Forty Excuses

The following is my own adaptation of an article called "Forty Excuses for not Joining the Orthodox Church," from the superb Orthodox England website:

1. "I can’t become Orthodox, because I am comfortable where I am."
Did Christ say "I have come that they may have comfort, familiarity, etc."? He did not. He said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (Jn 10.10). If you are not in the Orthodox Church, you are simply not living the Christian life to its fullest. Period.

2. "I can’t become Orthodox, because I was raised Roman Catholic/Protestant."
So, what's the problem? The Apostles were all raised Jewish. Then they recognized Christ for who He was and followed Him. You were raised Christian, and that's a good thing. But now it's time take your Christian life farther than you thought it could go.

3. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you don’t believe in the Pope."
The only man we believe in is Christ; He alone is the head of the Church and does not need a "vicar."

4. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you don’t have the filioque."
Nor does the New Testament. (See Jn. 15.26 or Acts 2.33); nor did the Nicene Creed prior to the 6th century; nor even did the Church of Rome until the eleventh century.

5. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you believe in the Real Presence."
We simply take Christ at His word: "This is my body..." (Mt 26.26-29; Mk 14.22-24; 1Co 11.23-26). Why don't you?

6. "I can't become Orthodox because you baptize infants."
So did the New Testament Church; that's how people came into the Church in the first place: adults and infants. Only many centuries later did people begin to reject this practice. Christ said "Let the children come to me and do not hinder them" (Lk 18.16). Do you think perhaps that refusing them membership in the Church because they are unable to articulate their faith to your satisfaction might be hindering them?

Infant baptism isn’t some new thing that medieval Roman Catholics came up with just to be troublesome. It has been with the Church from the beginning, undisputed until some sixteenth-century European decided that he could out-think a millennium and a half worth of eastern theologians and scholars.

7. "I can’t become Orthodox because doctrine doesn't really matter anyway."
I think St Paul may beg to differ: He wrote that “if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Ga 1.8-9). He told Timothy to “command certain men not to teach false doctrines,” (1 Tm 1.3). He told Titus that an elder in the Church “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it,” and that Titus himself “must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (1.9, 2.1).

The question isn't whether doctrine matters--it clearly does. Very few people who take their faith seriously will argue otherwise. The question rather is: what doctrine do you choose to believe: that which has been taught by and lived out within the life of the Church for two thousand years, or that which has been pieced together by "cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ep 4.11-16)? (See also 1Ti 4.6, 4.16, 6.3-4; 2Ti 4.2-3)

8. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you pay too much attention to saints."
We believe, as we confess in the Liturgy, that "God is wondrous in His saints." We laud the saints, not because of their own accomplishments, but because of the work that God has accomplished through them. We also look to them as partners in prayer, and as role models. Who are your role models? Who are the role models of your children?

9. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you pay too much attention to Mary."
None of our beliefs and practices with regard to Mary are simply about Mary, but are a direct reflection of our beliefs about the Incarnation of Christ.
The Orthodox Church has two--and only two--dogmas concerning the Virgin Mary: 1) She is the Theotokos (that is, the Birthgiver of God. In other words: Jesus was fully divine even from His conception in the womb), and 2) She is ever-virgin (that is, the womb that bore God was consecrated and was therefore never again used for any secular purpose).

10. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you use 'vain repetition.'"
It's unfortunate that people have the mistaken idea that any repetition must be vain, or in vain. Repetition does not make a prayer vain; what makes a prayer vain is the heart of the person saying the prayer, which of course is not something we can judge.
Is it vain to call on the Lord for mercy? Is it vain to repeat "Holy, Holy, Holy"?
Why is it acceptable to reprise the chorus of a "praise song" a dozen or more times, and yet reciting the Lord's Prayer might be "vain repetition"?
Read Psalm 136 and consider whether that qualifies as "vain repetition."

11. "I can't become Orthodox because you don't believe in Original Sin."
Actually we do. What we don't accept is the Augustinian doctrine of original guilt, whereby the guilt of Adam's sin is transmitted from generation to generation through the act of human reproduction. The Orthodox Church teaches that human beings are born into the consequences of, rather than with the guilt of, Adam's sin.

12. "I can't become Orthodox because you have bishops."
So did the Church of the New Testament. Why doesn't yours?

13. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you don't believe in Sola Scriptura."
Nor does the Bible teach such a doctrine. We certainly hold the Bible in very high esteem (and use it more than any other Christian body). But we also believe, as Christ said, that man lives by "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God," not just those words that happened to be committed to writing. St Paul told the church at Thessaloniki to hold to the teaching they had received, whether it came to them in writing or "by word of mouth" (2Th 2.15). Clearly sola scriptura is not a biblical teaching.

14. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you use 'canned prayers.'"
Every Christian worship community uses prewritten prayers. Every one. Hymns, psalms, "praise songs." They are all pre-written. Without pre-written prayers, community worship would be chaotic, and St Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14.40 that, in the Church, "all things should be done decently and in order." The choice, therefore, isn't between "canned prayers" and no "canned prayers." The choice really is about which "canned prayers" you choose to use: ones that have been with the Church for centuries upon centuries, and have been prayed (and are still being prayed!) by multitudes of saints, martyrs, ascetics, etc. Or a collection of songs that have maybe been around since the Civil War at the earliest, and that may or may not be used someday by your grandchildren.

15. "I can't become Orthodox because you believe in works righteousness."
We believe no such thing. The Orthodox Church teaches--as does the Bible--that faith is more than intellectual assent or verbal expression. It must me demonstrated through action, proved by the way we live, otherwise it isn't real (Jam 2.14-26). Christ told us to be perfect (Mt 5.48), so this is what we strive for (Rom 12.2; 2Cor 4.16-17; Eph 4.21-24; 1Thess 4.1-8). This takes work.

Yes we believe that good works are necessary because they 1) demonstrate that faith is genuine, and 2) are a means by which we continue to deny ourselves and grow more and more in the likeness of God.

Works are NOT 1) an attempt to earn salvation, 2) a reparation for sin, 3) a way to appease God's anger.

Read the following verses and consider whether they support the notion that our salvation requires no effort whatsoever on our part: Mt 7.21-6; Mt 10.40-2; Mt 19.17; Mt 25.31-46; Lk 6.46; Jn 13.17; Rom 2.6-8, 13; 1 Cor 4:4; 1 Cor 9.27; Gal 5.6; Php 2.12-3; 1 Ti 5.8; Heb 10.26-8; Jas 2.14-26.

16. "I can't become Orthodox because your services are not entertaining enough."
If what you want is entertainment, then why go to church at all? Really. Stay home and watch TV.

17. "I can't become Orthodox because you don't practice open communion."
Actually, the Orthodox Church allows and encourages everybody to receive Communion. But we do take very seriously St Paul's warning not to do so in an unworthy manner (1Co 11.23-31). Refusing to unite oneself with the Orthodox Church would be to "discern not the body" (v.29), and would put someone in jeopardy of "eating or drinking judgment" onto oneself. We believe, as St Paul says, that "a man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (v.28), and that this is only properly done within the sacramental, spiritual, and devotional life of the Church. So, yes, everyone is allowed to receive Communion in the Orthodox Church, however you must be an Orthodox Christian first.

18. "I can't become Orthodox because I'm not Greek, Russian, Romanian, etc."
Neither were the Apostles.

19. "I can't become Orthodox because you have too many rules."
Actually we don't have rules. What we do have is a set of practices that have, through the past 20 centuries, proven to make saints.

Consider this: If someone wants to be a marathon runner or an Olympic swimmer, one must maintain a strict regimen that includes a proper diet, adequate sleep, refraining from smoking and excessive drinking, proper hydration, etc. There isn't a set of "rules" that dictate, in a legal sense, what one must to to be an athlete, but these things have been tried and have proven effective at conditioning one's body.

Conditioning one's soul also requires a strict regimen. It's no accident that St Paul repeatedly uses athletic imagery to illustrate the Christian's pursuit of holiness (Acts 13.25, 20.24; 1Co 9.24-27; Gal 2.2, 5.7; Php 3.13-14; 1Ti 4.7-8; 2Ti 2.5, 4.7-8). In fact, the word used to describe this pursuit, asceticism, comes from the Greek word ἄσκησις, which means athletic exercise. The Church, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has given us a set of practices that will make us spiritual athletes, including prayer, repentance, fasting, observing holy days, participating in the sacraments, and attending corporate worship. All of which are designed for the purpose of conditioning our soul, of helping us follow Christ's instruction to deny ourselves, of becoming more like Him.

Lance Armstrong didn't get to where he is by spending an hour a week on a stationary bike, and the rest of his time in front of the TV eating Munchos. Likewise, one will never reach the level of holiness attained by the likes of St Paul by spending an hour a week in church and the rest of the time focused on secular pursuits. Spiritual athleticism--just like physical athleticism--requires dedication and hard work.

20. "I can't become Orthodox because I don't see all your beliefs and practices in the Bible."
The Bible was not written to be an exhaustive instruction manual on all matters of faith and practice. If you insist on being able to find a clear, unmistakable instruction in the Bible on every single belief and practice of the Church, then perhaps you can show me where it is stated that we are to perform "baby dedications." Where is the verse that instructs us to attend Sunday School? Where in the Bible does it say that Communion is merely symbolic and that baptism is strictly for adults?
In fact every single one of our beliefs and practices has biblical support. Do yours?

21. "I can't become Orthodox because you do things differently than we do at our church."
Have you considered that maybe that's a good thing?

22. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you kiss icons."
In the Orthodox Church we kiss a lot of things including the Cross and each other. People often kiss things for which they feel love and respect. Have you ever kissed a picture of a loved one?

23. "I can’t become Orthodox, because I'm just not ready yet."
What are you waiting for? If you're expecting a burning bush or a Road to Damascus-type experience (Acts 9), you'll be waiting a long, long time. Perhaps you can follow the example of Simon and Andrew who, when Christ told them "Follow me," they didn't hesitate; they didn't think about it, or consider it, or take notes, or discuss it, or hem and haw and think about it some more. They dropped what they were doing; as the text says, "Immediately, they left their nets and followed him." (Mt 4.18-20). James and John did the same thing: "Immediately, they left the boat and their father, and followed him" (v.22). When Philip shared the good news of Jesus with the Ethiopian eunuch, the latter didn't insist on taking the time to consider his options and figure out whether the Church was right for him. Rather, the very moment they approached some water, the Ethiopian insisted on joining the Church right then and there: "See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?" (Acts 8.26-38) Perhaps you should ask yourself the same question: "What is to prevent my being baptized?"

24. "I can’t become Orthodox, because there is too much political strife within the Orthodox Church."
Yes, we are all too aware that our church is brimming with sinners. Like every other Christian body in the world, our members suffer from pride, greed, impatience, lust, envy, and all the rest. That's just a fact of human frailty. What we don't suffer from is doctrinal uncertainly. In the words of the radio host Steve Robinson, "We can't come into the Church and idealize it. Just because it's two thousand years old, we can't come in thinking it's a perfect organization. We've had two thousand years to work out dogma and tradition, but we're constantly adding new sinners." Sorry, but you're just not going to find a Christian body that doesn't include sinners. So, at least be part of the one that has its doctrine straight.

25. "I cannot become Orthodox, because you don’t sing our hymns."
Protestant hymns are indeed beautiful and even some of the modern Evangelical "praise songs" are decent (although some do leave a bit to be desired), but their beauty, their message, their spirituality, and their theological depth in no way even approaches that of Orthodox hymns. Our hymns were written by prophets, priests, kings, holy elders, theologians, emperors, angels, and even the Virgin Mary herself. If you want to hear real hymns, come to an Orthodox Church.

26. "I can’t become Orthodox, because the services might be in a language I don't understand."
It's a shame this excuse doesn't seem to be preventing people from converting to Islam, in which every service, everywhere in the world, is conducted in Arabic. Most Orthodox services will be in a language you do understand, but if not, take comfort in knowing that God receives our worship and our prayers regardless of the language. And besides, hearing the Gospels read in the original language is a powerful thing.

27. "I can’t become Orthodox, because the services are always the same."
Actually they're not. Very rarely are two services identical.

28. "I can’t become Orthodox, because it doesn't match up with history."
I have never heard this excuse, but if I did I might laugh out loud. If there is any Christian body that matches up with history, it is the Orthodox Church. That fact is simply undeniable. John Henry Newman was a Roman Catholic bishop, but his position was perfectly consistent with Orthodoxy when he wrote that "one thing at least is certain; whatever history teaches, whatever it omits, whatever it exaggerates or extenuates, whatever it says and unsays, at least the Christianity of history is not Protestantism. If ever there were a safe truth, it is this.... To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant" (An Essay on the Development of Doctrine, Introduction 5).

29. "I can’t become Orthodox, because I will no longer be free to change the Faith and pick from it what I want."
Exactly! You don’t come to the Church to change the Faith, you come to the Church to be changed by the Faith. Or are you under the delusion that you don't need changing?

30. "I can’t become Orthodox, because your services are too liturgical."
How liturgical is too liturgical? Nearly every Christian worship community (with a few unfortunate exceptions) is liturgical to a point. That is, they follow a pattern from week to week. This is not a bad thing; as we have already seen, worship in the Church is to be conducted "decently and in order."
Read God's meticulous instructions to the Israelites for the form, manner, and conduct of their worship (Ex 25-30, 35-40; Lev 1-8, 21-25, Num 6-11). These instructions have an extraordinarily high level of attention to detail. We are simply worshiping God in the manner that He has quite clearly shown He wants to be worshiped.

31. "I can’t become Orthodox, because I already believe what you believe."
Then what are you waiting for?!

32. "I can’t become Orthodox, because [insert lame excuse here]."
Sorry that's just not reason enough not to unite yourself immediately with the Body of Christ (Col 1.18,24), the Pillar and Foundation of the Truth (1Ti 3.15), the Fullness of Him Who Fills Everything in Every Way (Ep 1.23).

33. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you don’t have the same calendar."
Correction: it is you who does not have the same calendar.

34. "I can’t become Orthodox, because it’s too Middle Eastern."
Christ was Middle Eastern, too. Perhaps you thought He was a gum-chewin, baseball cap-wearin, SUV-drivin, flag-wavin American? Ah, no.

35. "I can’t become Orthodox, because I'm not very religious."
Perfect! The Orthodox Faith isn't a religion, it's a relationship; In fact it's more than a relationship, it's an actual participation in the Life of Christ. In the words of Fr. Andrew Damick, it is a "program for the healing of the human soul."

36. "I can’t become Orthodox, because I might be forced to climb down off my throne."
Not "might"... "WILL" You will be forced to climb off your throne.

37. "I can’t become Orthodox, because women have to wear skirts and cover their heads. It’s like Islam."
There are many reasons to revile Islam, but its sense of modesty (which it picked up from the ancient Christians) is not one of them.

38. "I can’t become Orthodox, because my family will think I've joined a cult and will reject me."
They may. Or they may recognize the truth of the Orthodox Faith and follow you into the Church. But if, God forbid, your family should alienate you for your beliefs, remember that Christ warned His followers that His teachings would result in division within families (Lk 12.51-53). Are you not willing to risk that for Christ?

39. "I can’t become Orthodox, because the services are too long."
There are exactly 168 hours in the week. If you find it so difficult to sacrifice three of those hours (which is 1.8% of your week), then you need to go to Church more than you realize.

40. "I can’t become Orthodox, because you have to stand during your services."
See excuse #1

What is “Halloween”?

The answer to this is in two parts: The Christian meaning of this day, and the anti-Christian meaning of this day:

The Christian “All-Hallows’ Eve”

“Halloween” is short for “All Hallows’ Eve,” that is, the evening before the Western Christian feast day of All Saints. “Hallow” is an old-fashioned word for “Holy”. So the “Day of All-Hallows” means the “Day of All-Saints.” “E’en” is short for evening. “Halloween” then, in its Christian meaning, refers to the evening before All Saints’ Day, which is November 1 on the western Roman calendar (the eastern Roman, or Byzantine, calendar places the commemoration of All Saints on the Sunday after Pentecost). This feast was instituted when old Rome and the Western European lands were still Orthodox, and therefore for centuries Orthodox Christians in the West observed All Saints’ Day on 1 November, and, like all traditional Christians, the pious people attended church services on the evening before the feast as well, which in this case was the eve of All Saints, or “All Hallows’ Eve” in old-fashioned English.

The Anti-Christian “Halloween”

The occult, demonic “Halloween” practices derive from the Druidic religion of the Celtic people who inhabited the British Isles. This is why, until very recently, the “spooky” Halloween was only celebrated in the British Isles, America, and other countries of British origin. Only recently has the “ghost and goblin” version of Halloween been – alas – spreading into formerly Orthodox and Roman Catholic countries.

When Christianity came to Britain, the Church found pagan people, the Celts, who celebrated a feast of their god “Samhain”, the Lord of Death, in the fall. On the night of “Samhain”, it was believed that the spirits of the dead roamed the earth and needed to be appeased, so that they would not work evil. To imitate this ritually, people would pretend to be the dead and roam from house to house demanding “treats.” On this dreadful night, as well, there were probably human sacrifices to appease death, as there were human sacrifices at many of the major Druidic holidays.

When the Church came to Britain and Ireland, of course, She strove mightily against the pagan religion of the Druids and attempted to stamp out such practices. In revenge, the pagans intensified their practices. This included, on “Samhain”, harassing those who would not give them “treats” – thus the threat of “tricks”. It also came to include mocking Christian practices: for example, “decorating” with skeletons was done in mockery of the veneration of the relics of the saints. The carved pumpkin is a mockery of the revered skull of a saint.

The original date of “Samhain” varied, because the Celts had a lunar, not solar, calendar. But after the Romans introduced the Julian calendar in Britain, “Samhain” came to be fixed on the night before November 1st. Thus it stood in direct conflict with the vigil for the Feast of All Saints.

It was very clear, then, that on the Eve of All Hallows, only PAGANS roamed the streets demanding ‘treats’, while CHRISTIANS KEPT VIGIL FOR THE HOLY FEAST DAY in a pious and Godly manner. When we go “trick or treating” we are, whether we know it or not, identifying with the pagans against the Christians.

But Isn’t the Modern “Halloween” Harmless?

Some people may object to all this and say, “Well, that was true at ONE TIME, but NOW Halloween is just a time for kids to dress up, get candy, and enjoy themselves.” I am afraid this is wishful thinking. The facts are these:

The “cute-ification” of the witches, demons, and other symbols of Halloween is not harmless. On the contrary, it is the NORMALIZATION of things that are EVIL. Things that are evil should not be depicted as if they were friendly or harmless. This teaches children the opposite of what they should be learning. And even if our children dress up as something harmless, they are “swimming,” as it were, in the atmosphere of the occult symbols that are everywhere at Halloween, and we are lending support to the whole thing by being part of it.

Real witches still exist, and they STILL regard “Halloween” as one of their “holy” nights. All over the United States alone, thousands of “Wiccan” and “Church of Satan” practitioners perform evil ceremonies on this night, ranging from the Wiccan neo-pagan nature worship to actual Satanic rituals. On a night when such things are known to go on, it is more important than ever not to confuse our Christian identity with things that are anti-Christian. It is also a night when we should intensify our prayers to combat the forces of evil.

By taking part in the pagan Halloween, we make ourselves part of the rapid de-Christianization of the United States and Europe. Current data indicate that the number of people who “keep” Halloween is constantly growing and may at some point surpass the number of people who observe Christmas in the United States! Do we want to contribute to this trend?

We may THINK that we “mean no harm” by “doing Halloween,” but uncritical behavior regarding invisible realities that we don’t really understand often invites demonic activity. Why should we take a chance on letting demons into our lives? Are we absolutely sure that Halloween is so harmless?

We Don’t Want Our Kids to Feel Left Out

Parents underestimate their children all the time. Children, and especially teenagers, are naturally idealistic and heroic. If you explain to your children why we don’t “do” Halloween, they may be a little disappointed, but in the long run, they will feel spiritual joy and a more profound sense of their own Christian identity. Also, standing up heroically like this when they are young prepares them for much bigger sacrifices they may have to make as adults to keep their integrity and their Faith.

What Should We Do on “Halloween”?

In the Orthodox Church, of course, the night before November 1st is not “All Saints’ Eve,” for we celebrate the Feast of All Saints on the First Sunday after Pentecost. But we can have Church services – Vespers and a Paraclesis, for example, can be served just about any night of the Church year, especially when there is a pastoral need. AND we can plan wholesome and enjoyable non-Halloween activities for our children and youth on that night, either at Church or in our homes, so that they have a healthy substitute for trick or treating.

What About Halloween “Month” at the Public Schools?

It is a fact that the entire month of October, lately, seems to be “consecrated” by the public schools – especially in the elementary grades - to witches, goblins, ghosts, and so forth. This is even more evidence that Halloween is part and parcel of the agenda of de-Christianization of society. Can you imagine if you tried to devote December to stories and decorations related to Christmas, as once was the case in public schools? There would be lawsuits in thousands of school districts based on “separation of Church and state.” The disappearance of Christmas and the emergence of Halloween as the major “holiday” in the fall semester at school is a major triumph for paganism in its unending war against Christianity.

During this month, we have to monitor what our children are being taught, what their activities are in class, etc. We must keep explaining to them that witches are real and are not cute but evil, that “ghosts” of the dead do not leave heaven or hell, where the spirits of the dead really are, but rather devils masquerade as the dead to frighten and mislead people, and so forth.

ALSO – depending on your school district, parents may have a lot more control over what goes on in class than you think. Chances are, there are other parents who don’t care for “Halloween month” either, and if enough of you get together and ask for a change, changes can happen. We are usually too passive and think that our children’s education is the school board’s, school administration’s, and teachers’ business. It is only secondarily their business; primarily, it is OUR business. We have to be brave and assertive.

Of course, families that home-school their children or who send their children to clear-sighted church schools where they do not “do” Halloween, do not have this problem.

From St Spyridon Orthodox Church, St Clair Shores, MI

King Harold II

On this date in 1066, the last Orthodox king of England, Harold Godwinson, mere days after battling Viking raiders in the north, died in defense of his homeland against the invading Norman forces in the Battle of Hastings on the southern coast of England. The leader of the invasion, William, duke of Normandy, often known today as "William the Conquerer," had long believed himself entitled to the English crown, but had found his nobles less than enthusiastic about risking an invasion. Only when William had secured a papal blessing for the invasion--in return for promising to suppress the English Church and install Norman bishops loyal to Rome--was he able to raise an army suitable for the undertaking.

Christians of Anglo-Saxon England had always recognized the Pope as their patriarch and most of them were probably not aware that, twelve years prior, the church of Rome had severed ties with the churches of the East. Thus, it must have come as a terrible shock to see their attackers, thundering toward them on their massive war horses, flying the papal banner.

On the day he died,

the God-loving King Harold, together with his loyal troops, commended themselves to God, for those whom they had honored as brethren and leaders in the Faith had foresaken them. Shouting the Orthodox English battle cry, which invoked the aid of the Holy Cross, King Harold and his faithful soldiers faced down their foes and would have had the victory in a closely matched battle...

The blessed King Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow. He plucked it out and continued to fight bravely. In the end, however, he was cut down by Norman knights and hacked to pieces. His body was desecrated, and many Norman Crusaders abused the remains of the fallen king, a thing to which not even pagans and Turks had been wont to do with the remains of their foes (Orthodox Tidings).

After the Norman invasion, English bishops were imprisoned, exiled or put to death, and were replaced by French-speaking Norman bishops. Thus England became Roman Catholic and remained so until 1534, when King Henry VIII declared himself the head of the Church of England. It is a well-known story, but one with a little-known epilogue:

To the Orthodox mind, there is an even more direct link with Hastings. Harold's daughter (born 1056) was to flee England after the Invasion for friendly Denmark and thence Russia. Here she married the future Grand-Prince of Kiev, Vladimir Monomach, in the Cathedral of Our Saviour in Chernigov in April 1074. Vladimir, himself half-Greek, was the grandson of St Anne of Novgorod, who had been baptised by the Glastonbury monk and missionary, St Sigfrid of Sweden. Among the children of Vladimir and Gytha was St Mstislav-Harold (in holy baptism, Theodore, feasted on 15 April), who bore a Slav name as well as that of his maternal grandfather. According to chroniclers, 'no woman in all the world was ever happier than her', Gytha had twelve children, another of whom, George (Yuri), founded Moscow. (Orthodox England)

Read more here:
The Fall of Orthodox England
Entry from OrthodoxWiki
Entry from Wikipedia
King Harold's Battle Force
About Bosham and the Battle
BBC article about grave of King Harold II
Royal Mystery on Brink of Solution

Good King Wenceslas

Today, Christians who observe the Old Calendar celebrate the life of King Wenceslas of Bohemia, who was martyred in 935. The Following is from Holy Trinity Church in Baltimore:

The Holy Nobleborn Prince Vyacheslav (Wenceslaus) of the Czechs was a grandson of the holy Martyress and Princess Liudmila (Comm. 16 September), and he was raised by her in deep piety. He began to rule at age 18 after the death of his father prince Bratislav (+ 920). In spite of his youthful age, he ruled wisely and justly and concerned himself much about the Christian enlightenment of the people. The holy prince was a widely educated man, and he studied in the Latin and Greek languages. Saint Vyacheslav was peace-loving. He built and embellished churches, and in the Czech capital Prague he raised up a magnificent church in the name of Saint Vitus, and he had respect for the clergy. Envious nobles decided to murder the saint and at first to incite his mother against him, and later to urge his younger brother, Boleslav, to occupy the princely throne. Boleslav invited his brother to the dedication of a church, and then asked him to tarry and stay for still another day. In spite of the warnings of his servants, the holy prince refused to believe in a conspiracy and exposed his life to the will of God. On the following day, 28 September 935, when the nobleborn Vyacheslav went to matins, he was wickedly murdered at the doors of the church by his own brother by birth and that one's servants. His body was stabbed and thrown down without burial. The mother, hearing about the murder of her son, found and placed him in a recently consecrated church at the princely court. They were not able to wash off the blood splashed on the church doors, but after 3 days it disappeared by itself. Repenting himself, the perpetrator of the fratricide transferred the relics of Saint Vyacheslav to Prague, where they were placed in the church of Saint Vitus, which the martyr himself had constructed.

St Wenceslas is also the subject of a well-known Christmas carol. The song, which recounts a legendary event in the saint's life, is really not about Christmas at all; rather it tells a story that supposedly took place on St Stephen's Day, which in the Western Church is the day after Christmas (in the Eastern Church it is two days after):

Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.
"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.
"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, good my page. Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.

Read more here.

Things You'll Never See in an Orthodox Church, Part 18

From the Associated Press:

COLUMBIA STATION, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio bride and ghoul have vowed to love each other and haunt and howl at the moon together at a Halloween-themed wedding. Sixty-one-year-old Jack Holsinger and 44-year-old Connie Spitznagel were both made up as pale-faced vampires for their scare-emoney Saturday night at a haunted house near Cleveland. The two chose the location because it's operated by the same people who own a campground where the couple met.

Holsinger arrived in a coffin inside a hearse, and the coffin was carried to the altar by six pallbearers. Minister Greg Kopp was dressed as Jason in the "Friday the 13th" movies. After the vows were exchanged, he ordered Holsinger not to kiss his new bride but instead to bite her on the neck.

"Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy" redux

If this series is anywhere near as good as the original (and I have no reason to think it's not), then I stongly suggest, as I did before, that everyone reading this drops what they're doing and links immediately to Ancient Faith Radio because it is a fascinating and worthwhile and enlightening series of lectures that is being re-recorded and broadcast in several weekly installments.

And, while you're at it, there's a ton of other good listening on AFR as well.