Category: Worship

The Churching of Infants: Reflections on Liturgics in a Pan-Orthodox World

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Among my less-public duties is that I serve in the Department of Liturgics for the archdiocese in which I serve. I am not a liturgical scholar nor a translator. My job is mainly to help make sure that the English we use is the finest and most appropriate. I am, however, a liturgist in the sense of being a liturgical celebrant at the holy…

A Tale of Two Rich Young Men

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost / Twelfth Sunday of Matthew, August 27, 2017 I Corinthians 15:1-11; Matthew 19:16-26 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today let’s hear the stories of two rich young men—one whose name we do not know, who encounters Jesus directly during His earthly…

Who Are Funerals For? And Who Are They About?

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
It’s an old question: Who are funerals for — the living or the departed? If I had to give a quick answer, I would say that funerals are for all concerned, including the departed (in many Christian traditions, we are praying for the departed). But in terms of their impact “on the ground,” they are probably mostly for the (earthly) living. But the bigger…

Is Witness More Important Than Worship?

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Today, I came across a meme image on Facebook showing a man walking out of church and featuring the following statement: Your most significant witness is how you treat others after the worship service ends. I’ve seen this sentiment before. The idea here is that, while worship is important, its true purpose is to equip or inspire believers to go out and bring Christ…

What Do You Hold Sacred? Christ and the Woman at the Well

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, May 10, 2015 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Christ is risen! In this beautiful story appointed to be read on the Fifth Sunday of Pascha, the conversion of the Samaritan Woman by the Lord Jesus—who is later known to the Church…

Making Some Noise: Anticipating Holy Saturday and the Harrowing of Hell

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
So, who’s ready for Holy Week? When I first learned of the practice of making noise during the “Arise, O God” of Holy Saturday (which is in imitation of the uproar of hell as Christ enters into it and destroys the power of death), I thought, “This is awesome!” And then I thought, “How would you ever introduce such a practice into a parish?”…

Synaxarion for the Saturday of the Akathist

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
I’m off to Philadelphia for much of the day today to give a couple of talks at one of the churches there, so I thought I would leave you with this today, the synaxarion for the Saturday of the Akathist, the Fifth Saturday of Lent, which is today: On the fifth Saturday of the Great Fast, we celebrate the praise of our Most-holy Lady,…