Moja Osaka Potuvanje/My trip to Osaka

My trip to Osaka was so great despite not spending too much on food. My primary goal actually was to visit my Godparent and current parish priest in the Orthodox Church in Osaka. I had to wake up early and of course, prepare myself for the divine liturgy.

The trip during the morning was almost 3 hours and it kinda exhausted me in the long run. I was more thankful I arrived in the Osaka church safely and participated during the liturgy. Part of our Christian lives is confession, partaking in the songs and responses and the sacrament of communion, which is the center of the Christian life since the time of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. After the liturgy, the priest introduced me to the parishioners and it was great that I came to the Osaka church.

After helping with some papers, have a good chatter with everyone there. Most of the topics about the history of the Osaka church and some about icons and then the Osaka Expocity. I went there with one of the parishioner and it was awesome, although the sun made me sick as my trip ended. I saw malls with toys, especially Pokemon and Gundam franchises. As a gift, I bought her a Teddy mobile suit toy and she bought me a Charizard figurine.

I went home that night sick and almost down but thankfully I am recovering with drugs, proper food and prayers from everyone and also, God's loving grace for us.

Now, I am here again around Nagoya. But see you again Osaka! Osaka Grad Nedostaješ!!!

It's my life and my choice

It's been a November for me. I don't intend to make others these or that. When people ask me about my choices, of course, i told them it's my choice, what I like and how God wants me to start. Yet, I have a long way to go since I am just 23. Got kicked out twice, got to live hard and pay debts as soon as possible. It's been a roller coaster 2015 for me but there is one thing I am thankful of. My conversion to Orthodoxy.

When people ask me why I converted, I reasoned out:

1. I feel Orthodox Christianity is the Christian faith I can find my inner Christian life.
2. It is more serious when it comes to faith matters.
3. I can feel how the true church is made since the apostles' times and the ensuing 7 Ecumenical councils.

 I didn't mentioned out what's with the Roman Catholic church since I feel it's unreasonable to mention it. But when people ask me about Roman rite church, all I say is it's deviating away from Christianity to liberalized reformed church and I see how it's own rules are not being practiced by their leaders.

No one forced me to do this things. I researched it myself, read books and searched for it. If dad would debate me, I won't even try to debate it since there is one Christianity and it upholds the Seven ecumenical councils that are the basis of God's faith that is passed down to the apostles and continuing to the church leaders of each independent but equal and connected Orthodox churches.

Orthodoxy is not just a word. It's a life. I may not force people but only God can make things possible through readings, history books and even your own family.

Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Unity is much better to realize

Ya, it doesn't make sense to me why the Roman Catholic church is asking for unity. Would those who believe in the Orthodox church want that kind of scenario if that is on the basis of theology? If for everyone, it could. But for theological purposes, it will not.

I would raise the question now. Would it make sense if the Eastern and Oriental churches reunite and that they set aside their theological differences, territorial disputes and minor problems?

For me, I thought on that subject even years before. No political pun intended. What is that matter that makes this two seperated Orthodox groups to unite in the future? 

Belief-they have almost the same doctrines.

Religious identity-intact for almost a two thousand years without breaking what the apostles had taught them.

Social identity-Secularly, they are a much better citizen because what good we hoped is what most of them envisioned for the future generations.

Of course, this is just my idealism. But when these two Orthodox groups put an end to its division and truly unite as one, a beacon of hope would be felt on the other major Christian groups that all Christians would come back to the church of Peter, Paul and the rest of the apostles.

Healing the scars or another useless dialogue?

       Patrijarh Vartolomej i Papa Franjo

Historical meeting and Christian unity between the patriarchs of the ancient Christian churches. If not counting my biased views, this would be a great healing of the two sides as far as i am concerned. Of course, Patriarch Bartholomew is a smart and eco-friendly church leader while Pope Francis is the humble and socially able successor of Saint Peter.

Well, if one would think it on both sides, the historical meeting would have an implications as well, especially to the monk of the sacred mountain Mount Athos which rejects any kinds if ecumenisn or interfaith activities. In my opinion, let the church leaders attend only Christian related ecumenism and not interfaith ones. I am not saying Patriarch Bartholomew did good or bad but his decisions are for the better of this contemporary period and renouncing extremism of Old calendarists or alternative synods. On the flip side, if the Vatican wants to talk to the Serbian patriarch Irinej, they should somehow apologize for what happened in Nezavisna Država Hrvatska and the Jasenovac concentration camp, the reason that the Vatican is an evil group to the Serbian people. Not to mention the false pretense of the Brest-Litovsk union in present day Belarus were Eastern Catholics are trying to invade Russian territory via religion and destroy Orthodoxy.

On the Catholic side, of course a few people knew the Pope Pius X Society(SPPX) and other traditionalist Catholic views but they are a threat to Catholicism from the inside because of Vatican II reforms, removing the tridentine mass and the somehow Protestantist preaching of the Roman Catholic church.

If Orthodoxy promotes itself silently, Catholicsm is promoting itself almost everyday. Problems still rise if both sects don't discuss things more openly. For example, Pope Francis wants to open the Vatican archives and let the public knew. Would this make him not just a spiritual hero but a champion of the people? Or the people will knew more about what happened in Jasenovac?

But unlike Pope Benedict XVI known for his extravagant lifestyle, Pope Francis is simple and down to earth guy. Maybe a much bettet scenario would make him much popular to the world like how Pope John Paul II used his charisma for the people.

Patriarch Bartholomew on the other hand is a well respected theologian, environmentalist and the speaker of the whole Orthodox Christian sect. I admire him as well because of his openess and resiliency. He has more problems than the whole Catholic popes whom he got into with. Like the Halki seminary being closed and the line of succession is limited by the Turkish republic to Greeks who were born in Turkish soil. The persecution of Serbian Orthodox Christians in Kosovo and in Macedonia. Old calendarists and alternative synods and growing anti religious movements in Europe. 

With these challenges ahead, we pray that the two leaders would empower there lay people more as the threat of anti-religious norms grow and the ever changing world.