Since I undertook the service of this archdiocese, I meet kids wearing the gown of St. Anthony or St. Elias (which is usually taken from the Capuchins). I have also seen lately (In the Marian month) women wearing white and blue. Perhaps those women are not from Orthodox origins because this dress is obviously copied from the statue of the Lady of Lourdes.
Sometimes, conflicts occur between enlightened priests and the mothers of such children because the mother asks him to bless this clothing and we do not usually have any blessing for any clothing. What goes on in the minds of those women? They usually say: I have vowed my child for St. Elias or St. Anthony; what does this mean? If she was looking for a power or healing or grace, then this must be asked through prayer and has nothing to do with a piece of rag. No rag contains a divine power; if you wanted a prayer, say it directly. You would be thinking about wizardry if you thought that some material secretes a blessing only because it is in contact with the body. Also, if you took some readings from the Psalms or Gospel and wrapped them together and hanged them from your chest, we don’t believe that they would benefit you. On the contrary, we believe that this is a kind of wizardry. Wizardry is when you believe that doing a specific act would give a spiritual result such as healing. Anything other than a personal prayer from you and believing that you will get a response simply by grace is a kind of wizardry and consequently is harmful.
We only have one kind of blessing and it is the blessing of priestly attires. We say to God: “Bless these clothes that are used to honor the glory of your Holy name and for the beauty and decoration of the servants of your holy altar and your pure sacraments”. Then we sprinkle these clothes with Holy water and ask for those who will wear it to be worthy of serving the holy sacraments.
And for the priest not to think that these clothes carry a sanctifying “power” by themselves, he personally blessed every piece of the attire before the divine service. This happens because the clothing is related to himself; he who is called to fulfill the divine mystery.
It is commonly said among us that we should leave people to their faiths. This is not faith for us but believing superstitions and it is our duty to fight superstitions.
It has been said in the New Testament: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household”. It is meant that He, in whom you believe, the Savior, saves you from sin and sickness. The Other saying: “Believe in a stone and you shall be discharged” is rejected. We have never seen a stone that can discharge someone. We are not interested in the movement of the heart towards anything but Christ. Believing everything would ruin your internal entity and leave you in delusions and deadly ghosts.
In this sense, if a cloth was put around the body of a child or an adult, it wouldn’t be different than any other cloth. Paganism can penetrate into the Church through the minds of naïve people that are eager for healing. What does it mean spiritually to vow your child for a Saint? Every one of us is vowed, in Baptism, to God and our hearts are purified without any physical mean. “Enter your room (your heart) and pray to your Father that is unseen”. Your heart is vowed for the Lord: In this exists your healing and console.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “ثياب «المنذورين»” –Raiati 22- 28.05.2000
