Chancellor’s Diary

by Fr. John Jillions

November 5, 2013

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my Savior;
 whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid [deiliaso]?
(Psalm 27:1, Prokeimenon of Baptism)

Though water is never mentioned in this psalm, it begins with light, so it is used at Baptism, also known as Holy Illumination.

Notice that the Lord’s light and…

November 1, 2013

Psalm 26

I wash my hands in innocence, and go about Thy altar, O Lord, singing aloud a song of praise, and telling all Thy miracles. O Lord, I love the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwells. Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with blood-thirsty men, men in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are…

October 30, 2013

Psalm 25

Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation;
 for You I wait all day long.
(Psalm 25: 4-5)

Psalm 25 is a prayer for God’s guidance. We are looking to Him, waiting for Him, asking Him to teach us and lead us. Surely He does this through many…

October 29, 2013

Psalm 24

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord…

October 24, 2013

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
2 he makes me lie down in green pastures. 
He leads me beside still waters,
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil;
 for thou art with me;
 thy rod and thy staff,…

October 23, 2013

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.

(Psalm 22: 1-2; Elevation of the Cross, 1st Antiphon)

Psalm 22 is the psalm of Christ’s crucifixion, and is read on Great and Holy…

October 22, 2013

Psalm 21

Thou hast set upon their heads crowns of precious stones. They asked life of thee, and thou gavest it them.

Yea, thou wilt make them most blessed forever.
Thou wilt make them glad with the joy of thy presence.

(Psalm 20:3-4, 7; marriage prokeimenon)

A “prokeimenon” is a set of Psalm verses that normally precede a reading, which…

October 18, 2013

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
The name of the God of Jacob protect you!

May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion!

May he remember all your offerings…and fulfill all your plans!

Psalm 20: 1,2,3a, 4b (Pentecost, 2nd Antiphon)

This was originally a psalm about the king’s victory in battle, but we…

October 16, 2013

Sobornost in Action

The meetings of the Holy Synod are confidential until minutes are approved and released for publication, but yesterday was an excellent example of sobornost in action on a difficult topic, with hierarchs, clergy and lay staff and advisors working together and I would like to give you a sense of how it all looked from the inside.…

October 15, 2013

Psalm 19

The heavens are telling the glory of God; 
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

Their proclamation has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the universe.

Psalm 19:1,2a, 4 (Pentecost, 1st Antiphon)

The feast of Pentecost marks the…

October 14, 2013

Flags

I don’t normally write for the Chancellor’s Diary on Mondays, but I want to wish all Canadian readers a blessed Thanksgiving Day, which is marked on the second Monday in October and coincides with Columbus Day in the US. The Canadian celebration hearkens back to Harvest Festival thanksgiving and isn’t associated with the Pilgrims.

Since the…

October 11, 2013

Psalm 18

I love Thee O Lord my strength;
the Lord is my firm foundation [rock], my refuge [fortress] and my deliverer.
—Psalm 18:1

Psalm 18 perfectly illustrates how the psalms are woven into Orthodox liturgical life.

This first verse, for example, is normally said quietly by the priest as he kisses the holy gifts before the singing of the…

October 10, 2013

Short diary entry today. I’m driving up to Saint Tikhon’s Seminary in the morning to be there in time for the 75th anniversary celebrations early this afternoon and into the evening. Father Eric Tosi (Secretary) and Melanie Ringa (Treasurer) are driving in too. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon is already there.

* * *

Natalia Sukhanova
Natalia Sukhanova and…

October 8, 2013

Psalm 17

They track me down; now they surround me;
they set their eyes to cast me to the ground. They are like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking ambush. Arise, O Lord! confront them, overthrow them! (Psalm 17:11-13)

Psalm 17 is familiar to anyone who comes to church in time to hear the Third Hour being read before Liturgy (the Hours…

October 4, 2013

Psalm 16

As for the saints in the land, they are the noble in whom is all my delight.
I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
(Psalm 16:3,8)

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.
For thou dost not give me up to Sheol,
or let thy godly one see the Pit.
(Psalm…

October 3, 2013

Psalm 15

O Lord, who shall sojourn in thy tent?
 Who shall dwell on thy holy mountain?
(Psalm 15:1)

Simonopetra Rock
Mount Athos, “The Holy Mountain” (Simonopetra Monastery)

This verse is used on the feast of our Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. But the “holy mountain” is also the common name for Mount Athos, the 1000-year old community of 20…

October 2, 2013

Psalm 14

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
(Psalm 14:1)

This verse is not so much about principled atheists, but practical atheists, which we all are in those dark moments when we stubbornly follow our own will and passions and eclipse God from our decision-making. Liturgically we use this verse at the 9th Hour on Holy…

September 27, 2013

Psalm 13

1 How long, O Lord? Wilt thou forget me forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; illumine my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4 lest my enemy say, “I have…

September 26, 2013

Psalm 12

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.

Everyone lies to their neighbor;
 they flatter with their lips
but harbor deception in their hearts.

May the Lord silence all flattering lips
 and every boastful tongue—
those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips…