Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
As I write this message to you, we are less than eight weeks from the consecration of our beloved church, dedicated to the Holy Mother of God. Even though we have our annual festival coming up, which is our largest fundraiser, we must also give full attention to the preparations for the consecration. Obviously, this is an once-in-a-lifetime event which will bring us all together as one family – the local manifestation of the Body of Christ. Let us all find our own humble way to support and participate in this sacred ritual, which will impart the grace of the Holy Spirit upon our temple, and upon each one of us as stewards of our Church. Let us also pray that it may be a transformative event that will bring spiritual growth and unity to us all. If we take a focused look into the deeper meaning of the ritual of consecration, perhaps we will see the obvious benefits it could have on all levels.
When we translate the term consecration into Greek, the word is engainia, from the verb engainizo. The dictionary definition of this word is to inaugurate, to dedicate. Obviously, this brings to mind the idea of a new beginning – a sense of renewal. By understanding the meaning of the Greek equivalent of consecration, we can expand our view beyond that of a ritual with the purpose of making something sacred.
Upon consecrating an Orthodox parish church, the entire temple is set apart from the ordinary world as sacred space. The focus of the consecration ritual is the altar table, which becomes the holiest and most sacred part of the church. Because the Holy Table and the walls of the temple itself will be anointed with Holy Chrism, the grace of the Holy Spirit will be forever with us when we gather in worship. The Holy Table will be a consecrated throne of God and an extension of the Holy Sepulcher of Christ. The blessings and intercessions of the three martyred saints whose relics will be entombed in the Holy Table, will perpetuate for our benefit. (Let me note that the relics we will be receiving are those of St. Panteleimon, St. Kyrikos, and one of the Martyrs of Raitho in Sinai.)
Now that we’ve discussed the sanctification of the Holy Table and the transformation of the temple into sacred space, let us turn our attention toward our own transformation as a parish family. As I’ve stated above, a consecration is an inauguration – a new beginning. Therefore, as of 10/10/10, the parish of the Annunciation in
Over two decades ago, the decision was made to construct a larger house of worship for our parish. The vision became a reality through the combined efforts of many, and our existing temple was constructed to serve the needs of future generations of Orthodox Christians in our area. These types of major undertakings in the life of any parish can only come to fruition through unity of spirit, stemming from a true bond of Christian agape. To be able to work toward such lofty goals, the human ego must be suppressed, allowing God’s will to be done through the obedience of His humble servants.
In order for parishes to face the future as beacons of Orthodoxy, parishioners must maintain unity of spirit and the Christians virtues that allow God’s will to be done. When a parish is plagued with rampant egotism and with groups or individuals pushing their own agendas, then it will cease being a parish true to its calling. Instead, it will become a pantheon of self-worship – a spiritual desert incapable of spiritual growth and renewal.
What I have just described can be avoided if we open our heart, mind and soul to God’s grace. Each and every one of us can, and should, make a sacred pledge on the day of the consecration to seek spiritual renewal; to increase church participation if lacking; to increase participation in the holy sacraments, especially holy confession and communion; to improve our personal prayer life, or begin one if non-existent; to be loving and forgiving toward one another; to look beyond our “inner circle” and open our arms and hearts to converts, visitors, and seekers. This list could go on and on, but instead, let each one of us add his/her own spiritual goals to those mentioned above.
Beloved in Christ, again I emphasize that we are one family in Christ, and as with all families, at times we will have our differences, our misunderstandings, our lack of patience. In the end, what keeps a family together is the mutual love and respect that each member has and nurtures. It is no different with our church family. The future of our parish is in the hands of each one of us. May we all use the milestone event of the consecration to seek spiritual renewal on both a personal and parish-wide level. With our Lord Jesus Christ at the helm of the ship, and with the guidance of the most Holy Theotokos and all the saints, we will never be shipwrecked or lost at sea, but continually headed toward eternal life and salvation!
In the love of Christ, +Fr. Anthony