Tuesday, January 14, 2020

ORTHODOX NEW YEAR

Wisdom, Chapter 17, Verse 8-10

⁸For they who undertook to banish fears and terrors from the sick soul themselves sickened with ridiculous fear. ⁹For even though no monstrous thing frightened them, they shook at the passing of insects and the hissing of reptiles, ¹⁰ And perished trembling, reluctant to face even the air that they could nowhere escape.

Darkness afflicts the Egyptians, while the Israelites have light!

Only the Light of Christ dispels the Darkness[1]

What are the preparations necessary so that “something (effective) happens” as we exercise the three offices of Christ in the war “against the principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the evil spirits in regions above” (Eph 6:10-12)?

The word “hot” (“Go Weapons Hot”) gives us an excellent acronym for understanding how we are best positioned to receive the free offer of God’s supernatural grace: H.O.T. = Humility, Obedience, Trust.

Humility: St. Ignatius of Loyola said, “There is no doubt that God will never be wanting to us, provided that He finds in us that humility which makes us worthy of His gifts, the desire of possessing them, and the promptitude to co-operate industriously with the graces He gives us.”

Obedience: St. Josemaria Escriva wrote, “The power of obedience! The lake of Genesareth had denied its fishes to Peter’s nets. A whole night in vain. Then, obedient, he lowered his net again to the water and they caught ‘a huge number of fish.’ Believe me: the miracle is repeated each day.”

Trust: St. Alphonsus Liguori taught, “He who trusts himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things.” The most important aspect of the devotion of Divine Mercy is the need to trust in God’s goodness. Jesus revealed to St. Faustina that “the vessel with which souls receive abundant graces, and special favors, is confidence!” The confident, trusting soul is like a lightning rod for God’s mercy and grace.

Orthodox New Year^{^[2]}

Orthodox New Year is celebrated as the first day of the New Year as per the Julian calendar. Orthodox New Year is a celebration of the year to come. It is often referred to as Old New Year, and is celebrated by Orthodox churches in Russia, Serbia, and other Eastern European countries on January 14. Although most countries have adopted the Gregorian calendar, where New Year's Day is January 1, the Orthodox Church still follows the Julian calendar, which places Christmas on January 7 and New Year's a week later.

· Russian Orthodox churches in the United States hold church services often with festive dinner and dancing to celebrate the holiday. The traditional dishes include meat dumplings, beet salad, pickled mushrooms, tomatoes, and cucumbers along with vodka.

· Orthodox Serbians also celebrate Old New Year, which is sometimes called the Serbian New Year. Many Serbians Orthodox churches hold services, followed by dinner, and dancing.

· Although the Old New Year is a popular holiday for many practicing the Orthodox faith, it isn't an official holiday.

· Macedonians, including those living in the United States, also celebrate Old New Year's with traditional food, folk music, and visiting friends and family.

· Many Russians enjoy extending the holiday season by including Orthodox New Year in it.

Orthodox New Year Top Events and Things to Do

· Enjoy a dinner dance at Orthodox Church with native cuisine folk music.

· Learn to cook some Russian or Eastern European dishes. One of the most important Russian dishes during the holiday season is kutya, a porridge made of grain, honey and poppy seeds. It symbolizes hope, happiness, and success.

· Rent a movie Dr. Zhivago (1965). It depicts some of the lavish parties held during the holidays right before the Russian Revolution. The film is based on the 1957 novel by Boris Pasternak.