Orthodixie

The Church Year begins on September 1st and contains 12 Great Feasts. The first Feast of the year is the Birth of Mary, the Theotokos, on September 8th. The final Feast of the Church Year is the death of Mary — or, the Dormition — on August 15th.

THEOTOKOS: Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words, θεος “God” and τοκος “parturition, childbirth.” Literally, this translates as “God-bearer” or “One who gave birth to God.” However, since many English-speaking Orthodox find this literal translation awkward; in liturgical use, “Theotokos” is often retained in Greek or translated as “Mother of God.” This last is not precisely synonymous, as it describes a family relationship but not necessarily physical childbearing. Furthermore, “Mother of God” (Greek Μητηρ Θεου) has an established usage of its own in certain hymns, but especially on icons of the Theotokos, in which case it is usually abbreviated as ΜΡ ΘΥ.

Source.

Appellations of the Theotokos

Ark.
The Theotokos is often called an Ark, for the Glory of God settled on her, just as the Glory of God descended on the Mercy Seat of the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 25:10-22).

Aaron’s Rod.
Just as Aaron’s Rod sprouted miraculously in the Old Testament, so too, the Theotokos has budded forth the Flower of Immortality, Christ our God (Num. 17:1-11).

Burning Bush.
On Mt. Sinai, Moses saw the Bush that was burning, but was not consumed. So too, the Theotokos bore the fire of Divinity, but was not consumed (Ex. 3:1-6).

(Golden) Candlestick.
In the Old Testament Tabernacle, there were found in the Sanctuary golden candlesticks. The Theotokos is the Candlestick which held that Light that illumines the world (Ex. 25:31-40).

(Golden) Censer.
Just as the censer holds a burning coal, so too, the Theotokos held the Living Coal. In the Apocalypse, there stands an Angel before the Throne of God, swinging a censer, representing the prayers of the Saints rising up to God. This is also seen as a symbol of the Theotokos, for it is her prayers that find special favor before her Son.

Cloud.
In the Exodus, the Israelites were led out of Egypt by a Cloud of Light, symbolizing the presence of God in their midst. So too, the Theotokos is a Cloud, bearing God within.

Fleece.
In the book of Judges we read the account of the dew which appeared miraculously on Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:36-40). So too, the Dew Christ, appeared miraculously on the Living Fleece the Theotokos.

Holy of Holies.
Into the Holy of Holies only the High Priest could enter. So too, the Theotokos is the Holy of Holies into which only the Eternal High Priest Christ entered (Heb. 9:1-7).

Ladder.
In a dream Jacob saw a ladder ascending to Heaven, with Angels ascending and descending on it. The Theotokos is a Ladder, stretching from earth to Heaven, for on It God descended to man, having become incarnate.

Mountain (from which a Stone was cut not by hand of man).
The Prophet Daniel saw a mountain, from which was cut a stone, not by the hand of man (Dan. 2:34, 45). This is a reference to the miraculous Virgin Birth which was accomplished without the hand of man.

Palace.
The Theotokos was the Palace within which the King Christ our God dwelt.

Pot.
[See Urn]

Stem of Jesse.
In the Nativity Service, the Lord is referred to as the Rod from the Stem of Jesse (Is. 11:1), indicating His lineage from David, which was fulfilled through the Theotokos, who was a scion (or stem) of the line of David, the son of Jesse.

Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle was the place where the Glory of God dwelt. So too, the Glory of God dwelt in the Theotokos the Living Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34).

(Holy) Table.
This refers to the Holy Table (Altar Table) on which, at the Divine Liturgy, the Divine Food is offered. So too, the Theotokos is the Holy Table which bore the Bread of Life.

Temple.
The Prophet Ezekiel speaks of the Temple whose East gate remains sealed, through which only the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered. This clearly prophesies the Virgin Birth of the Theotokos (Ez. 44:1-2).

Throne.
The Theotokos is the Throne upon which Christ, the King of All, rested.

(Golden) Urn.
In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant contained within itself a golden urn filled with the heavenly manna. The Theotokos is the Urn which contained Christ, the Divine Manna (Heb. 9:1-7).

Vine.
The Theotokos is the Vine which bore the Ripe Cluster (of Grapes), Christ our Lord.

Source.
More info here.

For more on Mary the Mother of God (from Bishop BASIL), go here.

For a homily by St Gregory Palamas on the Dormition, go here.

Edited from previous postings in 2006 & 2009.
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The following, just for “fun” & FYI, is excerpted from The Writer’s Almanac:

Today is Friday the 13th. Twenty million Americans are feeling unlucky today — people who suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia. It’s a 99-year-old word made up of a combination of the Norse and Greek roots words for “fear” and “Friday” and “13.”

Folklorists say that the phobia itself is a combination of two separate superstition-induced phobias — 13 is unlucky in much of folklore and so is Friday. Whenever the first day of a month is a Sunday, there’s going to be a Friday the 13th that month.

The number 13 has been unlucky for a long time. Numerologists point out that 12 is a complete number in Judeo-Christian culture: There are 12 months in a year, 12 hours on a standard clock, 12 Apostles, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 days of Christmas, 12 eggs in a dozen, and so on. There’s something unsettling, even repugnant, about going just a bit “beyond completeness” — that’s how academic folklorists rationalize the superstition, at least. The vast majority of skyscrapers have no 13th floor, and room number 13 is missing from many modern hotels as well.

As for Friday, it’s unlucky in a handful of ancient cultures. In Christianity, it’s the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.

There are always the traditional folk remedies to ward off bad luck today: burning any socks with holes in them, or eating some gristle while standing on your head, or climbing to a mountaintop. And here’s the good news: There’s only one Friday the 13th this year and one next year. Some years can have up to three of them.

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Critics of the Manhattan Declaration — specifically those believing “members of communions other than their own should not be considered Christian” — are taken to task by S.M. Hutchens in a TOUCHSTONE editorial (Mar/Apr ’10, pp.3-4) wherein he quotes, among others, Father Seraphim Rose:

“We should view the non-Orthodox as people to whom Orthodoxy has not yet been revealed, as people who are potentially Orthodox (if only we ourselves would give them a better example). There is no reason why we cannot call them Christians and be on good terms with them, recognize that we have at least our faith in Christ in common, and live in peace especially in our own families. St Innocent’s attitude toward the Roman Catholics in California is a good example for us. A harsh, polemical attitude is called for only when the non-Orthodox are trying to take away our flocks or change our teachings. (Cited in Damascene Christensen, Not of this World: The Life and Teachings of Fr Seraphim Rose, p.758.)“

Interesting.

Nice quote.

But would Fr Seraphim Rose have signed the Manhattan Declaration?

Heh! Who knows?

(I’m sure many of you answered that question definitively in your own mind — but the tally, in my mind, is still too close to call :).

For further consideration:

Rose

Manhattan

TOUCHSTONE

This just in!

While at Camp St Raphael in July, I was pleasantly surprised when one of the teens asked: “Whatever happened to Fr Danislav Gregorio?”

I said, “What do you mean – What happened to him?”

“After you spoke with him about his book An Empty Church is a Peaceful Church, you knocked him out,” he said. “So, whatever happened to him?”

You know, the young camper had a point.

So, having not seen him since that interview back in November of 2007, I set out to find Fr Danislav Gregorio …

Searching the Internet for Fr Danislav proved futile … the only thing that kept popping up was his interview on the Orthodixie Podcast. St Swithuns by the Swamp parish website in Appleton, Indiana, listed only his name, no hyperlink, email address, or phone number. As he had originally contacted us, hoping to promote his book An Empty Church is a Peaceful Church – to our embarrassment we discovered that we hadn’t even bothered to write down a call-back number!

About eleven pages into a Google search, I finally found a single comment logged by a Fr Danislav on an Orthodox forum list whereon, in response to someone complaining that Orthodox Church services are too long, Fr Danislav wrote: “Buy my new book, Speedy Sacraments for Liturgical Losers. It will answer all of your questions – and quickly.”

I responded to that statement on the forum list, inviting Fr Danislav to stop by the Orthodixie Studio for another interview, and I am very pleased to report that he is with us today promoting his brand new book, Speedy Sacraments for Liturgical Losers –

FrJ: Welcome back, Fr Danislav!

FrDan: Thank you, Fr Joseph. I hope this interview will turn out better than the last one.

FrJ: Ah, yes, if I recall … last time you had, as we’d call in the South, a bit of a sinking spell.

FrDan: Actually, Fr Joseph, as it said on the police report, I believe you assaulted me with a weapon.

FrJ: Uh, er, hmmm. Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry.

FrDan: You said it.

FrJ: I said what?

FrDan: You are sorry.

FrJ: No, what I meant was …

FrDan: You see, Fr Joseph, that’s the problem with words: they can mean different things. Take, for instance, the oft misunderstood word gay …

FrJ: Uh, let’s not. I mean …

FrDan: You mean what, Fr Joseph? Is gay not a good word in your vocabulary?

FrJ: You’re referring to, say, the Fred Flintstone cartoon song where they sing: “We’ll have a Gay Ol’ Time!” — right?

FrDan: No …

The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

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People are usually characterized as intelligent based on an incorrect usage of that word. It is not those who have studied the sayings and writings of ancient wise men that are intelligent. Rather, it is those who have an intelligent rational soul, who are capable of distinguishing good from evil, who avoid everything that is evil and bad for the soul, and who wisely show concern for the good and useful, and while doing so, render great thanks to God. They alone should actually be called intelligent people.

— St. Anthony the Great

Stolen from the parish newsletter of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist.

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BLOG NOTE: I am away from the Internet until August 7th. Most likely, no posts or comment approval until that time.

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