Are You The One?

I’ve taken many photographs of cows over the years.  

There is something about cows that fascinate me.  

It is not so much their bodies or the interesting way they lumber about … 

it's their face that draws me - they stare deep into your eyes - it's almost mystical.   

While in Ireland earlier this month, I had Seraphim stop the car so that I could take a picture of this cow.  

As I approached her, she turned toward me and stared.  

Fr. Gabriel Harty, the Rosary Priest (and our dearest friend), looked at the photo and said,

 “the Cows in the field are part of that creation waiting in expectation.  It is a bit fanciful, but I heard a preacher once use it to express the profound truth that Paul expounds in the Letter to the Romans, chapter 8. Here is the text:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

Scripture scholars say that the sin of Adam and Eve, brought a curse on all the earth---even the beasts of the field,---  thorns and thistles to be brought forth.  The blood of Christ flowed out to wash not only human nature but to restore all creation.  

The children of God, the text says, have to reveal the new creation to all waiting in expectation.  The preacher I listened to said that is why the cows come up and look into our faces and wonder if we might not be the one to set them free from the bondage of decay.  They look at you wondering, “Are you the one?” 

At the Offertory of the Roman Mass it is said: “Blessed are you Lord of all creation, we not only lift up the bread and wine for transformation, but we lift up the whole realm of nature that it may share in the freedom and the glory of the children of God.”

In that sense we are all a priestly people. When I walk through the fields or pray the Rosary in our garden, I look around me at the splendour of nature and make an offering of it all to the Father in heaven.”   I was deeply touched by Fr. Gabriel's teaching. 

Later in the week, I was taking a photo of the Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick, from the road.  

As I began to take the photo, this donkey began to come closer and closer.  

Finally he was right in front of me.  

He pensively stared at me so I said to him “What? Do you think I am the one?”  

The donkey began to bray at me!  

Anointing our Prayer Beads on Feast of St. Michael and All Angels

The Feast of the Beads

It is the custom at St. Simeon Skete to anoint our prayer ropes (beads) with sweet smelling oil on the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels because our prayers are likened as the sweet smelling incense that the angels offer to the throne of God. 

Rev. 8: 1-4- 

"1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 

2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 

3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 

4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand."

The angels are waiting for us to pray.  Picture in your mind, angels leaning over from heaven catching our prayers that rise as incense and quickly offering them at the throne of God. I can see them holding their golden bowls peering down at us, whispering "more prayers, more prayers."  

Rev. 5:6, 8 - 

"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 

7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 

8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

The three verities that embody the spirituality of St. Simeon Skete are The Bible, the Bowl and the Beads.  

 

Relative to the Bowl: 

1. If we don't pray, we are like an overturned bowl, nothing can enter (Isa 28:12; Mk. 8:18).
2. If we don't put our prayers into practice, we are like a bowl with a hole in it - everything leaks out (James 1:22; 4:17).
3. If we are double-minded in our prayer, this is similar to using an unclean bowl, contaminating what it receives (James 1: 8; Mt. 23:25). 
4. If we don't pray the bowl becomes full of ourselves - like the "inn" where there was no room for Him (Lk. 2:7; Rev. 3:20).
5. If we don't pray, we become untrusting so that whatever is placed in the bowl will never be enough (Lk. 2:25-32; Mt. 6:33).

At the Skete, the anointing of our beads is known as "The Liturgy of the Beads".   The Liturgy of the Beads is very simple and should be celebrated from time to time and not just on the Feast of All Angels.  Simply lay the beads down on table before a lit candle, anoint them with sweet smelling oil of your choice and pray the prayer of offering as you offer them to God.  

Remember, it is the prayer we say on the beads and each bead is like a little bowl holding what we offer to God.  Then say the following prayer. 

The Rosary, An Area of Prayer

The Rosary has a character that is concerned solely with the sacred. 

Wherever a Rosary is set, that place can more easily become an area of prayer.  

The Rosary Beads help us to overcome that which impedes our awareness that we live in the Presence of God and in the midst of a "cloud of witnesses" - (Heb. 12:1).  The Rosary therefore is an act of witness.  

In the Remnant Rosary we have sixty-three beads giving witness to the twenty plus Mysteries (I Jn. 1:1-5; Col. 1:27; Acts 1:8).  

The Rosary is made up of Mysteries yet we live in an era of de-Mystification, in which everything must be explained in such a way it becomes as linear as flat, dull old wallpaper with the personality of a popsicle stick.  

Everything about the Rosary, its prayers, mysteries, movements, and the Beads themselves are sacred. 

Rosaries should not be in museums and collections.  

They should be put back into the service of the Church from which they were taken.  

Rosaries are not decorations nor are they to be used for jewelry. 

 Rosaries are for prayer and that prayer is at times simply the act of holding them.   

I so appreciate Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's word:

"The Rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadows of this world, and open on the substance of the next.  The power of the Rosary is beyond description." 

   -Seraphim           

The Treasures of NHA, The Treasures of the Church

Today is St. Laurence Day.

The story of St. Laurence, the deacon,  begins after the death of Sixtus, the prefect of Rome 

demanded that Laurence turn over the riches of the Church. 

Ambrose is the earliest source for the tale that Laurence asked for three days to gather together the wealth.  

Laurence worked swiftly to distribute as much Church property to the poor as possible, so as to prevent its being seized by the prefect. On the third day, at the head of a small delegation, he presented himself to the prefect, and when ordered to give up the treasures of the Church, he presented the poor, the crippled, the blind and the suffering, and said that these were the true treasures of the Church. 


One account records him declaring to the prefect, "The Church is truly rich, far richer than your emperor." This act of defiance led directly to his martyrdom.

 Tradition holds that Laurence was burned or "grilled" to death, hence his association with the gridiron. 


Tradition also holds that Laurence joked about their cooking him while he was burning on the gridiron, hence his patronage of cooks and chefs, stating something along the lines of, "turn me over ... I'm done on this side".

St. Laurence was the natural pick to be the patron over our Mission Work in Sierra Leone.  For there, we too, have found the jewels of the church -

the poor

the crippled



the blind

and the suffering

truly they are the treasures of the church 

treasures that we have the responsibility to love, care for and come to their assistance.   

Please, consider making a donation to the work of Nazareth House Apostolate today.  

Remember it is YOUR work,  Your prayers, Your love 

being carried out in the lives of those in need.  

Donations can be made using a credit card through the Donation Link on our website:

www.nazarethhouseap.org 

or mailed to 

NHA - St. Simeon Skete

Sierra Leone Mission

185 Captains Cove Dr. 

Taylorsville, KY 40071 

Be sure to check back on this blog regularly to see your gift in action.   

Seventeen Days of the Name

Seventeen Days of The Name 

The Seventeen Days of The Name begins with the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene (July 22) who was the first to witness the Resurrection.  From here we proceed to the Feast of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus (July 27)*, these six days compose “The Pilgrimage of the Seven Sleepers” where we pray the Seven Redemptive Names of God.  Eleven days further delivers us into the second day of “The Rosary Novena for Peace” (August 6 -14).  These first two days that the seventeen brings us to are feasts that give us the eighth and ninth Names of God, i.e., August 6, The Feast of the Transfiguration giving us the all encompassing Name, “I AM” and August 7th, the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Incarnate Salvific ninth Name of God. 

Icon of Mary Magdalene and Icon of Seven Sleepers, St. Simeon Skete

Just as the Seven Sleepers waited to be awakened (resurrected) into a new world and life, so the Seven Redemptive Names of God lie in the cave of our hearts (Mt. 6:6) waiting to be resurrected into our lives, our decisions, our responses and directions we take. 

The Seventeen Days of the Name as with the Seven Sleepers is the work of representing eternity in time and perceiving in time eternity. For this work to be realized in our lives we must survive the impact of the world upon our resurrection which is everyday present.  Here the Cave has a distinct role in religion and society via initiation through withdrawal (Mt. 6:6) into an environment of internal isolation with God alone as a rite of seclusion as well as resurrection.  Therefore, due to this seclusion, a “new” kind of awareness and knowledge of God’s intentions for humanity with regards to the resurrection can enter we who are represented by the seven sleepers. 

The Particulars for "Spelunking the Seven Sleepers”

1. Use the Redemptive Rosary for Compline during the Seventeen Days
2. Sprinkle your face with Holy Water seven times and share Scriptures on waking up, being awake, etc. 
3. Visit a cemetery - “thin places”
4. Make Seven Offerings of yourself.
5. Visit a Cave and pray the Names of God.
6. Light seven votive candles and make reparation for the misuse of God’s Holy Name.
7. An Abrahamic meal of lamb and couscous (Gen. 18:8) can be served on the Feast Day of the Seven Sleepers - 27th of July or as a celebratory end to the 17 days of The Name - August 7th. 

An Ode by al-Hallaj 

“In my inmost heart there is a pearl

I cannot touch (Mt. 13:45-46). 

I tremble when my thievish doubts

draw near.

It is a gift my Love has given me

to keep in trust.

Though blind, by it I see;

Naive, I am made wise.

The Seven Sleepers know this Love.

They are my friends. 

Time stops in the shadow

Of their mountain  (Mt. Celion). 

In its hush my Love returns

To claim His pearl.”

It is not about how we were, but about us as we are, a resurrected people now.  It is about Malcius who, as us, was awakened in the Cave and walked out into Ephesus with the old coins that showed the world in turmoil.  May we be good stewards of these nine most Holy Coins.

For more details about the Seven Sleepers and NHA, please see our previous blog post here: Seven Sleepers Blog Post

* In 2013, St. Simeon Skete embraced the Western date of July 27 as the celebration day of the Seven Sleepers.  This links together the Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene, July 22, composing the 6 days of the Pilgrimage of the Seven Sleepers.  

Rosary Reparation Retreat

Yesterday, July 8th; we met for the Rosary Reparation Retreat at St. Pachomius House; one of the Nazareth House Apostolate, St Simeon Skete Field Houses located in Louisville, Kentucky.   

Seraphim has been prayerfully developing the Reparation Rosary since the 1970’s and on July 8, 2015 it was officially inaugurated as the 3rd and Final Strand of the Prayer Rope of St. Simeon Skete. 

“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, 
and I fill up in my flesh 

what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, 

for the sake of his body, which is the Church.” -Col. 1:24

We were presented with The Face,  The Name & The Heart of Jesus as well as rosaries & booklets

Definition of Reparation: fix, repair and restore.  -Hence, making reparation for the blasphemies, outrages and crimes committed against our Lord God within and through the Church and the world.  There is much work to be done. 

This Heart was adapted from the Heart in the NHA Trademark

The Program of Reparation: 

“If my people, which are called by my Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” -2Chron. 7:14 

We launched the Reparation Rosary by first praying it and then discussing what it means and how it is to be used. 

Seraphim talked about when he first went to Sierra Leone, it was to make repairs for the violence.  Repairing violence with prayer and love.  From the war stemmed hunger, repair hunger by giving someone some food.  Seraphim carefully reminded us that this rosary is not a revengeful tool to get back at those that have done wrong but that the driving motivation is to repair what has been done wrong in the eyes of God, i.e. If God’s Name is misused, make repairs by praising His Name and using it properly.  

This Reparation Rosary is not about reprisal but hopes to stop the offense before there is a need for reparation.  Our drive and motivation is that there are no offenses.  

Our Patrons of Reparation: 

1. Bartimaeus was blind and wanted to see. He called out the Most Holy Name of Jesus and was by Him, who he called, able to see. (Mk. 10:46-52). 
2. Veronica - The Prayer of Reparation is the Veil of Veronica. Note: Tradition states that Veronica and the woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment are the same woman (Mk. 5:24 –34). 

“The Prayer of Reparation seeks to make whole what is fragmented by putting love where there is none, by gazing with reverence upon Him who men disdain, i.e. “The one from whom men hide their faces” -Isa. 53:3. Abortion is an outrageous blasphemy against the Holy Face of Jesus because it prevents a child’s face from seeing another human face (Ex.20:13; 1Cor. 8:12; Mk. 9:42; Mt. 25:40). It also is an offense against the Most Sacred Name of Jesus because abortion prevents putting a face to a name. Putting a face to a name has great effect. When the soldiers came to the olive grove in search of Jesus, he met them asking: “Who are you looking for?” and they replied “Jesus of Nazareth” and Jesus responded “Iam he”.  When Jesus said, “Iam he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:3-6). satan and his co-operatives want to keep separated the Most Holy Name of Jesus from His Holy Face. But when Jesus was named satan was disarmed! Note well, the Face of Jesus is intended to change the face of the earth (Lk.1:31: 2:21; Phil.2:9-11). " 

Crucifix housed at St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville,  Kentucky

"To be one who makes repairs is to give our Lord what others deny him. Just recently I was told of a television show that featured various people urinating on the Crucifix of our Lord. Upon hearing this I immediately went to the prayer chapel and placed eleven crucifixes on the altar, lit a candle that I intend to keep burning for 40 days and then offered incense in a deep spirit of reparation. Our Lord said “I thirst” (Jn.19:28). This thirst continues unquenched because it is a thirst for souls, faith, hope, love, thanksgiving, petition and adoration. Our Lord’s thirst will continue until the end of time but so will the call to reparation continue among and in his people." 

“Let the priest, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar” - Joel 2:17; Ezek. 22:30 

"The Face of Jesus, the Name of Jesus and now the Heart of Jesus seen in his Name and of his Face: It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that the organ of the Heart with its crown of thorns and flame of love began to appear. The more ancient images of the Sacred Heart was that of the wound itself in the side of our Lord’s body. 

The open Wound was in itself an invitation to press beyond it, to cross its threshold, to make one’s dwelling in the inner sanctuary of the Sacred Heart but the Heart remained hidden. We must be careful in taking the Heart of Jesus and enthroning it by itself, in doing so we run the risk of taking the Heart without the Wound. One must be wounded to embrace His woundedness to get to His Heart. 

The Prophet Joel says “wound your hearts” - Joel 2:13. As you make reparations before image of the Sacred Heart keep in mind the wound in His side (John 19:34; 20:20; 1John 5:6,8). Hence the putting of “a” Face to “a” Name leads to the Wound which leads to the Heart. "

“My heart says to you, ‘Seek His Face!’  Your face, Lord, I will seek! -Ps. 27:8 

"Finally, reparation is the unceasing effort to bear witness before endless crosses on which our Lord continues to be crucified.  Experiential Reparation makes present in the history of humanity the force of redemption.” -Seraphim 

“Lord I do not desire the death of sinners, but that they be converted and live.  Father forgive them.” (Ezek. 18:32; 33:11; Micah 7:18; I Tim. 2:1-8)