I made a new video for my youtube channel. Check it out!

A video of the Propers for Placidus and Companions.

Watch here!

St. Placidus

Placidus was the son of Tertullus, one of the noblest persons of Rome. He was offered to God when a child and given over to holy Benedict, in whose teaching and Rule of monks he so profited that he was reckoned among the chiefest of his disciples. By him he was sent into Sicily, where he founded near the port of Messin a church and monastery in honour of St. John Baptist, and lived therein with his monks in wonderful holiness. Thither there came to see him his brothers Eutychius and Victorinus and his virgin sister Flavia, and while they were together, there landed there a certain brutal pirate, named Manucha, who took the monastery, and when he could in no wise prevail upon Placidus and the others to deny Christ, he commanded him, his brothers, and his sister to be cruelly murdered. With them Donatus, Firmatus a deacon, Faustus, and thirty other monks brought the conflict of testimony to the blessed end of martyrdom, upon the fifth day of October, in the year of salvation 539.

Antiphon on the Benedictus:

Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered; * fear not therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Antiphon on the Magnificat:

In the heavenly kingdom the souls of the Saints are rejoicing, even such as walked in the footsteps of Christ their Master, for love of whom they gave without stint their very life-blood; * therefore with Christ they now do reign for ever and ever.

Let us pray.

O God, who vouchsafest unto us to keep the heavenly birthday of blessed Placidus and his companions, thy holy Martyrs : grant, we beseech thee ; that we may rejoice in the perpetual felicity of their fellowship in heaven. Through.

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Matins Lesson, collect and antiphons

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

A Sermon by St. John Chrysostom

When the Pharisees had heard that Christ had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together for a fresh attack ; just when it behoved them to be quiet, they willed to contend ; and so they put forward one of themselves who professed skill in the Law, not wishing to learn, but to lay a snare. This person therefore proposed the question : Which is the great commandment in the Law? Now since this is the first : Thou shalt love the Lord thy God : they question him in this manner, expecting that he would make some exception or addition to this in his own case, since (as the Evangelist John saith) he made himself God. With this expectation they asked him the question ; but in answer thereto what said Christ? : To shew that they had adopted this course because they were loveless, and sick with envious ill-will, he answered : Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind : this is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt live thy neighbour as thyself.
Why is this second commandment like unto the first? Because the first is the source of the second and its sanction. For everyone (as saith the Evangelist John) that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light. And again, (as saith the Psalmist) : The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. To which saying is added: They are corrupt, and become abominable in their doings. And yet again (as saith the Apostle : The love of money is a root all evil, which while some coveted after they have erred from the Faith. And yet once more (as saith the Evangelist John) : If ye love me, keep my commandments : of which commandments the head and root is : Thou shalt love the Lord thy god, and thy neighbour as thyself.
If therefore, to love God is to love our neighbour also, (as the Lord taught when he said, If ye love me, O Peter, feed my sheep,) and if love is the fulfilling of the Law, justly then doth the Lord say that on these two commandments hang all the Law and Prophets, And bear in mind how, before this, being interrogated about the resurrection, he answered them more than they asked ; for now also, being interrogated concerning the first and great commandment, he answereth more than they asked, for he implieth that the second one is but a little lower than the first. Herein he would have them understand how that it was hatred which stirred them up to question him. For charity, saith the Apostle, envieth not.

Antiphon on the Magnificat:

What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. * He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand?

Collect:
　

 

LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil: and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Funny is funny, isn't it?

I love to watch Rowan Atkinson’s skit in which he plays the Devil welcoming new souls to hell. Atkinson’s timing is impeccable, and delivery flawless. I loved him in the Blackadder series, and Mr. Bean, and this is really more of the same first rate comedy.

He spares no one including us Christians, and it is one of the funniest routines I have ever seen. “Ah hello, its good to see you all here,” as if the devil would be so genteel and polite. He greets them, and tells a joke to break the tension, then begins dividing them into groups based on their sin of choice. “Adulterers over here and all other fornicators over there. Male adulterers if you would just form a line in front of that small guillotine in the corner.” Atkinson's Devil Welcome


I’ve watched it multiple times, and always enjoy it, but maybe I shouldn’t enjoy it. An eternity in hell is a real possibility facing every soul born into the world. If I laugh at these jokes do I in some way reject or diminish the awful finality, or the unremitting anguish and suffering of hell? Do I by my levity lead an uninstructed soul to the notion that there is nothing to fear in a life of sin?
We don’t appear to need comedians to go about diminishing the reality of hell, there are plenty of ministers that are downright anxious to do the job. I guess polite society doesn’t care for a god that is mean and sends people to hell. But what did our Lord say on that topic? “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5 King James Version)

I think if the Lord Jesus says, “fear him,” its probably sound advice.
Are we to fear real fire and pain in hell? Many say not. Yet our Lord told a story, some say it is a parable, but then again the Lord gives names to the characters of the story, but does not in any other parable, and in this story, “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16: 24-25 King James Version)
Sounds for all the world to me like a real place with real fiery torment, not just psychological angst, and separation from God only.

　

A Day at the Park

Here is a video I put together from clips taken when me and my sons were at Six Flags a couple of years back. Orthodox Christians can have a blast at any family gathering! Praise be to God.

I added music from one of my favorite bands, Thin Lizzy, the Irish quartet from the 70's. No copyright enfringement is intended.

A new video.

I have made and posted a new video on the saint commemorated yesterday, St. Jerome, on my youtube channel. It features the voice of yours truly chanting the propers and reading the lessons and collect for the day. You've been warned.

The brave can click this link to view the video.
St. Jerome Priest, Confessor & Doctor

Saint Remigius Bishop, Confessor, October 1st

Remigius, also called Remi, is reverenced as the Apostle of the French. He came from a distinguished Christian family: for the title of Saint is in France commonly given to his mother Cilinia ; to his older brother Principius, Bishop of Soissons ; to the son of the latter, named Lupus ; and to his nurse Balsmia. Thus in boyhood he was surrounded with holy people, and grew up both godly and learned. Saint Sidonius Apollinaris, who knew him well, saith he was the most eloquent man of his age. When he was only twenty-two, and still a layman, he was chosen by acclamation to be Bishop of Rheims, and thereafter set out to spread the Gospel widely among the Franks. Now Clovis, King of the Franks, was an heathen, rude and cruel. And Saint Clotilde, his wife, prayed long to bring him to Christ. Finally divine grace prevailed, and under the joint instruction of Saints Vedast and Remigius, not only Clovis, but many of his kinsfolk and army as well, were prepared for Baptism, some three thousand in all, it is said. A story is told of Clovis, that during the instruction which he was given concerning the Passion of our Lord, he grasped his weapons, and stood up in anger, and exclaimed that such injustice would not have happened if the had been there with his warriors! And at the laver of regeneration, blessed Remigius is reputed to have charged Clovis, saying : Bow down thy head, O Sicambrian! Adore what thou hast burned, and burn what thou hast adored. Thenceforward great progress was made in the spread of the Gospel among the Franks ; and after more than three score and ten years as bishop, full of good works and famous for miracles, blessed Remigius died on January 13^th, about the year 533. But his feast is kept on October 1^st, being the day when Saint Pope Leo IX, in 1049, translated his relicks to the great Abbey in Rheims.

 

Antiphon on the Benedictus:
Well done, good and faithful servant: + thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: * enter thou into the joy of thy Lord (Alleluia.)

Collect:
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God : that the devout observance of this festival of blessed Remigius, thy confessor and Bishop, may be profitable unto us for our advancement in all godliness, and for the attainment of everlasting salvation. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.