Newsletter December 12, 2023

The Orthodox Spirit and the Nativity Fast

Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia (also known as Saint Porphyrios the Seer, +1991) recounts, in the context of narrating events from his life, his experience as a spiritual father with the sacrament of confession. He was a mere fourteen years old when he fled to Mount Athos. There, he lived in the company of two hermits who were brothers according to the flesh. His illness compelled these hermits to send him down from the sacred mountain in search of medical treatment and recovery. Upon returning to his village and regaining his health, the metropolitan of the archdiocese ordained him a priest and granted him the blessing to be a father confessor, all while he was a young man of just twenty-two years, and he only knew the spiritual direction of ascetic monastic life.

In reflecting on that experience, he mentioned that he kept the book of Saint Nicodemus of Athos by his side. This book, rooted in the realities of the 16th and 17th centuries, meticulously cataloged sins one by one and established rules for repentance and discipline for each sin. The canons contained within this book may seem excessively stringent to the modern person.

Saint Porphyrios’ unwavering commitment to his faith and his monastic education compelled him to consult this book after every confession. He would assign penitents a regimen that corresponded to their particular sin: three hundred prostrations daily, weeks or months of fasting, and so forth. However, he soon realized that these rules exceeded the capacities of the faithful and did not contribute to their spiritual growth. On the contrary, they led to a sense of despair regarding the possibility of overcoming their sins, and this despair often caused them to return to their sins.

He thus made the decision to close the book and place it on the shelf. Instead, he began to inquire of the penitents regarding the number of prostrations they could reasonably perform and the duration of fasting they could sustain, providing them with an obedience tailored to their abilities.

The example of Saint Porphyrios teaches us the distinction between the spiritual teachings of the Church and their practical application. Spiritual growth is a gradual process in which believers ascend toward their desired spiritual state. The Church’s role is to provide personal support and guidance to individuals on their spiritual journeys, helping them climb the ladder of salvation. Pastors or spiritual fathers draw from living spiritual experiences, not just static texts, to offer spiritual care that considers the individual’s capacity, readiness, and circumstances.

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The spiritual father’s role is to accompany his spiritual children, nurturing their spiritual growth and development, rather than burdening them with practices that exceed their capacity and lead to despair, ultimately causing them to abandon the Christian path leading to salvation. The arrangements within our Church order (the Typikon) are designed to help believers engage with and experience the salvific events they commemorate. These arrangements aim to facilitate spiritual growth, purity, and holiness rather than serve as additional burdens. In the words of Jesus, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Read the entire article:
https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1831

Tree&Amanda&Teresa: Sunday, Dec 17, 8:45 AM
Cambden, Stasio: Sunday, Dec 24, 8:45 AM

Please remember that our full calendar continues to be available at our parish web site. Here is a link:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Calendar/calendar.php

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2023 web.pdf
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2024 web.pdf

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2023.pdf
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2024.pdf

Epistle: ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS 3:4-11

Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

Gospel: LUKE 14:16-24

The Lord said this parable: “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'”

Navigating Life’s Storms: Father Fyodor Konyukhov’s Five Spiritual Signposts

Anastasia Parkhomchik

Archpriest Fyodor Konyukhov stands as an exceptional figure, a unique individual in our time. His relentless pursuit of extreme travels, placing his life in constant jeopardy and allocating a significant portion of his resources to these adventures, puzzles many. Questions arise about why, in his later years and with a large family, he hasn’t secured a permanent residence. Yet, Father Fyodor Konyukhov offers clear, profoundly Christian responses to these inquiries, establishing the principles upon which he constructs his life. His unwavering faith in God, insatiable curiosity, existence on the precipice of mortal danger, and selfless commitment to serving God and humanity form only a partial inventory of the invaluable lessons he imparts.

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“There is no harder work on earth than praying to God,” shares Father Fyodor, emphasizing the profound significance he attributes to prayer. “If I did not believe in prayer as the last chance, I would perish. In layman’s terms, a believer has one extra chance in life.”

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“I am 64 years old; I have built nine chapels and two churches, but I have not built a house for myself. It is because I believe that one should give before receiving. So far I have not yet given enough… When I am in the ocean and I know that in a second or two I will stand before God Himself, what am I going to tell him? ‘I have built myself a house…’? So I keep putting it off.”

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The perception of Father Fyodor Konyukhov varies among people, with many finding it challenging to comprehend his pursuits fully. Nevertheless, it is evident that he has accomplished and persists in doing much for his community. The more facets of his character one uncovers, the more prominently the wisdom and inner beauty of this devout Orthodox man become apparent. While Father Fyodor undoubtedly holds other intriguing and valuable perspectives on life, perhaps it would be beneficial for us to grasp at least these.

Read the entire article:

The Communion of Giving Thanks