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Text Box: you of such importance, but that with which God has empowered you and that with which He has entrusted you. Without these you have only the importance of being made in the image and likeness of God - which is very impressive and important all by itself. But it is nothing more or less than that with which God has imbued every other human being. That which He has imbued you in your Priesthood, however, is even more special, making you not just more special but also burdened with the obligation to utilize that with which God has entrusted you and to utilize it properly. You therefore are a key part of the salvation of mankind. You are instrumental in the realization of eternal salvation by every human being. God has selected you to be one of the essential elements in the acquisition of eternal happiness by every person. Do not loose your savor. Increase it. Have it permeate everywhere. If others do not “like” it, they have a problem. Do not allow their problem to interfere with your divinely appointed duty. Do not beat them over their heads with the Bible, but also do not sit on the Bible. Just be yourself - a Priest, and never stop being what you are - a Priest. It is one of the best means you have of inducing others to at least contemplate their lives and possibly changing their lives for the holier. Always remember: if you do not do your Priestly job, someone may go to hell - probably you. + PLEASANT SURPRISE FROM OUR WEB SITE We have been pleasantly surprised at the activity we have received on our web site. During the past month there have been one hundred twenty-six downloads of the Basilian Gregorian Rite Divine Liturgy and other specific liturgies of The Society

Text Box: of Clerks Secular of Saint Basil, from our web site. There also have been twenty-two down loads of The Rudder (The Pedalion) during that month, and one hundred seventy-six downloads since we first made it available in September, 2008 A. D. We do not have the figures on the downloads from our files areas since we do not normally track those figures, but there are indications of numerous downloads. During Great Lent daily activity on our web site has increased a minimum of one-third and more often has doubled. These are indications our web site serves a useful purpose, especially in providing liturgies in ready-to-print format which anyone can bring to any copy business and print as many copies of the liturgies as they require. + EQUIVOCATION IS SOMETHING WHICH MUST ALWAYS BE AVOIDED To admit one does not know the answer to a question, when one does not know the answer, is always the best course. It is truthful; therefore to say otherwise is a sin. To invent an answer easily leads to disinformation and the real potential that the one making the inquiry, as well as the one answering, will be mislead. But to give a less than truthful answer when one knows the truth for any reason, especially because the answerer desires to be accepted or to be acceptable or to not distress the questioner, is damnable. When one does know the answer to an inquiry, or one is fully cognizant of the implications of an event or situation, or one knows a situation is in compliance with dogma or is not in compliance with dogma, then one is mandated to clearly state the morality of the situation. Where possible this were best done in the most acceptable and polite manner possible. But the manner of delivery should never

Text Box: impinge on the weight of the dogmatic statement and application of God’s expressed will. There is no situation in human realm which does not have a Divine mandate which applies, nor is there such a situation where the Divine mandate can not be readily ascertained. The desire to not embarrass is understandable. The desire to be accepted is understandable. But no such desire is of more importance than personal compliance with God’s dictates and the publication of those requirements by every possible means. Nor is it permissible to cloud or make “fuzzy” those standards and requirements which God has enumerated and which, as has been stated, not only cover every human situation but also are easily ascertainable. Equivocation, therefore, is never permitted. Equivocation can lead to the eternal damnation not just of the Priest but also of those for whom he is the spiritual advisor. By way of example: A person is a drug user and steal to obtain money to purchase drugs for his/her addiction. But the user despises the habit and the stealing because they are sins and because of the damage these sins cause himself/herself and the victims of his/her thefts. The user constantly attempts to break the addiction and constantly fails. This person may receive Divine Mercy within Divine Justice because of his/her constant attempts to remove this sin from his./her life. Contemplating such Divine Mercy in a general sense is not the beginnings of making judgment of a person but rather contemplating the workings of God. But simply contemplating such Divine Mercy as applied to a specific individual is the beginnings of judgment of that individual and such is reserved to God and to God alone. One may and actually must assess the drug use and thefts of that individual as being sins so-as-to properly advise and assist that individual. One may also

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