With open arms we welcome all who desire to discover, experience, and live the Orthodox Faith, which is above all earthly boundaries and nationalities!continue reading
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Introduction to the homily by St. Nikolai Velimirovich on the Gospel for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost:
Matthew 22:1-14 On the Marriage of the King’s Son
God desires that a man, by his love, cleave solely to Him, and then he will, through the love that radiates from this, easily be one with God’s creation. This is man’s unity with God. This is the soul’s espousal to Christ. All else is adultery and promiscuity. Only such a close union between the soul and Christ—which is most clearly mirrored for us in earthly marriage—can make the soul rich and fruitful. From all other close relationships that the soul may have are born thistles and weeds, and it remains totally barren of any sort of good…
Whatever it is with which the human soul links itself most closely, with that it is in wedlock—whether with a living being or a dead thing, with the body or its clothing, with silver or gold or any earthly possession, any sort of earthly glory or honor, or a passion for anything in the created world: jewelry, food, drink, dancing, nature—or anything in nature. Every such marriage by the human soul is outside the law, and draws endless misfortune on the soul both in this world and in the world to come, in a way similar to, though incomparably greater than, unlawful relations between man and woman, that bring grief and misery not only for the two of them but also for any children that they may have…
The living God is a jealous God (Ex. 20:5; Dt. 4:24). God’s jealous zeal is directed towards nothing on earth but man’s soul. God desires that a man’s soul be His alone, and this in pure and unfeigned faithfulness. God desires this for the soul’s own good. He, in His abundant wisdom, knows (what we, after Christ’s coming, should know) that if the soul is lax in faithfulness to Him, its Creator, and joins itself in love to someone or something other in the created world, it gradually becomes a servant, a slave, a dark and despairing shadow, and finally a miserable picture of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The soul’s ardent love for God is alone its legal marriage. Every other love, not through God but apart from God or against God, is idolatry… Whatever a man believes in, hopes in, or loves more than God takes God’s place and becomes an idol to that man, a false god to a false soul. The prophets called all such idolatry adultery and harlotry (Jer. 3:1; Ez. 23;7).
There is only one saving love, and that is love for God. Every other love is loss. There is only one legal and saving marriage for the soul, and that is its marriage to God.
front cover-Christ
front cover-Christ
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The new Gospel Book for our Church
Cost of Gospel Book: $2,150
Donations as of 8/26: $1,731 Amount still needed: $419
Thank you, and may God bless each of you who has donated for the Gospel Book! As of today,there is only $419 remaining.
Pleasehelp us pay off the remainder by writing a check to “St. John Chrysostom Church”, and in the memo put “Gospel Book." You may also put cash in an envelope and write “For the Gospel Book,” and place it in the donation box.
To all assembled in church, the Holy Gospel presents the voice of Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and the proclamation of His saving deeds. The Gospel is read at every Divine Liturgy, and at vigil services, and is carried in all processions, in and around the church. The Gospel Book is one of the most holy of liturgical objects, and therefore should be beautiful and resplendent, shining outwardly with the glory of its exalted and Divine contents. The Holy Gospel reflects the Light of Christ.
The new Gospel Book is larger (11” x 14”) and more ornate than our old one. The cover has a gold base, overlaid with bronze and silver, and an antique finish. Those who have already seen the new Gospel Book agree wholeheartedly that its presence in our Church adds a new dimension to the spiritual beauty of our Divine Services.
back cover-Resurrection
back cover-Resurrection
Our previous altar Gospel Book, which served us well, is 25 years old, and rather small and plain, and the pages worn and marked with drops of candle wax. On Monday, June 7, 2010, we ordered a new Gospel book from Holoviak’s Church Supply. We needed to act immediately because there are very few remaining Gospel Books with the King James text, and no more will be printed. (Holoviak’s is switching to modern translations.)
And that He will vouchsafe unto us the hearing of the Holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord!
Archpriest Christopher Stade
Thank you, Ioann988! For more Gospel commentary by Blessed Theophylact, go to Chrysostom Press.
Wednesday, July 1/14, 2010
From the Epistle reading of the day: I Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to endure it.
A New Deacon and a New Reader for St. John Chrysostom Parish May 16, 2010
On Sunday, May 16, 2010, at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Des Plaines, Illinois, His Grace, Bishop Peter, ordained Reader Basil Vogt to the deaconate—"filling the vacancy" that occurred when Fr. Matthew Williams was ordained to the priesthood on Feb. 20, 2010 (see article below). He also tonsured Isaac Crabtree as a Reader.
Newly-ordained Deacon Basil has served the parish conscientiously for the past 10 years as senior reader and altar server, and as a choir singer. Monday through Friday, he is a dedicated and successful high school teacher at Parkway North High School. He also teaches the oldest group of children in our Sunday School program.
Basil, his wife Kristen, and their eldest daughter, one-year-old Claire, moved to our parish in 1998, and all three were baptized in 1999. In 2000 the Vogt family rented the house located directly behind the church. Subsequently, two more children were born: Theodosius (Theo), now aged nine, and Amelie (Amy), aged five.
From December, 2004, until the present Kristen has been the parish secretary, ably performing many and varied tasks essential to the life of our parish. She also home-schools her children, as do several other families in the parish.
Isaac Crabtree and his wife Maria (Arlie) entered Orthodoxy in 2004 through St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Huntington, West Virginia. After reading the biography of Fr. Seraphim Rose, they decided to join ROCOR and began attending services at Christ the Savior Church in Wayne, West Virginia. In December, 2004, they moved to the St. Louis area and joined our parish. After leaving again for three years of law school in Akron, Ohio, they returned in 2009 with their newborn son, Charalambos (Robert), becoming active members of the parish. Isaac has been a dedicated choir singer.
May God grant Deacon Basil, Reader Isaac, and their respective families, many years, and strength and patience for the new spiritual labors that await them in Christ's vineyard.
The Perfection of the Mysterious Divine
(A comment reported in the "Daily Devotion" on Channel 6 of the Portland, Maine, TV station, May 3, 2010)
We could take a cue from Orthodoxy, whose priests stand with their backs to their congregation, leading a liturgy that is neither clever nor impassioned, but simply beautiful, like stone smoothed by centuries of rhythmic tides. It's an austere ritual, in the sense of "there's nothing new here"; it's sublime, in the sense of creating a clearer view into Heaven. The priest can be any priest. Who he is, what he looks like, how he speaks, and what he thinks matter little. He hasn't written the service that he officiates. It isn't about him or his prowess. He's an interchangeable functionary draped in brocaded robes, obscured by incense, and, as such, never points to himself, a flawed human, pointing ever and only to the Perfection of the Mysterious Divine. That is the role of every priest or preacher—invisibility, while making God seen."
Help return Hagia Sophia to the Orthodox Church, for whom it is one of the greatest symbols of the Christian realm.
Two beloved disciples asked the Lord for thrones of glory, and He gave them His Cup (Matthew 20:20-23)
The Cup of Christ is suffering. But for those who drink from it on earth, the Cup of Christ grants participation in Christ's Kingdom. It prepares for them the thrones of eternal glory in heaven. We stand in silence before the Cup of Christ, nor can any man complain about it or reject it; for He, Who commanded us to taste it, first drank of it Himself. (continue reading at monachos.net)
Fr. Gregoire Legoute
Fr. Gregoire Legoute
Priest Gregoire Legoute of the ROCOR Haiti Mission spoke in Washington, DC Friday-Sunday, Mar 5-7, 2010
Newly ordained Priest Matthew Williams (until very recently, Deacon of our parish) flew from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. this past weekend to attendfund-raising activities at both St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral and St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Fr. Gregoire Legoute and his wife Rose gave eyewitness accounts of the hardships Orthodox Christians in Haiti are facing as a result of the violent earthquake that devastated their poor Caribbean nation.
Again and again we encourage our parishioners and other visitors to our website to give generously to the ROCOR Fund for Assistance, which is striving to assist not only our mission In Haiti, but our parishes in Chile that just been struck by another major earthquake.
Met. Hilarion presenting Priest Matthew
Met. Hilarion presenting Priest Matthew
Deacon Matthew Williams was ordained to the Priesthood on Saturday of St. Theodore the Recruit Feb 7 / 20, 2010
Fr. Dc. Matthew Williams was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Hilarion on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Synodal Cathedral of the Mother of the Sign in Manhattan, NY. The Metropolitan desires that Fr. Matthew serve as one of the chief coordinators of assistance to our suffering members of our ROCOR missions in Haiti. He will also be assigned to St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Endicott, New York, in the United States. We, the priest and parishioners of St. John Chrysostom, are deeply saddened at the prospect that Fr. Matthew and his beloved family will be moving away from our parish permanently (although not immediately). However, we rejoice that he is moving closer to accomplishing his heartfelt desire—to serve the Church at a deeper level, and to put into action his love for the people of Haiti, with God as his Helper.
May God grant him and his family many years!
The Relic of the Head of St. John Chrysostom at the Synod Cathedral of the Mother of God of the Sign, New York City
Tuesday, Jan 27 / Feb 9, 2010 The Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St. John Chrysostom
Fr. Christopher Stade and Rdr. Constantine Stade served at this Liturgy, representing our parish—the only parish in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia whose patron saint is St. John Chrysostom.
During the Liturgy Fr. Christopher was elevated to the rank of Archpriest.
May God grant him, and all our parishioners whom he represented, many years!
(In the photo, the relic is in the gold box to the right of Metropolitan Hilarion, who is seen venerating the icon of St. John Chrysostom)
Please help our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ!
THE ROCOR MISSION IN HAITI HAS SURVIVED THE EARTHQUAKE, ALTHOUGH MANY BUILDINGS ARE DESTROYED.
Fr. Dc. Matthew Williams, Deacon of our parish, has returned from a one week emergency visit to Haiti. He reports that most of the clerics and faithful of the Russian Church Abroad parishes in Port-au-Prince have survived the earthquake.… (continue reading).
Early Friday morning, December 18, 2009, Archimandrite Joasaph (McLellan) died peacefully in a Boston hospital. Fr. Joasaph was Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, and had been mentioned by the Synod as a candidate to be come a bishop. An article with photos and schedule of services may be viewed online here. The 40th day of the repose of Fr. Joasaph, as well as of Archbishop Job, the OCA bishop of Chicago, who died on the same day, will fall on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010
The Parish Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom Thursday, Nov. 26 (n.s.), 2009
On Wednesday evening and Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Day), we celebrated the Feast Day of our Patron Saint, John Chrysostom. Unfortunately, His Grace Bishop Peter, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America, was unable to attend, due to illness.
With spiritual beauty and fervor, the choir sang ancient Znamenny hymns as well as more modern compositions. At Vespers, the choir divided into two parts to sing antiphonally—the men in the right kliros and the women in the left kliros. At the end of Lord, I have cried, they met together in a semi-circle in the center of the church for the concluding stichera, and the beautiful vesperal hymn, O Joyous Light.
After Liturgy the next morning, Deacon Matthew Williams and the priests led the Procession with the Cross around the outside of the church, blessing it on all four sides with holy water. At the end, everyone sat down in the church hall for a delicious and plentiful festal dinner prepared by the entire sisterhood.
Heartfelt thanks are due to all who participated, especially those labored to prepare the food, clean and decorate the church itself and the church property, and participated in the Divine services.
The Cross erected in the adjacent field—representing our desire to build a new and permanent church—will be blessed by Bishop Peter as soon as he is able to return to us.
The Icon of the Mother of God, The Softener of Evil Hearts
On Oct 13 and 14, 2009, at the Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God, Des Plaines, Illinois, a myrrh-streaming icon of the Mother of God, brought from Russia, was present at the Vigil service and Liturgy. The name of this icon is The Softener of Evil Hearts. Those who pray with faith and humility before this Icon find that their own hearts are softened from anger and bitterness, as well as the hearts of others for whom they pray. Read the following prayer and troparion before a copy of the Icon, if you have one, or pray directly to the Mother of God, and you will receive heavenly consolation: O much-suffering Mother of God, who art higher than all the daughters of the earth in thy purity, and in the multitude of suffering which thou didst bear on earth: accept our sighs of suffering, and keep us under the protection of thy mercy, for we know no other refuge and fervent protection than thee. But as one having boldness before Him Who was born of thee, help and save us by thy prayers, that we may without hindrance attain the Kingdom of Heaven, where with the saints we may sing praises to the One God in Trinity, always, now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Troparion, Tone 5
Soften our evil hearts, O Theotokos, and quench the attacks of those who hate us and loose all the rigidity of our soul. For looking on thy holy image we are filled with compunction by thy suffering and loving-kindness for us, and we kiss thy wounds; we are filled with horror for the darts with which we wound thee. Let us not, O Mother of Compassion, because of the cruelty of our hearts, perish from the cruelty of heart of those near us, for thou art in truth the Softener of Evil Hearts.
Originally intended to be read at our 2007 Symposium on St. John Chrysostom, held in House Springs, Missouri. We are pleased that it is now available (revised July, 2009), and congratulate Deacon Matthew Steenberg on its publication.
An impromptu quartet of American singers sang at the matins and and presanctified liturgy which concluded the 2009 Lenten Diocesan Assembly. Among them were two young men of our parish: Rdr Nathaniel Brown and Rdr Constantine Stade. Also participating were Rdr Dimitry Kulp and Serge Kaminski.
Carol Surgant, at Orthodox Church Music, has English choral arrangements of traditional Russian chant available as free downloads, including selections from Vespers, Matins, and Liturgy for upcoming Sundays and feasts. Music Downloads...
Русская Версия
