Seasons and Feasts

Nativity of the Theotokos

The Orthodox Church liturgical calendar begins its new year in September.  In many other traditions of the Church the new year begins with the first day of Advent which follows the feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday in the western liturgical calendar.

The Orthodox Church focuses the beginning and ending of their year on Mary, mother of God.  September celebrates her nativity and August remembers her dormition.  

Personally I like the focus on Mary.  She is the gate God uses to enter into our reality... the passage where Jesus takes human flesh... Through her the Logos makes his dwelling among us.  September 8th is the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos -- the birth of the most holy Mother of God.

Ancient Faith Radio presents a wonderful explanation of this feast with  Father Tom Hopko, Dean Emeritus of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary -- Nativity of Theotokos

Below are two of the hymns sung during the daily liturgy:

Troparion

Your Nativity, O Virgin,

Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe!

The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,

Has shone from You, O Theotokos!

By annulling the curse,

He bestowed a blessing.

By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.

Kontakion

By Your Nativity, O Most Pure Virgin,

Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness;

Adam and Eve, from the corruption of death.

And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you:

The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life!

A blessed feast and a blessed New Year!  May we grow more in God's agape and the nous of Christ with the power of the God's ruach now and unto eternity.

Blessings of the Daily

One of the great books written on living the seasons, saints and the daily liturgy is Brother Victor's Blessings of the Daily: A Monastic Book of Days.

I am a huge fan of not only of his monastic books but also of his cookbooks.  Well, I would actually call his cookbooks 'monastic' as well!  They teach one to live into the feasts, and truly feast!

This book, though, is a compilation of living in and through the liturgy of the Church -- its prayer, feasts, its very life in Christ.  I have been reading it regularly for the past three years.

Today's reading is dedicated to the Jesus Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of the living God,

have mercy on me a sinner.

Brother Victor calls this prayer, "the prayer of pilgrimage." 

"Living in the "here and now," one needs a link that looks towards the eternal.  The Jesus Prayer has been that link.  It is a way of turning aside nonessentials.  At the same time, it points us to him, the Eternal One. The prayer, as it weaves quietly into the very fabric of who we are, motivates us to leave behind all encumbrances, all unnecessary human noise, and leads us directly there, to where nothing else is left but Christ and our sinfulness."

I have been praying the Jesus Prayer for many years now. It is a prayer of the soul.  I have experienced the power of this prayer especially at nights when I have been worn down, sleepless and anxious... Christ's mercy in those times is so overwhelming that one is only filled with gratitude!

I encourage you to make this prayer your own and recite it throughout the day in a constant rhythm... while washing dishes, taking shower, waiting for the water to boil, sitting on the deck, walking, dreaming, singing...

Let it become a constant in your daily living. You will discover that Jesus is your True North!

Why do we go to prayer?

A few moments with Joan Chittister, OSB from Monasteries of the Heart .

 

 

Travel Inspirations

Yesterday I was on the go for the most part of the day... I enjoy being in the car as it gives me a chance to be silent and take advantage of on-the-go solitude.  When I am traveling I keep the hours with my ipod -- my favorite gadget nowadays next to Kindle!

On the way to my intended destination I prayed with Michael John Talbot's Come Worship Lord album.  It is a two-volume compilation of worship songs with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity that John Micheal Talbot founded.  These songs are arranged in a progression of call to worship, praise, confession, declaration, sending out, concluding praise... All songs are based on the Scripture. I keep the offices with these songs quite often ... they refresh and rejuvanate me as my mind and soul dance to the rhythm.

On the way back it was time for the midday prayer.  There I turned to the Agpeya -- Coptic Book of Hours.  I have an application on my ipod for streaming audio where I can listen and drive.  Orthodox daily prayer depends heavily on reading of the Psalms and standing before God humbly receiving God's grace and mercy for our sins. Throughout the Agpeya every hour concludes with the following prayer:

"Have mercy on us, O God, and have mercy on us, who, at all times and in every hour, in heaven and on earth, is worshipped and glorified, Christ our God, the good, the long suffering, the abundant in mercy, and the great in compassion, who loves the righteous and has mercy on the sinners of whom I am chief; who does not wish the death of the sinner but rather that he returns and lives, who calls all to salvation for the promise of the blessings to come.

Lord receive from us our prayers in this hour and in every hour. Ease our life and guide us to fulfill Your commandments. Sanctify our spirits. Cleanse our bodies. Conduct our thoughts. Purify our intentions. Heal our diseases. Forgive our sins. Deliver us from every evil grief and distress of heart. Surround us by Your holy angels, that, by their camp, we may be guarded and guided, and attain the unity of faith, and the knowledge of Your imperceptible and infinite glory. For You are blessed forever. Amen."

I was quite tired when I woke up yesterday.  By the time the day had come to an end I was, as always, eternally blessed by God's leading and presence enveloped in the strength of saints on earth and in heaven.

Few Tidbits

Yesterday (May 1o) the Presbytery of Geneva hosted the first of two conversations with Phyllis Tickle. This first conversation was about the Ancient Disciplines that form us as Christ’s disciples. These disciplines are not some unknown ways which we are discovering to be fashionable; they were practiced by the early church faithfully. They formed our ancestors in the faith and guided the Church in generations to come.

In our determination to grow in numbers, however, I believe the present day North American Church has pretty much ignored for decades the formation of heart, mind and soul and focused solely on attractional evangelism and programs. When Willow Creek pastor Bill Hybels confessed, "we made a mistake" , what he was confessing to was the fact faith formation does not really happen with elaborate programs but being a willing participant in the laboratory of the Spirit using the tools given to us by God in the Scripture practiced by the Church.

Without this formation, it is really impossible to satisfy our hunger for a deep intimacy with God and one another.  With his Incarnation Jesus demonstrated this very embodied life we hunger.  

These disciplines are our heritage and the call is to claim them: Sacred Meal, Fasting, Tithing, Fixed Hour of Prayer, Keeping the Sabbath, Keeping the Liturgical Year (Feasts and Seasons) and Pilgrimage.

I want to focus on some of the things Phyllis Tickle shared in her presentation that are vital to my keeping the Fixed Hour of Prayer. The following are a just a few words from the conversation:

“It is that every three hour attention to prayer that shapes the individual… Every three hours you stop and say the prayers appointed for the day… A breviary is a prayer book for keeping fixed hour of prayer… The prayers are based on the Common Lectionary… Fixed hour of prayer is the meeting of the Church invisible, the Church universal in all time zones… Even if there are different breviaries that are being used they are all based on the common lectionary and based around the same Scripture. They are also based on the sayings and the prayers of the early church fathers… In fixed hour of prayer, every three hours we are marked by our Lord. The thrust of all Office is always praise… Every part of every hour turns itself to glory to God.”

The Daily Office invites us to pray seven times a day in three hour increments.  There are many faithful who keep to these seven hours.  Since the Morning and Evening Offices are the two major offices, many today also participate only in these two hours. 

As I shared in my previous post of Times of Prayer  I keep four combining various ones together.  I have discovered I am quite comfortable with my schedule.

In keeping the hours, I am also deeply committed to keeping the feasts and seasons or the liturgical year not only with the Protestant and the Catholic traditions but also with the Orthodox Church.  In doing so I participate in reading and praying not only the Common Lectionary which is the basis of all the Offices but also the daily readings of the Orthodox Church.

I used to rely on the paperback versions of the breviaries but now I have become quite comfortable saying the prayers with my ipod.  You can find applications (with audio) for several breviaries (including the Orthodox hours) and they are very easy to use.  The same is true for those who prefer to keep the hours online.  I have listed many sites under Daily Prayer.

Having an audio advantage is a wonderful experience.  As a pastor I travel quite a bit and I am able to listen in the car.  Audio is also a great advantage for families as you may want to keep the hours while changing the diapers, finishing dinner, or when children are not able to read... So many possibilities nowadays!

Keeping the hours truly is a mark on my soul.  Phyllis Tickle is so right.  I know I am claimed by my Lord and I am not alone... surrounded by a great cloud of saints in heaven and on earth.  We are all sharing God's word together in continuous praise while glorifying God together.

My mother-in-law being a Pentecostal always reminds me that we have to quote God's word back to God... remind God of what the Scripture says... Well, we are constantly doing that with fixed hour of prayer... a continuous stream of the living word moving upward and downward and sideways.... It is cosmic Christ living, breathing, moving, shaking, loving, nurturing... All time is hallowed.  Amen to that!

Psalms Arranged in a Four Week Cycle -- Week Two

WEEK TWO

Sunday                 Morning   97, 89, 67        Midday   119:1-25         Evening    35, 146

Monday               Morning   22, 71               Midday   119:26-50       Evening    132, 135, 68

Tuesday              Morning   141, 38, 81       Midday   119:51-75        Evening   130, 40, 72

Wednesday        Morning   69, 75               Midday    119:76-100     Evening   90, 133, 19

Thursday            Morning   25, 51, 73         Midday   119:101-125    Evening    127, 128, 20

Friday                  Morning   109, 110, 48     Midday    119:126-150    Evening   4, 111, 16

Saturday            Morning   31, 55, 84         Midday    119:151-176     Evening   129, 85, 1

Psalms Arranged in a Four Week Cycle -- Week One

WEEK ONE

Sunday                Morning 92, 2           Midday 119:1-25          Evening 99, 8, 6

Monday               Morning 46, 5, 80     Midday 119:26-50      Evening 62, 28, 14

Tuesday             Morning 148, 3           Midday 119:51-75        Evening 116, 9, 15

Wednesday      Morning 95, 26, 147  Midday 119:76-100     Evening 10, 114, 24

Thursday           Morning 117, 13           Midday 119:101-125    Evening 122, 12, 41

Friday                  Morning 56, 115, 76   Midday 119:126-150   Evening 34, 23, 43

Saturday            Morning 96, 64, 78    Midday 119:151-176   Evening 100, 145, 45

Times of Prayer

This is a guide I use to keep the fixed hour of prayer.

The traditional liturgy begins with the Invitatory.  This is the opening prayer of the Office and is prayed at the beginning of the day before the first hour of the Office. It is a verse from Psalm 51:15 --"O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise."

I use the Invitatory as a way to set my intention for the whole day.  It is an invitation to invite God into all the tasks which need to be accomplished.  More to come on how to set your intention.

Morning Prayer or the Lauds is prayed at sunrise or in the early morning usually at 6am. I combine my Morning Prayer with Terce and keep it at 9am.

Daytime Prayer is divided into three: Terce at 9am (midmorning), Sext at noon (midday), None at 3pm (midafternoon). I keep Daytime Prayer between 1pm and 3pm combining both Sext and None.

Evening Prayer or the Vespers is prayed at sunset or early evening usually around 6pm. I keep Evening Prayer between 6pm and 8pm.

Last prayer of the day is Night Prayer or the Compline.  This is the "bedtime" hour of the Church's daily prayer and is ordinarily prayed just before retiring.I keep the Compline before I go to bed usually around midnight.  This is the time where I engage in the Examen. More on Examen to come.

Throughout the day I read the psalms in a four week cycle.  I developed this cycle after many months of researching various Psalters.  The cycle completes the reading of 150 Psalms in four weeks with Psalm 119 read everyday in sections for Daytime Prayer.

An Experiment... A Life... A Celebration

Welcome to this experiment!  I am writing this first post on Divine Mercy Sunday after a week filled feasts of the Church: the Annunciation, St. Catherine of Siena and St. John Climacus plus a royal wedding.

The Annunciation is the celebration of the announcement by Gabriel to Mary that she would become the mother of Jesus. It is a feast day for March 25 as it falls nine full months before Christmas.

Saint Catherine of Siena, whose feast day falls on March 29,  was a tertiary of the Dominican Order, and a scholastic philosopher and theologian. She was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970. She is one of the two patron saints of Italy, together with Francis of Assisi.  In his sermon during the royal wedding on March 29, the Bishop of London remembered Catherine with these words: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena...”

St. John Climacus was a 7th century Christian monk at the monastery on Mount Sinai. His feast is celebrated by the Roman Catholic, Oriental Orthodox , Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches. His feast falls on March 30. His famous work is "the Ladder of Divine Ascent" which is a Lenten study text for many Orthodox parishes. He is considered a true monastic teacher and a mystic.

With these feasts (and a royal wedding) behind us, we are also moving in the season of Easter. The Church is in a mode of celebration as we declare, "Jesus is Risen!"

I have been praying the liturgy of the hours for many years now, though not as faithfully as I would like it to be. I have always thought it to be my own fault as I was not making the space for kairos to enter my chronos.

Then I had a eureka moment... I was keeping the hours, but not always using the liturgy prescribed by various traditions. This eureka happened during Lent when I began keeping Lent with the Orthodox Church with an art calendar.

I made a calendar out of watercolor paper and divided it in squares. I began my journey three Sundays before Lent as the Orthodox Christians prepare with a Gospel theme -- Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Last Judgement.

Throughout the days in Lent, I prayed with art, words, Scripture using my calendar at prescribed times and kept going. Something wonderful happened.

 

I was praying with the whole Church... I was connected to the great cloud of witnesses... I was responding to the call of the Spirit in my life... I was being me in Jesus.  It all made sense. Thus we come to this fixed hour of prayer experiment. 

Fixed hour of prayer, or the Divine Hours, or the Divine Office, or the Liturgy of the Hours... is the prayer of the whole Church coming together at designated times to pray with one accord while proclaiming that God is the most important work.  It was Benedict who said, "to pray is to work and to work is to pray."  In these moments when we enter into prayer we are creating space with the Spirit for kairos time to intersect with chronos time making all time hallowed.

A creative prayer life is prayer that is always fresh… satisfying… challenging… passionate… joy-filled… imaginative… penetrating… adventurous!

These words now also describe the fixed hour of prayer for me...

God does not intend our prayer life to be dull! Prayer is not something we do, but it is who we are with and in Christ… It is the essence of life with God… The Scripture says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). "

As I journal my experiences keeping the fixed hour of prayer in unconventional ways, I pray for God to use this experiment in opening doors for others to discover the greatest spiritual discipline in their lives.

My prayer is that this blog will help many discover that in living the Scripture, being obedient to Christ and witnessing to the Kingdom, we are only limited by our imagination and creativity endowed to us by God who is the Artisan of all prayers!

May our Sabbath be filled with the glory of the Lord.