Ivan Gavaisky

What is left of a man when the soul is removed from his body? A corpse. What is left of Europe when God is torn from its body? A corpse. With God banished from the Cosmos, has it not become a corpse? What is a man who denies the soul within him and in the world around him? Nothing but molded clay, a walking coffin of molded clay. The result is devastating. Enamored of things, European man himself finally becomes a “thing.” Personality is devalued and destroyed. What is left is a man-thing. There is no whole, integrated, bodily husk from which the immortal spirit has been driven out. Although this husk is burnished and adorned, it is still a husk. European culture has deprived man of his soul; it has made him artificial and mechanical. It is like a monstrous machine that devours men and makes them into things. The end result is touchingly sad and movingly tragic: a soulless thing among soulless things.

–Fr. Justin Popovich, “Humanistic and Theanthropic Culture” in The Orthodox Church and Ecumenism, pp. 103-104, as quoted in “The Life and Works of Our Holy Father Archimandrite Justin of Chelije” in the current (Vol. 53, No. 5) issue of The Orthodox Word, September-October 2007.

I can tell you where I was the moment Archbishop Hilarion of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, the Deputy First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, was elected Metropolitan. It was at St. John’s Academy, in the basement of Holy Virgin Cathedral, San Francisco. Matushka Maria Kotar, the Administrator of the school, was trying to find every means possible to get news from Jordanville about the election. “We need smoke signals! CNN coverage!” (I’m paraphrasing, forgive me) Unfortunately (or fortunately, perhaps) Jordanville is not the Vatican, and so we had to resort to phone calls and other primitive means to get news. At any rate, Matushka Masya wanted the bells to be rung as soon as word came that a new Metropolitan was elected.

And word came very soon. After all, our humble conclave consisted of eleven bishops. In a space of less than half an hour, a new Metropolitan was chosen. The bells! The bells! I rushed outside to hear those bells, the bells which rang by themselves the night that Vladyka Laurus reposed, now ringing loudly to celebrate the choice of a new leader for our flock.

The seventh graders, clapping their little hands over their ears, nevertheless shouted “More! More!” to the young bell-ringer. I’m sure I’m making a ton of mistakes in my remembrance of things, but the bells were something like this (this being from then-Archbishop Hilarion’s visit to a monastery in New South Wales):

It was truly one of the chief highlights of my stay in San Francisco, to say the least.

Editor’s Note:

This is my favorite hymn. I borrowed the Greek text from Wikipedia and used the English translation by Bishop Basil of Wichita, to which I made very minor changes. I hope His Grace doesn’t mind! The hymn, if my ears do not deceive me, is sung by monks from Simonopetra Monastery in Mount Athos. There is also a Slavonic version sung by monks from Valaam Monastery that many prefer even to the original Greek. I personally think that the original is best.

From what I’ve read, St. Nectarios of Aegina often composed hymns to the Theotokos “to nourish his personal prayer and that of his disciples.” The Theotokos herself appeared to him, and revealed to St. Nectarios a hymn that was being sung by the angelic choirs. Thus this hymn, which I think indeed does show signs of divine authorship:

Αγνή Παρθένε
O Pure Virgin

Αγνή Παρθένε Δέσποινα, Άχραντε Θεοτόκε,
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε.
Παρθένε Μήτηρ Άνασσα, Πανένδροσε τε πόκε,
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε.

O pure and virgin Lady, O spotless Theotokos:
Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.
O Virgin Queen and Mother, O bedewed Fleece most sacred:
Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.

Υψηλοτέρα Ουρανών, ακτίνων λαμπροτέρα
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε.
Χαρά παρθενικών χορών, αγγέλων υπερτέρα,
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε.

O height transcending heaven above, O beam of light most radiant:
Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.
O joy of chaste and virgin maids, surpassing all the angels:
Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.

Εκλαμπροτέρα ουρανών φωτός καθαροτέρα,
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε.
Των Ουρανίων στρατιών πασών αγιωτέρα
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε.

O brilliant light of heaven above, most clear and most radiant:
Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.
Commanding Chief of heavenly hosts, O holiest of holies:
Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.

(more…)

Today I left the God-protected city of San Francisco for the (relatively-speaking) northern wasteland known as Seattle. Perhaps I should not call it a “wasteland,” for in this city the Holy Hierarch John of San Francisco reposed. Indeed, every city and creature is “God-protected”; if God were to withdraw His sustaining energies from Creation for a moment, we would be reduced to nothing.

Yesterday, after several days sitting in at classes, I finally taught two history classes at St. John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy. Thanks to St. John, I did well enough that I am going to return to teach in the Fall, God willing. San Francisco has some very high rents, so I humbly ask you, my readers, to pray that I secure affordable housing. Also, please pray for me, unworthy John, that my mind be enlightened by the Holy Spirit so I can teach well.

Hristos Voskrese!

I apologize for hardly writing anything since Pascha except for some ludicrous postings on pop culture (which, indicating what’s popular nowadays, caused the highest number of hits on this blog so far). I certainly have quite a bit on my mind, though I wonder if it’s prudent to write about them her, as the original purpose of this blog was not to express my own opinion, but to form it through the reading of the Holy Fathers of Orthodoxy.

For the next several weeks, I will be away on a trip to the West Coast, including the God-protected city of San Francisco. There I will be interviewing for a teaching position at St. John’s Orthodox Academy. I will be back on the 18th. If I end up bringing my laptop I will try to write about my trip. At any rate, please keep me in your prayers.

Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!

Is what I think I’ve come down with, having been thoroughly schooled by Steve in his comment on my last post:

A minor rewrite? peppier tune? Diamond wrote a NEW SONG which happens to use some key imagery and word choices from Newton’s original song. Your blog reveals a poor understanding of Amazing Grace, Pretty Amazing Grace, and perhaps grace itself.

Although writing from-the-cuff, as I am wont to do, has the advantage of being spontaneous and reflecting one’s genuine emotions at the time, it has the definite disadvantage of being not very well thought-out. Taking the time to study the lyrics, I have to admit that this indeed is a NEW SONG and in fact can even be construed to be less heretical than the original “Amazing Grace”: Diamond’s identification of “pretty amazing grace” with “who You are” can be given an Orthodox interpretation as being the identification of Grace as uncreated divine energy. (I’ll have to admit, it’s a stretch. This shows my thorough lack of understanding of Grace, except that it’s uncreated, deifying, and more necessary to me than water to a fish.)

Just reading the lyrics gives the impression that “Pretty Amazing Grace” is a pretty religious song. Yet at the same time, Diamond’s performance last night gave this song a very secular feel. And perhaps that could lead to a totally secular interpretation, as I asserted in my last post. Such is the peril of most pop music. (Of course some of you may say, “What about Christian pop?” to which I say “Of course, I’m against that too.”)

So, my apologies to Steve and to the Jewish Elvis: your song, although I’m hesitant to wholeheartedly like it, is definitely not the equivalent of Madonna crucifying herself.