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Bishop Moskul answers letters about faith, the Liturgy , the Catholic Church and more. Do you have a question for the Bishop? See the contact information at the bottom of this page to see how to contact him to ask your question. Visit this page again in the future and he may answer your letter. Dear Bishop Robert, Why do we pray for “orthodox Christians” in our Liturgy? Curious Dear Curious, During the Divine Liturgy we pray for everyone. Your question undoubtedly is prompted because of some people’s understanding or perception of the term "Orthodox". The English term is derived from the Greek Orthododokeo which means to teach rightly. In a passive sense, it is applied to those who had been "rightly taught", hence "true believing". It seems to me that when this Greek term was translated into Church-Slavonic (or ancient Bulgarian), the translator misinterpreted the second half of the verb Dokeo (to teach-Doksia participle) and confused it with the Greek word (to glorify) -- Doksia (glory), so that many have come to understand the word "Orthodox" as meaning "true -- worshipers" or those "rightly glorifying God". Hence, the word: Pravoslavnyj. In modern day Ukraine, many people, not wanting to be confused with the Orthodox Church, especially the Russian Church, argue against the use of the word "Orthodox". The late Patriarch Joseph Slipyi firmly stood on the ground that we must not abandon the use of this word at all costs, because it leads to a correct understanding of our very identity. We can understand that with the gradual estrangement of Eastern Christians from Western Christians, that some misunderstanding can easily arise especially since the term "Orthodox" has shifted in popular parlance from describing The Faith to describing the Church. Nonetheless, we strive to overcome misunderstandings and continue to use the word Orthodox properly, especially in our own day and age to overcome the difficulties of the past and pray for the unity of all the true -- believers in the One Church of Jesus Christ. The communion, in the love of Christ, of all "Orthodox churches" in the Universal Church is the one, holy, apostolic and catholic Church of Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Church. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has underscored many times that we are "Orthodox in Faith, and Catholic in the bonds of love." Yours In Christ, +Bishop Robert Great Fast 2004 Dear Bishop Robert, Why do we communicate infants at Baptism in in our Church? Curious Dear Curious, Becoming a member, through Initiation, in the community of believers, the Church, means we become members of the Body of Christ. Any person, regardless of age, who has become a member of the Body of Christ is entitled to partake in the Eucharist (given that their conduct is in accord with the teachings of Christ). Infants, even though they do not understand, receive the Eucharist because they are full members of this Body of Christ. They are not deprived of this unity and nourishment because of their age. St. John Chysostom addressed this question in the fourth century when he said, “As a mother will not deny her children food until they understand what they eat, so too the church will not deny the Spiritual Food of the Eucharist until a person understands.” Yours In Christ, +Bishop Robert Fall 2003 Dear Bishop Robert, For years our priest celebrated the Divine Liturgy without saying many of the prayers out loud. Why is he now beginning to say all the prayers aloud? I don't mind this but it is a big change for us in the congregation. Curious Dear Curious, It is a big change in the Divine Liturgy to have the priest audibly say all the prayers. I must say that it is a healthy change, but it may take some time "getting used to." Our Liturgical scholars tell us that up to the fifth century there were no silent prayers in the Eucharistic celebration. With the passage of time, "private prayers" developed. St. John Chrysostom would not have considered this a healthy change for he wrote: "One sees that the people contribute much to the prayer (Liturgy)... the priest speaks for the people, and the people speak on behalf of the priest, as can be seen from these words, 'And with your spirit.'" Yours In Christ, +Bishop Robert Great Fast 2003 Dear Bishop Robert, Why do some people in our Churches stand during the consecration? Curious Dear Curious, As early as the second century, Christians celebrated the “eighth day” as the joyous day of Christ’s resurrection. In the Eighth Century, St. Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, wrote in his book On the Divine Liturgy: “We do not kneel on Sunday as a sign that our fall has been corrected through the resurrection of Christ. We do not kneel until Pentecost because we observe the seven days after Easter seven-fold; seven times seven is forty-nine, and Sunday makes fifty.” (Ukraine accepted Christianity from Constantinople in 988 A.D. therefore that is the source of the practice). Because the epiclesis (the invocation of the Holy Spirit) is such a sacred moment in the Divine Liturgy, there should be no movement during it. Even if an individual is kneeling, he or she should not stand up until the epiclesis is completed. Yours In Christ, +Bishop Robert Fall 2002 Dear Bishop Robert, Why does the Ukrainian Church begin Lent on the Monday before Ash Wednesday as observed by the Roman Catholics? Curious Dear Curious, By the end of the fourth century of the Christian Era the pre-paschal fast or Forty Days Fast had already become an accepted practice in both the Eastern and Western churches. It was a period of intense preparation for the great feast of Pascha (i.e. the Resurrection of Our Lord). In the East (from where Ukraine had accepted Christianity), the church considered Passion week a separate fast from the Forty Days Fast. Passion week started with Lazarus Saturday, the Saturday before Palm Sunday. If you count forty days before Lazarus Saturday our Forty days start on Monday. The West (Roman or Latin Church) includes Passion week in its calculation of the Forty Days Fast (excluding Sundays), therefore, they start on Wednesday. Yours In Christ, +Bishop Robert Great Fast 2002 Please send your questions to: |
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Copyright 2006 Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Josaphat, Parma, OH
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