in the word of God: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Mt. 7:1). Someone busy trying to understand oneself has no time to notice the shortcomings of others. Judge yourself and you will stop judging others. It can happen that someone might appear to be doing something bad to us, but in reality, because of the doer’s good intentions, it is a good deed. Besides, the door of penitence is always open, and it is not known who will enter it sooner — you, “the judge,” or the one judged by you.

Troparion of St. Seraphim

You loved Christ from youth, O blessed one, and longing to work for Him alone you struggled in the wilderness with constant prayer and labor. With penitent heart and great love for Christ you were favored by the Mother of God. Wherefore we cry to you: Save us by your prayers, O Seraphim, our righteous Father.

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Numbers Up – Attendance Down

Originally posted on Again and Again:

H/T: Interfax-Religion here

Number of Orthodox up in Russia but only few go to church, pray regularly – poll

Moscow, July 4, Interfax – The share of Russian citizens considering themselves Orthodox grew from 52% in 1997 to 68% in 2014, sociologists of the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) said citing a poll.

According to the survey conducted in late May in 100 cities, towns and villages in 43 Russian regions and involving 1,500 respondents, 19% of Russians do not consider themselves religious, 6% are Muslims, and 1% refer to themselves as non-Orthodox Christian confessions (Catholics, Protestants, Uniates, Baptists etc.).

Only 13% of the Orthodox believers go to church once a month or more, take communion regularly, know church prayers and read morning and evening prayers, the survey showed.

Moscow Orthodox respondents can be called half-church-going (29%) or little-church-going (27) but in 2014 both groups decreased 4%, while the share of…

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Holy Relics – Orthodox Saints

Holy relics are a clear anticipation of the transfigured body after universal ressurection.The very fact that the bodies of the saints are kept in a state of incorruptibility is a foretaste, an anticipation of their future incorruptibility after resurrection and after their full theosis, deification. “But we all,” writes St. Paul to the Corinthians, “with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Cor.3:18).

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You Are Cordially Invited

Originally posted on The Poustinia:

Priestly Incardination

Rev. Fr. Vladimir Vandalov

Holy Chrismation

Jeffery (Zoticus) Carroll-Vandalov

AnDrew Charles Marko, Godfather/Sponsor

Pentecost Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m.

8th June 2014

Community of Christ the Good Shepherd

Ferndale First United Methodist Church—2nd Floor

22331 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale MI 48220

Metropolitan Archbishop Peter (Zahrt), Presider

Orthodox Catholic Church of America

Rev. Fr. John Newbauer, Vicar

Orthodox Catholic Church of America

Clergy of Community of Christ the Good Shepherd, Host Parish

Rev. Fr. Kevin Kinsel

Rev. Fr. Charles Blanchard

Rev. Fr. Harry Posner

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The Mystery of the Church

Originally posted on Fr. Ted's Blog:

“Although we live in a world where the very concept and term ‘church’ has become bureaucratized and formalized, so that most people would immediately think of either a building or administrative society when they hear the word; the Orthodox have retained the older and infinitely more dynamic understanding of church which is found in the Scriptures. These describe the church as a mystery of the ‘life of Christ’; a society of believers, certainly, but more fundamentally, the extended power of Christ’s saving work as manifested and concretized in the world, and in the next age.”

(John Anthony McGuckin, The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to its History, Doctrine, and Spiritual Culture , p 238)

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The Story of Jonah

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