Saturday, July 31, A.D. 2010

And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time

Today is the feast of Saint Joseph of Arimathea on the new calendar. For those of you so ordered, have a blessed feast.

Below is William Blake’s poetic preface to Milton, which refers to the legend of Joseph’s having brought the Christ Child to the lovely island of Albion:

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land.

The poem has been popularized as the patriotic song “Jerusalem.”

It hearkens back to England’s better days . . .

Posted by Joseph on Saturday, July 31, A.D. 2010
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Monday, October 5, A.D. 2009

Paul on Mars Hill

Dr. Reynolds from Biola University wrote a fine post on the occasion of his class trip to Athens’ Areopagus in “What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?” In it, he discusses the philosophical controversy into which Saint Paul entered with his sermon to the Athenians. He points out how close the Platonists were to the gospel. Of all the intellectual currents in the Greco-Roman world, Platonism made the most receptive audience for Christianity. It is customary to hear Platonism contrasted with the earthy goodness of creation Christianity, but even our terrestrial doctrines exist within a celestial framework. The ancient Platonists were some of the few pagans who realized that God transcends the world and that the world is God’s creation. The ancient Platonists understood that God is good, eternal, and the source of all being. The ancient Platonists conceived of all being as an image of the beyond being. Given such, Porphyry rather than Origen becomes the philosophical mystery. What explains a man such as Porphyry, other than ancestral loyalty and cultural conservatism?

As my friend Andrew said, religion—or at least Christianity—only makes sense within a Platonic understanding of reality. I fully agree. I suspect that many of the intellectual ruptures of the modern West only became possible by its rejection of Platonism. When God becomes a being among beings, one must give up either his faith or his science. For God’s presence in the world will always be seen as a nullification of the world’s own order, integrity, and intelligibility. To assert such a God is to deny the possibility of scientific knowledge. To embrace philosophy likewise involves a rejection of the divine as superfluous superstition. Only ignorant regressives cling to religion to fill gaps in their ignorance, as the being God has no place in a scientifically understood cosmos. One must make this choice or cultivate bizarre confusions that attempt to carve a place for the divine and for science in the husk of our ignorance. Reason suffers terribly when forced to accept false choices. So does the human soul.

Posted by Joseph on Monday, October 5, A.D. 2009
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Tuesday, September 22, A.D. 2009

Joachim and Anna

On days following major feasts, the Church often celebrates people who are connected with the feast on what is called synaxes. The day after the nativity of the Theotokos, we observe the the synaxis of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna.

As I stated in my post on “The Nativity of the Theotokos,” Joachim and Anna are iconic grandparents for Christians. Their life is an image of their ancestors Abraham and Sarah’s story. For as Abraham and Sarah waited until old age to experience the miraculous conception, pregnancy, and birth of Isaac, thus orginating the Hebrews as a distinct lineage from Abraham, Joachim and Anna had the Mother of God in their advanced years—another miracle that announced a new birth—a new race—into the world. Yet, this time, the lineage would not be biological but spiritual—the kinship of Christ in the Christian Church.

You may wish to read more about Joachim and Anna as well as to see some more wonderful icons on the Full of Grace and Truth web site. I especially like the first icon with the young Mary standing on the tree, which I assume is the tree of Jesse.

Troparion:

Since you were righteous under the law of grace, O Joachim and Anna,
For our sake you gave birth to the God-given Infant.
The divine Church today therefore feasts radiantly,
Joyfully celebrating your honorable memory and giving glory to God
Who has raised up a horn of salvation
From the house of David!

Kontakion:

Now Anna is no longer barren and nurses the All-Pure One!
She rejoices and calls us to sing a hymn of praise to Christ,
Who gave mankind the only Ever-Virgin Mother!

Posted by Joseph on Tuesday, September 22, A.D. 2009
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Monday, September 21, A.D. 2009

Nativity of the Theotokos

On the old calendar, today is the feast of the nativity of the Theotokos (September 8 / 21).

Why do we celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary to Joachim and Anna? Do you celebrate your mother’s birthday? Do you celebrate your friend’s mother’s birthday? Ought you not to celebrate your Lord’s mother’s birthday, who extends her maternal care to us all?

I always like it when the priest ends his blessing at the end of the liturgy by invoking the intercessions “of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna and of all the Saints.” They are Jesus’ grandparents. Along with Abraham and the patriarchs, they are the iconic grandparents, though Abraham seems to me far more like a clan chief and a pater familias than a grandfather figure. Such is perhaps ironic, in that I am a descendant of “Father Abraham” but not of Joachim and Anna. Yet, spiritual descent has a vivacious presence in the mind of Christians, and Joachim and Anna seem so grandfatherly and grandmotherly.

Some may find such sentiments sacrilegious, but I develop certain feelings for religious and other historical figures about whom I learn. I wonder what such men and women would have been like on a personal level. For example, for some reason, it always seemed obvious to me that Peter would be someone with whom I would feel comfortable. You would think that the preeminent apostle would conjure some sense of royal deference, but I have never felt that way. He just seems like such a man—a good man, a noble man—but very much a guy . . . like the perfect Boy Scout leader. He is the ultimate masculine friend . . . God’s wingman, to speak vulgarly but sincerely. In this, I do not wish to minimize the veneration that I have for Peter. I do not wish to sound like an egalitarian Protestant who causally speaks of the greatest heroes of the Christian faith like they were simply ordinary fellows. Nonetheless, I think that Peter’s leadership quality would be very much the type where you forget to feel conscientious and nervous in his presence. I think that he would have a disarming warmth rather than an icy majesty. Of course, these are emotional rather than intellectual observations about my own psyche, but I find it interesting. I wonder if anyone else feels that way.

Troparion:

Thy nativity, O Virgin, has proclaimed joy to the whole universe!
The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,
Has shone on thee, O Theotokos!
By annulling the curse, He bestowed a blessing.
By destroying death, He has granted us Eternal Life.

Kontakion:

By thy nativity, O Most-Pure Virgin,
Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness,
And Adam and Eve, from the corruption of death.
And we, Thy people, freed from the guilt of sin,
Celebrate and sing to Thee:
The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos,
The Nourisher of our life.

Posted by Joseph on Monday, September 21, A.D. 2009
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Friday, September 11, A.D. 2009

A Day for Sackcloth and Ashes

Today on the old calendar is the commemoration of the beheading of Saint John the Forerunner (Saint John the Baptist) by Herod Antipas’ wicked men.

It is a fast day rather than a feast, and the somber mood fits the calendar day for Americans as we also remember the lives of those who died eight years ago in the barbarian attacks against our land. It is curious how a perverse sense of lust played a part both in John’s execution by Herod Antipas and in the suicide missions of the infidel Mohammedans.

I doubt that many non-Orthodox people know that the only religious building to be destroyed in the attacks was the small Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church next to the World Trade Center, which was crushed by the falling towers. My brothers and I had visited the parish one year before the attack as we toured New York. We spent a considerable amount of time in the World Trade Center that particular day. We wanted to see the city from the top of one of the towers during the day and at night. So, we passed several hours at the top, enjoying the spectacle of New York City from its southern peak as the sun set on the West. I remember our wondering what would happen if the buildings ever collapsed. We theorized that Wall Street in its entirety would disappear, so massive were the Twin Towers. We were wrong, but we never knew what horror would occur just twelve months later.

When I have revisited the site since the attacks, I still think back to our time nine years ago. I dwell on Fritz Koenig’s Sphere. The globe shaped fountain once stood neatly in the plaza surrounded by New York’s wealth. Now, the deformed and maimed structure stands in Battery Park, a testament both to the awful destruction and to the perseverance of New Yorkers.

Memory eternal!

Posted by Joseph on Friday, September 11, A.D. 2009
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Friday, July 31, A.D. 2009

New Calendar Arimathea

For those of you who follow the new calendar, happy feast day of Saint Joseph of Arimathea!

Troparion for Saint Joseph:

Noble Joseph took Thine immaculate Body down from the tree, wrapped it in a clean shroud and spices, and having embalmed It, laid It in a new sepulchre. But on the third day Thou didst rise, O Lord, granting the world great mercy.

Kontakion for Saint Joseph:

Joseph of Arimathea took Thee the Life of all, down from the Tree as one dead, and wrapped Thee in clean linen and spices. He yearned to embrace and kiss Thy pure Body with heart and lips yet he restrained himself with fear. He cried to Thee rejoicing: Glory to Thy condescension, O Lover of mankind.

Posted by Joseph on Friday, July 31, A.D. 2009
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Sunday, June 21, A.D. 2009

All Saints of Your Land

Last Sunday, the Orthodox Church celebrated the feast of All Saints. This Sunday, each local Church remembers and celebrates the saints who figured prominently in its land.

Here is an icon of the Orthodox saints from America.

They are (from bottom to top and from left to right):

Herman of Alaska, Valaam monk and missionary to Alaska
John (Maximovitch), Bishop of Shanghai and later Archbishop of San Francisco
Innocent of Alaska, missionary bishop to Alaska and later Metropolitan of Moscow
Tikhon of Moscow, Archbishop of New York and later Patriarch of Moscow

Juvenaly of Alaska, Valaam monk and missionary to Alaska, martyred in Alaska.
Raphael of Brooklyn, Bishop of Brooklyn
Varnava (Nastić), Bishop of Hvosno, born in Gary, Indiana, confessor under the Yugoslavian Communists
Jacob Netsvetov, Russian-Aleut priest in Alaska
Peter the Aleut, protomartyr of America, martyred by the Spanish in California

John Kochurov, priest in America and later martyred under the Bolsheviks
Alexis of Wilkes-Barre, former Uniate who led a mass conversion to Orthodoxy
Nikolai Velimirovic, Bishop of Žiča and later rector of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary
Alexander Hotovitzky, priest in America and later martyred under the Soviets

Posted by Joseph on Sunday, June 21, A.D. 2009
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Sunday, June 14, A.D. 2009

All Saints’ Day

I hope that you had a fine All Saints’ Day. Unlike the Western tradition in which the feast of All Saints falls in the autumn, the Eastern tradition places the feast of All Saints on the Sunday following Pentecost. As the priest said today, Pentecost is the feast of the planting and All Saints’ Day is the feast of the harvest.

Next Sunday—the second Sunday after Pentecost—is another feast of all saints, but rather with an emphasis on local saints. Thus, in Serbia, it is a commemoration of all the Serbian saints, while in Greece, it is a commemoration of all the Greek saints. These “local” saints do not have to originate in the land where they are celebrated. In the case of the initial missionaries—the “apostles” to the land who first brought and spread the gospel, they are almost always foreigners, as Patrick was from Roman Britannia, but the Irish claim him as their own. Nina was from Cappadocia, but she is known as the apostle to and enlightener of Georgia. Americans have their local Orthodox saints, as well, though quite limited in number. Return next week to see a localized All Saints’ Day icon.

Posted by Joseph on Sunday, June 14, A.D. 2009
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Wednesday, May 6, A.D. 2009

Saint George

Today is the feast of Saint George on the old calendar (April 23). George is one of the most beloved saints. Indeed, he is probably the patron of more nations than any other saint. This is understandable, as he is a role model for principled perseverance, faith, and courage. Plus, he looks really cool on the horse, and military fellows always earn a sane society’s respect.

You can read a short summary of Saint George on Orthodox England.

George is a patron saint for soldiers, and on this day let us remember the men who risk their lives—and often offer them up—to protect their homeland.

In the United States, we easily forget that American soldiers are still fighting and dying on foreign soil. We have become so self-absorbed in our culture that we cannot be bothered any more with our troops overseas. We owe them our thanks. For a small but very accessible way to show your appreciation, consider this idea. Any Soldier and Operation Gratitude coordinate care packages. At the very least, a verbal show of support to the military folks whom you meet in public helps to foster a culture of appreciation in our society.

Troparion:

You were bound for good deeds, O martyr of Christ, George;
By faith, you conquered the torturer’s godlessness.
You were offered as a sacrifice pleasing to God;
Thus you received the crown of victory.
Through your intercessions, forgiveness of sins is granted to all.

Kontakion:

God raised you as his own gardener, O George,
For you have gathered for yourself the sheaves of virtue.
Having sown in tears, you now reap with joy;
You shed your blood in combat and won Christ as your crown.
Through your intercessions, forgiveness of sins is granted to all.

Posted by Joseph on Wednesday, May 6, A.D. 2009
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Sunday, May 3, A.D. 2009

The Myrrhbearers

On this third Sunday of Pascha, we commemorate saints Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and the myrrhbearing women who went to pour spices on the body of Christ in Joseph’s donated new tomb—the Theotokos, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha of Bethany, Mary the wife of Cleophas, Salome, Susanna, and Joanna. As my patron is Joseph of Arimathea, today is one of my patronal feast days. Saint Joseph’s main feast day is July 31 (currently August 13 on the old calendar as reckoned on the new calendar). The women steal the show, however. In many parishes, only women sing in the choir on this day, but perhaps this is a Russian custom. My friend Andrew suspects that it is an unusual practice.

It is difficult to sort out the myrrhbearing women. There are so many Mary’s in the bible just as there are so many James, and Eastern and Western traditions maintain different identification schemes. Here is what I believe to be the common Orthodox schema.

+++ The Theotokos—there is no confusion about this lady. She is the only one listed here who is not represented in the icon above. She is portrayed below (left), along with Mary the wife of Cleophas (center) and Joanna (right).

+++ Mary from Magdala—the apostle to the apostles. Western traditions tend to identify her with other Mary’s while the Orthodox do not. She is the woman from whom Christ cast seven demons. In Luke’s gospel, we read about the sinful woman’s anointing Christ’s feet in Simon the Pharisee’s house (chapter 7), and then right after we read about the people who accompanied Jesus during his travels, with Mary Magdalene listed among them (chapter 8). Her description is “out of whom went seven devils,” not the sinful woman who went in peace from Simon’s house.

+++ Mary of Bethany—the sister of Lazarus and of Martha. She is the contemplative friend of Jesus who chooses the better part. She also anoints Christ’s feet in the house of Simon the Leper. As there are two accounts of women who anoint Jesus’ feet in a house that belongs to a Simon, some in the West identify Mary of Bethany as the sinful woman and thus also as Mary Magdalene. However, the two events have nothing else in common save the name Simon and the anointing. In one story, we have a typical Pharisee (Simon) who is hesitant about Jesus’ claims, while in the other story, we have Judas Iscariot’s greed as the moral backdrop in the leper’s (Simon’s) house. The Orthodox maintain that Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, and the unnamed sinful woman are all different women. Of course, the Western obsession with answers could not easily allow the poor sinful woman to go in peace unnamed. She just has to be one of the listed cast among the New Testament followers.

+++ Martha of Bethany—the sister of Lazarus and of Mary. She busies herself with practical matters while her philosophical sister gets away with no cooking or cleaning. Those of us who would like to choose the better part but recognize that meals just do not pop out of baskets miraculously (well, you know, there are exceptions to everything) love and sympathize with Martha. Somebody has to do the busy work for those lazy ingrates (not meaning, of course, Jesus, Lazarus, and Mary—but most folks in the same situation). As such, Martha typifies for me what is especially admirable about women.

+++ Mary the wife of Cleophas—the mother of James, probably James called the Less. In Mark’s account of the crucifixion, we read (15:40-41):

There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

In John’s gospel, we have (19:25):

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

Mary the wife of Cleophas is identified in the East with Mary the wife of Alphaeus. Alphaeus and Cleophas are understood to be the same man, though the West generally does not accept this identification. This Mary, then, is considered by the Orthodox to be the mother of the apostles James and Matthew, the sons of Alphaeus—though some modern scholars wonder if the two sons of Alphaeus are the sons of the same Alphaeus. The West holds that James the Less is the same as James the son of Alphaeus, but the East maintains that “Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses” is the Theotokos, not Mary the wife of Cleophas. James the Less, then, is not identified with James the son of Alphaeus among the Orthodox. Rather, James the Less is the Brother of Our Lord—the first bishop of Jerusalem, a.k.a. James the Just. For the Orthodox hold that Joseph the carpenter was a widower who had several children from his first marriage when he betrothed the Theotokos, including James. In Matthew’s gospel (13:55-56), we see:

Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

Furthermore, it would be strange if, in his crucifixion account, Mark did not specify Jesus’ mother as one of the women. Nonetheless, though I am not a biblical scholar, I find it odd that Mark would refer to Jesus’ mother as the mother of James rather than simply Jesus’ mother, as John’s gospel states. Assuming that the mother of James and Joses is the Theotokos, Mark’s account, then, specifies the Theotokos, Mary Magdalene, and Salome, while John’s account specifies the Theotokos, Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and the sister of the Theotokos.

+++ Salome—the mother of James and of John, the sons of Zebedee. In the gospel of Matthew, we read (27:22-56):

And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.

Some traditions hold that Salome is the sister of the Theotokos, and the previous parallel between the gospel accounts in Mark and John appears to agree with this position. Other traditions hold that she is the daughter of Joseph the carpenter, but that does not seem consonant with the gospel accounts unless we assume that Mary the wife of Cleophas is the sister of the Theotokos. To make matters even less clear, there is a tradition that holds that Cleophas is the brother of Joseph the carpenter, which would make Mary the wife of Cleophas the sister-in-law of the Theotokos. We can see how the gospel accounts agree with this tradition, too. Regardless, Salome is held by all to be a close relative to Jesus—an aunt or a stepsister—which would make the beloved disciple John Jesus’ cousin or nephew.

+++ Susanna—one of Jesus’ many followers during his ministry. I cannot find out anything else about her. There have been several later saints named Susanna, but I do not know what became of the New Testament woman.

+++ Joanna—the wife of Chuza, the steward for Herod Antipas. One account of Joanna that I found speculates that she is the same person as Junia, mentioned in Paul’s epistle to the Romans. However, that seems like an incredible stretch if there is no tradition in support of it. Moreover, one may assume that the Andronicus mentioned with Junia is her husband or brother. If so, and if Joanna is Junia, then what happened to poor Chuza? I have no idea, but the suggestion seems fantastic without other evidence.

It is a shame that the various traditional accounts have so many discrepancies. Such inconsistency naturally casts doubt on anything conclusive, especially for us moderns who normally operate with a hermeneutic of suspicion.

Posted by Joseph on Sunday, May 3, A.D. 2009
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