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Fr. Paul’s Weekly Meditation | |||||||||||||||
A DEEPER MEANING OF HOLY TRADITION – PART 1Many label the Orthodox Church today as anachronistic on account of its Holy Tradition, the fact that it maintains a close relationship to its past. For these, Orthodoxy, with its exotic rituals and its bundle of antiquated customs, is a dead religion that has nothing worthwhile to contribute to the modern world. A closer look reveals something different, however. What appears as old and dusty—the holy Orthodox faith—is actually quite vigorous and dynamic. In fact, I would answer that just because something has a long history, that it has a living connection to its past, does not necessarily mean that it must also be outmoded and obsolete. In fact, there are many things in our contemporary world having a long history that are by no means uselessly outdated. Our Church is one of them.
Several illustrations are worth mentioning. Modern philosophy, for one, maintains an active link going as far back as 2500 years, beginning with Plato, “the father of Western philosophy.” No one studies philosophy without learning the famous dictum that ”Plato IS philosophy and the rest is footnotes.” There is not a philosopher alive who would deny Plato (and Aristotle) their rightful place in the making of modern thought. Meaning that people in the West today “think the way they do,” in part, because of ancient Greek philosophy. The same can be said about democracy, which is (alas!) as old as Plato. No one in their right mind would ever say that the great political tradition of democracy is dead. So here one recognizes how these two things, philosophy and democracy, though ancient in origin, maintain a strong and continuing influence in the shaping of the modern world.
My contention is that the Orthodox Church belongs in this same category, of how something can be both old and new at the same time. But unlike the worldly realities of philosophy and democracy, the vital association in the Church between its past and present is brought into being not by a tradition of human thought (philosophy or politics) but by the direct outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Who gives the Church its very life and being. Orthodox Christianity is unique in this peculiar way: that not only all the best of its past is gathered, prioritized, interpreted, and then utilized (e.g., in the teachings of the saints), but that even the future Kingdom is brought to bear upon what is always being “present.” In this sense, the “mystery” of the Church lies in its pentecostal foundation. Here is the place where past, present, and future are “posited” and united into a wholly new and transcendent plane of being, into a “spiritual singularity” belonging solely to the new age of God’s Kingdom. All this, of course, is experienced and declared by the faithful at every Divine Liturgy.
Now the word “tradition” in the scriptures, “paradosis,” means a transaction between parties – the “dead and the living” that includes two operatives: the first being the act of someone from the past handing over to another in the present something valuable, an “inheritance,” and the second being the act of those in the present receiving the inheritance which is being passed on – from their predecessors. This second point about how the inheritance of Holy Tradition must be properly received is crucial because it ensures that the faith of the Church remains something that is vital and energetic. The act of the reception of the inheritance also assumes that its inheritors value the gifts and privledges being presented to them.
A good analogy can be drawn from the study of Egyptology. To this day, the study of Egyptian archeology remains both widespread and fashionable; that is, it continues to have a dominating effect on the study of ancient history. No one studies human history without at least a cursory investigation into the 3000 year political and cultural continuity that was ancient Egypt. However, it must also be noted that the subject matter of ancient Egypt, its religion, politics, law, social customs, etc., remains something wholly dead, i.e., relegated to the past, proven by the fact that one must usually go to a museum in order to actually see it. Egyptologists pass their knowledgeable “tradition” on, to be sure, but only in the limited academic sense. In a word, very little of Egyptian thought has been adopted by the modern Western world as normative. People today may study the “Egyptian Book of the Dead” from the point of religious phenomenology, but no one takes the text of this book as something factual in the same way, let us say, that Amenhotep III the Pharaoh did in 14th century BC.
To be continued…
Fr. Paul Jannakos
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PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS | |||||||||||||||
CHRISTMAS FLOWER DONATIONS: SPECIAL THANKS TO all those who made Christmas flower donations this year: the Lisowski’s (in memory of departed family), the Manasses’ (for the health ot Tom), the Tsiones’ (for the health of family), the Pamphilis’ (in memory of Nick Pamphilis), the Doss’ (for the health of family), Anonymous, the Poulos’ (in memory of George), the Mikosz (for the health of family), the Las’ (in memory of Nikolaj Gieds). | |||||||||||||||
“ORTHODOXY 101”: Fr Paul & Rick Wolf will begin a new Adult Education Series on “Orthodoxy 101: the Basics,” beginning on Wednesday, January 11th at 6pm. The first 4 weeks will be dedicated to “THE MEANING OF HOLY TRADITION.” These classes will be livestreamed on both Zoom and Facebook live. Pass the Word! | |||||||||||||||
THE FEAST OF HOLY THEOPHANY: St. Luke’s will celebrate the Feast of Holy Theophany on Thursday, January 5th, (6:00pm – Great Vespers) and Friday, January 6th, 9:30am Divine Liturgy & Great Blessing of Waters. Home blessings will commence. | |||||||||||||||
2023 St. Luke Annual Meeting:Our Annual Parish meeting will take place on Sunday, February 5th immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Reports will be sent out at the beginning of January. | |||||||||||||||
ST LUKE END OF THE YEAR OFFERINGS – 2022 A quick reminder from the Church Council asking all members to check and see if they have completed their plegde-giving for 2022. Contact Caye Caswick at ccaswick@yahoo.com for more information. Offerings will be accepted through December 31st, 2022. We are grateful for your support! | |||||||||||||||
NEW READERS AND CHANTERS WANTED! Fr. Deacon Stephen Hansen is looking to update and enlarge our readers ministry here at St. Luke’s. If you are interested in learning how to read, please contact Dn Stephen at shansen@ameritech.net. | |||||||||||||||
DECEMBER MONTHLY CHARITY: Our St. Luke monthly charity for DECEMBER will be dedicated to the the OCA’s Diocese of Alaska Support. Please be generous! For more information click HERE: ALASKAN DIOCESE SUPPORT. | |||||||||||||||
LUBA’S KITCHEN ANNOUNCEMENT: Update: Debbie Shiflettpicardi will resume the emailing for coffee hour hosting. We would like to have a 2–3-month rotation commitment from everyone. So, watch for those emails. This coming Sunday (11th) neither Crys nor myself will be staying for coffee hour so we do ask for a true community clean up to take place. Thanks! Matthew and Crys. | |||||||||||||||
WINTER CAMPS FOR OUR YOUTH! St. Luke’s youth are encouraged to take advantage of the 2023 winter camps coming up: ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE, (January 13-16th, call 724-238-9565 to register beginning 1/7/23), and the Chicago Deanery Winter Camp (Date: to be announced). | |||||||||||||||
DRIVERS FOR ELIJAH’S CHARIOT: Elijah’s Chariot – if you would like to help us drive our elderly to Church for services please let Tammy Tsiones know. Click here to sign up: DRIVERS FOR ELIJAH’S CHARIOT SIGN UP. | |||||||||||||||
St. Luke Orthodox Church – 9300 W. 107th St., Palos Hills, IL., 60465 |