Stooping Low
I received the following post in the comments section of my blog: "When the groupies finish your canonization, will you redo all your pictures with halos added? You wisely keep your slanders against Ukrainian Catholics off the website. Why not post the photo of the Orthodox soldiers kissing Putin's icon?"
This nasty posting is noteworthy because it demonstrates just how low some will go to slander anything to do with Russia. From the earliest times Kiev has been seen as the birthplace of Orthodoxy in the land of Rus. Orthodoxy first appeared among the Slavs in Kiev. That those who would supplant Orthodoxy with Uniatism in the Ukraine, in the form of "Greek Catholics", who mask their Roman Catholicism in the image and likeness of Orthodoxy, would stoop to using photo shop to make it appear Russian solders would be venerating an image of President Putin, would be a joke if it were not sacrilegious.
I find it interesting that the anonymous person who would suggest I would use photo shop to add "halos" to pictures of myself, would be posting a photo of President Putin with a photo shopped halo. The Orthodox Church of Russia would never allow Russian solders to "venerate" a doctored image of the President of Russia. The "icon of President Putin" was actually an icon of the Holy Virgin, given the serving priest was wearing blue vestments, and doctored over to make it look like these troops were kissing an image of Putin.
The "Greek Catholics" are a great offense to the Orthodox world, and have been since they first appeared in the Ukraine as a Jesuit solution to convert the Orthodox. Prior to this, Poland had been an Orthodox country, whose people has been forced to convert to the Roman Catholic Church. Finding the Ukrainians a more difficult problem, the Jesuits came up with the idea of allowing the Orthodox to keep all their liturgical and outward appearance, while being brought under Rome's control. This has been such a major problem for any possible union between the Orthodox world, and Rome, because the Uniates have betrayed their Orthodox faith, and splitting the Ukrainian nation, where before the country had been united by one faith. There is a lot of evidence that this present crisis in the Ukraine is the direct result of Greek Catholic agitation.
The lengths some will take to slander Russia
I received the following post in the comments section of my blog: "When the groupies finish your canonization, will you redo all your pictures with halos added? You wisely keep your slanders against Ukrainian Catholics off the website. Why not post the photo of the Orthodox soldiers kissing Putin's icon?"
This nasty posting is noteworthy because it demonstrates just how low some will go to slander anything to do with Russia. From the earliest times Kiev has been seen as the birthplace of Orthodoxy in the land of Rus. Orthodoxy first appeared among the Slavs in Kiev. That those who would supplant Orthodoxy with Uniatism in the Ukraine, in the form of "Greek Catholics", who mask their Roman Catholicism in the image and likeness of Orthodoxy, would stoop to using photo shop to make it appear Russian solders would be venerating an image of President Putin, would be a joke if it were not sacrilegious.
I find it interesting that the anonymous person who would suggest I would use photo shop to add "halos" to pictures of myself, would be posting a photo of President Putin with a photo shopped halo. The Orthodox Church of Russia would never allow Russian solders to "venerate" a doctored image of the President of Russia. The "icon of President Putin" was actually an icon of the Holy Virgin, given the serving priest was wearing blue vestments, and doctored over to make it look like these troops were kissing an image of Putin.
The "Greek Catholics" are a great offense to the Orthodox world, and have been since they first appeared in the Ukraine as a Jesuit solution to convert the Orthodox. Prior to this, Poland had been an Orthodox country, whose people has been forced to convert to the Roman Catholic Church. Finding the Ukrainians a more difficult problem, the Jesuits came up with the idea of allowing the Orthodox to keep all their liturgical and outward appearance, while being brought under Rome's control. This has been such a major problem for any possible union between the Orthodox world, and Rome, because the Uniates have betrayed their Orthodox faith, and splitting the Ukrainian nation, where before the country had been united by one faith. There is a lot of evidence that this present crisis in the Ukraine is the direct result of Greek Catholic agitation.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Monday July 28, 2014 / July 15, 2014
8th Week after Pentecost. Tone six.
Martyrs Cyricus (Quiricus) and his mother Julitta of Tarsus (305).
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir (in holy baptism Basil), enlightener of the Russian Land (1015).
New Hieromartyr Peter deacon (1938).
Martyr Abudimus of the isle of Tenedos (4th c.).
St. Donald of Ogilvy (716) (Scotland).
St. Swithun, bishop and wonderworker of Winchester (862) (Celtic & British).
Finding of the head of St. Matrona of Chios (1462) (Greek).
Martyr Lollianus (Greek).
You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted name.
"Blogs and social networks give us new opportunities for the Christian mission...Not to be present there means to display our helplessness and lack of care for the salvation of our brothers." His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
The Scripture Readings for the Day
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
"Blogs and social networks give us new opportunities for the Christian mission...Not to be present there means to display our helplessness and lack of care for the salvation of our brothers." His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
The Scripture Readings for the Day
Galatians 1:11-19
Call to Apostleship
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Contacts at Jerusalem
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.John 10:1-9
Jesus the True Shepherd
10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
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All-Merciful Saviour Monastery is a monastery of the Western American Diocese, under the omophor of His Eminence Kyrill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. The Monastery is a non-profit 501 C3 organization under IRS regulations. All donations are therefore tax deductible. We depend on the generosity of our friends and benefactors. You can donate to the monastery through PayPal, or by sending donations directly to the monastery's mailing address.
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Father Bless!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog very much. However, I do not believe Poland was Orthodox, unless you are counting from the brief period after the baptism of Mieszko in 966 until the Schism. Uniatism was not just a Jesuit project. (There are parts of Eastern Slovakia that were Jesuit missions prior to the Union of Uzhorod which are populated by R. Catholics of Orthodox descent.) It was more of a state solution. In post-reformation Europe, a solution to religious wars was for subjects of a prince to follow whatever was the religion of their prince. This was applied on a large scale in a very big part of the Polish Commonwealth in a place now called Ukraine. Flawed as this solution was, it allowed Eastern Christians to finally have some rights and to recognize their contribution to the Commonwealth. This would not have been possible without the cooperation of some of the Orthodox. You know about Peter Mohyla and some specific Western influences on Russian Orthodoxy. At the time Western things had their allure among the educated; to be westernized was to be educated. One wonders if the Orthodox would have maintained any Eastern identity if the pre-Union status quo had prevailed: perhaps most would have ended up Roman Catholics and the Orthodox would have been relegated to a minority as the starovery are in Russia. I agree it is a shame history turned out this way. Although there were instances of forcing Uniates to return to Orthodoxy, I cannot think of an instance when a Tsar or prince forced Roman Catholics to become Orthodox. As it is, Uniates (I am technically one of them)are sort of a white elephant in the Roman Communion. It is difficult to read history with present colored glasses.
Reverencig you right hand, I am
Respectfully yours,
Mark R