Chanting Down Babylon

“With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Your servant, Claude, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting. You alone are immortal, who didst make and mould man. But we mortals were formed from earth, and to the earth we return, as You who created me did command and say to me, “You are earth, and to the earth shall you return,” where all we mortals are going, and for a funeral dirge we make the song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”

“With the spirits of the righteous give rest, O Savior, to the soul of Your departed servant, Claude, and keep him in the blessed life with You, O Lover of mankind. In the place of Your rest, O Lord, where all Your Saints repose give rest also to the soul of Your servant for You alone are the Lover of mankind.”

Lord, let your mercy be upon Pat, Steve, Ryan, Dusty, Chad, Andrew, and all of the Walker family, at the passing of their beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, and friend, and set your angels around them as they grieve his passing and celebrate his entrance into your heavenly kingdom.

May his memory be Eternal!

“Clericalism suffocates; it makes part of itself into the whole sacred character of the Church; it makes its power a sacred power to control, to lead, to administer; a power to perform sacraments, and, in general, it makes any power a “power given to me”! Clericalism separates all “sacredness” from the lay people: the iconostasis, communion (only by permission), theology. In short, clericalism is de facto denial of the Church as the body of Christ, for in the body, all organs are related and different only in their functions, but not in their essence. And the more clericalism “clericalizes” ( the traditional image of the bishop or the priest – emphasized by his clothes, hair, e.g., the bishop in full regalia!), the more the Church itself becomes more worldly; spiritually submits itself to this world. In the New Testament, the priest is presented as the ideal layman. But almost immediately there begins his increasingly radical separation from the lay people; and not only separation, but opposition to lazy people, contrast to them. The tragedy of theological education lies in the fact that young people who seek priesthood are – consciously or unconsciously – seeking this separation, power, this rising above the laity. Their thirst is strengthened and generated by the whole system of theological education, of clericalism.” ~Fr. Alexander Schmemann [Journals, pp. 310 & 311]

Have I ever really heard a call to serve, or have I just always tried to please those whom I admire? Have I ever really wanted to be a truly humble servant, or do I simply want to be admired myself, recognized, and well thought of? Is it “me as Christ,” or “Christ in me?” Have others actually seen a “call” on my life, or have they simply seen good leadership qualities?

~And so I begin yet another period of reflection on why I ever wanted to seek the priesthood in the first place. Lord have mercy.~

A small handful of people prayed The Akathist of Thanksgiving: Glory to God for All Things! (written by Fr. Gregory Petroff in a Russian ‘gulag’ before he was martyred) last night in lieu of Vespers. It was truly wonderful and my heart is so full of thanksgiving to God! To all who read this, may the Lord bless you and keep you this day of thanks and praise to Him for all good gifts! Or, as my priest put it, “…on this national day of Eucharist!”
:: Luke Seraphim

“We give you thanks Christ God for Your earthly gifts! Do not deprive us of Your heavenly kingdom. But as You came among Your disciples O Saviour, giving them Your peace, come also among us, and save us.”