| |
|
|
|||
| |
|||||
| |
|
|
|
||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Protocols 1999 |
 |
||||||||||
|
Protocol
99-1
The
Reverend Clergy and Pious Faithful of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of
Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
Archbishop
Spyridon and the five Metropolitans who are the Presiding Hierarchs
of Dioceses within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America have been
invited by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to appear
before the Holy and Sacred Synod in Constantinople. Our holy and beloved
Mother Church, in its concern for our welfare, is now moving towards
a resolution of the difficulties we face by calling us into its presence.
We have been requested "...to state our views concerning the God-saved
Archdiocese of America — the ecclesiastical situation, the causes
for the situation and the measures to be taken." The meeting of
the Synod is scheduled for January 12, 1999. I will be leaving
on January 10th and returning to the Diocese on January 14, 1999. I
ask for your prayers that the Lord will enlighten and guide us to do
His will in this and in all things. May our merciful
Lord Who was baptized in the Jordan by John for our salvation, grant
to each of you and your loved ones His abundant grace and His richest
blessings during this new year.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
99-2
The
Pious Priests and Deacons of the Holy Diocese of Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
May
God's blessings enrich your priestly ministry throughout this new year. Last Fall and specifically
on October 28, 1998, I wrote an encyclical to you numbered 98-21 regarding
the use of the free will and how certain individuals prefer to negate
their free will and to depend solely on spiritual mentors in all things. I am totally surprised
that certain persons misinterpreted the encyclical and thought that
I was criticizing our Orthodox monastics and specifically one or two
of our Orthodox elders. Obviously such persons do not fully understand
the English language; for if they had read my letter carefully, they
would not have thought that I was critical of religious or spiritual
leaders per se, whether legitimate ones or false ones. I was clearly referring
only to those followers who relax or negate their free wills. It is
never a truly spiritual mentor or religious leader who relaxes his followers'
free will; rather it is the followers who prefer to do this because
they do not want to be responsible for their own lives. Such individuals
even include priests who on occasions use religious leaders like others
use a horoscope. I am disappointed
that certain individuals stated that I was critical of real spiritual
leaders. They should understand that I was cautioning the clergy to
make our people aware of the fact that they — the people —
must continue to exercise their free will in following religious leaders,
and to continue to use their free will while being obedient to such
leaders or to the life style they believe will edify them. Please read my encyclicals
with care. Do not read into them, but read out of them.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
99-3
The
Pious Priests and Deacons of the Holy Diocese of Denver,
As
the season of Holy and Great Lent approaches, many pastors are beginning
to prepare their schedules for the various special services and commemorations.
To assist you in your planning I am pleased to provide you with the
following guidelines. First, the
Divine Liturgy and Memorial Service should be scheduled on the three
Saturdays of the Souls (February 13, February 20, and February 27). Second, on
the First and Third Sundays in Great Lent the appropriate processions
should be observed. The Procession with
the Holy Icons normally takes place at the end of the Divine Liturgy
on the Sunday of Orthodoxy; it may also be held later on Sunday afternoon
at Vespers when this is celebrated in the city as a Pan-Orthodox service. The Veneration of
the Holy Cross on the Third Sunday of Great Lent is specified to take
place at the end of Orthros, but it is now held at the end of the Divine
Liturgy when a majority of the congregation is present. Third, to
increase participation in the liturgical cycle which has as its purpose
the sanctification of time and of our temporal lives, all parishes throughout
the Denver Diocese should, as a minimum, offer the following services
during Great Lent:
·
Monday evenings: Great Compline
·
Wednesday morning or evening: Presanctified
Liturgy
·
Friday evenings: Salutations to the
Theotokos (Akathist Hymn)
·
(Pastors may additionally schedule the
Presanctified Liturgy on Fridays either in the morning or immediately
preceding the Salutations to the Theotokos.)
Fourth, the
Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom should be celebrated to commemorate
the Annunciation to the Theotokos on Thursday, March 25, and the Presanctified
Liturgy should be celebrated to commemorate the Feast of the Forty Holy
Martyrs on Tuesday, March 9. Fifth, since
Holy Week services are the most important and compunctionate, pastors
in all parishes should as a minimum schedule the following services:
·
Vespers on Friday evening; Orthros and
Divine Liturgy (Chrysostom) — Lazarus Saturday morning
·
Vespers on Saturday evening; Orthros
and Divine Liturgy (Chrysostom) — Palm Sunday morning
·
Bridegroom Service — Sunday, Monday,
& Tuesday evenings
·
*Presanctified Liturgy — early
Wednesday morning (so that those who work during the day can attend)
·
**Holy Unction Service — Wednesday
evening
·
***Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil (Last
Supper) — Thursday morning
·
Crucifixion — Thursday evening
·
Royal Hours — Friday morning
·
Descent from the Cross — Friday
afternoon (3:00 PM)
·
Lamentations — Friday evening
·
Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil (Resurrection
of those in Hades) — Saturday morning
·
Vigil, Orthros, and Divine Liturgy (Resurrection)
— Saturday night ****
·
Agape Vespers — Sunday afternoon
(after 1:00 PM)
Notes: *
The Presanctified Liturgy should also be celebrated on Holy Monday and
Holy Tuesday according to the needs of the Parish.
***They
who wish to receive Holy Communion on Holy Thursday should absent themselves
from work or school on that morning. ****The
light of the Resurrection should not be given before midnight.
Sixth, in
order to standardize the liturgical services in parishes throughout
the Diocese, I ask that you only utilize the Holy Week — Easter
service book prepared by Protopresbyter George Papadeas which has been
widely used and accepted throughout our parishes for many years and
which most of our laity use. Although other translations have been prepared
by various authors, the translation prepared by Father Papadeas is most
faithful to the original language, although there are typographical
errors in the text. Since the Orthros
of Holy Thursday is not in the Holy Week-Easter service book by Father
Papadeas, the booklet published by Father Evagoras Constantinides specifically
for this Service should be used. Alternatively, the English text from
the Lenten Triodion by Mother Mary and Archimandrite (now Bishop) Kallistos
Ware published by Faber and Faber may be used. Both are available through
the Holy Cross Bookstore in Brookline. Additionally keep
in mind that these services should not be abbreviated, but should be
served in their entirety. If chanters and choirs are unfamiliar with
some hymns, they can be read or intoned in plainchant as appropriate,
but must not be eliminated. Seventh, please
note that the Divine Liturgies on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday may
be scheduled at the regular time for a morning Liturgy (usually 9:00
or 10:00 AM). This way more people and the children will be able to
participate. Although it may
be argued that our faithful must work or attend school, we should be
honest and acknowledge that the schools, businesses, and even Government
agencies allow persons of other faiths, such as Jews and Moslems, to
take time off for their high holy days. In this country which protects
freedom of religion we must insist on our right to observe our most
sacred holy days. In addition, parishioners
should be advised that Holy Communion is given during the Liturgy at
the customary place and time--not before, or after, or "throughout
the day," especially on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday The Holy
Gifts must be consumed immediately following the Divine Liturgy, and
not kept for "latecomers." The Body and Blood of our Lord
is given to those who have prepared themselves to receive Communion;
it is not distributed as though it were "fast food" where
people run into the church, "take their communion," and run
back to their mundane concerns. Eighth, keep
in mind that no Memorial or Trisagion Services are permitted between
the Saturday of Lazarus and the Sunday of Saint Thomas, inclusively.
Marriages are not celebrated during Great Lent and Holy Week; their
celebration resumes after the Sunday of Pascha. Ninth, during
the period the Great Fast, beginning on Clean Monday, pastors should
schedule times for the Mystery of Holy Repentance for the benefit of
the people. An excellent time for this is before or after Saturday evening
Vespers and before or after the Sunday Vespers on the five Sunday evenings.
Times for confession should also be scheduled after each of the Great
Compline Services on all Mondays of the Fast. Sadly, the Mystery of
Holy Repentance has become a "forgotten sacrament" among our
faithful, often because they do not know what confession entails, or
even what one does in confession. In addition to scheduling times for
confession, I ask the pastors to offer clear and thorough instruction
from the pulpit, in your periodic mailings, and in Bible study/inquiry
classes regarding this important Mystery. Finally, a few comments
are in order regarding fasting and March 25th celebrations. During the
Great Fast parishes may not sponsor meals at which meat is served, nor
festal celebrations at which there is drinking or dancing. This holds
true on March 25th as well, although fish is allowed on that day since—just
like Palm Sunday—it is one of the twelve great and holy feasts. Unfortunately, the
few who celebrate Greek Independence day (March 25) with feasting and
dancing ignore the solemnity of the Feast of the Annunciation to the
Theotokos and violate the discipline of the Great Fast. Perhaps unbeknown
to many in America, such celebrations also neglect the pious and long-standing
tradition in Greece of commemorating their national sovereignty Ð which
was proclaimed auspiciously on the Day of the Annunciation, symbolizing
the freedom of the Greek People from centuries of foreign subjugation
Ð with parades and patriotic lectures, but not with dancing and feasting,
since the Greek people always respected the solemnity of both this Feast
of the Annunciation and the Great Fast. The past few years
I have sent you a translation of the Paschal homily of Saint John Chrysostom.
This is the only version of the homily that is to be read in all parishes
of the Diocese at the appropriate place during the Resurrection Liturgy
instead of any others you may have found in the various Holy Week service
books. If the Paschal homily is read in Greek at the traditional part
of the Divine Liturgy where the people respond—just before the
Dismissal—then it should also be read in English as a sermon immediately
following the Gospel reading of the Divine Liturgy. The homily was printed
in two colors and laminated so that you could save it as a permanent
copy. Please feel free to duplicate this translation in your parishes
as necessary. Additional copies may be requested from the Diocese Office. Through these additional
services and schedules, the priests and deacons will also benefit by
entering more easily into the spirit of the Lenten season. It is of
utmost importance for the priests and the deacons to remember that the
additional services and sacraments of this most holy period greatly
benefit the clergy as well as the laity. Even if few, or even none,
of the laity attend a service, your prayers in the services are on their
behalf and for their spiritual well-being. Do not be discouraged, but
rejoice in worshipping God Whom we are privileged to serve as His priests. May this coming
Great Lent bring many spiritual benefits to all the clergy and the laity
of this holy Diocese.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
99-4
The
Pious Pastors of the Holy Diocese of Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
I
am asking each of you who are the Proistamenoi of the parishes in the
Diocese of Denver to conduct a very important educational seminar for
your parish leadership members (Parish Council members, Philoptochos
officers, and any other involved individuals). The purpose of this
seminar is to thoroughly explain the Total Commitment Program of our
holy Archdiocese, and the specific obligations of your parish. When I arrived in
the Diocese of Denver over six years ago, there were numerous parishes
that did not even prepare annual budgets; their financial policy was
merely "collect and spend." Over these past
few years, as the enclosed materials describe in greater detail, all
of the parishes have gradually become accustomed to preparing budgets,
generating financial reports, and calculating their Total Commitment
as a percentage amount. We are now, on a
Diocese-wide basis, ready to be fully compliant with the Archdiocese
standards as each parish approaches its full 15% Total Commitment goal. The major points
of this procedure are as follows:
a.
Each Autumn the General Assembly approves
a budget for the following year
b.
Each Winter the Parish Council prepares
a Financial Report and the parish finances are audited by the Audit
Committee.
c.
Each Spring the General Assembly receives
and accepts the Financial Report and the Audit Report.
d.
Each Summer/Autumn the Parish Council
prepares the following year budget, which includes a Total Commitment
amount expressed as a percentage of net income as shown in the Financial
Report for the previous year.
I am asking you
to complete this training within the next few weeks so that the Financial
Report and Audit Report for 1998 can soon be prepared and approved at
your forthcoming Spring general Assembly.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Enclosure
Training Syllabus for The Total Commitment Program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
BackgroundHistory.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has developed various
programs over the years to provide financial support from the local
parishes to the Archdiocese for its national ministries. These ranged
from the "One Dollar" (per person, per year) program under
then-Archbishop (later Patriarch) Athenagoras, to the Fair Share, and
now the Total Commitment Stewardship Program. Concept of Stewardship.
First and foremost, the notion of stewardship must be clearly understood.
An Orthodox Christian believes that God is the Creator and Provider
of all things. Man was created by God to be a "gatherer" of
the things provided to him by the Creator for his sustenance. Nothing that we
gather, or "earn" by our labors, belongs to us. We gather
it for our use and for the benefit of our families and those around
us. Everything we have is made or fashioned out of the elements, and
these basic "building blocks" of the universe have existed
even before the human race; for God created the earth and all within
it, placing man on earth after all these were fashioned by him. Even
the very material substance of our bodies disintegrates back into the
elements from which it is formed, and only at the Second Coming of Christ
will God resurrect our bodies and join them to our souls to live for
all eternity. As such, each human
being is a custodian, or steward, of those things which he gathers from
the world around him. Since all things are from God, the Orthodox Christian
considers that everything he has belongs to God. We might compare
our condition to the situation of a farmer who has great fields filled
with produce; his laborers gather the fruits of the earth, and deliver
them all to the owner. The owner in turn provides them with a relatively
small wage for their effort. In our case, God is the "owner"
and we are gatherers of the fruits of His earth; however, unlike the
human farmer, God allows us to keep the majority of what we collect. The Old Testament
concept of a "tithe" being given to God, required the people
of that time to offer one tenth of all that their flocks and farms yielded
to God through the Temple. This produce was them distributed to the
needy and was used to support the Temple and the worship of God. In the New Testament,
we do not think of "giving back" or "returning"
a tithe to God, but rather that in His great love for us He allows us
to keep most of what our efforts yield. The Parish, as a
corporate body of Orthodox Christians likewise understands that everything
it receives and holds belongs to God. The General Assembly of members
in good standing approve a budget that properly disburses this income
for the good of the local church, of its Diocese, and of the national
ministries of our Church in America. The Parish Council, as an executive
body, understands that it owes a full and complete accounting to the
General Assembly of its income and expenses.
The
Total Commitment Program The
Archdiocese Total Commitment Program. The Total Commitment Program of
the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America is the formal mechanism for
reporting and disbursing that portion of the income received by the
local parish for the good estate and welfare of its Diocese, and of
our national Church in America. The Total Commitment
Program is comprised of two basic elements:
a.
An annual allocation of 15% of the parish
income to support the Diocese, Archdiocese, and various ministries of
the National Church.
b.
An annual assessment of $3,360 per parish,
per assigned full-time priest, to support the Archdiocese Benefits Program.
The Total Commitment
Program in the Diocese of Denver. When then-Bishop (later Metropolitan)
Isaiah arrived in the Diocese of Denver in 1992, most parishes did not
exhibit a clear understanding of the Total Commitment Program, many
did not exercise the most rudimentary financial practices such as preparing
a budget, and very few parishes prepared financial statements. In many
cases the basic financial procedure was "collect and spend"
— and hope not to run out of money. Over the past few
years a progressive program was instituted and followed in the Diocese
of Denver that gave all of the parishes an opportunity to gradually
become accustomed to the notion of a Total Commitment percentage, to
preparing budgets, and to generate financial statements. Meeting these
milestones was a prerequisite for ratification of Parish Council elections
by the Diocese. Annual goals in this graduated diocesan program were
as follows:
·
Autumn 1993: Ensure that the Total Commitment
allocation dollar amount was remitted to the Archdiocese
·
Autumn 1994: Generate parish budgets,
and calculate following year Total Commitment allocation as a percentage
of budgeted expenses
·
Autumn 1995: Calculate following year
Total Commitment allocation as an increasing percentage of budgeted
expenses
·
Autumn 1996: Calculate following year
Total Commitment allocation as an increasing percentage of budgeted
income
·
Autumn 1997: Generate parish financial
statements
·
Autumn 1998: Calculate following year
Total Commitment allocation as a percentage of income in a previous
twelve-month period
Given that parish
Total Commitment allocations were significantly below the 15% mark,
Bishop Isaiah established a program in 1994 whereby Total Commitment
would increase by one percentage point each year until the 15% goal
was reached. This required parishes to:
·
Establish a financial baseline document:
the parish budget
·
Calculate the Total Commitment amount
as a percentage of the baseline
·
Increase the Total Commitment percentage
by one point each year.
These milestones
have been met, and the Denver Diocese graduated plan to help parishes
come into full compliance with the Archdiocese Total Commitment Program
has fulfilled its initial intent.
The Total Commitment Program at the Parish LevelDetermining
the Parish Annual Total Commitment Allocation. Basically, the annual
Total Commitment allocation is determined to be 15% of net income received
from all sources by the parish. The actual percentage
remitted by each parish is determined to be one percentage point higher
than the previous year until the 15% goal is met. Income subject to
the Total Commitment percentage is all income from all sources. Income
generally included in calculating the parish Total Commitment obligation
is normally received from the following sources:
Income that may
be excepted from inclusion in calculating the parish Total Commitment
obligation may include the following:
Budgeting the Annual
Total Commitment Allocation. Every parish has certain "givens"
in their budget, items are not subject to arbitrary change by the General
Assembly which approves the annual budget. These include such things
as mortgages, clergy compensation, and the parish Total Commitment (both
the allocation percentage of income, and the support for the Archdiocese
Benefits Program). Calculating the
Annual Total Commitment Allocation. The Total Commitment allocation
for the following year is a percentage of the previous year income.
For example:
Timeline
for Preparing the Documents Associated with the Total Commitment.
Allocation. An actual timeline of events for calculating the 2000 Total
Commitment allocation is as follows:
1.
A decision was reached at the 1994 Clergy-Laity
Congress in Chicago, to amend Article XV, Section 2 of the Special Regulations
and Uniform Parish Regulations requiring that the Parish Council present
a budget to the preparatory General Assembly, at which the General Assembly
will make any necessary modifications and approve said budget.
1.
This is required by Article XV, Section
1 of the Special Regulations and Uniform Parish Regulations.
Remitting the Annual
Total Commitment Allocation. The Archdiocese Stewardship Department
receives the 2000 Total Commitment figures from the Diocesan Office,
and compares these with calculations made from the financial reports
received from the parishes. A letter is sent out to each parish confirming
their following year Total Commitment allocation. Each month a notice
is sent to every parish, reminding them to remit the monthly portion
of their annual Total Commitment amount. The parish Treasurer mails
the monthly Total Commitment allocation check to the Stewardship Department,
along with the monthly contribution (currently $280 per month) for the
Archdiocese Benefits Program.
Protocol
99-5
The
Pious Priests and the Esteemed Parish Councils of the Holy Diocese of
Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
I
am writing to announce to you the upcoming Clergy-Laity Assembly and
the Philoptochos Conference of the Diocese which will take place in
Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 30 through
May 2, 1999. Reflecting back
these past six years we have seen remarkable progress taking place in
the Diocese. Four new parishes have been established and part-time parishes
— such as Austin, Texas and Missoula, Montana — have become
full-time. This is not to say that there are not several parishes which
have experienced little growth. Nevertheless, services are held at those
parishes with the hope that the parishioners will realize how essential
their faith is to them and to their children. These parishes will continue
to be viable as long as this Diocese has a strong Diocese Center which
will continue to look after their needs as well as the needs of all
the parishes.
I
ask you to keep in mind that each parish of the Diocese is represented
by three delegates: the Priest, the President (or another Parish Council
officer), and any other member of the Council or a parishioner designated
by the Council. The lay delegates are also qualified to be candidates
for the new Diocese Council which shall be elected on Saturday Afternoon
after the plenary session. The business of
this Assembly will focus on the state of our Archdiocese and on the
Diocese, the strengthening of our Diocese Center in Denver, and on resolutions
which will be forwarded to the Archdiocese for the Clergy-Laity Congress
scheduled to be held in July 2000. Father Mario Giannopoulos
and his devoted parishioners of Saint George in Albuquerque have accepted
to host the Assembly, and we are grateful to them. In the near future
Father Giannopoulos will be sending detailed information regarding the
Assembly which will include transportation and hotel information. Let all of us, clergy
and laity, make every effort to attend the Assembly which will be the
final one of this century and to make it a powerful springboard for
the third millennium. May our Lord's rich
blessings be upon each one of you as we prepare to enter the holy period
of Great Lent to strengthen ourselves spiritually so that we may worthily
enter into Holy Week and accompany our Lord to His holy passion.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
99-6
The
Pious Pastors of the Holy Diocese of Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
As
we approach the solemn and sacred days of Holy Week, our attention is
ever more focused on the events that transpired for our salvation. Among these is the
Mystical Supper of our Lord, at which was revealed the manner in which
His command would be fulfilled: "Unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." (John
6:53) Here in the United
States the commemoration of this divine event has been overshadowed
by the Service of Holy Unction on Holy Wednesday evening. In addition,
many of the faithful do not attend the Holy Thursday morning Liturgy
because of their schedules and other daily preoccupations. The continuity
of Holy Week which includes commemorating the Last Supper before the
Crucifixion Service of Holy Thursday evening is therefore interrupted,
if not totally eliminated. My paternal suggestion
to you, then, is to celebrate the Holy Unction Sacrament on Holy Wednesday
afternoon between 3:00 and 4:00 pm, when students return from school. This way you should
consider celebrating the Bridegroom Service with the procession of the
Mystical Supper Icon on Wednesday evening. If you decide to do this,
you can still anoint the faithful during the evening service at the
appropriate times when they approach to venerate the Last Supper Icon. I am enclosing a
copy of this Matins Service for your use, if you are considering to
do this service. Should you wish to obtain several additional copies,
I have some available in the office which you may purchase for $10 each.
If you desire a large quantity, however, you should contact Father Evagoras
Constantinides directly; please call my office to obtain the address. In those parishes
that have customarily celebrated the Mystery of Holy Unction twice on
Holy Wednesday, due consideration should be given this year to replacing
the second, evening service with the Matins of Holy Thursday. In any
event, should the Mystery of Holy Unction be celebrated twice, the same
oil must not be blessed at the second service, for it infers that the
afternoon service was not valid. Additionally, do not forget to retain
some of the Holy Unction to be used throughout the year when you visit
and anoint the sick. May this Lenten
period and the coming Holy Week be most spiritually beneficial for you,
your beloved family members, and your faithful parishioners.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
99-7
All
the Pious Priests, Deacons, and Faithful Members of the Holy Diocese
of Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
From
the Apostolic age to the present day, the Church has endured many problems
and upheavals. The epistles of the New Testament are replete with descriptions
of many of them. One can say that the iconoclastic period of the Church
which lasted for well over one hundred years was one of the worst trials;
yet the Church survived even this, just as Her holy Founder, our Lord
Jesus Christ, promised. Today our Church
in America is undergoing a trial. Our people, both clergy and laity,
are concerned—and well they should be—because the Church is
the only Ark of Salvation. Highly respected members of the Church in
our country have taken different sides regarding how the Archdiocese
should be administered. The hierarchy has also expressed itself regarding
the state of affairs. Meetings have taken place and will continue to
take place. This concern is a healthy sign for the Church. One of the various
problematic areas regards the person of our Archbishop and whether he
should continue to administer the affairs of our holy Archdiocese. There
is no question that many perceive that radical and dangerous changes
have taken place on the Archdiocesan level, while others see these same
changes as proper and beneficial. Since we are a hierarchical Church,
and because we are under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople,
we believe that our Mother Church will ultimately resolve the problems
which many see but which others prefer not to see. The most important
thing that every member of our Diocese and of our Archdiocese should
concentrate on at this time is the holy and beautiful period of Great
Lent. This is so, not because the activities of Great lent may distract
us from our problems, but because the very spirit of Great Lent will
be the only thing that can enable us to properly address these issues. All of us, clergy
and laity, must begin to cleanse ourselves of those things which keep
us away from God. The Lord invites us to turn away from things that
keep us earth-bound, and to concentrate on things that elevate us toward
the heavenly Kingdom. As followers of Christ we cannot do anything else
contrary to this spirit: the humble spirit of the Publican and the repentant
spirit of the Prodigal. I remind all of
our people, clergy and laity alike, that the Holy Spirit will not allow
the Church for Whom Jesus Christ died to fall away from Her eternal
destiny. This does not mean that we should not express our concerns;
but it does require us to concentrate our efforts on the Church and
Her welfare, not on persons within the Church. When we talk about the
welfare of the Church and work for the good estate of the Church, we
must keep in mind that Her leadership will sooner or later give whatever
response is pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit will not allow it any other
way. There, I urge all
of our people in this Diocese to pray that Christ our Lord will keep
us focused on being edified in the faith, and that the Holy Spirit will
fill our hearts with the assurance that the Church will be kept pure,
holy, and inviolate even in the face of the spirit of division which
at times can and does threaten our unity. As we go forth toward
Holy Week and to the Supreme Sacrifice of our Lord, let us pray for
all the members of the Church—whoever they are and wherever they
may be found—that they may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to say
and do only that which glorifies our loving God and His holy Church.
With
Paternal Blessings,
Metropolitan
Isaiah, Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
99-8
The
Pious priests and Deacons of the Holy Diocese of Denver
Dear
Concelebrants,
As
we approach the most holy and soul-stirring week of the year, Holy Week,
which culminates with the triumphant celebration of the glorious resurrection
of Christ from the dead, I realize that both clergy and choirs have
different English translations and musical renditions of the Paschal
Resurrectional Troparion, Christ is Risen. Unfortunately, this is prevalent
throughout the country. In this holy Diocese
of Denver, it is time to use the same words and music to this hymn if
it is to be sung in English. Therefore I request
of you to contact your choir director, the chanters, and all members
of the choirs to learn the enclosed rendition which is very easy to
learn. Please remind your
people that this central hymn of our holy faith is not to be tampered
with by using the wrong words such as "O Christ is risen ..."
It is not a folk song nor a medley of sorts. Obviously the "O"
was put into some translations so as to keep the Byzantine musical form
accurate. The hymn must be
theologically correct. This is why I expect you and your people to use
the word "granted" and not "bestow" or "bestowing."
The proper Greek word for bestow is "ajponevmw," whereas the
word of the hymn "carisavmeno"" comes from the word "carivzw"
which means "I grant." In the hymn the word is grammatically
a past participle, which means that Christ has already granted life
to us. The most accurate translation would therefore be "has granted."
Specifically, "carizovmeno"" means "is granting"
and "carisavmeno"" means "did grant" or "granted." I hope that this
brief explanation convreserving the accuracy of our theology found in
the hymns of the Church. Please make as many
copies as you wish both for your choirs and your congregations so that
this Diocese of Denver will be the flagship of accurate translations
and uniformity in our worship.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
99-9
The
Devout Clergy, and The Faithful Members of the Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
...where
sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death,
even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20, 21)
How
our Lord's holy Mother must have felt as she stood by the Cross watching
her divine Son slowly dying a horrible death! Truly sin abounded and
reigned in death at Golgotha. Yet at the very same time grace and Christ
Who is the Life reigned supreme in Hades and death was totally mortified. As you, the faithful
clergy and laity of this holy Diocese, experience the contrition and
penance of your self-discipline during this Great Fast for the sake
of your spiritual growth and sanctification, you also have experienced
the increase of all that is sinful in the world around you. Throughout
the spectrum of human behavior — from politics to racism to religious
strife to wars to orality to entertainment — we see the increase
of sin as an epidemic. All of us to one
extent or another as the family of God, the Body of Christ, have carried
within ourselves troubling emotions because of what we have read and
experienced in the life of our holy Archdiocese. Embarrassing articles
in periodicals and in newspapers, many of them blatantly false, have
troubled our hearts and minds. Does this mean that
the Church is not the One for whom our Lord died? On the contrary! It
is precisely because She is the true Church that all these troubles
have come upon Her and will continue to come upon Her. Read the Acts
of the Apostles and their Epistles and you will see that this is the
very Church which began on earth on the day of Pentecost. Certainly we admit
that sin does abound in this evil world, and it comes into the Church
through our sinfulness. But thanks be to God! Grace abounds much more! The present dilemma
will soon end and peace and tranquillity will again prevail. Moreover,
because of this experience, there will be a greater understanding of
what the Church is and all of us will have a deeper appreciation of
this divine institution. Soon we will be better focused on who we are
and what our loving God expects from us. The pain we now
feel will be even more evident on Holy Thursday evening when we transfer
this sorrow to the agonizing pain of the holy Theotokos beholding her
Son slowly dying on the Cross. But soon after, we will also experience
her supreme joy when she sees Him after His glorious resurrection. On the basis of
these thoughts, let all of us enter into the dramatic services of Holy
Week with conviction and devotion. Let us continue to keep the Fast
until Holy Saturday evening for our personal edification and purification.
In doing so, we will cast off from us the ugliness of sin in all of
its manifestations and we will be prepared to celebrate with complete
joyfulness the glorious resurrection of our Lord and God and Savior
Jesus Christ. < | |||||||||||