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Аnnual Seminary Christmas Retreat in New York, December 27-29, 2006
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Second and third day at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
On the second and third day of his visit to St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York, His Grace Bishop Maxim and the students participated in the High School and College student Christmas retreat. On Thursday, December 28, His Grace met a few faculty members headed by Professor Paul Meyendorff, and extensively talked about life at the seminary and the work of this high theological school. His Grace toured the school complex, chapel, administrative building, library, faculty, as well as the married couple and male and female student housing. This whole complex makes St. Vladimir’s Seminary a unique place in America.
The next day, December 29, the feast day of the Innocent children who perished by the hand of Herod (according to the Gregorian-New calendar), the Divine Liturgy was served in the Holy Three Hierarchs chapel which was presided by His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western American Diocese and concelebrated with four priests and two deacons. The Liturgical typicon of reading Eucharistic prayers out loud and serving with the Royal Doors open was followed. At the end of the Liturgy, His Grace expressed his gratitude to the seminary dean, professors, and staff, wishing them much success and God’s blessing in new 2007 academic year. The Liturgical-prayerful remembrance of the founders and fathers of this highly esteemed school was commemorated, among them: Georges Florovsky, Alexander Schmemann, and John Meyendorff. After lunch his Grace Maxim read prayers for the completion of this retreat and for a safe return of all participants. Afterwards, he spent time in informal conversation with students during which he answered the many questions they asked.
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The retreat of the Orthodox youth of America concluded in the afternoon. The participants and students went back home enriched with the precious experience of Liturgical life; they learned orthodoxy theology in praxis through the every day fellowship and community life. The services, gospel readings with exposition, conversations, questions and answers, lectures of young instructors, shared meals in refectory, recreational time, visits to various significant places, the blessings from priests and the bishop – all this represents a unique experience that each participant will cherish in their heart.
Through the general theme of the retreat, Inked or Sealed: To Whom Do You Belong, the key question of a Christian’s identity in this world was reflected upon. The modern and popular “craze” of tattooing one’s body was placed and considered in the light of the Christian practice of Chrismation.
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Students remarked that both acts, tattooing and Chrismation, consequently reveal to every man the question of identity and belonging. Identifying with that which represents man’s ideal is intimately a choice of every man. However, the question is how much freedom and voluntarism does he have. How much compulsion? What is his persistence? An attempt to answer these questions was made by these young high school and college students from throughout North America who gathered at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York, from December 27 to 29, 2006, for a regular high school and college student Christmas retreat. They studied the views of the modern phenomenon of tattooing, comparing it to another practice, that of the Biblical/New Testament theme of “sealing” which is imparted to Christians in the form of anointing with chrism during baptism, an expression of belonging, orientation, identification with Christ through the Holy Spirit. What are the similarities and where are the differences?
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To avoid a pure academic approach, the theme was studied in groups aided by three lecturers, but also through fellowship, prayer time, meals, excursions, and other activities, crowned by the Divine Liturgy which was on Friday, December 29, served His Grace Bishop Maxim. It was remarked that the act of the “seal of the Holy Spirit” is the action which seals the Baptism in a voluntarily uniting of oneself to the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. The Chrismation is a seal that remains forever; despite its invisibility (unlike tattooing), it offers to man the freedom to always regard it in an unrestricted manner. Tattooing is not a Christian practice, although some extreme cases do exists, for example an Ethiopian Christian woman who bears a tattooed Cross on her forehead or hand while living among Muslims. The seal of Chrismation with its lack of imposition reveals God’s relation to man. God does not impose himself on anyone; He reveals himself and calls. It can be said that God with his approach reveals a unique “weakness”, as characterized in the Byzantine theology – “God’s principle weakness” (Areopagite). The Almighty God can, but does not wish, to eradicate the most precious gift – man’s freedom, as He did not remove it in the original sin and the fall of the first man.
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Man’s search for a “seal” or “sign”, symbolically demonstrates that he truly does not possess the meaning and significance in himself. The theme requires deeper and more detailed reflection. Man is a being that seeks identity outside of himself, his focus and center are found outside of his being. That is why the word of the Gospel to man’s heart, and treasure (where your treasure is, there your heart will be) applies to the question of a seal, tattooing, identity and belonging.
Pictures:
- His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Western American Diocese in the meeting with professors of St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary.
- Bishop Maxim and professor Paul Meyendorff
Liturgy at Holy Three Hierarch chapel (detail)
Photo of all participants in front of the chapel
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