Volume 61 No. 3 April 2017 VOLUME 61 NO. 3 APRIL 2017 COVER: CRUCIFIXION MOSAIC EDITORIAL at St. George, Houston, by Aiden Hart Icons. contents www.aidanharticons.com IS IT REALISTIC TO CALL MYSELF 3 EDITORIAL by Bishop JOHN THE FOREMOST OF SINNERS? 5 METROPOLITAN JOSEPH CELEBRATES SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY IN BROOKLYN AT A RECENT RETREAT THAT I ATTENDED, SOMEONE ASKED HOW THE LANGUAGE OF REPENTANCE 7 THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY SERMON by Metropolitan TIKHON FOUND IN OUR PRAYERS SQUARES WITH THE LANGUAGE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-WORTH 12 WOMEN FROM WESTERN PROVINCES COMMON TO OUR TIMES. THIS QUESTION RAISES SO MANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I THINK ON RETREAT IN ALBERTA by Maryann Kowalsky ARE WORTH EXPLORING, AS WE PREPARE OURSELVES FOR PASSION OR HOLY WEEK, AND FOR OUR PARALLEL LIFE JOURNEY TO SALVATION. LIKE MOST MESSAGES OF ETERNAL TRUTH, AN 13 “THE MURDERERS OF GOD, THE LAWLESS NATION OF THE JEWS …”: UNDERSTANDING OF REPENTANCE AND SALVATION TAKES SOME EFFORT. COMING TO GRIPS WITH SOME OF OUR HOLY WEEK HYMNS by Fr. Bogdan G. Bucur Let’s start with St. Paul’s statement about himself in esteem prevents St. Paul from speaking boldly 19 THE RICH RESOURCES OF THE WESTERN RITE the First Letter to Timothy (verses 12–17): about the truths revealed in the prophecies and the by Fr. Nicholas Alford I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has life of Jesus Christ. To my knowledge, nobody ever accused St. Paul of not speaking boldly! 20 PICKING FRUIT IN THE strengthened me, because He considered me GARDEN OF THE THEOTOKOS: faith ful, putting me into service, even though St. Paul must have known that, compared to the A PILGRIMAGE OF great sinners of history like Nero and Caligula, or ANTIOCHIAN SEMINARIANS I was former ly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy the great sinners of the Bible, like Herod, David, 26 GIVING: ANSWERING GRACE because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the Ahab, or Jezebel, he – Paul – wasn’t so bad. Yet WITH GRACE Paul knew that we are judged only by God, and, by Fr. Joseph Huneycutt grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in 28 ORATORICAL FESTIVAL by Jordan Khabbaz Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus 30 COMMUNITIES IN ACTION came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason Letters to the editor are welcome and should include I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, the author’s full name and parish. Submissions Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect for “Communities in Action” must be approved by the local pastor. Both may be edited for purposes patience as an example for those who would of clarity and space. All submissions e-mailed and provided as a Microsoft Word text or editable believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King PDF. Please do not embed artwork into the word eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be documents. All art work must be high resolution: at least 300dpi. honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: St. Paul must have understood that he was U.S.A. and Canada, $20.00 forgiven by God, who literally knocked Paul o Foreign Countries, $26.00 Single Copies, $3.00 his horse as he was on his way to Damascus to The WORD (USPS626-260) is published monthly, continue his persecution of the Church. We know except July and August, by the Antiochian Orthodox that he understood God’s forgiveness, because God Christian Archdiocese of North America at 358 Mountain Road, PO Box 5238; periodicals postage later sent Paul out as an apostle. Accepting this paid at Englewood, New Jersey 07631-5238 and at additional mailing offices. vocation, Paul must have known that God was willing and able to work through him. Yet, St. Paul Postmaster send address changes to The WORD, 358 Mountain Road, PO Box 5238, Englewood, continues to call himself rst among sinners. One NJ 07631-5238 may ask in modern terms, wouldn’t this unhealthy ISSN 0043-7964 www.antiochian.org. and unrealistic view of himself be an expression Canada Post Publication Agreement No. 40043404 Return Canada address to of pride that makes himself a greater sinner than American International Mail, STN A – BOX 697, others. Or we may wonder if such a lack of self- Windsor ON N9A 6N4, Canada 2 JanuaryApril 2017 2016 e Word 3 Editorial in judging, God considers the gifts and graces given to METROPOLITAN JOSEPH CELEBRATES each of us. Paul did not know the intimate relationships be- SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY tween God and anyone else. IN BROOKLYN Here St. Paul speaks of him- The Most Reverend self, the only one whom he Metropolitan JOSEPH has a chance of understand- The Right Reverend Bishop ANTOUN ing. Knowing God’s mercy The Right Reverend and love, St. Paul concludes Bishop BASIL (as we do when we are hon- The Right Reverend est), that we fall short of hit- Bishop THOMAS ting our target of perfectly ex- The Right Reverend Bishop ALEXANDER pressing God’s love and will The Right Reverend in His world. Each of us is the Bishop JOHN greatest sinner we know. The Right Reverend Notice the context of St. Bishop ANTHONY Paul’s self-disclosure as fore- The Right Reverend Bishop NICHOLAS most of sinners: he uses his Founded in Arabic as confession to express God’s Al Kalimat in 1905 immeasurable mercy, and His by Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny) Founded in English as desire for us to share His eter- The WORD in 1957 by Metropolitan ANTONY (Bashir) nal life. For this, St. Paul gives glory to God. is text, like life itself, is more about God than it is about me. is is a healthy and not self-centered perspective. Editor in Chief The Rt. Rev. Bishop JOHN, D.Min. Healthy self-esteem comes from a realistic under standing of who we are in Assistant Editor Christopher Humphrey, Ph.D. relationship to God, the God who loves, chooses, forgives, and embraces us, and Design Director Donna Griffin Albert lives within us. Recognizing our shortcomings allows us to ll the emptiness [Photo credits: Sub-dea- Editorial Board The Very Rev. Joseph J. Allen, Th.D. cons Daniel Cripe and Anthony Bashir, Ph.D. caused by fear, anxiety and sin, with God. When we will not see our need of God, Andre Christoforides] The Very Rev. Antony Gabriel, Th.M. Ronald Nicola we distort reality; recognizing both the magnitude of our sins and the greatness of Najib E. Saliba, Ph.D. God’s mercy oers us balance, so that we can live in Truth. is Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH cele- con John is known for his voice, it is his humility that Member In this edition of e WORD, Fr. Bogdan Bucur looks closely at the language brated the Divine Liturgy and, later in the makes him loved by all. During the lunch in Deacon The Associated Church Press Ancient Faith Publishing used of “the Jews” in our liturgical tradition. is language comes from the earliest afternoon, Pan-Orthodox Vespers, for the John’s honor, Metropolitan JOSEPH thanked the fam- Ecumenical News International days of the Church, when the Church understood herself as Jewish, and saw the Sunday of Orthodoxy at St. Nicholas Ca- ily and friends who came to witness the ordination. He Orthodox Press Service H controversy with the synagogue largely as an intra-Jewish one. e early Church thedral of Brooklyn, New York. His Eminence arrived especially thanked the choir, made of up close friends Editorial Office: The WORD was Jew ish by blood, as well as religious tradition. e God of Abraham, Isaac and at the Cathedral for Orthros and was greeted by the of the new deacon, and led by Protopsaltis Dr. Gram- 2 Lydia’s Path Jacob is the God we worship, and the Word of God who spoke to them. When Cathedral Dean, Archpriest omas Zain, and visit- menos Karanos of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School Westborough, MA 01581-1841 e-mail: [email protected] Gentiles entered the Church, they were received into the “Israel of God,” and ing hierarchs, His Eminence Archbishop MICHAEL of eology, for a job well done. Sayidna then told the Subscription Office: became part of it – this is how the Apostle to the nations speaks of the Galatians of New York and New Jersey of the Orthodox Church new Deacon that the best advice he could give him was 358 Mountain Road (Galatians 6:16)! erefore, when we condemn those who hung Christ on a tree, in America, and His Grace Bishop JOHN of the Di- not a long speech, but just one simple phrase, based on PO Box 5238 Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 we speak to ourselves of our betrayal of Christ by our sins. Even today we continue ocese of Worcester and New England. e celebratory years of experience: “Make time for your family.” Arch- to choose sin over God! nature of today’s “Triumph of the Holy Icons” was com- bishop MICHAEL then gave a beautiful teaching about Lent is our time to retake charge of ourselves. is takes time and eort. bined with another celebration: the ordination of Sub- the historical and theological role of the diaconate in rough fasting, study, and alms-giving, the Church shows us how to journey deacon Rassem Elmassih to the diaconate. Rassem, who the Church throughout the centuries. Deacon John will home, get back on our path to salvation, and use our talents appropriately.