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Relating to Orthodox of a Different Rite

How should Eastern Rite Orthodox faithful relate to Western Rite Orthodox faithful, and vice versa? In terms of faith, doctrine, and theology, all Orthodox are (or at least ought to be) the same. But in the outward expressions of that faith–in prayers and postures and pictures–how uniform should we expect to be? And if we allow for legitimate differences of practice within the Church, how should those of one tradition communicate with, commune with, and otherwise relate to those of a different tradition? Continue reading “Relating to Orthodox of a Different Rite”

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St. Ephrem and the Tangled Battle of Sin and Repentance

As I was growing up (as a Baptist), I was taught that because of my own free will, I was responsible for my sins, and that these sins separated me from God. Though I could never do anything to fix my sins or carry myself back across the chasm I’d put between myself and God, Jesus, through means I could never articulate, has bridged the gap between myself and God and put away all my sins. All I had to do to accept this gift was to ask that Jesus apply it to me; through a sincere, contrite prayer offered to Jesus, I had only to ask once that he forgive me of my sins and live in me, so as to assure my salvation forever. Continue reading “St. Ephrem and the Tangled Battle of Sin and Repentance”

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Suicide and the Light of The Angelus

In the wake of some shocking statistics recently released by the CDC that more Americans die by suicide than in automobile accidents, and also of two very high profile celebrity suicides, and with the knowledge that people in my immediate sphere of friends are affected by this darkness, I’ve been contemplating the nature of this evil that affects–of all the animals on this planet–only humans. This darkness clouds the mind from the truths about ourselves, the world, and life in God that are otherwise perceived in the light of reality. But I believe that The Angelus, a devotion long used in the West to mark morning, noon, and evening, can be a powerful reminder of reality and a destroyer of this particular shadow. Continue reading “Suicide and the Light of The Angelus”

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The Glory of that Perfect Rest

In the Western Rite there’s room for what may be termed ‘paraliturgical’ hymns in our services. These are hymns or anthems or carols that are not prescribed as part of the official liturgical texts (as is the case for the Ordinary and Propers of the Mass), but rather serve to accompany actions like processions or the distribution of Communion, etc. And because these hymns are not part of the prescribed texts, there is some latitude that can be exercised regarding their source. The rules governing what songs can be used are not dogmatical, but they are very sensical. In a word, the Orthodox phronema is employed to choose.

I’ll return to the broader theme of hymnody in the Western Rite in the future, but at present I’d like to briefly introduce a set of general criteria for appropriate hymnody, and provide an example of a hymn that I think meets these criteria, a hymn especially appropriate both for the Feast of the Holy Name and for the Feast of the Ascension. Continue reading “The Glory of that Perfect Rest”

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Have a Very Mary May

In many parts of the world, among Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic communities, the month of May is specially dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a relatively late innovation in devotional practice, most likely only manifesting in explicit form in Rome some time around 1700. The concept quickly spread though, probably because of the deep cultural predilections for recognizing in May the maternal blossoming of new life in nature. Continue reading “Have a Very Mary May”

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What Is It About Saint George?

Saint George: martyr, hero. After the Mother of God and the Apostles, is there another Saint that has attained to such universal fame and veneration? He is the Patron of England, of Georgia, of the city of Moscow, of the island nation Malta, of at least one branch of virtually everyone’s military, and even of the Boy Scouts of America. His iconographic depiction is instantly recognizable, and his name is called out in mottoes, battle cries, and anthems. Continue reading “What Is It About Saint George?”

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The Two-Step Resurrection

When you picture the resurrection of Christ, what do you think of? For centuries Christians have been depicting Christ’s resurrection. In both East and West, there’s no shortage of icons, paintings, frescoes, mosaics, stained glass windows, and relief carvings of the subject. But sometimes these images depict very different looking scenes while using the same title “Resurrection.” Continue reading “The Two-Step Resurrection”