TRINITY TRIBUNE February 2021 Issue Message from Fr. D To my beloved family in Christ, Thanks to amazing marketing, Valentines day takes front and center stage in the month. The focus in the secular world shifts to love; with songs, advertisements, nostalgic refer- ences, and so many other ways to express love. Alas, the English word ‘love’ has become synonymous with romantic love alone, exactly what the secular world focuses on during the month of February. What an unfortunate turn of events. To limit love to one mean- ing when in reality there are at least seven for the ancient Greeks and in the early Church (See article on next page). 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love ( ἀγαπᾷς ) me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love ( φιλῶ ) you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love ( ἀγαπᾷς ) me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love ( φιλῶ ) you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love ( φιλεῖς ) me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love ( φιλεῖς ) me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love ( φιλῶ ) you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21: 15-17 The above scriptural passage gives us a good understanding of the various forms of love and their application. Christ asks do you love me the first two time as a universal type of love. Peter responds, I love you with a brotherly type of love. The third time asked, Jesus asks by meeting Peter on his level of love...do you brotherly love me? And of course, Peter responds I do brotherly love you. Familiarize yourselves with the true and various meanings of love. Do not allow confu- sion in. Know love is love. God is love. And it is good to love each other, as we would love God. As love of God grows, love of self and each grows as well. And we can express Who was this wonderful the love. The above exchange between Peter and Christ shows us that God gives us a chance to repent for past sinse (asked three times do you love me to replace three times saint? Everyone seems of denying Christ in the Courtyard) But the above scriptural exchange indicates that to think he only cares with love, there comes action. Through our actions we can show love. But don’t allow about selling chocolates marketers to say that expensive gifts are the way. Not at all...love is best expressed with and candy and diamonds. simple gestures, consistently displayed. A hug, a smile, a listening ear...are all indicators They couldn’t be more of love. wrong, but Valentinus I love you all and God loves us all! means Vigorous in Latin. We continue to use universal precautions, as advised by the CDC and local authorities. Please RSVP to come to as often as possible: (609) 309-1707. The calendar is on the last Next page for more info. page of the bulletin. In Christ Fr. D The Martyrdom of Saint Valentine in Rome Saint Valentine lived in Rome in the third century and was a priest who helped the martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II the Goth. The great virtue and catechetical activities of the Saint had become known. For this he was arrested and brought before the imperial court. "Why, Valentine, do you want to be a friend of our enemies and reject our friendship?" asked the Em- peror. The Saint replied: "My lord, if you knew the gift of God, you would be happy together with your empire and would reject the worship of idols and worship the true God and His Son Jesus Christ." One of the judges stopped the Saint and asked him what he thought about Jupiter and Mercury, and Val- entine boldly replied: "They are miserable, and spent their lives in corruption and crime!" The judge furiously shouted: "He blasphemes against the gods and against the empire!" The Emperor, however, continued his questions with curiosity, and found a welcome opportunity to finally learn what was the faith of Christians. Valentine then found the courage to urge him to repent for the blood of the Christians that was shed. "Believe in Jesus Christ, be baptized and you will be saved, and from this time forward the glory of your empire will be ensured as well as the triumph of your ar- mory." Claudius became convinced, and said to those who were present: "What a beautiful teaching this man preaches." But the Mayor of Rome, dissatisfied, began to shout: "See how this Christian misled our Prince." Then Claudius brought the Saint to another judge. He was called Asterios, and he had a little girl who was blind for two years. Listening about Jesus Christ, that He is the Light of the World, he asked Valen- tine if he could give that light to his child. St. Valentine put his hand on her eyes and prayed: "Lord Jesus Christ, true Light, illuminate this blind child." Oh the great miracle! The child could see! So the judge with all his family confessed Christ. Having fasted for three days, he destroyed the idols that were in the house and finally received Holy Baptism. When the Emperor heard about all these events, he initially thought not to punish them, thinking that in the eyes of the cit- izens he will look weak, which forced him to betray his sense of justice. There- fore St. Valentine along with other Christians, after they were tortured, were beheaded on 14 February in the year 268 (or 269). The Orthodox Saint Valentine | MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER—February 14, 2011 Saint Valentine: Patron of Lovers Apart from the scant historical data we have for Valentine's life, there is accompanied various leg- ends, such as from those who say he is the patron saint of lovers. The Saint had a reputation as a peacemaker, and one day while cultivating some roses from his gar- den, he heard a couple quarrel very vigorously. This shocked the Saint, who then cut a rose and ap- proached the couple asking them to hear him. Even though they were dispirited, they obeyed the Saint and afterwards were offered a rose that blessed them. Immediately the love returned between them, and later they returned and asked the Saint to bless their marriage. Another tradition says that one of the charges against Valentine was that he did not adhere to the command of the emperor which stated that men who had not fulfilled their military obligations were not allowed to marry; meanwhile the Saint had blessed the marriage of young Christian soldiers with their beloveds. Besides all this, the likely choice of him as the "saint of lovers" is to be associated with the pagan fes- tival of Lupercalia, a fertility festival, celebrated by the Romans on February 15. Others connect the celebration of this feast with the mating season of birds during this period. Certainly, however, the Saint has nothing to do with the commercialism (marketing) of flowers, gifts and secular centers which trivialize Eros, this great gift of God. The Orthodox Saint Valentine | MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER—February 14, 2011 The 8 Greek Words for Love I often find people are reluctant to say, “I Love You”. The English has 1 beautiful word to express so many different concepts of love. And often, only one concept wins out in modern America: 1. Eros. Named after the Greek God of fertility. Eros is passion, lust and pleasure. The ancient Greeks considered Eros to be dangerous and frightening as it involves a “loss of control” through the primal impulse to procreate. Eros is an intense form of love that arouses romantic feelings. This is what many people envision as love. 2. The second type of love is Philia, or friendship. Plato felt that physical attraction was not a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, “without physical attraction.” 3. The third is Agape, selfless universal love, such as the love for strangers, nature, or God. This love is unconditional, bigger than ourselves, a boundless compassion and an infinite empathy that you extended to everyone, whether they are family members or distant strangers. 4. Storge (familial love) is a natural form of affection experienced between family members. This protective, kinship-based love is common between parents and their children, and children for their parents. Storge can also describe a sense of patriotism toward a country or allegiance to the same team. 5. Mania (obsessive love) When love turns to obsession, it becomes mania. Stalking behaviors, co- dependency, extreme jealousy, and violence are all symptoms of Mania. 6. Ludus (playful love) The Ancient Greeks thought of ludus as a playful form of love. It describes the situation of having a crush and acting on it, or the affection between young lovers. 7. Pragma (enduring love) Pragma is a love built on commitment, understanding and long-term best interests. It is a love that has aged, matured and about making compromises to help the relationship work over time, also showing patience and tolerance. 8. Philautia (self love) The Greeks understood that in order to care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. As Aristotle said “All friendly feelings for others are an extension of a man’s feel- ings for himself.” CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! Kali Xronia! Kalo Mina! I pray that this message finds you all well.