A RCHDIOCESE N E WS
FEBRUARY–MARCH 2011
ENCYCLICAL
Feast of the Annunciation Day of Greek Independence from page 1 mystery.” Through the power of faith, she became the “bridge leading from earth to heaven,” the “key to the doors of Paradise,” and the “gate of salvation.” The faith of the Theotokos brought great blessings to her and to all humankind. In the insightful verses of the Akathist Hymn we acknowledge her as the one “through whom joy shall shine forth,” “through whom the curse shall vanish,” and “through whom we are vested in glory.” Christ accomplished all of this for us, because the faith and willingness of the Theotokos provided the means by which He entered humanity for our salvation. This witness of the power of faith brings encouragement and hope to our lives. It is a supreme example of what can be accomplished by faith, of the power of God to transform our lives, of the joy in following His will, and of the assurance of His grace and promises. It reveals to us through the life of a woman chosen by God for a most sacred task, that faith initiates and guides our spiritual renewal and opens our hearts and minds to the mysteries of His love and wisdom. Through the example of the Most Holy Theotokos we see that faith in God leads us on the path to Heaven, reveals the way to Paradise, and opens the gate of salvation so that we can live in eternal communion with Him. On this Feast of the Annunciation, we as Greek Orthodox Christians commemorate a day and events that also revealed the power of faith. This Day of
Greek Independence is joined to our festal observances for historical reasons related to the revolution in 1821 and the struggle for freedom of our honored fathers and mothers. But it is also a commemoration that has a tremendous spiritual significance. The struggle for Greek Independence came after centuries of oppression during which the power of faith united families and communities, preserved and nurtured identity, and engendered hope. In the fight for independence, it was faith in God that engendered courage in the face of injustice, affirmed the priority of human dignity, and emboldened the effort for liberty as an essential quality of human life and potential. Thus, this day, being both the Feast of the Annunciation and the Greek Independence Day, offers a true and enduring witness of the power of faith: faith which connects and nurtures our hearts and minds in truth leading us to stand against any oppressive force which destroys life and diminishes human dignity; and faith which leads us to Christ, brings the grace of God, and grants to us a blessed and abundant life on our earthly journey towards eternity. On this sacred Feast of the Annunciation and in commemoration of Greek Independence Day, may your faith be strengthened through our worship and observances. May you contemplate and treasure the examples of faith of the Most Holy Theotokos and of our Hellenic forebears, and may the power of faith lead you to the hope, grace, and salvation offered by our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Basic Lenten Disciplines: Pray, Fast, Do Good, Learn by Tony Vrame, Ph.D.
With just a few words, we can see what our life during Great Lent ought to contain. These are the four basic disciplines of Christian living, things we should be doing regularly all year long. During Great Lent, we intensify our involvement with them to prepare for Holy Week and our celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. In the early Church, those who were going to be baptized at the Vigil of the Resurrection (in Greek Orthodox practice today, that service is celebrated on Holy Saturday morning), were taught to pray – mainly by learning to recite the Lord’s Prayer, to fast – and in those days it meant no food at all for a few days, and to do charitable acts – usually giving money and goods to the poor. They would also spend a great deal of time studying the Bible, mainly the Old Testament (there was no collection called the New Testament until the mid-fourth century), to learn about the Messiah. Most of us have been told this before. Most of us know what we are supposed to do. At the same time, we might want to “vary the mix” a little, doing something new or different from other years. With guidance from our parish priest, we might want to explore deepening our rule about prayer, attending church services more regularly, observing the fast more strictly, studying a new book, or
taking time to serve in our community. Young people though might need encouragement to see how all this connects with their lives more directly. And they may need to think more creatively about how to live the Lenten disciplines. You might consider giving your students time to reflect about each of these disciplines independently and then allowing them time to brainstorm new ways of following them this year. • Make each way as “catchy” as possible, in a few words that are easy to remember. • Write the ways on posterboard and hang them around the classroom. • List them on smaller sheets of paper and allow the students to take them home. • List them individually on pads of sticky notes so the young people can place them in a notebook, on a calendar, in their lockers, etc. From week to week, classes can discuss them, journal about them, and share their experiences following the Lenten disciplines. Some examples: Fast from texting. Help someone you don’t have to. Pray for peace. Read the Gospel, before church. Do without. Go to Confession. Be thankful. Listen to others. Listen for God. This is the season to being to work on developing our basic disciplines of Christian living. Dr. Vrame is director of the Archdiocese Department of Religious Education.
Pascha: P ascha: The Resur Resurrrrection ection of Christ
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