“I have baptized you with water; but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Bishop Alexander (of blessed memory) taught that there is, in each of us, an innate desire for happiness; and yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we are very seldom happy, even when we are not threatened in any way. The reason why we are not happy is because, by God’s grace, we are aware of the darkness within us, caused by sin – both our own personal sins, and the corruption of human being that is produced by sin. Sin is spiritual sickness; and, left untreated, spreads like a cancer within us, causing the darkening of our mind, the weakening of our will to do what is good, making us bitter and depressed, angry and resentful, and increasingly inclined to repeat our sins again and again. This is the way of sin; this is the way of death. The treatment of this spiritual sickness begins with repentance.
And so it was that the people from the region around the River Jordan, where St. John the Baptizer was found, came to him to be baptized. Their baptism was an act of repentance, whereby they acknowledged their sins, and expressed their desire to be made clean from the stain and shame of what they had done. The baptism of St. John did not set them free of their sins; but it “prepared the way” for them to receive the baptism of forgiveness which our Lord Jesus Christ was soon to bestow upon those who came to Him in faith. Drawn to repentance by the grace of God, their burden of sin was loosened, until it was removed from them completely by faith in Christ.
When we were baptized, we were washed clean of our sins; and we received as well the Holy Spirit, Who was seen by some descending upon our Lord Jesus Christ when He came to St. John the Baptizer at the Jordan River. Thus, what St. John the Baptizer said was true: “I baptize you with water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Not only have we received the forgiveness of our sins; we have received power in the Holy Spirit to live a new life, the life of Christ, Who alone was without sin among all born of a woman. Even so, we must continue to struggle against our sins, lest these should grow once more in the darkness, and make us spiritually ill once again. For us, as for those who came to St. John the Baptizer, this way begins with repentance, and confession. For it is in our repenting and confessing our sins that we are washed clean again for the sins we commit after we have been baptized.
We have said that sin causes us to be spiritually ill – and that the course of treatment for this illness, and its symptoms of a darkened mind and a weakened will and bitterness and anger and a turning away from doing what is good to pursue our passions, begins with repentance. But the course of treatment has many more steps. Indeed, the entire Orthodox way of life serves for the treatment of our spiritual ills, and to lead us to health and strength in living the life we have been given in Christ. Prayer and fasting, giving, and struggles against our sinful desires draw us closer to God, and farther from our sins. The greatest medicine of all, of course, is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and all who want to be spiritually well will not neglect the opportunities offered to partake of this most powerful treatment. Of course, the way of preparation for Communion also involves us in prayer and fasting, and also confession – so that we might receive the Body and Blood to our benefit, and not to our condemnation. Then, having partaken, with Christ mystically feeding us by His presence with us, we are strengthened, we are blessed, we are more and more transformed – and so we are better able to embrace and live the life of the Church, which is the way of our salvation.
Brothers and sisters, all this is here for you, today. Here we are gathered, as if at the Jordan River. Here we hear the words of God, calling us to repentance, that we might be restored to a blessed communion with Him. Here we can receive the spiritual food to strengthen and help us in our lives in Christ, so that His life might be seen in us; and we may have life without end in Him. As we prepare to celebrate the Theophany of our Lord, let us also prepare ourselves to live the life He gives. Let us repent, and confess; and let us fast and pray and give and struggle, and receive His most precious and holy Body and Blood, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
1 comment:
Reminds me of what I've been reading in "Gifts of the Desert," by Kyriacos Markides. Last night I was reading something about how God gives His grace freely, and we are filled with His warmth and light; but then, in order to keep His grace, we have to struggle against nasties like sloth and indifference. And I thought, "Oh, so *that's* why I no longer feel that same buoyancy. /huge sigh of relief/ There *is* something I can do about it."
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