Good Guys Wear Black | Discerning Your Vocation In The Orthodox Church
For Orthodox Christian Men Discerning A Vocation
By St. Ambrose of Milan Book I: Chapter I Elected to the episcopacy while still a layman, by the common acclaim of the citizens of Milan, St. Ambrose took his duties and those of his clergy with great seriousness and exacting. We'll be publishing a section of his work "On The Duties Of Clergy" every Monday for awhile. Read and enjoy. 1. I think I shall not seem to be taking too much on myself, if, in the midst of my children, I yield Read more…
HOMILY GIVEN BY ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ON THE DAY HE WAS ORDAINED PRIEST St. John Chrysostom was called to the priesthood and ordained by Flavian, bishop of Antioch, early in the year 386. This is the date of his first sermon: he had not yet descended into the lists, as he himself puts it. What will you preach at your ordination? Think about it! St. John Chrysostom speaks of himself, the bishop and the people. 1. Is what has Read more…
From Byzantine, TX I have written (and subsequently deleted unpublished) posts on this topic numerous times. Usually I write while aggrieved by some clergyman in particular, but, as I find myself with only a few unrequited missives in clergy email boxes, I have the necessary apathy to put pen to paper. It is a surprise to few that priests don't answer emails. They also don't answer the phone. If you go to a church during the week Read more…
by George Benjamin Gapen The current shortage of priests has resulted in the recruiting of candidates. Since the parish priest has a unique role in such efforts, this seems an appropriate time and place to remind you of a few things. First, a vocation to the Holy Priesthood is something you cannot produce. Despite intuitions and wishes you cannot impose a vocation where God has not seen fit to grant it. It degrades Divine Providence Read more…
by Professor Contantine Scouteris Some Theological and Canonical Considerations 1. The records of the early Christian tradition leave no doubt that Christian priesthood is not a "function" necessary for the institutional being of the Church. Nor is it an autonomous, isolated and self sufficient office belonging to the ordained individual. It is rather a ministry related and belonging to the entire ecclesial body. We can think of it Read more…
While not an authoritative source for such information, it is worth noting that even Answers.com can have something useful to say about it. Answer: To have a vocation is to have a specific "calling" or disposition towards the religious life. This means that God has granted the soul the grace of a vocation, or the invitation to intimately participate in ministry of His Church or to live, pray and work closer to Himself by living a Read more…
by St. Nikolai Velimirovich "And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them" - Acts of the Apostles 6:6 By laying their hands on the chosen faithful, the apostles consecrated bishops, priests and deacons. It is apparent from this that the Christian Faith is not only a teaching, but also a power. It is not only necessary to know but also to have power. It is not only necessary to be chosen by men but you should be Read more…
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