Decisions, decisions. By design God has provided us with the capacity and ability to choose freely. By virtue of the contemporary times that we live in, we are presented with a myriad of opportunities to make decisions; from the trivial to the life-impacting. Each of us individually has a process that we go through, some conscious, some unconscious, that help us arrive at those decisions. Lists of pluses and minuses, a SWOT analysis, talking to a trusted confidant, or maybe even holding on to a lucky rabbit foot? It seems that the larger the decision, we often add another component to the process; attempting to discern what God’s will is.
How is it that we attempt to discern the will of God? I have found myself at various points in my life, as perhaps you have, in the crux of large decisions — on my knees, praying that God will simply ‘tell me what to do!’ Miracles of this nature have happened, and our holy Orthodox tradition attests to that. However, in the daily grind of our Christian pilgrimage we must take root in the message that God has already offered us, and not simply hope in the message that He may miraculously send to us.
Our Father in Heaven has given us a mind to think, a heart to feel, and a soul to discern. Furthermore, He has provided us with His Gospel message of love that teaches us the essence of how to apply love in our daily life. With all of these gifts, given to us by the Lord, we all obtain a blessed roadmap that leads to the discernment of God’s will. This map does not direct us to a particular job, dynamics with that one family member, or even who to marry! Rather, this map shepherds us toward the understanding of how we are to carry ourselves within any situation.
When we attempt to seek God’s will, we always arrive at the point of redirecting our ques- tion. Rather than what should I do, we ask, what decision will provide the best opportunity for me to love?
As we begin the Ecclesiastical New Year this September 1 and review our individual and family priorities as they will reflect in church events, after-school activities, work schedules, and social events — I encourage everyone to ask themselves as we commit to scheduling… ‘What is God’s will.’
Beginning with weekly attendance at the Divine Liturgy, and the plethora of community programs and activities, choose to include the House of the Lord as a priority in respect to one of your most precious possessions — time.
In this Ecclesiastical New Year, let us love one another in the most perfect way that we are able — with a love that is centered on the love of Jesus Christ. With a commitment to active parish life, your ability to discern and follow the will of God will be significantly increased, as it is through His Church that we most authentically learn to love, as it is through His Church that we receive His love.
May our Patron, Saint Basil the Great, intercede on our behalf in this most pilgrimage of faith . . . a pilgrimage centered on the will of God.
+ Fr. Luke Palumbis
Unfortunately, our internet capabilities were compromised, and as a result, blog entries and pictures have been limited; however, as I am sitting on the plane headed to Sacramento—I will offer a few reflections and thoughts, from the substantive to the trivial…
Feast of the Ascension: it was quite strange waking up on the Thursday of the Ascension and preparing to go off to a job site, instead of preparing to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. I was somber through out the early morning until I reflected on the Ascension itself, and Christ’s resonating words as He was lifted into the Heavens. In Matthew 28, as Jesus in Ascending to the Father, He tells His disciples to go out to all peoples and to teach the Gospel—the Love of God. I remember the words of our Patron, as he tells us to preach the Gospel message of Love through daily application… only when necessary, using words! We were building a home for a family in need. Although there is no replacement for the Divine Liturgy, we celebrated the Lord’s Ascension gloriously!
Servant-Leadership: our Habitat for Humanity supervisor was a wonderful, mild-mannered Southerner named Craig. Leading random volunteer work crews each week is a trying venture. Not all volunteers had even pounded a nail in their pasts, let alone worked construction! Craig served as a servant-leader; pounding nails along side the most novice volunteer, and listening to the ideas of those volunteers who had professional knowledge, like our Rick. Due to our supervisor’s demeanor and presence, we all felt led in a common direction that made us feel good about the work we were offering, and motivated us to do our very best. We were told that our work crew accomplished more work in a one week period than any other crew in the entire Habitat development! Christ was a servant-leader, the Apostles were servant-leaders, and the Church serves as It leads the faithful toward salvation. At the job site, we were ‘in Church’ every day. Thank you Craig.
Hospitality: The hospitality of the South is well recognized, and for very good reason. It was amazing how the people of the neighborhood we were working in would drop by to say hello, and thank us for the work we were doing. No one brought by gumbo or biscuits, but passersby would wave, stop to say hello, and smile. We felt invited, well-received, and appreciated. It was amazing how those simple acts of hospitality motivated us to do the very best we could to help the people of Albita Springs, Louisiana. It should not be a secret why hospitality is a virtue valued by God!
Gospel Music: The final day of work, we met multiple work crews from various projects, all at a different location, where a family that was to live in a Habitat Home was present for the raising of the first wall. Multiple local church leaders were present, and offered messages of hope and appreciation. After the closing prayer was offered, a lady from the crowd began to sing, in southern gospel style, the words. “Glory, glory, glory to the Lord, who is due all glory!” This beautiful prayer was heart-felt and resonated in the hearts, minds, and souls of all those present. I can still picture her, sitting on the pile of plywood, offering this praise to our Lord, may she be blessed for her faith in, and love for the Lord.
Here are 25 observations, from hundreds, that I took away from our week in Louisiana:
1) alligators: they are scary.
2) gumbo is delicious, and it does not help anyone loose weight.
3) there really is no substitute for good jazz.
4) at 6’9” you really do need an exit row on an airplane.
5) stockton does have a dry heat.
6) Southerners do understand hospitality.
7) if sleeping in an RV, the entire dwelling will shake if you roll over.
8) some people really do snore.
9) it hurts if you miss the nail and hit your thumb.
10) you will never see a live armadillo… only dead on a road side.
11) it is possible to sweat while taking a shower.
12) there is good and bad everywhere.
13) it is a good thing when neighbors greet one another
14) we all have the ability to help, not by mandate, but by choice.
15) people in Louisiana smile or laugh if you tell them you are from California (in a good way)
16) oil is messy
17) good music is unifying
18) we need ‘smoked flavor’ tabasco sauce in California.
19) sweet tea is more than sweet.
20) mosquito repellant is a good thing.
21) you can find Napa wines anywhere; even in Slidell, LA.
22) oysters are better raw.
23) surprisingly, not all Louisianians dislike Coach Nick Saban.
24) the Garden District of New Orleans has very small gardens, if any.
25) Who Dat?
Christ is Risen!
I am sore! Today I elevated my admiration and respect for those who earn a living in construction, and those who volunteer themselves to philanthropic organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. We pounded a lot of nails today… I mean, a lot of nails, and that was before I was taught how to use the nail gun! A tremendous amount of progress was achieved again today, attributed to the great supervisor and workers on our crew. I learned that the family who will ultimately live in this home, after a process of application through the appropriate government services, will work a specified amount of hours on the home’s construction, and take classes in home maintenance. The Habitat supervisor shared that this investment from the family creates a tremendous amount of ‘ownership’ on behalf of the family, and ultimately has proven to facilitate a much more responsible home-owner. I am sure that whoever lives in this home will be very happy and blessed.
After a long day of work, and much needed showers, our Saint Basil crew went into New Orleans, to a recommended Cajun restaurant. The cuisine, along with live traditional Cajun music, were enjoyable, and complimented the great fellowship of our group. Tomorrow we look forward to another day of hard work, and Southern hospitality.
Please keep us in your prayers, as you are all in ours.
God Bless,
+Fr Luke
Christ is Risen!
Day 2: After waking up early, and immediately feeling the Louisiana humidity, we departed for the work site that IOCC has established together with Habitat for Humanity. The foundation had been already completed, and over the course of our work day, we erected all of the home’s walls, quite an accomplishment for one day! With Rick’s expertise, we all filled our grunt roles around him and our Habitat for Humanity supervisor; pounding nails, lifting walls, and cutting out window holes. Our work crew is comprised of a Habitat for Humanity supervisor, an Americorp volunteer, 4 worker volunteers from Kentucky, and our Saint Basil crew—and through out a long hot day of work, I did not hear one word of complaint! Each local passer-byer smiled and waved as we soaked in southern hospitality, even as we drove out of the neighborhood, locals waved and said welcome. After only two days, it is obvious that we will be working extremely hard this week, but that we will be taking away much more than we are giving. Please maintain our entire work crew in your prayers, as we continue to pray for you.
God Bless,
+Fr Luke
Christos Anesti!
First day in Lousiana, filled with debriefing, touring devastation sites, and good ol’ southern food! Visited the historic, first Orthodox community parish in ‘the lower 48,’ Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, founded in 1864. Following this blessing, we were given a tour of the 9th Ward, where Katrina brought a tremendous amount of destruction, and many areas are still unaddressed. Gumbo has been on the menu, along with sweet tea. Tomorrow we begin our efforts, through IOCC and in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity, to build a home for a family in need. Pray for us as we strive to work in the Lord’s Vineyard.
Check the blog and our photo gallery to see our progress.
God Bless,
+Fr Luke
“First in prominence among the Apostles, and teachers to the Universe, intercede to the Master of all for peace in the world and for our souls great mercy.”
Apolytikion of the feast of Saints Peter & Paul
Christ is Risen!
In the above hymn, we ask Saints Peter and Paul to continue the ministry they dedicated their lives to when they were alive 2000 years ago — to help bring peace into the world. Despite mass conflict, both internal and external to their camps, violence, and even their own martyrdoms, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul brought the tremendous experience of authentic peace into the world, by bringing the world authentic knowledge and experience of God. Peace is commonly misunderstood as experience absent of conflict, however, an authentic Christian understanding of peace, simply refers to experience and presence of the Lord.
Saint Peter shepherded the ministry of bringing the most authentic understanding and experience of God to the Jews, as Saint Paul embarked upon the same minis- try to the Gentiles. Through their efforts, and lives of holiness, the Holy Spirit grew the experience of God in their time and throughout the previous 2000 years of the Church’s history. Today, we continue to ask Saints Peter and Paul to bring the experience and presence of God into our lives through their saintly prayers and intercessions on our behalf.
Although we continually ask for, and rely upon, the intercession of the Saints in our journey for authentic peace and sanctification, we must also follow in their footsteps and actively dedicate ourselves to the bringing of peace — that is, the active lifestyle of rejoicing and sharing in the Lord of God in this world. With this focus in daily life, we continue the work of Saints Peter and Paul, perhaps not as Apostles sent forth to preach the Word of God, but as parents, children, employ- ees, bosses, students, friends, etc. . . all living apostolic lives, in that we share the Good News of God’s unending love with the world around us through the example of our own pilgrimage of faith.
As the Church prepares to celebrate the lives and ministries of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, the faithful are called to greater focus through heightened disci- pline during the Apostles Fast, which begins May 31. Allow this focus and disci- pline to direct your daily life to the journey and quest for peace in the world. Christ has breathed upon us in the Eucharist, and peace has come upon us, let us now follow the example of the Apostles and share it with the world — beginning around our own dinner table, then extending to the world around us.
Peace be with you. And with your spirit.
+ Fr. Luke Palumbis
bringthemback.org is a movement to have the multitude of national treasures returned to Greece from Great Britain, after they were stolen over 200 years ago. Please enjoy the video at the link below, and support the effort to restore to Hellenes a piece of our history and essence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0_dN_gQmEg
There is an interesting blog entry at http://www.argo411.worpress.com, titled, “Just A Simple Question,” which reflects on the number of ‘parish board’ members at a parish that is highlighted in the most recent Orthodox Observer, and the corporate mentality of Orthodoxy in America. I am interested to hear if anyone has an opinion on this matter, in general, or how is relates to our own Saint Basil community.
http://www.argo411.wordpress.com
Let everyone reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ; and the bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father; and the presbyters as the Sanhedrin of God and assembly of the apostles. Apart from these, there is no church.
- Ignatius (c. 105)
Saint Ignatius reflects upon the importance of all three Major Orders of Clergy; Bishop, Priest, & Deacon, to be present in the experience of the Church by the faithful. Unfortunately, at present time, hierarchs are unfairly given gigantic geographic regions to shepherd, deacons rarely exist (especially at the local parish level), and therefore priests are the limited experience of clergy for the vast majority of Orthodox faithful. Let us pray that our Church leadership will institutionally address this deficiency, so that the Orthodox Church in America will further prepare Itself for the Holy Spirit to work through—bringing the experience of Christ to the faithful through His Church. As Saint Ignatius said, almost 1900 years ago, “Apart from these, there is no Church.”
Check out http://www.argo411.wordpress.com for additional commentary on the topic.
A blessed Lent to all, as we begin the 40 day pilgrimage this Clean Monday. In addition to the multiple weekday liturgical services (Monday: Compline, Wednesday: Presanctified Liturgy, Friday: Salutations to the Theotokos), each Sunday during the Lenten season has a particular theme. This Sunday, the first Sunday of Great Lent, is deemed the “The Sunday of Orthodoxy,” where the Church commemorates the restoration of icons in the Church, after decades of struggle again the iconoclast heresy. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the faithful will process around the church building holding icons—remembering the procession which took place centuries ago, lead by the Empress, Saint Theodora.
Join us at Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Church this Sunday for this historic and blessed event—remember to bring an icon from your home for the procession!