Posted by Al
on 6/11/2009, 12:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Conciliar Consultation "
Message modified by user Al 6/11/2009, 1:34 pm
Father-
I choked back a follow on "sermon" last night, but as today wore on, I just couldn't hold back!
I read a pastoral letter from a (locally elected) US bishop recently. He was stressing the need for generous financial giving. He said,
"This means that parish budgets should include regular and generous contributions and allotments to work outside their own boundaries – to mission, to education (particularly to seminaries), and to works of mercy."
Budgets should address works of mercy!?!? Having served a career in the military, this is what we called hiring mercenaries to do what we don't wish to dirty our hands with ourselves.
Works of mercy are not merely budgeted, purchased or funded. They are merciful actions we do personally and in person. Yes, donating to worthy causes is a good thing, but it is also impersonal, and allows us to hide from the face of Christ in those in need.
I would also suggest reading the usual Lenten guidance offered by our bishops and clergy. Typically, it is simply prayer, fasting and repentance to withdraw from the distractions of the world around us to be a "better Christian". Little or no guidance to increase our involvement in personal "works of mercy", to use the bishop's term. Special charity collections, perhaps, but no in person mercy. Acts of mercy demand that we engage the world around us to address those who are hungry, thirsting, naked, sick, in prison or strangers. All too often, during Lent, we are encouraged to hide from God, rather than go out and seek Him in those in need!
And, if we read all the Orthodox cyber-stuff, we can find heaps of guidance on the proper method of making reverences and prostrations, proper clergy beards and dress, the merits of headscarves, the dangers of ecumenism, toll houses, how to address correspondence to bishops, lenten recipes, how to bake prosphora, and the like. But where are the discussions and articles to promote and help parishes find activities that would engage them, as a Christian community, in caring for those around them in their neighborhoods? Or are our neighbors only children in Russia, for example?
And we are arguing about how we should elect bishops? Sheeeesh!
Al
Paros Island, Greece
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