In Communion

I really like the site In Communion, the journal of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship, whose advisory board contains such well-known and wonderfully canonical members as the Archbishop of Albania, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Fr. Thomas Hopko, Frederica Mathewes-Green, Mother Raphaela Wilkinson, and others with whom I'm not familiar. As a sample of their content, here's a nice story from the Spring 2008 issue (and, since Pascha was on April 27th, my post is only two months too late!):

Nicholas Arseniev recounts an event that occurred in Russia, one that is quite characteristic of the faith of the Russian people.

During a public conference held in Moscow at the Polytechnic Museum during the fierce repression of believers, a Bolshevik commissioner in charge of education violently attacked the “out-dated faith” of the people, crying out that it bore the mark of capitalism and was not believable.

At the conclusion of his presentation, the orator invited his hearers to engage in a brief dialogue. No one was to speak for more than five minutes and, of course, only after having properly identified himself.

A priest from a rural background timidly stepped forward and was greeted by the orator with obvious contempt.

“Remember, no more than five minutes.”

“Yes, very well. I’ll be brief,” the priest replied.

Climbing toward the podium, the priest turned toward the audience and declared:
“Brothers and sisters, Christos voskresse!” [Christ is risen!]

They all answered with one voice, “Voistinu voskresse!” [Truly he is risen!]

“I’m done,” added the priest. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

— from Michael Quenot’s book, The Resurrection and the Icon St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997

From the Pascha / Spring 2008 issue of In Communion / IC 49