Uskrs 2016/Easter 2016

My first Easter as a member of the Orthodox Church/Pravoslavna Crkva was a moment to remember because it's my first time to serve and as well, read the Gospel in Filipino language. It's indeed true fasting is part of Lent and the anticipation of our Lord and God Jesus Christ's resurrection and destroying death by his death last Good Friday.

Serving was tiring to my body but not to my heart and mind. I did, while sick with pollen fever or maybe an actual fever and sore throat because of my body exhausted due to lack of sleep. It doesn't matter if your sick or not, if you want to serve God, go for it! We were given the free will to progress to God and not to regress. Keeping the Christian tradition and essence of Easter makes the celebration more solemn and joyful.

I am late to write this article because I am finding the time to sleep  since I am recovering from this illness and exhaustion but it's worth it to share the wonderful experiences.

God is risen, Indeed he is risen!
Hristos Voskrese, Vaistinu Voskrese!

Holy Communion is important

Ever since my conversion to Orthodox Christianity, I am striving harder to become a better person in and out of my church life. I have a long way to go but because of my will to repent for my sins that I commit everyday, I will never turn away the grace of Confession and Holy Eucharist.

The Eucharist is at the center of Orthodox Christianity. In practice, it is the partaking of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the midst of the Divine Liturgy with the rest of the church. The bread and wine are believed to become the genuine Body and Blood of the Christ Jesus through the operation of the Holy Spirit. Communion is given only to baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared by fasting, prayer and confession. The priest will administer the gifts with a spoon, called a "cochlear", directly into the recipient's mouth from the chalice. From baptism young infants and children are carried to the chalice to receive holy communion. Because of the Orthodox understanding of mankind's fallen nature in general those who wish to commune prepare themselves in a way that reflects mankind in paradise. First, they prepare by having their confession heard and the prayer of repentance read over them by a priest. They will increase their prayer rule, adding the prescribed prayers in preparation for communing. Finally, they will fast completely from food and drink from the evening of the previous day (usually sunset on Saturday if communing on Sunday). The Orthodox Church uses leavened bread for, according to the Gospel of Saint John, Last Supper and Passion, took place during the evening, night and day time of Passover Day, therefore leavened bread was eaten in Last Supper. According to the synoptic Gospels, last Supper, Lord's trial and crucifixion took place during next day, the first Day of Unleavened Bread feast, but according to Lev 23:7, any work on that Day was forbidden. Clearly, the synoptic Gospels are in error on the day of Last Supper and Passion.

Of course, our sincere repentance is needed when making a confession. Partaking always with the Eucharists are truly important and means your heart is with God and not just on the earthly church.  I am starting to know why the breaking of the bread and preparation of the wine becomes the body and blood of Christ. That's why I am following the directions told to be me by the priest on how confession and communion will happen and since I have difficulties with Japanese, I write it my sins of the week on a paper. And I can serve on the altar.

When God's grace is showing unto you, grab in and don't delay it. What God gives us is the loop whole of salvation we are given through the church and it is what we truly need: Partaking with the laypeople and all the saints as the Holy Spirit is blessing the holy gifts.

God willing

Such a blessing for me. It took me five years and I was able to put through everything despite my current issues. Regardless of those issues, one of my goals in life was met. November 7, 2015, I got baptized, taking the name Lazar, in honor of the Saint Prince of Serbia, who defended Serbia against the Ottoman Empire in Kosovo to the end. He lost his life and the Serbs lost but it delayed the Ottoman advance through another 50 years.

I was a bit nervous before my conversion but it went smoothly. I didn't expected it to be that smooth but it was worth the 5 years of patience. Now, I have a lot to do more. Being baptized in the Japanese Orthodox Church, this is one of the first step of my new life. I told myself, life starts at 23. I told myself since I live alone and going through a lot of challenges along the way. I know it is rough but with God's presence, nothing is impossible.

Finally, I am partaking with other people and the saints, in a holy liturgy that is passed down through generations, unchanged and firmly holding the teachings of the apostles that spread the Christian faith from the 1st Century AD to this day through the missionaries.

Pentecost/Nedelja Pedesetnice

Jovan Glava 7:37-52
A u poslednji veliki dan praznika stajaše Isus i vikaše govoreći: Ko je žedan neka dođe k meni i pije.  Koji me veruje, kao što pismo reče, iz njegova tela poteći će reke žive vode.A ovo reče za Duha kog posle primiše oni koji veruju u ime Njegovo: jer Duh Sveti još ne beše na njima, jer Isus još ne beše proslavljen. A mnogi od naroda čuvši ove reči govorahu: Ovo je zaista prorok. Drugi govorahu: Ovo je Hristos. A jedni govorahu: Zar će Hristos iz Galileje doći? Ne kaza li pismo da će Hristos doći od semena Davidovog, i iz sela Vitlejema odakle beše David? Tako raspra postade u narodu Njega radi. A neki od njih hteše da Ga uhvate; ali niko ne metnu ruku na Nj. Dođoše pak sluge ka glavarima svešteničkim i farisejima; i oni im rekoše: Zašto ga ne dovedoste? A sluge odgovoriše: Nikad čovek nije tako govorio kao ovaj čovek. Tada im odgovoriše fariseji: Zar se i vi prevariste? Verova li ga ko od knezova ili od fariseja?  Nego narod ovaj, koji ne zna zakon, proklet je. Reče im Nikodim što dolazi k Njemu noću, koji beše jedan od njih: Eda li zakon naš sudi čoveku dokle ga najpre ne sasluša i dozna šta čini?  Odgovoriše mu i rekoše: Nisi li i ti iz Galileje? Razgledaj i vidi da prorok iz Galileje ne dolazi.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Pentecost is one of the Orthodox Great Feasts and is considered to be the highest ranking Great Feast of the Lord, second in rank only to Easter/Resurrection Sunday/Passover. The service is celebrated with an All-night Vigil on the eve of the feast day, and the Divine Liturgy on the day of the feast itself. Orthodox churches are often decorated with greenery and flowers on this feast day, and the celebration is intentionally similar to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Mosaic Law.

Just this afternoon, a parishioner told me that it is the 50th day after Pascha and  it is that start of the ancient church we knew today.

The Orthodox icon of the feast depicts the Twelve Apostles seated in a semicircle (sometimes the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) is shown sitting in the center of them). At the top of the icon, the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, is descending upon them. At the bottom is an allegorical figure, called Kosmos, which symbolizes the world. Although Kosmos is crowned with earthly glory he sits in the darkness caused by the ignorance of God. He is holding a towel on which have been placed 12 scrolls, representing the teaching of the Twelve Apostles.

Without this event of the Sunday of Pentecost, the current church we have are not in place. God indeed makes the better things and never sways from his words. It is us, that continue the tradition of the ancient church into the contemporary period.

The ancient church since the Pentecost started with the remaining apostles not just one and they expanded to other preachers that dedicated their whole lives to the true teachings of Christ, thus naming the next batch of apostles as the ''Equal to the Apostles''.

Good Friday and my roadblocks

I may discuss things here, there. But nothing really changes in my style. Freeflowing, short but with the best meaning available.

When people say Good Friday, one thing comes into my mind. The death of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Yes, It's true. I am still observing Good Fridays. But with heavy work and constant hunger, i just need to eat little rice and to think of my weight as well. And I would watch Orthodox Christian chants in Youtube or have a day-off from political or personal life.

Back in my childhood, I would not eat any poultry meat, not take a bath after 3pm(Philippine version of Catholicism), go to church and watch a movie about Jesus on the television.

Nowadays, I would listen to Good Friday chants of the Orthodox church(Serbian, Greek, Syriac, Arabic) and of course, my daily nightly prayers to commemorate this important date in the Christian liturgical calendar.

Having roadblocks in my life is pretty hard though since I tend to crumble emotionally when i feel depressed. And sometimes, I just want to say to God to take me now because as if my life is nothing without my ex-girlfriend or if my parents would not let me do the things I wished to as long as I don't harm anyone. Let me say this, my intentions are so clean that people would just take advantage of me no matter how hard I want to be pure.

But despite my continuing sorrow, maybe God still wants me to live and find a way to make myself independent and find what is truly for me. We are alive for a lot of reasons but all I can think is that Christ sacrificed himself by dying on the cross for our sins and to save our souls from going into the depths of Satan.

It's true, I am clueless in my life now but, all I want is to live and ask God for forgiveness and thanked him that I still have a mission to make here on earth.