The Shepherd 8, November 2008

CHRISTMAS is now approaching and the secular celebration of self-indulgence and extravagance is already upon us, as I write this. The true meaning of the feast is now almost completely lost in our society. Even aspects of the celebration which were not immediately related to the Gospel records of the Nativity, but were parts of folklore and make-belief, things that were part and parcel of the celebration a generation or two back and which, while not being particularly Christian, yet contained an uplifting, or moral message, something redolent of hope and beauty, have now been superseded by new myths which bear the smell of greed, gratification, sex, and the rule of might over that of right.

The Orthodox Church in two ways releases us from this ugliness. First of all, her celebration of the feast falls later than the Roman calculation, and thus we are able to celebrate the Nativity of our Saviour in Bethlehem of Judea when “the world” has forgotten its revelry. Secondly she prepares for our celebration by a forty day fast which begins in mid-November - this year on Friday 15th / 28th. Although this fast is not kept as strictly as the Great Lent, it gives us time to reflect, a time to try and rise above the ways of the world, a time to purify ourselves. Our feasts in the Church are not simply folk customs, or days to make merry; they are not even mere commemorations of significant religious events of times past. They call us to participate in the event itself. A hymn of the prefestal period calls us: “Raising our minds on high let us go in spirit to Bethlehem, and with eyes of our soul let us look upon the Virgin, as she hasteneth to the cave to give birth to our God.” We are approaching the manger itself, spiritually with the shepherds and the magi we are to look upon the New-Born Babe Who is the Pre-Eternal God. Therefore, let us not waste the approaching fast, or keep it is a desultory way, but let us recognize it as our journey with the Star of the disciplines of our Church, as our going even unto Bethlehem, that indeed we may participate in the event which changed the course of mankind’s spiritual, and even his secular, history.

… I AM rather perplexed by your statement that Fr XX told you that the Brotherhood opposed me at this point [when we were leaving ROCOR for SiR]. Fr XX has known our community from its foundation; he disagreed strongly with our leaving ROCOR but was kind enough to write to us about it, he has been in contact with us, close relatives of his are members of our congregation. He knows our situation reasonably well. Perhaps you mis-understood what he was trying to say. Our brotherhood numbers four resident monastics, and one who is elderly and infirm and lives in sheltered accommodation. We were together at the time of our departure from ROCOR and are to this day. We did lose a few members of our congregation who did not approve of the move, but in fact we have gained more new members.

It is odd though, that rumours circulate. Friends in the Ennismore Gardens Church told us recently that they had heard that I had been ousted from the Brotherhood by the others because I did not want to join Fili! Another visitor reported that a MP priest he met abroad assured him that I had never been in ROCOR but had always been an Old Calendarist Greek! In fact I am an Englishman and I joined the Russian Church Abroad on 30th July 1967 and was in it until 10th January (new style dates) 2007 without any interruption! But the devil gives idle ears tales to hear. You have been sensible in trying to check the facts you have heard.

The Shepherd, November 2008

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