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St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary Holds Its Commencement Exercises News Ук о раїнське Православне Слов inian Orthodox W kra Офіційне видання Української Православної Церкви в США ord U The Official Publication of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Рік LXVII Чис. V, травень, 2017 www.uocofusa.org Vol. LXVII Issue V, May, 2017 Ukrainain Orthodox Word From the Editor’s Desk… Óêðàїíñüêå Ïðàâîñëàâíå Ñëîâî How to Worship Every priest is asked questions about behavior during worship, both what should be done to show proper respect in the Lord’s temple and what can be done to achieve more meaningful His Eminence Metropolitan ANTONY participation in the services. This article will attempt to address some of the more common questions and concerns; it draws on a variety His Grace Bishop DANIEL - Consistory President of sources. These should not be taken as laws to be obeyed, but as aids to an attitude or frame of mind which will make our parish’s Founded in Ukrainian worship more meaningful to each of us. as “Українське Православне Слово” in 1950 Whenever we enter or leave the temple we should do so as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the prayers of our brothers Founded in English and sisters. as “Ukrainian Orthodox Word” in 1952 As we enter or leave the temple, we should first face the altar and cross ourselves. Before going to our place, we should venerate the icon of the Patron Saint or of current Feast in the center of the temple and the icons of our Lord and the Theotokos (after buying Editor-in-Chief and lighting candles, if we so desire). Fr. Ivan Synevskyy It is best to avoid traffic in and out of the church during services. Especially do not enter or leave during a censing, an entrance, the Editorial Office: Scripture readings, or the sermon; coming and going is especially UOW distracting at these times. Being late for services is a common failing PO Box 495 among Orthodox of all sorts, but it is not something we should be South Bound Brook, NJ 08880 proud of. Leaving services early without a very good reason is just as bad. Tel.: (732) 356-0090 While in the temple we should try to maintain an attitude of Fax: (732) 356-5556 prayer and a spirit of humility, like the tax collector of the Gospels E-mail: [email protected] (Luke 18:10-14). Our purpose for coming is to approach our Lord and King in company with our brothers and sisters; we come together The Ukrainian Orthodox Word to constitute God¹s Church. These facts should govern our attitudes is published monthly and behavior. by the Office of Public Relations We should avoid conversation in the church even if the service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. has not yet begun. We should spend the time before services preparing for worship; necessary conversation should be conducted quietly so as not to disturb the meditations of others. All articles submitted for publication, We will get more out of the services if we pray rather than typed no longer than two pages double spaced, merely attend them. Allow the hymns to enter your heart, and make should be mailed to the UOW on a disk or e-mailed as their words your own. Remember that the services are not a time for an attachment to the Editor-in-Chief. Photos become private prayers but for sharing in the common worship of the Church. the property of the UOW and are not returned. Follow the service with your body as well as your mind. Orthodox piety is rich in actions which enable the whole person to Comments, opinions and articles are welcomed but worship. We should cross ourselves at the proper times (on hearing must include the author’s full name and address. an invocation of the Trinity, and at any prayer or petition which Articles are published at the discretion of the Editorial personally affects you). At censing and blessings the proper response Staff, which reserves the right to edit, and may not is to bow to the priest (crossing oneself is not necessary). During Great Lent there are times when we kneel or do prostrations; follow necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board the priest and altar servers in this matter. Kneeling is not proper on and/or the UOC of USA. Sundays, since each Sunday is a feast of the Resurrection, a weekly Pascha. (The reader or choir is exempted from certain actions if The deadline for each issue is the 1st of the month prior performing them disrupts the service.) to the publication date. Let us remember above all that the temple must be filled with an attitude of mutual love and respect. We have assembled to share Please send address changes to: in the Church’s worship, to unite with each other and our Lord, to Ukrainian Orthodox Word anticipate the joyful time when we are gathered into His Kingdom. PO Box 495 Our attitude toward one another should reflect that of the Lord, who South Bound Brook, NJ 08880 loves us all and desires nothing more than our spiritual growth and our salvation. 2 Українське Православне Слово Рік LXVII Чис. V, травень, 2017 The Church of the Holy Tithes in Kyiv Articles Church of the Tithes ruins - 18thc sketch A Bit of Church History fledgling presence of Christianity in It’s in our nature to treasure our Kyivan-Rus, originally planted by St. A Visible Witness history and roots which tell us who Andrew, affirmed by the ministry St. Volodymyr’s stewardship we are and where we’ve come from of Ss Cyril and Methodius in the efforts were successful, and the - and point out where we’re going. 9th c, but still foreign to the pagan Church became a strong, central In this spirit, Ukrainian ecclesiastical religiosity of most of the Kyivan-Rus witness to the Christian Faith and the history celebrates the memory of Ss. people. The story of joyous return of consecration of Kyiv to the Lord. A Volodymyr and Olha, whose personal Volodymyr’s emissaries to Kyiv after number of early founders of Kyivan faith journeys to the Orthodoxy their experience of the Holy Liturgy Christinaity would be interred in paved the way for the Baptism of at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople the Church of the Tithes, beginning all of Kyivan-Rus in 988, and the was the convincing spiritual force with St. Olha, and eventually, St. foundation of Orthodox Christianity moving St. Volodymyr to his personal Volodymyr himself, and his wife, throughout Ukrainian lands. conversion and baptism the mass Princess Anna the daughter of the The celebration of the Faith, baptism of the residents of Kyiv in Byzantine Emperor. which turned the people of pagan the River Dnipro. The church stood for centuries Kyivan-Rus to the Truth and worship The Chronicle relates how St. as such a witness. However as of Christ serves as a touchstone of Volodymyr desired to strengthen the Kyivan-Rus came under increased Ukrainian Orthodox identity during witness of the new Christian Faith attack by the Tatars, the Church times of religious freedom, but among his people. In 989, he decided was burned in 1230 as Kyiv fell to also during times of persecution, to build a massive stone Church in the Batu Khan. The site, however, including the recent decades leading Kyiv, as a sign of the establishment remained important and a wooden up to the Millennium celebration of Christianity in the land upon the church dedicated to St. Nicholas of the Baptism of Ukraine and the rock of the Apostolic Church and its was rebuilt there in the 18th c. This subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Cornerstone, Jesus Christ. In a way Church, like so many, remained Union – realized in no small part due similar to the efforts of St. Justinian a steadfast witness in the face of to the renewal of religious fervor. to build Hagia Sophia, this would renewed oppression, this time by the be an enormous task. How was Soviets. It was destroyed by 1935. From Paganism to Christianity this accomplished? St. Volodymyr Like the faith of the Ukrainian people, funded the complete project from however, though hidden, it lived on For Orthodox Christians, and a dedication of 10% of his personal in their hearts. Ukrainians in particular, the account wealth to the project (tithe), enabling Presently, archeological of the conversion of Kyivan-Rus is it to be completed and consecrated excavations have been searching inspiring and marvelous. According by 996AD. This Church dedicated to for the exact location and dimensions to the Chronicles, in the 10th the Most Holy Godbearer, sometimes of the original structure. A number century, Great Prince Volodymyr called simply, ‘The Church of our of possibilities have been discussed had entered into a new alliance with Lady’, had its festal commemoration for the reconstruction of the Church Constantinople which renewed the as the Feast of her Dormition. of the Holy Tithes, but given the Vol. LXVII Issue V, May, 2017 Ukrainian Orthodox Word 3 difficulty of the excavations, and other serious complexities in present day Ukraine, there is no certainty about reconstruction any time soon. What does this Mean - to us, Today? The Orthodox Faith is made visible by symbols. We use the Holy Cross, the icons, church banners, etc. as visible signs of our faith publicly, which stir our minds and warm our hearts to remember who we are, as Christians. They inspire us to live that faith personally and daily, through prayer, Christian living and asceticism. The Church of the Holy Tithes is a powerful witness to us of a key element of Christian faith -Orthodox Stewardship.
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