Sunday April 13, 2014

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Blessed Is He Who Comes In the Name of the Lord

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With our celebration today of the Lord’s voluntary entrance into Jerusalem, the place of His death, our prayerful and thoughtful reflection on the last days of His earthly life begins – we enter into the Great and Holy Week. It is a week that should be, for all true Christians, a week like none other. It is a week that would have us look intensely at human love and hate, nobility and crassness, selflessness and selfishness. It presents the life of a man, Jesus, Who devoted Himself to making God’s Word and Kingdom real. Although we believe Him to also be God incarnate, we know that He went through His suffering and death as a man. He was able to endure all with a nobility that was made possible because of His most profound faith in God, Who He knew as His Father.

His entrance into Jerusalem is very important because it informs us that: (1) He voluntarily accepted the suffering and death He knew He would have to endure because of the accusations people were levying against Him; (2) He was willing, because He believed that what He taught was the right way to live, to die instead of deny His beliefs; and (3) He rejected    human praise and power because He realized that such things are not what is important in life. In order to stress His awareness of what the pursuit of power and glory can do to a human, He chose to ride into Jerusalem on a simple young donkey. In the past, conquering generals rode into Jerusalem on great stallions to stress their power over the people.

Christ rode into Jerusalem not as someone who desired to have power over people but, rather, to stress that His simple way of living and believing leads to the fullness of life. Brutalizing others for the sake of personal glory is not the way of God.

What is the lesson we can learn from thinking about this event in the life of Jesus? Centering our life around human praise and power is not the way of God and does not bring His Kingdom into existence. It is very important to learn that God’s Kingdom is not established by doing things that can gain us human power and praise. God’s Kingdom only comes into existence when unconditional love and acceptance of others is made real by the way we treat others. People only yelled Hosanna to Christ because they thought He would free them from their conquerors. They thought He would use His power, which they witnessed in the miracles Heperformed, to destroy the Romans. They did not sing Hosanna because they believed in what He taught.

Getting to Know Something About Our Greek Catholic Faith – 20140413

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The magnificence of Constantinople and the refined civilization of its empire excited the envy of many peoples and nations. Grandeur and dignity, security and ease, progress and glory wafted from every story, from every piece of   information coming from the Empire. The history of Byzantium is an uninterrupted tale of invasions by wild tribes and barbarous neighbors. Every foreigner dreamed of finding a place in the Kingdom of God, while the Byzantines were eager to absorb as many people as they could, employ them in the army or in civil government, and integrate them into their Church.

Many of the so-called barbarians, Slavs and Germans that manned the legions of the Byzantine state, had high rank at court and in public life. When the eighth-century plagues and epidemics decimated Greece, free access was opened to all. Slavs flooded the provinces. Their best and most educated elements came to stay. Thessalonika received a great share of their influx. Varangians, from the center valley of the Dnieper around Kiev, had furnished the Empire with its best soldiers – not only mercenaries but the most valiant and permanent elements of the Empire – the Pretorian guards. Slavs mixed with the Easterners and Romans and vied with the Greeks in the capital city of the Roman Empire and in its provinces. They lived side by side, grew to know each other and were fused into one nation under God and under the rule of the Gospel of Christ.

The Slavs who came to Byzantium were formed by it and they, in turn, helped in the formation of its culture. Their courage and endurance, generosity and faithfulness, left their mark on every aspect of life.

Were Cyril and Methodius, the apostles of the Slavs, true-blooded Byzantine Greeks? Or were they immigrants or descendants of immigrants whose Slavic origin fitted them to be missionaries to the land of their forefathers?

Byzantium was the real teacher of the Slavs. Even after its fall and after it had ceased to exist as an empire, it continued to influence them. All people of Eastern Europe have preserved a living memory of its traditions. “They all still live by its inspiration, deeply imprinted in trends of thought and in their politics.”

Each Eastern European nation that embraced the “Greek/Byzantine” faith, infused its rituals with unique cultural influences, especially in terms of music and chant.

Learning About the Practices of Our Religion – 20140413

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During the past several weeks I have shared information about the oldest Liturgy that that Church developed. It is the Clementine Liturgy and is the basis for all subsequent Eastern, Liturgies.

The Clementine Liturgy enables us to form a reasonably accurate picture of late fourth-century Eucharistic worship in the province of Antioch. It testifies to the consolidation of the liturgical tradition in the East, parallel to that revealed by Ambrose of Milan in the West. I present this information as a means of sensitizing my readers to our own Liturgy. Knowing something about its development, I think, helps us to appreciate it more.

The Eucharistic prayer, at least up to the third century, was extemporaneously spoken by the leader (bishop or priest). After this time it became a fixed text. There was of course nothing like the uniformity of text and practice which later came to characterize eucharistic worship throughout the Church. It was still possible for new eucharistic prayers to be composed, of course following traditional lines; and considerable variety existed in the manner of celebrating the service. But the Clementine Liturgy provides us with a reasonable guide to the basic shape of the Liturgy of Constantinople at the end of the fourth century, as well as containing a number of features which are closely paralleled in the rite of the capital when clear evidence for its form and details appears. It offers us an adequate starting-point for tracing the specific development of Byzantine Eucharistic worship which we use.

Because the Eucharistic Liturgy is the faith-expression of a community, I believe it is extremely important that each faith community finds how to integrate some uniqueness into a fixed Liturgy. Why? To make the Liturgy a true expression of    the community’s faith. While practiced uniformity in the ritual of worship does, I believe, show the universality of Christian worship, it can limit the expression of worship by individual communities and, at times, force just simple, rote celebration. It is critical, I believe, that worship be the personal expression of the people who are worshiping. The celebrant – worship leader – has to find ways to make the worship, within the context of structured ritual, personal and unique. It is truly imperative that community worship become truly community worship – a true expression of the faith of the local community. This is the challenge of communal worship. The challenge is one of attempting to make our Liturgy the expression of our unique community and, at the same time, the traditional worship of our Church.

Its critical that WE WORSHIP GOD!

Called To Holiness — 20140413

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After sharing with you the thoughts of our Patriarch and Synod of Bishops about an initiative meant to help all communities become vibrant parishes, I have shared my thoughts about what it means to be Called to Holiness. It is my belief that in order for a parish to be vibrant, the majority of its members must feel and understand that they are Called to Holiness.

It is our initiation into the Church, through the reception of the Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Eucharist, that we have been given this call to holiness – given this call to be saints. For to be a saint means that we recognize that we are called to holiness!

It is my belief that holiness can mean, and has meant, many different things throughout the history of the Church. In a practical sense, holiness means being actively engaged in the spiritual activity called metanoia with an intent to achieve Theosis.

Metanoia is described as a person’s recognition of his darkened vision of his own condition, which includes negative attitudes and ways of thinking and a sincere desire to accomplish a change of heart and mind. It includes an honest assessment (something not always easy to do) of one’s thoughts about God, life and others in light of the teachings of Jesus. Attitudes are difficult to assess because they are our attitudes and we most frequently feel that what we think about things is right.

Once a person who desires to be holy has assessed his/her attitudes he/she then makes every effort to bring them into conformity with the Gospel message. This again is tricky since the Gospels are frequently interpreted in accord with our own dispositions and ideas.

A basic rule of thumb is this: any attitude or way of thinking that puts conditions on my love and acceptance of others, is not in conformity with the Gospel. I don’t believe that anyone can truly read the Gospels and find where Christ ever placed a condition on His love for others. The one judgment Christ made was when he found hypocrisy – when people said they believed in God and yet rejected their neighbors.

Metanoia is the process described in Eastern Spiritual literature of changing one’s heart and mind.

A Look at the New Testament – St. Paul – 20140413

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It must be remembered that for Paul the Church was the Body of Christ continued in time. Unity was key to this idea of the Body of Christ. In Corinth, when the meal ceased to be a common meal, this brought the hierarchical distinctions of this world into the Body of Christ. Paul preached that these differences should not be replicated in the community that followed Christ since the Church was a new expression of creation – an expression that was made in the image of what God intended when He created mankind.

mysticalsuperThis conflict is the context in which Paul recalls for the Corinthians the words used when recalling what Jesus said at the Last Supper. Paul writes this:

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The text concludes with: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.” In this context, eating and drinking the bread and wine “in an unworthy manner” refers to the behavior of the wealthy in perpetuating the divisions of “this world.” In Christian communities, those divisions were abolished.

We see that Paul understood that Christ came to restructure society – to make sure that all humans were equal and treated in an equal manner. Christ’s teachings, which proclaim that all humans are part of one family, wipes out all earthly distinctions or any type of stratified society. What Jesus encountered in the society into which He was born, was a society that was very stratified. It was stratified not only along the lines of wealth, but along the line of faith. Even the particular “religious group” a person belonged to determined his position in society.

Think about what you know of the society in which Jesus lived. Hatred for the Romans, Samaritans, Gentiles, sick and handicapped, lepers, poor and those who worked for the Romans (e.g., tax collectors) was rampant and a real part of society. There was no equality. Jesus preached against these distinctions and, as we see in the Gospels, embraced those who others hated.

Such differences, of course, arose in newly converted communities – it appears to be a natural tendency of humankind.

Within Christian Communities All Are supposed to be Equal!

Learning Our Faith from the Church Fathers – 20140413

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In Eastern thought, salvation is understood essentially in terms of participation and communion with the deified humanity of the incarnate Logos – Christ. The Eastern fathers even dare to call the Spirit the “image of the Son”; by this they imply the truth that the Spirit is the main agent which makes communion a reality. According to Athanasius, the Son has given us “the first fruits of the Spirit, so that we may be transformed into sons and daughters of God, according to the image of the Son of God”. Thus, if it is through the Spirit that the Word of God became a human being, it is also only through the Spirit that true life reaches us.

The Church has always struggled with her ideas of how God operates. How do the Father, Son and Holy Spirit operate as one being and yet retain their individuality. The doctrine of the Trinity is the Church’s way of saying that there is only ONE God and yet there are THREE distinct Persons that are this ONE God. A mystery. Something that we humans find very difficult to understand. Yet the Church has always maintained her belief in monotheism and yet sees this ONE God as working in three very different ways.

Authors throughout the history of the Church have wrestled with how to express how our Triune God works in time. One author asks, “What is the effect and the result of the sufferings and works and teachings of Christ? Consider in relation to ourselves, it is nothing other than the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.”

Another author reminds us of the fact that the role of the Spirit in salvation is to confirm the personal dignity of the deified human person. He writes:

If our individual natures are   incorporated into the glorious humanity of Christ and enter  the unity of His Body by baptism, conforming themselves to the death and resurrection of Christ, our persons need to be confirmed in their personal  dignity by the Holy Spirit, so that each may freely realize his own union with the Divinity. Baptism – the Mystery of unity in Christ – needs to be complemented by Chrismation – the Mystery of diversity in the Holy Spirit.

 Interestingly, the Eastern fathers attribute to the Spirit all the multiplicity of names that can be attributed to grace, as is evident, for example, in St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil. They freely speak about the Holy Spirit as effecting deification, perfection, adoption and sanctification. Eastern Christians sing, “The Holy Spirit gives life to souls; He exalts them in purity; He causes the sole nature of the Trinity to shine in them mysteriously.”

We will probably never totally realize during this lifetime how the Holy Trinity operates in human life. We simply have to believe that They do!

The Spirituality of the Christian East – 20140413

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We must realize that change in a person is only truly produced by God’s grace; yet it does not occur without the participation of a person’s free will. In repentance or metanoia, free will must participate in the very act of the change itself. This change for the better and turning to God, although experienced as instantaneous, is only something that transpires over time. A person passes through several preparatory stages during which his   freedom is united with God’s grace. In these stages, grace gradually takes possession of freedom, while freedom submits itself to grace. These stages are necessary for everyone. Some people pass through them quickly, but for others its takes years. Who can understand everything that is happening here, especially since there are so many ways that grace acts upon us and the states of people upon which it acts are so innumerable? One must understand, however, that for all this variety, there is one common order of change and no one can avoid it. Everyone who repents is a person who is living in sin – and every such person is changed by grace. Therefore, based on an understanding of the state of a sinner in general and understanding the relation of freedom to grace, one can depict this process and determine its rules.

We say that all of us are, during this lifetime, in a state of sin, that is in a state of   imperfection. We were created in this manner. Life presents opportunities for us to spiritually grow, eliminating, over time, basic imperfections. Regardless of this, however, we will never achieve perfection during this lifetime nor do we have to in order to grow ever closer to deeper union with God. The joy of this earthly existence is the journey to deeper union with God. Life is the way that it is so that we are supported in our attempts at personal change. The true purpose of life is personal change and growth!

Epistle of His Beatitude Sviatoslav to Youth

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patssI rejoice that on Palm Sunday, on the day of the Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem,

I again have the opportunity to address you.

“Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33)

You always, and especially during this tough winter and an anxiety-ridden spring, have been in my prayers and my thoughts.  I want to assure you that in all the difficult challenges, troubles and sorrows, the Church remains your steadfast Mother to whom you can always turn to in order to renew your strength, to find peace and hope.

This is a time of incredible challenges and simultaneously a time of deep conversion, a time of deliberation and change.

Together, we all are experiencing a complex, uncertain, while at the same time, an inspirational time.  It is a time of incredible challenges and simultaneously a deep conversion, a time of deliberations and changes – a time, during which we can feel the presence of God in our history and His limitless love.

The festive entry of Christ to Jerusalem also took place at a difficult – perhaps even critical – time for the Old Testament people of God.  The confused and disillusioned people of Israel waited for the Messiah — the One who would release them from the chains of slavery and despair. People expected change, the embodiment of their great wish – the coming of the king who would free Israel, reinstate peace and will rule all nations.  The palm branches, held in their hands, symbolized the expected peace.  They shouted “Hosanna!” which means “Save us!”

And Christ really did bring a victory – a victory much greater than the one which the Israelites expected:  not a political victory, but a victory over death!  Humankind met a real spring, an authentic renewal and liberation, whose only source is God the Lord.  Only He through his strength can remove everything that has died and has petrified, and he offers a person a new life, new hope, and a new chance. This was foretold by the prophet Isaiah in these words: “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?” (Isaiah 43, 18-19).

The first who felt that novelty in Christ and who greeted Him, were the children!  Young people are the ones who first feel the need for something better, because youthfulness is the spring of life.  They do not only simply need what Christ grants, do not just expect change, but they accept it – they permit this novelty to sink inside of them, and yearn for the fullness of life.  Youth starts moving towards God and is the one who is the first at realizing the fruits of God’s coming.

The Israeli people waited for the Messiah who would give them political freedom.  We also sometimes expect that someone will build for us a better world, will do a miracle.  This position is even evident in our prayers—we pay and wait that something will change without our participation.

Yet God needs our cooperation and gives us strength to realize the changes which we are requesting.  Therefore we should realize that an authentic change is the result of the cooperation of the person with God.  Let us remember how Christ taught his apostles: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing” (John 15: 5)

A vivid example of the fact that Ukrainian youth deeply realized the mutual responsibility for themselves, for others, and for the entire creation became the events of the last months, which will enter history as the “revolution of dignity”.

It is my sincere belief that youth, believing youth, is a force that is capable of changing society, our people and their independent state.  It becomes attractive, widening the wave of renewal, engages others to join them, disarms the opponents and numbs the lips of the falsehood speakers.

A vivid example of how deeply Ukrainian youth realized their responsibility for themselves, for others, and for all of creation can be found in the events of the last few months, which will enter history as the “revolution for dignity”.  Our young people showed Europe and the whole world a new quality, demonstrated the authentic treatment of the values of freedom, dignity, and solidarity.

This was truly a grandiose change in the life of the Ukrainian people, which should become the outlook of further development.  In no case, it cannot be relegated to heroic moments of the past, left behind.  Maidan is a start, just as the festive entry of Christ into Jerusalem is the beginning of  Holy  Week, Christ’s passion, His voluntary humiliation and crucifixion on the cross.  Today Jerusalem glorifies Jesus, although He will shine with authentic glory only when as victorious over sin and death He emerge Resurrected from a sealed grave.  This cannot be stopped by anything or anybody: neither the stone which sealed the entrance to the grave, neither the weapons of the soldiers who guarded the grave, nor the culinary agreements of the godless rulers.

Unfortunately, a deep and fundamental change cannot be painless — a movement demands self-sacrifice. We also experienced that in the past months.  The bright and pure sacrifice of the Heavenly Hundred…  We deeply felt the commitment of the Maidan heroes, their deaths strongly impacted each one of us, and particularly those, who suffered  the  heavy loss of a family member, a friend or a colleague.

However, the definitive finale is not death, but victory – victory over evil, over death, over all that  degrades dignity and  takes away freedom.  We clearly realize that the movement towards change  leads through suffering to resurrection.  Renewal – is a movement towards resurrection.

In his inaugural speech in 1978, Blessed Pope John Paul II, who will be canonized as a saint in two weeks, stated:  “Do not be afraid!  Open wide the doors for Christ.  Open the borders, economic and political systems, cultures, civilizations, and the development of His  rule of salvation.”  His words are an appropriate call also to us.  Let us not be afraid!

His successor on Peter’s throne, Pope Francis, also talks about courage and addresses youth:  “Dare to swim against the tide.  Dare to be authentically happy.  Say “NO!” to ephemeral artificial culture which considers that you are not capable to take responsibility for yourself and to accept really great life challenges.” Maidan is our entry to Jerusalem.  We saw glory, experienced suffering and comprehended the power of sacrifice.

Dearly Beloved in Christ – Dear Young Ukrainians!

The whole world saw that you are capable of swimming against the tide, take on responsibility and face challenges and danger eye to eye. You can change the world.

Maidan is our entry into Jerusalem.  We saw glory, experienced suffering and comprehended the power of sacrifice.  And we know that the trials will continue.  But this is not all of it.  Our revolution — spiritual, personal, national – is a process.  Greatness is ahead of us and we can reach it only together with Christ.  We will see victory in the greatness and dignity of the Resurrection, which is the greatest and a fundamental victory – over death and sin.  Do not be afraid!  Christ has already won: and our victory is in Him.

Blessings of the Lord upon you!
+ SVIATOSLAV

Issued in Kyiv
At the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on April 1 of the Year of the Lord, 2014

We request all priests – pastors to read this epistle to the faithful
after every Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday, April 13 of this year.

Sunday April 6, 2014

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In you, O Mother Mary of Egypt, the divine likeness shone forth
faithfully, for by taking up the cross, you followed Christ.
You gave example to be not concerned with fleeting life,
but to be watchful over the eternal soul. Therefore,
O Venerable Mary, you now rejoice with the angels.

Kowalchyk-St_Mary_St_ZossimaWith this weekend we complete the fifth week of the Great Fast. Our Gospel reading relates Christ’s going up to Jerusalem with His disciples. It says that their mood was one of wonderment, while that of those who followed was fear. Hopefully we approach the Great and Holy Week with a sense of wonderment. Indeed  the  foundational story of our Christian faith should provoke wonderment and not fear.

Christ’s story speaks of unconditional love and forgiveness. By the very way He lived His life and death gives us a sense that His teachings about life and how to live life are true. He is our model of how to deal with the challenges of life and even the cruelty of others. His story gives us a clearer idea about and understanding of life if only we open   ourselves to the true meaning of His life.

Like the disciples who went with Christ to Jerusalem, we know the story of what transpired in Jerusalem. Christ was arrested, unjustly accused and convicted of treason and blasphemy, mocked, flogged, scourged and finally crucified. There is nothing new about His story. What is hopefully new, however, is what the story provokes within us. Hopefully our time of preparation – the Great Fast that is quickly coming to an end – has    softened our hearts and minds so that we hear His story in a different way.

Today the Church has us remember Mary of Egypt, one of the truly great female ascetical saints. When she truly opened her heart to His story, her whole life was changed. She realized the great love God had for her and, realizing this, she dedicated her entire life to prayer in her sorrow for her sins.

While God does not expect us to give up our present life and go and live in a desert as Mary did, He calls us to awaken our hearts and minds to His love for us.

Remember, it is never too late to truly prepare yourself for Easter. Use the remaining days of the Great Fast – there are really only six days since the Great and Holy Week is not really Lent – to open your heart and mind to God’s great love for you. Make the actions of Jesus personal. He wants to teach you and me how to live.

Getting to Know Something About Our Greek Catholic Faith – 20140406

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holywisdomUntil recently the common expression by which we identified ourselves as a Church was Ukrainian Catholic. When Ukraine gained its independence, we reverted to our original name, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic. Although we have referred to ourselves as Christians using the Byzantine ritual, this word Byzantine has a pejorative connotation by some Western standards to signify a state of inferiority of both mind and spirit. The first vilification of the name came from the Carolingian officials when their King,        Charlemagne, was refused by Constantinople the title of “Emperor of the Romans.” Since that time disputes and wars grew ever bitter between Byzantium and the West. It reached an apex in the fourth Crusade when the Crusaders, all Western Christians, sacked Constantinople.

Because the word Byzantine represented the essentially Christian culture of an essentially Christian Empire, the atheists and anti-Christian encyclopedists of the 18th century, namely Voltaire, Montesquieu and, after them the famous English historian    Gibbon, created an aura of disgust and horror around it. Under their influence, the word Byzantine came to be, in European languages, synonymous with “barbarous,” “futile,” and “inane.” Everyone shied away from its use. One author remarked: “For centuries after the Crusades, it was the fashion in Europe to regard the Empire whose seat was beside the Bosporus as a grotesque ruin, a crumbling relic, an outworn survival which cumbered the ground only because the servants had been too lazy to sweep it away” It was not until the late 19th century, and especially in the twentieth, that this word and what it represents, were vindicated and rehabilitated to honor and glory.

By contrast, the word Greek had always enjoyed popularity and general acceptance. It connoted harmony of thought, artistic taste, poetry, beauty and human dignity. The official language of the Empire was Greek. The word “Greek” represented the most refined paganism with its marvelous culture. Even that most astonishing discovery in chemistry made by the Syrian Callinicus of Heliopolis was called “Greek Fire”

Since the beginning of Christianity, and for a long time later, Greek was the official language of both the Eastern and Western Church. The Western or Roman Church used it exclusively until the days of Pope St. Victor in 199. Later, it adopted the language of the people, the vernacular, which was Latin. It was then called the Latin Church.patcath

The Eastern Church, presiding over the development of the Byzantine Empire and its culture, kept Greek as its official language until the fall of Constantinople in 1453, and became known as the “Greek” Church.

By returning to our original name, we stress our spiritual heritage. Christianity, as practiced by Ukrainians, came from the Greek expression of the Church. Our ritual is an adapted expression of that ritual used by the Greek Church.