www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Targeting areas for Missions.

Larry and John,

I believe we have the best opportunity with starting immediately with #1. The table is already set with our relationship with Holy Resurrection Monestary despite the lack of such relationship out West. We have it. We need to build on it. From that relationship comes the Oblate Community which will have as it's mission the "mission outreach" #3.

Fr. Maximos, where are you?

CDL

I agree.

I think right now what we are looking at is the following:

1) Work on the revitalization of the Parish in Whiting - This paramount, I believe at this point.

2) Work on getting a Mission started in Peoria.

These two areas are the ones that show good promise due to the fact that :

A) The new priest at Whiting is willing to embrace revitalization

B) There is a core group in Peoria that wants a Byzantine Church.

I believe these two are very reachable.

John

We don't need another oblate movement. That sidetracks the whole thing with structure and unnecessary sorts of things like legislation (and is also an entirely Western institution - I am not knocking it at all as I was in the Benedictine oblate process for some time and reaped spiritual benefit).

Let's try to return to the traditional Eastern relationship of the faithful with their monastery and monastic spiritual fathers.

And that also underlies the need to forget about jurisdictional boundaries in this process as all need the guidance of the monks of Holy Resurrection, and in turn they need to belong to whatever eparch will support and foster their call to radical Christianity in the fullest manner.

Diak,

I'm an ignorant former Protestant. I take no offense at your counsel except I don't understand it. What is the bridge between our relationship to Holy Resurrection and our work in missions? If the Oblate community is the wrong name or the wrong approach what is the correct one? What is this mysterious Eastern way that no one seems to know but everyone claims we should be following? Let me know. I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing.

Dan L

Talk to a monk. Develop a relationship. Let it go from there. It has to be on the level of father/son, and not something rationalized into plans and statutes or forced into programs. It is metanoia, one soul at a time and is most certainly not "sitting around".

And precisely the monastery is the powerhouse of prayer in all of these efforts, a quiet, humble, and absolutely necessary rock of the foundation of our evangelical efforts. If we do not have that grounding and guidance from those good men and women living the podvigs of monastic life day in and day out, we are like ships without rudders.

I know all of this is "culture shock" in its fullest sense for someone brought up in western Protestanstism and may seem far too passive. But therein lies the beauty, the countercultural nature, and its root lies the radical Christian essence of monasticism.

Yes, I do understand in principle what you say. My reference to sitting around doing nothing was not to a relationship with a Monastic but to sitting around talking about reviving an Eparchy seemingly hell bent upon self destruction. I shall contact the Monestary.

I know the difference between via positiva and via negativa.

Dan L

This is the reason why we need monastic communities in our Eparchy. We need that power house of prayer.

John

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Here I am!

Father Deacon's point is well taken. The best and most authentic way for people to embrace monastic spirituality is to get to know monastics. But how????

Actually, the Byzantine tradition has developed the ideal organizational mode for connecting authentic monastic spirituality with individual Christians. It's called the parish! It's in the parish that people are called to repent of their sins and embrace a life of ascetic striving for holiness and lasting joy; where people are invited to make over their lives into ceaseless prayer; where people are challenged to remake the world through generous giving to those in need. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving: the three pillars of Christian living are also the three pillars of monastic life. Monastic life is simply in John Paul the Great's immortal words, "the reference point for all the baptized."

The problem identified at the Whiting meeting was that the theory behind the parish system is too rarely translated into reality. This is nothing new. It's what drove St. Anthony into the desert and away from the comforts of home. How can we support those who taste the tang of the desert on their spiritual lips? How do we do this when the simple answer, "go to a monastery," is unrealistic?

This is where I see room for helping to form small communities of deeply commited people who can act primarily WITHIN their parishes as leaven. Provided these small communities are truly monastic in inspiration, above all humble and pooor in spirit, I believe they can be a powerful force for good, well-grounded reform.

On a historical note, it is worth remembering that the Byzantine tradition is flexible enough to accomodate new solutions to contemporary problems. Some of these can both help us both as suggesting new models and also pitfalls to be avoided. I'm thinking, for example, of the lay brotherhoods that played such a pivotal role in the preservation of Byzantine Christianity in 16th/17th century Ukraine. Also, more recently, of the Zoe movement in Greece. What was good about these movements was the way they could harness real spiritual energy in peoples' lives. What was troubling about these kinds of movements was precisely that they operated outside the normal ecclesial structures, even competing with them. I firmly believe that it is possible to do one without falling into the temptation of the other.

Meanwhile, by all means get to know your nearest monastery--even if it is a thousand miles away! We certainly need the prayerful support of the wider Church. And by "we" I mean not only my own community, but all the monastic communities of the Byzantine tradition.

In Christ,
unworthy monk Maximos

Father Maximos,

Bless me a sinner!

So whether or not we call this an oblate community or a brotherhood I wish to be part of it so that we can deepen our spirituality. At the same time I have a deep passion for starting missions. If Father Deacon is correct I still don't understand how these get combined.

We've been asked to help in other areas. Can we simply stay where we are and not help?

Dan L

Dear Dan,

The Lord bless.

I guess all I can say is that new communities are best started by strong communities, and that the best way to get strong communities is for individuals to become holy. I think monastic spirituality reminds us that holiness is the first priority, much more than brain-power, wealth or good advertizing.

So the connection between monastic brotherhoods or oblate programs and new evangelical outreach is a real one, but oblique. You may not get new missions directly out of such an organization, but you should find fired-up and spiritually grounded apostles emerge to work within the Church's normal structures.

Sounds to me like you are one of these!

Perhaps this metaphor will help:--The Church itself provides the necessary machinery and mechanical knowledge. But, in order to run, machines need a release of energy. Monastic movements, both monasteries themselves and those commited to monastic ideals, can be the fuel needed to move the ecclesial machine forward.

Remember me in your prayers.

unworthy monk Maximos