Deacon Robert - Axios!
Sunday 13 December 2009 was a big day for me. It was my fourth real hierarchal Divine Liturgy in which I served as a deacon. I'm not counting the Liturgies when the bishop served as "village" priest or when I really did not do anything.
Other hierarchal Divine Liturgies include the consecration of St. Matthew Church in Columbia MD, the ordination of Bishop Jerome to the episcopacy, and Bright Saturday this year when I did the first Little Litany.
Thirteen years and four days later I returned to the cathedral where I was tonsured a reader. The robe which I wore on this occasion was the same one which I wore when I was tonsured a reader. The woman who made the robe was in the congregation, but she did not recognize the robe but she was happy when I told her that she made it.
Mrs. Polivanon and her husband used to live in Trenton NJ and she probably used to make vestments for the priest there also. She used to make vestments for the cathedral and all the altar servers. She made five sets for me and I still wear them all. She is a very sweet, devout and pious Orthodox Christian woman and she is still determined to cme to church services despite all her physical ailments.
Because this event was on the same date as our parish annual meeting, I did not expect to be able to attend. I casually mentioned this to Fr. John and he blessed me to attend because of my relationship with the family. Dr. Pat, the mother-in-law of the new deacon, provided my transportation.
We arrived at the cathedral at 8:00. I immediately went into the Altar and then into the nave where Fr. Constantine was. The first words out of his mouth were, "Are you serving?" With a few exceptions, when I walk into an Orthodox temple, I do not presume that I will be serving. I serve at the pleasure of the bishop and priest of that temple. This is true for every Orthodox clergy.
After I vested, I was invited to assist at the Proskomede. Fr. Valery did it in English instead of Slavonic for my benefit. If I had had the Slavonic text, I probably could had assisted in Slavonic. There is ony one thing that the deacon says that I cannot do in Slavonic.
Deacon Sergius asked me if I could do the Little Litany in Georgian. This I definitely cannot do. But I will be working on this Litany in Georgian and Serbian.
I served as the third deacon in a very beautiful Divine Liturgy with His Beatitude Jonah, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada presiding. We had eight priests serving: Fr. Constantine of St. Nicholas; Fr. Gregory of Holy Cross; Fr. Valery of St. Nicholas; Fr. John of South Carolina; Fr. Dennis of St. Nicholas; Fr. Joseph of St. Nicholas; Fr. Peter, Army chaplain; and Fr. Vladimir of St. Nicholas. These are not listed in any particular order.
The other two deacons were Protodeacon Blagoje and Deacon Sergius, both of St. Nicholas.
During the Little Litany Deacon Sergius and I carried censers. At the Gospel and the Great Litany I carried the omoforion. I also assisted with Communion, of course. I also did the second Little Litany and the Litany after the Great Entrance. In addition I intoned "Let us attend" before the Epistle and before the Gospel.
During the actual ordination, each deacon took turn in walking the new deacon around the Altar Table. I did not expect to have this honor so soon in my career.
After the service, we took group photographs, of course. One set was of most of the clergy and altar servers. One of the servers took pictures with my camera and two of the subdeacons did not get into the pictures. Then we took pictures of the new deacon with his "flock" and then of him with his family.
It was also wonderful being back at my cathedral and seeing people whom I have not seen for a few years.
As I was leaving, the metroplitant thanked me for serving. I should be thanking him for allowing me to serve. Several people from the parish told me that they want to see me there more often. That would be wonderful.
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