Orthodixie

MOSCOW, January 29 (RIA Novosti) – Imposing on schoolchildren the theory that humans descended from apes is unacceptable, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said Monday.

“Teaching the biblical theory of the world’s creation will not harm students. If people choose to believe that they descended from apes, let them, but without imposing their opinions on others,” Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia told an educational conference in the Kremlin …

Read it all … H E R E.

We don’t need no education.
We don’t need no thought control.
No dark sarcasm in the classroom.
Teacher, leave those kids alone.
Hey, teacher, leave those kids alone!

Source

Here’s some good advice for anyone considering faking their death:

Nope. The answer is:

Skip the memorial service.

Actually … find another church! One more caring, less kooky. Perhaps, this one. Read on …

Alison Matera of New Port Richey, Fla., should have done just that last Friday, but instead her ruse was exposed when she sat among mourners, listening to friends and family celebrate her life.

Celebrate? You’re kidding. They never visited her or, seemingly, carried on a serious conversation with her. [SERIOUS: an archaic word meaning the opposite of ridiculous.] Much less even noticed the chirping birds circling their heads!

It all started, the St. Petersburg Times reported Friday, when the 27-year-old told members of her church choir that she was dying of cancer, and that she soon would start receiving treatments.

Matera then started giving her friends regular updates during her “treatments.”

Then, near the end of last year, she told them she was giving up her fight and entering a hospice so she could die, the newspaper reported.

Y’all? Let me repeat:

Y’all?

This sounds fishy. How many people do you know …? Oh, never mind. Read on …

She “left” the church, but choir members said they continued to receive calls from a “hospice nurse” with updates on Matera’s health. The same “nurse” then called choir director Timothy Paquin on Jan. 18 to say Matera had died. Paquin said he then received a call from someone identifying themselves as Matera’s sister, detailing the family’s arrangements for the body.

Does this church not have a priest? Why are these folks being called? I mean this is a heckofa ministry for a choir!

The strange thing, according to a report filed with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, is that all the choir members said the callers all sounded exactly like Matera.

🙂

I’m starting, I fear, to lose a grip on reality. Please. Join me in a moment of madness, won’t you?

Paquin said he called the hospice and local funeral homes, but none had ever heard of Matera.

So … what? You scheduled a memorial service? Without, forgive me, a body? And … people came?

Then, when the church family gathered to mourn Matera’s death, a woman looking exactly like Matera showed up [actually, that doesn’t look anything like her!], claiming to be her sister, they said.

Choir members called the sheriff’s office for help, and when deputies went to Matera’s apartment she confessed the hoax, saying she needed to separate from the church community.

Good grief! (Oops, sorry about that.) This is the nuttiest story! I hope she doesn’t leave the church. Bloom where you’re planted? Right?

Read it all here.

In addition to being a Great Feast, today, being the Friday of the Publican & Pharisee, is …

fast-free!

It’s a Fast Free Friday Feastday!

And, for your files, here’s the Lenten fasting tradition of the Church:

During the week following the Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican there is katalysis [relaxing of rule; allowance] for all things, meaning that there is no fasting on any day of the week.

During the week following the Sunday of the Prodigal Son we observe the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk or other dairy products, fish, wine and olive oil) on Wednesday and Friday.

During the week following Judgment (or Meatfare) Sunday we abstain from meat, poultry, wine and olive oil; note however that there is katalysis for eggs, cheese, milk and other dairy products as well as fish on all days of that week.

From the first day of the Great Fast, known as Pure Monday, the day following Forgiveness (or Cheesefare) Sunday, we observe the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk or other dairy products, fish, wine and olive oil) on weekdays through Great and Holy Friday, while on Saturdays and Sundays there is katalysis for wine and olive oil;

EXCEPTIONS: on Annunciation (March 25th) and Palm Sunday there is katalysis for fish; on Great and Holy Thursday there is katalysis for wine and oil; on Great and Holy Saturday, if we eat anything at all, we observe the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk or other dairy products, fish, and olive oil) with katalysis for wine.

We break the Lenten Fast following the Paschal Orthros and Divine Liturgy.

* * * * * *

PS – Here’s Fr Stephen Freeman on the Feast.

PPS – From a couple year’s back …

[2005] Finally, when saying our Evening Prayers last night, my son reminded me of the Feast: February 2nd is the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple. Mind you, we’d just read about the Righteous Simeon and his disbelief that a VIRGIN would conceive and bear a Son. Simeon had even gone so far as to change the wording of the Scripture to say “a young woman” when he was corrected by an angel. And … so forth. After prayers, Basil (almost 7) said, “Dad, I noticed something about that story … he did it after Ground Hog Day.”

Yes, well, there it is.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

There is a section in One Flew Over the Onion Dome entitled “Orthodox Evangelism.” It reflects much of what has been shared by others HERE. Thanks to all who are participating!

However, I can’t help but return to the question: “Are we doing all we ought?”

I remember approaching my Church History Prof in Seminary for approval on a project. I asked if I could do my paper on Mysticism. He said, “Sure.” I replied, “Well, it’s not exactly Church History.”

“It’s all Church History,” he said.

If we believe that the Orthodox Church is indeed The Church … one could say that there is no such thing as Protestant tactics when it comes to Evangelism (unless, of course, they are specifically protesting the Pope). In other words, if the truth is the Truth — it’s all evangelism. Barring bad taste and heresy, it’s all good.

Sure, it’s a temptation to list our pet peeves and dislikes about “evangelistic efforts” from groups outside the Church. But, again: “Are we doing all we ought?”

Please Comment HERE.

Oh … here’s a press release on Orthodox Radio in Houston.

Ft. Lauderdale (January 30, 2007) – Come Receive The Light, the national Orthodox Christian radio program produced by Orthodox Christian Network, announces our newest radio affiliate in Houston, Texas.

Starting Sunday, February 4th you can now listen to Come Receive The Light every Sunday at 6:30 PM on KKHT FM 100.7. The station covers the greater Houston area and even reaches as far as Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, the assistant priest at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Houston said “The launch of our national Orthodox radio program in Houston represents a united effort by our Orthodox parishes in this area to reach out to our neighbors with the message of Orthodoxy. It is also a powerful tool to keep our faithful connected to the Church between Sunday services.”

Fr. Chris Metropulos, the host of Come Receive The Light, and the executive director of OCN, said “Adding the great city of Houston to our growing number of local communities who hear CRTL is a wonderful opportunity for mission and ministry. I look forward to expanding our outreach all across Texas.”

Come Receive The Light is the flagship radio program of Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) and is dedicated to spreading joy, hope and salvation in Jesus Christ while exploring Orthodox Christianity in contemporary society.

Orthodox Christian Networks is headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and is a commissioned agency of SCOBA (The Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas) and a member of the National Religious Broadcasters. Visit us at www.receive.org.

Press Release
For more information contact:
Charles Powell, Director of Development
800-358-3088