Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church

The Feast of Pentecost, also known as Trinity Sunday, is always celebrated 50 days after Pascha, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word “pentecost” in Greek literally means “fifty.” At Pentecost, the disciples received the gift of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in the form of fiery tongues. This outpouring of the Spirit fulfilled the promise that Christ had made to His disciples while He was still with them.

On the Feast of the Ascension, the Orthodox Church does not merely commemorate an historical event in the life of Christ. On this day, the Church celebrates Christ's physical departure from the world and His glorification with God the Father.

Forty days before He was delivered to an ignominious death for our sins, our Lord revealed to three of His disciples the glory of His Divinity.

The Fourth of July is always a time for celebration in our land. It is a chance for family and friends to gather together for barbecues, outdoor activities, and fireworks. On Independence Day, the cause of our celebration is freedom, freedom from a cruel, repressive government, and freedom from a tyrannical king. This freedom is not only about liberation “from,” but also liberation “to;” freedom to chart our own course, to work for our own goals, and to reap the fruits of our own labors.

Life in the Church is a constant victory over time. "Past," "present," and "future" in the usual human meaning vanish in the Church. "Past" becomes often truly "present," future has already been achieved in the past, and "present" loses its significance and wanes in the unfading light of the only Church measure of "time" -- eternity. Thus, through Christ's redeeming sacrifice, the future Kingdom of God and the future everlasting life have already been returned to us.

The most ancient Christian writers unanimously testify that the Holy Forty Day Fast was established by the apostles in imitation of the forty-day fast of Moses (Exodus 34), Elijah (3 Kings 19), and mainly by the example of Jesus Christ fasting for forty days (Mat. 4:2).

St. Hippolytus of Rome (+236) wrote: "What more vital gift is there than the element of water? For with water all things are washed and nourished, and cleansed and bedewed… Nor is this the only thing that proves the dignity of the water. But there is also that which is more honourable than all — the fact that Christ, the Maker of all, came down as the rain, and was known as a spring, and diffused Himself as a river, and was baptized in the Jordan."

1. The Difficult War

Revelation (Note: Not "Revelations") is the last book of the Bible. Its full, proper name is "The Apocalypse of John the Theologian". The word Apocalypse ("apocalypsis" in Greek) means the revealing or the uncovering. It relates to another word we hear a lot in the Church, "mysterion" which means a "hidden thing revealed". The tradition tells us that this book is the work of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian. It is the only prophetic book of the New Testament.

"Magnify O my soul, the honourable Translation of the Mother of God from earth to heaven." (Refrain for the 9th Ode of the Canon)

In order to strengthen the faith of His disciples when they would see His suffering, Jesus Christ took three disciples, Peter, James and John, and led them up on a high mountain to pray. According to ancient Church Tradition, it was the beautiful Mount Tabor covered with luxurious growth from the foot to the summit.

As we celebrate our nation's independence, it is important to ask the question: What place does patriotism play in the life of the Orthodox Christian? Bishop Hilarion (Alfaev) reflecting on recent documents produced by the Orthodox Church in Russia, shares his thoughts:

"In the year 2000 the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a lengthy document entitled 'The Basic Social Concept', where separate chapters are dedicated to war and peace, nationalism and patriotism. The document, in particular, condemns nationalism, when stating:

The services of healing through anointing of the sick must be understood and experienced as corporate acts of worship.

Again and again, we read in the Gospel, the prophecy concerning Christ that He will be betrayed, condemned to death, and delivered to the Gentiles who will mock Him, and spit upon Him, and scourge Him, and kill Him. But three days later He will rise again (Mat. 20:18; Mk. 10:34; Lk. 18:32).

Forty days after Christ was born he was presented to God in the Jerusalem Temple according to the Mosaic Law. At this time as well, his mother Mary underwent the ritual purification and offered the sacrifices as prescribed in the Law. Thus, forty days after Christmas, on the second of February, the Church celebrates the feast of the Meeting or Presentation of the Lord.

Christ is born!

There is a service, striking in its symbolism, that members of the Orthodox Church perform at the start or conclusion of any major task or period; on the first day of the month, for example, or at the blessing of a foundation stone, and equally at the commencement or ending of the academic year. It is the ceremony known as the Great Blessing of the Waters. Water is placed in a large bowl, prayers are said over it, the grace and power of the Holy Spirit is called down upon it, and finally the cross is plunged into the water.

This is how it happened...I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat, and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know.

Some time ago, when I was a young priest, I was giving catechism classes to inquirers into holy Orthodoxy, when the topic of water blessing and the blessing of homes at Theophany came up. I explained it to them like this. This world, this creation, is in captivity; it is enemy held territory. The evil one, having enslaved all of creation at the fall, has laid claim to every nook and cranny of this earth. And for a while it looked as though he might be able to hold onto it.

For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God comes to our world, although he was not far from us before. For no part of Creation is left void of Him: He has filled all things everywhere, remaining present with His own Father. But He comes in condescension to show lovingkindness upon us, and to visit us.