Antiochian System Admin's blog

by Robert Bowman
From The Word Magazine, June 1965

The reason for going to college is to acquire knowledge of this world. All men naturally desire to know, but knowledge without the fear of God is completely useless. There are many things, the knowledge of which is of little or no profit to the soul. A man’s first consideration must always be the salvation of his soul. When we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day, He will not ask if we know the rules of grammar, or Newton’s Laws of Motion; He will ask, instead, if we know and observe the Laws of God. This is not to say that a certain amount of worldly knowledge is not proper and necessary, but that knowledge which is to be acquired in the institutions of higher learning, must be true knowledge.

How is the student to recognize true knowledge from false doctrine, if he has not first based his entire life on a firm belief in the doctrines of Jesus Christ? “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (II Timothy, 4: 3.)

Young minds are easily molded.  They can be molded in the path of Christ and Godliness, or they can be molded in the path of worldliness and evil. But a young person’s soul, which is firmly entrenched in the ways of the Lord, will serve constantly as a barrier against the teachings of evil, and against the temptations of Satan.

In II Timothy, Chap. 3, we learn that in the last days - perilous times shall come. Among other evils, men will be “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” We learn, also, that evil men will grow worse and worse, not only deceiving but also being deceived.

“The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23

He leads His discourse to the things which are more within the reach of our senses. I mean, forasmuch as He had spoken of the mind as enslaved and brought into captivity, and there were not many who could easily discern this, He transfers the lesson to things outward, and lying before men's eyes, that by these the others also might reach their understanding. Thus, "If thou knowest not," saith He, "what a thing it is to be injured in mind, learn it from the things of the body; for just what the eye is to the body, the same is the mind to the soul." As therefore thou wouldest not choose to wear gold, and to be clad in silken garments, thine eyes withal being put out, but accountest their sound health more desirable than all such superfluity (for, shouldest thou lose this health or waste it, all thy life besides will do thee no good): for just as when the eyes are blinded, most of the energy of the other members is gone, their light being quenched; so also when the mind is depraved, thy life will be filled with countless evils: —as therefore in the body this is our aim, namely, to keep the eye sound, so also the mind in the soul. But if we mutilate this, which ought to give light to the rest, by what means are we to see clearly any more? For as he that destroys the fountain, dries up also the river, so he who hath quenched the understanding hath confounded all his doings in this life. Wherefore He saith, "If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness?"

by Fr. James C. Meena
From The Word Magazine, June 1979

Anyone who has ever been involved in a program of self-improvement of any kind, whatever the objective might be, knows that the moment one lets down in one’s disciplines the goal objective is lost. If you are trying to lose weight, the minute you cheat on your diet you know that the diet is lost and you’ll never lose the weight that you wanted to lose. If you are trying to strengthen your body through exercise you know that the moment you give up your regular routine, you’ve broken the cycle and once that cycle is broken it’s very difficult for you to get back into it and your discipline is lost, and your goal is lost as well.

Well, that seems to be what has happened to us in the Church. Because we have let down on our spiritual exercises, the whole objective and purpose of our being Christian is lost. We really don’t pray enough. Certainly we don’t worship as often as we should nor as fervently. We come to the Sacrament of Penance like someone walking through a public shower, never once confessing our sins openly to God and to our spiritual Father, as though there was some magic taking place there, that if we hide our sins we can somehow be forgiven, and we know better than that. And while we try to do good works on the surface, more often than not what we do is a token exercise of free will giving.

George Richard Corey, 69, of Terre Haute, Fell Asleep in the Lord on Friday, May 22, 2009. He was born April 4, 1940, in Katana, Syria, to Rasheed and Nour Corey. He owned and operated Corey's International Foods for 30 years. After retirement he enjoyed preparing Middle Eastern cuisine for some local restaurants and for friends and family. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, and playing cards and backgammon with friends.  Survivors include his wife, Marie-Rose Corey; daughters, Araksie Cloyd and her husband Benjamin, Lila Corey, Noelle Corey; grandchildren, Nickolas and Nadia Cloyd; sisters, Hayfa Assalley, Layla Shaheen, Afaf Zoghet, Nazha Khoury and Sadie Duncan; and 14 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Menzer Corey.

May his memory be eternal!

Opening Prayer - The meeting was opened at 10:30 a.m. with the Antiochian Women's prayer led by V. Rev. Edward Hughes and the singing of the Troparian of the Dormition led by Marilyn Robbat. There were 19 members present.

Roll Call -
Executive Board Present:  Advisor - V. Rev. Edward Hughes,  President - Nora Walker, Vice President - Delores George, Treasurer - Carol Swydan, Recording Secretary - Nancy Ghantous , Corresponding Secretary - Joan Hanna., Past President - Priscilla Goss

Coordinators Present: Website - Melissa Nassiff,  Public Relations - Pam Samara, Membership - Priscilla Goss,        Absent:  Humanitarian - Mary Ellen Mabardy, Religious -  Kh. Louise Ferguson

Parish Delegates:
St. Mary, Cambridge - 4
St. John, Dedham - 0
St. George, Lawrence - 0
St. George, Lowell - 0
St. George, Norwood - 0
St. George, W. Roxbury - 3
St. George, Worcester - 1
St. Mary, Pawtucket - 3
St. Michael, Cotuit - 0
All Saints Mission, S. Weymouth - 0
St. Elias Mission, Fall River - 0
Emmanuel, Warren - 0
St. Stephen, Springfield - 0

By Kh. Maggie Hock M.A., M.S., LMHP

Jesus answering the Pharisees said: "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. Consequently they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." (Matthew 19: 5,6)

The marriage relationship between a man and a woman is a gift from God. The grace to walk in that gift comes with the blessing of the Sacrament of Marriage. It is here that the priest and the attending community offer many intercessions for the longevity and fruitfulness of the union. If marriage is our chosen path to salvation, we need to understand that we have vowed together to help both our spouse and ourselves attain this eternal state.  Therefore, our task as a married person is to learn how to apply that grace and blessing throughout our marriage, through the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the hopes and disappointments. For what marriage doesn't experience these emotions? What happens, then, when the marriage is suffering? Where do we find hope for reconciliation and reconnection to the grace that God offers?

First it's important to go back to where the marriage began- by standing before God asking for His forgiveness and blessing. By searching our hearts we may find where we have separated ourselves from His plan for our marriage. Many couples who have strained relations have found that their expectations have not been clearly articulated to each other. Perhaps assumptions were made about the married lifestyle without clear communication and therefore the couple does not have a shared vision for the relationship. Some may find that their expectations were full of worldly pursuits that did not honor God or each other. Still others may discover that they have not modeled Christ's example of servanthood and obedience.

By Matushka Ioanna Callinicos Rhodes

After the Ascension of Christ the disciples were eagerly awaiting the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem as was promised them by Christ.  They had no clue as to when this occurrence was going to happen. They never realized what the impact of that moment was going to be and how it was going to affect them. Finally, ten days after the Ascension, the Holy Spirit descended as in tongues of fire over them, and a new life was given to them. They were filled with wisdom and knowledge never known to them before.  It is the Wisdom that can only come from the Grace of the Holy Spirit himself. It is this Grace that renews our life.

In Christ’s Resurrection we receive the “New” Pascha (Passover), Christ passing over from death to life. It is not the old Passover of the Old Testament, which commemorates the deliverance from the Angel of Death as he passed by the Jewish homes, but the actual destruction of death. It was not by accident that the Crucifixion and Resurrection occurred at the same time as the Jewish Passover. The two had to be connected.

In much the same way, the descent of the Holy Spirit was connected to the Old Testament Pentecost (Shavu’ot).  This period is counted from the second day of the Jewish Passover for seven weeks which equals 49 days + 1 day to equal the fiftieth day. Originally this day was the day the first fruits of the harvest were brought to the temple. Later on it became the time that commemorated the giving of the Torah (the Law). The Jews see this as being redeemed spiritually from bondage to idolatry and immorality.

by Fr. James C. Meena
From The Word Magazine, October 1982

You have heard it said many times that our youth are the future of the Church. While I do not and have never disputed that statement because I’ve always agreed with it and perhaps because I was once considered to be a part of the future of the Church, I would like to turn that concept around for your consideration and to state that the Church is the future of our youth.

We have become so involved with young people that our whole culture has become youth oriented to the extent that those of us who are aging rapidly try to deny the realities of time and keep ourselves looking young. We dye our hair, go on special diets, wear special clothes, have plastic surgery, wear cosmetics, and do all sorts of things to keep ourselves looking youthful. We look with contempt upon aging because in this society, which has been so concerned with the future, the comfort, the pleasures, the education and the gratification of young people, (and with literally buying their love), we have not bothered to develop in the minds of our youth a conscientious respect for aging, a realization that one day they will no longer be young but that they will be members of the “older” generation and will need to assume the responsibilities of senior members of society.

For too long now we have so devoted ourselves to safeguarding our children from the suffering we or our parents have experienced that we have forgotten that sometimes we only learn from our own adversities and from our own experience.

August 6 is Transfiguration, one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Christian year.

"He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light." + The Gospel of St. Matthew 17:2

The Feast of the Transfiguration, by Fr. Patrick Reardon

A Meditation on the Feast from Dynamis

The Complete Transfiguration Series from the Department of Sacred Music: PDF format Divine Liturgy music, including choral and chant arrangements for the Antiphons, Entrance Hymn, Troparion, Kontakion, Hymn to the Theotokos, and Communion Hymns.

Discover the timeless wisdom of our Holy Tradition, made accessible and interesting by some of the best Orthodox Christian writers of today. This series of articles on some of the basic doctrines of the Orthodox Christian Faith is brought to you by Antiochian.org and Conciliar Media, a department of the Antiochian Archdiocese. They are also available from Conciliar as a series of attractive and informative booklets and brochures.

What Does "Orthodox" Mean? The Doctrine, Worship and Values of the Church by Frederica Mathewes-Green "The word 'orthodox' means 'right belief' or 'right praise.' The 'Orthodox Church' is also known as the 'Eastern Orthodox Church.'"

First Visit to an Orthodox Church: Twelve Things I Wish I'd Known by Frederica Mathewes-Green

Antiochian Archdiocese pastor and Orthodox Christian Fellowship Executive Director Fr. Kevin Scherer presented workshops on youth ministry at July's Greek Archdiocese national gathering, and the good work of OCF was specifically noted by Archbishop DEMETRIOS in his keynote address.

OCF released the following summary of the news. We encourage everyone in the Antiochian Archdiocese to support this great labor of our Church in America, under the leadership of all our canonical bishops via SCOBA. Learn more about OCF's college ministry on their recently redesigned website!

Linked below are resources for missions of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest.

Mission Council Policies and Procedures, Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Monthly Mission Report, Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest

Mission Endowment Fund Request for Financial Assistance, Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest

The Fall Gathering of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest will focus on ministering to our teens and college students. His Eminence Metropolitan ISAIAH, SCOBA Overseer of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, and Fr. Kevin Scherer, Executive Director of OCF, will be present for the dedication of the new OCF offices in Indianapolis.

For more information please see the attached flyer.

Update, August 12: For the most part our server switch has gone off well, thank God. We're still working on a couple of issues related to the Department of Sacred Music, and the creation of new content. Thank you for your patience.

Original Post, August 5: This website will be moving to a new server and host beginning on August 6. Our team at the Department of Internet Ministry apologize in advance for any inconvenience. We expect the change to be invisible to site visitors. However, we ask that anyone who posts content to this website refrain from doing so on Wednesday, August 6 after 2pm Eastern time. All should be well by Thursday morning. We'll be bringing additional information about new features and projects over the weeks to come.

Douglas Cramer

Editor, Antiochian.org

by Mark Shuttleworth

Jesus went up the mountain with Peter, James, and John and was transformed before their eyes. He appeared to them in His glorified humanity and was illumined with the light of divinity. ... Here we have the whole Bible summed up in this one event. The Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets, point to Christ, the eternal Son come in the flesh. Read more.

This meditation on theosis is appropriate reading for the Great Feast of the Transfiguration, and a sample of the articles available at Discovering Orthodox Christianity, from Antiochian.org and Conciliar Press.

By Fr. Gabriel Barrow

From The Word, June 1977

first fourteen days of August during each year, the Holy Orthodox Church enters into a strict fast period in honor of the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary. The eminent Orthodox theologian, Father Sergei Bulgakov, beautifully expresses the high regard which the Orthodox Christians have for the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, for her special role in the salvation of mankind, when he affirms, “The warm veneration of the Theotokos is the soul of Orthodox Piety.” St. John of Damascus, one of the great Orthodox fathers, pointed out that when the Blessed Virgin Mary became the Mother of God and gave birth to Christ, the Redeemer of Mankind, she became the mother of mankind. We call the Virgin Mary “Theotokos”, from the Greek, which means “The Birth-Giver or the Bearer of God.” This is the highest title that can be bestowed upon any member of the human race.

The Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, was “blessed amongst women,” and she was chosen “to bear the Savior of our souls.” We, therefore, as Orthodox Christians, consider her to be the Queen of all the saints and the angels.

Knowing that she holds such a high place in the Kingdom of Heaven and that she is eternally present at the throne of God interceding for mankind, we, as good Orthodox Christians, must pray for her love, guidance, and protection. We must never forget to ask for her intercessions in times of sickness and danger, and we must constantly thank her for her care and her prayers in our behalf.

By Fr. Ted Bobosh

From The Word, September 1998

One great challenge for us Orthodox in doing Christian education is coming to terms with our concept of truth.  Christianity claims to offer truth to the world.  In Christian education, we strive to instruct all disciples in the truth.  The real question (which, ironically, Pontius Pilate asked) is “What is truth?” (John 18:38)  He neither waited for Christ’s answer, nor, by allowing the crucifixion, showed himself much concerned with the truth anyway.

So, what is the truth?  We often equate truth with facts, and consequently in Christian education we aim to teach facts about Christ, the bible, the liturgy or church history, etc., to our people.  While facts are part of the truth, they do not contain the fullness of the truth.  I believe it was Justin the Martyr who said, “What ever is true is Christian.”  Every fact that is true (whether religious, political, scientific, historic, or even “secular”) in some way is part of God’s truth and reveals God to us.  Thus, any truth is significant to Christianity.  This is based upon the belief that there is such a thing as truth and that truth comes from God and reveals God to us.  So, part of education is teaching facts and part of Christian education is using all the facts we know in creation to come to some understanding of truth and therefore of God.  There is in our thinking no such thing as godless truth or secular truth.  If something is true, it is revelation about creation and for us also about the Creator.

St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church of Van Nuys, California will be hosting the 49th Antiochian Archdiocese Convention at the J.W. Desert Springs Marriott Resort and Spa from July 19 – 26, 2009. There is a guaranteed room rate of $165.00 per night (plus 9.16% room tax). Already, rooms are going fast! If you have not yet made your hotel reservation we encourage you to do so, as soon as possible. You may reserve your rooms online by going to the convention website at www.archdioceseconvention2009.org and clicking on the Online Hotel Reservation image.  No phone reservations can be made until August 2008. If you have any questions please email info@archdioceseconvention2009.org. 

Come Receive the Light, OCN's national Orthodox Christian radio program, interviews Fr. Luke Veronis, author of the new book from Conciliar Press, Lynette's Hope. Fr. Luke shares the story and journal entries of Lynette Hoppe, an Orthodox Christian who served as a missionary in Albania, even as she faced terminal cancer with courage and faith. Click here to listen!

Also, click here for Fr. Luke's article about Lynette in AGAIN, and here to order a copy.

Why is Orthodoxy the noted exception when it comes to the declining interest in religion by men? Noted author and speaker Frederica Mathewes-Green tells us in a 45 minute talk available for free listening online via Ancient Faith Radio, part of the Antiochian Archdiocese's Conciliar Media Ministries.

Update, July 21 2008: This post is being brought to the top of the news section again for the benefit of any antiochian.org email users still experiencing problems.

Support for all people with antiochian.org email addresses transitioned on May 9 from the Department of Communications and Information Technology to NST, an excellent technology services provider selected to manage hosting of antiochian.org email accounts and the antiochian.org website.

Everyone who wants to continue using an antiochian.org email address who did not respond to NST's Friday, May 9 email that day will now need to contact NST's support phone line at 877-678-8080 ext. 3, in order to reset their account. This is necessary if you have an antiochian.org email address set up in your email client, or if your antiochian.org emails are forwarded to another email address.

If you need any additional assistance, you can also contact Fr. George Kevorkian at the Archdiocese offices at 201-871-1355.

His Grace, Bishop THOMAS made his visitation to Holy Trinity Mission on our Patronal Feast of the Sunday of the Most Holy Trinity, June 22, 2008. At Vespers on Saturday and at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, His Grace charged our mission to reach out more effectively to our community, especially by developing a ministry of inquiry and hospitality to the downtown area. In response, we have secured a prime location to meet at 715 Main Street downtown, and will soon begin holding services and informational events there for the community, and hopefully soon developing an outreach to Liberty University with the help of Fr. Peter Gillquist. Our children presented His Grace with a "Dangerous Book for Bishops" (patterned on the popular "Dangerous Book for Boys") with their photos and icons of their patron Saints, and drawings of the many ministries of the Bishop as Shepherd, Administrator, etc. We thank God for His Grace's vision and love and for giving us a much-needed exhortation to service.