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Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Offsite Post: ‘Whither St. Andrew’s Day in Dixie?’

 

November 30th is the Feast Day of St. Andrew the Holy Apostle, the celebration of his martyrdom on his famous X-shaped cross.  This is a major festival in Patras, Greece, the city in which he was martyred:


Patras, Greece, home to the cross upon which the First-Called Apostle St. Andrew was crucified, festively celebrated its patron saint yesterday and today.

 

The feast began last night with Great Vespers at the Church of St. Andrew. The service was presided over by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida, with the concelebration of another eight hierarchs of the Greek Church, including the local hierarch Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency.

 

The church was filled with Orthodox faithful from Patras and throughout Greece who came to venerate St. Andrew’s Cross and the portion of his relics housed at the cathedral.

 

The All-Night Vigil was celebrated later that evening.

 

This morning, a number of hierarchs again gathered for the celebration of Orthros and the Divine Liturgy in honor of St. Andrew. Orthros was presided over by Metropolitan Theoklitos of Ierissos, Mt. Athos, and Ardameri. The Liturgy was then led by Metroplitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios.

 

Hundreds of Orthodox faithful again filled the church.

 

Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia delivered homily sermon, in which, among other things, he referred to the personality and contribution of the Apostle Andrew, who resisted the idols promoted by his era, to spread the Gospel of Christ. In particular, His Eminence spoke about the present times and the trap of false idols that are presented, and about the dangers arising from the false family models that are advanced today. “We haven’t realized the negative consequences. When we do, it may be too late to reverse any possibility of change,” he said.  . . .

With this in mind, the South needs to ask herself why she does not also celebrate this day with fervor?  After all, St. Andrew’s Cross adorns the Southern flag, and under that banner, during the War, Dixie experienced some of the greatest moments of her history.

If we want Dixie to be a Christian land in the widest, broadest, deepest sense possible, we have to give attention to the calendar, sanctifying time once again, and to public celebrations of holy days – the 12 Great Feasts, saints’ days, etc.  Christianity was never meant to be a religion for isolated individuals, and Southerners should do everything we can to avoid that trap which is even now sapping strength from the Church.  We will either live the Christian Faith together or watch it fall apart before our eyes.

 . . .

The rest is at https://identitydixie.com/2023/12/05/whither-st-andrews-day-in-dixie/.

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!

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