Metropolitan Vitaly, Memory Eternal

Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York
(8.3.1910 - 25.9.2006)

His Eminence, Metropolitan Vitaly reposed yesterday (25th September 2006) about 3:45pm Eastern Standard Time.

Sympathies to my brothers and sisters of the ROCOR on the loss of Vladyka Vitaly.

Memory Eternal!

Announcement from the Synod

Боже духов и всякия плоти, смерть поправый, и диавола упразднивый, и живот миру Твоему даровавый: Сам, Господи, упокой душы усопших рабов Твоих Виталий: в месте светле, в месте злачне, в месте покойне, отнюдуже отбеже болезнь, печаль и воздыхание: всякое согрешение содеянное ими, словом, или делом, или помышлением, яко Благий Человеколюбец Бог прости. Яко несть человек, иже жив будет, и не согрешит: Ты бо един кроме греха, правда Твоя правда во веки, и слово Твое истина.

Яко Ты еси воскресение, и живот, и покой, усопших рабов Твоих Виталий, Христе Боже наш; и Тебе славу возсылаем, со безначальным Твоим Отцем, и с пресвятым и благим и животворящим Твоим Духом, ныне и присно, и во веки веков.

Аминь.

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death, defeated the devil, and given life to Thy world. Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of Vitaly, in a place of light, in place of green pasture, in a place of revival, whence all pain, sorrow and sighing have fled away. Forgive every sin committed by him, in thought, word and deed, in Thy goodness and love for men, O God. For there is no one who lives without sinning: Thou alone art without sin, and Thy justice is eternal justice, and Thy Word in Truth.

For Thou art the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy departed servant, O Christ our God, and to Thee we send up glory, with Thy Eternal Father, and Thy all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen.

feed the hungry and clothe the naked

The convent visit (and other things) made me realise - feed the hungry, clothe the naked etc etc - is a real task that needs to be done every day. One of my friends put it this way, "you REALLY don't know what they are going through".

Each one of us can but only contribute what little we have, slowly, day by day, together with others in His Church, and pray that together we may restore all things in Christ.

a little prayer request

Recently I visited a convent, of the FMDM sisters . The nuns there are doing excellent work, caring for the sick at Singapore's only Catholic hospital. Pray for them - the nuns have not had new vocations for 11 years.

A new traditionalist institute is founded

Hot off the press.

Rome has set up a new traditionalist fraternity accepting former priests and seminarians of the Fraterniy of St. Pius X.

Deo Gratias. Really. There is only one road, and that is to work together to restore all things in Christ.

From Fr Z , Rorate Caeli, and of all places, the International Herald Tribune.

Propers in the Mass

Making a case for using the propers of the Mass.

I've always reduced it to a very simple argument. If the Church has chosen this for the particular day, what makes you think your judgement is better than the Church's in choosing a hymn?

I know the Gregorian Chants are difficult. So here's my solution. Use Psalm tones to the english translation. I have tried with youths a few years younger than me. Using Sunday Compline, I spent some time pointing the Psalms and Canticle, made up the music for some parts, and taught my peers at a retreat. The Antiphons were sung to psalm tones also. They took to it like fish to water.

Convertitis

Convertitis - the phenomenon where new converts to a religion take their beliefs to extremes. I've been cautioned about it, and my friends and I have seen it for ourselves.

I hate converts (and I am one), by Jeffrey Tucker.

Well, what can I say? Take things one step at a time, and always be wary of pride. That's all. The battle is first and foremost within ourselves.

Catena Aurea - The Wisdom of the Fathers

In case you guys didn't know, half of the Catena Aurea compiled by St Thomas Aquinas is available online. Simply fantastic and edifying. I wish more homilies I hear could quote from it!

Catena Aurea - Commentary on the Gospel of Mark

Catena Aurea - Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew

Orthodoxy Taught In Schools

Russian Orthodox Christianity is made a compulsory school subject in 4 of Russia's regions

What better way to begin a new academic year in Russia than to have the basics of Orthodox culture made mandatory for schools in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga and Smolensk regions and optional for a further 11 regions.

Western Europe could learn a lot from this move - along with the influx of Mohammedan immigrants as well as many secular values taking over many aspects of life, she is fast losing her status as the most cultured region on earth. As Patriarch Aleksey said, "If people practicing other religions live in our country, they should study their culture, of course, but they should also know the culture of the country they live in".

All cultured people should know their nation's history and basics of its culture.

"...all young people studying at school should know the histoy of their culture," Patriarch Aleksey II of Moscow and all Russia told journalists at the State History Museum.

Education Minister Andrei Fursenko voiced support, saying "schoolchildren must know the history of religion and religious culture".

Unsurprisingly, secular advocates (many of whom are probably bitter that state atheism has lost its hold on Holy Russia) have protested the introduction of such a course in schools.

[links via The Western Confucian]

Œcumenical Statement Condemns "Christian" Zionism

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19

Background Information
Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine and Israel. The Christian Zionist programme provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism. In its extreme form, it laces an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ's love and justice today.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, together with her Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran counterparts, has issued a joint statement condemning what has come to be called "Christian" Zionism:

We categorically reject Christian Zionist doctrines as false teaching that corrupts the biblical message of love, justice and reconciliation.

We further reject the contemporary alliance of Christian Zionist leaders and organizations with elements in the governments of Israel and the United States that are presently imposing their unilateral pre-emptive borders and domination over Palestine. This inevitably leads to unending cycles of violence that undermine the security of all peoples of the Middle East and the rest of the world.

We reject the teachings of Christian Zionism that facilitate and support these policies as they advance racial exclusivity and perpetual war rather than the gospel of universal love, redemption and reconciliation taught by Jesus Christ. Rather than condemn the world to the doom of Armageddon we call upon everyone to liberate themselves from the ideologies of militarism and occupation. Instead, let them pursue the healing of the nations!

[via Fr Jim Tucker]