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Orthodox Christians and Western Christmas Carols e knew not whether we “Wwere in heaven or earth… We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of St. Sophia Orthodox Church other nations. a Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia The ” 195 Joseph Street, Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8S 3H6 Orthodox email: [email protected] website: www.saintsophia.ca phone: (250) 704-2838 Church ith these words, envoys sent from Services are in English Russia by Prince Vladimir in the Wyear 987 recorded their impression of Saturday Constantinople’s awesome Orthodox Cathedral, Hagia Sophia. They had been sent to search for Vigil – 6 p.m. – Всенощное бдение the true religion. Within a year of their report, Prince Vladimir and the Russian people were Sunday baptized in Christ by Orthodox missionaries. Hours – 10 a.m. – Часы Today, as in Prince Vladimir’s time, the Orthodox Church – fully aware that man is a union of body Divine Liturgy – 10:30 a.m. – Божественная Литургия and soul – uses all the beauty of creation to move Vespers – 5 p.m. – Вечерня her faithful children to prayer and worship: icons, beautiful singing, sweet-smelling incense, and Archpriest: Father John Adams majestic services. Deacon: Father Gordian Bruce The Greek word ‘Orthodoxia’ means ‘correct praise’ or ‘correct teaching’ and in the Orthodox worship the praise and teaching are closely interwoven. Jesus Christ founded His Church through the Apostles. By the grace received from God at Pentecost, the Apostles established the Church throughout the world. In Greece, Russia, and elsewhere, the True Apostolic Church continues to flourish, preserving the Faith of Christ pure and unchanged.) JanuaryJanuary 20120155 ServiceServicess Saturday January 3- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 4- Liturgy 10:30am Sunday Evening Vespers- 5pm Tuesday January 6- Eve of Nativity Great Compline and Matins 9pm Wednesday January 7- Midnight Nativity Service (immediately following the above service) Saturday January 10- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 11- Liturgy 10:30am Nativity Yolka Luncheon Saturday January 17- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 18- Liturgy 10:30am Sunday January 18- Vigil for the Feast of Theophany 6pm Monday January 19- Theophany Liturgy 10:30am with Blessing of the Waters It is traditional to have our homes blessed on Holy Theophany; please prearrange a time with Father John to come and have your house blessed today- or at another time, very soon Saturday January 24- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 25- Liturgy 10:30am Sunday Evening Vespers- 5pm Why We Fast Before Nativity (Christmas) The time of preparation before the great feast of the Nativity of Christ (i.e. “Christmas”) is, through the wisdom of our holy fathers, intended to be a time of purposeful asceticism, almsgiving, and learning to say “yes” to God while saying “no” to one’s own desires. Western Christmas (especially in the present day) has become a time of great anxiety and materialism for many, despite the fact that most every song one hears, most every retail ad that one reads, and most every film with “Christmas” as a theme that one watches will try to convince them that Christmas is a time for warmth, joy, spending time with one’s family and even taking a break from the regular hustle and bustle of everyday life. If only this were to be the case… This palpable grief and anxiety should not be so, beloved ones. No, we have certainly missed the purpose of this feast of Nativity- and the time of preparation and fasting that precedes it- if all we can do is approach it with great stress and sorrow… The fast of Saint Philip/Nativity fast is where our holy fathers inaugurated a 40 day period of fasting and preparation before the annual celebration of Christ’s Incarnation. This period of 40 days is analogous to the 40 days that the prophet Moses fasted before receiving the statutes of God. Of this connection, a great Saint writes: “The Nativity Forty-day Fast represents the fast undertaken by Moses, who- having fasted for forty days and forty nights- received the Commandments of God, written on stone tablets. And we, fasting for forty days, will reflect upon and receive from the Virgin the living Word- not written upon stone, but born, incarnate- and we will commune of His Divine Body.” St. Symeon of Thessaloniki (AD 1381-1429) If nothing else, then, the time of prayer and fasting before Nativity reminds us that we, as Orthodox Christians, are given the immense and unthinkable blessing, privilege, and honour of receiving the very Body and Blood of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. But as we “say yes to Christ” in the holy mysteries, we must also learn to say “no” to ourselves and to make it a point to both follow Christ and to serve those in need… An effective remedy for the anxieties and desires of this time of year is found in a concern for our fellow man. Rather than being so “caught up” in the materialism and “me too” nature of popular celebration, Orthodox Christians should play a pivotal role in showing a wholly better and more noble way. It is in these virtues and in a genuine concern and care for others that we can be released from the false cares of this world, especially as they are typically found during the Nativity or “Christmas” season. If we give to the poor, we are giving to God. If we say “no” to our own desires, we can fulfill the needs of those who are looking for someone—anyone—that is willing to say “yes” on their behalf… As individuals, we can honour the fast, spend more time in prayer, and make a conscious effort to love our neighbors as ourselves and to dedicate this season to be a time for ascetic, Spiritual growth… So then, beloved brothers and sisters, when approaching this Nativity season…dedicate yourself to the true spirit of the season and the greater purpose that lies within: the salvation and healing of the world. -Vincent Martini http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/57756.htm Orthodox Christians and Western Christmas Carols For some Orthodox Christians in the western world … it is sometimes difficult to know what to make of Christmas carols, songs, and their appropriate place in the life of an Orthodox Christian. None of us live in a vacuum. As such, the varied music of our culture almost inevitably finds its way into our lives, our memory, and our heart. Orthodox liturgical music represents the central place of music in the life of any faithful Orthodox Christian: it is music suited for the right worship of God, and comes to us through the life and experience of the countless holy ones that make up the communion of saints… For North Americans, most of the Christmas carols that have come to us in the English language date from the 1700s and 1800s, and offer narratives of the Gospel accounts of the Nativity of Christ. While these usually use archaic English in a creative way, they are certainly faithful witnesses to the Gospel. We can think of favourites such as AnGels We Have Heard on HiGh, Away in a ManGer, or God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen… Other traditional carols convey the story of events close to the Nativity of the Lord: the traditional Advent Latin melody O come, O come, Emmanuel dates to near pre-Schism times (the early 12th century, in this case), and can almost be described as a song from an Orthodox culture. The Coventry Carol tells the tragic tale of the massacre of the innocents described in the second chapter of Saint Matthew… Some carols offer poetic allusions to Gospel or other Scriptures. Songs such as DinG DonG Merrily on HiGh, We Three KinGs, Joy to the World, and While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by NiGht, are artistic folk songs of their time, and warmly tell parts of the Nativity story. … The Holly and the Ivy offers a Christian understanding of pagan symbols that would be familiar to many Slavic Orthodox. Even the famous carol, Hark The Herald AnGels SinG by the Protestant preacher Charles Wesley, provides poetry relating to the Gospel in a way that does not contradict an Orthodox understanding… Similarly, Christmastime tales of the life of an Orthodox saint like Good KinG Wenceslas (who died as a martyr at the hands of his pagan brother Boleslaus) provide a small sample of the lives of the saints which faithful Orthodox Christians read each day… Secular wintertime folk songs, such as Deck the Halls and JinGle Bells, are Victorian age nostalgia… The silly, modern secular songs such RockinG Around the Christmas Tree etc have little at all to do with Christmas, and even less to do with aspiring to emulate the best offerings of western civilization. In his letter to the Philippians (4:8), Saint Paul tells us to hold to everything that is good. A wonderful variety of Christmas carols that affirm the truth of the Gospel, and the Nativity of Christ, have come down to us in the English language, and are entirely suitable for use in the homes of Orthodox Christians… Apart from the Resurrection, this is the single greatest event in human history, and it gives us our very identity as Christians – and identity which solves any identity crisis we might ever face in our lives. We should celebrate it at every opportunity. -Fr. Geoffrey Korz -http://www.pravmir.com/article_1188.html - http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/12/orthodoxy-and-western-christmas-carols.html Original Hymn to the Music of Good King Wenceslas We all know the popular Christmas Carol: Good King Wenceslas.
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