Akathist by Mykhayl

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(STAND)

XI PRESENT… 176-200 (1375)

MEDITATION 11

(CHANTER:)
The first millennium Pope Adrian II (the second)(869) showed how sister churches could function with primacy. The next millennium Pope Leo IX (the ninth)(1054) * showed how an absolute powers can corrupt primacy. Let us enter this third millennium seeing the Christian pendulum swing but to neither extreme. * Christendom can no longer a commodity of territorial lost souls. Let us be the catholic church of the orthodox faith.

CHANT 11

(CLERGY:)

Attention! A reading from Saint Matthew:

(ALL:)
Glory be to You O Lord glory be to You
Alleluia, alleluia!

(CLERGY:)
At that time Jesus crossed by boat into His home town. And behold they came to him carrying a cripple, lieing upon a mat; and when Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic “Be cheerful My son, for your sins are forgiven”. (Matt 9:1-2)

(ALL:)
Glory be to You Our God glory be to You.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
(THOSE FATIGUED MAY SIT)
(ALL:)
176 Rejoice reviewing the original Patriarchs, starting with the sea of Saints Peter and Paul as all roads lead to Rome, * followed by Constantinople visited by Saint Andrew but founded by Saint Constantine an emperor.

Then Antioch who coined our unifying name “Christian” and, Alexander of the great library * where scripture was codified, and finally Jerusalem where it began.

177 Rejoice for Albania nestled in the Balkans evangelized by Saint Paul, * transformed by Ottoman occupation allowing Semitic Jews to successfully hide during the Nazi invasion. (14th c.)

Granted an ancient church patriarchate after throwing off Hellenistic chauvinist elements * which sustained them through ought the centuries and of the Godless communist persecution (1037 / 1944).

178 Rejoice for Armenia nestled between the Black and Caspian Seas, whose people are cosmopolitan nomads * evangelized by Saints Bartholomew, and Thaddeus.

First state of Christendom, daughter of Antioch, * with an ancient historic community nested in Lviv Ukraine (303, 1363).

179 Rejoice for Bulgaria situated on the Balkan peninsula was first evangelized by Saint Paul. * An early center for the missionaries of the Saints Cyril and Methodius tradition (870).

Perpetually struggled for autonomy, under Istanbul sought Roman protection * which lingered through the Godless Soviet persecution. (1944).

180 Rejoice for Belorusian north of Chornobyl, was evangelized * by the Slavonic missionaries sent by Saint Vladimir.

The crowns of Polish and Russian played with the “old ritual” vaporizing it as mere incense to burn, * until the Communists Chornobyl disaster rekindled the people’s resolve (1986).

181 Rejoice for Croatia situated on the crossroads of the Mediterranean Sea and central Europe * from where queen Fritigil requested missionaries from the Ambrosians of Milan.

Pope Innocent IV sent Roman missals translated into Slavonic using the Glagolithic alphabet. * With the “old ritual” Christianity survived with exarchates for Serbia and Macedonia through the Communist persecutions (1248 / 1945).

182 Rejoice for the Czech people of Bohemia * evangelized by Saints Constantine, later called Cyril and brother Methodius.

From Queen Ludmila’s martyrdom through Communist martyrdom * finally surrendering to their mortality with spiritual apathy.

183 Rejoice for Georgia off the eastern coast of the Black Sea * first evangelized by Saint Andrew, followed by the mission of Saint Nina.

Despite its own patriarchate emperors, saltines and tsars of all three Romes * have been flexing their authority up to and through the communist occupation (1010 / 1921).

184 Rejoice for Greece the cradle of democracy * evangelized by Saint Paul and missionized by Byzantine emperors.

Currently the only state church, heirs of Byzantine pride, * even after suffering under Ottoman arrogance they retained complacency.

185 Rejoice for Hungary sitting in the Carpathian basin * missioned by Saints Constantine – Cyril and Methodius.

A papal crown established it, Hungarian speaking Protestant converts to its old faith * sustaining it through the Soviet persecutions and anti – European reprisals (1000 / 1800 / 1945).

186 Rejoice for the Italo – Albanians dotting Mediterranean ports along Italy with monasteries of the Greco – Roman past.

When Venetians pirated the relics of Saint Nicholas to Bari * they were hailed as liberators, for using a bi-ritual deposition (1087).

187 Rejoice for Lithuania on the Baltic coast who entered Christendom wearing a papal crown, * although a latecomer it is entrenched with Christ while altering alliances (1252).

The style of their cross was made an issue under tsarist chauvinism and crime under Communist persecution. * Presently they await the return of the relics of martyr Saint Josaphut (Josaphat).

188 Rejoice for the Melkites presently flourishing amongst the cedars of Lebanon, * derived from three ancient Patriarchs * of Alexandria Egypt, Antioch Turkey and Jerusalem Israel.

During Vatican council II (two) the Melkites led the meager eastern contingent * in halting wholesale sobor Latinization. (1962 – 5)

189 Rejoice for Poland on the Baltic coast who ignores its past * as Hellenistic Basilian refugees from the iconoclasts to create a cleansed homogeneous history.

The Nazi’s Jewish holocaust followed by the Soviet’s repatriation of the “old religion” adherers * left a novel palette on which to engineer a new monochromatic church and state (1945 / 1947).

190 Rejoice for Romania on the Black Sea orbit missionized from Bulgaria * with fidelity instituted by Vlad Dracul (Dracula 1450).

Through the Ottoman, Hussite, Holy Roman Empire, Austro – Hungarian, Nazi * and, Communist occupations religion was played as if only a fiddle.

191 Rejoice for the new Rus’ located not by territory but by confession * as if a mission received from Saints Cyril and Methodius.

This once ancient confederation is now an elusive confederacy * for the return to a new “orthodoxy” regardless of family derivation or spiritual devotion (Slavophiles).

192 Rejoice for Russia straddling eastern Europe and western Asia * missionized by the Slavonic priests from Saint Vladimir.

The double crowned despots of its state church prevailed till after the Soviet conversion. * The covert motives of Nikon paved the way to a Third Rome, for use by the First and Second comes clean. (Peter, Catharine).

193 Rejoice for Serbia on central Europe’s land route between the Mediterranean * and Black Sea missioned from Bulgaria by Basilian monks.

The Orthodox church has kept a steady hand giving solace, laced with Byzantine pride even through the Communist persecutions (1945).

194 Rejoice for Slovakia centered in Europe * where the missionaries Saints Constantine – Cyril and Methodius were first invited.

Used as a liturgical chess board even during Communism, * behind a Cyril and Methodius façade to hid an old Jesuit directive creating a new Slovakia.

195 Rejoice for Slovenia on the Adriatic coast * Christianized through the once pagan Franks.
Bordering on Italy, the first Slavonic tongue to use a Latin alphabet * from native Saint Jerome created Hieronymian transliteration for translations into the Vulgate.

196 Rejoice for Ukraine evangelized by Saint Andrew the first called. * Where east is east and west is west and the twain meet in this new country with an old name.

After the Communist persecution they used an ancient method for national unity, religions unity. * The study of history is an antidote for contemporary arrogance.

197 Rejoice for North America the new world microcosm calling sister churches to unite in public prayer. * In their democracy tradition is the vote of their ancestors.

Although as their sanctuaries rose wolves in sheep’s clothing cultivated envious spite (Slavophils). * Never the less where the holy gospelbook was exulted non – ethnic converts embrace it.

198 Rejoice for the diaspora as a new world church without borders, * evangelized by emigrant pilgrims from the old world.

Exclusivity cultivates isolation, which diminishes perspective. * If you look through a separated brethren’s spectacles you may see orthodoxy.

199 Rejoice as we understand that it is people that makes a church not real-estate * and the spirit of the law that directs the church not the letter.

We must bear in mind for some an hour of devotion is enough to bear while for others two hours is not enough. * We are to comfort the troubled and only trouble the comfortable.

200 Rejoice in the unity of the Trinity which led us into a trinity of sister churches, * showing all how we are to become icons of the Word.

Do not allow the evaluation of our perspectives prevent us from joining in praise, * while striving to recapture the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church of the orthodox faith.