Tag: Orthodox mission
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Archpastoral Message of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon Pascha 2024
To the Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America,
My Beloved Children in the Lord,
CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!
Now all is filled with light: heaven and earth and the lower regions. Let all creation celebrate the rising of Christ: in him we are established. (St. John of Damascus, Paschal Canon, Ode Three)
Today we greet the most radiant feast of feasts, the king and lord of days, the Pascha of Christ our true God. Standing in the light of the Resurrection, we glimpse the true and unfading joy of the life to come.
To be sure, even on this chosen and holy day of light-bearing festival, my own heart remains heavy as I look out upon the world and behold wars and terrorism, unjust imprisonment and persecution, civil strife and political divisions. Indeed, “the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of iniquity” (Ps. 73:20). The world and its troubles present a threefold temptation to Christians who behold this multitude of “dark places”: we are tempted to despair; we are tempted to indifference; and we are tempted to conform and subordinate our holy Orthodox Christian faith to some worldly political program or ideology.
However, with his Pascha, Christ offers us a different response: a hope beyond this world, yet already present in this world. As we sing in the Paschal Canon of St. John of Damascus, everything is filled with the light of the Resurrection, even the lower regions. Life has burst forth from the grave; a light has shone in darkness (Jn. 1:5).
We dwell in a world of real trouble, real sorrow, real pain. The Lord came down into this world and became a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and he felt pain in his heart—on the night in which he was given up, his soul was “exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death”—and pain in his flesh (Is. 53:3; Mt. 26:38). But out of pain, the Lord has brought forth healing; out of sorrow, he has wrought an incorruptible source of joy. He died, but now he lives forever, and he offers us the same hope: eternal life.
And the eternal life that he offers is not just an extension of life in this world, with its ups and downs, sorrows and joys, sins and foibles and accidents. Rather he offers us abundant life, true life, by restoring our communion with God, who is the Source of life.
This true and incorruptible life, a life of constant trust and love and joy, is not only available in the world to come. Whenever we believe in Christ and his Resurrection and accept the joy of his Pascha, we are already, through faith and hope, getting a foretaste of that life—a life without fear of suffering or death, that sees sorrow as a source of joy, since even in sorrow, Christ, the Man of Sorrows, is there, ready to draw near to us in a union of love.
It is because of this that the holy Psalmist could write: “If I go up into heaven, thou art there; if I go down into hell, thou art present. If I take up my wings at dawn and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand guide me, and thy right hand shall hold me” (Ps. 138:8–10).
Wherever we are, whatever troubles we experience in our lives, whatever troubles we behold in this world, Christ is there with us, suffering with us in our suffering and offering us the hope of the unfailing happiness of his Pascha, inviting us to be in the world and not of the world, storing up all our hope and all the treasure of our hearts with him, in the kingdom that has no end, where neither moth nor rust can destroy and where no thief can break in and steal (Mt. 6:20).
May he who rose from the dead on the third day, kindling the light of hope for all the world, always shine upon our hearts with Paschal light, filling us with a joy-making desire for the good things to come and changing all our troubles and cares into opportunities to hope and trust.
To him, the Risen Lord, be all glory and adoration, together with his Father and his All-holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages!
Yours in the Risen Christ,
+ TIKHON
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada -
Yet another new Deacon.
It is a pretty good indication that our Church is doing what it is supposed to be doing, when we gain three deacons in the course of week. For those keeping score, that is four in less than a year – Glory to God!
Last Sunday, Vladika Irénée was in Hamilton On. at the parish of St. Maria of Paris (home of our dear brother Fr. Yuri Hladio) to ordain James Dale to the Holy Diaconate.
I first met the newly ordained deacon James back in 1982 when he started coming to (and was received into the Orthodox Church) at the Holy Transfiguration mission in Ottawa (now the Annunciation Cathedral) where my father was serving. I also attended some classes with him at St. Paul’s University and incidentally but nonetheless remarkable James also introduced me to punk rock- for which I am eternally thankful. James’ love of God and neighbour truly has guided him and his wife (Diakonisa Martha) to a life of service; becoming a cornerstone of St. Maria’s in its early days, and an example of Christian life for many new converts. It is only fitting that his service has been now “set apart” and offered to the Lord in the Diaconate, as a witness of the Lord’s love for us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mk.10:45) May the Lord grant him and his wife, many blessed years in service to His Body, the Church.
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Archbishop Arseny.
Today marks the 77th anniversary of Archbishop Arseny (Chagovtsov) repose at St. Tikhons Monastary in 1946.
I served a liturgy for him this morning, and was struck by the Gospel reading for the day (Lk. 6:46-7:1) and the Lord’s words.
“why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.”
I am blessed to serve in a Church that has had (as far as I have been able to discover) about 35 + priests and bishops serve in. This number has much to do with the fact that our parish was served intermittently by visiting clergy, from Winnipeg, Edmonton and Minneapolis. Before the Liturgy, I considered how many of the pastors that served at St. Nicholas would have said “Lord Lord”. Yet despite what they offered, many of their contributions have been lost to time, swept aside by the torrent of life. In stark contrast, Archbishop Arseny stands out from this list of pastors.
Truly the foundation of God’s saving love as manifested in the Orthodox Church, that he laid, is something that has provided refuge from the storms of life for countless generations for over a hundred years – after all St. Nicholas is a strong and healthy parish, our Archdiocese is strong and healthy, not to mention St. Tikhon’s monastery and seminary is still going strong (Glory to God!) all despite the struggles associated with being an immigrant Church, the struggles against ethnic nationalism, the struggles of cultural assimilation, and we can say the struggles of rampant secularism.
There is something to be said about the fact that Archbishop Arseny not only heard the call of the Lord, but did what he was called to do! Although not recognized officially as a Saint, his life and legacy bears the mark of sanctity – the fact that I can bear witness to this as a priest who serves in a Church he served at, is indeed a reflection of God’s mercy, and his participation in it. By his prayers, may we continue the work he so tirelessly offered the Lord.
Blessed Archbishop Arseny, pray to God for us!
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“I was in prison and you came to Me.”
At the Assembly in Montreal, Vladika Irénée, talked about the necessity of Orthodox Christians being involved in every aspect of our society as “chaplains”. To this point, he highlighted the work of the St. Silas Orthodox Prison Fellowship Society. It is one thing to be a “chaplain” with those who are sick or dying, or struggling through addictions and homelessness. It is another thing serving those who have broached the law. Yet the Lord calls us to “visit” the “least of My brethren” even in prison. The St. Silas Orthodox Prison Fellowship Society, has taken this to heart, and enters into those places many of us dare not go, in bringing the Gospel of the Lord’s victory and forgiveness. This is something for us to consider as we celebrate the feast of St Silas and his companions this weekend.
About eight years ago, while working as a prison Chaplain at Kent Maximum Institution, Fr. Richard Rene received a letter from an inmate named Dale, asking to be baptized into the Orthodox Church. Dale had met Fr. Richard while at Kent, and had since begun to read about the Orthodoxy. His reading confirmed what he had already learned in conversation with Fr. Richard: he had found the fullness of the Christian faith.
In January, 2016, Fr. Richard baptized Dale at Mission Medium Institution—the first ever Orthodox baptism in a Canadian federal prison. Dale took as his patron Moses the Black, whose life paralleled his in so many ways. Later that year, a second inmate was baptized, taking the name of the Apostle Silas. The following year, a third inmate was received by Confession and Chrismation, and took the name of Silouan.
The growing need among Orthodox inmates made it clear that a prison ministry was beginning. Fr. Richard appointed two members of an interim board, Dn. Symeon Price and Matushka Jaime Rene, and began the process of registering the ministry as a federal and provincial charity. The new ministry was dedicated to the Apostle Silas, who accompanied and was imprisoned with the Apostle Paul.
Since its inception, St. Silas Prison Ministry has extended its work across Canada. We have connected inmates in need with local communities, regardless of jurisdiction. We have provided inmates with Study Bibles, books, icons, and prayer ropes. We have served Sunday and Festal Liturgies, sacraments of baptism, unction, and confession; as well as Lenten, Holy Week, and Paschal services. We have reached out and responded to inmates by letter and by phone.
In the process of ministering to Orthodox inmates, we have also introduced many non-Orthodox inmates (not to mention Chaplains and Staff members), to Orthodox faith and practice. As such, St. Silas is truly a mission, answering the Lord’s call to proclaim the Gospel even in the darkest corners of the prison system. We need men and women of faith who are willing to join this mission field. Ask the Lord to show you how you can serve him among his incarcerated children
While many of us are unable and un-equipped to do this work, they are those who are. So we ask you to always remember in your prayers those who are in prison, and especially those who serve them in love (like the St. Silas Orthodox Prison Fellowship Society) in the name of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ!
May the Lord bless and confirm our work!
For more information, or to offer any help, please contact the St. Silas Orthodox Prison Fellowship Society at contact@orthodoxprisonministry.ca.
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Celebrating a better Canada day; by celebrating Dominion day.
A hundred and fifty three years ago when the fathers of confederation were putting the final touches on this “new country” called “Canada”, there was some question of what to call it. Although there was support for John A. MacDonald’s reference to Canada as a “kingdom”, the suggestion of Sir Samuel Tilley (then the premier of New Brunswick) to call Canada a “Dominion” held sway. He suggested the term inspired from scripture – He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” Ps. 72:8 (this also happens to be part of the motto for our country “A Mari Usque Ad Mare” from sea to sea).
As the years progressed, this title became more associated with an antiquated view of our history, being inconsistent with the desire to show the rest of the world, that Canada was a modern country, independent of its colonial history (not to mention that Canada day sounds much more patriotic than “Dominion Day”). So in 1982 “Dominion day” was changed to “Canada Day”.
Not surprisingly, this desire to distance ourselves from our past by changing the name of this day, did little to change the challenges of our sorted history (both good and bad). We have to say that even a title like “Canada Day” is still a reminder of the historic racism and blatant prejudice that oppressed indigenous peoples and minorities of our country (like the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act which banned Chinese immigration) despite its best intent.
In a desire to reconcile the past, they are those who would rather ignore the fact that on July 1st 1867 a confederation of provinces was established to make this country called Canada; yet I believe there is a better way to not only celebrate this day, but also go some way at reconciling the blessings of this country with its tragic history. Maybe we should revert back to calling this day “Dominion day” or at least remembering its salvific context?
Of course changing a name, does not change history; let alone, makes it easier for those who suffered systemic abuse and racism; but reverting to “Dominion day” recognizes (at least scripturally and spiritually) that we are not the ones who have Dominion (it is the Lord). As such we are not called to be lords or masters, but rather be ministers and servants; loving our neighbour as ourselves (Mk. 12:31)
Anyone with half a heart can realize that there is no limit on the amount of evil that can be legitimized when people (or a group of people) see themselves as owning something exclusively (like the land they inhabit) irrespective of the people that used to live there, the people who want to live there, their neighbours, or even the environment. Truly this is a tragic context akin to those wicked servants saw the vineyard (that which is not theirs), as being their own possession (Mt. 21:33-44)
As Christians and particularly as Christian Canadians, we should take this parable to heart, lest all that we have in this country “be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Mt. 21:43). Of course the Lord is talking about the Kingdom of Heaven; indeed the Lord has Dominion over all of creation (including this parcel of land that we call Canada) and our vocation (indigenous, settler, or immigrant) is to cultivate it, in love and service, that it might reveal the fruits of the Kingdom of Heaven and render them to the Lord and the least of His brethren (Mt. 25:40) “in their season”. If we are unwilling to do it, those “nations” that this will be given to, will not be the United States, or any other country (God forbid), but rather the poor, and abused, the lost, and forgotten peoples of this country.
Regardless if we moved here generations ago (like my family -1783), or just this past year (like Fr. Serhii and his family – this past March), or if we have been connected with the land for millennia; “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”(Philp. 31:20). So let us celebrate this secular feast day with repentance, turning to the Lord, and recognizing His compassionate Dominion and love over these lands (and all nations), and not our own fantasies of nationhood; and offer thanksgiving, for the blessings that we can see even the Kingdom of Heaven (and not the fantasies of a modern world) here and now, over these lands (and all nations).
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Hierarchical liturgy with Archbishop Irénee, and the Ordination of Greg Wiebe to the Diaconate.
To an outside observer, many of the liturgical elements we do at any service might seem “over the top ” ritual, full of pomp and circumstances – but when a Bishop is serving, it can seem truly all the more bizarre. I suppose that one can be left with the impression that these “over the top” rituals are just nostalgia for the glory years of Imperial Russia or Byzantium. Of course this is always a temptation (which I am all to often reminded of), but if we invest ourselves into the fact that these rituals are the expressions of our love of the Lord, they don’t seem to be as strange or inconsistent with anything else we do.
The presence of a Bishop at any given service (and especially at a Liturgy) is an apostolic icon of the fullness of our faith. We see this rooted in scripture with St. Paul’s instructions to Timothy and Titus, and reflected in early Church documents like the Didache (1st century) or Justin Martyr’s apologies on the faith (2nd century). In these (and many more writings) we see the that the Bishops (or overseers ἐπίσκοπος) manifest the unity of the faith, not as an administrative and social position, but rather through the through the historic, liturgical, scriptural, and spiritual life they embody. The short form for this is “Apostolic succession” where each canonical Bishop can trace their vocation back through time to the very apostles themselves.
It is in this that we find ourselves not in the presence of a CEO, or guru (God forbid), but rather in the presence of a man who conveys the same living “tradition” (2 Tess. 2:15) and teachings of the twelve apostles; and even of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. As St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote in the 1st century “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be, even as where Christ Jesus is, there is the catholic (whole and undivided) church” (Epistle to the Smyrnaeans).
This understanding of the whole and undivided Church in the presence of a bishop, was manifested last weekend on the Soul Saturday before Pentecost, as our long time choir director Greg Wiebe, was ordained to the diaconate by Archbishop Irénée. It is truly wonderful and witness of the saving work of the Lord at St. Nicholas (and the Archdiocese as a whole); indeed the willingness of men (like Greg) and their families to respond positively, like the prophet Isaiah to the call of the Lord; “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us? (Is. 6:8) is a manifestation of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Not in some mystical or spiritual way only, but tangably in the pastoral and liturgical life of the Church.
In this context we were given the opportunity to see those rituals that surround us when a Bishop is serving, and at the ordination of a deacon; not as Imperial nostalgia, or “over the top” liturgics, but rather an expression of the honour to the apostolic proclamation of the Lord’s saving victory over sin and death. Truly it is a blessing that we can not only bear witness to this proclamation, but participate in it.
May the Lord grant many blessed years to Vladyka Irénée, blessing him with peace and wisdom as he criss-crosses the Archdiocese in service to the Lord. May the Lord grant many blessed years to the newly ordained Deacon Greg, his wife Amanda, their children Kayla, William, and Hannah; and may the Lord grant many blessed years to the clergy and faithful of St Nicholas in their continued love and dedication to the Lord.
(Photo credits. Tina Wiebe photography, Igumen Vladimir (Lysak), Archpriest Gregory Scratch)
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Archbishop Irénée Visit to Yorkton, Canora, SK and Lennard, MB
This past week Archbishop Irénée made an Archpastoral visit to the parish of St Mark’s in Yorkton Saskatchewan for the feast of the Ascension. Vespers and Liturgy were served with the Archpriest Rodion Luciuk (Rector of St Mark’s), Igumen Vladimir, Deacon Denis and Archpriest Gregory Scratch (Dean of Manitoba and Saskatchewan).
Later that day, Vladyka Irénée, Fr Rodion, Fr Gregory and Dn Denis visited the Mission of St Andrew the First Called/Saints Peter and Paul in Canora (about a 20 min drive north of Yorkton). This community is unique in that this church was built by Romanian settlers in 1903 and consecrated by Archbishop Polycarp (Moruşca), yet shares the building with the mission of St Andrew the First Called (since 2004). A moleben of thanksgiving was served, and their new iconostas and icons were blessed by His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, with the Archpriest Andrew Piasta. Following the service a Trisagion for the departed founders was served and their graves were blessed. His Grace Bishop Andrei of Cleveland led the singing for this service.
The following day all three hierarchs and clergy made a trip to the historic parish of St Elias Romanian Orthodox Church in Leonard, MB to serve Liturgy to commemorate their 120th anniversary. It is truly wonderful that some 120 years after these Orthodox pioneers established this community, their work was honoured by three bishops. Truly a witness to the Lord’s abiding presence, manifested even in these new lands. Following the Liturgy, a Trisagion was served for the founders of the community, and the many graves (and original church) were blessed with the proclamation of Christ is Risen! Hristos a înviat! Христос воскрес!
The visit by Vladyka Irénée to Saskatchewan, and the opportunity to serve with Archbishop Nathaniel, and Bishop Andrei, and their faithful, is truly a blessed sign that our church has lost very little throughout the past two difficult years; and has picked up where it left off, proclaiming the unity of our faith, and the saving love of the Lord for His people. Glory to God!
More photos from these services can be found on the Archdiocese of Canada Website.
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The Gospel, All Saints of North America, and Residential Schools.
This past weekend we continued to bask in the glory and light of Pentecost beholding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and all humanity. It is in this “light and glory” that we see the abiding presence of the “Comforter and Spirit of Truth, who is everywhere and fills all things” in those holy men and women, who bore the fruit of the Holy Spirit, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law”(Gal 5:22-23); the Saints.
To understand the importance of Pentecost, is to understand and give thanksgiving for the Saints. For this reason, the two Sundays following Pentecost are focused on the Saints; first in general (with All Saints) , and then more specifically, in specific (All Saints of Russia, Ukraine, Mount Athos, and in our case, North America). Those men and women, known and unknown who have borne the fruit of the Holy Spirit here on our continent, in our country, province, and even our Church.
Yet our remembrance of these blessed Saints who served us here, is done under the shadow of this county’s tragic and racist history towards the Indignious and Metis peoples. The media’s revelation of a long known understanding that more than 6000 children never returned from the Residential Schools they were forcibly taken to, has reached the tipping point challenging the notion of our Canadian identity, and even the validity of our Christian witness. Even if some involved were unaware of the evil effects of forced assimilation, or the generational trauma and harm done by these schools, the effect is the same. All churches are lumped together as evil.
To be sure, the perception that all “churches” are the same (and evil), and as such are responsible for residential schools in Canada is wrong. This crisis directly affects the Roman Catholic Church (predominantly) and to a lesser degree, the Anglican United, Presbyterian Churches of Canada, who worked in partnership with the government to “get rid of the Indian problem”(Duncan Campbell Scott, a leading architect in the Residential school program).
Yet we see the witness of the Saints, and especially those who laboured in North America whom we commemorate, standing in stark contrast to the goals of the Residential School program: run by churches, that polluted the pristine Gospel message of hope and victory, with the poison of western enlightenment and racial superiority.
Truly the Saints throughout all the ages, have changed the world because of the imperative to “Go, stand in the temple (or wherever country, or city or village throughout the world) and speak to the people all the words of this life”(Act. 5:20) and only that Life; He who is the “Way the Truth and the Life” (Jn. 14:6) Jesus Christ!
One only has to look at the enduring witness of Orthodoxy among Alaska’s Indigenous peoples to see this striking contrast. From the very beginning Orthodox missionaries in Alaska sought to witness the Gospel in the language of the people, and like a new Cyrill and Methodius, Saints like Innocent and Jacob and others, not only learnt the local dialects and languages, but created an alphabet and a written language for the Indigenous peoples they served. They translated parts of scripture, and services. They baptized the Indigenous understanding of the Cosmos, revealing the work of Father Son and Holy Spirit in them. So much so, that trying to delineate between pre-Christian and post Christian understanding of the Creation, redemption, and life is almost impossible for modern ethnographers.
It was the proclamation by these Missionary Saints in Alaska, of the Gospel and only the Gospel, that cultivated a vibrant Christian culture, that was more Aleut, or Tlingit, than it was Russian (even 150 years ago). It should be said that those same Saints also cultivated a vibrant Christian Culture that has become for many of us in the last 50 years more English, or French or Spanish than it is Russian, Ukranian, Romanian or Greek.
But we are not in Alaska, we are here, and there is terrible pain and suffering that compels us to act with the same kind of fervor as it compelled the Saints of this continent to act.
And this is the point.
Whereas we might not be directly responsible for the forced assimilation of the Ingignious and Metis peoples of Canada, and the misguided application of a flawed and polluted gospel; we nonetheless can not claim total innocence because we have not borne witness to the Gospel that baptized nations and cultures of Indigious peoples. Despite having a presence in Canada for over 100 years, there is no Orthodox Church that is more Anishinaabe, or Cree, or Nakota, Metis, (or any other nation ) than it is English or French.
Those Saints who shone forth in these lands, now point the way for us, in their love for God and neighbour alike. We might not be able to fix the wrongs of the past (especially as they were not our mistakes); but we can recognize them as being wrong and sinful, that is missing the mark of Christ, as revealed in the Gospel.
We can’t offer apologies, and gestures of reconciliation, that are empty sentiments and baseless words; Rather we, like the Saints, should offer our repentance (that is turn back to God) and offer our prayers, fasting, and works, in supplication for ourselves and these peoples. Bringing it all to the Lord
We shouldn’t hang onto history and tradition, as something that is of more value than the lives of a people and their culture. Rather, we should heed the witness of the Saints who would go so far as to “hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, (and even one’s own nation and culture) yes, and his own life also” (Lk. 14:25) in following Christ, and serving Him.
We can never condone any violence and vandalism in this tragedy, but we can seek to heal and understand the profound pain that has caused such a reaction, greeting it with the humility and love of the Saints, who bore all things for Christ, as the Lord bore all things for us.
We can not expect anyone else to solve this crisis, nor can we ignore our Mission as Christians because of this tragedy. We (Orthodox Christians) like the Saints, have to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19). Changing not the culture and life of a people, rather opening their hearts to life.
Like the Saints, we have to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:13), even if it is hard for those around us to hear, even if it makes us look like fools. We have to speak of this tragedy, and we also have to speak of the only reconciliation that can happen between Indigenous peoples and everyone else; the reconciliation of our broken humanity with the Creator. That of God’s saving love, and only that love.
All Saints of North America, pray to God for us in the crisis of confusion and pain.