Why Do I Wear a Cross?

 It’s a question that I doubt seriously that many of us ever ask ourselves.  And yet, the answer to the question is central to who we are as a people!

It is uncommon for me to write in the first person, but today we’ll violate our aversion to this, because I’ll speak for myself, and allow others to decide based on my offering how to compare and contrast their own practice.

I have a quite beautiful gold cross—small, on a short gold chain.  I wear it about my neck and against my skin 24/7.  It is on me when I bathe, when I sleep, when I wake, when I drive, when I walk.  The only time I’ve taken it off is when required to do so for medical testing.  No one (except for me) sees this cross.  It is there to remind me that I have been purchased at great price by my Master, who loves me.  It is for me alone.  Showing it to others has no purpose, since I am called by my Master to reflect His love to all who I encounter.  They are to see Him when they see me.  When I am conformed to His will properly, seeing His cross adds very little to an image of the One they should see when they look at me.

On other days, when I am doing my clerical duties as a priest, I DO wear a visible cross.  It serves several purposes.  It does make a statement to those who will notice it that I am a priest, one who is called to be a servant of the Lord.  It can be used as a “blessing Cross” similar to the one that lay upon our Altar to give a blessing to those who approach in faith looking for a blessing.  It is a message to the one wearing it that the first thing he needs to show to those seeing him is humility.  It is NOT an ‘emblem’ saying to others, “Look up to me!”  God forbid!

In the Bulgarian Patriarchate (and in many other Orthodox jurisdictions—but not all), the cross is given to a man at his ordination to the Holy Priesthood for these purposes.  Such a priest is called by his office to present himself at all times publicly in cassock wearing the cross.  An Orthodox priest must get a blessing from his bishop to be seen in public NOT wearing “clerics” as described.  I have such a blessing from His Eminence to dress in secular clothes for my secular job.

If I’m out in public and I am wearing clerics, often the things said to me by people are surprising.  The most repeated one?  “Are you some kind of priest?”  Less often people will smile and simply offer, “Hello, father.”  Too often, the response is, “I like your cross.”  To such people, it isn’t a symbol of our Lord and His call to be a servant, it’s a piece of jewelry.

So you have been given a number of reasons why your priest wears a cross.  But let’s return to the original question—Why do YOU wear a cross?  Why SHOULD you wear a cross?

It’s this later question that’s most important.  First, we should wear a cross to remind us of our Lord’s commandment to His followers, “you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Me.” Second, if I am following, I must be reminded to always look for the One Who is leading, and not to stray from Him.

But least of all, I should NOT wear a cross as a ‘show piece’, an ornament. 

There’s a story of a nun who was taken prisoner (I forget if in WWII or in Soviet Russia—the time/place is unimportant) and was stripped of everything that could remind her of her former life in Christ.  That included the cross she wore from her youth until then.  When she was permitted time to walk outdoors, she picked some longer blades of grass.  Alone in her captivity, she wove those blades of grass into the shape of a cross, which she clandestinely kept in her pocket.  So as she would walk, her hand held what was precious to her—her grass cross.  When she was alone, she would take if from her pocket and venerate it.

I submit to you that God’s creation was never more beautifully used by mankind than it was in those simple blades of His grass which connected her with Him in loving prayer, sustaining her through her captivity.

May the crosses we bear upon ourselves, regardless of what they are made of, be that precious to our daily existence.

 

Saints as Intercessors

 We just posted a "Spiritual Alms" piece about the saints who surround us who are ready intercessors for us in times of need.  The list that follows may help you find a saint you may turn to in any particular need.

The following is a list of Saints called upon for special purposes: *

To Have a Child

• St. Anna, Mother of the Theotokos
• St. Elizabeth, Mother of the Forerunner
• St. Sabbas the Sanctified of Palestine
• St. Irene Chrysovolantou

For Safe Childbirth

• St. Eleftherios

For the Care and Protection of Infants

• St. Stylianos

For Young People

• Holy Great Martyr Demetrios the Wonderworker

Delivery from Sudden Death

• St. Barbara the Great Martyr

Against Drinking

• Holy Martyr Boniface and the Righteous Aglais

For Travelers

• St. Nicholas: in general, and specifically for sea travel
• St. John the Russian: for transport, auto, busses
• St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople: for safety at sea

For Cobblers

• St. Eustathius the Cobbler of Georgia

For Physicians

• St. Panteleimon
• The Holy Unmercenaries, Saints Cosmas and Damian

For the Kitchen, Home

• St. Euphrosynos the Cook
• St. Sergius of Radonezh: for baking
• Sts. Spyridon and Nikodim of Kievo-Pechersk: Prosphora making

For Trading

• St. Paraskeva

For Headaches

• Holy New Martyr Demas of Smyrna

For Eyes

• St. Paraskeva

For Ears

• St. Spyridon the Wonderworker

For Teeth

• St. Antipas of Pergamum

For Hernias and Intestinal Disorders

• Holy Great Martyr Artemius
• St. Artemius of Verkola

For Throat

• St. Blaise of Sebastia

For Finding Employment

• St. Xenia of St. Petersburg

For Help in Studies

• The Three Hierarchs:St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Theologian
• St. Sergius of Radonezh
• St. John of Kronstadt
• St. Justin the Philosopher

For Church-Chanting

• St. Romanos the Melodist

For Iconographers

• St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist
• St. John of Damascus

For Patient Endurance of Affliction

• St. Job the Much-Suffering
• Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastia: especially in freezing cold weather
• Holy Forty-Two Martyrs of Amorion

For Protection Against Thieves

• St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Kievo-Pechersk

For Stone-workers

• Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus

For Soldiers

• Holy Archangel Michael
• St. George the Great Martyr
• St. Barbara the Great Martyr
• St. Longinus the Martyr

For Spiritual Help, Consolation and Compunction

• St. Ephraim the Syrian
• St. Alexis the Man of God
• St. Seraphim of Sarov

For a Good End to One’s Life

• Holy Archangel Michael
• St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople

For Captives and Court Cases

• St. Onouphrios the Great
• St. Peter of Athos
• St. George the Great Martyr

For Help in Distress, Poverty, Etc.

• St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
• St. John the Almsgiver of Alexandria
• St. John of Kronstadt

For Finding Things

• St. Phanourios the Great Martyr
• St. Menas the Great Martyr of Egypt

For Meeting a Difficult Situation, an Interview, Etc.

• St. David the Prophet, Psalmist and King
• The Holy Unmercenaries and Healers
• SS. Cosmas and Damian of Rome
• SS. Panteleimon and Hermolaus
• St. Julian the Martyr
• St. John of Kronstadt
• St. Nectarios of Aegina
• Holy Archangel Raphael

For Animals and Livestock

• St. George: cattle and herds
• St. Parthenius of Radovysdius: cattle
• SS. Spevsippus, Elesippus and Melevsippus: horses
• St. Tryphon: geese

For Protection of Crops from Pests

• St. Michael of Synnada

For the Protection of Gardens Against Pests and for Hunters

• Holy Great Martyr Tryphon

Against Demons and Witchcraft

• SS. Cyprian and Justina
• St. Theodore Sykeote
• St. Mitrophan of Voronezh

For Chastity and Help in Carnal Warfare

• St. John the Forerunner
• St. Demetrios the Great Martyr
• St. John the Much-Suffering
• Holy Martyr Theodore the Byzantine
• Holy Martyr Ignatios of Athos
• St. Mary of Egypt
• St. Joseph the All-Comely
• St. Susanna [Old Testament]

For Mental Disorders

• St. Naum of Ochrid
• St. Anastasia
• St. Gerasimos of Cephalonia: the possessed

Against Plague

• St. Haralambos
• St. Marina the Great Martyr

For Help Against Quick-Temper and Despondency

• St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

For Workers in Hospitals

• Holy Unmercenaries Saints Cosmas and Damian
• St. Dositheus, Disciple of Abba Dorotheus

For Guilelessness and Simplicity

• Holy Apostle Nathaniel and St. Paul the Simple

* Reprinted from Orthodox Family Life. Volume 3, Issue 3. Spring 1998

Messages From Within the Great Fast

 One of the calendar listed readings for the second Thursday of the Great Fast was from Isaiah Chapter 6.  It provides the prophet’s vision of heaven.  The words of the prophet are in part institutionalized within the Liturgy of St. Basil.

I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

Picture yourself standing in this place and witnessing what Isaiah was blessed to see!

And yet, you also are so blessed, and perhaps even more so—because you witness this same scene inside of today’s Divine Liturgy, but not only becoming witnesses of the Lord’s glory, but of His provision to us, to His Bride the Church, and to the whole world (that portion which will accept Him) of His precious Body and Blood!

Isaiah continues:  “The posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”

There’s nothing more beautiful than being inside a church on a bright sunny day, with sunbeams shining inside and illuminating the clouds of incense coming from the censer.  It provides a visual image of the warmness of our fervent prayer rising towards the light that comes from Heaven.

So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

The word translated as “undone” is interesting.  From the Hebrew it can mean “cut off”, “perish”, or “destroy”.  Isaiah is clearly afraid that, because of the holiness of what he has seen, he cannot go on living as a mortal.

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

The faithful seldom get to hear this, but within ANY Divine Liturgy or even a Presanctified Liturgy, when the clergy commune themselves, they partake first of the Body of our Lord, then afterward they take the Cup and sip three times— “In the name of the Father (sip), Amen!  And of the Son (sip), Amen! And of the Holy Spirit (sip), Amen, Amen, Amen!”

Immediately after this act, the priest returns the Chalice to the Altar Table with the prayer, “Lo, this has touched my lips.  It shall wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins!”

If you didn’t know before, you now know how intimately tied to Isaiah, to the Prophets, and to the Old Testament much of our regular worship is!

For his part, Isaiah is so overwhelmed with what has just transpired (as are those who partake at the contemporary Altars) that he is ready for the following call:

I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  Isaiah boldly steps forward.  Here I am!  Send me!!

Let us show such zeal, for our Lord blesses us to receive in its fullness the Holy Eucharist into ourselves, that which Isaiah only received in figure, as a ‘type’ in a vision.  Let us leave every Liturgy with hearts crying out, Here I am!  Send me, Lord, send me!!!

Idomelon, Second Friday of the Great Fast

 Now is the acceptable time,

Now is the day of salvation.

In the abundance of Your mercy visit my soul

And take away the burden of my sins,

For You are the only Lover of mankind!

Sin

 [A short essay by Fr. John Mancantelli from the booklet "Orthodox Great Lent - Reflections and Meditations"]

As sinners, we can have one of two attitudes towards our evil actions.  We can be lenient and nonchalant, making excuses for ourselves such as, "Everyone does the same thing," or "This commandment doesn't apply to my special situation," or "I had no choice," and the like.  In short, we can usurp the position of Christ and make ourselves the criterion of right and wrong in our lives.  Or, we can acknowledge and confess our sins, earnestly pleading Christ for forgiveness, and make amends to those we may have wronged, resolving with God's assistance never to do such deeds again.  The first approach leads to moral disintegration and personal destruction; the second to salvation.  Christ is the only true standard of good and evil in this world; to accept Him means to imitate His holy life in our own experience.  Therefore it is important for us to come to know Christ by reading the Scriptures and by encountering Him in the Sacraments of the Church.

To See My Own Sins

 [An essay from Fr. Basil Stoyka published in a little flyer entitled, "Orthodox Great Lent - Reflections and Meditations," Feb 1977, Royalton Printing Company]

"Cain said to his brother, 'Let us go into the open country!'  While they were there, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and murdered him.  Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is your brother, Able?' Cain answered, 'I do not know.  AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?'"  

So we have the first murder of mankind recorded in the Old Testament. (Gen 4:8-9)

Cain tried to justify himself before the Lord for his actions.  He said, "Am I my brother's keeper?"  These words have echoed down throughout time.

We, too, try to justify our actions today, just like Cain.  But we haven't killed.  Or have we?

The murder of which I speak is our lack of understanding and love for each other.  Let the Great Fast be our window, a time to view ourselves and see what we will see.  If we're honest with God and with ourselves, we will see that improvement is needed!

The prayer of St. Ephraim which we pray throughout the Great Fast summarizes what is expected of us.

"O Lord and Master of my life - take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk.  But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant.  O Lord and King, grant that I may see my own transgressions, and not to judge brother or sister, for You are blessed unto ages of ages.  Amen!"

There's a verse from the hymnology for the Third Sunday of the Fast:

"Because of my evil deeds, I, wretched man, dare not gaze with my eyes to heaven.  But like the publican, sighing, I cry to You: 'God, forgive me, a sinner, and deliver me from pharisaic hypocrisy, for You alone are compassionate.'"

Fasting

From "The Shepherd of Hermas"

'This fasting,' he said, 'if the commandments of the Lord are kept, is very good. This, then, is the way that you shall keep the fast. First of all, keep yourself from every evil word and every evil device, and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you keep these things, your fast shall be perfect for you. And thus shall you do. Having fulfilled what is written, on that day on which you fast, you shall taste nothing but bread and water; and from the meals which you would have eaten, you shall reckon up the amount of that day's expenditure, which you would have incurred, and shall give it to a widow, or an orphan, or to one in want, and so shall you humble your soul, that he that received from your humiliation may satisfy his own soul, and may pray for you to the Lord. If then you shall so accomplish this fast, as I have commanded you, your sacrifice shall be acceptable in the sight of God, and this fasting shall be recorded; and the service so performed is beautiful and joyous, and acceptable to the Lord.'

Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete

Each Great Fast begins with Forgiveness Sunday Vespers, in which we pray for blessings as we traverse the path of the Fast.  The next service we encounter is the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.  It is called the "Great Canon" in that it is the longest canon used in the Church.

The Canon is parsed to be prayed over the first four evenings of the first week of the Great Fast, and then again in its entirety on Thursday of the Week St. Mary of Egypt (fifth week).

The Canon is a dialogue between St. Andrew and his soul, in which he urges himself to change his life, focusing on his sinfulness and comparing it to both good and bad examples in Holy Scripture from both the New and the Old Testaments.

And Irmos (the 'initial' Troparion of an Ode in the Canon) begins each section of the Canon.  It is most often sung by a choir, but hopefully by all the gathered faithful.  The Ode 1 Irmos prayer is, A Helper and a Protector has become salvation to me.  This is my God, I will glorify Him!  God of my fathers, I will exult Him, for in glory was He glorified!  Then between following Troparia, the refrain is sung, Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!

The Canon is gifted to us as a tool to be used to expose to our own souls sins described by a great saint of the Church, and then in ascribing those same sins to ourselves, to seek sincere repentance.

The Great Canon was written by St. Andrew who was seeking the path for the right way to live. If we are to benefit from his great work in gifting this Canon to us, we must make it a priority to stand in prayer, in the church, and not just listen to the words of the Canon, but to pray them - sincerely - with all others present, with a great desire and expectation for God’s grace to teach us and to heal us. Orthodoxy is a faith requiring engagement, it is to be experienced and prayed, and not observed.