Father George Bithos' weblog
Even though we are months away from the commemoration of St. Mary of Egypt, her story can resonate in our hearts as we try to learn the true meaning of repentance. I pray you enjoy this remembrance prepared by Trisagion Films. May St. Mary’s prayers join with the intercessions of the Mother of God to bring us true metanoia, a change of our heart and our lives. God Bless….fr.g
Sts. Cosmas and Damian, the Physicians
My sons the doctors, this rather stereotypical phrase is descriptive of a proud parent speaking of the accomplishment of their children. Even today, we express great joy when our sons or daughters reach that lofty position of becoming a physician. The place of doctors has always been one of respect and admiration. Throughout history, the dedication of healers has usually brought prestige, social status as well as financial reward. This is true today and it was true in antiquity. This brings us to a series of saint-brothers who shared their given names and were all physicians. The brothers commemorated November 1st. are the first in this remarkable grouping. We have become familiar with their stories. As Christians, they shared the conviction that the gifts which God had given them and which they had nurtured through study and hard work should be given back to those whom they served. Physicians who served and asked nothing in return, but why? First and foremost, these men were raised in an environment which allowed them to understand their gifts and abilities realistically. Their upbringing allowed them to look at their talents as “on-loan” from God. Each of us are given gifts to nourish and develop; most do this wither it is by education or practice or both. What many of us forget, in the process, is the source of our gifts. These three pairs of brothers knew that God had given them their gifts, the development of these gifts was inspired by God’s Holy Spirit and most importantly, the use of them was directed by Christ and His message of Love.
The greatest gift all these doctors have shared with us is not the gift of healing, as profound as it is, nor the example of giving as admirable as we know it to be; but the lesson of perspective. They knew the source of all gifts and thanked God by developing them and offering them back to God through His people. What are your gifts? What are you doing with them? How do you look upon them: as your right or the gift of a generous God?
Hymns of The Feast:
Holy Wonder-workers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia
Troparion — Tone 8
Holy unmercenaries and wonderworkers, Cosmas and Damian,
heal our infirmities.
Freely you have received; freely you give to us.
Kontakion — Tone 2
Having received the grace of healing,
You grant healing to those in need.
Glorious wonder workers and healers, Cosmas and Damian,
visit us and put down the insolence of our enemies,
and bring healing to the world through your miracles.
Today our Holy Church celebrates the “Holy Protection of the Theotokos” the feast originated in the vision that St. Andrew, the Fool for Christ, had of the Theotokos covering the faithful who prayed to her. On October 1, 911 St. Andrew saw in his vision of the Theotokos hovering over the faithful protecting them with her veil (omophorion) as they prayed in the Church of the Mother of God – Blachernae in Constantinople. She was safeguarding all who prayed for her protection.
What does this mean for us today over a thousand years later? As Orthodox Christians, the communion of the saints and the power of prayer are realities that we cannot underestimate. The Mother of God stands at the throne of Our Lord ever praying and interceding for us, her children. From the cross Christ said to the Theotokos, “Woman behold your son!” and to His beloved disciple, St. John, “Behold Your Mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (John 19, 26-27). At the foot of Christ’s cross, the Theotokos became a mother to all of us. The Apolytikion of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos remind us:
In giving birth, O Theotokos, you have retained your virginity,
and in falling asleep you have not forsaken the world. You who
are the Mother of Life have past over into life and through your
prayers you do deliver our souls from death.
“You have not forsaken the world….” This is the essence of the Theotokos’, ever-present ever-watchful, ever-praying protection for us, her children. Such is the love of a Mother. Throughout the ages, she appears to holy people and people in distress to assure us of her continuing care. St Andrew is not the only one that has seen her. People who have seen her are people like you or I. She has appeared in churches, to monks on Mount Athos, in hospital rooms and in other places that she knows need her loving care. She appears to comfort and reassure her children that she is protecting us through her constant prayers. The hymns of the Church remind us that she is “more honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim.” She stands at the right hand of her Son, the model of the Church interceding always for those who in faith call upon her. As we celebrate the Feast of Her Protection let us join with the angels to sing this hymn from the Divine Liturgy According to St. Basil:
All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace; the assembly
of the angels and the human race, You are a sanctified temple
and a spiritual paradise, the glory from whom God was incarnate
and became a child – Our God, existing before all ages. He made
your womb a throne, and your body more spacious than the
heavens. All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace.
Glory to You!
Most Holy Theotokos Pray for us! God Bless…..fr g
“Receive this Divine Trust and guard it until the Second Coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, at which time it will be demanded of you by Him.”
This direct instruction was given to me by Metropolitan Isaiah at my ordination last week as he placed the Lamb of God in my hands. The Lamb had been prepared by him at the Service of Preparation prior to the Divine Liturgy. I do not know if I have ever been so moved and so awed. The thought of being accountable to Our Lord for His Body, the Church, is not only awe inspiring, it is sobering. It is something beyond understanding. You are the Body of Christ. His Eminence’s admonition goes to the heart of priesthood. Christ’s priesthood is a priesthood for His people. He alone is Holy and yet we are called to be holy by living in Him and for Him. St. Peter in his first epistle tells us “but as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’.” (1Peter 1, 15 -16). In the Divine Liturgy, we hear “Holy things for the holy people of God.” And the response from you, the people, is “One is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father, Amen.”
As I served my first Divine Liturgy this last Sunday, I am even more moved and more impacted by the thought of this “Divine Trust.” The Church teaches that the fringe on the epitrachilion, the stole, which the priest wears around his neck, represents the souls of the faithful which are in-trusted to his care. This is a reminder to the priest of the instruction of the bishop at his ordination. At the ordination these words were spoken and yet it is something that must be absorbed in one’s consciousness and in one’s spirit and never be allowed to be forgotten. I pray that as I serve in His Holy Altar, He will always guide me and will keep this charge vivid in my heart. Thank you for your prayers and support. God Bless…fr g
On Sunday, I was ordained into the Holy Priesthood in Our Holy Orthodox Church. In the Prayer of the Cherubic Hymn prior to the Great Entrance, the priest prays the words of St John Chrysostomos. The saint has succinctly captured what every priest must feel especially when he thinks of his unworthiness: “…for to serve You is great and awesome even for the heavenly powers.” These feelings are something that I will carry with me each time I am privileged to serve the Liturgy. Even though, I cannot speak with you all personally, I do want to thank you all for your prayers and your support. His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah, Dn Paul and Fr. Vasileios were there at the altar with me and their prayers very much strengthened me. Even more than that day, when I reflect on their wisdom and example, I will find them models to emulate and inspire.
For so many years, His Eminence has been the icon of Christ for those of us in our Metropolis. His humble spiritual leadership has been a blessing to us all. He will always be in my prayers. As I said in my remarks prior to the ordination, I have been blessed to work with many bishops, priest and deacons all my life. I cannot name them all individually here, but each, those in God’s Kingdom, and those serving His people now are shining examples of dedicated servants of Our Lord. My biggest sadness on that day is that because of our present crisis my children and grandchildren were not personally with me. They were missed more than I can say, I thank all my family for their support and encouragement.
The icon above is called Christ the High Priest. It is always found on the throne of the bishop in every Orthodox church. This is to remind us that Christ’s priesthood is THE priesthood of the Church. As St Paul reminds us in his epistle to the Hebrews, Christ is the priest, “Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” All bishops are icons of His priesthood. As the continuing presence of the apostles in the Church, it is they that connect us to His ministry and safeguard the treasury of tradition in the Church and as the words of the liturgy remind us their role is to “rightly teaching the word of your truth.”
That same prayer we spoke of above is the only prayer in the Divine Liturgy designated for the priest to read for himself. This beautiful prayer emphatically teaches us a great lesson:
“….make me worthy, your sinful and unworthy servant,
to offer these gifts to You. For You are the Offerer and
the Offered; the Accepted and the Distributed, O Christ
Our God…..
Fr Alexander Schmemann in his wonderful book Eucharist reminds us that we enter the church as individuals to be formed by His Holy Spirit into one body, the Body of Christ, with Our Lord at our head. Together, we ascend to God’s throne to worship the Lord. As we approach the Holy Chalice for communion, we must know that we are being given communion by Christ, we receive Christ, His body and blood to become one with Christ and with each other. As the above prayer teaches us that it is Christ the Priest that is offered and is the offerer. As a new priest in His Holy Church this is the greatest lesson that I must always keep in my heart. I ask that your prayers strengthen me and that our Lord grant me His peace each and every time I stand before His Holy Altar. God Bless…..fr.g
