Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Congratulations with the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, as well as with the memory of all the Saints, both those who have been glorified by the Church here on earth as well as those of whom we are unaware and who are glorified only by the Lord God in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Today let’s continue our discussion of the psalms and focus our attention on the 92nd (93) psalm, ‘The Lord reigneth (or is King), He is clothed with majesty.’ The first and fifth verses of this psalm are used on Saturday as the prokimenon at vespers. Originally, prokimena were psalms that were sung with a refrain consisting of one of the verses of the psalm being sung. First the refrain was sung, after which the rest of the verses were performed. Before each verse the refrain was inserted. The Greek word prokimenon means ‘that which precedes’ and refers to the method used to sing the psalm (that is, before the beginning and then before each verse the refrain is sung). Today prokimena are short liturgical hymns. More often than not they are composed of but one refrain and one verse. On especially festive days, as well as on Saturday evenings (the eve of the feast of the Resurrection), great prokimena are sung, that is, long prokimena, which have not one, but several verses.

Psalm 92 is the first in a series of six especially triumphant and joyful Old Testament hymns (psalms 92, 94-98), in which the God of Israel is glorified as King. Modern scholars of the Psalter believe it is possible that these joyful prayers of praise were used by the Jews as liturgical hymns in the Temple of Jerusalem during the celebration of the New Year or the Feast of Tabernacles (you can read about this feast in the 23rd chapter of the Book of Leviticus).

‘The Lord is King’ is a short, understandable, poetic hymn to the Lord. In it we hear that God is the King of the world, that He is clothed in strength and majesty, that He holds with His authority all of creation, and that therefore it shall not be destroyed. Further on God is compared to the might of the waters of rivers and the sea, which rage with such unimaginable strength. The psalmist notes that even the strength of rushing water cannot mirror the might of God. Since the Lord is so great, without a doubt His testimonies are true, and the temple in which the name of the Lord is glorified will be preserved forever.

Prokimena are selected to reflect the importance of this or that feast or saint. For example, on the days of the apostles, the following prokimenon is sung: “Their sound is gone forth into all the earth, and their sayings to the ends of the world.” Considering this, we can understand the words of the 92nd psalm in the context of the Resurrection and the whole of the salvific work of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we understand the words of this spiritual hymn in this manner, the Lord here is not God the Father, but Jesus Christ. He is clothed in strength and majesty because He is not simply a man, but the incarnate God. He is King and reigns, for he conquered the enemy of all of mankind – death – through His Resurrection. The physical world will not be shaken because He lived amongst us on earth and sanctified it by walking upon it. The majesty of Christ is clear, for He literally conquered the strength of the waves of the sea when He walked upon them (Matthew 14: 22—33; Mark 6: 47—51; John 6:16—21), and when He, through His divine word, forbid its raging (Matthew 8: 23-27; Mark 4: 35-41; Luke 8: 22-25). The house of the Lord is not the Old Testament temple or any other physical building (for even the great Temple of Solomon was destroyed, and in Russia the atheists wiped off the face of the earth an innumerable number of churches), but the Church of Christ, against which even the gates of hell will not prevail (Matthew 16: 18).

In our time, when the world is engulfed in discord, let’s remember that we Christians are firstly citizens not of Canada, Russia, Ukraine, or any other nation, where there will always be problems and injustices, but of the Church and the Heavenly and Eternal Kingdom, and that our King is not some sinful person, but the incarnate God Jesus Christ, Who not only promises but truly grants us eternal blessedness. Therefore, let us not forget to glorify Him!

priest Alexis

P.S.

The Ceiling of our Altar Has Been Frescoed

This week, our talented iconographer, Mikhail Myshkov, finished painting the altar ceiling. A photo report of the various stages of the work, as well as of the completed ceiling frescoes, can be found on our parish Facebook page.

At the top of the apse is an icon of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Mother of God extends her arms in intercessory prayer for all of us. On her bosom is a medallion with the image of our Savior, reminding us that God became a true and complete man to free all of us from our sins and to unite us to Himself.

On either side of the Most Holy Virgin are cherubims and angels. During the Small Entrance of the Divine Liturgy, the priest prays the following words: "O Master, Lord our God, who hast appointed in the heavens ranks and hosts of angels and archangels unto the service of Thy Glory: with our entry do Thou cause the entry of the holy angels, serving and glorifying Thy goodness with us. For unto Thee is due all glory, honour, and worship: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages." As we read these words at every Liturgy, we firmly believe that angels truly enter the altar with the clergy and serve invisibly with us at the throne of God. Above us now are the images of these spiritual servants of God.

In the centre of the ceiling is a small depiction of a throne upon which sits a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It's no coincidence that this icon is placed above the altar, for our most important prayer during the Liturgy is for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the Holy Gifts (the bread and wine), to sanctify them, and to make them the Flesh and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Before the painting began, scaffolding had to be erected, the walls washed, all the holes and cracks filled, and everything primed. Many thanks to everyone who helped with this preparation, as well as to all those who made generous donations! Now, with God's help, the painting of the altar walls begins!