Many Are Called…

Wishing you an Old-Style Calendar* Blessed Feast of St. Spyridon & St. Herman of Alaska Day! To my New-Style Calendar* Friends, Christ is Born!

On the church date December 12th, is the Feast of the Holy Wonderworker, St. Spyridon of Tremithus. (270 – 348 AD) St. Spyridon was born in Cyprus, and initially worked as a shepherd and known for his great piety. He married and had one daughter, Irene. Upon the death of his wife, Spyridon entered a monastery, and their daughter entered a convent. St. Spyridon eventually became Bishop of Tremithus and took part in the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325), where he was instrumental in countering the erroneous theological arguments of Arius and his followers. There’s an account of his speech at this event, regarding the Holy Trinity…  At one point, St. Spyridon grasped a brick and squeezed it so hard that miraculously, a flame flew up, while at the same time water trickled downwards, leaving only a small amount of crushed clay within his hand. He exclaimed: “There are these three elements, but one brick; likewise, in the Holy Trinity, there are three Persons, but One God”.

Today we also remember and celebrate the Holy Wonderworker St. Herman of Alaska. St. Herman was a monk, missionary and miracle worker who brought the Orthodox Faith from Russia to the native peoples of Alaska in the late 18th century.  He taught the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ and defended these people from exploitation by the Russian traders.  Here’s a recent miracle of St. Herman of Alaska on Mt. Denali, and a YouTube Visit to Spruce Island: The holy Relics of St. Herman the Wonderworker. 

For our good, for our happiness, let us make a vow that from this day forth, from this hour, from this minute, let us strive to love God above all else and seek to do His Holy Will. ~ St. Herman of Alaska

A Sermon by +Archpriest John Adams of Eternal Memory, on St. Herman of Alaska

Drawing closer to the Feast of the Nativity we read the gospel (Luke 14:16-24) about those who were invited to a great supper, and those who wouldn’t come, so others take their place. Many are called, but the chosen seem to be those who simply didn’t make an excuse. They came. No matter what their state was when they were called. It wasn’t more important than the feast.

What if there was someone to whom being chosen was more important than anything, more important than pleasure or comfort? To travel thousands of miles in difficult conditions, to live in the cold and dark alone, but always remembering the feast that would come. What would this person be like? Maybe they would be someone who wouldn’t lie, even though it meant death. Maybe when they chanted alone it would sound like a whole choir of angels singing. Maybe if you were alone they would take you in; if you were sick, he would pray for you and you would get well. Maybe if there was going to be disaster, like a tidal wave, maybe he would take the icon the Mother of God to the shore and the water wouldn’t come above it, and you were saved.

They might be like one candle burning in a whole dark continent, but one candle after another is lit from it, and hundreds of years later, they are still burning.

What if you saw the feast, and you saw them enter in to join the others and it was all joy and light, but you were standing on the outside looking in – for when you had been invited over and over, you always had an excuse?

…Today is December 12th on the church calendar and the commemoration of the first Orthodox missionaries to Alaska in 1794… St. Juvenal the first martyr, the martyr St. Peter the Aleut, and St. Herman the Wonderworker.

We are still invited to the feast.

We are still called.

It is still up to us to be one of the chosen.

*Until 1924, the Eastern Orthodox Church universally used the ancient Julian calendar, whereas the Roman Catholic Church, under Pope Gregory XIII, conducted a calendar reform resulting in the Gregorian (new, civil) calendar in 1582. The difference between the two calendars is 13 days between the years 1900 and 2100. Some branches of the Orthodox Church still keep liturgical dates according to the Julian calendar, while some others have adopted using the “new” calendar. However, Orthodox Christians who use both calendars, always strictly adhere and calculate the Great Feast of Pascha, only according to the Julian Calendar.

To the Supersubstantial

Detail of Icon with the Theotokos Virgin Mary holding our Lord Jesus Christ – Greece 2017

Christ is Born!

Happy 4th Day of Nativity today!

I love this short, sweet, and sublime 5th century Nativity Kontakion (Hymn) by St. Romanus the Melodist. This a cappella recording was sung by our parish in 2014.

Our parish a cappella recording 2014

The Kontakion of the Nativity bursts with the Numinous Essence of the Feast!

Today a Virgin bringeth forth the Supersubstantial, and earth offereth a cavern to the Unapproachable. Angels together with shepherds sing praises, the Wise Men journey on with the Star. For, for our sakes, God, Who is before all the ages, is born a little Child. ~ Nativity Kontakion by St. Romanus the Melodist (5th century)

A Tour Inside the Ancient Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, built over where Jesus Christ was born.

Inside the Church of the Nativity


Lastly, here is an early pre-greeting, for tomorrow’s
5th Day of Nativity commemorating the Holy Innocents.

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus! ~ Ekaterina (memory eternal)

Glorify Him!

Hail the Blest Morn!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Happy Second Day of Nativity!

Sharing our parish choir’s women’s (a cappella) recording of this beautiful carol – Star of the East. ⭐️

Parish Recording 2014

Hail the blest morn, see the great Mediator,
Down from the regions of glory descend.
Shepherds, go worship the Babe in the manger,
Lo, for His guard the bright angels attend.

Refrain:
Brightest and best, of the stars of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid.
Star in the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our Infant Redeemer was laid.

Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining,
Low lies His bed, with the beasts of the stall.
Angels adore Him, in slumbers reclining,
Wise men and shepherds before Him do fall.

Say, shall we yield Him in costly devotion
Odours of Eden and offerings divine,
Gems from the mountain and pearls from the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine.

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gold, we His favour secure,
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
Nearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Text by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)
Musical Arrangement by John H. Hickok (1832
)

Meriġe Crīstesmæsse
Blessed Christmastide!

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