The Catalog of Good Deeds

On November 28th we begin the Nativity Fast.

We fast before the Great Feast of the Nativity in order to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Our Lord’s birth. As in the case of Great Lent, the Nativity Fast is one of preparation, during which we focus on the coming of the Savior by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

By fasting, we “shift our focus” from ourselves to others, spending less time worrying about what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and so on in order to use our time in increased prayer and caring for the poor. We learn through fasting that we can gain control over things which we sometimes allow to control us—and for many people, food is a controlling factor. We live in the only society in which an entire TV network is devoted to food! While fasting from food, however, we are also challenged to abstain from sin, from gossip, from jealousy, from anger, and from those other things which, while well within our control, we all too often allow to control us.

Just as we would refrain from eating a lot before going to an expensive restaurant for dinner—if we “ruin our appetite” we will enjoy the restaurant less—so too we fast before the Nativity in order to more fully feast and celebrate on the Nativity itself.

During the Nativity Fast, we are called upon to refrain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil. There are exceptions to this rule; please consult your Church calendar. At the same time, we are challenged, within the given framework, to fast to the best of our ability, and to do so consistently. If we must modify the extent to which we fast within this framework, it is of course possible, but in every instance our fasting should be consistent and regular, for Christ does not present fasting as an option, but as a “must.” In Matthew Christ says, “WHEN you fast, do not be like the hypocrites,” not “IF you fast” or “IF YOU CHOOSE to fast.” It is simply part of the Orthodox Christian life!

Finally, however, it is important to remember that we do not fast in order to loose weight or to feel better physically (although these are very nice side-effects of our fasting). We fast for our own spiritual benefit, and for the sake of our inner life. If we decide not to participate in the fast, we are the ones that will miss out on the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. In the fast we empty ourselves, so that God’s grace will have a space in our hearts to heal and form us. Let us not reject this great gift and opportunity!

By Fr. Andreas Blom

Source: http://www.stgabrielashland.org/why-do-we-fast-before-nativity/

Question: Your blessing, Father. What should I do: my husband has become a priest but I’m not the right kind of a person to be a matushka (a priest’s wife — translator’s note), unfortunately. I’m really bothered about that because I’m not a quiet, meek, and God-fearing girl. I’m a regular kind of woman who has led a fairly secular life. I didn’t have much of a religious upbringing. I have a burden of grave sins in the past: I had had affairs before I met my husband, and I’m not an example to follow even today: I often shout, quarrel, and get annoyed. I get upset easily, I can’t tolerate anything at all. I feel that my soul is seriously ill. I didn’t marry for love: I was just feeling lonely. Why did God send me a seminarian and a son of a priest who decided to follow in his father’s footsteps? Anna.

Answer by Fr. Andrew Lemeshonok: Dear Matushka Anna, although you refuse to accept this title, you’ve become a matushka for real. It is God’s saving grace and God’s mercy toward you. Perhaps, you don’t understand a lot of what is going on yet. You have a habit of sinful living. This is your new duty, and if you are patient, if you at least make some effort, I believe that you will become a very good matushka.

The matushka’s role is helping the priest. It is inner struggle to make sure that there is peace in your family, that you really love your husband. Who can we love when we are in such a sinful condition? In order to learn to love, you’ve got to change your life, you should correct all those errors that you’ve committed in your life. To do so, you’ll require quite a lot of hard work and time.

That is why you shouldn’t complain or whine that you’re so miserable, that you didn’t want it, that you didn’t know it or didn’t understand anything at all. You became a seminarian’s wife so you might have assumed in advance that he would become a priest in the end. Isn’t that the reason young men go to seminary?

Right now, it’s vital that the devil doesn’t break up your family, in which case the new priest will remain single forever. You see what could happen? The devil will do what it takes to destroy your family. He will whisper into your ear, “Ditch your priest and live freely as you please.” Haven’t you had enough of that freedom already? That’s why you currently need to brace yourself and start changing. To do so, you’ll need to open a prayerbook and the Gospel, and go to the church where your husband serves. You should feel that you’re a wife and begin to build up your family and your inner self, which is so pathetic right now. Work hard! You’ll never regret the fruit of your labour. May the Lord save you, Matushka!

November 23, 2018

St. Elisabeth Convent

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:9).

We often hear that Adam and Eve were cast away from the Garden of Eden for their disobedience, namely, because they ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which God had ordered them not to eat. What kind of tree was it? What did it look like and why do we often see it portrayed as an apple tree?

The decision of the Christian tradition of the West to depict the tree of knowledge as an apple tree was bound to happen, and it would be really surprising if they didn’t do it. That’s because the Latin word for ‘apple’ is mālum, while the Latin word for ‘evil’ is mălum. The two words are nearly identical, which was why the Christians in the West began portraying that tree as an apple tree, for, after having eaten the mālum (apple), our ancestors got to know mălum (evil). And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen. 2:16-17).

How did the Eastern Orthodox tradition envision the tree of knowledge?

Most Holy Fathers didn’t try to find out the nature of this tree. They paid more attention to spiritual understanding of the commandment laid out by God and the consequences of being disobedient to God’s will. St. Maximus the Confessor interpretes this passage allegorically, stating that the act of eating the fruit of this tree symbolizes improper usage of one’s senses, which leads to insanity.

Other Holy Fathers often deemed the tree of knowledge to be a fig tree because when Adam and Eve sinned, they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Gen. 3:7). After they sinned, they took the leaves of the tree of knowledge. This tree is often mentioned in sacred texts, in particular, in the episode when the Lord cursed the fig tree that did not have any fruit. The Fathers also pointed out that the reason why Jesus acted in such a way was because that tree was the tree of knowledge that our ancestors had eaten a fruit of.

Here is one of the most unconventional patristic attempts at interpreting this passage from the book of Genesis: the exegesis by Saint Ephraim the Syrian. St. Ephraim regarded the tree of knowledge as a symbol of God, which is why we read in his book Adam and Eve, “If only Eve paused to think who stood in front of her when she saw the tree of knowledge—whether it was a creature or the Creator.” These words are uncommon, especially if you consider that St. Ephraim interpretes it too allegorically for the school of theology he belonged to.

That is why, based on the idea that the tree of knowledge is a way of partaking of God, some Holy Fathers, including St. Ephraim the Syrian, put forth the suggestion that the tree was a grapevine, for it was wine, the fruit of the grapevine, that Christ turned into his most pure Blood during the Last Supper. The Lord said, I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. (John 15:1).

Saint Ephraim treats the commandment about not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as the commandment about fast, about some kind of spiritual and physical abstinence. Adam and Eve were commanded to fast. Orthodox liturgical tradition always limits fasting time. A fast is over as soon as the holiday for which it was meant to prepare us begins. It is by fasting that we make ourselves worthy of partaking of God’s grace and get ready for this spiritual experience.

Saint Ephraim’s exegesis of the first chapters of Genesis is liturgy-inspired. According to Saint Ephraim, the paradise is God’s temple, while the Tree of Knowledge, along with the Tree of Life is the Holy of Holies where God dwells. Adam and Eve are God’s priests who were explicitly created in order to offer unto God the sacrifice of praise. They had to make themselves ready to eat the fruit of that Tree by fasting and contemplation. Having been created in the image of God, Adam and Eve were to enter the fullness of Divinity.

Our ancestors failed this test and were thrown out of the paradise: not because God was angry with them but because they were no longer capable of staying in the paradise. The sin of the first human couple is the sin of sacrilege, the sin of unworthy communion. Instead of offering a true sacrifice and proper service to the One God, they stole the great Treasure and desecrated the great Sacrament. Communion with Christ is absolute good but if someone wishes to partake of the Holy Eucharist, sneaks into the altar, steals the Holy Gifts and eats them, he will commit a sacrilege.

Thus, our ancestors lost the opportunity to approach the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. Nevertheless, it was exactly the reason why our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world: He came so as to draw everyone closer to him through his Cross, this new Tree of Life, and to grant them open access into the Holy of Holies, which had been locked by Adam’s sin. Jesus Christ calls all the faithful who believe in him and who have been washed by the water and the Spirit to approach the Cup of Immortality and to be united with their Creator during each Divine Liturgy. Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9). Let us behold our Savior’s call, defy false humility that leads us away from the Cup of Christ, and approach the Bread of Life with fear of God in faith and love.

By John Nichiporuk,

a Bachelor of Theology,

specialized in Biblical Studies.

The Catalog Of Good Deeds, 2018

The current album of liturgical chants in English language was recorded by the joint efforts of the Festive choir and the Monastic choir of St Elisabeth Convent. Thus, the choristers who are accustomed to the Liturgy in Church Slavonic language responded to the appeal of the Book of Psalms, which suggests to sing to the Lord in all the languages, “O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people” (Psalm 117:1).

Strange as it may seem, there are people who may regard this undertaking with suspicion. First of all, despite the fact that the Orthodox Church never recognized the concept of ‘sacred’ languages, many still believe that ancient languages, such as Koine Greek or Church Slavonic please God more than our modern tongues, be it Belarusian, Russian or English. Moreover, English is often frowned upon as the language which has assisted globalization. As such, it is allegedly more suited to a stock exchange than a temple of God. At last, one might say the ‘Mystical Supper' Album is of no practical use since there are few people in Belarus who might be interested in the liturgical chants in English.

First, in my opinion, we can discard with ease the idea of linguistic superiority if only we trust Apostle Paul’s words ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek <…>: “for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The original language of the New Testament, Koine Greek used to serve as the lingua franca in the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus’ earthly life. It may be assumed that it was used in every sphere of life, including business and trade. English became the global language and today it plays the vital role in spreading the Gospel just as Koine Greek did it in the time of early Christianity.

Finally, it is true that apart from the personnel of the US Embassy in Minsk, a few foreign teachers of English and businessmen there are only a handful of native speakers of English who stay permanently in Belarus. However, there is no doubt that a lot of people in all parts of the world have already listened to the ‘Mystical Supper' Album and many more will listen to it in the future.

Here I have to mention one of the Album’s weak spots, namely, almost all the tunes are of Russian origin. Hence, the listeners from the United States and other English-speaking countries might get a wrong impression of the Orthodoxy as the Russian national religion, although the Orthodox Faith belongs to all nations.

There are Orthodox churches in the US where they sing in an American style, for example, St. John of San Francisco Monastery in Manton, California. It would be desirable to support the development of the American and other national styles of Orthodox music. Hopefully, the choir of St Elisabeth Convent will continue to praise the Lord in English and in the future we will be able to enjoy listening to their other albums recorded in the language of Shakespeare.

Listen to a preview of the "Mystical Supper" album on the Catalog of St. Elisabeth Convent.

By Vladimir Sypchu,

the chorister from the parish of

the Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God
into the Temple, Minsk

The Catalog of Good Deeds, 2018

Question: I was Baptized five years ago. I have never been to Confession. I want to confess during the Great Fast. Is it necessary to remember and tell about what I did before Baptism? I’ve heard that when a person is Baptized, then he is considered clean before God and doesn’t need to confess what was before Confession, even if it was something horrible: I had an abortion. Is this the case? After all, the soul of my killed child exists all the same. Could Baptism have taken this sin from me? Do I need to talk about it at Confession?

Answer: In the Mystery of Baptism, man is cleansed of all sins, regardless of age. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom. 6:3-8). This truth is consolidated in the Symbol of faith: “I confess on Baptism for the remission of sins.” St John of Damascus writes: “Therefore, the forgiveness of sins is give through Baptism to all equally, and the grace of the Spirit according to the measure of faith and pre-cleansing.”

If a sin (including mortal ones) were after Baptism, forgiveness is given to man through sincere repentance. St Dimitry of Rostov writes: “Are sins always forgiven if we repent of them according to the necessary correction? Always; at the same time, when the sinner calls out to the Lord with a contrite heart, he is heard by Him, like the publican, Zacchaeus, Manasseh, David, the sinful woman, etc.

Source: http://ishmaelite.blogspot.com/2010/06/sins-before-baptism.html

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Shifting Our Focus: the Reason We Should Fast before the Feast of the Nativity

Q&A with a Priest: What Does It Mean to Be a Priest’s Wife?

St. Theophan the Recluse on the Further Coming of Jesus Christ

What Was the Fruit That Adam and Eve Ate?

“Mystical Supper” Album: Orthodox Liturgy Sung in the Language of Shakespeare

The Question of Our Sins Commited before Baptism

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