24

St. George Church of Prescott PO Box 2855 Prescott, AZ 86301

not have a hood, the Slavic form has a hood and lappets on the shoulders, so that the garment forms a large cross covering the monk's shoulders, chest, and back. Another piece added is the Polystavrion or "Many Crosses", which consists of a cord with a number of small crosses plaited into it.

The polystavrion forms a yoke around the monk and serves to hold the analavos in place, and reminds the monastic that he is bound to Christ and that his arms are no longer fit for worldly activities, but that he must labor only for the Kingdom of Heaven. Among the Greeks, the mantle is added at this stage. The paramandyas of the Megalo-schemos is larger than that of the Stavro-

phore, and if he wears the klobuk, it is of a distinctive thimble shape, called a koukoulion, the veil of which is usually em-broidered with crosses.

The Schemamonk also shall remain some days in vigil in the church. On the eighth day after Tonsure, there is a special service for the "Removal of the Koukoulion."

In some monastic traditions the Great Schema is never given or is only given to monks and nuns on their death bed, while in others, e.g., the cenobitic monasteries on Mount Athos, it is common to tonsure a mo-nastic into the Great Schema only 3 years after commencing the monastic life. +

Continued from page 15

The established order of Orthodox monasti-cism, and particularly of that of the Holy Mountain (Mt. Athos), make such a course a prerequisite.

Why, then, do we in ‘the world’ have any-thing to do with them?

The monastic life is the Orthodox Christian life on steroids, running all out, for the king-dom of heaven. We learn so much from the struggles, holiness and labors of the monks and nuns in our faith. We learn how to charge our lives with grace, when meeting and conversing with these fellow Christians.

Monast i c i sm This issue of our newsletter we are dedicat-ing to the topic of monasticism.

There are many misconceptions about mo-nasticism and the life and purpose for such a life.

First of all, let’s talk about what monasticism really is. Those who have desired to follow the prescriptions of our Lord Jesus Christ

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your

possessions and give to the poor, and you

will have treasure in heaven. Then come,

follow me."

Those who desire to become monastics simply desire to live the Gospel literally in every aspect of their lives. Much more has been written about this, but for now, let us just consider the monastic life.

The monk, like every other creature of God, is born and dies. However, the birth of a monk is not identified with his biological birth, but with a new identity which he ac-quires after long and intensive initiation and trial.

The Newsletter of the St. George Orthodox Church of Prescott

Volume 10, Number 2 May—June 2010

Continued on page 2

2

St. George Orthodox Church

of Prescott

Mailing Address:

PO Box 2855 Prescott, AZ 86305

Physical Address:

609 W. Gurley St. Prescott, AZ 86301

Phone: (928) 777-8750

Website: prescottorthodox.org

Parish Clergy

Priest: Fr. John A. Peck

Emeritus: Fr. Bill Clark

Parish Board

President: George Rizk

Secretary: Marnie Butts

Treasurers: Kally Key &

Raymond Zogob

At large: Kris Wells

Bob Hunt

Mike Winney

We are especially blessed to have several monasteries here in Arizona, which we can visit. They become places of pilgrimage, a little oasis of peace and prayer for us, and a chance to refuel our souls with grace.

Though our treatment of monasticism here will hardly be exhaustive, we hope that a little glimpse into this part of our faith, rooted in the Gospels, and immersed in the interior therapeutic tradition of the Church, will be of spiritual value to you.

In all things, to God be the glory!

Fr. John

23

Among those who embrace the “Death To The World” ideal, it is

not uncommon to see flyers and brochures of icons and Scripture

verses peppering the urban areas, wherever they are allowed.

They are often seen where no other Christian messages are seen

or have been for some time. They speak volumes with few words.

22

P erhaps the greatest tragedy

of modern Christendom,

besides its having divorced

itself from communion with

the historic, Apostolic Church, is

that it imitates Cain in its stubborn

refusal to be corrected by the same.

Rather than answering the question

of “What is true worship?” by

looking backward to see what the

early Christians did, it puts a pre-

mium on devising continually

“new and contemporary” forms of

worship that ultimately are geared

more toward entertaining the par-

ticipants and pleasing them, rather

than on pleasing God. Contempo-

rary worship must be “exciting and

lively” and “meeting the people

where they are at” rather than on

holy and reverential and lifting the

people up to where God is at.

The contemporary worship experience can very nearly be likened to a junkie continually seeking a new

and better “high”, and the value of a morning’s worship is evaluated entirely on whether or not its partici-

pants feel “blessed” by it. Does this not indicate the self-centered nature of such an experience, that they

are putting their own blessing ahead of God’s? Can we imagine that St. Paul’s only concern for the church

in Corinth was that they “get their socks blessed off during worship” and if they weren’t, then perhaps

they should replace the bass guitarist with someone more “spirit-led”? His primary concern for them was

that they judge and conduct themselves rightly in order to partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord in a

worthy manner, for without this they were not providing the spiritual worship which they owed to God.

Modern Christians have drifted terribly from these things! Many groups

are beginning to recognize this and are leaving behind contemporary

forms of worship to embrace the more traditional Eucharistic-based

forms. This seems like death to those who love toe-tapping worship, but

in fact the Life of God is hidden in these ancient forms and they very

much need to be brought back in our day. Even better would be for mod-

ern Christians to return to the Orthodox Church, which is the Apostolic

Church, and which still focuses on the worship of God “in spirit and

truth” as it has from its beginning.

May God preserve us in true worship for our salvation, and to the glory of

His Holy Name!

+Father Michael Reagan

The late Fr. Seraphim Rose during Divine Liturgy

3

DID YOU KNOW?

Aside from being Father John’s second pair of hands, Father Bill has become a very important member of our church family. A retired priest of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Father Bill started out in the Romanian Episcopate. His journey to the priesthood took many interesting turns including serving the public in Florida as a law enforcement officer and entertaining the public as an actor and opera singer. It was dur-

ing this time that he met and married the lovely Presby-tera Margie. Born into the Ro-man Catholic faith, Father Bill con-verted to Ortho-doxy in 1986 and went on to study theology by way of the St. Stephen’s Theology course through the Antio-chian Archdiocese. Ordained a deacon in 2001, he became

a full fledged priest by 2003 at the age of 66! Eat your heart out Colonel Sanders (he founded some chicken joint at the same age). Father Bill graciously fills in as a substitute priest wherever he is needed. Despite maintaining a sometimes grueling schedule, he is always ready to serve the Lord and the flock. While we here at Saint George certainly don’t mind sharing him with fellow believers, we are always happy when he returns “home.”

Our church just isn’t the same without that booming bass tone ringing out from the altar. In addition to con-celebrating services with Father John, Father Bill has also begun to celebrate Matins and Divine Liturgy during the weekdays. This invaluable service helps us to practice our faith seven days a week, as we all should. He is also available for hearing confessions, offering instruction, counsel and advice whenever he can and, of course, he is always ready with a smile and a joke guaranteed to make you smile. In summary, Father Bill Clark is definitely some-one that you should know!

4

INVISIBLY PRESENT

“Bobby?” Here. “Susie?” Here. “Emily?” Here. “Jimmie?” Invisibly present.

What? How can Jimmie be invisibly present? If he is in class along with his fellow students,

surely his classmates can see him. Why then does he answer the teacher’s roll call with

“invisibly present?” The word invisible is defined as that which cannot be seen and the word

present means being at the specified place. To put the two words together is to create an oxy-

moron which is defined as a figure of speech in which contradictory terms are combined.

So it would seem that Jimmie has indeed spoken an oxymoron. You cannot be present and in-

visible at the same time. Or can you? Let us take a trip down memory lane and go back to

school to find out. I know; some of you weren’t particularly fond of school. But we are only

going back for the duration of this article so please bear with me.

First, why do we go to school? To learn things of which we know nothing about. As young

children we need to learn the basics, reading, writing and arithmetic along with other subjects

that will give us the tools we need to function as adults and to find work. Upon graduation, we

receive a diploma or degree. Likewise, as Christians, we go to church to learn about a subject of

which we know little or nothing about, God, so that we can function in a society that is increas-

ingly forgetting who He is. Unlike school, learning about God is a lifelong educational process.

Our graduation comes only when it is time to leave this earth and, if we have done well, we re-

ceive salvation and eternal life. Wouldn’t that look nice in a frame on your wall?

Returning to the classroom, in order for us to learn properly there are certain things we must

have with us at all times. Pens, pencils, notebooks (not the pc kind) and rulers are just a few of

the items all students need to learn. These are the external things that are necessary. There are

internal things that students must also bring with them to get the most out of the learning experi-

ence. Proper rest, an alert attitude, being prepared to learn, silence, stillness and respect for the

teacher and fellow students are additional things every student should come to class with. All of

these things, both external and internal, are vital to the learning process. No student can succeed

without them.

If any of these are missing, especially on the internal side, not only does the one student suffer

but his fellow students and even the teacher may suffer as well. How? Think back to any given

year in school. Do you remember some of your classmates? I certainly remember many of

mine and, I must confess, there are a few I’d rather not. The ones that I do not want to remem-

ber are the ones that made school harder than it already was.

There was the student that always arrived late, the one that constantly whispered things through-

out class, the one that passed notes, the one that copied your work over your shoulder, the one

that needed to borrow a pen or piece of paper almost every day and of course, the class clown.

We all knew at least one of each of these, right? Some of us may have even been one. I admit

21

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY

“DEATH TO THE WOR LD”?“DEATH TO THE WOR LD”?“DEATH TO THE WOR LD”?“DEATH TO THE WOR LD”?

“The world is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to “The world is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to “The world is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to “The world is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to

call the passions by a common name, we call them the world. But when call the passions by a common name, we call them the world. But when call the passions by a common name, we call them the world. But when call the passions by a common name, we call them the world. But when

we wish to distinguish them by their special names, we call them the we wish to distinguish them by their special names, we call them the we wish to distinguish them by their special names, we call them the we wish to distinguish them by their special names, we call them the

passions. The passions are the following: love of riches, desire for passions. The passions are the following: love of riches, desire for passions. The passions are the following: love of riches, desire for passions. The passions are the following: love of riches, desire for

possessions, bodily pleasure from which comes sexual passion, love of possessions, bodily pleasure from which comes sexual passion, love of possessions, bodily pleasure from which comes sexual passion, love of possessions, bodily pleasure from which comes sexual passion, love of

honour which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of honour which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of honour which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of honour which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of

position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain

oooorrrrnnnnaaaammmmeeeennnnttttssss,,,, tttthhhheeee iiiittttcccchhhh ffffoooorrrr hhhhuuuummmmaaaannnn gggglllloooorrrryyyy wwwwhhhhiiiicccchhhh iiiissss aaaa ssssoooouuuurrrrcccceeee ooooffff rrrraaaannnnccccoooouuuurrrr aaaannnndddd

rrrreeeesssseeeennnnttttmmmmeeeennnntttt,,,, aaaannnndddd pppphhhhyyyyssssiiiiccccaaaallll ffffeeeeaaaarrrr.... WWWWhhhheeeerrrreeee tttthhhheeeesssseeee ppppaaaassssssssiiiioooonnnnssss cccceeeeaaaasssseeee ttttoooo bbbbeeee

active, there the world is dead; for though living in the flesh, they did not active, there the world is dead; for though living in the flesh, they did not active, there the world is dead; for though living in the flesh, they did not active, there the world is dead; for though living in the flesh, they did not

live for the flesh. See for which of these passions you are alive. Then live for the flesh. See for which of these passions you are alive. Then live for the flesh. See for which of these passions you are alive. Then live for the flesh. See for which of these passions you are alive. Then

you will know how far you are alive to the world, and how far you are you will know how far you are alive to the world, and how far you are you will know how far you are alive to the world, and how far you are you will know how far you are alive to the world, and how far you are

dead to it”dead to it”dead to it”dead to it”

‑‑‑‑ St. Isaac the Syrian St. Isaac the Syrian St. Isaac the Syrian St. Isaac the Syrian

20 5

to being the occasional whisperer and note pas-

ser myself. Hey, I never said I was a perfect

kid.

Anyway, the reason that I am refreshing your

memory about these students is so that you will

remember what it was like to be in class with

them. While most of them were good kids, they

made it harder to learn because their actions

drew your attention away from the teacher and

the lesson being taught. Their actions may have

been harmless enough, but it still took some-

thing away from the lesson. The harder the sub-

ject, the less you could afford to not pay atten-

tion.

Consider too the teacher. A teacher’s job is dif-

ficult enough, what with trying to manage

twenty plus minds that are not always operating

on full throttle. Some of those minds barely

leave the launch pad. It takes a very dedicated

and patient individual to be a teacher, someone

that knows not every student comes to class

ready and willing to learn.

We know that Jesus certainly dealt with this in His own role as a teacher. When He began His

ministry, it did not take long for Him to discover that, while He was ready to teach, not all of

His students were ready to learn. Consider some of the students in His classroom. There were

the first twelve. Their behavior included not listening enough, arguing with each other, talking

amongst themselves, one being apparently jealous of another because number two was

Teacher’s favorite, one was a major hothead and then there was the one that snitched on Teacher

to the Pharisees and eventually sold Him out. There were other students that joined the class

along the way, two of whom remind me very much of some of my own classroom experiences.

They were Mary and Martha, one of whom paid very close attention to every word that Teacher

spoke and the other that paid no attention at all. Mary was the good student. She sat still, ea-

gerly listened to Teacher and tried not to let anything or anyone take her attention away from

Him. Then there was Martha. She was a good kid, but not a very good student. She moved

around too much, talked too much and concerned herself with everything except paying atten-

tion to Jesus and His lesson. When she tried to interfere with Mary’s learning process, you can

imagine Martha’s surprise when Jesus corrected her and basically told her to get her priorities

straight. While Martha was concerned with serving the Teacher, Mary was concerned with

learning from Him. She could not have very well done that if she behaved like her sister.

6

FASTING & FELLOWSHIP: KRISTIE’S SMALL GROUP

On Tuesday, March 16th, the second small group of Saint George kicked off at the stylish home of Kristie Niarkos. Upon arrival, guests were treated to a scrump-tious mini-buffet of Lenten goodies that included shrimp, fresh fruit and vegeta-bles, crackers and dip. The spread was beautifully arranged and, at the risk of being a snitch, a few of us partook of more than one helping. We couldn’t re-sist; the food was really good. If Kristie ever gets tired of her day job she may have a future in catering.

After snack-time was over, we gathered in the living room to begin the meeting. Small group leader, Bob Frisby gave an introduction and explained the purpose and mission of small groups within Saint George. The emphasis was on “being where there is a need and to raise up fu-ture group leaders.” He mentioned the support given by Father John to encour-age women in the parish to serve as small group leaders alongside the men. Prayer requests were taken and we all rose to pray. In addition to the familiar evening prayers, intercession prayers were said for several individuals. A particularly touching moment came at the end as we all remembered the infant Michael who went home to the Lord way too soon. Prayer ended on a quiet and respectful note.

Sunday’s Gospel was read about the little boy with the stubborn demon that could

not be cast out like other demons. Reflec-tions and thoughts were shared as to the difficulty of casting out this demon and how the lesson applied to all of us. Bob read a passage written by Saint John Chrysostom that tied in with Jesus’ own words about prayer and fasting being the only way to cast out those tougher de-mons. The conversation also centered on the difficulties that many of us have ex-perienced during this Lenten season and how opposing forces in the world are coming against the Church and Christians in general.

We also talked a bit about St. John Climacus’s Ladder of Divine Ascent and how we all need to be willing to take that first step up. Some amusing stories en-tered into the conversation as well as sev-eral honest confessions, none of which I will reveal here. They are for Father John’s ears only. There was a very good mix of opinions, thoughts, feelings and stories all of which tied into the overall theme of the meeting’s topic: prayer and fasting and the importance of both not just during Lent, but all year round. Good lessons were to be learned by all.

The evening wrapped up with coffee and dessert and some of us admitting to the things we look forward to eating once Lent is over. A few recipe ideas were even exchanged. Kristie’s first small group meeting went off without a hitch. Good food, good friends and good fun. What more could you want?

If you haven’t been to a small group, you now have two from which to choose with yet one more still to come in Prescott. Check one out and see for yourself!

Jelena Timotijevic

19

-out unseen war is fully engaged. In the case of the lover of truth,

the rebellion manifests itself externally in a rebellion against this

corrupt world. This is good, but there are too many people who just

stop at this point. Without searching any further, how can one expect

to uncover the answers? True rebellion will stop at nothing in the

fight for the good of the world, for the good of others, and for the

good itself in whatever way it manifests itself. It is necessary to

wage a revolution in the heart in order to conquer evil with good so as

to have a rebellion in truth. This is the kind of rebellion that must

take place pr else it isn't rebellion at all.

There once was a counter-culture with the sole purpose of rebelling

against the world. This counter-culture was wise in the sense that it's

philosophy was based on recognizing the corruption of the world. In

this lies half of the truth. It represents mire truth than the world

would ever dare to acknowledge. But this counter-culture must not stop

at this, but must seek unto death the ultimate in truth if it is to ac-

complish that which it first set out to do: to care for and tend the

world's wounds.

This counter culture of Punx is something that a handful of truth seek-

ers can easily identify with, for it is very clear that the world is

coming to a close. To be a true punk is to have nothing to do with that

element which kills, hurts and causes pain, but to cauterize wounds. To

be in the world but not of the world.

In actuality the true ideals of punk have yet to be introduced to the

Punx themselves, as does the fulness of their rebellion. These ideals

and this philosophy are the world's best kept secret. A secret that has

been in the souls of those few lovers of truth ever since the beginning

of time. The philosophy of punk has been around for centuries in the

hearts and souls of the true Punx ... The Monks.

Monks are those who for thousands of years have rebelled against the

corruption of this world by severing all chains binding themselves to

the world. They have fled this vain world to live in caves, in holes in

the ground, and to dwell in the deserts. To eat maybe once a day or

even once a week, to wear the same clothes until they completely fall

apart, and to rarely sleep because the cause is more important than the

pleasures of this world. In these deprivations and sufferings they

would realize one thing: There is no real suffering at all than to not

know God.

This is the last true rebellion: To forsake the world and to embrace

God alone.

-- Monk Justin Martyr

18

The last true rebellion is death to the world.

To be crucified to the world and the world to

us. With the seed of dissatisfaction deeply

planted in the heart of today's society, rebel-

lion has been a small key to unlock the doors

of change. But the rebellion that the world has

known is not the fullness of true rebellion.

Since our times have come to a point where

things can't get much worse, the few remaining

lovers of truth must search deeper into themselves and deeper into the

truth itself -- but to get to this point a revolution must take place.

A revolution in the hearts of these lovers of truth. A revolution that

annihilates all earthly and worldly thinking and that nurtures a way of

thinking that is not of this world. Because that which is of the flesh

is of the flesh and that which is of the spirit is of the spirit.

There is a grave necessity for this internal revolution, for only by

this can progress be made. For how can one help a world with festering

wounds until one mends one's own wounds. After this spiritual surgery

has taken place, true rebellion is an ideal that is attainable.

In this age of confusion and destruction, the necessary distinction be-

tween good vs evil has been deathly confused. The result of this is ni-

hilism. The philosophy of nothingness, that no ultimate truth exists.

In nihilism, there is neither love or hatred, good or bad, life or

death. The result of this is the soul destroying idea that even God

does not exist

The natural reaction to all of this is an internal rebellion of the

soul, for the soul cannot deny it's own existence. At this point an all

7

FAITH & FUN WITH THE FRISBYS

Small groups kicked off on the first Thursday of February as Robert (Bob) and Laurel Frisby hosted their first group in their lovely Prescott Valley home. Seven attendees were warmly welcomed and treated to a tasty variety of snacks, bever-ages and friendly banter for the first half hour. At approximately 7PM, everyone gathered in the living room to begin the first official small group of St. George Or-thodox Church. Bob opened the group by saying evening prayers (facing east of course), and then we all sat down to begin discussing the chosen topic. The Frisbys made an excel-lent choice in deciding to expound upon Father John’s sermon about the prodigal son. It quickly became obvious that this story struck a chord and held much meaning for both of them. They shared a very poignant story about one of their children and drew a very good compari-son to the father that lost his child but received him back in the end. Bob and Laurel proudly shared with the group that, despite their child’s rough patch, she found her way back home, just like the prodigal son. Their joy in being members of the Ortho-dox Church shined throughout the eve-ning as evidenced by Bob’s proclamation that “The Orthodox church is like a multi-layered cake. It’s mind boggling!” It is a cake that the Frisbys clearly enjoy eating!

Other topics of discussion included a sur-vey of who had never been to a church small group before-only one person, yours truly; the importance of saying prayers for all people in all categories (work, health, family, etc.); ensuring that catechumens receive as much support as possible, es-pecially those that may find resistance from family/friends unwilling to accept their conversion to Orthodoxy and being extravagant in sharing our love for God with those that may least deserve it. On this last note, the discussion briefly focused on one very important factor to keep in mind when one attempts to evan-gelize and witness for Christ: know when to and when not to. Attendee, Virgil Au-rand, compared evangelizing to fishing. “You have to know where the fish are bit-ing and where they aren’t.” Bob followed up by explaining the need to understand and accept that some people “will buy what you are selling and some won’t. You can’t always tell by their face.” The evening wrapped up with Bob sharing the passage of the prodigal son (Luke 15) followed by commentary written by St. Cyril of Alexandria with an emphasis on the interpretations of forgiveness and hu-mility. Overall, there was a very good mix of interaction and opinions among all at-tendees, the only exception being yours truly who was exhausted after a very long day and could not contribute as much as she would have liked. The mouth was willing but the brain wasn’t. The Frisbys’ first small group was an en-joyable experience and definitely worth the visit. Additional small groups are tak-ing place in Chino Valley and Prescott so be sure to check one out.

Jelena Timotijevic

8

Save The Date! 1) The first Ladies’ Luncheon of the year will be held on the following dates

DATE TIME LOCATION

Apr. 29th: 12 Noon Prescott - Bin 239

May 27th: 12 Noon Prescott Valley - Cracker Barrel

Jun. 24th: 12 Noon Prescott - Willow Creek Inn

2) Gyro Booth is coming this June 12th and 13th. Keep the weekend clear

and get ready for a load of fun, fellowship and meeting and greeting

Prescott’s visitors and citizens!

Some good websites on Orthodox Monasticism are:

Death To The World deathtotheworld.com

Desert Wisdom desertwisdom.org/dttw

St Anthonys Monastery in Florence, AZ stanthonysmonastery.org

St. Paisius Monastery in Safford, AZ stpaisiusmonastery.org

St. Tikhons Monastery in South Canann, PA sttikhonsmonastery.org St. Tikhon’s is the oldest Orthodox monastery in the USA

17

did. We talk about the idea of suffering because that is what the kids feel most strongly. We show that there can be meaning in suffering."

The first issue, published in December 1994, was advertised in Maximum Rock and Roll and brought letters from "all over the world--Japan, Lithuania, Ireland." Copies of that issue were mailed to an ever-growing list, distributed at punk shows, and photocopied and passed along by others. Fr. Damascene estimates that more than 50,000 copies are now in circulation.

"Kids were writing to us and we realized they needed more personal contact," says Fr. Damas-cene, so the Brotherhood began turning book-stores and restaurants into coffeehouses, or "mystical hangouts." There are now fourteen of these across the country and in Europe and Aus-tralia, with flagship examples in Boston and Santa Rosa, California.

A typical flyer, handed out to street kids, reads: "Desert Wisdom Kaffe House, Kansas City's most mystical hangout. Drink Ethiopian coffee & es-presso. Hear ancient otherworldly chants. Smell rare middle-eastern incense. Discover the an-cient African & Eastern superheroes." Of course the chants are Orthodox-style Christian hymns, the incense is borrowed from liturgical use, and the "superheroes" are saints of the Bible and church history. A poster used at some coffee-houses shows a young monk holding open a wooden box of bones and a skull. The caption reads, "Death to the tyranny of fashion!"

Pretty sophisticated marketing strategy; we can well imagine this reaching kids who will tune out anything less as manipulative and sugar-coated. But like any good evangelism, it gets its power from love for the lost. Father Paisius, also at the monastery, explains, "This subculture is raucous and deeply disturbed because of their own pain. It's demonic; they're living in hell, overdosing on drugs, or maybe going into a rage and killing

someone. They see life as worthless. We want to show them an ideal that is worth their life. These are marginalized youth who are wounded, and Death to the World is meant to touch with a heal-ing hand that wound."

A successful 'zine and chain of coffeehouses is an especially impressive accomplishment consid-ering how simply the monks live. The California mountaintop monastery of St. Herman of Alaska has no electricity, phone, or running water, and "the monks live in the midst of rattlesnakes, scorpions, and peacocks, translating and publish-ing wisdom from the holy fathers and mothers of ages past." Another twelve miles up the mountain is a sister monastery for women, St. Xenia Skete, also without phones, water, or elec-tricity. The nuns live in log cells they construct themselves; they "till the garden, chop wood, and also work on publishing." It was not possible to speak with Fr. John for this article, as he lives in a similar monastery on an island off the Alaska coast where getting to a phone requires prior notice by mail.

The Brotherhood's St. Paisius Abbey, however, has a few modern conveniences, and the monks and nuns there are glad to fill orders and answer questions.

Back copies of Death to the World (which has just published its eleventh issue) can be ordered for $1.00 each from Death to the World, 7777 Martinelli Road, Forestville, CA 95436; phone 707.887.9740. The community also offers a tape of original songs by Fr. John, and a book, Youth

of the Apocalypse, written by Fr. John and Fr. Andrew Wermuth (these two describe them-selves as "punks turned monks").

So, what has your youth group been doing lately?

You can find more about the Death to the World movement at http://desertwisdom.org/dttw

16

Death to the World Punks turned Monks

by Frederica Mathewes-Green

High in a Russian Orthodox monastery in the California mountains, Father Damascene and Father John had a problem. They wanted to place an ad in Maximum Rock and Roll, "the most hardcore" of all the punk magazines, but were having trouble getting it past the editor.

If this sounds like the beginning of an interesting story, just wait.

The story actually began a few years earlier. Four years ago, John Marler arrived at the St. Herman of Alaska monastery in Platina, California, weary of life. Though only nineteen, he had already been guitarist in two successful punk-rock bands, Sleep and Paxton Quiggly. Once he found faith in Christ and a home in Orthodoxy, the new monk wanted to bring the same hope to the punk subculture he had just escaped, a commu-

nity of kids crippled by nihilism and despair.

The St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood (which sponsors the Platina abbey and several other monasteries) had already begun attracting some kids from the nearby town of Chico, and Mother Neonilla--previously a "serious punker" herself--encouraged Fr. John to reach out to them. The first idea called for fellow-monk Fr. Damascene Christensen, who had recently completed the book Not of this World: The Life and Teaching of

Fr. Seraphim Rose, to write an article about Fr. Seraphim for publication in Maximum Rock and

Roll. "But as I read over the magazine, I realized there was no way they'd publish something like this," Fr. Damascene recalls.

Next, they decided to try to place an ad, but the editor's response--"What the @#*% is a Brother-hood?"--tipped them off that this wasn't going to fly either. The monks were told, "We only run ads for music and 'zines." (For the uninitiated, a 'zine is a rough, homemade-looking magazine, scissored and pasted and photocopied, and of-fered cheap or free on the streets.)

"We need a 'zine," the monks told each other, and thus appeared one of the oddest of the punk-style publications, Death to the World. The cover of the first issue shows a white-bearded monk holding a skull, and the inaugural essay begins, "The last true rebellion is death to the world. To be crucified to the world and the world to us." The back cover shows the figure on the Shroud of Turin, with this caption: they hated me without a cause.

"These kids are sick of themselves," says Fr. Damascene, "and they feel out of place in this world. We try to open up to them the beauty of God's creation, and invite them to put to death 'the passions,' which is what we mean by 'the world.' God takes despair and turns it around to something positive. Selfish passions can then be redirected into love for God, as Mary Magdalene

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Pachomius was born in Egypt and, in his youth, was a pagan. As a soldier, he fought in battle with Emperor Constantine against Maxentius. Following that, he learned of the One God from Christians and witnessing their devout life, Pachomius became baptized and withdrew to the Tabennisi wilderness, to the famous ascetic Palamon with whom he studied the as-cetical life for ten years. Then, an angel appeared to him in the habit of a Schema [The Great Angelic Habit of a Monk] over the place called Tabennisiot and gave him a board upon which was writ-ten the Monastic Rule [Constitution] for the Cenobitic Life, ordering him to establish such a monastery in that place, prophesying to him that in this monastery many monks will come for the sake of salvation of souls. Heeding the angel of God, Pachomius began to build many cells even though at that place there was not anyone except his brother John and himself. When his brother reproached him for building unnecessary cells, Pachomius simply said to him that he is following the command of God without re-gard as to who will come to live there and when. But soon, many men gathered at that place moved by the Spirit of God, and began

to live a life of asceticism ac-cording to the Rule of Pa-chomius, which he received from the angel. When the num-ber of monks increased, Pa-chomius gradually established six more monasteries. The number of his disciples amounted to about seven thousand. St. Anthony is con-sidered to be the founder of the hermitical life but St. Pa-chomius as founder of the mo-nastic cenobitic way of life. The

humility, love of labor and abstinence of this holy father was and remains a rare example for the imitation of the vast number of monks. St. Pachomius worked numerous miracles but endured numerous tempta-tions from demons as well as men. He served men as a father or a brother. He in-spired many to follow the path to salvation and directed many on the path to truth. He was and remains a great light of the Church and a great witness to the truth and justice of Christ. He died peacefully in the year 348 A.D. in the seventy-fourth year of his earthly life. The Church has included many of his disciples in the ranks of the saints, such as: Theodore, Job, Paphnutius, Pecusius, Athenodorus, Eponymus, Sorus, Psoi, Diony-sius, Psentaesis and others.

SAINTS ALIVE

St. Pachomius the Great

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Just A Note…

1. January 30th saw the first baptism of the year as we welcomed the Bragg family into the fold. Chris, Shea and young Nicholas became the first catechumens of the year to join our church fam-ily. Sponsored by the Gusty and Peck families, the beautiful ceremony was followed by a scrumptious, catered lunch at the Yavapai Hills Club House. Good food and great fun were had by all. Welcome home Brag family!

2. In an effort to promote love of Christ and love for each other, all parishioners are permitted to share the Kiss of Peace during Divine Liturgy. When the priests exchange this handshake and kiss (a peck on the cheek), you can turn to the person next to you, in front of you or behind you and do the same. You say “Christ is in our midst” and the recipient says “He is and ever shall be.” You can exchange one kiss or, in true Orthodox fashion, exchange three. If you are not comfortable sharing a kiss, a simple handshake and hug will also promote a feeling of love and harmony among us. We all need more of that!

3. We have recently begun a great new fund raising idea: a Craft/Baked Goods table. All parishion-ers that are artistically inclined or wizards in the kitchen are encouraged to share their talents in an effort to help the church. Crafts can include items that are knitted, crocheted, embroidered, painted, sculpted, etc. Baked goods can be any tasty treat such as cake slices, cookies, strudels or whatever you are a master of! There are plenty of willing taste testers in our church so don’t be shy! This event is held the first Sunday of the month and donations are collected in a special basket. For more information, please speak to Kally Key or Marnie Butts.

4. Our famous and ever popular Gyro Booth takes place in June (12/13) during Territorial Days on the square in downtown Prescott. This bi-annual event (we do it again Labor Day weekend) has been a huge success for us and always brings in much needed funds. The menu consists of freshly made gyros, crisp Mediterranean salads, mouth-watering baklava and Presbytera Deborah’s refreshing elixir also known as Greek Iced Tea.

5. Information about how you can help out will be forthcoming so be sure to tune in to Sunday an-nouncements, the weekly bulletin and our website for updates. Volunteers will be needed to work the booth (in 3 hour shifts), prepare salad plates, donate lemons & mint for the tea and setup/cleanup crews just to name a few items. Folks with pickup trucks/vans/SUVs will be in particular need to help haul equipment. For more information please see Raymond Zogob.

6. We now have two new catechumens has joined our parish! Ameliana Elizabeth Gusty and Steven George Zogob. Ameliana came into the world on Sat. March 6th at 2:55AM. She is the first cradle Orthodox member of the Gusty family. Steven George Zogob was born on Great and Holy Friday, April 2nd to the joy of his parents and a multitude of friends. He is the first child of Raymond and Jill Zogob. Congratulations to the Gusty and Zogob families and welcome to the family Ameliana and Steven!

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Although the Rassophore does not make formal vows, he is still morally obligated to continue in the monastic estate for the rest of his life. Some will remain Rassophores permanently without going on to the higher degrees.

Stavrophore lit. "Cross-bearer"—The next level for monastics takes place some years after the first tonsure when the abbot feels the monk has reached an appropriate level of discipline, dedication, and humility. This degree is also known as the Little Schema, and is thought of as a "betrothal" to the Great Schema. At this stage, the monk makes formal vows of stability of place, chastity, obedience and poverty. Then he is tonsured and clothed in the habit, which in addition to that worn by the Rasso-phore, includes the paramandyas (Greek: παραμανδυας; Slavonic: параманъ, para-man), a piece of square cloth worn on the back, embroidered with the instruments of the Passion, and connected by ties to a wooden cross worn over the heart. The pa-ramandyas represents the yoke of Christ. Because of this addition he is now called Stavrophore, or Cross-bearer. He is also given a wooden hand cross (or "profession cross"), which he should keep in his icon corner, and a beeswax candle, symbolic of monastic vigilance the sacrificing of himself for God. He will be buried holding the cross, and the candle will be burned at his funeral. In the Slavic practice, the Stavrophore also wears the monastic mantle, which symbol-izes 40 days of the Lord's fasting on the

Mountain of Temptation. The rasson worn by the Stavrophore is more ample than that worn by the Rassophore.

After the ceremony, the newly-tonsured Stavrophore will remain in vigil in the church for five days, refraining from all work, ex-cept spiritual reading. Currently, this vigil is often reduced to three days. The abbot in-creases the Stavrophore monk’s prayer rule, allows a more strict personal ascetic prac-tice, and gives the monk more responsibil-ity.

Great Schema Monks whose abbot feels they have reached a high level of spiritual excel-lence reach the final stage, called the Great Schema. The tonsure of a Schemamonk or Sche-manun follows the same format as the Stavrophore, and he makes the same vows and is tonsured in the same manner. But in addition to all the garments worn by the Stavrophore, he is given the analavos (Slavonic: analav) which is the article of mo-nastic vesture emblematic of the Great Schema. For this reason, the analavos itself is sometimes itself called the "Great Schema". It drapes over the shoulders and hangs down in front and in back, with the front portion somewhat longer, and is em-broidered with the instruments of the Pas-sion and the Trisagion. The Greek form does

Orthodox Monasticism continues on page 24

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Orthodox

Monasticism

Monastic life is not for everyone, but for

those who desire to live a Gospel life literally,

it is the Angelic life.

Degrees of MonasticsDegrees of MonasticsDegrees of MonasticsDegrees of Monastics

Novice literally means "one under obedi-ence"—Those wish-ing to join a monas-tery begin their lives as novices. After com-ing to the monastery

and living as a guest for not less than three days, the abbot or abbess may bless the can-didate to become a novice. There is no formal ceremony for the clothing of a novice, he or she simply receives permission to wear the clothing of a novice. In the mo-nastic tradition, novices may or may not dress in the black inner cassock (Greek: An-terion, Eisorasson; Slavonic: Podriasnik) and wear the soft monastic hat (Greek: Skoufos, Slavonic: Skufia), depending on the tradition of the local community, and in accordance to the abbot’s directives.

The inner-cassock and the skoufos are the first part of the Orthodox monastic habit.

In some communities, the novice also wears the leather belt. He is also given a prayer rope and instructed in the use of the Jesus Prayer.

If a novice chooses to leave during the pe-riod of the novitiate, no penalty is incurred.

He may also be asked to leave at any time if his behaviour does not conform to the mo-nastic life, or if the superior discerns that he is not called to monasticism. When the ab-bot or abbess deems the novice ready, he is asked if he wishes to join the monastery. Some, out of humility, will choose to remain novices all their lives. Every stage of the mo-nastic life must be entered into voluntarily.

Rassophore lit. "Robe-bearer"—If the novice continues on to become a monk, he is clothed in the first degree of mo-nasticism at a service at which he receives the tonsure. Although there are no formal vows made at this point, the candidate is normally required to affirm his commitment to perse-vere in the monastic life. The abbot will then perform the tonsure, cutting a small amount of hair from four spots on the head, forming a cross. He is then given the outer cassock (Greek: ρασσον, Rasson, Exorasson, or Man-dorrason; Slavonic: рясса, Riassa), an outer robe with wide sleeves, from which the name of Rassophore is derived. He is also given a kamilavkion, a cylindrical brimless hat, which is covered with a veil called an epanokamelavkion. (These are separate items in the Greek tradition, but in the Rus-sian tradition the two are stitched together and the combination is called a klobuk.) If he has not previously received it, a leather belt is fastened around his waist. His habit is usu-ally black, signifying that he is now dead to the world, and he receives a new name.

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The St. George Ladies’ Luncheon is back on again for 2010. Join us for a time of food, fellowship, fun and faith. Lunch begins at noon.

� Apr. 29th: Prescott - Bin 239

� May 27th: Prescott Valley - Cracker Barrel

� Jun. 24th: Prescott - Willow Creek Inn

� Jul. 29th: Prescott - Olive Garden

� Aug. 26th: Prescott - Gurley Grill

� Sep. 30th: Prescott Valley - Buffalo Bill Wings

� Oct. 28th: Prescott - Street's of New York

� Nov. 25th: Prescott - cancelled due to Holiday

� Dec. 30th: Prescott - Casa Bonita

For more information, contact Kally Key at 771-9474

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