The Catalog of Good Deeds

One of the great difficulties that I believe the Orthodox Church has always had is control over her iconographers. More than ever, especially today, icons are being painted without understanding, and people who are not steeped in the Orthodox iconographic tradition are taking over our sacred art, teaching and painting, and their icons are ending up on our altars to be blessed, or worse, in our churches to be venerated and prayed before. The Church has attempted to deal with this situation. For example, the Hundred Chapters Council suggested that bishops and metropolitans appoint someone to be an overseer of icon studios and iconographers, to make sure that the images being produced adhered to the iconographic tradition. Yet in the 21st Century, the situation is worse than ever.

Almost anyone can become an iconographer now— regardless of talent, religious affiliation, or belief : all one really needs now is an internet connection and access to the Technique of Icon Painting or A Brush with God, and suddenly, one is an iconographer. Or take a course: a one or two-week course in iconography is offered in many places in North America, or in many of the lay academies and iconography clubs in Finland, not to mention the New Valamo Lay Academy. Granted, these courses do a great service, but one course does not an iconographer make, and we do a great disservice to the church and her tradition by not being more concerned with what is being produced.

While I was recently staying in New Valamo Monastery in Finland, a woman from the city of Tampere brought a suitcase-load of icons to the monastery to be blessed. I am not sure if all the icons were painted by her, or if she was bringing them on behalf of her iconography club, but she brought twelve icons with her. Somehow, in Finland, it has come about that having the New Valamo Monastery stamp, saying that the icon was blessed on the altar of New Valamo Monastery, is the sign that you have arrived as an iconographer, that you have become an iconographer. It is the “seal of approval.”

Unfortunately, when all of these icons were laid out on the proskemedia table and scruitinized, with much discussion between Igumen Sergei and myself, only four of the twelve were deemed blessable. The remaining icons were not blessed, for various reasons: some because of incorrect inscriptions, some because of composition, some because they were icons of saints not recognized by the Orthodox Chuch, some because of misspellings. It was truly sad to see, as the iconographer had a budding talent, but to bless these works and confer upon them the seal of blessing would be wrong, would have not done the Church or the iconographer any service. For each icon that was rejected, we sent back a note with an explanation of why the work could not be blessed, not wanting to quench the spirit, but to encourage.

Where we run into a problem today is that there is not the mechanism in our Church to judge what is being produced and reproduced. The priest in the church today has the final say as to what is blessable and what is not, and this leads to problems as well. By and large, our priests are not educated in iconology. When many of us were in seminary (I am speaking specifically about my time in St Vladimir’s Seminary in Crestwood NY), there were no classes offered on iconology. The basic instructions on what an icon is and what constitutes an icon are not taught to our seminarians, and these graduates are being priested and in turn are left to instruct and to judge what is blessable and what is not. No matter how hard they try, metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops cannot be “everywhere present and filling all things” and, unfortunately, are not all aware of what makes an icon. How can we change the situation?

First and foremost, our priests must be educated in iconology. There is no excuse for this not being a mandatory course in our seminaries. Seminarians need to be educated by an iconologist who is also an iconographer knowledgable in the tradition, who is more concerned about being an iconographer than being an artist.

Second, courses on iconology need to be given in our parishes. I make the distinction between iconography and iconology: it is not necessary that the technique of icon painting be taught, but it is necessary that the meaning of icons be taught to everyone. Too often our parishioners, cradle-born Orthodox and converts alike, are in the dark, left to their own devices as to understanding our sacred art. Too many times have I heard spurious explanations for the most simple elements that are in icons. And unfortunately in the Church, we have a tendency to over-mystify our sacred art as opposed to explaining what it truly is.

Third, besides the overall education of clergy and laity, it is also important to use the following checklist. It was developed while I was in New Valamo Monastery with the help of one of the best-known iconographers in Finland, Bishop Arseni of Joensuu. This checklist has all of the reasons why an icon would be considered unblessable by the Church. This checklist is meant to be photocopied or typed up, and brought to our altars for the priest to use, and it is also meant to be used by all iconographers to make sure that their icons meet the standards of the Orthodox Church. When an icon that causes pause is brought to the altar, the priest can go through the checklist and check off which boxes are appropriate, and return the unblessed icon to the iconographer. I was asked once how many of the boxes would need to be checked off for an icon to not be blessed, and the answer is “only one.”

This work cannot be blessed and is not considered an icon because:

1. It is a fragment of an icon, not a whole icon.

2. It is a fragment of a wall painting.

3. It does not have a feast day particular to it.

4. It does not have a name or the symbols of the name on it.

5. This is a sketch for an icon and not an actual icon.

6. There is a misspelling in the text.

7. The saint in the icon is not an Orthodox saint.

8. The inscription on this icon is incorrect.

9. This is not a canonical icon.

These points need some explanation. It is marvelous that we live in a society

and a culture where we have so much print media available to us. I have many, many books on icons, from many different places in the world. I can take a book down and look at all the photographs and details of photographs of icons, and if I am not careful, I can mistake a detail for an appropriate model to paint. Unfortunately, this sometimes happens: either iconographers paint, or those who make print icons print, only details of icons and not the whole thing. A detail cannot be considered an icon, just as a photograph of a left eye cannot be considered a portrait of a person. The same is true for life icons: when we have reproductions of the life of a saint, say, for example, the familiar icon of St Herman of Alaska and the details of his life, if we take one part of that life icon, for example, St Herman’s stopping the tidal wave, or his body’s being taken from Spruce Island on a helicopter, those details cannot stand by themselves as icons. In the context of the life icon, they are perfectly acceptable, but taken out of context, they cannot be considered icons.

Similarly, fragments of wall paintings do not make panel icons. There are things that are represented on the walls of churches that—in the context of the church decoration and in the context of the church’s iconographic programme—are correct, as the decoration of the church proclaims the whole history of our salvation. Taking a detail from the walls out of context, however, causes that image to cease being an icon.

One simple definition of an icon is that it is a religious painting, in a variety of media, that has a feast day particular to it. There are events that are represented in wall paintings, for example, the miraculous draft of fish, that does not have a feast day. Or again, citing life icons, there is no feast day of St Herman’s stopping the tidal wave, just as there is no feast day of St George’s being tortured. Again, taking these elements out of context causes them to cease to be icons. The one exception to this point are icons of Christ. There is only one feast day that I know of on our calendar that is dedicated to an icon of Christ, and that is for the icon of the Face Made without Hands, on August 16. All other icons of Christ are without feast days.

To further clarify my definition of an icon, I usually add that the figures, or the main figures, have haloes, and that there are their names, or symbols of the names on the icon. If an icon of Christ or the Theotokos comes to the altar without their names, or Christ without a cross in his halo ; or if a feast is represented without the name of the feast, and the main characters without haloes or their names, the icon is unblessable. Some exceptions occur : most event icons that contain all twelve apostles do not give them all haloes and names, only the “stars” of the icon have them, to borrow from dramatic terminology. Those in supporting roles are typically represented without haloes and names.

The fifth point is something that is necessary, as I have seen in my time in New Valamo Monastery. Sometimes framed drawings for icons came across the altar to be blessed. Even though they have the potential to inspire an icon, they are not icons themselves. Many times simple line drawings are inscribed on wood using a laser : does the fact that the drawing is now on wood make it an icon? Pardon the pun, but we have to draw the line somewhere.

The sixth point is one that I experienced many times in my vocation as an iconographer. I have painted icons for people whose language of prayer was not English. I have painted icons with inscriptions in Finnish, Swedish, German, Slavonic, English, Danish, and so on. And several icons I have had sent back from the altar to have the inscriptions corrected. If an icon is a proclamation of the truth of our faith, then is it not too much to expect that the spelling be correct?

The seventh point is a contentious one. So many people today, of different faiths, paint icons. And many people bring them to Orthodox churches to have them blessed. Unfortunately, not all of the saints represented are Orthodox Saints. There is also a great danger in using the internet if you are looking for proper models, because some who call themselves iconographers have painted, in iconographic styles, saints of all different faiths, and even people that no church has recognised as saints. Even if an image is done in a Byzantine iconographic style, this does not mean that it is an icon that is blessable on an Orthodox altar. The date 1054 AD is our cut off mark for sharing saints with the Roman Catholic Church, or among some historians, 1204 AD (the Fourth Crusade), or even 1453 AD (the fall of Constantinople) Whatever the date cited as the official one for the schism between East and West, those dates need to be respected, no matter how fond we are of various holy people of other traditions. This is not to say that we cannot have devotion to these saints, or even sacred images of them, but what it does say is that these icons should not be blessed on our altars.

Point eight is a very interesting one. One of the icons that was brought to the

New Valamo Monastery altar was an icon of the Nativity. What the iconographer had written as the inscription for the icon was not “The Nativity of Christ” but “ Christ is Born, Glorify.” Also, what the iconographer had used as the model for the icon was a Christmas card. This point is clear : iconographers must use the traditional inscriptions for their icons, be they event icons or the epithets used for saints. The amount of research that one sometimes must do in order to make sure that the epithet is correct can be enormous, but just as making sure your model is within the iconographic tradition, this is also something each iconographer must do.

The last point is one that is hard to explain. As was pointed out to me by Bishop Arseni of Joensuu, checklist points one to eight are tangible: one can usually show on the panel itself what it is that prevents the icon from being blessed. The last point, however, is intangible. Again, I will blame print media (just because it is printed in a book of icons does not mean it is a canonical icon), and those iconographers who have gone before us who may have been more concerned with being artists than iconographers. Over time, icons have been produced that do not conform to the canon of iconography. For example, there is an icon of Christ the Blessed Silence. It is an image of Christ shown as an angel. It fits into the realm of the dogmatic icon, and yet it is not canonically an icon. Another type of icon that fits into this category is icons of God the Father. Even though the Hundred Chapters Council condemned the image, one can find an icon of God the Father over the royal doors in New Valamo Monastery. There is also an image of the Paternity inside the main gates of the Sergeiev-Trinity Lavra in Sergeiev Posad, home of the Moscow Spiritual Academy and its School of Iconography. These are just two examples of hundreds of non-canonicl icons out there: we must be discerning in how best to judge what is canonical.

At the same time we also must be very careful about all these listed points, because iconography is a living tradition. The Orthodox Church is not a museum of all that is ancient, but a living, vibrant Church. So too is our iconography : new saints are being canonized all the time, and new iconography is being created all the time to express the truth of the faith. One rallying cry for iconographers is that we are to imitate, not innovate, and for the most part, this is something I agree with wholeheartedly. But that does not mean there is no creativity in the bounds of the iconographic tradition. The Church does recognise new iconography: it just takes time. What is not canonical or accepted by the Church eventually disappears—or so it did once, before the advent of the internet and mass media publications.

This list does not say anything about style. It is difficult as a teacher of iconography, especially in this present age, to criticize anyone’s work. Perhaps that is why I no longer teach iconography classes. However, one must be willing to say what is good and what is not. Otherwise, the iconographer will not learn and grow. Unfortunately, when it comes down to matters of taste, if all the positive elements of this checklist are present, it needs to be up to the priest to say something. From my own experience, I am thankful for my parish priest’s admonishments, no matter how hard it was to hear at the time, that I should stop painting icons and get some proper instruction, as he could see that my work was going down the wrong path, and not being done for the glory of God.

I hope that this article is a help to iconographers, clergy, and laity alike. For the sake of the Church and her sacred art, we must educate ourselves and be diligent in the preservation of her Traditions. This is simply a beginning: as I study and paint, I realise how little I truly know and how much more there is to know about iconography. Just as being a Christian is a life-long journey, so too is the proper understanding of our Church’s sacred art.

Source: http://www.pravmir.com/what-is-blessable-as-an-icon/

The Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to All Saints, both those who are known to us, and those who are known only to God. There have been saints at all times, and they have come from every corner of the earth. They were Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics, and Righteous, yet all were perfected by the same Holy Spirit.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to rise above our fallen state and to attain sainthood, thereby fulfilling God’s directive to “be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16, etc.). Therefore, it is fitting to commemorate All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

This feast may have originated at an early date, perhaps as a celebration of all martyrs, then it was broadened to include all men and women who had borne witness to Christ by their virtuous lives, even if they did not shed their blood for Him.

Saint Peter of Damascus, in his “Fourth Stage of Contemplation,” mentions five categories of saints: Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, and Monastic Saints (PHILOKALIA [in English] Vol. 3, p.131). He is actually quoting from the OCTOECHOS, Tone 2 for Saturday Matins, kathisma after the first stichology.

Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (July 14) adds the Righteous to Saint Peter’s five categories. The list of Saint Nicodemus is found in his book THE FOURTEEN EPISTLES OF ST PAUL (Venice, 1819, p. 384) in his discussion of I Corinthians 12:28.

The hymnology for the feast of All Saints also lists six categories: “Rejoice, assembly of the Apostles, Prophets of the Lord, loyal choirs of the Martyrs, divine Hierarchs, Monastic Fathers, and the Righteous....”

Some of the saints are described as Confessors, a category which does not appear in the above lists. Since they are similar in spirit to the martyrs, they are regarded as belonging to the category of Martyrs. They were not put to death as the Martyrs were, but they boldly confessed Christ and came close to being executed for their faith. Saint Maximus the Confessor (January 21) is such a saint.

The order of these six types of saints seems to be based on their importance to the Church. The Apostles are listed first, because they were the first to spread the Gospel throughout the world.

The Martyrs come next because of their example of courage in professing their faith before the enemies and persecutors of the Church, which encouraged other Christians to remain faithful to Christ even unto death.

Although they come first chronologically, the Prophets are listed after the Apostles and Martyrs. This is because the Old Testament Prophets saw only the shadows of things to come, whereas the Apostles and Martyrs experienced them firsthand. The New Testament also takes precedence over the Old Testament.

The holy Hierarchs comprise the fourth category. They are the leaders of their flocks, teaching them by their word and their example.

The Monastic Saints are those who withdrew from this world to live in monasteries, or in seclusion. They did not do this out of hatred for the world, but in order to devote themselves to unceasing prayer, and to do battle against the power of the demons. Although some people erroneously believe that monks and nuns are useless and unproductive, Saint John Climacus had a high regard for them: “Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic life is a light for all men” (LADDER, Step 26:31).

The last category, the Righteous, are those who attained holiness of life while living “in the world.” Examples include Abraham and his wife Sarah, Job, Saints Joachim and Anna, Saint Joseph the Betrothed, Saint Juliana of Lazarevo, and others.

The feast of All Saints achieved great prominence in the ninth century, in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise (886-911). His wife, the Holy Empress Theophano (December 16) lived in the world, but was not attached to worldly things. She was a great benefactor to the poor, and was generous to the monasteries. She was a true mother to her subjects, caring for widows and orphans, and consoling the sorrowful.

Even before the death of StTheophano in 893 or 894, her husband started to build a church, intending to dedicate it to Theophano, but she forbade him to do so. It was this emperor who decreed that the Sunday after Pentecost be dedicated to All Saints. Believing that his wife was one of the righteous, he knew that she would also be honored whenever the Feast of All Saints was celebrated.

Source: https://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/06/30/48-synaxis-of-all-saints

Source of Cover Photo: http://allsaintshartford.org/

“Devils take great delight in fullness, and drunkenness and bodily comfort. Fasting possesses great power and it works glorious things. To fast is to banquet with angels.”

+ St. Athanasius the Great

“Let thy mind fast from vain thoughts; let thy memory fast from remembering evil; let thy will fast from evil desire; let thine eyes fast from bad sights: turn away thine eyes that thou mayest not see vanity; let thine ears fast from vile songs and slanderous whispers; let thy tongue fast from slander, condemnation, blasphemy, falsehood, deception, foul language and every idle and rotten word; let thy hands fast from killing and from stealing another’s goods; let thy legs fast from going to evil deeds: Turn away from evil, and do good.”

+ St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

“One should not think about the doings of God when one’s stomach is full; on a full stomach there can be no vision of the Divine mysteries.”

+ St. Seraphim of Sarov, “The Spiritual Instructions to Laymen and Monks”

“Fasting, prayer, alms, and every other good Christian deed is good in itself, but the purpose of the Christian life consists not only in the fulfillment of one or another of them. The true purpose of our Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. But fasting, prayer, alms and every good deed done for the sake of Christ is a means to the attainment of the Holy Spirit. Note that only good deeds done for the sake of Christ bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Everything else that is not done for the sake of Christ, even if it is good, does not bring us a reward in the life to come, not does it bring the grace of God in this life. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ said, ‘Whoever gathereth not with me scattereth’ (Matt. 12:30).

+ St. Seraphim of Sarov, Conversation on the Goal of the Christian Life

“Many human activities, good in themselves, are not good because of the motive for which they are done. For example, fasting and vigils, prayer and psalmody, acts of charity and hospitality are by nature good, but when performed for the sake of self-esteem they are not good.”

+ St. Maximos the Confessor, Four Hundred Texts on Love 2.35, The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 2)

“This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” [Matthew 17:14-23]

If this kind goes out by the prayer and fasting of another person, then it is even less able to enter one who fasts and prays.

What protection!

Although there are a slew of demons and all the air is packed with them, they cannot do anything to one who is protected by prayer and fasting.

Fasting is universal temperance, prayer is universal communication with God; the former defends from the outside, whereas the latter from within directs a fiery weapon against the enemies. The demons can sense a faster and man of prayer from a distance, and they run far away from him so as avoid a painful blow.

Is it feasible to think that where there is no fasting and prayer, there already is a demon? Yes, it is.

The demons lodging in a person, do not always reveal their presence, but lurk there, stealthily teaching their host every evil and turning him away from every good thing; so this person is certain that he is doing everything on his own, but meanwhile he is only fulfilling the will of his enemy.

Just commence prayer and fasting and the enemy will immediately depart, then wait on the side for an opportunity to somehow return again. And he truly will return, as soon as prayer and fasting are abandoned.

+ St. Theophan the Recluse, Thoughts for Each Day of the Year: According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God

“The soul that really loves God and Christ, though it may do ten thousand righteousnesses, esteems itself as having wrought nothing, by reason of its insatiable aspiration after God.

Though it should exhaust the body with fastings, with watchings, its attitude towards the virtues is as if it had not yet even begun to labour for them.”

+ St. Macarius the Great

“It is necessary for a Christian to fast, in order to clear his mind, to rouse and develop his feelings, and to stimulate his will to useful activity. These three human capabilities we darken and stifle above all by ‘surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life’ (Lk. 21:34).”

+ St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

“… Adam chose the treason of the serpent, the originator of evil, in preference to God’s commandment and counsel, and broke the decreed fast. Instead of eternal life he received death and instead of the place of unsullied joy he received this sinful place full of passions and misfortunes, or rather, he was sentenced to Hades and nether darkness. Our nature would have stayed in the infernal regions below the lurking places of the serpent who initially beguiled it, had not Christ come. He started off by fasting (cf. Mk. 1:13) and in the end abolished the serpent’s tyranny, set us free and brought us back to life.”

+ St. Gregory Palamas, The Homilies Vol. II

Source: http://www.orthodoxchurchquotes.com

Fasting:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Strict fast.

Tuesday, Thursday: Oil and wine permitted.

Saturday, Sunday: Fish, oil and wine permitted.

Orthodox Christians around the world observe four fasting seasons during the year. Two of these—the Great Fast for the forty days of Lent, and the Dormition Fast during the first fifteen days of August—are considered “strict” fasts. The other two are generally observed as “lesser” fasts: the so-called “Christmas Lent” or fast during the forty days before the Feast of the Nativity, and the Fast of the Apostles which occurs in June.

In America the Fast of the Apostles is probably the least well known, but is among the oldest of Christian traditions. It is mentioned by St. Athanasius in the fourth century, and there are other testimonies to its existence very early in the history of the Church. The fast begins on the day after the observance of All Saints’ Sunday, which falls one week after Pentecost.

Today the fast ends with the observance of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is held on June 29. In earliest practice, however, the fast was probably not connected with the Feast of Peter and Paul. Rather, it was a time for fasting after the celebration of Pentecost and/or All Saints. Apparently, different traditions prescribed different lengths of the fast—whether for one week, several weeks, or even only one day. Today, the fast still has a variable length because of its connection to the date of Pentecost, and therefore of All Saints.

The date of Pentecost varies with the date of Holy Pascha (Easter), falling fifty days after Pascha. Therefore, the date of the Sunday of All Saints varies accordingly. This means that the length of the Fast of the Apostles also varies each year. For those churches which follow the Old Calendar, the Fast can be very long (as long as 42 days) or very short (8 days), depending upon when Holy Pascha falls. For Orthodox churches which use the New Calendar, there are some years in which there is no Apostles’ Fast at all.

There are different traditions regarding how strictly to follow the Fast. In most Orthodox traditions, the fast is not as severe as that during Great Lent. Fish, wine and oil are permitted on all days except Wednesday and Friday, which are strict fast-days throughout the year except immediately following the Great Feasts of the Lord. In other traditions, fish, wine and oil are permitted on Saturdays and Sundays during the Fast of the Apostles.

For faithful Orthodox today, the Fast of the Apostles can be an occasion for reflection upon the lives and example of the Holy Apostles. On the Sunday of All Saints, we remember and celebrate the lives of all those who have gone before us in the faith: our fathers, forefathers, the apostles, preachers, evangelists, teachers, hierarchs and martyrs. The readings which are appointed for that day (Hebrews 11:33-40, 12:1-2, and Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38, 19:27-30) remind us that countless worshippers of God have sacrificed their lives for the faith which we have inherited.

Following Jesus’ admonition recorded by St. Matthew, the Apostles left behind their parents, their children, and their possessions in order to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who did not know Him. Christian missionaries around the world are still doing this today. During the Fast of the Apostles we are reminded to pray for them all, and for Orthodox mission everywhere.

The Fast is also an occasion to remember that in Christ, we have a unity that goes far beyond our personal opinions, likes or dislikes. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that the Apostles themselves recognized this very early. The occasion was an argument which took place regarding whether the followers of Christ needed to continue to observe the Law of Moses. At first, Peter and Paul took different sides in the discussion.

Both Peter and Paul were Jews, but their personalities and backgrounds were very different. Peter, who was formerly a fisherman, was among the first of the disciples to follow Jesus. Presumably he was uneducated and probably spoke only Aramaic in the local Galilean dialect. Paul, on the other hand, was very well educated under Gamaliel, the most famous rabbi (teacher) of his time, and spoke several languages.

Moreover, Paul—originally named Saul—was not among the Twelve Disciples. He even led a deadly persecution of Christians until he received an astounding vision of Christ while on the way to Damascus (Acts 9). The blinding vision changed his life forever. Thereafter he became an ardent witness to the risen Christ. But because of his former life, it was very difficult at first for the disciples to forgive and accept him.

Before very long, Peter and Paul became involved in the dispute about keeping the Law. Paul, who was preaching among Gentiles, taught that it was no longer necessary to keep the Law, because the purpose of the Law was to points to the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul even proclaimed that the Law had been nailed to the cross with Christ, for now we are justified by faith and not by following the Law (see Romans 10 and Galatians 3). Peter, however, was drawn towards the opinion of some Jews that although Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, the Law nevertheless should continue to be observed for all time.

Paul journeyed to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and the other disciples in order to settle the matter. Paul says that he opposed Peter to his face (Galatians 2:11 ff.). After some discussion it was agreed that Christians would no longer follow the Law, including practices like circumcision and the complex dietary laws given in the Books of Moses. However, they would continue to observe some of the restrictions of the Law regarding moral principles, and the eating of blood.

It is significant that Peter did not simply decide to agree with Paul on these matters. Rather, he was given a vision from God in which it was declared that foods which were formerly declared to be “unclean” for all Jews, were now “clean” or acceptable (Acts 10). Thus, Peter realized that God was instituting a new order and way of life, and that to agree with Paul was a matter of obedience to Christ himself.

These events remind us to seek God when we have disagreements within the Church. This requires humility on our part, and the willingness to accept others even when we might not have agreed with them before. We let go of our own personal wishes or demands, and pray for the good of the Church and for a recognition of the will of God for all of us together.

At the conclusion of the Fast, therefore, we celebrate Peter and Paul together. The icon of the Feast depicts the two men standing side-by-side, holding the Church together in their hands. This is a powerful symbol of the supernatural love for one another which is given by the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Spirit we have agreement and new life. For this reason, Orthodox Christians today can regard the Fast of the Apostles as one of the most important times of the year, a time to humble ourselves and pray for genuine love and unity in the Church around the world.

Sources:

https://holytransfigurationwalsingham.simdif.com/fasts_and_feasts.html

http://myocn.net/what-is-the-fast-of-the-apostles/

"Sow, sow everywhere, even on rock. You never know, it might come up.”
- Fr. Sophrony of Essex

When every life matters, how can the Church proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ where it counts: where people are? How can she reach the emerging generation? As the worthy work of wrestling with this question continues, perhaps in the meantime a mere presence might be worthwhile. Holy Theophany parish in Colorado Springs has created such a presence by transforming a cast-off structure into a stunning place of prayer that can be brought to people who would not otherwise step foot in an Orthodox Church.

In the mountains near Colorado Springs a tiny coffee kiosk on wheels had come to the end of its coffee shop life and was for sale on the side the highway. Holy Theophany’s Fr. Anthony Karbo noticed it was eight-sided, made of stone and timber, and had a copper roof. It reminded him of the roadside chapels in Greece, and therein imagined a new life for this little kiosk. He sought help from Silouan Alberts and artist Michael Greer, of Greer Studios. Together they tore down a coffee shop and after some hard work unveiled a mobile Orthodox chapel.

The idea to be present at public gatherings where Orthodoxy might be an exotic mystery to most passersby led to the creation of this “tiny-house” Orthodox temple on wheels. The chapel debuted in the public square over Memorial Day weekend, 2017, and it was quite the attraction. Priests and faithful of Holy Theophany stood amongst the throng at a huge street fair called “Territory Days” to interact with people and answer questions. The visual draw of the glistening gold dome set in the middle of Colorado Avenue could be seen from blocks away.

The oft repeated invitation, “You’re welcome to go inside and take a look!,” was for people of all ages to enter into the experience of God in Orthodox sacred space. Children, with their curiosity and fearlessness, ran right up the stairs, reminiscent of the Theotokos’ Entrance in the Temple centuries ago. Adults were more hesitant. Inside visitors could venerate icons or light a candle.

Many were content to simply experience the surroundings in silence while enjoying the pleasant smell of incense and the soft chant playing in the background. Many stopped to talk. Some asked questions. Several commented on the excellent workmanship. Although we may never know the spiritual impact, the inaugural appearance of the mobile chapel in the marketplace appeared to be a great success. May she continue to shine a light for faith, reverence, and the fear of God for many years.

Source: http://dowoca.org/news_170601_1.html

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