Protocol 71/08
September 14, 2008
The Universal Exaltation
of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Each year on September 14, our Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. This important event in the liturgical life of the Church reminds us of the continuous presence of Christ in our midst. Specifically, it reminds us of His redemptive work of dying on the Cross for our salvation. Christ’s crucifixion on the Cross serves as the precursor to his Resurrection; and it is for this reason that we refer to the Cross, once a horrifying instrument of death, as a sacred symbol of that which is “Precious and Life-giving.”
In contemplating the significance of the Cross as the core symbol of our Orthodox Christian faith and as the sign of the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ over death, we are called to a more refined understanding of power in Christian terms. St. Paul explains such power in terms of humility, for Jesus Christ "humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8). St. Paul recalls this power as, "power made perfect in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9). The Lord Jesus Christ explained to the multitudes and to the disciples that the Cross is also a symbol of selfless service and sacrifice to others: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34).
On this day, when we gather as communities to raise the Cross visibly in our parishes, we are in effect raising that symbol collectively as standard-bearers of our Christian identity. Through raising the Cross, we engage in the act of elevating humility and selfless service to others as great virtues, and we pronounce power in Christian terms as the ultimate victory of Christ over sin and death.
Also, as we remember the Cross and its message of service to others, we are celebrating the feast of our Holy Cross School of Theology, our beloved Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts. There, diverse students from all over the world learn the value of Christian service. Many of these students are men who are dedicating their time at the Seminary in preparation to enter the Holy Priesthood, which is a most sacred and perfect way of serving the Lord Jesus Christ in ministry. Thus, on this day, our prayers extend to all the students, benefactors, trustees, staff, alumni, and faculty of Holy Cross School of Theology. As is our custom on this day, our faithful are encouraged to offer not only their prayers but also gifts of financial support to the Seminary, which is critical to sustain the formation of our clergy, so that future generations of Greek Orthodox faithful in America may be nourished with the Life-giving message of the Gospel. Please consider giving generously to the Seminary this year.
It is my heartfelt prayer that as we reflect upon the significance of this day, we may come to a closer understanding of the great love and mercy of our Lord. Let all of us, through the power of His Precious and Life-giving Cross, For the rest of this News Release, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website
US Commission on International Religious Freedom Presses For Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Rights
September 10, 2008
Yesterday, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom threw its weight behind the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights that had ruled in favor of the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, specifically as to its historic Orphanage on the island of Pringkipos . In the official Press Release of the Commission, Commission Chair Felice Gaer stated:
"This is a landmark decision for the rights of all religious minorities in Turkey, not least because it recognizes the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a legal entity. The Commission calls on the U.S. government to urge the government of Turkey to demonstrate its commitment to observe the rule of law for all citizens of Turkey by implementing this important ruling."
(Full Press Release http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2262&Itemid=1 )
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, who was part of the delegation that appeared before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France last year, commenting on the statement of the US Commission on International Human Rights today, said:
"We wholeheartedly welcome this affirmation by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom of the judgment of the European Court in favor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The significance of such a call for action by the US government cannot be underscored enough. Europe and the United States are speaking loud and clear for the protection of the most basic human rights and religious liberties of our Holy Mother Church. We pray that such calls will not go unheeded, and that the purely spiritual ministry of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be recognized for what it is – a service to all humankind."
Archpastoral Reflections of Archbishop Demetrios of America for September 2008September 10, 2008
The theme of our Clergy-Laity Congress this past July, “Gather My People to My Home,” presents several challenges and questions that are important to consider. For example, what images do we call to mind when we hear the term “Home” as used in the theme? How are we the voices of Christ, who act as His servants to “Gather” God’s people to His Home? What do we exactly mean when we use the term “Gather?” And what is the precise meaning of the word “People” as employed in the theme? These and related questions and challenges will serve as topics for reflection over the next few months. We begin this month by rising to the challenge of more fully appreciating the term “My” as used in the language of the theme.
The term “My” in our theme is a clear reference to God, the Creator of the universe and of all humanity. Note that this term is used in the first person possessive case. The theme, in other words, understands the terms “people” and “home” as meaning God’s people and God’s home. As it applies to people, it is appropriate to speak of a broad rather than narrow understanding of humanity as “God’s people.” A broad interpretation of humanity without any exclusions, discriminations, or exceptions is entirely consistent with Christ’s parable of the Great Banquet in the Gospel of Luke, where the substance of our theme is vividly expressed. In that parable, the householder, who symbolizes God, tells his servant to "Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame…go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled " (Luke 14:21-23). Notice the great lengths to which the householder goes. He goes to the people on the streets and lanes, on the highways and the hedges, in other words, to those people who make their “homes” in the margins of society. In this sense, “God’s home” is also identified in broad rather than narrow terms.
This passage from Luke is compelling of how God communicates directly to us that “His people” includes the entirety of humankind and that “His home” includes the entirety of our planet. The implications of this understanding for our theme of “Gathering God’s people to His Home” are tremendous because it means that our work is unlimited. It means that our mission has no boundaries. It means that we are called to gather every human being of every continent to God’s Home. We do this not in a propagandistic way or in a manner that proselytizes people of other faiths, but, rather, to share with others the love that God extends equally to all people regardless of our level of familiarity with them, or of their social or economic position. It also means that as we invite others to our parishes, and thus to the House of God, we do so with unconditional love and respect, and that we view all others as icons of God, created in His image and likeness.
This brief reflection has endeavored to serve as a preview of the next series of reflections over the forthcoming months. Many of the ideas presented here require independent space in order to be developed thoroughly. This will be our collective task which all are invited to join, as we, the Greek Orthodox faithful of America, embrace the challenge of gathering God’s people to His home.
+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
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