I am a new person! My new Questions Thread!

[Oblio]

And what better time? We are drawing ever closer to the Lenten season. And Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox Church is beyond compare.

You will truely wonder how you were ever satisfied with a sunrise service out in the parking lot next to the church.

 

[Philip]

And what better time? We are drawing ever closer to the Lenten season. And Pascha (Easter) in the Orthodox Church is beyond compare.

You will truely wonder how you were ever satisfied with a sunrise service out in the parking lot next to the church.

Of course, first comes Cheese Fest. What more could you want in a Church?

 

[prodromos]

Go easy guys, I think it might not be a good idea to throw Suzannah in at the deep end with Lent. Better to start where her feet can touch the bottom and slowly learn to swim. Fasting is not the easiest discipline to start cold in and we wouldn't want to make her first Orthodox Lent a miserable one

Mind you, as a sailor you've probably spent long periods eating fish only. You may be better prepared for fasting than I realise Suzannah .

John.

 

[Suzannah]

I haven't even met with the priest yet, so I still don't know anything about what fasting really is. I'm assuming its simply a certain day or period of each week??? I just pray for the strength to just stop eating chocolate! LOL!


Funny how life goes: When I was a working sailor, I always wanted/dreamed of "going back in time" to expereince what sailors lives were like back then.
Actually, going hungry is a traditional part of a sailor's life. Historically, sailors would only get "hardtack" (a type of biscuit) and salted meat for each meal. Imagine eating that, every meal, three times a day (if you weren't in trouble) for up to nine months or more! Boring! On long voyages, when it ran out, they would fish, but often sailors died from scurvy (lack of vitamin c and other minerals) due to a lack of fresh food. Hardtack was called that because you had to tap out all the weevils from the biscuit before you ate it! ewwwwwwww.

In modern times, the cooking and the good eats are often the only thing that keeps sailors from actual mutiny. Wages are generally low, the work is hard and dangerous, and the Captains are fully aware that the crew, if "unhappy" could easily do damage to him, the ship, and all sorts of things. (No exaggeration, actually very true.) So on most ships I ever worked on , the food was actually really, really good! Too good, in fact, and workouts onboard become really important to keep yourself in good shape. Some ships allow "beer and wine" only, some ships allow none at all. (I'm a moderate drinker, but at sea, my opinion is with the none at all crowd.) I have known really good sailors, really good men, who actually HATED the sea....they hated being sailors...but as one of them told me "The food is good and it's free." A lot of sailors are actually "homeless" in many ways, either surfing couches when they're not working, or living above the "bar"....I've known quite a few who were in fact, what the rest of the world calls "bums", homeless and rootless.

So the irony is, I would come to a place in my life, where I do get to "go back in time" and see what a sailor would go through!

 

[Oblio]

While there are fairly straightfoward Seasons and Guidelines for Fasting, it should be noted that the discipline of fasting should be exersized with the advice of your spiritual father/confessor. Each person is different and adjustments are made for spritual maturity, age, health, marital status (e.g. married to non-Orthodox), occupation etc.

 

[Suzannah]

A thread over in OBOB got me to thinking: how am I going to tell my family???? Further, how am I going to explain this to my old pastor???

How did you all deal with this if you were a convert to Orthodox?

 

[MariaRegina]

Dear Suzannah:

I had to write a letter to my pastor but first I was told to submit it to the Orthodox Priest for review. The Priest helped me to express my thoughts in the best charitable way so as not to offend. It became the explanation I gave to others in both churches.

Spiritual growth is important to mention. Please read Father Peter Gilquist's book "Becoming Orthodox" which is available through Conciliar Press (and perhaps Amazon.com). This book helped me formulate my letter. It has a lot of good answers as to why people become Orthodox Christians.

Yet, you will offend, you cannot get around that. But it's best to wait until you have the answers, and the blessings and prayers of your Orthodox priest.

Know that I will pray for you.

Lovingly in Christ our God,
Elizabeth

 

[Suzannah]

Elizabeth: you are so wise. I thank you! I will get that book today...as a matter of fact, I will stop and get it on my way to lunch!

I have a whole stack of books that my friend Katie, (Roman Catholic) gave me and one of them is by Mother Theresa. it has a lot of serious, simple wisdom that has really touched my heart over the last few days. Thanks for being here!

 

[Reader Nilus]

Start listening to music from Orthodox services, there are plenty of great CD's to pick from. That is how I got my parents used to the idea I was going Orthodox! I just told my Episcopal priest, I was on the board and everything that I was becoming Orthodox.
Jeff the Finn

 

[Matrona]

A thread over in OBOB got me to thinking: how am I going to tell my family???? Further, how am I going to explain this to my old pastor???

How did you all deal with this if you were a convert to Orthodox?

If your family is hesitant to support you, or if they are downright unsupportive, be open with them. Offer to take them to a Divine Liturgy, and perhaps make an appointment for your priest to speak with your family. They might not be wild about Orthodoxy, but this should assuage any fears they might have that you might be falling into a cult.

God bless you, Suzannah, you're in my prayers!

 

[Orthosdoxa]

Having an unsupportive family is not uncommon with a Protestant becoming Orthodox. My non-religious father doesn't care, but my hard-core fundamentalist Baptist mother is devastated (because to her, no one but someone who thinks exactly like her can be a Christian.) My brothers are both confused and concerned (if only they understood that they didn't have to be, because I have found true joy!!!) That's one of the reasons I created my web page - to put some info out there if they ever cared to read it, that might help them understand.

A friend once gave me the good advice of just letting them see me live out Christ in my Orthodox faith. They might not like it or understand conversion, but they can't argue with seeing someone live a truly Christ-centered life. (Alas, if only I didn't have so far to go....)

 

[Orthosdoxa]

er, I guess you didn't say they'd be unsupportive... I was painting a worst-case scenario... *hides under her rock*

 

[Suzannah]

Awwwwww Kat! Come out from under that rock! You don't belong under there. It says "So let your light shine before men".....you're a light for me! Thanks! You are right .... this is a really odd experience for me.

My mother will probably be okay...she's a very mature Christian who truly believes that everyone should just "Trust Jesus". I got most of my "inclusive" ideas about Christians from her. (You know, like about how Catholics "really are" Christians. She just never mentioned Orthodox, probably because she doesn't know anything about it.)
My mother will probably go for it.

My dad, an intellectual agnostic is probably the one who will think I have finally off the deep end, finally gone 'round the pike, and finally and completely lost my rudder. Interestingly enough, he's something of an "expert" in Russian language and culture! LOL!

My brother: a self avowed atheist is probably about to throw up his hands and wash them completely of me.

My husband: A former Mormon who now hates "authority" so much, and who is completely content to be a nominal "Christian", and occasionally goes to "contemporary worship" services: he is going to be the biggest skeptic and hurdle. He absolutely *hates* any denomination/church that attempts any authority whatsoever over its flock. I really believe this comes from all the abuses and mind control he says he witnessed in the LDS church growing up.

 

[MariaRegina]

Awwwwww Kat! Come out from under that rock! You don't belong under there. It says "So let your light shine before men".....you're a light for me! Thanks! You are right .... this is a really odd experience for me.

My mother will probably be okay...she's a very mature Christian who truly believes that everyone should just "Trust Jesus". I got most of my "inclusive" ideas about Christians from her. (You know, like about how Catholics "really are" Christians. She just never mentioned Orthodox, probably because she doesn't know anything about it.)
My mother will probably go for it.

My dad, an intellectual agnostic is probably the one who will think I have finally off the deep end, finally gone 'round the pike, and finally and completely lost my rudder. Interestingly enough, he's something of an "expert" in Russian language and culture! LOL!

My brother: a self avowed atheist is probably about to throw up his hands and wash them completely of me.

My husband: A former Mormon who now hates "authority" so much, and who is completely content to be a nominal "Christian", and occasionally goes to "contemporary worship" services: he is going to be the biggest skeptic and hurdle. He absolutely *hates* any denomination/church that attempts any authority whatsoever over its flock. I really believe this comes from all the abuses and mind control he says he witnessed in the LDS church growing up.

Dear Suzannah:

I know several Mormons who converted to Orthodoxy. They didn't like all the changing doctrines within the LDS. They adapted beautifully because Mormons have their own traditions -- and Orthodoxy is very traditional too. In fact, they are delighted to be Orthodox now because it is the ancient Church.

Your sister in Christ,
Elizabeth

 

[Matrona]

Dear Suzannah,

I can sympathize with you about your husband becoming embittered through his experiences with the LDS "church". My sister became a mormon in high school and deconverted a few years later. Now she couldn't care less what God thinks or what God wants for her life. (Also, because of that, my parents don't take my conversion to Orthodoxy seriously... they pretty much don't take anyone with religious faith seriously anymore, thanks to the mormons and my sister.)

If it would help, you could tell your husband about me. Being a university student, I have to be especially vigilant because cults like to prey on confused, lonely young people who are far from home and their parents. (Hey, I like watching Dateline NBC...) And when I became interested in Orthodoxy, I did my homework as best as I could (not being a theologian, it's hard for me to parse ancient writings and whatnot.) I knew I could trust Orthodoxy because no one ever tried to push me into anything, and unlike the LDS "church" did with my sister, my Orthodox church never encouraged me to lie to my parents about anything. And I always knew my conversion was completely optional and that I could back out if I felt the need--it's not like they chucked me into the baptismal font; I climbed into that horse trough of my own free will.

 

[Suzannah]

Thank you both for your replies! It was very encouraging.

Next question?
This is somewhat of a bombshell for me. Last night I went to the Mission and attended Vespers. Afterward I had a long talk with the priest. I won't go into great detail but on finding out that I am Irish, he handed me last year's liturgical/fasting calendar that was on the Saints of Ireland. I flipped it open and I saw this: St. Columba of Ione, of the Ui-Niall.

That's MY FAMILY! THAT'S MY CLAN! All Nialls are related and are forbidden by "Brehon" law and commonly held knowledge (tradition), to marry within the clan (or septs such as McNealeys) or to "war" with each other. I burst out with this to the priest and he recommended that I read about this saint. Does anyone know about this saint?

 

[Suzannah]

ps: I did a google search but I didn't come up with very much. Is there a book about him?

 

[MariaRegina]

Thank you both for your replies! It was very encouraging.

Next question?
This is somewhat of a bombshell for me. Last night I went to the Mission and attended Vespers. Afterward I had a long talk with the priest. I won't go into great detail but on finding out that I am Irish, he handed me last year's liturgical/fasting calendar that was on the Saints of Ireland. I flipped it open and I saw this: St. Columba of Ione, of the Ui-Niall.

That's MY FAMILY! THAT'S MY CLAN! All Nialls are related and are forbidden by "Brehon" law and commonly held knowledge (tradition), to marry within the clan (or septs such as McNealeys) or to "war" with each other. I burst out with this to the priest and he recommended that I read about this saint. Does anyone know about this saint?

Dear Suzannah:

I'm also Irish (my family is from County Cork).

St. Columba is also honored by the Catholics. There are quite a few Catholic Churches who have St. Columba as the patron. I have a Catholic book on the Lives of the Saints and will check it.

When is St. Columba's feast day celebrated? Perhaps the OCA website or the Serbian website will have information.

Keep us updated!

Your sister in Christ,
Elizabeth

 

[Suzannah]

Hi Elizabeth! You're so helpful and I appreciate it! The calendar says June 9.
He died in 597AD.

 

[MariaRegina]

Re: St. Columba

The West

In the West, in addition to Saint Gregory, the bishop of Rome who was a theologian and pastor of saintly reputation, was Saint Benedict of Nursia (c.480-542) whose monastic disciples were to have great influence on the subsequent history of the Western Church. Among the saints of this century, mention must be made of Saint Columba and Saint Augustine of Canterbury, the contemporaries of Saint Gregory. These men were the most famous of the missionaries in Western Europe, England, and
Ireland who labored among the barbarian tribes.

In Spain, in the sixth century, the word filioque was added to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. This action, which was done to stress the divinity of Christ to the invading barbarians - who were Arians - was destined to have grave consequences in later Church history.