The Murderers of God, the Lawless Nation of the Jews
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WOMEN FROM WESTERN PROVINCES ON “THE MURDERERS OF GOD, RETREAT IN ALBERTA THE LAWLESS NATION OF THE JEWS …”: Coming to Grips with Some of Our Holy Week Hymns Fr. Bogdan G. Bucur Tis article draws on a larger Sixty-fve Orthodox ror darkly.” We are to humble ourselves and say, “I really am study, “Anti-Jewish Rhetoric women from the three blind. I don’t know what God is doing in my life, or my in Byzantine Hymnography: western provinces of church.” Exegetical and Teo logical Canada (British Colum- Father Michael brought out the icon of the Teotokos Contextualization,” in bia, Alberta, and Sas- holding the Christ-Child. He asked us to notice a range of St. Vladimir’s Teo logical katchewan) enjoyed an- things, and ask ourselves some questions. Te Teotokos Quarterly 62 (2017). other beautiful weekend looks like gentleness, meekness, self-control. She represents in the foothills of the every mother, our mother. Te Word of God comes to us Maryann Kowalsky St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Rocky Mountains September 16–18, 2016, at the Entheos in Jesus Christ. Te Scripture is the Word of God. Te hu- Orthodox Church Calgary, Alberta Retreat Centre, Alberta. Of these, there were ten mother/ man heart can perceive spiritual reality. What does gentleness daughter pairs, two matushkas, one presbytera and one do- smell like? What does peace look like? How is it that an icon brodiyka. Women from twenty diferent Orthodox parishes can be to us a symbol, to which our hearts can say, “Tat is attended, and two from Roman Catholic churches. Eleven what love, peace and gentleness looks like”? women were frst-time attendees; they were given special Father Michael had many such thought-provoking state- stickers on their name tags to help identify them, so we could ments and questions throughout his presentation. He said make them feel welcome. that we are always asking the wrong question, the “Why?” Entheos Retreat Centre is located 20 kilometers west of question. Te correct question is “Who?” What does this Calgary in the country, bordering the Elbow River. I have have to do with my relationship with God. We need to be at been told many times that we are so fortunate to have this peace with our blindness. A DISCUSSION OF THE ANTI-JEWISH RHETORIC IN ORTHODOX HYMNOGRAPHY IS ESPECIALLY facility available to us, as it is unique. Te peace and quiet Heartfelt thanks are given to retreat organizers Joan DIFFICULT TODAY – IN THE AFTERMATH OF ANTI-JEWISH POGROMS, IN THE SINISTER SHADOW is perfect for a Christian retreat. Te staf at Entheos always Popowich, Matushka Barbara Eriksson, and Ghada Ziadeh, OF AUSCHWITZ, AND AT A TIME WHEN THERE ARE CONTINUING TENSIONS BETWEEN PALES- provide delicious, wholesome meals, and the rooms are al- for all their hard work in coordinating another successful ways clean and comfortable. gathering of Orthodox women. God grant you many years. TINIAN CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LAND, ON THE ONE HAND, AND THE MODERN-DAY JEWISH Guest speaker Father Michael Gillis, the priest Tank-you to the following clergy who beautifully served STATE OF ISRAEL AND THEIR OWN GREEK HIERARCHY, ON THE OTHER. SUCH A DISCUSSION IS of Holy Nativity Antiochian Orthodox Church in throughout the weekend: Rt. Reverend Father Taras Kro- NECESSARY, HOWEVER. THE WORDS IN THE TITLE ARE FROM ONE OF THE STICHERA AT THE Langley, B.C., spoke to us on the topic, “Seeing the chak, and Reverend Father Timothy Chrapko, Priests at St. 1 World as an Icon.” “We are all blind, but until we Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Calgary; and Arch- BEATITUDES CHANTED ON HOLY THURSDAY EVENING. SIMILAR REFERENCES TO “ARROGANT realize we are blind (and we like it that way), we priest Father Phillip Eriksson, Priest of the Holy Martyr Pe- ISRAEL, PEOPLE GUILTY OF BLOOD,” “BLOODTHIRSTY PEOPLE, JEALOUS AND VENGEFUL,” AND cannot see very well the iconographic meaning of ter the Aleut Orthodox Church, Calgary. Special thank-you “THE PERVERSE AND CROOKED PEOPLE OF THE HEBREWS” OCCUR IN THE UN AB BRE VIATED the world around us, and engage it efectively for to Father Michael Gillis for serving Sunday Divine Liturgy. ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE LAMENTATIONS SERVICE PRINTED IN THE LENTEN TRIODION. our salvation and the salvation of those around us.” May our Lord be with us all as we look forward to yet an- Tere is always much more going on than you think other Women’s Retreat next year, September 15–17. For fur- (IN CONTRAST, THESE STANZAS ARE OMITTED IN THE ANTIOCHIAN BOOK OF SERVICES FOR you can see. Because you think you can see, you ther information, please contact Ghada Ziadeh at ziadehe@ HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA.)2 are actually blind. Paul said “Now we see in a mir- telus.net or 403-240-2549. 12 April 2017 Te Word 13 Murderers of God t is true that this kind of language appears less wilderness. Today they pierced with a lance the side ANTI-SEMITIC RANT OR CHRISTOLOGICAL PROCLAMATION? In all these hymns one encounters the same reading stri dent when considered within the context of of Him who for their sake smote Egypt with plagues. of biblical theophanies, and, by way of consequence, the A second necessary observation concerns the theo- Byzantine rhetoric, and that the pattern is set by Tey gave Him gall to drink, who rained down man- same type of “YHWH Christology,” or “Christology of logical content of these hymns. Te very fact that the the prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible (for na on them for food. Divine Identity” as some scholars refer to it. Yet the an- I biblical “Lord’s reproaches to Israel” are placed on the example, Micah 6:1–5; Amos 2:9–12). Today, however, With Moses’ rod Tou hast led them on dry ground ti-Jewish polemic is largely absent! In my opinion, this lips of Christ points to the primarily Christological in- these invectives are deeply disturbing, especially since through the Red Sea, yet they nailed Tee to the Cross; absence demonstrates that the anti-Jewish overtones are ten tion of the hymns. In the line quoted above, the rhetoric of this kind has at times been part of the explo- Tou hast suckled them with honey from the rock, yet not essential to the theological message of the hymns. point seems to be that it is Christ who rained manna sive mix that led to violence against Jews. As a matter of they gave Tee gall. in the desert; it is Christ who divided the Red Sea; it is THE VERY HEART OF OUR TRADITION fact, “the Easter season was the traditional time for fghts Be not deceived, ye Jews: for this is He who saved Christ who smote Egypt with plagues; it is Christ who between Christians and Jews, which always had the po- you in the sea and fed you in the wilderness.5 Te Christological interpretation of Old Testament fed Israel in the desert – in short, it is Christ who is the tential to turn into pogroms,” so that “traditionally the theophanies, which lies at the heart of much Holy We have here no less than the earliest Christology of “Lord” of the Exodus account. One could say, indeed, 3 Week hymnography, constitutes worst time for pogroms was Easter.” the Church – Kyrios Iēsous, “Jesus is Lord” (1 Corinthi- What do we make of all this? If this is how we wor- one of the most potent, endur- ans 12:3; Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:11) – wrapped in ing, and versatile “ingredients” ship, do we also believe in this manner? Clearly, a discus- the beauty of poetry, and consumed liturgically. Schol- sion is necessary. in the gradual crystallization of ars have pointed out the extraordinary difusion of these a distinct exegesis, doctrine, lit- HYMNS OF HOLY WEEK AND THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION kinds of compositions in Syriac, Greek, and Latin litur- urgy, and spirituality from the Te roots of Christian hymnography lie in the very gical usage. Te venerable Christian tradition popular- earliest stages of apostolic Chris- distant past. Consider the following passages, taken ized by the hymns is rooted in the even older tradition of tianity and throughout the frst from Byzantine hymns of the Passion and from the pas- prophetic reproaches of Israel (for example, Amos 2:9– millennium of the common era. chal homily of Saint Melito of Sardis, dated to the third 12; Micah 6:1–5; compare also Nehemiah 9:26 for the Te New Testament often al- quarter of the Second Century:4 theme of Israel killing the prophets). ludes to the divine Name (Exo- Te theological, liturgical, and pastoral consider- dus 3:14, egō eimi ho ōn; Exodus ations that are brought to bear on the hymnographic 6:3, kyrios), and proclaims Jesus Holy Friday: Antiphon 15 Melito of Sardis, “On Pascha,” 96 material must consider the larger context of the Church’s Christ as “Lord” (kyrios) – ob- growth from a charismatic, egalitarian, theologically in- Today, He who hung the earth upon He who hung the earth is hanging viously a reference to the Old the waters is hung upon the Cross. He who fxed the heavens in place novative, and administratively schismatic group within Testament “Lord” (kyrios in the has been fxed in place frst-century Judaism into the increasingly Gentile real- He who is King of the angels He who laid the foundations of the LXX) seen by the prophets. Tis is arrayed in a crown of thorns. universe has been laid on a tree ity of the Second Century. Indeed, during the early de- sort of “YHWH Christology” He who wraps the heaven in clouds cades of the Christian movement, the context for the that the theological program of Holy Week is precisely is wrapped in the purple of mockery.