I think they succeed. It almost sounds like it could be sung around a campfire, yet at the same time it still has the Byzantine feel to it.

Here's how we frame the question, at least at first: How do I keep the special feeling I had during Holy Week and Pascha?

Here's the question we really should ask: Is the sense I had of being closer to God just something I experience during Holy Week and Pascha?

Here's the answer: No.

The scriptures are very clear: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). The reason we feel closer to God is because we are closer to God during Holy Week. All the preparation and special obligations that required us to put aside our normal routines had a purpose. That purpose was to get us to draw nearer to God so that He could draw nearer to us.

How do we maintain that? But increasing the discipline it takes to draw nearer to God. We can pray more, read our scriptures, take opportunity to serve others when they arise (or even seek them out) and so forth. Love your wife more. Love your husband more. Do good things (be patient, considerate, understanding) for your parents, children, and all other people that make your life what it is.

Most of all, remember the poor. Do good to them and God will do good to you.

It doesn't take the much to orient ourselves in the ways of God (not really) and even little things go a long way.

Sometimes people tell me they can't pray. So I tell them well, just start with two minutes here and there. Pray when it comes to your mind to pray, but really do it. Don't just put it on the to-do list (the one you carry in you mind). And if you don't know how to pray, then pray the Lord's Prayer. Do this and the difficulty of praying begins to abate and over time you end up learning how to pray and praying more. And when you pray more you draw nearer to God and He draws nearer to you.

A favorite verse of mine is, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom" (Luke 12:32). God desires to draw near us (incredible, no?) and desires to get to know us too. Sure, He knows all "about" us but knowing about someone is different than knowing him.

This is a simple way to retain the spirit of Pascha; that sense that we were closer to God and God to us.

Fr. Hans is involved with a project for Ancient Faith Radio where we are designing a live, call-in internet radio program. Presently it runs every other week but we hope to make it weekly. It deals with contemporary topics like, atheism, demons and evil, same-sex marriage,  and so forth.

Fr. Hans also was the guest on the inaugural program that dealt with the "New Atheists." It was a first effort but it went well. The program had a lot of callers and generated a lot of interest. You can find the days the program airs and the topics that will be discussed on the Ancient Faith Today website. The next program is this Sunday, May 6, at 8pm Eastern. The topic is "Demons, Exorcism, and the Paranormal."

You can listen to a rebroadcast of the "New Atheists: program on the St. Peter website or on Ancient Faith Radio.

Snowbirds: We Will Miss You!

We always know summer is coming when our snowbirds start saying good bye. The bright side of course is the reunions when they return in the fall and early winter. We are holding your seats and look forward to your return. Have a safe trip back and a safe summer and we will see you when you return!

Ancient Faith Today is what Ancient Faith Radio and Orthodox Internet radio have been missing—a live inter-active conversation program. Now that void has been filled! Ancient Faith Today streams live, with call-ins from around the world, twice a month on Sunday nights at 5:00pm Pacific/7:00pm Central/8:00pm Eastern on Ancient Faith Radio Talk.

View more information ‘Ancient Faith Today‘ website including a schedule of upcoming events.

Listen to the inaugural program here:

Met. Kyrill (before becoming Patriarch) and Pope Benedict

With the Rise of Militant Secularism, Rome and Moscow Make Common Cause

The Acton Institute just published my essay.

Source: Acton Institute | Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse

The European religious press is abuzz over recent developments in Orthodox – Catholic relations that indicate both Churches are moving closer together. The diplomatic centerpiece of the activity would be a meeting of Pope Benedict and Patriarch Kyrill of the Russian Orthodox Church that was first proposed by Pope John Paul II but never realized. Some look to a meeting in 2013 which would mark the 1,700th anniversary of the signing of the Edict of Milan when Constantine lifted the persecution of Christians. It would be the first visit between the Pope of Rome and Patriarch of Moscow in history.

A few short years ago a visit between Pope and Patriarch seemed impossible because of lingering problems between the two Churches as they reasserted territorial claims and began the revival of the faith in post-Soviet Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere. The relationship grew tense at times and while far from resolved, a spirit of deepening cooperation has nevertheless emerged.  Both Benedict and Kyrill share the conviction that European culture must rediscover its Christian roots to turn back the secularism that threatens moral collapse.

Both men draw from a common moral history: Benedict witnessed the barbarism of Nazi Germany and Kyrill the decades long communist campaign to destroy all religious faith. It informs the central precept in their public ministry that all social policy be predicated on the recognition that every person has inherent dignity and rights bestowed by God, and that the philosophical materialism that grounds modern secularism will subsume the individual into either ideology or the state just as Nazism and Communism did. If Europe continues its secular drift, it is in danger of repeating the barbarism of the last century or of yielding to Islam.

The deepening relationship does not portend a union between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Roman Catholics are more optimistic about unity because they are less aware of the historical animus that exists between Catholics and Orthodox. Nevertheless, while the increasing cooperation shows the gravity of the threat posed by secularism, it also indicates that the sensitive historical exigencies can be addressed in appropriate ways and times and will not derail the more pressing mission.

The cooperation has also caused the Churches to examine assumptions of their own that may prove beneficial in the long run. The meaning of papal supremacy tops the list.

On the Orthodox side the claims to a universal jurisdictional supremacy of the Patriarch of Rome have been rejected since (indeed, was a cause of) the Great Schism of 1054 (see here and here). That said, the Orthodox see the Pope of Rome as the rightful Patriarch of the Church of Rome and could afford him a primacy of honor in a joint council but not jurisdiction.

On the other side, the Orthodox do not have a Magisterium, a centralized Church structure that speaks for all the Orthodox in the world. This has led to some fractious internal wrangling throughout the centuries although doctrine and teaching has remained remarkably consistent.

It will come as no surprise for anyone to know that the Orthodox have difficulties with some of the claims made by the Catholic Church concerning the precise responsibilities and the nature of the authority associated with the Bishop of Rome. The Catholic Church has long recognized this as a basic difference between the Orthodox and Catholic worlds. The rise of militant secularism, however, and the cultural challenges this creates for Orthodox and Catholic Christians alike, have focused everyone’s minds on how they can cooperate to address these issues of ethics and culture.

Protestants have a stake in the outcome as well particularly as attitudes have softened towards Rome due in large part to Pope John Paul II’s exemplary leadership during the collapse of communism in the last century. Protestant ecclesiology has no real place for priest or pope which makes the nature of discussions between them and the Catholics or Orthodox entirely different. Nevertheless, as the soul denying ramifications of secularism become more evident, an increasing number look to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches for leadership.

The most visible ambassador for the Orthodox Church is Oxford-educated Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokomansk who runs the Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church. Observers report that a deep respect and even genuine fondness exists between Hilarion and Benedict which has contributed to the recent thaw.

Both of them note with alarm the increasing attacks on the Christian faith in Europe and on Christians themselves in other parts of the world, a development they term “Christophobia.” Hilarion brought these points forward several years back when he first challenged the European Union for omitting any mention of the Christian roots of European civilization in the EU Constitution. That earned him considerable worldwide notice and he has become increasingly outspoken towards any attempts to silence the Christian testimony or dim the historical memory of Christendom.

From the Orthodox side it is clear that the leadership that deals with the concrete issues that affect the decline of the Christian West is emerging from Moscow. One reason is the sheer size of the renewed Russian Orthodox Church. The deeper reason however, is that the Russians have direct experience with the suffering and death that ensues when the light of the Christian faith is vanquished from culture.

Decades before the fall of Communism was even a conceptual possibility for most people, Pope John Paul II prophesied that the regeneration of Europe would come from Russia. At the time many people thought it was the misguided ramblings of a misguided man. It is looking like he knew more than his critics. We are fortunate to have these two leaders, Benedict and Kyrill, to help guide us through the coming difficulties.

Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse is an Orthodox priest in the Antiochian Archdiocese of North and South America. He is president of the American Orthodox Institute and serves on the board of the Institute for Religion and Democracy. He writes frequently on social and cultural issues on his blog and elsewhere.

We will continue with the book of John where we left off in the spring. The studies are open to everyone and held every other week. They were well attended last year and you are invited. We will hold them every other week. We pick up at John 14.

$25 might not seem like much, but it goes a long way in Tanzania and Michael his sent us his gratitude for our support. You can keep up with Michael on his blog at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center.

Here is a video of the welcome the missionaries received by the Orthodox Christians of Tanzania:

Kindly print out the form below and give it to Mary Copeland or Mary Jarvis or mail it to the address provided. Suggested minimum donation is $15.

We want to thank Fr. Anthony Salzman of Image and Likeness Iconography who designed the beautiful card and is providing them to us at cost.

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Please make your donation payable to St. Peter Orthodox Mission. Suggested donation: $15. Please give this to Mary Copeland or mail to above address.

Our first will be hosted by Bob and Mary Jarvis (get map) on Saturday, October 29 starting at 4pm. The theme is Italian. Please sign up at church to bring an appetizer, entree, salad, bread, or dessert or contact us through the website. Please put number of individuals that will be attending. If we get too many breads and desserts we will call to ask you to make something else.

We may need you to bring something to drink. We will provide water, coffee and tea. If children will be coming with parents let us know so we can have some juice.