Clean Monday....Clean Week....Time to get Clean!

     

Is this how you get ready for Clean Week?

     I wouldn’t use the phrase, “The show must go on,” but I will say that, despite really poor weather conditions, “The Divine Services will be celebrated!” It was really snowy and windy Sunday into Monday Morning so we received an email from Fr. Bohdan saying that even though the weather was “challenging” we would be having service that night:

     And, yes, the weather was bad. I spent Monday morning with my wife and two sons, digging out my wife’s car so she could go to work. (She works at the hospital and they don’t take “weather” as an excuse for absense 😊) She went to work  and I spent the rest of the day digging out my car and making sure the driveway was clear. 

     Later that afternoon, I looked at the roads and decided I would venture out into the snowy abyss.  I gave myself extra time to travel to Church but, me being me, first, I had to create an A.I. video showing how I combatted the snow. Here it is for your viewing pleasure 😊

Getting to Church by all means necessary!

     I arrived early and I am so happy that I did. Yes, we were a small group (I think I counted 10 or 11 by evening’s end) but to pray  the Canon of St. Andrew in person was so much more beneficial than doing it online. (which, thank God, was avialable for those who could not get out of their driveways.) St. Andrew of Crete was certainly a poet and, for those who say that the Orthodox Church does not “preach the Bible”- a claim made by Evangelicals I have encountered- all the text of the Canon were illusions to blbilical scenes and characters. St. Andrew directs your mind and soul to the bible and, through it, the Holy Spirit can convict and move you towards Christ. Totally beautiful.

Fr. Bohdan on Clean Monday

     Clean Week, means daily services but, sadly, I could only attend Monday’s service because of my work schedule.  But, every morning during Clean Week I read/prayed the Canon of St. Andrew with a copy I had purchased latst year, so, even though I wasn’t with my parish, I could participate to the best of my ability. 

     Clean Week is done and I look forward to the Sunday of Orthodoxy this weekend.  There is going to be a procession of the Icons done by the youth of our parish and that should be a blessing.  I’ll try and snap some pictures.

     As Great Lent goes on, I have to get a handle on Fasting.  I did make food  purchases that will help me this week at work but I wonder if there is anyting except rice and beans for lunch and oatmeal for breakfast?  I think I’ll talk to some fellow parishioners this Sunday at coffee hour. 

     In the meantime, I have swapped out listening to audiobooks  to listening to Ancient Faith Radio teaching Podcasts (Fr. Hopko and Fr. Stephen DeYoung are favoirtes.) I guess I’ll finish Stephen King’s Dark Tower series sometime after Pascha. May God give you Strength during this time. 

     Keep me in your prayers as I remember you!

Forgiveness Vespers and saying Good bye to Father Gary

 

Father Gary and me at his last coffee hour. You can read below why I am smirking

     The last time attended a Forgiveness Vespers was in 2017 (You can read about that  HERE) I especially wanted to make sure I made it this year, not only because I am now a Catechumen and this is “my Church” now but also because it was the last liturgy that Fr. Gary would be celebrating as our Pastor before he retires.  It is a beautiful service and I admit I did feel awkward at first because of all the bowing and “Triple Fake Air Kisses” but it winds up being a humbling and moving experience.  At the end of all the prayers, everyone forms a line and stands before Fr. Gary. He asks us for forgiveness and that is when we bow and do the “Fake Triple Air Kiss.” As I was standing in line, waiting for my turn, I couldn’t remember what you were supposed to say. Luckily, Halle James, my fellow catechumen, was in front of me and I asked her. She said the proper phrase was “God forgives and I forgive."

 

an example from Instagram what Forgiveness Vespers looks like

     It quickly became emotional because, Matushka Mary was crying. This would be her last service with the parish she’s been a member of for over twenty years. After we forgave each other, she gave me a big hug and said how happy she was for me that I was finally entering the Church. 

     I took notice of one man, who was there with his children, and he reminded me that, in Orthodoxy, although there are many traditions and (sometimes odd things to the Western mind) of doing things, Orthodoxy does not force a person to do things they are uncomfortable with.  For example, in Orthodoxy, you venerate an Icon by bowing and kissing the Icon but there are some people who will only bow. The man I spoke of, participated in the “Forgiveness Circle” but, instead of doing the “Fake Triple Air Kiss,” which really amounted to a hug, he shook people's hands and offered words of forgiveness. He was able to fully participate in the service but do so in the way he was comfortable with.  Many people in his position would have simply left before all the hugging started but, good for this man for participating. He certainly is a fine example to his children who were standing next to him. 

     The coffee hour followed and everyone got a chance to say goodbye to Father Gary and Matushka Mary. At one point, Father Gary came and sat next to me and we chatted a bit. He asked me about my wife’s journey, and I told him how she is really becoming alive in her faith and I gave an example of how she was relating to me that she was deeply moved when she read about the Apostle Jude and all his sufferings, all for the sake of Christ and proclaiming His Word.  I know I would love for Karen to be Orthodox (and she would love for me to be Catholic) but, for now, we are both happy that we are progressing towards Christ. 

     As we were talking, Chris, the choir director, made an announcement that the choir would like to sing some hymns in honor of Father Gary.  They started singing and it was , of course, beautiful. 

     Before I left to go home, I thanked Father Gary for all his Pastoral care over the years and he agreed to take a “selfie” with me. (Pictured above) the reason I had a smirk on my face was Father Gary asked as I took the picture, if I was going to turn this into some A.I. video- apparently, he has seen some of my rather silly work on Facebook.

     I gave a hug to Matushka Mary and she said she and her husband would try to come down for when I am baptized.  (although I think Bishop Michael will want me to be Christmated instead- but I’ll do whatever) We parted laughing because I referenced the time she joked with me, when I was very new to Orthodoxy that, I was sitting in the wrong place- reserved for Priests and their wives. You can read about that HERE

     There is supposed to be a major storm coming Sunday night into Monday, so it is up in the Air if the “Canon of St. Andrew” will be served on Monday.  If it is, I’ll see if I can give you my reflections in the form of another blog post.

      In the meantime, Happy Lent everyone! May we keep the Fast!

And So it Begins.....Becoming a Catechumen!

 

                           

As Father Gary said at the end of the Liturgy, "This isn't the first step towards being received into the Orthodox Church, but it is an important step." Today, along with Halle James who I met last night after Saturday night Vespers, I became a Catechumen in the Holy Orthodox Church.  This whole journey started years ago when I was exploring my Catholic roots, looking for something "deeper" than my affiliation with Evangelicalism.  I discovered Catholicsim on the internet (Shout out to Fr Roderick Vonhogen of the old Daily Breakfast podcast) which led me to other Catholic podcasts. On my particular one, I believe it was called "Techno Priest" (I can't be sure; it was back in 2008), that priest interviewed Fr. Peter Preble, who at the time had the Shepherd of Souls podcast, which was my first encounter with an Eastern Orthodox Podcast.  That reminded me that, at one time, I would visit an Eastern Orthodox Liturgy at the Base Chapel when I was in the Air Force back in 1980 (Chaplain Pelesh was the Orthodox Chaplain then and a really great guy, down to earth!) I had forgotten all about Orthodoxy and, at the time, I really didn't understand it. I just saw it as a weird Catholic offshoot.  

All this led me to Ancient Faith Radio and that changed my life.

Ancient Faith Home | Ancient Faith Ministries

After a while of listening (and learning) I got the nerve to visit an Orthodox Parish.  I was going to go to a Greek Parish, which was closest to me but a phone call to the Priest let me know that most of the liturgy was in Greek.  That didn't help me at all so I ventured to the OCA parish which I now attend and to which I hope to be united in communion as soon as God wills.  

My wife came to the parish (It was her first time) so she could witness me becoming a catechumen.  I knew she would like some of it (She remarked how the choir was beautiful (Shout out to Chris, our choir director! ☺) But I knew that the kissing of the Icons and all that bowing would be foreign to her (as it was to me when I first attended) But she was very happy for me and I am glad she was there. She could sense I was nervous and in her own way told me to calm down ("Jim, you're stressing me out!") God bless my wife!

 Here is a video of the ceremony (for lack of a better word) which Shana, whom I just met, filmed it.  (Quick note on how God cares about the little things in our life. Shana (not sure if I'm spelling her name right) told me normally she stands on the other side of the Nave but, someone else was in that spot so she was forced to be where she was which proved better because, she would not have been able to get me in the picture if she stood where she normally did.) 

After the service Fr. Gary welcomed me and Halle James as Catechumens and sang "Many Years" for us. Fr. Gary marks special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries with the singing of "Many Years" at the end of the Liturgy. Here is a video of that which concludes with me venerating the Cross.

I will be checking in from time to time, to let you know how my journey is going. Please keep me in your prayers. 

Making the Announcements/Seeing Orthodox Movies

 

Fr Bohdan making announcements

After all these years, it seems a little surreal that I am finally becoming Orthodox. But it has moved from the realm of wishing to becoming a reality. I even made the announcements in the bulletin.  Fr. Gary is away until next week so Fr. Bohdan Chaikivskyi (whose name I admit I cannot pronounce.) celebrated the Divine Liturgy and after the liturgy, Fr. Bohdan made the announcements.  Here is a video of him mentioning how I and someone else will be received as catechumens next week:

And here is how it looked in the Bulletin:

THIS SUNDAY, February 8 – Prior to the Divine Liturgy, James Vivanco and Halle James will be received into the catechumenate. May God continue to guide their journeys into the Orthodox Faith!

So, Next Sunday it is, then! I will be going to Vespers Saturday night so that I can speak with Fr. Gary to find out the specifics of what I am to do, ect.  Since I have never been received as a Catechumen before, I don't know what to do.  😁 I am happy that my wife will be witnessing the event. She will stop by before she goes to Mass.