Only by the Grace of and only to the Glory of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, Unbegotten; God the Son, Onlybegotten; and God the Holy Spirit from the Father Proceeding: Celtic Orthodox Christian Monthly

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ our Lord God and Savior:

Christ is Risen! This is the time of the Feast of the Resurrection.   Be joyful and magnify the Lord for what He has done for us. Death seized upon the Deathless Life and Death died.  Some will still say that death and suffering still have hold over us.  That hold is only temporary and false because Christ has reopened the way to Heaven for us and moreover gave us the promise of the final Resurrection.  Death is not the end.  Therefore death has no real hold upon us.  Christ's Resurrection declares that fact.  Christ came into the world for our Salvation.   At this time of year the Church emphasizes all that Christ did for us and the means He established for us to follow Him.

We experience the privations of Lent and the sorrowful services of Holy Week and the suffering, crucifixion and death of Christ.  Yet we do this with the understanding that at the end of it all, we come to the Feast of Feasts: the Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead . That is the example we must follow in our lives.  That whatever we experience in our lives: we still look toward our own Resurrection from the dead.  We  who are Baptized into Christ are Baptized into His death in the hope that we too will arise from death.  No matter what the world has done to us, there is the hope that we will spend eternity with Christ.   This does not make a mockery of sorrow, pain and death, but it affirms that they are not eternal as long as we follow Christ's path.  If one believes rightly and puts on Christ through Baptism, then one embraces Jesus Christ, the Deathless Life.  If one does not, then one remains bound to death and eternal suffering is a reality.

This is the reason that correctness of Faith is so important:  each falsehood is an incursion of the liar and an attempt to bind us to himself, the author of our death.  That is why Christ Himself says: "Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16).

According to the Lord, hearing the Gospel is the first step a person takes toward Salvation.  When He commands the Apostles to preach the Gospel, He does not refer to Scripture alone.  The books of the Gospels were not yet written when He gave that command.  They were written to help fulfill His command.   Our Lord means the Gospel, the Evangelion, the Ev= Good Angelion=News.  The Gospel is the complete uncompromised Doctrine of Christ's Incarnation, death and Resurrection because of God's Love and Charity toward us. We proclaim this need  to hear the Gospel by the service of the Opening of the Ears on the Feast of Palms.

Right Belief is in response to hearing this Good News.  One is called by the gift of Faith  to participate in Redemption through Faithful, believing, participation in the saving Sacraments.  The Sacraments were instituted by Christ Himself.  We proclaim  this at the  Liturgy of the Institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday and recall the reality of Christ's Saving Crucifixion on Good Friday.  Those who are called to this saving truth enter it through the Service of Baptism and Chrismation before the Liturgy of the Feast of the Resurrection

Thus the way is prepared so that all who are called may receive Holy Communion  at the Liturgy of the Feast of the Resurrection  and have the Life that is the Light of men in them.  Let us carry this Feast always with us.  Let the Light of Christ's Resurrection be held high that all the world may be guided by it to the glorious day of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the God and Lord of our Salvation.

May Christ's Peace, which is not the peace of the world, be ever with you all.
Abbot-Bishop Maelruain, Céli Dé
Metropolitan and Archbishop of Armagh

St. Ambrose of Milan (April 4/17), who was born and raised in Christian Gaul,  wrote that it is a Sacrament and discussed it as a necessary precursor to Baptism  in Concerning the Sacraments, his instruction to the Newly Baptized during Bright week.  His discussion in Concerning the Mysteries is shorter than in Concerning the Sacraments, but still points out the importance and precedent for the practice.

From Concerning the Mysteries:
Chapter I
1."We have spoken daily upon subjects connected with morals, when the deeds of the Patriarchs or the precepts of the Proverbs were being read, in order that being taught and instructed by these you might grow accustomed to enter the ways of the ancients and to walk in their paths, and obey the divine commands; in order that being renewed by baptism you might hold to that manner of life which beseems those who are washed.

2."The season now warns us to speak of the Mysteries, and to set forth the purport of the sacraments, which if we had thought it well to teach before baptism to those who were not yet initiated, we should be considered rather to have betrayed than to have portrayed the Mysteries. And then, too, another reason is that the light itself of the Mysteries will shed itself with more effect upon those who are expecting they know not what, than if any discourse had come beforehand.

3. "Open, then, your ears, inhale the good savour of eternal life which has been breathed upon you by the grace of the sacraments; which was signified to you by us, when, celebrating the mystery of the opening,  we said, "Epphatha, which is, Be opened,"  that whosoever was coming in quest of peace might know what he was asked, and be bound to remember what he answered. Christ made use of this mystery in the Gospel, as we read, when He healed him who was deaf and dumb. But He touched the mouth, because he who was healed was dumb and was a man, as regards one point that he might open his mouth with the sound of the voice given to him; as regards the other point because that touch was seemly towards a man, but would have been unseemly towards a woman."

A Service of the Traditio:

The ears of the Catechumens are anointed with Oil of Catechumens and the Priest says: "Effeta: that is 'be opened' Effeta."

Beloved, It is a divine joy to open the Gospel unto you. First we must explain in order, what the Gospel is and whence it cometh and whose words are set forth in it and why there are four who wrote these details and even who these four are, whom the prophet announced by the divine Spirit in symbols. Let this pass down without extreme methodical ordering which may even be a cause of confusion, so that, the ears of you who come to it might be opened and your senses may begin pounding away at it:

The Gospel is properly called the Good Announcement and particularly, it is the announcement/Annunciation of Jesus Christ our Lord: However, the Gospel is descended from Him because it announces and discloses these things which were spoken through His Prophets: He came in the flesh: as was written: I have said: Behold I am with you.

Briefly, this is an explanation of what is the Gospel: who are these four who were indicated by the Prophet? Now we assign figures and names to each based what was indicated by the Prophet Ezechial: "the aspects of those to the right, the first was like unto the Face of a man, the second like unto the face of a Lion ; of those the left the first was like the face of a bull and the second what that of an Eagle. " It is without a doubt that those four figures stand for these four Evangelists, but the names of those who wrote the Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
 

Hear the Gospel according to Matthew:

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of  Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren.
3 And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram.
4 And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon.
5 And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse.
6 And Jesse begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias.
7 And Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa.
8 And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias.
9 And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias.
10 And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias.
11 And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon.
12 And after the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel.
13 And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor.
14 And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud.
15 And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob.
16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations. And from David to the transmigration of Babylon, are fourteen generations: and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.
18 Now the generation of Christ was in this wise.

Beloved Brethren, let us explain to you why each one has its particular image and why Matthew is represented by the figure of a man: It is because the beginning of Matthew's Gospel gives nothing except the birth of the Savior: he tells us of the unabridged order of the generations.
 
 

Hear the Gospel according to Mark:

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaias the prophet: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare the way before thee.
3 A voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

Mark the Evangelist, bearing the figure of a Lion for the wilderness, begins saying "a voice crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord". Further it is because the unconquerable One rules. We find examples of the many aspects of this Lion which are found in the saying: Judah my son is a lion's whelp: of my seed, lying thou dost sleep like a lion as just like a lion cub, who will awaken Him?

Hear the Gospel according to Luke:

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a narration of  the things that have been accomplished among us;
2 According as they have delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word:
3 It seemed good to me also, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mayest know the verity of those words in which thou hast been instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

Luke, the Evangelist bears the aspect of a bull as his emblem: Our Savior is the Sacrifice and therefore Luke is compared to the bull. It is also because it contains the two horns of the two Testaments and the four feet of the four Gospels.
 

Hear the Gospel according to John:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the  Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.

John bears the likeness of an Eagle for he strives to the very heights. As David said of Christ: Thy youth shall be renewed like the Eagle's: it is Jesus Christ our Lord who rising form the dead ascends unto the Heavens whence soon, reigning he will come to us who hope that the Church may be glorified to spread new beginnings of Christian rule.
 
 

The giving of the Creed:

The divine Sacraments, dear Brethren, are not distributed as widely as is believing, neither is believing only but fearing nor can one hold the faith who is not grounded in the foundation of the fear of God. As Solomon said: the beginning Wisdom is fear of the Lord. One who fears the Lord in all things said by God is wise and faithful. This Symbol which you will hear today is that without which one can neither proclaim Christ nor hold the faith nor celebrate the grace of Baptism: The symbol in the seal of faith. the sacrament of the Eternal Catholic religion. May you be adequately prepared with all due reverence: Hear the Symbol which the Holy Catholic Church bequeaths to you from the maternal mouth:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God. Born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of true God. Born, not made, of one Substance with the Father: through Whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our Salvation descended from heaven. And was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary: And was born man. And was crucified also for us: under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven: and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead: Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life: Who proceedeth from the Father. Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified: Who spake by the Prophets. And in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

This explanation of the Symbol is repeated just as we said it so that is may be better implanted in your senses:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God. Born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of true God. Born, not made, of one Substance with the Father: through Whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our Salvation descended from heaven. And was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary: And was born man. And was crucified also for us: under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven: and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead: Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life: Who proceedeth from the Father. Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified: Who spake by the Prophets. And in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Third time, as is said after the same manner so that in the future we may be able to arise by the more faithful course to the order of the composition of the Symbol:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God. Born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of true God. Born, not made, of one Substance with the Father: through Whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our Salvation descended from heaven. And was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary: And was born man. And was crucified also for us: under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven: and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead: Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life: Who proceedeth from the Father. Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified: Who spake by the Prophets. And in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

I believe in one God, the Father  [Pause]  Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God. Born of the Father before all ages. Light of light, true God of true God. Born, not made, of one Substance with the Father: through Whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our Salvation descended from heaven.

Behold, you have added "almighty" and truthfully added nothing which takes away from the promise but watch securely: if you believe because He is omnipotent who makes the promise and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord. This is that sacrament by faith: unless one believes the Son of God with one's whole mind, they cannot confess the Father. Believe therefore in the Son of God: Only begotten of Unbegotten: living from living , true from true.

And was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

You hear the Holy Spirit, the author: yet you might doubt that the Virgin was able to conceive because the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary saying: The Holy Spirit cometh unto thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow Thee. Why do you not believe he was formed a man in the womb of the Virgin Whom you believe formed man out earth? Neither should you doubt that the Virgin remained virgin after birth since many years before, the prophet Isaias blindly said: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. This divine statement is believing by authority.

And was crucified also for us: under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried.

Let nothing confuse you concerning the trepidations and suffering of your Lord. Feel uneasy about nothing concerning the Cross, about nothing concerning the Tomb. Is it not in Him Who redeemeth you of the weakness of your fragility that there is the gift of faith? His Cross is your power. His death is your life.

And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven: and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father.

If the three day burial of your Lord disturbs you, the eternal resurrection should lend all the more strength. The healing of every infirmity is in Christ. Therefore it is appropriate to marvel because He to Whom was due Heaven by attributes bore the Cross for you who are contemptible. If you believe the things you see and deny what you do not see, you are not capable of glory.

And He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead: Whose Kingdom shall have no end.

Behold that He Who was judged of iniquities upon the earth, will come judging, seated in the Heavens. If you discern that any is guilty, then fear the Judge.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life: Who proceedeth from the Father. Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified: Who spake by the Prophets.

If, by faith, you have believed in the God the Father Almighty and in His Only begotten Son, it is necessary to confess the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit Who proceedeth from the Father, of Whom the Savior said unto His blessed Apostles: Go forth and baptize all nations in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. One cannot recognize in quality, one whom one is not able to recognize in name.

And in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come.

If you do not believe in the Holy Church of God, then you are not capable of receiving the gifts from the Church of God because you are professed by this same with God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit so that through the Grace of Baptism you may be granted forgiveness of your sins. and your flesh may be renewed in the Resurrection unto eternity.

If you do not believe that your sins have been sent away from you, you cannot be absolved of sin.

If you do not believe that your flesh will be restored to you in the Resurrection, after death you will be unable to come to the fruition of life eternal.

Amen.

1 Apr / 14  (Holy Saturday in 2001)  Quotation from Oengus:
April’s calends ennoble Ambrose, with much of purity:
he takes what is greater happiness, one of Mary’s Feasts.

On April 1st is the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with St. Elizabeth, and the first singing of the Magnificat.  This is again commemorated December 18th, as a reminder of the Incarnation of our Lord during the week before Christmas.

March 1st or April 1st were older dates for Roman New Years.  Psalms 13 and 52 in Greek numbering begin, “The fool said in his heart: ‘There is no God.’”  This is a warning to us at a time when many people laugh at “April fools.”  Psalm 13 falls on January 1st, a Roman New Year and the Feast of the Circumcision; Psalm 52 is on the movable calendar, falling on the Fifth Sunday of Lent.    While our Lord warns us not to call others fools (St. Matthew 5:22), we must watch in our own hearts that we believe in the Holy Trinity with right belief.  We hear at the Feast of the Visitation, April 1st (St. Luke 1:39-56), that St. John the Baptist believes, even before he is born, that Jesus Christ is come into the world in the flesh.  The Magnificat refers to Isaiah 8:13-18 “Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself: and let Him be your fear; and let Him be your dread.  And He shall be a sanctification to you: but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel...,” read at the Purification of the Virgin Mary and the bringing of Christ into the temple, February 2nd.

Some heresies mock the Incarnation, saying that Christ’s Divinity absorbed all of his humanity, but Scripture and Tradition say that Christ suffered and died as a man, fully human as well as fully God.  St. Leo the Great, writing to the Council of Chalcedon, explained that Christ takes his humanity to heaven, higher than the angels.  This was not a late opinion, but one of the earliest Traditions of the Church.  St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Neocaesarea in Cappadocia (feast day November 17th, who died around 270 A.D.) spoke against heresies which were more wide spread a century after his repose.  (A century later, other Saints named Gregory, such as St. Gregory Nazianzus whose feast day is March 29th and St. Gregory of Nyssa, defended the Incarnation of Christ and the One Essence of the Holy Trinity).   The “Twelve Topics on the Faith” of St. Gregory the Wonderworker affirm that Christ is completely God and man.

St. Gregory the Wonderworker was not predicting the future, but passing down the teachings of St. John the Apostle, and his disciples such as St. Polycarp (January 26th), St. Irenaeus of Lyons (August 26th), and other Saints.  The Second Epistle of St. John verses 4 to 11 tells Christians we must believe in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ: “...For many seducers are gone out into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh: this is a seducer and an antichrist.”  In the first Epistle of St. John, chapter 4:2-3, “By this is the spirit of Godknown.  Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.  And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus, is not of God: and this is antichrist...”

At this time, many people hope for a return of Christ, but they must remember that it is the same Christ Who was before the beginning, came down to earth, Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and was born man, was crucified, died, buried, rose from the dead in the flesh, ascended into heaven in the flesh, and sits at the right hand of God the Father.  His Truth does not change, and He is always with us in the most Holy Sacraments.  Let us not be like the foolish virgins, but like the wise virgins in the Parable our Lord gives us (St. Matthew 25:1-13); filling
our lamps with faith in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may receive the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ.
-- Deaconess Elizabeth Dowling, Céli Dé

Is the Celtic Orthodox Christian Church affiliated with other Celtic churches or Orthodox Celtic Rite churches?
We welcome affiliation with all who follow the the True Christian Faith. Sadly, few churches  and none of the other "Celtic churches" that we have encountered accept the Orthodox Faith which the true Celtic Churches followed.  Therefore they have no Grace in their 'sacraments' because they reject the teachings of the Holy Spirit Who effects Sacraments.  That is why we cannot associate with those who differ from that Faith. They may have similar names to us, be led by people who were incapable of completing our training program or even use similar service books,  but without Faith, form is a dangerous trap..

If the hierarchs of your church accept our Our Bishops' Statement of Faith, then intercommunion might be a possibility.  If your hierarchs are concerned that their succession is outside of the Chain of Faith  (i.e.: is without Grace) and they accept out Bishops' Statement of Faith, we are willing to consider correcting the situation so that there is no obstacle to intercommunion.  If they are not in Communion with us it should be a matter of concern to you.

Editors Note: This is the same criteria we follow for intercommunion with all churches.

Results of a poll  conducted March 6-27, 2001 NS:
What items do you want to see in the Celtic Orthodox Christian Monthly?

1. News...............................18.52%
2. Writings of Saints.................18.52%
3. Analysis of recent church events...14.81%
4. Discussion of practices............14.81%
5. Lives of Saints....................11.11%
6. Editorials.........................11.11%
7. Parish News.........................7.41%
8. Calendars...........................3.70%

Apr 1 Lent V [P]
Mar 22/Apr 5  Departure of the Apostle Brendan  with Sixty disciples to the New World[W]
Mar 25/Apr 7 Annunciation (fixed calendar commemoration of the Crucifixion & offering of Isaac by Abraham)[W]

Apr 8 Lent VI (Palm Sunday)[W]
Apr 12 THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST,
            THE FOOT WASHING, BEGINNING OF THE  PASSION GOSPELS [W]
            At the Cathedral: Chrism is blessed)
Apr 13 THE PASSION AND CRUCIFIXION OF THE LORD[P]
Apr 14 HOLY SATURDAY[P]

April 4/17 Ambrose of Milan[W]

Apr 22 Thomas Sunday (Low Sunday)[W](Matins Gospel of the Mass)

Apr 29 Second Sunday After Easter[W](Matins Gospel of the Mass)
April22/May 4- Philip the Apostle[W]

May 6 Third Sunday After Easter[W](Matins Gospel of the Mass)
April 25/May 8 Mark the Evangelist[W]
May 11 Mid Easter[W](Matins Gospel of the Mass)

May 13 Forth Sunday After Easter [W] (Matins Gospel of the Mass)
May 3/16 Discovery of Christ's Cross with its many virtues,
                Death of Apostle James of the Knees, Brother of the Lord[W]

May 6/19- Matthew Apostle and Evangelist[W]

May 20  Fifth Sunday After Easter[W] (Matins Gospel of the Mass)
May 21 Rogation Day I[W]
May 22 Rogation Day II[W]
May 23 Rogation Day III[W]
May 24 The Ascension of the Lord [W](Matins Gospel of the Mass)

May 27 Sunday After the Ascension  [P] (Matins Gospel of the Mass)
May 16/29 Apostle Brendan [W]

All Clergy and Parish Representatives are asked to review proposed revisions of jurisdictional by-laws for a vote in June. The primary purpose of the revision is to reflect the change of the jurisdiction from government by one Bishop to government by Synod.