Christ is risen!

  “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! (St. Luke 24:1-6a)

For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.  . . . . then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 54b)

“But for you who fear my name the Sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in [His] wings, You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2)

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy. (Isaiah 35:5-6a)

The Orthodox Church has now entered into the Paschal Season, in which we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, as well as our own, for Christ’s resurrection brings for us our resurrection. Our Lord has defeated death by death. As He arose with a transformed body with which He could both eat fish and enter through closed doors, we will one day rise with new bodies, with capabilities beyond our present ability to conceive. Glory to Thee, our God, Glory to Thee!

“It is the day of the Resurrection! Let us adorn ourselves with the splendor of the festival and embrace one another! And let us say, O brethren, even unto those who hate us: ‘Let us forgive all things at the Resurrection, and thus let us cry out: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!’”

from http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/patristictexts/157-ephrem-paschal-hymn

Paschal Hymn, by St. Ephrem the Syrian

I fall in adoration at your feet, Lord!
I thank you, God of goodness;
God of holiness, I invoke you,
on my knees, in your sight.

For me, an unworthy sinner,
you have willed to undergo the death of the cross,
setting me free from the bonds of evil.

What shall I offer in return for your generosity?

Glory to you, friend of men!
Glory to you, most merciful!
Glory to you, most patient!
Glory to you who forgive sin!
Glory to you who have come to save us!
Glory to you who have been made man in the womb of a Virgin!
Glory to you who have been bound!
Glory to you who have been scourged!
Glory to you who have been derided!
Glory to you who have been nailed to the cross!
Glory to you, laid in a sepulchre, but risen again!
Glory to you who have preached the Gospel to men and have been believed!
Glory to you who have ascended to heaven!
Glory to you, seated at the right hand of the Father and who will return with him, in majesty, among the angels, to judge those who have disregarded your passion!

The powers of heaven will be shaken;
all the angels and archangels, the cherubim and seraphim
will appear in fear and trembling before Your glory;

the foundations of the earth will quake
and all that has life will cry out before Your majesty.

In that hour let your hand draw me beneath Your wings,
and save me from the terrible fire, from the gnashing of teeth,
from the outer darkness and from despair without end.
That I may sing to Your glory:

Glory to Him who through His merciful goodness has designed to redeem this sinner.

“Icons courtesy of www.eikonografos.comused with permission”

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

Joni Eareckson Tada: “Who is really pro-life?”

 

Joni and her husband Ken

  Joni is a very energetic advocate for persons with disabilities; she herself is a quadraplegic. She is also a conservative evangelical Protestant Christian, who certainly counts herself pro-life. But she is also asking all of us to evaluate all that being pro-life means. Please, hear what she has to say.

And read what she says here in light of what the Lord says: “Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these, you did it to Me.” (St. Matthew 25)  

To access: Elections 2012: Who is Really ‘Pro-Life?’ 

(from the Huffington Post) Picture from http://vitalsignsblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/joni-eareckson-tadas-cancer-battle.html 

H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr.: The Orthodox Christian Bioethics Solution

St. Basil the Great

or Moral Pluralism and the Crisis of Secular Bioethics: Why Orthodox Christian Bioethics has the Solution, 24 pp.

by H. Tristam Engelhardt Jr.

Dr. Engelhardt addresses the challenge of moral pluralism to an Orthodox Christian consensus on bioethical dilemnas, which are briefly described in contrast to even western Christian approaches which import a legal framework from philosophical sources.

Knowledge of God and knowledge of how to proceed in the face of bioethical dilemnas is set in the framework of personal knowledge of God (in contrast to mere knowledge about Him) which proceeds from right worship, toward the goal of union with God- Theosis. The bioethical dilemna, for an Orthodox Christian, must be addressed from within the community of right worship and a life directed toward this ultimate goal, according to pastoral guidance rather than natural-law  legalism

He quotes St. Basil the Great, one of the three Holy Hierarchs, whose scriptural interpretations and teachings are foundational for Orthodox Christianity, on the proper use of medicine:

Whatever requires an undue amount of thought or trouble or involves a large expenditure of effort and causes our whole life to revolve, as it were, around solicitude for the flesh must be avoided by Christians. Consequently, we must take great care to employ this medical art, if it should be necessary, not as making it wholly accountable for our state of health or illness, but as redounding to the glory of God and as a parallel to the care given the soul.

also:

Therefore, whether we follow the precepts of the medical art or decline to have recourse to them for any of the reasons mentioned above, we should hold to our objective of pleasing God and see to it that the soul‟s benefit is assured, fulfilling thus the Apostle‟s precept: Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God (I Cor 10:31)

Basil, St. (1962). Ascetical Works, trans. Sister Monica Wagner. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press. Pp. 334, 336-37.

Be sure to read the essay for Dr. Enghardt’s use of these valuable patristic quotes for our modern context.

http://www.antiochian-orthodox.co.uk/Publications/engelhardt-bio-ethics.pdf

Image from http://solzemli.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/saint-basil-the-great-on-self-discipline/ 

Christ is risen!

  “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! (St. Luke 24:1-6a)

For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.  . . . . then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 54b)

“But for you who fear my name the Sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in [His] wings, You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2)

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy. (Isaiah 35:5-6a)

The Orthodox Church has now entered into the Paschal Season, in which we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, as well as our own, for Christ’s resurrection brings for us our resurrection. Our Lord has defeated death by death. As He arose with a transformed body with which He could both eat fish and enter through closed doors, we will one day rise with new bodies, with capabilities beyond our present ability to conceive. Glory to Thee, our God, Glory to Thee!

“It is the day of the Resurrection! Let us adorn ourselves with the splendor of the festival and embrace one another! And let us say, O brethren, even unto those who hate us: ‘Let us forgive all things at the Resurrection, and thus let us cry out: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!’”

from http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/patristictexts/157-ephrem-paschal-hymn 

Paschal Hymn, by St. Ephrem the Syrian

I fall in adoration at your feet, Lord!
I thank you, God of goodness;
God of holiness, I invoke you,
on my knees, in your sight.

For me, an unworthy sinner,
you have willed to undergo the death of the cross,
setting me free from the bonds of evil.

What shall I offer in return for your generosity?

Glory to you, friend of men!
Glory to you, most merciful!
Glory to you, most patient!
Glory to you who forgive sin!
Glory to you who have come to save us!
Glory to you who have been made man in the womb of a Virgin!
Glory to you who have been bound!
Glory to you who have been scourged!
Glory to you who have been derided!
Glory to you who have been nailed to the cross!
Glory to you, laid in a sepulchre, but risen again!
Glory to you who have preached the Gospel to men and have been believed!
Glory to you who have ascended to heaven!
Glory to you, seated at the right hand of the Father and who will return with him, in majesty, among the angels, to judge those who have disregarded your passion!

The powers of heaven will be shaken;
all the angels and archangels, the cherubim and seraphim
will appear in fear and trembling before Your glory;

the foundations of the earth will quake
and all that has life will cry out before Your majesty.

In that hour let your hand draw me beneath Your wings,
and save me from the terrible fire, from the gnashing of teeth,
from the outer darkness and from despair without end.
That I may sing to Your glory:

Glory to Him who through His merciful goodness has designed to redeem this sinner.

“Icons courtesy of www.eikonografos.com used with permission”

“what if the fetus is or could be disabled?”

 

unborn child

“. . . People who overcome adversities challenge and enrich our world. . . .”

 Read the whole thing: http://www.feministsforlife.org/Q&A/Q10.htm

Khorea Frederica Matthewes-Green, wife of Archpriest Gregory Matthewes-Green, of Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church near Baltimore, Maryland, has 70 essays in the pro-life category on her website. She has also written a book on the subject: 

Real Choices: Listening to Women, Looking for Alternatives to Abortion (1997)

Her Pro-Life Essays: http://www.frederica.com/writings/category/pro-life

The book: http://www.conciliarpress.com/real-choices-looking-for-alternatives-to-abortion.html 

picture from http://seedsofchristianity.com/wordpress/ 11 Dec. 2010

“The Paradox of Disability (4):”

Responses to Jean Vanier and L’Arche Communities from Theology and the Sciences

Hans S. Reinders, editor. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI / Cambridge, U.K., 2010. 183 pp.

This book is a series of articles by participants in the Humble Approach Initiative sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, who gathered at a conference in Trosly-Breiul, France in March 2007, hosted by the L’Arche community there, exploring the subject of what one can learn from persons with disabilities. 

Theological Reflections

William A Gaventa’s “Learning from People with Disabilities: How to Ask the Right Question” addresses the importance of identifying worthy goals in one’s service to people with disabilities; they are not there so that we can work out our personal issues. Their purpose is not to enlighten us. And how we identify them is also important; strengths and gifts, likes and dislikes are constructive categories; labels are not. In his many years of interacting with people with disabilities, he sees three major areas that constitute the interests and desires of people with disabilities: a place to call home, a valued occupation, and someone to love who will love them. At the heart of love is mutual growth.

Stanley Hauerwas’ “L’Arche as a Peace Movement” calls for a reaffirmation of the mystery of suffering. Western society since the Enlightenment has seen many reform movements in which sympathy has been taken to the unrealistic conclusion that suffering can be removed from human experience. From this, we have seen the emergence of mercy killing. In response, he quotes Jean Vanier: “Every pain, every hurt we experience can become an offering, a source of life for others in and through Jesus’ offering of love to the Father.” Vanier also relates how the screams of a core member brought hateful, even violent thoughts to his heart, a violence he confronted, a violence we all must confront.

At L’Arche communities one encounters a slowing down, dispositions trained in patience, long-term commitments, trust, routine and celebration. And, at times, a reaching out to other faiths. The violence of speed is dispelled. Again, a quote from Vanier: “What matters is being truthful.” L’Arche’s animating center: Faith in Jesus as the One Who has redeemed time.

Brian Brock’s “Superogation and the Risk of Human Vulnerability” confronts the values of western society, which has come to “live by the numbers,” specifically in the expectations of genetic counselors who present their facts and statistics to expectant parents who have an unborn child with defects. The expectation is that a decision will be made to remove the burden from society.

To such values he contrasts the L’Arche communities, which, he says, are a school for relationships. L’Arche is a witness, a word from outside and above, about the necessity of listening to those who challenge our presuppositions by wishing to bear and live with the most vulnerable of humans.

John Swinton’s “Known by God” distinguishes knowing about God  and knowing God, and holds for the Scriptural declaration that  faith is a gift of God. Swinton cites the apophatic way which hold forth the reality that God transcends human intellect and human language fails when seeking to express Who He Is. But the Lord can be embraced by love. All we know of Him we know from what He has bestowed upon us. “As you did it to the least of these, you did it to Me.” (St. Matthew 25) The central gestures of love – laughter, touch, embrace, friendship, encounter – take on the shape of God.

Christopher Newell’s “On the Importance of Suffering: the Paradox of Disability” offered the perspective of one who is himself disabled. He admitted he sometimes feels that the struggle is unbearable and he wishes to die. He critiques the project of modernity, which avoids and seeks to deny human finiteness and mortality. In a world where intellect is all, mental illness and retardation are threatening.

The conference at the L’Arche provided community, relationship, and dignity. Christopher wept. He noted that Churches fight euthanasia but do not provide community for people with disabilities, without which many want to die. In that Jesus willingly suffered, the avoidance of suffering is a questionable pursuit; the healing through brokenness in community that L’Arche communities exemplify sets forth a wondrous paradox.

Christopher Newell’s challenge is one every Orthodox Christian parish must grapple with. Right worship and right belief must be incarnated in the local Orthodox Christian parish according to St. Paul’s explanation of the workings of the body in his first letter to the Corinthians chapter twelve. For we are the Body of Christ.

. . .  now indeed there are many members, yet one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. . . .

God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵ that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

1 Cor. 12:20b-22, 24b-25, NKJV, http://www.biblegateway.com/ 

Information concerning the book: 

http://www.templeton.org/who-we-are/media-room/publications/books/the-paradox-of-disability-responses-to-jean-vanier-and-larc   

http://larchecommons.ca/users/upload/paradox_intro.pdf

Mark Pickup: “Quality of life is a moving target.”

from Frederica Matthewes-Green: http://www.frederica.com/

The original source of the work: Citizen, 2001.

Khorea Frederica is the wife of Father Gregory Matthewes-Green, Pastor (Priest) at Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lithincum, Maryland: http://www.holycrossonline.org/

(In the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Tradition, “Khorea” is the title of the Priest’s wife.)

Mark Pickup is a devout Roman Catholic who has advanced multiple sclerosis. In the article which can be accessed from the URL below Frederica shares his reflections on life with disability in contrast to the voluntary death (by euthanasia) that ignorant people assume he should prefer.

A couple notable quotations from the short piece below:

. . . “What gives my life quality today is not being able to run or swim or ski,” Mark says. “It’s being able to love and to be loved. To think that I am still making a contribution to the world, whether I am or not.  . . . .

“Too many Christians have bought into the idea that God is a Sugar Daddy. But the fact is that we are to fit into God’s will, not him into ours. If this is what it takes to burn the pride out of me, to make me more like him and less like me, then let it be. Or else I didn’t really mean what I said when I converted. Talk is cheap.

. . . What about divine healing? I have been healed. I have been forgiven. Before I was disabled I was able-bodied on the outside but I was crippled inside. Now I’m crippled on the outside but Christ abides with me on the inside.

“Today my life is richer, not in spite of the MS, but because of it.” . . .

Now there’s Christian maturity.

Here’s the essay: http://www.frederica.com/writings/mark-pickup.html

And here’s Mark’s own website: http://markpickup.org/

Orthodox Health Care Proxy and Funeral Directive

It is very important that every Orthodox Christian have instructions available for their health care in the event of their inability to make decisions for themselves in time of serious illness. It is also important that funeral instructions be provided. . . .

available here: http://www.orthodox.org/directives.html

a reflection on the disinformation swirling around the Terri Schiavo saga

Stephen Drake

From the weblog Not Dead Yet: Fifth Anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s Death: A History Lesson

 

Both political parties are indicted for revising history toward political ends at the expense of persons with disabilities. Evidence is presented.

http://notdeadyetnewscommentary.blogspot.com/2010/03/fifth-anniversary-of-terri-schiavos.html

NDY’s Terri Schiavo articles page: http://www.notdeadyet.org/docs/articles.html#schiavo 

NDY’s articles on “the vegetative state/consciousness: http://www.notdeadyet.org/docs/articles.html#pvs 

Not Dead Yet does not approach these issues from a religious viewpoint at all. They are simply fighting for lives of value, against powerful interests who would deny the value of of the lives of severely disabled people.

Picture from Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (March 18, 2009)http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/