Wednesday, December 19, 2007

St. Nicholas


For those of you observing "Julian" St. Nicholas (6/19 Dec.) -- Happy Feastday.

O holy Father Nicholas, pray for us!

High Impact Worship

In spite of my loathing of "Christmas shopping" I finally broke down and went in search of a gift for my dear mother. At one shop they were broadcasting a local "Contemporary Christian " radio station --which was playing (of course) "Contemporary" Christmas music. Between songs there was a short exhortation by the announcer asking us to "take Christ into the community after we leave the high impact worship service". I looked to the clerk to see if she knew what a "high impact" service was. She shrugged and replied, "I don't know, maybe where they fall on the floor?". And they say Orthodox worship is weird! It used to be that the hardest thing to do was to convince others of the Church's doctrinal truths. Now I find that it is traditional worship and all that entails that is the greatest stumbling block for many. Tell someone about the doctrine of the Eucharistic Mystery and they say "hmmm, interesting". Tell them that we use Gregorian chant and incense, have no drums or pre-recorded soundtracks, allow only the priest (who must be a man) to touch the Sacred Body of Christ, ask that women wear a head-covering ...... and you get this shocked stare that says "you've got to be kidding!" Yet I remember well some 40 years ago when Baptist and Methodist women wore hats to church on Sunday, when there was a clear line (even amongst protestants) between clergy and laity. I still haven't discovered what "high impact" worship means, but I have a feeling it's not the same as High Mass.

Quicumque vult

The Athanasian Creed

WHOSOEVER WILL BE SAVED,
before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith.
Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled,
without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And the Catholic Faith is this:
That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity,
neither confounding the Persons,
nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father,
another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.

The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible,
and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.

And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated,
but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty,
and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three
Almighties, but one Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God,
and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord,
and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.

For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge
every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion to say,
There be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father,
neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons;
one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other;
none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons
are co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid,
the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved is must think thus of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also
believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess,
that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;
God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds;
and Man of the substance of his Mother, born in the world;
Perfect God and perfect Man,
of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.

Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the
Father, as touching his manhood; Who, although he be God and Man,
yet he is not two, but one Christ;
One, not by conversion of the Godhead
into flesh but by taking of the Manhood into God;
One altogether; not by confusion of Substance,
but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul
and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell,
rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth at the right hand of the Father,
God Almighty, from whence he will come
to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies
and shall give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life
everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully,
he cannot be saved.