IOCC in the Holy Land

The Four Homes of Mercy, in Bethany, near Jerusalem, which was the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, which were profiled in this weblog in October through the eyes of his Eminence Metropolitan Savas Sembillas, who accompanied a good number of Orthodox Christian college students for Real Break: Jerusalem 2010 to the Holy Land and a time of service and interaction at these homes,  came to a time of severe financial shortfall recently.

After 73 years of existence, would they have to close their doors? Where would the residents, who had disabilities which preclude independent functioning, possibly go?

Thank God, the International Orthodox Christian Charities, in partnership with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, stepped in with a grant, so that the dear people who depend on this ministry may remain in what for them is home,  a place of mercy. Not many institutions are that way, unfortunately, and even in these, bed space is at a premium in this needy land.  

Read the story of one of the residents, Suma, in the following IOCC article: IOCC Assists the Holy Land’s Disabled  

And here is the website of Four Homes of Mercy 

Picture from Embrace the Middle East: The Four Homes of Mercy 

Behold, the Bridegroom

Behold, the Bridegroom cometh at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom he shall find awake. But he whom he shall find neglectful is verily unworthy. Behold, therefore, my soul, beware, lest thou fallest into deep slumber, and the door of the kingdom be closed against thee, and thou be delivered to death. But be thou wakeful, crying Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, O God. . . .

I behold Thy bridal chamber richly adorned, O my Saviour; but I have no wedding garment to worthily enter. Make radiant the garment of my soul, O Giver of Light, and save me. . . .

Come, ye believers, let us work diligently for the Master; for he distributes wealth unto his servants. Let each of us according to our ability, increase the gifts of grace twofold. (Tuesday) . . .

Rich men have turned poor and gone hungry; but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good things (Psalms 33 from Septuagint)

(from the Bridegroom Matins & the Pre-Sanctified Liturgies of Holy Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday)

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; and let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. (James 1:9-10)

O Bridegroom, brilliant in Thy beauty above all mankind, who didst call us to the spiritual banquet of Thy chamber, cast away from me the likeness of the rags of iniquity, by participation in Thy Passion and adorn me with the robe of Thy beauty, and distinguish me as a brilliant guest in Thy kingdom, for Thou only art compassionate. (Tuesday Matins, from the Aposticha)

From the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese website:

 Begin Holy Week with a holy act http://www.antiochian.org/node/17595

Also see, Passion Week: An Explanation (note the Bridegroom Orthros Services Mon.-Wed.) http://www.antiochian.org/1175027131

Eleanor clearing the hurdles of life …

Eleanor

… but she needed help to get to the finish line, to become a teacher.

The Orthodox Mission in Sierra Leone is providing a scholarship and an artificial leg so that she can attain her goal.

I’ll let Reverend Themi tell the story of her determination amidst the dangers of wartorn Sierre Leone: 

To access: http://pk4a.com/adeversity-and-hope/

Bishop Basil blesses the Sheltering Tree

The Sheltering Tree I will be a home for ten persons with intellectual disabilities; each person will have their own apartment, and there will be a common area for community life. The process toward the completion of the home has been very involved; it is a work in process. But the Church in the person of His Grace Bishop Basil has blessed the home-to-be. We are a people of faith, seeing ahead to the day of fulfillment, to the completion of the Sheltering Tree I, the home, and also to a planned educational and vocational center, the ABLE Center. 

The ministry is located in the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area.

http://www.antiochian.org/content/bishop-basil-blesses-residence-disabled 

Their website:  http://www.shelteringtreecommunity.org/ 

The planned ABLE Center:  http://www.shelteringtreecommunity.org/#/able-center/ 

Also: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill consecrates the house for disabled children at the Ascension Monastery in Bancheny, Ukraine (Pictures) 

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, by Sophia Sharos

Given at the 2012 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, and discovered in For the Life of the World The monthly newsletter of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church Volume IV, Issue 6 June, 2012, Page 8 

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Everyone, no matter what
disability someone has is
beautiful and unique in their
own way. The special needs
are seen in the eyes of God the
same way he sees people with
no disabilities. People with
disabilities can sometimes
have special inner gifts and
can be very talented in their
own way. In my opinion, special needs people have the
power to show us how precious life is.
People with disabilities
have the same rights and opportunities as people with no
disabilities. Every person is
equal in the eyes of God. It is
insulting when people have
stereotypic attitudes toward
special needs. God has a purpose and vision for all of his
children. Who are you to
judge what a person appearance looks like and how they
think?
In our society today everyone needs to learn how to
have patience with the special
needs. They learn at a different pace than people with no
disabilities, but that should
not stop us from taking the
time out to help them. In this
day in age, the people with
disabilities are “labeled” as the
people who are stupid or cannot do anything for themselves. I think we can use the
disabled as a mirror for ourselves to be grateful for what
we have. They are wounded,
and we are wounded. They
have the advantage of having
their wounds clearly and unmistakably visible.
We can reflect upon and
cherish the disabled and those
with special needs. One thing
is certain; people should always have respect for people
with special needs. Ask yourself what if I was in their
shoes? They are more than
inconveniences to be tolerated
or nuisances to be unnoticed.
Rather, these are people, treasures really, with whom we
have a bond and, if we decide
on, an affectionate relationship.
Author:
Sophia Sharos

St. Gregory Palamas on the Paralyzed man

St. Gregory Palamas

 St. Gregory, viewing the text according to its typological meaning, is addressing all of us who are aware of how our sins have paralyzed us in our God-given quest for Christlikeness. Just as there is hope through Christ for the dilemna of disability, there is hope for us all to conquer the paralyzing effects of sin and reign with Christ- through the Cross.

If die with Him, we shall reign with Him.

Here is the homily: 

http://sgpm.goarch.org/Monastery/?p=109

This is not to say that we bypass the concerns of people with disabilities. For just as Christ literally addressed the paralyzed man’s situation, the Body of Christ is enabled by Him to address similar situations. Perhaps not with immediate healing,  but nevertheless, with brotherly love. Chapter 12 in St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians explains how this works. An illuminating portion (though I recommend the whole letter for context!):

“Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, or if one member is honored, all members rejoice with it.” (12:22-26)

Icon from https://caelumetterra.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/the-sunday-of-st-gregory-palamas/ 

Did Dostoevsky’s “Prince Myshkin” have Asperger’s Syndrome?

Fyodor Dostoevsky

There was a time in my life when I was searching for life’s meaning, and I would go to the classics section of the book store at the mall and buy a few of the ones that captured my interest. They were labeled classics because of their enduring themes and artistry; they provoked thought. But most of them did not provide me with the “key” I was seeking. That is, until I discovered the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky. I read three of them: Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov.

 The Idiot features a main character which is Dostoevsky’s unique version of what is familiar in Russia as the holy fool, a persons whose bizarre or quirky behavior masks deep holiness, so that others would not necessarily accord the person a kind of deference which would create barriers to natural relationships (which happens when we put on a “best face” in the presence of someone official or special).

The character’s name is Prince Myshkin. His ”quirk” is his extraordinary kindness, a kindness that leads to very profoundly heavy personal costs.

The website listed below is a resource and community center for people with Autism and Asperger’s syndrome, and the discussion reveals that the people of this community sense a certain kinship with character of Prince Myshkin.

Read the discussion for yourself: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt139197.html

Image from: http://boris-books.blogspot.com/2011/04/on-resuming-idiot-by-fyodor-dostoevsky.html

Oliver De Vinck in the eyes of his brother

Christopher De Vinck, a Roman Catholic devotional writer, shares about his older brother Oliver, who was severely disabled. In addition to the short essay below, De Vinck also wrote a book on his life with his brother. He has written many other books, many of them centering on the discovery of the Divine in simple things. 

Oliver: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/devinck.html 

Concerning Oliver and his brother Christopher: http://www.patersondiocese.org/moreinfo.cfm?Web_ID=1958  

The Book: “The Power of the Powerless: A Brother’s Legacy of Love:”  http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=The+Power+of+the+Powerless:+A+Brother’s+Legacy+of+Love&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=16675782587845216498&sa=X&ei=-NfzTqG2MufX0QHg0vSqAg&ved=0CEMQ8wIwBA  

excerpts from the book: http://grateful-for-life.blogspot.com/2010/05/oliver-de-vinck-powerful-blessing.html  

“The Accessible Church”

by the Very Reverend Father John Matusiak  –Rector of St. Joseph Church, Wheaton, IL; managing editor of the publication “The Orthodox Church;” and secretary of the Orthodox Church of America’s Diocese of the Midwest.> (at the time this article was written)

 The rights of people with handicapping conditions first received the support of federal law with the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Title V, Section 504, prohibits discrimination against qualified persons with handicapping conditions in federally-assisted programs or activities solely on the basis of disability.During the years immediately following enactment, administrators and advocates learned that non-discrimination is more difficult to practice with the disabled than in cases of racial or sexual discrimination. The reason is that people with disabilities may need different treatment than others for equal access to public life. That realization prompted demonstrations at Health, Education, and Welfare offices across the country and led to the development of the Section 504 regulation in 1977.For the most part, churches have ignored the needs of the disabled, and many church buildings are virtually inaccessible. Steps, pew placement, inaccessible washroom facilities, and insensitivity to the needs of the disabled in general have posed problems for decades. Yet as we consider the means by which the Orthodox Church in America can effectively evangelize, grow, and reach out to everyone — including the disabled — we should consider accessibility one of our top priorities, as every parish can expect that one out of four of its members will be handicapped at some point in life. A major attitudinal barrier to overcome is the idea that people with disabilities are people in need. As Orthodox Christians we should strive to see people as having abilities instead of disabilities, capable of offering leadership and a host of other talents to the Church and community. The parish which truly seeks to evangelize as Christ commanded will welcome all people, as Christ Himself did.

Building Language

 

Let’s consider a few facts.

The disabled persons are not necessarily handicapped. A handicap exists when the disabled person cannot overcome a barrier. Therefore the responsibility for accessibility is in those who create barriers or who should remove such barriers once their presence is recognized.

Buildings send messages in what might be termed “building language.” The message that church buildings need to say is “welcome.” A church building or parish hall with countless steps, inadequate sound systems, or inaccessible facilities surely does not extend a warm invitation to the disabled.

We may fool ourselves that proposed structural changes are planned only for the permanently disabled people. Not so. At any moment many able-bodied parishioners are recovering from illness or are temporarily in casts or on crutches. Further, every parishioner is growing older. These are all conditions which benefit from “barrier-free” access to our church facilities.

One of the purposes of the Church is the maintenance of Christian fellowship. We assume that it is a person’s desire to continue active involvement in worship and in fellowship as long as life will allow. On the other hand, every parish has its list of homebound parishioners who are no longer active. The decision to be homebound is theirs. They perceive that, given their disability, to leave home and enter the church building or hall is too difficult. If every church building could be barrier free, the greater part of the perceived difficulty will have been removed.

Assessing Needs

An Accessibility Audit is one of the easiest ways of discovering architectural barriers, and considering the different ways in which these barriers can be removed is usually quite simple.

Determining costs, procedures, and the time involved in removing physical barriers is more difficult. But with such information in hand, decisions, plans, and implementation take place at whatever pace a particular parish accepts.

Awareness-building might proceed more quickly if able-bodied parishioners used a wheelchair or crutches to tour their parish facilities in order to experience first hand some of the problems faced by disabled persons.

It is also essential to recognize the fact that we are long past that time when the need for accessibility developed. The long list of those now considered shut-in makes that self-evident. We need also to remember that removing existing architectural barriers will not, of itself, return to active parish life those who are comfortably established in their home-bound lifestyle. Those for whom we are becoming barrier free are, primarily, those who are presently active and those becoming active as time goes on, the one out of four who will become disabled at some point in their lives. Our goal should be to extend their time of active participation for as long as possible.

What Is An Accessible Church?

An accessible church is one that has overcome:

The physical or architectural barriers that make it difficult for people with handicaps to enter or to participate fully;

The attitudinal barriers that keep them from feeling welcome. Of the two, the attitudinal barrier is the most difficult to overcome. Once awareness, sensitivity, and understanding are achieved, the removal of physical barriers becomes an easy task.

 Attitudinal barriers might be more easily overcome if we kept the following points in mind:

People with disabilities also have many gifts and talents given to them by God. We are all called to be stewards of our own gifts and to encourage others to share theirs as well.

Disabled people should be included in parish leadership roles. When planning programs, learn firsthand the needs of the whole parish.

Parishioners may have relatives with handicapping conditions who are anticipating or experiencing attitudinal or physical barriers. Listen to their fears or anger and involve them in the process of change.

To assure that people with visual disabilities can fully participate in liturgical services, contact your local society for the blind. For little or no cost they will gladly assist you in producing prayer books and other religious literature in Braille or large-type.

Christianity has a long and unfortunate history of excluding hearing-impaired persons. St. Augustine, an early Christian writer, declared that deaf persons could not be Christians because they could not “hear the Word.” Past mistakes do not justify continued insensitivity. Since it is generally impossible to offer services with sign language interpretations, consider better sound amplification, which can be accomplished by installing a “loop” system in the pews. Your local society for the hearing-impaired will provide information about mechanical means of access.

Non-sighted persons will want to move around parish facilities independently. Ushers or greeters can express their welcome by orienting them immediately to steps, doors, and corridors.

Several modifications may need to be made for equal access by those in wheelchairs. Can they move freely around the church? Are some pews shorter than others thereby allowing persons in wheelchairs to be part of a row rather than an appendage of the worshipping congregation?

When your parish has learned to integrate people with handicapping conditions into its life of service, you may want to explore new opportunities for outreach and evangelization by noting in parish publications, phone directory listings, and advertisements that the church building is accessible to the disabled. It is a proven fact that the disabled will more readily join churches which are accessible.

Because of its history of barring those with disabilities, the Church is challenged to seek out people with handicapping conditions and invite their participation in a common ministry. Elimination of architectural barriers, as vital as it is, is not enough. An on-going ministry to the disabled should be an integral part of every progressive parish.

From the Orthodox Church of America’s online Resource Handbook for Lay Ministries’ Parish Development Page, by Permission

on the calling of the disabled according to Milton

From the Website Faith and Theology, posted by Ben Myers,                              John Milton on the Calling of the Disabled:

http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2006/12/john-milton-on-calling-of-disabled.html

Disposition is central, not results.