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Canon for Racial Reconciliation

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Tone 2

Ode I

Irmos: In the deep of old, the infinite power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army, but the incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin, exceedingly glorious is the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Because “the Stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner”, the disparate races are conjoined again. (Ps 118:22)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Even as Christ commanded us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength, so He also called us to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark 12:30), (Mark 12:31)

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

The sum of humanity’s reconciliation to God is voiced in one acclamation: O Most-pure one, thou art the Theotokos, she who bears God.

Ode III

Irmos: By establishing me on the rock of faith, Thou hast enlarged my mouth over my enemies, and my spirit rejoices when I sing: There is none holy as our God, and none righteous beside Thee, O Lord.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Putting behind Noah’s curse (Gen 9:26), we press “toward the mark for the prize of high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” by seeing the mark of God upon each face. (Phil 4:14)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Splintered by callous condemnation, Noah’s sons split the races in three. But the blood of the Second person of the Trinity filled the divide, restoring a common humanity in Christ.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Most-holy Theotokos, not only hast thou joined man to God but thou hast also begun the process of reconciling man to man and race to race.

Sedalion, tone 4

O Lord, when Thou wilt close all the loftily divisive and distracting worldly windows, bring us to the doors of repentance. By the left door of remorse, let us bring our hearts, broken and humbled. By the right door of resolve, let us bring our minds wholly redirected by Thy Holy Spirit to Thy throne, O Christ. Bring us to that table where all may find a place. For all the races of humanity may be found in Thy garden, where each of us is one of Thy beloved flowers.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion: All-holy Lady Theotokos, shield the eye of our heart from the distractions of this rebellious world. Be our guide in both contrition and godly resolve, so that we may be found worthy of that heavenly banquet where all may find a place. For all the races of humanity may be found in thy Son’s garden, where each of us is one of His beloved flowers.

Ode IV

Irmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come, not as an ambassador nor as an angel, but the very Lord Himself incarnate, and didst save me the whole man. Wherefore I cry to Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Putting behind the pain of his brother’s murder, St. Dionysius brought forth fruits of repentance for his family. He applied the forgiving balm of Christ to the contrite soul of his brother’s murderer. He gave him the sacrament of absolution after the man sincerely confessed his sins.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

God in three Hypostases, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, regards the heart, not the might nor the melanin. Therefore, will I trust in Him who has made all things, sees all things, hears all things and feels all things, great and small.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

O compassionately loving Mary, full of grace and mercy, teach us to love one another, even when love is not initially returned.

Ode V

Irmos: Thou who are the light of those lying in darkness, and the salvation of the despairing, O Christ my Savior, I rise early to pray to Thee, O King of Peace. Enlighten me with Thy radiance, for I know no other God beside Thee.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Putting behind the mark of Cain, we strive to see past our neighbor’s specks and concentrate on our own remarkably large logs of sin that need unceasing prayer.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The consubstantial Trinity in God glorified seeks the restoration by adoption of all mankind. Yet all must come to the throne of grace by free will. How wonderful is our God.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Sweet Mother of the Merciful God, thy raiment has threads from the four corners of the earth; wherefore all generations, everywhere, bless thee.

Ode VI

Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I appeal to the unfathomable abyss of Thy compassion: from corruption raise me up, O God.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Putting behind the memories of being sold into slavery, Joseph acknowledged that it was God and not his apologetic brothers who “did send me before you to preserve life” (Gen 45:5). So also let us acknowledge the fulfillment of God’s ineffable will.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in essence and undivided. Man, though created, has been granted everlasting salvation by partaking of the body and blood of Christ. Thus, is man reunited to God and to man.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin, for He who made thy womb more spacious than the heavens, has come through thee to reconcile man to God and man to man.

Kontakion, tone 4

For the weak, let us share strength, and let the strong forego condemnation. For, in Christ, the strong can bear the infirmities of the weak; through Him all things can be done, for the Trinity alone is the Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal.

Ode VII

Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped in the plain of Dura, Thy three children despised the godless order, thrown into the fire, they were bedewed and sang: blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

As all races may build the bridge of reconciliation through a sharing of the fruits of repentance, so relationship is re-formed. While the prodigal son can give the fruit of humility, the older brother offers the fruit of patience and forgiveness.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Putting behind the cries of betrayal, Christ carried forward his cross. By love and obedience, not by nails, did He remain on the cross, trampling death by death.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Putting behind the crucifying cries, the Holy Virgin endured a pain worse than the travail of birth. By love, she gave birth to Love. By faith, she went from strength to strength. By hope, she watched the Light of Light slip into hades and then soar back to the heavens.

Ode VIII

Irmos: O ye works, praise the Lord God, who descended into the fiery furnace with the Hebrew children and changed the flame into dew, and supremely exalt Him unto all ages.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Putting behind the memories of Israel, Daniel kept his sight on God, though he was a stranger in a strange land.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Even as repentance is more than being sorry, so racial reconciliation is more than the giving and accepting of apologies. The fruit of repentance may vary in form and fashion: The Prophet David offered a psalm, and Righteous Zaccheus, a four-fold restoration; St. John Maximovitch offered his prayer, fasting, and care for orphans.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

In repentance, St. Menas offered his martyr’s blood, and St. Luke, his icons and healing counsel; St. Herman left familiar surroundings to bring Orthodoxy to America; St. Thaïs offered her thankful, heartfelt, and tearful prayers; St. Moses offered his humble bag of spilling sand.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

O Mary, Joy of All Who Sorrow, sanctify us by thy intercession before thy Son and our Savior. For He, who sat upon thy arm, is strong and mighty, True God of True God. Help us to reunite together in love, patient co-suffering and unspeakable joy.

Ode IX

Irmos: God the Word, who came forth from God, and who by ineffable wisdom came to renew Adam after his grievous fall to corruption through eating, and who ineffably took flesh from the Holy Virgin for our sake, Him do we the faithful with one accord magnify with hymns.

Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden

Putting behind the sorrow of racial division, let us see the good and commonality of one another in Christ, for the garment of gladness is the same.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Let God be glorified from above, and from united voices below. Let those with much share, so there would be none with little. Let the daily loaves that the Lord sends be divided generously, so that the races will no longer be prone to division.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Yea, Holy Mother, awesome reconciler who cannot be put to shame, help us to heal our wounds of race—and every human categorization—with the binding balm of the all-embracing Christ, who shall come again with glory, and whose manifold, united Kingdom will have no end.

Prayer

Holy and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, who hast made of one blood all the race of mankind, and in whom “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female”; who hast given us the saving commandment “Love thy neighbor as thyself”; we, Thy unworthy servants, praise and bless Thee who hast done all things for our salvation: Thy incarnation, baptism, and ministry; Thy passion, death, and resurrection; Thy holy ascension by which Thou hast brought our human nature to sit with the Father on the heavenly throne; and for sending Thy Comforter Spirit to teach us and guide us in all our ways: Free our hearts and minds from judgment of those who appear to be different from us, and teach us, rather, to delight in all the flowers in Thy garden. Let Thy peace, which passes all human understanding, illuminate our hearts and shine forth into this rebellious world. And, O Lord Jesus Christ, make us worthy to be united with Thee and with one another in Thy heavenly kingdom, for to Thee belong glory, power, and dominion, together with Thy Father, who is without beginning, and Thy All-holy, good, and comforting Spirit, both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.