The Fearsome Judgment Seat of Christ

In the liturgy, in the litany known as “Angel of Peace—Anhela Mirna,” we pray for “a Christian, painless, unashamed, peaceful end of our life and for a good account before the fearsome judgment seat of Christ.”

This Sunday's theme (Sunday of Meatfare) presents to us in particular, the scene of the “final judgment." Each year before Great Lent, we are reminded to reflect seriously upon the “last things” which all of us will face. Since, according to our faith, this is something certain and unavoidable, it is a good practice that we keep the thought often before us. Thus, in almost every service, we include this petition, that our lives end in a good way.

None of us know how our lives will see their conclusion. There are countless ways in which people pass from this life to the next. While we hope for the holiest, smoothest, most upright and tranquil way, there is no guarantee.

We can help ourselves however, in being prepared to go to meet the Lord and to receive a good report from him. It is this kind of peace of mind that the Gospel read (Matthew 25: 31-46) teaches us how to attain. Artists over the centuries have tried to depict the “awesome and fearful judgment” using the passage from Matthew’s Gospel as the prototype, as can be seen in the graphic included here.

The real questions however lie within our own minds. We must answer the questions in the Gospel honestly: Did we really treat others in a humane way? Did we lend encouragement and support to those who came to us for help and affirmation. Did we promote and encourage their aspirations and good deeds? Did we help them temporally when we were able? Did we rejoice in their accomplishments and good efforts? Were we constant in our friendships and loyal to those who put their trust in us? Did we truly see Christ in them?

OR, did we shy away, turn our backs, find an excuse, allow fear to corrupt our knowledge of right from wrong, justice from oppression? Did ambition or political pressure cause us to hurt others or estrange them from our circles? Did we build them up, only to crack the foundation from beneath? Has jealousy caused us to downplay or even undermine the blessings and success others have worked hard for? Did we betray confidences or allow self-serving reasons to effect how we treat others?

This is an examination of conscience we must take daily, if we are to come to that “Christian, unashamed and peaceful end of our life and receive the “good account before Christ's fearsome judgment seat” that we pray for.
- Vladyka Mykhayil -

Remembrance of the Faithful Departed

Below is an excerpt from our cathedral parish's bulletin for this Sunday. As we approach Lent and begin the remembrance of the departed on the appointed days, I hope that we can give new life to this long term custom among our people.

Now more than ever, most people I speak to seem to concur that our departed loved ones remain very near to us after they leave the visible, material mode of existence. Some speak of experiences of those who have reposed, others feel a "nearness" or spiritual communion with the deceased. Whatever the situation, life beyond what we know remains a mystery to us. However, I feel all the more assured that our deceased loved ones and friends remain ever close by. They are not far, but on the contrary, quite near.

In the Divine Liturgy, when I commemorate the departed, I always mention those whom each worshiper calls to mind and "who pray along with us in this spiritual sacrifice," because it is precisely in the Eucharistic meal, that the spiritual and temporal worlds are united. We are then, for a time, joined again with those gone before us, as we share the unity of Christ's body.

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IMPORTANT MESSAGE: FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK: The “All Souls’ Saturdays” begin this week on our liturgical calendar. These traditional days are dedicated to remembering all of our departed family members and friends. As a way of keeping this spiritual exercise, we make lists of our deceased loved ones each year and give them to the priest. In this way, we commit ourselves to remember and think about those who have played important roles in our lives. The reading of the names of each family’s people is called the “hramoty” or “lists.”

I can remember as a child, going to the church for the Divine Liturgy and Panakhyda for every All Souls’ Saturday during the Lenten time. We NEVER missed. Although the list of names was very long in those days, it was not a burden, as we patiently waited to hear the priest read aloud our family’s list. It was an honor to stand through the service and remember our relatives.

Because I understand that the situation today is a bit different than in the past and the many of us work difficult schedules and do not live very near the church, we sometimes have to adjust the schedule, so that as many of us as possible can participate. This Saturday, at 6:00 p..m. we will celebrate a Parastas (memorial service) in the church, which will include the reading of the names of our departed loved ones. I expect you all to be present and to pray with us this beautiful service of remembrance of those who have “died and gone before us, marked with the sign of faith.”

Submit your family lists to me TODAY, if you have not already done so. I need these to remember those dear to you. And think about this: If we do not remember our dearly departed while we are alive, will they remember us when we see them again at the end of our own earthly lives? What will they say to us? - Vladyka Mykhayil -

Paul Tillich Chair of Theology inauguarated

Tonight, our friend and distinguished theologian, Dr. Paul Knitter was formally instituted as the Paul F. Tillich Chair of Theology, World Religions and Culture in a ceremony at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. We were fortunate to hear and speak with Dr. Knitter last fall at a lecture at the Inter-Church Center.

Since then we have kept in contact as time permits, particularly regarding my response to the letter of the Muslim scholars, A Common Word Between Us and You, which I delivered in December.

As for most brilliant thinkers, including Paul Tillich himself, all has not been without criticism and controversy and even attempted "punitive" actions, in the name of "Christian propriety." Another friend, journalist Gary Stern, wrote today about Knitter's theology and the journey there.

As liberation theology was controversial and shocking to many in the last decades of the 20th. century, the theology of religious pluralism is certainly new and unsettling for many today. The waters are still greatly untread.

Despite the level of comfortability such shifts in paradigms may challenge on the surface, it is imperative that we continue on. All theology, if it is considered to be sustained by the Holy Spirit, must continue to be open to revelation, for this is exactly the work of God's spirit. Eastern Orthodoxy speaks of the "vivifying Spirit" for it is the Spirit that gives life and life is not stagnant, but a process of growth and development.

Only when a living organism dies or begins the process of demise, does it stop growing and cease re-creating itself in new, more beautiful representations. The church, as the living habitation of God, must not show signs of rot or decay, but rather appear in its true radiance, obtained by the creativity of the Spirit.

Dr. Knitter in his remarks tonight said that "if Christians are to dialog inter-religiously, then they must learn to do theology inter-religiously." This is a task for us in our ever shrinking world. One hallmark of theology in the first part of the 21st. century must be be to approach thinking theologically from our present experience in a global and increasingly interactive environment.

I encourage all of you to listen to Dr. Knitter's address given this evening at Union Theological Seminary, entitled, Doing Theology Interreligiously: Union and the Legacy of Paul Tillich, in this audio excerpt from the inauguration ceremony.

Visit the Union website for more about Dr. Paul F. Knitter and links to biographical and experiential information.

A visual journey through Eastern Orthodoxy

I came across this video on youtube. It gives a rather ascetically pleasing and attractive impression of the Orthodox Church.

In a time when many are speaking about dignity and beauty in liturgy, Byzantine-Orthodoxy can stand as an example of a church that has done a pretty good job at maintaining this throughout the centuries.

Sure, liturgy may not always be done as perfectly or as dramatically as it is in some countries and places. However, there remains the spiritual and contemplative atmosphere in each service of the Byzantine tradition.

Overall, this video is a good presentation of the church with a window at sharing with others, who have not seen Orthodoxy in action, or experienced the essence of its worship. Enjoy.

Conversion of the Jews . . . ???

Much lately has been abuzz surrounding the so-called "Prayer for the Conversion of the Jews" found in the Tridentine Ritual for Good Friday. So much, that the Roman Pontiff has decided to "revise" the prayer, to be less offensive to the Jewish people. It was announced this week in a statement from Bishop Richard J. Sklba, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

Readers may recall that Pope Benedict XVI allowed a more liberal but conditional and extraordinary use of this rite as contained in the 1962 Roman Missal, in a decree last year. The 1970 Missal of Pope Paul VI (sometimes still known as the "new rite") is still to be considered the "ordinary" celebration of the Latin Rite.

My good friend, Gary Stern, religion writer and editor has addressed the issue in his column called "Blogging Religiously" this past week (and at other times). We must only wonder what this means for today's "inter-religious dialogue" and the move towards a global community at peace with itself?

Mr. Abe Foxman, of the Anti-Defamation League expressed a hopeful but unsatisfied reaction to Benedict's upcoming revision, as you can read in Gary's installment. Foxman considers the changes to be simply cosmetic and still contain an attitude of "proselytization" for the "desire to end the distinctive Jewish way of life."

Regardless, I agree with Mr. Foxman, that the “clean-up” is merely cosmetic and betrays a frightening underlying trend in current papal teaching. If one thinks about it, much of these recent matters of concern began with the publication of Dominus Iesus. While promulgated under the patronage of John Paul II, late in his pontificate, it is well known that the document was crafted by the present pontiff.

And yes, the allowance for this prayer, (which is quite different from that of the present rite found in the 1970 Missal - see below), does a great disservice to the efforts of both Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, and a strong departure from their teachings.

If a conditional “re-instatement” of the Tridentine Rite was to be made at all, it should have been done exclusive of the “Paschal Triduum,” three days during which the church is to particularly pray together as one community. Indeed, the “liturgical instructions” say that the ritual is to be considered as “one service” from the start of the Holy Thursday evening mass, until the conclusion of the Easter Vigil. To make this evident, no greeting or dismissal is given between these services.

I have been wondering from the beginning, when and how it might be appropriate, to celebrate the rites of the Triduum in accordance with Tridentine practices, under the currently stated conditions for the use of the 1962 Missal. In the opinion of some litugists and Vatican observers, the Triduum is still to be celebrated only according to the 1970 Missal.

When and in which parishes is there going to be an opportunity to celebrate this archaic rite, if the current missal is to be considered “normative” as the directive says? It is my understanding that there generally can be only one celebration of the Triduum in each parish church.

Unfortunately, debate surrounding this “Prayer for the Conversion of the Jews” and the old rite in general is not bringing up positive impressions of the church’s positions. I hope that 40 years of progress does not lead to 150 years of regression.

Most comfort can be taken in the doubt that there will be many serious and lasting requests for the celebration of the old missal in the majority of parishes in the US or in other countries. Too much has happened, and this for the good, in the four decades since the liturgical changes.
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Addendum

The "normative prayer" from the (Roman) Liturgy of Good Friday of today, (one of a series of "prayers of the faithful" for various intentions) from the Missal of 1970, reads as below. There is no explicit mention of a so-called "conversion of the Jews" although there is a petition that they receive the "fullness of redemption," a concept not present in Jewish theology.

For the Jewish People:

Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God,
that they may continue to grow in the love of his name
and in faithfulness to his covenant.

Silent prayer. Then the priest sings or says:

Almighty and eternal God,
long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity.
Listen to your church as we pray
that the people you first made your own
may arrive at the fullness of redemption.

- The Roman Missal 1985 edition -

Liturgical sensibility gone wild . . .

Today marked an historic event in New York City. The Super Bowl XLII champions New York Giants proceeded down the "Canyon of Heroes" (Broadway, from Battery Park to City Hall), to celebrate this exciting event with their fans. The latter did not disappoint the Giants or the City, as they turned out to the tune of about 150,000.

Those of you who know me, are aware that I am a serious NFL (American Football) aficionado. So, you will not be surprised that I was in that large crowd to witness a parade, the likes of which our city has not seen in almost a decade. Even though it's still the post-Epiphany season and I have a few more houses to bless, it did not dawn on me to consider a special "blessing" to the team and coach of the victorious New York Football Giants. I guess I was just too caught up in the excitement of the past several days, to think of extending my pastoral or liturgical ministry to the Giants' victory celebration.

As some of you may have noticed however, there was at least one colleague in the clergy who thought it appropriate to not only offer well wishes to the Giants on this celebratory day, but to create a special liturgical celebration surrounding the parade.

While our Archdiocese does not have a parish along the parade route, I certainly applaud that churches that do, for their participation in today's event. Signs of pride and welcome surely help players and fans alike to see houses of worship as places that open their doors wide open to humankind. But the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, rector of the famous Trinity Church (Episcopal) at Broadway and Wall St. crafted an acknowledgment of the Giants' victory that, in this writer's opinion, combined popular theater with misappropriated liturgy.

Dr. Cooper thought it appropriate to offer a special "blessing" to the crowd and team, in particular, his old friend from Jacksonville days, Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin. While thousands watched either in person, on large screen TVs planted around the area or at home on television, the good Reverend Cooper mounted a step ladder to bestow the blessing. News commentators speculated as to whether this might be an actor hired for the occasion or the real thing.

Vested in golden cope, white alb and wearing a special "Super Bowl Edition" Giants hat, Dr. Cooper swung a huge Roman-style censer to and fro, as the team passed by the church yard. Smoke billowed out profusely from the censer, as the crowd continued to cheer and shreds of newspaper, left-over 81/2 x 11s and rolls of toilet paper flew jubilantly through the air, tossed from office windows above.

I certainly don't have a problem with adapting liturgical practices to the circumstances of our modern world. Services of blessing for various occasions are to be found in our rituals. However, if I remember correctly, the liturgy, by its very function of worship and sanctification, demands to be celebrated with dignity and the use of sensibility.

To stand on the steps of one's parish church and offer well wishes and even a blessing can be a very good way to witness to the church's presence in the world. On the other hand, to confuse the aspects of divine worship with situations of a quasi-religious or para-liturgical nature, does an injustice to the dignity they are meant to impart. In so doing, the church, in my opinion, does not serve as an witness to God's all-encompassing love, but rather opens up a wide opportunity for mockery of its liturgical expression and symbolism.

Everyone who has gone to seminary and studied liturgy, knows that the cope (and technically, also the alb) are used only in the context of a formal worship service. They are not worn when offering well wishes at a parade or mingling with civic celebrities.

Perhaps even more important is the use of incense. Since biblical times, incense has been used as an offering and sacrifice of praise to God. In Christian times, incense from a censer (thurible) is used in the church building, and directed towards sacred objects and images of God and the saints. In this case, its purpose is to render a sign of reverence and veneration to the person or persons represented therein. Other faiths too employ the use of incense in their prayer and reverence for God. As much as I may love the Giants and football, I could not imagine swinging a censer in front of them, as a sign of either blessing or honor.

I'm sure Dr. Cooper's intentions were the best, in thinking up this unique blessing for the Giants. My opinion is that it would have been quite well, for him to appear in front of his infamous parish church, wearing "choir garb" (usually some form of combination of a cassock and clerical hat), and raise his hands in a gesture of blessing for the crowd. However, to incorporate practices and vestments used only for the church's sacramental rites and worship services deprives them the dignity that is due. It is not that these objects or customs are sacred and holy in and of themselves, but because they point to a deeper symbolism and dignity which are reserved to God alone, and used at those times when the church is formally gathered in corporate worship.

Well, I am glad that I had the opportunity to witness this historic day for our New York Football Giants. It's not every year or even every decade that one can be part of such an event. Giants - you have my prayers too and my gratitude - for giving all of your dedicated fans a fantastic season. And yes, you have my blessing, that God allow you to continue to use your talents and resources, not only for the purpose of entertainment, but also for the host of charitable works accomplished by many a professional football player.

Way to Go Giants! - Así se Hace Gigantes!

New York fans are still experiencing the thrills of the Giants' Sunday night Super Bowl victory over the seemingly omnipresent New England Patriots. It's was New York's first appearance in the NFL championship since the 1991 season.

A game true to form for American football, fans were on the edges of their seats until the very last seconds of play. Eli Manning and the Giants' offensive took the lead again, in the final three minutes while Michael Strahan and the defense prevented the "dynasty" Super Bowl champion Patriots from turning the table in the final moments.

In Manhattan this morning will be a ticker tape victory parade from the Battery, up Broadway, to City Hall. Once a very common site in New York, this will be the first "ticker tape" parade to be held in the City since the year 2000.

I had to write this tribute to our City and our hard-working NY Giants. Well done, Giants! Chevre, Gigantes!