DOES AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
HAVE TO CROSS ONESELF
OR KISS THE ICONS?

There has recently come my way a question from a Protestant (who is, I gather, a professor) asking whether one “must” cross oneself, kiss the icons, and make a reverence at certain moments in our temples and homes.  
     The question clearly presupposes a legalist view of the questioner or of us.  While Orthodoxy has its canon law and certain requirements for certain privileges, the Orthodox world view (notably its view of the Fall and of Salvation) is not based on legalisms . . . such as the juridical teaching that the Trinity insisted on satisfying justice before He would deign to forgive our sins–and that Jesus was punished for our sins on the Cross–and much in like vein.
    The Orthodox look at the actions mentioned at the beginning of this page as ways of manifesting love in traditionally approved (and evidently satisfying) ways.  Since we adore the Cross and love what our Savior did on the Cross, we cross ourselves both out of love and to remind us of what Jesus did.  Since we love Jesus, His Mother, and the other Saints and revere the holy miracles or other events portrayed in icons, we show our love and reverence by kissing them.   
    One could expatiate at length.  But these examples show how radically different and how far apart the thought world of the “Western” questioner and the thought world of the Eastern Orthodox are.  We kneel or prostrate ourselves on days when this is permitted because someone (or public opinion) forces us to.  Indeed, one sees this person making a prostration now, another doing it at some other time, and practically everyone who able to do so doing it togther at a few other few times.  Each person does it as one is moved to do it by love and reverence.  We don’t think twice when someone does or does not perform this act of humility and adoration.  When we beg the forgiveness of others on Forgiveness Lordsday just before the Great Fast begins, we kiss one another and (in some traditions) prostrate ourselves before each of them–not because we have to but, if we are sincere–because we think that the triple kiss and the act of humility respectively express our love for them and express how humiliating we consider our offences to have been.  If we do any of this for the mere show of it or out of obedience, the acts have no worth; indeed, kneeling out of routine would hardly have much value, and kneeling just to impress others would be hypocritical.

 

© 2003 by Orchid Land Publications

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A Word About Church History

Scholars estimate there are over 2600 groups today who lay claim to being the Church, or at least the direct descendants of the Church described in the New Testament. Repeat: 2600!

But for the first thousand years of her history the Church was essentially one. Five historic Patriarchal centers–Jerusalem; Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople– formed a cohesive whole and were in full communion with each other. There were occasional heretical or schismatic groups going their own way, to be sure; but the Church was unified until the 11th century. Then, in events culminating in A.D.1054, the Roman Patriarch pulled away from the other four, pursuing his long-developing claim of universal headship of the Church.

Today, nearly a thousand years later, the other four Patriarchates remain intact, in full communion, maintaining that Orthodox apostolic faith of the inspired New Testament record. The Orthodox Church and her history is described herein, from Pentecost to the present day.

 

33 Pentecost (A.D: 29 is thought to be more accurate).
49 Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15) establishes precedent for addressing Church disputes in Council. James presides as bishop. 69 Bishop Ignatius consecrated in Antioch in heart of New Testament era–St. Peter had been the first bishop there. Other early bishops include James, Polycarp, and Clement.
95 Book of Revelation written, probably the last of the New Testament books.
150 St. Justin Martyr describe’s the liturgical worship of the Church, centered in the Eucharist. Liturgical worship is rooted in both the Old and New Testament.
325 The Nicene Creed is established. The Council of Nicea settles the major heretical challenge to the Christian faith when the heretic Arius asserts Christ was created by the Father. St. Athanasius defends the eternality of the Son of God. The Arians continue their assault on true Christianity for years. Nicea is the first of Seven Ecumenical (Church-wide) Councils.
451 Council of Chalcedon affirms apostolic doctrine of two natures in Christ.
589 In a synod in Toledo, Spain, the filioque, asserting that the Holy Spirit procedes from the Father and the Son is added to the Nicene Creed. This error is later adopted by Rome.
787 The era of Ecumenical Councils ends at Nicea, with the Seventh Council bringing the centuries-old use of icons back into the Church.
988 Conversion of Russia begins.
We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendour or beauty anywhere upon earth. We cannot describe it to you: only this we know, that God dwells there among men, and that their service surpasses the worship of all other places. For we cannot forget that beauty. – Envoys of the Russian Prince Vladimir, after experiencing the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in the year 987.
1054 The Great Schism occurs. Two major issues include Rome’s claim to a universal papal supremacy and her addition of the filioque clause to the Nicene Creed. The Photian schism (880) further complicated the debate.
1095 The Crusades begun by the Roman Church. The Sack of Constantinople by Rome (1204) adds to the estrangement between East and West.
1333 St. Gregory Palamas defends the Orthodox practice of hesychast spirituality and the use of the Jesus prayer.
1453 Turks overrun Constantinople; Byzantine Empire ends.
1517 Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the Roman Church in Wittenberg, starting the Protestant Reformation. 1529 Church of England begins pulling away from Rome.
1794 Missionaries arrive on Kodiak Island in Alaska; Orthodoxy introduced to North America.
1854 Rome establishes the Immaculate Conception dogma.
1870 Papal Infallibility becomes Roman dogma.
1988 One thousand years of Orthodoxy in Russia, as Orthodox Church world-wide maintains fulness of the Apostolic faith.

Prayer for Love

Christ my God, set my heart on fire with love in You, that in its flame I may love You with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my soul and with all my strength, and my neighbor as myself, so that by keeping Your commandments I may glorify You the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Amen.

Spring has sprung! “Camping” in the backyard. And my personal favorites! Nicholas’ artwork!! An artist hard at work! The finished product!!! Nicholas made this for Jonah because Jonah loves duckies!! Sweet!

From Hell to Heaven in Guatemala

 

 

 

 

I recently went to an Orthodox Orphanage in Guatemala called Hogar Rafael Ayau.  By God’s grace, I experienced things that have penetrated my heart and opened my eyes to many things.  I wish to share my experiences and meditations with you because I desire that others benefit from this story as I have.  Before my arrival, I was told that most of the orphans there have disturbing pasts.  The Guatemalan government, aside from being corrupt, is ineffective in law enforcement.  As a result, Guatemala City, is a dangerous place, especially for children.  The orphanage is located right in the center of this city (surrounded by a 17 ft brick wall).  The people there are extremely poor and their poverty compels many of them to great sins against children.  Many children are exploited by adults in order to make money or satisfy their desires.  Some are sent to beg on the dangerous streets.  These children are ordered to stand in the middle of the road and beg for money from cars stopped in traffic.  Imagine your five year old brother or cousin in the middle of a busy street standing in between cars three times his height. There are also some parents who rent their children for money.  These rented children are then subjected to whatever the “leaser” desires.  Many are sexually abused or forced into prostitution.  I will not ask you to imagine your younger sister or cousin in this situation because this would be something too difficult to accept.  The things we can barely think and talk about happen to these children every day.  Some children starve to death because their parents are so hungry they will not share the food with their own seed.  Many children are abused physically by their parents.  One child at the orphanage had deformed feet.  They were webbed to the point one could not see the child’s toes.  They looked like two globs of flesh.  This was because when he would cry as a baby, his mother would dip his feet into boiling water in order to stop him from crying.  Forgive me for sharing with you these tragic stories, but I ask you to take a moment and think about the situation these children are in.  They have no police to protect them from their parents or exploiters.  They have no one to raise them, love them, or show them any kind of positive emotion.  What they learn from their parents is sexual and physical abuse, stealing, and selfishness.  What do you think they will do when they get older?  The only thing they were taught. This is where I was going and these were the children I was going to spend a week with.

 

A few Orthodox nuns were called by God to serve the children of this city.  Children were taken away from this corrupt city and placed in the hands of these nuns.  At the time of my visit, the orphanage had grown to about 150 children: 150 abandoned, abused, and exploited children.  How could a few nuns be expected to raise these children?  Could a few nuns show these children enough love and care so that the children could move beyond their dark past and start living a normal life?  I will answer this question in time, but, for you parents who are reading, imagine being put in charge of just one of these children.  How difficult it would be to try to take this child who has only seen and experienced evil and show him how to experience love.  Would you be able to force this child to behave let alone teach him about Christ and the Church?  In our country, children like this spend their whole life seeing psychiatrists and counselors.  Remember, that is with a 1:1 ratio, child to parents.

 

My first day there was a Sunday, so we started the day with liturgy.  We were not sure about the time change and ended up being ready an hour before liturgy, so we decided to walk around.  Suddenly, a small boy, about the age of 6, ran up to two of the members from our group and gave them a hug.  He walked them to the church and we sat in one of the pews talking and playing with this boy.  What love that boy had!  Not knowing us and seeing us for the first time, he, without hesitation, acted as though we were his family.  Soon the rest of the children had formed a line outside to enter the church.  Upon entering, each would bow before the icons in the back of the church and then do three full prostrations in front of both the icon of Our Lord and the icon of the Theotokos Virgin Mary kissing the icons after the prostrations.  After all completed their prostrations, the liturgy began.  A nun and a young orphan girl led all the liturgical chanting, but could barely be heard because of the overwhelming chorus of children singing.  Almost every child had the service memorized and joyfully sang with a loud voice.  There were points in the liturgy where I felt the church was going to shake because almost 100 loud voices were praising, resulting in one powerful and resonating sound.  Can you think of anything more beautiful than young children filling the church with their voices, praising God with all their heart?  I assure you the angels rushed to behold the children of God and listen to their voices directed to Heaven.  Truly, a feeling of peace and calmness, which only comes from God, overcame all of us that day.  It was evident God was among those children because just listening to their praising and being around them lifted us spiritually.

 

Throughout the service, we noticed children doing many prostrations.  Nobody was forcing them to do these prostrations, but it was out of their own will that they subjected their bodies.  Some children started prostrations at the beginning of service and didn’t stop until the service ended.  When we asked one of nuns about this, she told us that some of the children say that they lied or did something wrong and felt they needed to repent.

 

That Sunday happened to be the first Sunday before the Great Fast.  A special service called Forgiveness Vespers is celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox on this day.  Towards the end of this service, the two priests did full prostrations before each other, kissed each other’s hands, and asked each other for forgiveness.  The nuns then did the same before the priests each one prostrating before the other, kissing each other’s hands, and asking for forgiveness.  This was an act of great humility, but what I saw next I will remember for the rest of my life.  The children lined up before the priests and nuns.  Each child did a prostration before the priest while the priest prostrated before the child, each kissing each other’s hands, and asking each other for forgiveness.  Each child followed this same pattern with the nuns also.  After completing this process with all the nuns, the first child stood next to the last nun in line.  Then the next child would stand next to that first child in the same line and this process would repeat until there was a circle of priests, nuns, and children all the way around the church.  This continued for about 30 minutes until everyone in the church had prostrated before everyone, kissing their hand, and asking them for forgiveness.  Overall, everyone prostrated before about 100 people most of which were below the age of 11.  I am still amazed by this service. First of all, these nuns were the authority in the orphanage.  They had to be strict in order to control the children.  Essentially, they were the parents of the house, yet these nuns gladly prostrated before every one of their children.  More incredible than this though, was seeing the children bow before their authority figures and before each other.  Picture yourself prostrating before your parents.  Picture yourself prostrating before your children or your younger sibling.  Certainly it would be difficult. 

 

Personally, I benefited greatly from all the prostrations, kissing of hands, and begging for forgiveness.  At first I was embarrassed.  It was hard for me to allow priests, nuns, and innocent children to kiss my hand.  They did not know they were kissing a defiled hand.  I wanted to pull my hand away but was afraid this would offend them.  After a little while, when the prostrations became more difficult and my body became weaker, I began to feel as though I was prostrating before Christ Himself asking Him for forgiveness.  I no longer saw orphans.  With every kiss of the hand, I felt I was pulling Christ’s hand begging Him to forgive me.  By the grace of God working through these orphans, I was able see Christ in all those around me.  Surely, if one can feed, clothe, and visit Christ through others, then one can humble himself and ask for forgiveness from Christ through others as well (Matthew 25:35).  I urge you all to prostrate before as many people as you can, especially those whom it is the hardest to prostrate before.  If not physically then spiritually prostrate before them; for it is not them whom you prostrate before, but it is before Christ.

 

 

Apart from their actions in church, I noticed great faith and love in these children.  One of them was walking outside and didn’t know he was being watched.  He made the sign of the cross and then continued to walk.  Moreover, all the children would repeatedly hug us when they saw us.  Many of the children made us cards expressing their gratitude for our presence.  One girl’s words touched me the most though.  This young girl was talking to us about all the noise we could hear coming from the city.  She told some of us that our parents shouldn’t be worried because this (the orphanage) is a holy place and nothing will happen to us.  She then made the sign of the cross.  There was not a doubt in her mind that she was protected by God. 

 

 

 

 

How could these be the same Guatemala City children I described earlier?

 

Just so you will know that the events I just described to you are no small thing, allow me to compare these children to our children and even to us.  How many of our children have done one prostration or even know what a prostration is?  How many of us have the faith of that young girl?  If you were in a dangerous city, would you feel at peace and have no doubt that God was protecting you?  How many of our children will hug those in Church they do not know?  More than this, how many of us would immediately accept a visitor of the church as if he or she were family?  In response to these questions, I want to be very honest with you.  I think our children are spiritually delayed.  They grow up watching TV and playing video games.  True, they may go to church and even enjoy it, but they never are pushed or even expected to have a spiritual life.  Unfortunately, most of our children are busy with so many things all day, and then our parents think it enough that they spend five minutes before they go to bed saying a short prayer and reading a short biblical story.  Obviously, the emphasis is not on things spiritual when only 5 minutes at the end of each day are allotted.  Do not think that our children are too young to grow spiritually.  Please do not ever think that they will learn all they need in Sunday school and then become spiritual when they get older.  I have just shown you children who are spiritual!  Do not think that these children are special and that it is not realistic to expect much from our children for this is illogical.  Our children are given much more from God and should be surpassing these orphans.  Jesus says, “Let the children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 9:14).  Do not forbid your children to come to Jesus by not emphasizing spirituality.  Even our beloved St. John Chrysostom whom we quote so frequently has the same message for us.

 

“For let no one tell me that our children ought not to be occupied with these things; they ought not only to be occupied with them, but to be zealous about them only….And yet when you take your children into the theaters, you allege neither their mathematical lessons, nor anything of the kind; but if it be required to gain or collect anything spiritual, you call the matter a waste of time. And how shall you not anger God, if you find leisure and assign a season for everything else, and yet think it a troublesome and unseasonable thing for your children to take in hand what relates to Him?” (Homily 1 on the Gospel of St. John)

 

How do you think St. Abanoub, a 12 year old child, witnessed to many people including governors and finally obtained the crown of martyrdom in the era of the tyrant and persecutor Diocletian?  It is simply because his parents pushed him to understand and love Christ.  As for these Guatemalan orphans, I believe they are close to understanding and loving Christ.  As for our children, please do not get upset with me, they have not even begun to delve into things spiritual.  They have accumulated so many images and sounds from the media that they do not enjoy things spiritual.  This is why children in our country dread going to church.  Their soul has more of an affinity for media and video games than it does for God.  When they get older, and I pray they realize the importance of spirituality, they will have to shed all the bad habits they formed, all the sinful images they acquired from the media, and all the disturbing sounds and words they heard throughout their life and will inevitably be greatly delayed.  Just as I know you cannot stand to see your child delayed in education, you also should not stand to see your child delayed spiritually.  It would hurt you deeply if your child had to repeat the 1^st grade twice because you neglected to teach him or her how to think and speak when he or she was young.  What scares me is would you be hurt deeply if your child had to repeat the 1^st grade of spirituality until they reach the age of  25 because you neglected to emphasize spirituality every day and only emphasized it on Sunday?  Which is more important?  Picture a 25 year old man in 1^st grade trying desperately to learn.  If spirituality is more important, then how much more absurd a sight is a 25 year old man struggling to reach the 1^st grade of spirituality?

 

To those of you who are not parents and are no longer children; if you are delayed like I am spiritually, I urge you to strive harder to make up for lost time.  Let us stop fooling ourselves and devote our whole life to growing spiritually.  We will continue to be delayed unless we rid ourselves of everything that holds us back.  Deep down, you know what exactly what sin is keeping you from God.  For some of us it is lust, some drinking, some laziness, some the people we hang around, and for some of us it is the desire to be the center of attention.  Be angry at this sin and ask God to destroy it.  Be jealous because these orphans feel God’s presence more than we do.  Be jealous because they hear God’s Word more than we do.  Be jealous because they do more prostrations than we do. Please be humbled by these orphans and realize you have not attained a spiritual level appropriate for the number of years you have been Christian.  Pray for me so that I may have the strength to strive along with you.

 

As for my earlier question, “Could a few nuns show these children enough love and care so that the children could move beyond their dark past and start living a normal life?”  The answer is no.  A few people cannot accomplish such a transformation which I just described to you.  These children went from hell to heaven, from hate to love.  It is clearly the love of God that has caused this transformation.  It is this same transformation God wants to accomplish with all of us.  I have written about many sad things: orphans, abuse, and abandonment.  But now I ask you to rejoice with me.  Rejoice because God has dwelt among these orphans!  Rejoice because these orphans are learning to become strong spiritual soldiers!  Rejoice because these orphans are among nuns whom God works through! Rejoice because these children have returned to the image of God!  What a great service these nuns and others are doing for these children.  What is more important than loving God’s children and teaching them about Him? 

 

If you would like to be a part of this service that has taught me so much and has placed God in the midst of Guatemala City orphans, you can donate to the address below or even go spend time with the children.  Whatever you decide to do, I urge you not to forget about this place in your prayers.

 

Monetary Donation:

Hogar Rafael Ayau

Attention: Mother Ines

P.O. Box 591828 D-012

Miami, FL 33159-1828

Make check payable to ICAOAG-Hogar Rafael Ayau

 

Tel 502-2232-8916 or 502-2232-8917

Email: homeayau@ufm.edu.gt

 

The above article was written , recently, by a student member of the OCF of Miami University of Ohio.  Fr. Christos is one of the OCF spiritual advisors. http://www.ocf.net/

STATEMENT OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
ON THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

We participate in the sorrow of the Roman Catholic Church during this difficult time of the departure of Pope John Paul II, and we join the world in offering prayers knowing that he is now in the world of eternal rest.

The Pope, who began his papacy in October 1978, has guided the Roman Catholic Church through transforming years, remaining firm on traditional values while offering love, compassion, and forgiveness.  He touched many people with his gentle manner and his openness to people of other religions.

During the tenure of Pope John Paul II, the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church has improved significantly.  In a most recent relevant event last November, Archbishop Demetrios, spiritual leader of 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in America, had the opportunity to visit and be with the Pope in a special occasion at The Vatican.  This was a ceremony during which the Pope, responding to the request of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, returned the Holy Relics of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Gregory the Theologian, two of the most prominent Fathers of the undivided Church.  The Holy Relics now rest at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople.

We, as Orthodox Christians, will always remember, among other instances, this expression of a desire for reconciliation and unity as we pray for the repose of his soul.

Pope John Paul II May His Memory Remain Eternal !

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I  sent a delegation to Rome for the June 29, 1998 celebration of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. It was led  by His Eminence Metropolitan John [Zizioulas] of Pergamon. The other members of the delegation were Bishop Emmanuel of Reghion, assistant of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitanate of Belgium, and Fr. Christos Christakis of London. They attended the Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29, 1998 had a private audience with the Holy Father, and had “talks on matters of common interest and collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.” VIS, June 26.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The text of Pope John Paul’s and Metropolitan John of Pergamon’s speeches follow:  His Holiness Pope John Paul II delivered the following speech during his private meeting with the delegation on June 28, 1998:  “Dear Brothers in Christ, I cordially welcome you, the delegates of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, who have come to Rome to take part in the solemn Eucharistic celebration to mark the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul. For a number of years, this brotherly exchange has brought together representatives of the church which owes its beginnings to the apostolate of Sts. Peter and Paul here in Rome and the church which traces its origin to St. Andrew.  The two brother Apostles Peter and Andrew, patrons respectively of the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople, bring to mind the vocation received from the Lord to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom: “As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men’” (Mt 4:23).  This is the perennial task of the disciples of the Lord in every age and every place: the proclamation of the kingdom and the healing of the evils afflicting the People of God. As we approach the third millennium, the Spirit makes us understand the urgency of a more intense dedication to this task. And the witness of Christian unity becomes even more imperative:  “that they may all be one…so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21). In this perspective, it is with joy that I recall the Joint Declaration signed by His Holiness Bartholomew I and myself, in which we urged Catholics and Orthodox “to make this spiritual pilgrimage together towards the Jubilee.” We expressed our shared conviction that “reflection, prayer, dialogue, reciprocal forgiveness and mutual fraternal love will bring us closer to the Lord, and will help us better to understand his will for the Church and for humanity.” Your presence among us for the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul is a clear sign of our common will to undertake this journey in fraternal charity and in love for the truth, trusting in Jesus Christ, the only Lord and Savior of the world.  I ask you to take the assurance of my cordial greeting and fraternal regard to His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch. May God who has begun a good work in us bring it to completion. Amen.”  TEXT OF METROPOLITAN JOHN OF PERGAMON  His Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon gave this speech in reply:  “Your Holiness, We give glory and thanks to the Triune God for granting us the great blessing to visit Your Holiness as official representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Church of Constantinople on the occasion of the Feast of the Patron Saint of the venerable Church of Rome, the church presiding in love,” according to the well-known expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch.  It is indeed a distinct privilege and a great honor for myself and my brothers in Christ, the Right Reverend Emmanuel, Bishop of Reghion, and the Reverend Presbyter Christos Christakis, who accompany me, to stand at this moment before Your Holiness as participants in a long tradition of exchange of official visits between our two ancient churches on the occasion of the feasts of their respective Patron Saints. Such a sacred custom re-affirms and deepens the bond of love which unites our two churches, and paves the way to the full unity which our Lord demands from us. His All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, fully conscious of the significance of this sacred custom, which he blessed himself with his personal visit to You on the same occasion three years ago, has commanded us to offer You the assurance of his feelings of deep brotherly love and honor, as well as of his firm commitment to the holy task of furthering and deepening the unity of our two churches.  It is indeed for the sake of this sacred cause of unity that our two churches are officially engaged in theological dialogue so that on the basis of their common heritage of the first thousand years of the Churchs life they may remove the obstacles to full communion that have appeared since the tragic Schism which has separated us for almost a millennium now. The bitter experience of this long period of separation has made us all aware of the need to accelerate the process of restoring our full communion so that the approaching third millennium of the Christian era may find the Church of God visibly united as she was before the great Schism. As Your Holiness has aptly put it some years ago, East and West are the two lungs by which the Church breaths; their unity is essential to the healthy life of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  Your Holiness,  As we strive to reach the restoration of the full communion of our churches through the dialogue of love and truth, trying to overcome obstacles, old and new, on our way, we are encouraged by the declarations of support Your Holiness repeatedly offers to this sacred goal. We are particularly appreciative of Your Encyclical Ut Unum Sint and the possibilities it offers for a constructive discussion of certain fundamental ecclesiological questions affecting our unity. The invitation your holiness has addressed to all Christians for a frank and open discussion of the subject of the Petrine ministry in the Church is already leading to important discussions. Equally, the document of the Pontifical Council for Unity on the Procession of the Holy Spirit offers the basis for important clarifications concerning an issue that has that has divided West and East for such a long time. We in the Orthodox Church are very pleased that theology is taken seriously in our efforts to restore full communion, for we believe that Truth must be the solid foundation for a lasting and God-pleasing unity.  Your Holiness,  As we approach the end of this millennium we become aware of the Churchs great responsibility towards humanity. The impressive achievements of science and technology risk becoming a serious threat to the dignity of the human person and the survival of Gods creation, as they do not seem to be accompanied by a respect for ethical values. The  repeated appeals and efforts of Your Holiness for the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the human person, as well as the initiatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the protection of the natural environment, indicate our awareness of the Churchs responsibility today. Our voice and our efforts, however, can be credible in the contemporary world only if our divisions are healed and overcome.  With these thoughts, which our Patriarchal delegation with humility and respect wishes to express to Your Holiness on this solemn occasion of todays great Feast, we have the honor and the privilege to ask You to receive from our hands the present personal Letter of His All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, together with His Holy Synods congratulations and good wishes on the Patron Feast of your church.  May the Lord, through the supplication of His Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, whose memory we celebrate today, grant Your Holiness health and strength for many years to come, to the glory of the Triune God and for the benefit of the unity of all in Christs name.”  From L’Osservatore Romano, 30 June-1 July, 1998.  Taken from Orthodox World News Archives online at:  http://www.goarch.org/worldnews

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Today  most people  think of  April fool’s day. For me however it has great significance. It was on this day, the feast day of St. Mary of Egypt that I found the lump in my neck and went to the doctor. That was 12 years ago today. The  story of Mary of Egypt  is amazing and always moves me, along with her icon. I remember so clearly that day 12 years ago. We had just became engaged two days earlier, in London, on March 30th.  Thank God I listened to that little voice telling me to skip the manicure after my  8 am Germany History lecture and go to the family doctor instead. Divine Providence! The doc insisted on an x-ray and a biopsy. To make a long story short it was stage IIa Hodgkin’s disease. I had a 8 cm tumor in my neck and a 13 cm collection of tumors in my chest. After a year of chemo and radio and a few surgeries we were married and 12 years later are the parents of 3 lovely, healthy, boys with another blessing on the way! Glory be to God for All Things! St. Mary of Egypt Pray to God for  Us! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ St.  Mary of Egypt April 1st