Boston, here I come!

My flight leaves at 3:40 :)

St. John Chrysostom, on singing

Just as swine run to a place where there is mire and bees dwell where there are fragrances and incense, likewise demons gather where there are carnal songs and the grace of the Holy Spirit settles where there are spiritual melodies, sanctifying both mouth and soul.
- St. John Chrysostom

Wisdom from Metro Max

Today I went into Pittsburgh to meet with His Eminence, Metropolitan MAXIMOS, my bishop, for him to sign a paper for me, and give me advice, since I am switching to "seminarian" status at school this semester, which I need a bishop's blessing to do. One of the things he told me in our conversation was (paraphrased), "it doesn't matter what your station is in life, it matters if you use it to serve God." I thought that was great!

He also told me about his time in Belgium, I believe, and then in Rome, where he was one of the Orthodox attendees of Vatican II, and then his first meeting with Bishop (I forget the name) who was the first Greek Orthodox bishop of Pittsburgh (whose picture is on the wall of the Metropolis living room, where his omophorion is crooked), and Maximos asking this guy how he liked it in Pittsburgh, and talked with him. Then Archbishop IAKOVOS came to Rome and said "I want you in America." And Max said "Talk to Patriarch DIMITRIOS." Then Iakovos put him at seminary where he taught for 14 years, and then brought him to Pittsburgh. "Why Pittsburgh?" "I need you there!" "OK." He told me, do the best you can to represent me, and to represent the Metropolis of Pittsburgh. I love him!!! He also told me that he was very fond of Mother Alexandra (the foundress of Ellwood City, who is partly responsible for my existence...long story), she was a very good spiritual mother to him, and he went to her funeral (he didn't like going on hot days in the summer, though, because there was no air conditioning).

I love Metro Max!

Έις πολλά ετι Δέσποτα!!!
(Many years, O Master)

Snowpocalypse again?

So it started snowing today, a little before 1 pm. Everything is covered, and it's still coming down, pretty heavily. I've been inside since this morning so it's beautiful and exciting and maybe I'll go sledding tomorrow or get some money shoveling walks... :) But I sure am glad I don't have to drive in it!

But is it as bad as the snowmageddon of last February, when we had something like 4 feet? I think not.

Descartes walks into a bar. "Would you like a drink, sir?" asks the astonished bartender. Descartes responds, "I think not," and vanishes.

Interactions with GOYAns today :)

First of all, let me say that I finished the first tape of the 1979 Spiritual Renewal Conference, listening to Fr. Stanley Harakas' lecture last night and finishing it this morning. I also listened to the first part of Fr. Stylianopoulos's lecture this morning, on my way to pick up my Yiayia and take her to church. Fr. Harakas' was about the ζέστης πίστεος, or the "fire of faith," as he translated it (a phrase from the Divine Liturgy). He also said that there are nine "altar calls" at every Divine Liturgy, where we are called to commit our lives to Christ ...maybe we have heard it so many times we have become deaf... "Let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life, unto Christ our God." Wow I wanna go back and listen to that again haha it was awesome :)

Today after church I was talking with some of the Aliquippa GOYAns who said that I was a pimp, and I was obviously "getting all the ladies," partying, and "living it up." I replied by saying that yeah, we have the best parties...we feast on the Body and Blood of Christ every week! :) I also said that I hope I'm "getting" the Panagia and the other (holy) ladies to pray for me, because I definitely need it!

One of them had some pretty celebrity Gomez girl that I had never heard of as his background on his cell phone. He said isn't she attractive? I was like, yeah but why do you need her as your background?? I said put something else on, like... and then in desperation, after not being able to think of anything, I said "me!" He was like, ooooh good idea!! and he said "smile!" and took a pic of me with his phone, so now I am his background instead of Miss Gomez...I guess that's a good thing?? :)

PLN time? Possibly...

Awesome hymn from Theophany Compline

This is a hymn from the Great Compline service, part of the Vigil of Theophany, served in the evening of January 5.

John saw You coming to him in the Jordan, Christ God, and said: “You have no uncleanness, Lord, why do You come to Your servant? In Whose Name will I baptize You? In the Name of the Father? But in Yourself You bear the Father. In the Name of the Son? But You Yourself are the Son incarnate. In the Name of the Holy Spirit? But by Your breath You give the Spirit to the faithful.” O God Who shone forth, have mercy on us!

old Spiritual Renewal cassette tape

So my dad's car, that I drive when I'm home, is a 98 Civic and doesn't have a cd player...I'm also not a radio listener, in general...so I have to be creative if I want to listen to stuff in the car. I've been listening (a lot) to a recording of Paraklesis by Simonopetra Monastery on Mt. Athos, which I copied from CD to tape so I could listen to it in the car. Yesterday, I decided to dig through some old cassettes and see if anything interesting reared its head. It sure did. I listened to Bishop Basil (who had been a bishop for two years) talking to young people about Orthodoxy in America and an upcoming assembly of the 60 canonical American Orthodox Bishops at Antiochian Village, Ligonier PA ... in 1994. 

(And I thought that was old!) When that was done, I put on a recording of the first ever Spiritual Renewal Conference, held at Duquesne University, and Sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. Archbishop Iakovos wanted to be there but he was in Greece. The keynote speaker was His Grace, Bishop Maximos of Pittsburgh. Some of the speakers were Fr. Ted Stylianopoulos (who is still around, at HCHC! He's great!) and Fr. Stanley Harakas. It was a little hard to understand, partly because of Bishop Max's speech impediment, but mostly because the quality of the recording wasn't very good, as this tape is from 1979 :)
 

31 years doesn't make something unapplicable...if I can attempt to summarize Bishop Max's keynote, it would be this: Spiritual renewal and the life in Christ are a process, because our measure of perfection (given by Christ) is to "be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect." Our measure of perfection is God Himself. We will never satisfactorily reach that point and not have to struggle anymore...life in Christ is a constant struggle. We have to constantly renew the vows made at our Baptism...we have to constantly renounce Satan and join ourselves to Christ. the chief way to do this is through making use of Confession - by which we are able to cleanse ourselves - and Communion - which is God's wonderful gift to us, and whereby everything we do is united with Christ and we become one with Him. (Oh, and delaying baptism - as they often did in the early Church - is foolish). I forget some of the rest, but I remember that the conclusion was a bit unclear. I want to go and re-listen to the conclusion. Tomorrow, God willing, I will listen to Fr. Harakas' lecture...we'll see what pearls I will gain from that :)

CHRIST IS BAPTIZED!!!

IN THE JORDAN!!!

(to sanctify the waters!!!)