CHRIST IS RISEN!

He is risen indeed!

The Easter Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom

Whosoever is a devout lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful bright Festival. And whosoever is a grateful servant, let him rejoice and enter into the joy of his Lord. And if any be weary with fasting, let him now receive his penny.

If any have toiled from the first hour, let him receive his due reward.

If any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude join in the Feast.

And he that arrived after the sixth hour, let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.

And if any have delayed to the ninth hour, let him not hesitate, but let him come too.

And he that hath arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay; for the Lord is gracious and receiveth the last even as the first.

He giveth rest to him that cometh at the eleventh hour as well as to him that hath toiled from the first.

Yea, to this one, he giveth and upon that one, he bestoweth. He accepteth works, as he greeteth the endeavour. The dead he honoureth and the intention he commendeth.

Let all then enter into the joy of our Lord. Ye first and last receiving alike your reward; ye rich and poor, rejoice together. Ye sober and ye slothful, celebrate the day. Ye that have kept the fast, and ye that have not, rejoice today; for the Table is richly laden. Fare ye royally on it. The calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry. Partake ye all of the cup of faith. Enjoy ye all the richness of His goodness. Let no one grieve at his poverty; for the universal kingdom hath been revealed.

Let no one mourn that he hath fallen again and again; for forgiveness hath risen from the grave. Let no one fear death; for the Death of our Savior hath set us free. He hath destroyed it by enduring it. He spoiled Hades when he descended thereto. He vexed it even as it tasted of his flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he cired, "Thou, O Hades, hast been vexed by encountering Him below."

It is vexed; for it is even done away with.

It is vexed; for it is made a mockery.

It is vexed; for it is destroyed.

It is vexed; for it is annihilated.

It is vexed; for it is now made captive.

It took a body, and, lo! it discovered God.

It took earth, and, behold! it encountered Heaven.

It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art annihilated.

Christ is risen, and the evil ones are cast down.

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice.

Christ is risen, and life is liberated.

Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of the dead; for Christ, having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those that have fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

A Good Friday video I forgot to post yesterday.

Catholic & Homosexual

A great video from Michael Voris and RealCatholicTV!

Netflix...

...what a great site! I'm using it to catch up on shows I missed in the mid- to late nineties and early 00's. Currently I'm watching Babylon 5.

I love this show! Talk about wheels within wheels. The plots can be very complicated because a small thing in one episode in one season can become a much larger thing in another season. There are all kinds of twists. They're not afraid to get rid of characters you've grown to like. And it's marvelous storytelling. I'm in the middle of the fourth season and have found the romance between Captain Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn worthy of an epic story. Tho' it's years late for this: great job, writers of Babylon 5!

Holy See statement on "sexual orientation".

This address was given by Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi to the United Nations. It is a must-read!

Zenit reports it here.

It begins very well!

"The Holy See takes this opportunity to affirm the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings, and to condemn all violence that is targeted against people because of their sexual feelings and thoughts, or sexual behaviors. "

Indeed, this cannot be said too often!

The first point of the address discusses the meaning of the phrase sexual orientation, and points out that sexual orientation refers to attractions and feelings, not behavior. The Notes section following the address proper gives places where secular organizations define sexual orientation in this way. I've provided direct links here:

The UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission, "What does sexual orientation mean?"

PDF file of ABC of Women Workers' Rights and Gender Equality, second edition, page 167.

PDF file of Amnesty International's Crimes of Hate, Conspiracy of Silence: Torture and Ill-Treatment Based on Sexual Identity, from the preface on page 4 (unmarked, so the fourth page scrolling down).

PDF file of Asia Pacific Forum's "ACJ Report: Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" (15th Annual Meeting, Bali, 3-5 August, 2010), page 8, discussed under "Terminology".

I was pleasantly surprised to see sexual orientation described this way by three respected and public organizations! We need more level-headed discussions of sexual orientation like this, discussions in which the subject is treated rationally instead of emotionally. A web site designed to help towards that goal is Bridges Across the Divide.


Archbishop Tomasi apparently includes homosexuality in the list of sexual behaviors the state can and should regulate:


"But states can, and must, regulate behaviors, including various sexual behaviors. Throughout the world, there is a consensus between societies that certain kinds of sexual behaviors must be forbidden by law. Pedophilia and incest are two examples."


I think on this point I disagree with the good archbishop and agree with C.S. Lewis, and hope the Church does, as well:


"I quite agree with you about Homosexuals: to make the thing criminal cures nothing and only creates a blackmailers' paradise.  Anyway, what business is it of the State?" (From a letter Lewis wrote to Delmar Banner, dated 27 May 1960, and quoted in The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 - 1963.)

Happy Feast of Saint Joseph!

It's too late to do a novena in his honor for his feast day this year, but here's one you can do next year:

O glorious descendant of the kings of Judah, Inheritor of the virtues of all the patriarchs. Just and happy St. Joseph, listen to my prayer. Thou art my glorious protector, and shall ever be, after Jesus and Mary the object of my most profound veneration and confidence. Thou art the most hidden, though the greatest Saint, and art particularly the patron of those who serve God with the greatest purity and fervor. In union with all those who have ever been most devoted to thee I now dedicate myself to thy service; beseeching thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ, who vouchsafed to love and obey thee as a son, to become a father to me; and to obtain for me the filial respect, confidence and love of a child towards thee. 

O powerful advocate of all Christians, whose intercession, as St. Theresa assures us, has never been found to fail, deign to intercede for me now, and to implore for me the particular intention of this Novena. 

(Mention your intentions here)

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be. 

Present me O great Saint to the adorable Trinity, with Whom thou hadst so glorious and so intimate a correspondence. Obtain that I may never efface by sin the Sacred Image according to the likeness of which, I was created. Beg for me that my divine Redeemer would enkindle in my heart and in all hearts, the fire of His Love, and infuse therein the virtues of His adorable infancy, His purity, simplicity, obedience, and humility. 

Obtain for me likewise a lively devotion to thy virgin spouse, and protect me so powerfully in life and death, that I may have the happiness of dying as thou didst, in the friendship of my Creator, and under the immediate protection of the Mother of God. Amen.

It is apparently the custom to begin this prayer on March 10 and end it on the 18th, the eve of his feast.

Shrines of Saint Joseph you can make a pilgrimage to:

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Santa Cruz, CA (cared for by the Oblates of Saint Joseph)

Shrine of Saint Joseph in St. Louis, MO

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Stirling, NJ

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Yarnell, AZ

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Farnborough, UK

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Grass Lake, MI

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Pontiac, MI (in St. Damien of Molokai parish)

More on Saint Joseph

at the OrthodoxWiki

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

I have pets!

For years I've been without any, but now I own five of the best pets God ever invented: hermit crabs!


Right now they live in a ten gallon aquarium, but I hope to move them into a 55 gallon home by the end of May. Here's there current home:

It's not very pretty yet, but I'm going to get more colorful things for their crabitat. And some live plants. By the way, the five shells up front: that's them. No one wanted to have their picture taken! Here's a closer look:

I enjoy these little creatures, and hope to increase their numbers to about a dozen when I get the larger aquarium.


A Prayer for Animals
by Saint Francis of Assisi


God our Heavenly Father, You created the world to serve humanity's needs and to lead them to You. By our own fault we have lost the beautiful relationship which we once had with all your creation. Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You we will also restore it with all Your creation. Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You and to treat them with respect for they are Your creation. We pray for all animals who are suffering as a result of our neglect. May the order You originally established be once again restored to the whole world through the intercession of the Glorious Virgin Mary, the prayers of Saint Francis and the merits of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You now and forever. Amen.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday...

...so I'm a day late with this post.


From the Book of Common Prayer*

The First day of Lent,

Commonly called Ash-Wednesday.

The Collect.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that Thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

*I forget which year the wording is from. (The 1928 BCP?)

The Orthodox Churches have many rich prayers.

Here's part of the Akathist to St. Joseph the Betrothed (Jesus's foster-father):


O holy, righteous Joseph!
Whilst still living on earth, thou hadst great boldness before the Son of God, Who was pleased to call thee His father, as thou wast betrothed to His Mother, and to obey thee: we believe that now, taking up thine abode with the choirs of the righteous in heavenly habitations, thou wilt be heard in thine every request to our God and Saviour.

Therefore, taking refuge in thy protection and help, we ask and humbly entreat thee, that as thou thyself wast delivered from the storm of doubtful thoughts, so too deliver us who are beset by the stormy waves of our troubles and passions; as thou didst guard the all-pure Virgin from human slander, guard us likewise from all false witness; as thou didst keep the incarnate Lord from all harm and evil intent, keep also His Orthodox Church and all of us from all malice and harm.

Thou knowest, O Saint of God, that the Son of God too in the days of His incarnation had need of bodily things, and thou didst serve Him; for this cause we pray thee: aid us in our temporal needs by thine intercession, granting us all good things needful unto us in this life: and especially we ask thee to pray Him Who was called thy son, Who is the Only-begotten Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to grant us remission of our sins, that we may be worthy of inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, so that, taking up our abode in the higher habitations with thee, we may alway glorify the God Who is One in the Holy Trinity: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and unto ages of ages.

Amen.


Let us add the further petition:


"St. Joseph, pray for the unity of the Church. May the Armenian, Catholic, Coptic, Oriental Orthodox, and Orthodox Churches share the accord we had in the beginning of the Church. By your intercession, grant us that unity of life for which Jesus prayed, the unity of truth as God knows the truth to be, and eternal life with each other in Your Presence. Amen."

The Young Turks tend to hold views with which I strongly disagree...

...but this video is certainly worth seeing, both because of the hilarious reasoning of "minister" Cindy Jacobs and the spot-on humorous response of the Young Turks hosts.

I don't have a problem with Cindy Jacobs preaching that homosexual acts are sinful, but I do have a problem with the fact that she's using stupid logic (Beebe, AK + Governor Mike Beebe + former Governor-turned-President-introducing-"Don't ask, don't tell" + repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell" = God's message by dying birds!), and the fact that if there are any people attending this "church" who experience homosexual attractions, they are not going to feel welcomed to share what they probably think of as a burden with the "pastors" or other "church" members because of the way in which she spoke during this talk.

When I used to attend Fundamental and Evangelical "churches", I rarely heard positive statements about persons who experienced same-sex attractions (I think I can recall two occasions in 23 years in which I heard statements of God's love for homosexuals. Also on both occasions, Christians were encouraged to love gay friends and relatives, even in spite of whether or not the gay friends were committing homosexual acts). I heard many stupid, homophobic,* and condemning statements, however. As a result, I wouldn't acknowledge that part of myself for many years, and to this day struggle with shame because of it.

I wish more Christian leaders would think before they speak!

*I mean literally homophobic. For example, an evangelist who preached at the Fundamental Baptist "church" I grew up in stated that he was afraid to let an obviously gay flight steward touch him lest he catch something. Puh-lease!