Serbian History 101

St. Elijah S.E.O. Church in Aliquippa, PA middle of Easter Lent, 2009.  A full church, 14-15 altar boys, a beautiful choir all led by      V. Rev. Stevan Stepanov bring a beautiful feeling of peace and heavenly serenity.  You're welcomed to come see what we mean!

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Becoming Orthodox is a matter of individual choice.

No one is coerced to become an Orthodox Christian. Each person embraces the Lord Jesus Christ freely and voluntarily.

Remaining Orthodox is a voluntary decision. Each day the believer decides whether to remain Orthodox or to depart from this identification and unity with Christ.

Babies are commonly baptized as Orthodox Christians.  The identity must be reaffirmed and fully embraced during the ensuing days of life when
the mind is fully conscious of the meaning of Orthodox Christianity.

Becoming Orthodox is expected to be a joyful and knowledgeable decision. Parents bringing the child for baptism are expected to be knowledgeable about Orthodoxy and making an informed decision.

"Putting on Christ" at Holy Baptism brings a whole new identity. The identity links the person with the Lord Jesus Christ. The identity links the person with Orthodox Christians past and present.

Becoming Orthodox involves embracing a set of beliefs summarized in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Becoming Orthodox involves accepting
a way of life in Christ.

Orthodox believers are expected to fast and pray in a certain way and throughout their lives. Orthodox believers are expected to attend the Divine services of the Church.

Orthodox believers are expected to repent and confess sins. Orthodox believers are expected to partake of the Precious Body and Blood of Christ.

If choosing to marry, believers are expected to marry in the Church.

Married couples are expected to be faithful to each other. They are expected to love each other and be forgiving of each other. They are expected to raise their children in the Church.

Becoming Orthodox carries with it the expectation of seeking the salvation of the soul. Becoming Orthodox carries with it the expectation of "seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness."(Mt.6:33)

Becoming Orthodox includes the dominant expectations of seeking continuous unity with Christ, joy in Christ and peace in Christ. Becoming
Orthodox includes the expectation of enjoying  the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit includes: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;"(Gal.5:22-23) Becoming Orthodox involves looking to the Triune God completely.

Orthodoxy involves living in a way pleasing to God out of a desire to love and please God. Some are faithful Orthodox Christians from infancy. Others come to Orthodoxy later in life. People become serious believers at different ages.

Being a serious Orthodox Christian means being continuously sensitive to the Cross of Christ. Being a serious Orthodox Christian means embracing the Virgin Birth, Death and Resurrection of Christ.

Being a serious Orthodox Christian involves seeking to pray continuously and seeking to refrain from sin completely.

Thankfulness to God is a considered part of being an Orthodox Christian. Being aware of the all- encompassing presence of God and manifestation of God in daily life is part of being an Orthodox Christian.

Orthodox believers are expected to be familiar with the Holy Scriptures. Orthodox believers are expected to honor and know the meaning of holy icons in Orthodox life.

Orthodox believers are expected to seek growth in Christ throughout life. Orthodox believers are expected to respond to crises and suffering in ways manifesting Christ in their lives.

Each moment of the Orthodox life is to be a decision- time for Christ. Each moment of Orthodox life is expected to be appreciated as a gift from God. Each talent and gift from God is best used to the glory of God.

Becoming Orthodox is a conscious choice directed toward the Kingdom of God. Life-long learning in Christ is an expectation. Growth in Christ is an expectation. Faithfulness to Christ is an expectation.

The joy of Christ is paramount in the life of believers. The love of Christ is paramount in the life of believers. The Cross of Christ is central to the faith of believers.

The journey to the Kingdom of God may be or long or short. Individuals choosing to be Orthodox should be prepared for the long journey but also for the shortness of life.

No one knows when Christ will return. No one knows when he or she will take his or her last breath. The Psalmist said: "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom."(Ps.89/90:10).

During Holy Week believers are reminded of the account of the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish. The five wise virgins were prepared for the Bridegroom.

The Lord Jesus Christ said: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."(Mt.25:13)

Individuals make choices on what to do with the remaining time of their lives. A certain amount of individuals choose to be Orthodox Christians. When they make the choice they are set apart. How they live determines their faithfulness to the choice made. How they live determines their faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

Becoming Orthodox is about loving Jesus Christ and living for and with Jesus Christ. Becoming Orthodox is about having the Name of Jesus on the mind, in the heart and on the lips.

Becoming Orthodox is about seeking to be with Christ throughout every moment of every day. Becoming Orthodox is to say with the Holy Apostle
Paul: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me."(Gal.2:20)

Love for Christ is a consuming love. Love for Christ is a burning love. Love for Christ summons the heart, mind and soul of a person. Love for Christ brings joy to the total being.

Love for Christ brings change to a person. Values are different. Actions are different. Thoughts are different. The Holy Apostle Paul said: "Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."(Phil.3:8)

To live in Christ is to look to Christ for self-worth.  To live in Christ is to look to Christ for the lasting values in life. To live in Christ is to seek guidance from Christ in use of talents and resources.

Christ provides strength in times of adversity. Christ provides power in times of weakness. Christ provides eloquence in times of need. When a person has no place to turn and desperation sets in, Christ provides
refuge.

A person will never exhaust Christ when turning to Christ in prayer. A person will never exhaust or weaken Christ when turning to Christ in hope and joyful anticipation.

Christ understands individuals of all ages and all ethnic and national backgrounds. Christ understands all languages. Becoming Orthodox may link a person with a certain ethnic identification.

A certain ethnicity is not required to become Orthodox. Individuals of all races and ethnic backgrounds enjoy the Orthodox life.

The mind is a gift from God. Speech and decision- making powers are gifts from God. Health is a gift from God. Life is a gift from God. What a
person does with life can be a person's gift and expression of appreciation to God.

Fullness of life is best experienced with God. Fullness of life comes through frequently partaking of the Precious Body and Blood of Christ. Fullness of life comes through living in peace with God, with family,
neighbors and friends

A Christian may experience enemies. The wise believer will think carefully about the words in Proverbs. Proverbs states: "When a man's ways
please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."(Pr.16:7)  Orthodoxy is a way to achieve that peace.

Outdoor Religious Program.

May 19/June 1, 2008. Priestmarytr Patricius.
Father Rodney Torbic

V. Rev. Fr. Dr. Rodney Torbic

Contact him at stgeorge@alltel.net

St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Carmichaels, PA 

You can read more of Fr. Rodney's wonderful writings by going to this website:

http://www.stgeorgeserbian.us

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Our Forefathers embraced and appreciated the Brilliance of Orthodoxy

To read more about the History of the Serbian Orthodox Church by V. Rev. Dr. Radomire Popovic,

-click on the Astratec link above.

To Pentecost:

The spread of Christianity begins.

Every Orthodox Bishop can trace his lineage back to one of Jesus' original apostles.

Eastern Orthodox Christians believe the Orthodox Church is the authentic and original Christian Church established by Jesus Christ and his apostles.

Eastern Orthodox Christians believe they are the preservers of the teachings and traditions given to the early Christians by the Apostles 2,000 years ago.

The word "Orthodox" means "right belief"

coming from the Greek "orthos"  (right, true, straight)

and "doxa" (belief, thinking)

  Orthodox Christians use the original form of the Nicene Creed created at the First and Second Councils of Constantinople in 325, 381

(From www.OrthodoxChristian.info, we find that the Nicene Creed is comprised of 12 articles of Faith that summarize the essentials of the Christian Faith :

I believe in one God, Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages,
Light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one essence with the Father, through him all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man,
And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried,
And rose on the third day according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father,
Who together with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified, and Who spoke through the Prophets.
In one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I expect (Look for) the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Recited every Divine Liturgy, every Baptism.  Most Orthodox Christians know this by heart.

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Patriach Pavle reminds us to heed the words of Jesus Christ if we're to be good Orthodox Christians:

‘Hereby I send you like sheep among the wolves. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves.’ And this means that wisdom will preserve us from wolves tearing us apart, and kindness will prevent us from turning into wolves.

In other words, we should develop our intellectual abilities without limit, but under the condition of developing our goodness and kindness at the same time, since our mind is like an internal eye helping us perceive what other living beings cannot possibly see. A mind is cold and sometimes it cuts through the heart. Goodness is warm, but blind. When you unite and develop simultaneously both our mind and our goodness, then you become a true human. Children, this is what it is all about. You can see for yourselves where materialistic one-sidedness leads, this present-day pursuit of pleasure. You can judge by your friends and relatives - how many children in elementary schools take drugs? You must have a mind and logic and develop them like a snake. The snake knows that if you cut off its tail it will grow again, so the snake protects its head - the head is what matters. While other creatures fight against each other for food, doves never fight among themselves for food." 

St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church in  Aliquippa

Welcome to the St. Elijah's Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church at 2200 Main Street in Aliquippa, PA.

Services start promptly at 10:00 each Sunday morning, with the V. Rev. Fr. Stevan Stepanov officiating. 

Please feel free to join us!  We're so very proud of our beautiful church services, a continuous 2,000 year old Orthodox Christian heritage.

If you would like to find other Serbian Orthodox churches in the area, or even "travel" all the way down to Brazil in South America, be sure to check out the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America website for more information, under the directorship of His Grace Bishop, Dr. Mitrofan Kodic.

To learn more about Orthodoxy's Church History, the Feasts of the Church, Orthodox Dogma and Doctrine, the role of Orthodox Icons, Orthodox Monasticism, Orthodox Prayers, Orthodox Scripture, Orthodox Symbolism, Orthodox Worship, the Sacraments of the Church, the Church Building and Bells, visit this site at the Diocese website:

http://www.easterndiocese.org/about_orthodoxy.html 

Another good source to learn more about our beautiful faith is Ancient Faith Radio

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Poem by Dr. Rodney Torbic on Kosovo, Vidovdan, 2006

The Witness of the Martyrs of Kosovo Endures.

The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Centuries pass and the martyrs still teach.
Centuries pass and the Christ is the same.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Serbian Orthodox Christians remember always.
Serbian Orthodox Christians honor Vidovdan.
The witness of the martrys of Kosovo endures.
Memories of Kosovo martyrs will not fade.
Memories of Kosovo martyrs are fully shared.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Efforts to crush the Faith of Serbs will fail.
Efforts to crush the Kosovo legacy is futile.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Orthodox Serbs confess Christ Crucified.
Orthodox Serbs confess Christ Resurrected.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Vidovdan is marked in every Serbian parish.
Vidovdan is marked in every Serbian heart.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Confessors of Christ partaking of His Body.
Confessors of Christ partaking of His Blood.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Each generation learns the lessons of Kosovo.
Each generation learns of Holy St. Lazarus.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Vigilance continues until justice triumphs.
Vigilance continues until the Second Coming.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Kosovo is truly Serbian in Faith and Spirit.
Kosovo is truly Serbian in history's annals.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
Serbian Blood etches the Holy Kosovo ground.
Serbian Blood etches the Holy Kosovo history.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.
A new day will come for the Serbian Kosovo.
A new day will come for the Serbian People.
The witness of the martyrs of Kosovo endures.

    Father Rodney Torbic

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The Cross:  Instrument of Our Salvation,  the Precious and Life-giving Cross of Christ.

Once a feared symbol of suffering and death, the Cross has become our source of hope.  The SHAPE of the Cross and the bars carry with it a profound meaning.  The TOP bar bears the inscription placed there in Greek, Hebrew and Latin letters by Pontius Pilate.  

"This is Jesus, King of the Jews."  The slanted BOTTOM bar-found in the Slavic tradition of the Triple Bar Cross-symbolically reminds us that the thief crucified to the right of Christ repented and was assured by our Lord that he would be with HIM in Paradise-hence that side of the bottom bar points upward. 

The thief on Christ's left, however, showed no remorse for his deeds.  That side of the bottom bar points downward-the direction which symbolizes eternal damnation.

The tall VERTICAL bar is like an arrow, pointing up and down.  As St. Paul says, the Cross can be a stumbling block to some, and the "power and wisdom of God" to others.  It will either save us or cause our condemnation.

The HORIZONTAL bar gives us the most comforting message.  Although some would say that our Lord's arms are outstretched upon it in a most agonizing manner, we are reminded that it is really "a loving embrace" that we should see.

Through HIS death on the Cross and HIS ultimate Resurrection, Christ calls all of us to join HIM in the glorious Kingdom of Heaven.  This was HIS reason for giving up HIS Life on the Cross: so that we may all find eternal life through HIM.

The Orthodox Weekly Bulletin, Vestal Cliffwood, NJ

3/22/09

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The entirety of the cross symbolizes Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

The four corners of the cross represent the TRINITY (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The fourth corner (bottom of the cross) depicts "One God" (Or the inseparable unity of the Trinity.  (Ethiopian website)

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Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

to Appear on 60 Minutes Segment on Orthodox Christianity

NEW YORK – His All Holiness Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians who constitute the second largest Christian denomination in the world, will be featured on the CBS News program 60 Minutes reported by Bob Simon, scheduled to air on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 7 p.m. EST. The segment will focus on the Orthodox Church, the most ancient Christian church, and its development from its earliest years to modern times in what is now the Republic of Turkey.

His All Holiness was named 11th among the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine and was awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts to promote human rights and religious tolerance. He has also been recognized by the United Nations as a Laureate Champion of the Earth for his pioneering work to protect the environment. Affectionately known as “the Green Patriarch,” Patriarch Bartholomew has called upon leaders of all denominations to join him in this effort, noting simply that “If life is sacred, so is the entire web that sustains it.”

His All Holiness recently concluded an extended visit to the U.S., where he participated in an environmental symposium in Mississippi, ministered to the five million Orthodox faithful in America, and met with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and President Barack Obama, among many others. He is the author of Encountering the Mystery (Doubleday) and In the World, Yet Not of the World (Fordham).

Commenting on the upcoming broadcast, Archbishop Demetrios of America said:

“The appearance of the Ecumenical Patriarch on a program such as 60 Minutes is an extraordinary opportunity for the American public to become aware of our Orthodox Christian Faith. Millions of people who would otherwise have limited knowledge of the Orthodox Church will have the chance to see and hear the highest ecclesiastical personage of our Church in their living rooms. It is also a tremendous opportunity for our own Orthodox Faithful in the United States to see His All Holiness in a way that will surely touch their hearts and minds with love and deep respect.”

60 Minutes is the pre-eminent investigative television news show in the United States and has run on CBS since 1968. It has been among the top-rated TV programs for much of its life and has garnered numerous awards over the years. The show will also be broadcast over the Internet on the 60 Minutes website: www.60minutes.com

More information about His All Holiness’s work for religious freedom, human rights, environmental conservation, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as texts of his addresses may be found at: www.patriarchate.org

Information on religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate may be found on: www.archons.org