Saint George Orthodox Church

Botrous Rouboz Blog

- It's that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas?
Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends,
snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of "Merry Christmas" to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas?
For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends.
Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons.
Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing His great love for us.
It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son,
Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men,
and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby.
The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.

The honor paid to Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God, goes back to the earliest days of the Church. Indeed, it goes back further, for even before the birth of her Son, Mary prophesied, "From this time forth, all generations shall call me blessed." The New Testament records several incidents from the life of the Virgin: her betrothal to Joseph, the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel that she was to bear the Messiah, her Visitation to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, the Nativity of our Lord, the visits of the shepherds and the magi, the Presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple at the age of forty days, the flight into Egypt, the Passover visit to the Temple when Jesus was twelve, [Matthew 1:16,18-25; 2; Luke 1:26-56; 2]; the wedding at Cana in Galilee and the performance of her Son's first miracle at her intercession [John 2:1-11], the occasions when observers said, "How can this man be special? We know his family!" [Matthew 13:54-56 = Mark 6:1-3 = Luke 4:22; also John 6:42], an occasion when she came with others to see him while he was preaching [Matthew 12:46-50 = Mark 3:31-35 = Luke 8:19-21], her presence at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus commends her to the care of the Beloved Disciple [John 19:25-27], and her presence with the apostles in the upper room after the Ascension, waiting for the promised Spirit [Acts 1:14]. She is thus seen to be present at most of the chief events of her Son's life. Besides Jesus himself, only two humans are mentioned by name in the Creeds. One is Pontius Pilate, Roman procurator of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. That Jesus was crucified by order of Pontius Pilate pins down the date of his death within a few years, and certifies that we are not talking, like the worshippers of Tammuz or Adonis, about a personification or symbol of the annual death and resurrection of the crops. His death is an event in history, something that really happened. The other name is that of Mary. The Creeds say that Christ was "born of the virgin Mary." That is to say, they assert on the one hand that he was truly and fully human, born of a woman and not descended from the skies like an angel. On the other hand, by telling us that his mother was a virgin they exclude the theory that he was simply an ordinary man who was so virtuous that he eventually, at his baptism, became filled with the Spirit of God. His virgin birth attests to the fact that he was always more than merely human, always one whose presence among us was in itself a miracle, from the first moment of his earthly existence. In Mary, Virgin and Mother, God gives us a sign that Jesus is both truly God and truly Man.
It sometimes happens that someone will report an appearance of the Virgin Mary, bearing a message, usually encouraging faithfulness in prayer. A reader has asked, "How far back do such reports go?" According to Donald Attwater (Penguin Dictionary of Saints), Gregory of Nyssa (335-395) says that the earliest known report of a supernatural appearance of the Blessed Virgin to anyone was of one to Gregory Thaumaturgos (213-270). At the request of a Roman Catholic listmember, I point out that the genuineness of these appearances is not official Roman Catholic doctrine. It is perfectly possible to reject all such appearances as delusions, and still be a Roman Catholic in good standing.
Little is known of the life of the Virgin Mary except insofar as it intersects with the life of her Son, and there is an appropriateness in this. The Scriptures record her words to the angel Gabriel, to her kinswoman Elizabeth, to her Son on two occasions. But the only recorded saying of hers to what may be called ordinary, run-of-the-mill hearers is her instruction to the servants at the wedding feast, to whom she says simply, indicating her Son, "Whatever he says to you, do it."
This we may take to be the summation of her message to the world. If we listen to her, she will tell us, "Listen to Him. Listen to my Son. Do what He tells you." When we see her, we see her pointing to her Son. If our regard for the Blessed Virgin does not have the immediate effect of turning our attention from her to the One whom she carried in her womb for nine months and suckled at her breast, to the Incarnate God, the Word made flesh, then we may be sure that it is not the kind of regard that she seeks. A right regard for her will always direct us to Him Who found in her His first earthly dwelling-place.
READING: Isaiah 61:10-11
("I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, who has clothed me with righteousness, as a bride is decked with rich jewels.")
PSALM 34 or 34:1-9
("O taste and see how gracious the LORD is; blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.")
EPISTLE: Galatians 4:4-7
("But when the fulness of time was come, God sent his Son, born of an earthly mother...that we might by adoption become the offspring of a Heavenly Father.")
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 1:46-55
(And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the LORD...for the Mighty One has done great things for me...as he promised to Abraham and his seed forever.")

Jesus is world's light-John -1

For Christians, these lights have a deeper meaning. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. At the moment when darkness of human society is at its deepest, the Light of the World will come.

So it is a waste of our time to get educated and employed? Should we just spend our days praying, reading the Bible, and trying to predict dates for the Return of the King?

St. Paul sharply rebuked some for taking this approach. As focused as Paul was on the age to come, he was thoroughly engaged in this one. Besides his profound life of prayer and preaching, he labored with his hands to the point of exhaustion so as not be a burden on anyone, and have something to give to the needy. He said that those that refuse to work should not eat (2 Thes 3:6-13). The Second Vatican Council said that living for the future world should make us more, not less, committed to improving this one (Gaudium et Spes 37).

So what do we do about His Coming? Very simple. By the power of his grace, let’s make sure that when the Light arrives that it won’t for us be a cruel light. Are there things in your life that you’d rather not be seen by God and everyone else? Then you’d best get busy rooting them out of your life. Because the Light will reveal all.

Besides, the Lord clearly says that his Second and final coming will be at the time we least expect it (Mat 24:44). If God is purposely designing it to be a surprise, I don’t think there is much hope of outsmarting Him.

Thanksgiving 2

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole

Far, far away in the north, amid the endless wilderness of Finnish Lapland, is a mysterious mountain called Korvatunturi. Right at the foot, hidden from human eyes and ears, lives Santa Claus with his wife, his elves and his reindeer. He’s in fact been living there so long that he can’t quite remember when he first moved in. He doesn’t actually say much about his home, but he does let on that, as its name - Ear Mountain - suggests, it’s an excellent place for hearing and receiving the hopes and dreams of people of all ages.

Santa is anxious to keep his secrets; they are, after all, an important part of the Christmas story. But a traveller who happened to be passing about a hundred years ago brought news that soon spread of the mountain and its inhabitants. Santa wanted to make sure his hiding place was not invaded with visitors and hit upon a brilliant idea that would allow all his friends and anyone who loved Christmas to come and meet him. About half a century ago he began making regular visits to the Arctic Circle just outside the town of Rovaniemi.

Korvatunturi lies far, far away in the wilds of Lapland, but then if you live down south, the Arctic Circle may seem a long way away. And because Santa doesn’t want anyone to be disappointed, he has promised to be at his Office on the Arctic Circle every single day of the year, ready to receive friends from near and far.

thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday means different things to people who celebrate it. As it usually provides a four day weekend, for a lot of people it is a holiday that is highly anticipated as a small vacation from work or school. This has thrilled children for years to know that they not only get a huge meal with all the family members but they also get four days of cartoons, sleeping late, and playing. So it is easy to see why the children enjoy this special holiday.

Excerpt #2

Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 16:18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 16:19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven." 16:20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. 16:21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up

Posted: 11-13-2010

Excerpt #1

1. The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus* they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
2. He answered them, 'When it is evening, you say, "It will be fair weather, for the sky is red."
3. And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening." You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.*
4. An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.' Then he left them and went away.
5. When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread.
6. Jesus said to them, 'Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'
7. They said to one another, 'It is because we have brought no bread.'
8. And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, 'You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread?
9. Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
10. Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
11. How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!'
12. Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13.Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?'
14. And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'
15. He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'
16. Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah,* the Son of the living God.'
17. And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
18. And I tell you, you are Peter,* and on this rock* I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'
20. Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was* the Messiah.*
21. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.'
23. But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.'
24. Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
25. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
26. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
27. 'For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
28. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Posted: 11/13/2010