Two recommended essays, both by super-correct authors, but both very good essays.
The Calendar Question, Fr. Basil Sakkas
The Orthodox Churches and the New Calendar (1918-1939), Dr. Vladimir Moss
The new calendar, whatever it was in the past, has come to be a sign and a symbol of renovationism, KGB, freemasons, apostasy, corruption and deceit. By itself, the new calendar can be defended. But from where it comes and with what & whom it is associated can not be excused. Today the new calendar is only found in world orthodoxy, and it has become an identifying characteristic of apostasy. There are a few old calendar jurisdictions that are in communion with world orthodoxy, and these jurisdictions, despite that they keep the use of the old calendar for themselves, have not been able to protect themselves from the apostasy of world orthodoxy.
People in new calendar Churches do not see what the fuss is about, they don't think the calendar is important, and certainly it is less confusing to use the new calendar. I believe the underlying reason for this reasoning, or attitude, is because they have lost, or never had, a connection with the Church Triumphant, the Heavenly Church – the part of our Church where are the angels and the saints. Where there is the ceaseless sound of those who keep festival...
Time matters. The Lord created us and established His earthly Church both within the context of time. When the old calendar Churches are celebrating St. Nicholas on December 6/19 and the new calendar Churches are celebrating St. Boneface on December 6/19; which one do you think is happening in Heaven? Is Heaven serving two different liturgies to accommodate men's division? To think that time is non-existent in Heaven, so it can't matter, is not a way around the problem. Time is not absent or disorderly in heaven, instead it is fulfilled in Heaven, it is different, yes, but different in that in Heaven it is eternity. Where there is the ceaseless sound of those who keep festival...
The Royal Path Churches have a better sense of the Heavenly Church, the Church Triumphant in heaven. It is not that we are stubborn in sticking to the old calendar as many new calendarists accuse us. It is because we are very reluctant to jeopardize the one spot on earth where Heaven & Earth overlap – which is in our Divine Services.
Here is a pretty sure indication of what Heaven thinks about this matter:
The Appearance of the Cross in Athens
0 comments:
Post a Comment