St James, Brother of our Lord

In the Life of the Church, we commemorate the Holy Apostle James, the Brother of God on October 23rd. He was the son of Righteous Joseph the Betrothed. From his early years James was a Nazarene, a man especially dedicated to God. The Nazarenes vowed to preserve their virginity, to abstain from wine, to refrain from eating meat, and not to cut their hair. The vow of the Nazarenes symbolized a life of holiness and purity, commanded formerly by the Lord for all Israel. When the Savior began to teach the nation about the Kingdom of God, St James believed in Christ and became His apostle. He was chosen as the first Bishop of Jerusalem.

St James, Brother of our Lord

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St James presided over the Council of Jerusalem and his word was decisive (Acts 15). In his thirty years as bishop, St. James converted many of the Jews to Christianity. Annoyed by this, the Pharisees and the Scribes plotted together to kill St James. They led the saint up on the pinnacle of the Jerusalem Temple and asked what he thought of Jesus. The holy Apostle began to bear witness that Christ is the Messiah, which was not the response the Pharisees were expecting. Greatly angered, the Jewish teachers threw him off the roof. The saint did not die immediately, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies while they were stoning him. St James' martyrdom occurred about 63 AD.

The holy Apostle James composed a Divine Liturgy, which formed the basis of the Liturgies of Sts Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. The Church has preserved an Epistle of St James, one of the books of the New Testament.

Life of St. James taken from OCA - Feasts & Saints

A special shout-out to my boss-man, Rev Fr James Shadid, pastor of St George Houston & my best friend, Dr. James Salman on the occasion of his Name's Day! God grant you both many years!

- A Day in the Life of the Youth Director

Orthodox Wear Green for Pentecost, Not Just St Patty's Day!

In our Faith, we symbolize a great deal to help bring understanding of why we have gathered together to pray and how to better participate during certain feasts throughout the Life of the Church.

One such way of symbolism is the use of color to recognize certain features of a feast in the Liturgical Life of our Faith. The color "green" is used during the Great Feast of Pentecost (50 days after the Resurrection of our Lord) - the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.

For more information regarding this Feast and the Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, please visit the following links:
     - Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese website
     - Greek Orthodox Christian Archdiocese website

The clergy vestments, altar cloths, candle holders, etc. during the Pentecostal season are green. At Pentecost, we decorate our churches with flowers and green branches - for the Church "never grows old, but is always young." It is an evergreen, ever-living Tree of grace and life, of joy and comfort. For the Holy Spirit - "the Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life - comes and abides in us, and cleanses us from all impurity," and fills our life with meaning: faith, hope, and love.

                                      

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The Great Feast of Pentecost is followed by a fast-free week; a great season of rejoicing that the Holy Spirit has descended upon the Apostles and revealed to them the Mystery of the Salvation through the Church. That same Holy Spirit remains within the Church throughout the ages, guiding it "into all truth" (John 16:13).

"O heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art in all places and fillest all things, Treasury of good things, and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Gracious Lord."

In commemoration of this Great Feast in the Life of the Church, I suggest a simple way to bring this celebration of Pentecost "home" with you - during this week, wear GREEN!

- A Day in the Life of the Youth Director

Looking Up: The Feast of the Ascension

Then, He went with His disciples to Bethany and stopped on the Mount of Olives. "While they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they LOOKED steadfastly toward heaven as He went UP, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Ye men of Galilee , why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven'" (Acts 1:9-11).

Ascension of our Lord

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In the Life of the Church, we celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord 40 days following Pascha (this year on Thursday, May 24, 2012). In the presence of His disciples, our Lord ascends to His Heavenly Throne: "I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God" (John 20:17). According to the account given in Luke's Gospel: "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now, it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy..." (Luke 24:50-53).

Jesus, their Master, leaves them, yet His disciples are filled with great joy. Its an odd reality to grasp; the comfort of being in the presence of their Lord, especially witnessing His Resurrection and being "filled with great joy" at His departure from them. But the reason for such a feeling among the Disciples is the promise given to them: Jesus tells them that He must go to the Father, but He will send the Holy Spirit upon them.

Troparion of the Feast of the Ascension (Tone 4): “Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened thy Disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit, having become confident of the blessing. Verily, thou art the Son of God, and Deliverer of the world."

Wishing you and your family a blessed Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord!

- A Day in the Life of the Youth Director