Volume 59 No. 8 October 2015 VOLUME 59 NO. 8 OCTOBER 2015 COVER: ICON OF ST. RAPHAEL OF BROOKLYN by the hand of Dn. Matthew Garrett, from the collection of the Antiochian Heritage Museum. contents Reproduced with permission. 3 EDITORIAL by Bishop JOHN 6 DAILY DEVOTIONS 7 STATEMENT TO THE ASSEMBLY OF CANONICAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS IN THE UNITED STATES 8 PATRIARCH JOHN X ADDRESSES THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ANTIOCHIAN CONVENTION IN AMERICA 10 TRUTH AND LOVE: LEARNING FROM ST. RAPHAEL by Fr. Gregory Horton 12 LET US HOLD FAST by Very Rev. Fr. Michel Najim 14 ST. RAPHAEL: WAITING ON GOD by Fr. Andrew Moore 16 ALL-NEW ST. RAPHAEL EXHIBIT 18 ALBERT AND ST. RAPHAEL The Most Reverend by Very Rev. Fr. George Alberts Metropolitan JOSEPH 19 A LIVING CONNECTION TO ST. RAPHAEL by William J. Nassir and Family The Right Reverend 20 METROPOLITAN JOSEPH ENDORSES THE Bishop ANTOUN ST. JOHN THE MERCIFUL ENDOWMENT The Right Reverend by Dr. Joseph J. Samra Bishop BASIL 21 ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE 22 CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF MINISTRY: The Right Reverend ECONOMOS ANTONY GABRIEL Bishop THOMAS by Rev. Jean El-Murr The Right Reverend 23 THE DEPARTMENT OF e Many Priestly Roles, Bishop ALEXANDER CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 27 HOLY CROSS SEMINARY AND The Right Reverend HELLENIC COLLEGE WELCOMED Bishop JOHN HIS BEATITUDE PATRIARCH JOHN X and Confession The Right Reverend 28 SYMEON, THE NEW THEOLOGIAN Bishop ANTHONY by Jason Falcone, M.Div. HUNGRY CHILDREN AT HOME AND ABROAD The Right Reverend 31 by Khouria Suzanne V. Murphy Bishop NICHOLAS Bishop THOMAS, Fr. Fred Pfeil, Fr. Joshua Makoul tionship. Boundaries govern how we respond to each 33 ORTHODOX WOMEN’S RETREAT 2014 Founded in Arabic as 34 CONFERENCE AND FAITH HEALING and I spent almost four days at the end of August with other when we interact within a particular role, as well. Al Kalimat in 1905 35 COMMUNITIES IN ACTION all of our seminarians at the Antiochian Village be- Parents and children have dierent roles, as do teachers by Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny) Founded in English as fore the seminarians went back to school. is annual and students, or barbers and customers. Sometimes we The WORD in 1957 by Metropolitan ANTONY (Bashir) program of the Antiochian House of Studies brings have more than one kind of relationship with a particu- Editor in Chief The Rt. Rev. Bishop JOHN, D.Min. together seminarians from three seminaries for fellow- lar person, so we need to adjust our behaviors based on Assistant Editor Christopher Humphrey, Ph.D. ship, community-building and a better understanding the presenting circumstances or needs. A parent is also a Editorial Board The Very Rev. Joseph J. Allen, Th.D. of Antiochian traditions and practice. e seminarians daughter, sister and friend. Sometimes a friend may also Anthony Bashir, Ph.D. meet three times during their seminary training to dis- be a service-provider. Boundaries help us navigate what The Very Rev. Antony Gabriel, Th.M. Ronald Nicola cuss priestly identity, missions and education, and, this is reasonable within our relationships. Najib E. Saliba, Ph.D. year, confession and pastoral counseling. is group of e priest assumes many roles in the parish. Some- Letters to the editor are welcome and should include the author’s full name and parish. Submis- Donna Griffin Albert Design Director sions for “Communities in Action” must be approved by the local pastor. Both may be edited for seminarians is bright, dedicated, stable and cooperative. times he interacts with his parishioner as confessor, par- Member purposes of clarity and space. All submissions, in hard copy, on disk or e-mailed, should be double- e bishops and priests leading the retreat reected ish administrator, social coordinator, life coach, advisor, The Associated Church Press spaced for editing purposes and provided as a Microsoft Word text. Ancient Faith Publishing on their parish experiences as they shared stories. After spiritual guide, teacher or friend. e rules of interaction Ecumenical News International ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: some brief priority-setting exercises and discussion, the in each of these roles may be a bit dierent, so our in- Orthodox Press Service U.S.A. and Canada, $20.00 seminarians used “role-play” to understand better the teractions need to be thought through, so that the varied Editorial Office: Foreign Countries, $26.00 The WORD Single Copies, $3.00 practice of counseling and confession from the perspec- roles don’t compromise the eectiveness of those roles 2 Lydia’s Path tives of the priest and penitent. I will share some of what most essential. e concept of boundaries oers us a Westborough, MA 01581-1841 e WORD (USPS626-260) is published monthly, except July and August, by the e-mail: [email protected] Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America at 358 Mountain we discussed to oer some insights into confession, this helpful way of talking about confession and our multiple Road, PO Box 5238; periodicals postage paid at Englewood, New Jersey 07631-5238 sometimes underutilized gift of God. We looked at our roles. I believe the role of confessor (and in this article, Subscription Office: and at additional mailing oces. 358 Mountain Road sacrament from the perspective of “boundaries” or rela- by “confessor,” I mean one who hears our confession) is PO Box 5238 Postmaster send address changes to e WORD, 358 Mountain Road, PO Box 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 tionships, and discussed how the many roles of the priest the most essential. ISSN 0043-7964 www.antiochian.org. aect the praxis, or practice, of this sacrament. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If any man Canada Post Publication Agreement No. 40043404 “Boundaries” in the social sciences refers to the gen- hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, Return Canada address to American International Mail, STN A – BOX 697, Windsor ON N9A 6N4, Canada eral, unwritten, social rules of interaction in any rela- and I will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 2 October 2015 The Word 3 3:20). In this image, Christ stands at the door, at the can see them more realistically. Secrets also have a ten- his own sins, every repentant Christian is called to share priest pointing out that the ultimate choice and respon- border of the home, making his voice known but wait- dency to haunt us. Once confessed, they lose some of God’s love with his neighbors and to be an example. Al- sibility is a matter between the penitent and God, and ing for an invitation. He does not impose Himself on their power over us. though it is not the role of the parishioner to preside at appealing to what God has revealed in the Scriptures and the dwellers of the home, yet as the good Shepherd, His e prophetic dimension of the priesthood allows the the sacraments, each Christian has a role in the life of Fathers as authoritative. is is the most eective, honest voice is known because He has already shown his love priest to share what the Scriptures, Fathers and Church the community that together parallels the parish priest’s and ecient way to guide. Likewise, it is our common and guided the sheep. “e gatekeeper opens the gate for wisdom oer about sin generally, and about particular or bishop’s function for forgiveness and reconciliation. vocation to share truth and support each other, without him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep sins. e prophet speaks God’s truth, or, in other words, Every Christian forgives the other for relationship con- taking on God’s or our fellow Christian’s responsibilities. by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). Likewise the reveals reality. e priest not only has an opportunity icts and oenses, and reconciles himself to others and is principle applies to all of us. confessor needs to know the penitent, and must have to teach what God reveals to mankind, but is called to to God. e parish priest’s function is to represent the bish- already shown God’s love and won his trust in order to demonstrate God’s ability and desire to forgive. To be e parish priest expresses the priesthood of Christ op, who is the visible source of the authority or oneness be eective. Knowing implies an intimate relationship. an honest steward, the parish priest does not speak from most clearly when he hears confessions. Studying how of the Church. e bishop presides at the assemblies of When accepted and invited in, the Lord will then sup his own opinions; rather, he shares what he has learned and where this sacrament takes place helps us to under- the diocese and connects the church to all of the other with him. Having supper together again implies the from his life in the Church, readings of the Scriptures stand better how we can most eectively relate to God churches. He has the task of rightly maintaining and sharing of life within an intimate and trusting relation- and Fathers, and acts within the guidelines given him by and each other. e bishop or parish priest stands as if teaching the faith, as well as keeping the peace and unity ship. is is the model of the pastor-penitent relation- his bishop. In confession, the priest is charged with the on the border of the meeting between penitent and icon of the communities. Because we penitents are members ship. It is also a model of our royal priesthood, sharing responsibility of showing God’s forgiveness when a sin or gospel, looking in.