Yesterday (14 April 1998) was the 86th anniversary of the tragic sinking of
the Titanic - a topic we have been hearing quite a lot about over the past
few months. Tragedies, while maybe not to this degree, unfortunately
happen in all our lives. Family members and even close friends die for
what appears to be little or no good reason and society presents no real
comfort for these hard times.
This week, though, Christ and His Church present us with how to get through
these times, a purpose for living, and an experience of what life can be.
By being betrayed by His friends, abused by the system that was supposed to
protect Him, killed by His own people, and raised by His Father, Christ
gives us the conviction that God will give us strength as we suffer, and
will reunite us with all those who have fallen asleep before us.
Take comfort in the fact that if you're a Christian. Be joyful, in fact!
You believe in the Resurrection, and therefore believe that however tragic
a situation might be and how much it might hurt to lose a loved one, by
connecting with Jesus Christ all of us will be reunited. Because He died,
our deaths have become passages to eternal life.
As we will hear in St. John Chrysostom's sermon during the Paschal service,
"Christ is risen and life reigns! Christ is risen and not one dead remains
in the grave."
Jn 3:1-15 (From the Gospel on the Feast of St George):
The Gospel according to St. John is considered to be the most "theological"
of the four Gospels, addressing the complex doctrines and implications of
Jesus' teachings rather than the circumstances of His life. This reading
touches on many important issues (baptism, the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit, salvation, eternal life), but, on its most basic level, it invites
us to ponder what it would "look like" to be someone who has given his or
her life to God -- someone who lives in the Spirit.
Jesus says the wind "blows where it will," and we know that this is true of
the Holy Spirit as well. Our lives are filled with unexpected turns and
changes. Our God is a God of surprises, and those who live in the Spirit
are at peace letting it blow where it will; letting God unfold their paths,
with all of the bumps and obstacles that may come, trusting that all
surprises - even the tough ones - are from God and will teach them
something.
It is a difficult calling to live in so much trust and acceptance, but if
we look to God, all things are possible.
Something to think about:
"God, Thy will, not mine, be done. AMEN."
In the spirit of Holy Week we have decided not to include a review in this
issue. If you haven't already done so, turn off the TV, radio, and even
the computer until Monday. The silence may become deafening, but it's a
great opportunity to exchange our dependence on the media with a dependence
on God.
You may find yourself getting anxious and upset. It's normal. Take a
couple of deep breathes, pray to Lord for peace of heart and mind, and go
on with your day.
Take it as an opportunity to realize what the Lord has done and continues
to do for us each and every minute of each and every day. Holy Thursday
commemorates the institution of the Eucharist (Communion) at the Last
Supper, Holy Friday our Lord's Crucifixion, Holy Saturday the destruction
of Hades.
The entrance hymn at the Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday calls us to "let
all mortal flesh keep silent. ..."
Instead of going to the media when we are bored or "need a little
relaxation," read the life of saint, book on Orthodox spirituality, or
maybe even the BIBLE! Remember, our spiritual selves
need this.
Remember, for the purposes of YO-Mail:
And don't forget the Youth and Young Adult trip to PROJECT
MEXICO sponsored by the OCA Diocese of the West. See our last
issue of YO-Mail! at
for more information. To let others know about your event here, send
information to youth@oca.org
As we get updates to the summer happenings and camps we will post them
immediately to
or you can follow the link from the YO! page (www.oca.org/YO!). You will
find all the listings there. If we don't know about this year's events,
you will find the contact names, places, and dates from prior years.
Go to your local Barnes and Nobles or Borders bookstore and pick up a copy.
It's nice to know that we are starting to let people know that the Orthodox
Christian Church is here and has something to say.
Q.
(from KO in KY)
A.
Well, KO, the purpose of us bearing the name of a saint and celebrating
a "name's day" is that it reminds us of how on the day we were reborn
at our baptism we were connected to Christ and to His entire Church.
By being given the name of a saint we are connected in a concrete way
with the personality and achievements of a real person who lived a
Christian life that the Church believes should be imitated. That
person becomes our patron saint, a saint with whom we feel a special
connection, a saint we can look to and see how they lived their life
following Christ.
For these reasons, in many of the more ancient Orthodox Churches,
name's days are commemorated with more celebration than birthdays.
For centuries Orthodox homes have celebrated name's days by taking out
the icon of the saint, decorating it, placing it in a prominent place
in the home, singing the troparian to the saint at meals and prayer
times, and having a special feast for friends and family. Often times,
families will attend their Church for Divine Liturgies, or read the
akathist written for the saint.
Regardless of some of these outward expressions, they are all centered
around one thing: you celebrate a name's day doing something that your
patron saint would want you to do. Look at their life. Try to
determine what you could do to honor them and continue their legacy.
Actually, it is not even their legacy but Christ's. Celebrate the day
by repenting of your sins and recommitting yourself to live a life they
would want you to; a life in Christ. This is the best way to
celebrate.
If you have a question, or know a friend who does, send it to us at
youth@oca.org. We'll give you a direct
and concise answer!
In response to the comments about sexuality made by OS from KS in our last
issue ...
JA from PA writes:
MA from MD writes:
On other issues...
MM from PA writes:
I have a few Q's for you guys there. I heard somewhere (my grandma
to be exact) that there's an Orthodox priest out there that opposes
the movie Titanic. I totally love the movie. I think that your
next issue should include the Orthodox Church's look at Titanic.
I liked your review of Contact and I want to see how you guys feel
about 'My Movie'. Also, I think that it would be cool if you guys
gave a calender of events going on in each [FROC] district every
month, stuff like the National Convention. And about Camp
(formally the FROC OH Camp, now St. Vladimir's Camp in Farmdale,
Ohio). I've been going since I was 8 and I totally luv it too. >>
As for your question, we did include a review on Titanic in our
first issue. Check it out in the YO-mail back issues.
In regard to your idea about announcing events going on in FROC
districts, we are more than willing to include any events that
people submit. Talk it up in the FROC and have people send us
their calendars. Thanks again!
EA from NY writes:
Who writes all the stuff for YO-Mail? I like the reviews of the
movies and CDs, and last issue's article on the shooting in
Arkansas really got me thinking.
One suggestion, though. Who thought up the title "Soul Snack"?
It's kind of lame. Maybe you can change it to something else?
>>
TS from KY writes:
You're doing a great job! Keep up the good work!
You're last issue (#4) was particularly well-written and
informative.
LD from PA writes:
As the parent of two "young adults" and a Sunday School teacher
working with middle school and high school aged students, I have
found YO-Mail to be an excellent source of discussion material for
my class. I especially appreciate the balanced, well-reasoned and
rather "non-judgmental" approach taken toward the reviews of
various elements of popular culture (i.e. movies, pop music CDs,
etc.), and the generally "non-preachy" tone. The writers obviously
have an excellent grasp of the psychology of today's youth and how
best to approach them. The unmistakable message that comes through
in each issue -- loudly and clearly -- is "the OCA loves and cares
about its youth and wants what's best for them." Most importantly,
this is love expressed in the gentle voice of the good shepherd
rather than the stentorian tones of the imperious parent.
You're doing a tremendous job with YO-Mail and keeping a big smile
on my face; keep up the good work!
>>
[Though we did have to look up the word "stentorian" to find out
what it means! (Extremely Loud)]
YO-Mail was created for all the reasons listed above and strives to
present real life issues and communicate what our Faith has to say
about them. Though it's meant for youth and young adults, it's
good to hear that teachers and youth workers are using it to aid
their ministry. We're glad to hear that we are on the right track.
Thanks.
We'll keep trying to hold up our end of the bargain. Just keep
reading, spreading the word to your friends, and letting us know
how we can improve YO-Mail!
In case you forgot: YO-Mail is your mail.
If you have an opinion about something in YO-mail or something going on
at school, in the Church, or in society, send it in! Send it to
youth@oca.org Don't worry! All entries
will be treated anonymously unless you tell us otherwise.
From the Office:
Pascha and the Resurrection: Our Hope in Dark Times
Food for the Soul
"...the wind blows where it wishes..."
An Orthodox Look: Forget the media for a few days. It's Holy Week!
On the Calendar
Summer Happenings for Youth and Young Adults in 1998
www.oca.org/YO-mail/back-issues
www.oca.org/OCA/units/ecl/Summer-Camps.html
In the News
Orthodox Christianity Online Hits the Mainstream
Many of us often feel that Orthodox Christianity is this "mysterious
religion that no one has ever heard about." Well take heart! The April
issue of Yahoo Online! -- a mainstream magazine about the Internet -- did
an extensive article about "God On-Line" and listed the following three
Eastern Orthodox websites in the order presented:
Real Questions, Real Answers!
Celebrating Name's Days and Lesser Feasts
Greetings! Could y'all tell me the proper way to celebrate a saint's
day, or other 'minor' feast days (as opposed to 'major', i.e.
'Theophany', 'Pascha', etc.)? I would love to feel more connected to
our Faith this way, but I don't know how. Thank you!
Readers Write ...
More Opinions about Sex Outside of Marriage, as well as Some Praises,
Criticisms, and New Ideas for YO-Mail
OS, God gave us these feelings true, but having sex when you're not
married to that person sort-of breaks the rules He gave us to live
by. He gave us these rules because He knows what's best for us,
and sex out of marriage can make people sad or even kill them. So,
please wait till you're married.
I was surprised to read the response from the reader who mentioned
his/her belief that God loves us no matter what we do. Having made
so many mistakes that have led me astray, I believe that I have an
obligation to help others avoid some of the pitfalls that I fell
into.
While God will always love us, what we do tells God how much we
love Him.
Thnx
Hey, MM, thanks for the questions and ideas.
Thanks for the praise and the criticism, EA. You're not the first
to make a comment about "Soul Snack." We thought about your
comments and have changed the title from "Soul Snack" to "Food for
the Soul." It will be changed in allour back issues as well.
Gosh folks! This is a bit more than we can handle. You're making
us blush!