God Grant you Many Years!
All those named after our Panaghia
For many Greek-Orthodox Christians, the name Maria somehow belongs to everyone. We take the same joy in having a family member named after the Virgin Maria as we would if we were named after her as well.
It is the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. The end of the Church Calendar year. I consider it a privilege indeed to be able to mark the seasons not only by the moon and stars, the position of the sun, the foliage and the tides, but also by the events in the history of our Church. It has had a stabilizing impact on our lives, that although we have changed hemispheres, we maintain such a calendar. Or should I say that this kind of a calendar maintains us? There are times when I would just love to have Christmas in the winter again (even though we live in New Zealand), but that would take us away from the unity of the church in the rest of the world. Instead I look to the life of the Theotokos for balance. Her life holds a unique place in history, and in the calendar life of the church.
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| Beautiful Kouvouklion dressed in the colors of the garments in the traditional icon of the Theotokos |
Orthodoxy has so many ways to provide for our sanity, for those of us who are blessed to have some. The constant connection to her history through hymns for example, beckons us to be a part of it. The way we actually participate in worship is another example. In her wisdom, the Church designates the beginning and the ending of the calendar to coincide with the birth and the dormition of the Theotokos.
Just like we rely on our mothers for stability in our formative years, so do we depend on the Church's calendar for predictable and memorable events, to encourage us in our earthly struggle towards salvation, which we will see when we come to our fullest spiritual maturity. And then, the calendar, centered around the life of Jesus' mother reminds us and shows us that the most Holy Theotokos is our mother too. If we rely on the calendar, and it (our support) relies on her, then we feel more welcome to also rely on her. And in that the Church tells us that this is appropriate.
IN GIVING BIRTH YOU RETAINED YOUR VIRGINITY AND IN DORMITION YOU DID NOT FORSAKE THE WORLD O THEOTOKOS. YOU WERE TRANSLATED UNTO LIFE, BEING THE MOTHER O LIFE. AND THUS BY VIRTUE OF YOUR INTERCESSIONS YOU DELIVER OUR SOULS FROM DEATH.
YOU SPRANG FORTH FROM MORTAL LOINS, O PURE ONE, AND THEREFORE YOUR SUBSEQUENT DECEASE WAS NATURALLY APPROPRIATE. BUT SINCE YOU HAD YOURSELF BROUGHT FORTH TRUE LIFE HIMSELF, YOU THEREFORE PASSED UNTO DIVINE, HYPOSTATIC LIFE.
We see in the second hymn that she is completely influenced by the life of Christ into a perfection of life herself. Just what hypostatic life is, is a bit of a mystery to those of us who are bound by worldly cares. In modern English, as I have learned it, it is the experience and the living out of our personhood in the way and form which God intended from the beginning. It is the healthy ego in it highest expression. It is the actualization of our being, not by self but by God, for the sake of the self and for the love of Him who gave us life.
Orthodoxy's unique view on the Mother of Jesus is something that we have begun to express to the faithful here in NZ. Her life and her meaning for us is elusive in modern times. We need to struggle a little to understand what she means to us. For example recently we tried to accurately translate the hymn Axion Estin into English. It is for the translation of the LIturgy that is being published for the novice in the faith in Fiji which needs to be a special edition to help them learn the Liturgy as more and more people are baptized.
It was not an easy translation. There is a part of the first sentence, which the tradition of the Church tells us came from an unknown monk on Mount Athos, which is very difficult to translate and yet flows ever so smoothly in that particular form of Greek. It is really neat to go through it and try to decipher it yourself. What truth is brought to light when we praise her? How is it that we can participate in this truth?
BACK IN THE USA
Just a few weeks ago we got to go home to the USA see my mother Father Paul's Dad and our families. We also saw some of our old parishes and stomping grounds. It is not so unusual, in the year 2012 I suppose, to be apart for two years. We do get to talk through emails, phone calls and such. However, we have really missed everyone, and it was a great joy to see whomever we could.
It was an unusual reunion. There was little celebration but lots of love. There was a lot more silence and being together than I would have thought. And it was more meaningful and more lovely than if we had had a lot to say. Still, it was not long enough. We got to go to the Monastery in Saxonburg, Nativity of the Theotokos, and met friends from the Cleveland Area who came out there to see us. It was a joy! We did lot of traveling too!
Look out here come a lot of photos!
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| It was 110F, 43.3C and we wanted Greek food! With family in Columbus, including godson new wife and his family |
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| After Trisagion at my mother in law's grave. May her memory be eternal |
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| Father Paul's godparents came out to see us. |
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| Dear Friends and my Dad's siste at Chapel of Saint Seraphim of Sarov. Father Paul looks like he's carrying the purses so that we could pose together |
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| On the way to my Dad's grave at the monastery |
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| We all needed to pray for our dearly departed Memory Eternal to All |
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| Georgios with his cousins and Papou |
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| Cousin Yianni talking with Nicholia and Raphaela on Skype |
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| Koumbari from ABQ flew into Ohio so they could see us |
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| Although it was summer there, work continued for some, but love was never absent |
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| In Dayton with lots of reasons to smile! |
WITH FIJI IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
While in the USA we found beautiful opportunities to do some fund-raising for the orphanage and school in Fiji which is being built with the blessings of Archbishop Amfilochios. Both Metropolitan Savas of the Pittsburgh Metropolis and Metropolitan Isaiah of the Denver Metropolis gave their respective blessings for us to talk about this project. Two parishes from the Pittsburg Metropolis, along with individuals from Denver and Albuquerque, took on the challenge to raise money, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbus Ohio and Presentation of Christ Greek Orthodox Church in East Pittsburgh have taken extra steps to bring awareness to their congregations. The Priests of these parishes Father Nicholas Hughes and Father Michael Kallaur showed their loving support. Their positive response to mission work in Fiji was to me like when I hear the story of how the Lord told Peter to go out and cast his nets after he hadn't caught anything all night. Our Lord must have been with us. Support kept coming and we were able to send nearly $4,000.00 to Fiji before returning to NZ. We also visited the Parish of Saint Constantine and Helen in Middletown, Ohio where Father Paul served the Liturgy, the people showed us great joy, and I learned that they all read this BLOG. LOL :)
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| Gathering at Ypapanti for Vesperal Liturgy Saint Marina. |
If you would also like to make a tax deductible donation for the building project, feel free to use the Paypal icon at the top of this page. For the time being donations are being sent to the Archdiocese for the building of the orphanage and school. Or if you prefer, The Friends of Saint Michael can send a donation for you. The address there is:
FRIENDS OF SAINT MICHAEL 6701 Rockside Rd - Suite 200 - Independence OH - 44131- 2316 - USA MENTION MISSION FIJI IN THE MEMO
After our visit to East Pittsburgh, we met up with my sister who brought Georgios to the Columbus airport where he and Father Paul started to make their way back to New Zealand. It was a long trip for them with lay overs in Phoenix and then the wait in LA for the long flight home.
At this point in my travels, I was overwhelmingly struck by the difference in Church demographics between the USA and New Zealand. There are a lot more young people attending Church in the USA....
You are more likely to see whole families in Church there than you are in NZ, and people are so happy to be there. They will tell you that they feel blessed when they attend. They are not looking for praise or a worldly validation, but they encourage each other to be there in so many ways, primarily by their attendance and the positive aspects of their prayers.
When you see the mix of ages in the Liturgy (above at Aghia Anna's) you can't help but feel a fullness in the Church, like a flower in full bloom or a lake full of fish. There are signs of the fullness of life there. If we had only the young it would be like a school. If we had only the elderly it would be like an epilogue. But with all ages worshiping at their respective levels and abilities, you see tradition pouring out her blessings on the children while the children give hope to those who may be contemplating death. And everyone in between has the feeling that they are maintaining something beautiful, lasting, and significant.
Which brings me back in my thoughts (beautiful, lasting and significant) to the Dormition of our Holy Lady the Theotokos and Mother of our Lord and Savior. Imagine what a loss of a holy treasure the Apostles must have felt when she departed from this life. It must have been as though a fullness of their experience was gone. Maybe they felt incomplete without her, even if they were not prone to despair after Christ's Ascension.
In some ways she was, like her Son, the beginning of the New Covenant, "All generations will call me blessed" and "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it": a great source!
Scattered and isolated as they were, I would think that they depended on every memory that she had of her Son. And with so much grace in and around her, I believe they felt safety in the face of danger. Like today Father Paul read a letter that the Most Holy Mother of our Lord wrote to Saint Ignatios before his martyrdom. When I heard it, I was convinced that she was a great support to the Apostles.
In those days, they were all missionaries dealing with the unknown for the love of Christ and the people of the world. They all must have known loneliness and instability. All, but Saint John, were martyred, so there were tribulations as well.
Personally I feel a sense of loss whenever Archbishop Amfilochios travels. I often wonder if it is the last time that I will ever see him. With so many people he sees on his journeys, I wonder if he will remember me when he is away. There are times when he sends a post card and it arrives just at a time when I think I need his prayers the most. Or he will send a message via another letting me know he is mindful of me and my family. This kind of support which comes from prayer is priceless.
To my surprise, Archbishop Amfilochios was in the States, and actually visiting some of the places where we were just a few weeks ago! I feel both like a forerunner and like if only I could be there with him. Father George Livanos of All Saints Cannonsburg so generously posted some photos on FB for us to see. Thanks Father George!
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| Lunch at the airport... last minute fun before departure. |
I flew to Denver. We had a 7 hour delay in our flight due to mechanical repairs. A part had to be flown in. When I finally got to Denver, I got to visit the Metropolis and received the blessing of Metropolitan Isaiah, and got to visit The Assumption Cathedral, Saint Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church, and the outdoor chapel of Aghia Anna, and saw more Koumbari and old friends from when Father Paul and I first got married, and before.
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| Trail leading to the Saint Anna outdoor chapel |
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| Saint Anna Outdoor chapel after services |
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| Can you see the humming bird? Aghia Anna's |
At this point in my travels, I was overwhelmingly struck by the difference in Church demographics between the USA and New Zealand. There are a lot more young people attending Church in the USA....
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| At Aghia Anna's on Saturday.... |
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| ...and Assumption Cathedral on Sunday |
You are more likely to see whole families in Church there than you are in NZ, and people are so happy to be there. They will tell you that they feel blessed when they attend. They are not looking for praise or a worldly validation, but they encourage each other to be there in so many ways, primarily by their attendance and the positive aspects of their prayers.
When you see the mix of ages in the Liturgy (above at Aghia Anna's) you can't help but feel a fullness in the Church, like a flower in full bloom or a lake full of fish. There are signs of the fullness of life there. If we had only the young it would be like a school. If we had only the elderly it would be like an epilogue. But with all ages worshiping at their respective levels and abilities, you see tradition pouring out her blessings on the children while the children give hope to those who may be contemplating death. And everyone in between has the feeling that they are maintaining something beautiful, lasting, and significant.
Which brings me back in my thoughts (beautiful, lasting and significant) to the Dormition of our Holy Lady the Theotokos and Mother of our Lord and Savior. Imagine what a loss of a holy treasure the Apostles must have felt when she departed from this life. It must have been as though a fullness of their experience was gone. Maybe they felt incomplete without her, even if they were not prone to despair after Christ's Ascension.
In some ways she was, like her Son, the beginning of the New Covenant, "All generations will call me blessed" and "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it": a great source!
Scattered and isolated as they were, I would think that they depended on every memory that she had of her Son. And with so much grace in and around her, I believe they felt safety in the face of danger. Like today Father Paul read a letter that the Most Holy Mother of our Lord wrote to Saint Ignatios before his martyrdom. When I heard it, I was convinced that she was a great support to the Apostles.
In those days, they were all missionaries dealing with the unknown for the love of Christ and the people of the world. They all must have known loneliness and instability. All, but Saint John, were martyred, so there were tribulations as well.
AT YOUR DEATHLESS DORMITION, O THEOTOKOS AND MOTHER OF LIFE, CLOUDS CAUGHT THE APOSTLES UP INTO THE AIR; AND FROM BEING DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, THEY WERE REUNITED BEFORE YOUR IMMACULATE BODY. AND WHEN THEY HAD BURIED YOU WITH DIGNITY, THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICES AND SANG THE WORDS OF GABRIEL:"REJOICE, O UNWEDDED AND VIRGIN MOTHER WHO ARE FULL OF GRACE; THE LORD IS WITH YOU." ALONG WITH THEM, ENTREAT YOUR SON AND OUR GOD FOR THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS.
Personally I feel a sense of loss whenever Archbishop Amfilochios travels. I often wonder if it is the last time that I will ever see him. With so many people he sees on his journeys, I wonder if he will remember me when he is away. There are times when he sends a post card and it arrives just at a time when I think I need his prayers the most. Or he will send a message via another letting me know he is mindful of me and my family. This kind of support which comes from prayer is priceless.
To my surprise, Archbishop Amfilochios was in the States, and actually visiting some of the places where we were just a few weeks ago! I feel both like a forerunner and like if only I could be there with him. Father George Livanos of All Saints Cannonsburg so generously posted some photos on FB for us to see. Thanks Father George!
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| Here with Mother Gherontissa and the Sisters of the Monastery |
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| Praying in Panaghia's Chapel |
I ask you: continue to pray for the mission and faithful in Fiji, and for all of us here in New Zealand.
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