(Mark 9:17-32) (Great Lent 4: St. John of the Cross)
We have now come to the end of the fourth week of Great Lent, to the fourth Sunday of Great Lent. By now, everyone has developed their routine of prayer and fasting – praying and fasting more that we had before this season started – right?
OK, so, maybe we’re not praying as much as we could, or should. Maybe we’ve broken the fast by eating something we shouldn’t have eaten; or maybe by eating too much of something that would otherwise be permitted. But still, we’re fasting and praying – right?
Let’s switch gears for a moment. Think about the sins you’ve confessed – or need to confess – and see how many are “repeats”; sins that we commit in thought, word, deed, or desire, over and over and over again. We all do this, of course, although the particular sin or sins that trip me up may not even be on your list at all. Now, please think about this: What is the connection between this situation of regularly recurring sins, and our poverty in prayer and fasting?
In the reading from the Gospel of St. Mark today, we meet a father with a son that is tormented by a demon. Among other things, the demon throws the boy into the fire, or into water, in an effort to destroy him, to end his life. The fathers tell us that the “fire” into which the boy is thrown can be understood to be anger, and the desires we have in this world; while “water” stands for the flood of worldly cares that sweep us away from the path to the Kingdom. The father is obviously helpless to deal with the situation; and, when he comes to the disciples to have them heal his boy, they are also unable to deal with the situation.
Isn’t this pretty much our situation as well? Don’t we find ourselves consumed by the fire of anger, or of lust, or of greed, or of some other passion that’s almost always on our list of sins to confess? Don’t we find ourselves swept away by the cares of this world, and carried along by the flood, against our will? We seem to be helpless to deal with the situation, no matter how many times we try to do battle with our sins and passions; and others, even the faithful in the Church, don’t seem to have any answers, either. Not only are we unable to help others; we are unable even to help ourselves.
We need to recognize that “this kind” only comes out by prayer and fasting. If we do not take the spiritual warfare seriously, and take up in deadly earnest the weapons of that warfare – prayer and fasting – we will continue to be defeated by our passions, stirred up, at least in part, by the demons who hate us, and the image of God in us, and so they try to defile that image, and to destroy us in body, soul, mind and spirit. Without real prayer and fasting, we will be as powerless as were the disciples in today’s Gospel reading.
Let’s be clear about prayer and fasting. We’re not talking about being super-scrupulous about keeping the rules of the fast; the secret is not in reading the labels! Neither are we referring to the length of our prayers. Neither prolonged fasting nor repetitive prayer will give us the power we lack. Prayer and fasting, in the deepest sense, mean a radical renunciation of self, and a concentration on developing trust in God, and humility before God and men. We must believe, and put this belief in action as trust, that God will be merciful to us. We must seek to know the will of God, and make that will our own, desiring nothing apart from the will of God, and desiring as well to do all that is pleasing to God and beneficial to the salvation of souls, both our own, and of others. When we place the fullness of our being into the hands of God the Father, we will then have the power to pray and fast; and so will have the power to cast out the demonic thoughts and words and deeds and desires that beset and defile us.
Brothers and sisters: We are called anew to a holy fast, to a time of prayer, and of preparation. In the days that remain to us before we celebrate the Pascha of our Lord, let us commit ourselves, and one another, and all our life to Christ our God; beseeching Him to establish in us true prayer, and true fasting, that we may be set free from the sins that defile us: to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
On the Annunciation
(Luke 1:24-38) (The Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos)
In the canon for the Feast of the Annunciation, which is read during the Matins service, there is an interesting dialog that takes place, based upon the Gospel account read today. The archangel Gabriel appears to the Theotokos, and salutes her; and she questions him about the report he has just given her, asking, how can this be, since I have not known a man? There is another element to the dialog that isn’t as familiar as the main theme of the Annunciation; but it is instructive for us, and so worth noting. It is this: As her conversation with the angel proceeds, she, more than once, questions the angel, not so much in disbelief about what has been said, but being very careful not to be deceived by this mysterious visitor, as the serpent had deceived our first-Mother, Eve. She takes care to try to be certain that what is taking place is, indeed, from God, and not some trick of the devil.
In this, the Theotokos provides us with another excellent example of who we are to be, and how we are to live. There is no doubt in my mind that every Christian would do well to cultivate, both by mental decision, and by beseeching God to make it so, the response that our blessed Lady Theotokos made to the archangel’s announcement: Behold, I am the hand-maiden of the Lord. If each of us were to strive to make this our own response; to say, “I am the servant of the Lord” – and do everything in our power to actually live as such, we would be transformed; our families would be transformed; the Church would be transformed; and the world would be transformed. A good servant does not seek anything apart from what pleases his or her master; and desire to do only that which is pleasing to the master. As the servants of God, we would not seek glory for ourselves, but to give glory to God; and we would do all we could to live without sin, as our sins separate us from our Master. When we live according to the virtues – when we live according to the life of Christ given to us in our baptism, empowered by our chrismation, and fed and strengthened and enlightened by the Holy Mysteries of our Lord’s Body and Blood, we do what is pleasing to God. It is our hope to hear, when our time in this world is completed, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”
We would also do well to take to heart the caution displayed by our Lady Theotokos. We need to be on guard against being deceived; and, above all, by our own hearts, and by our own flesh. It is all too easy for us to convince ourselves that the thing that we want is essential to our happiness, or even to our survival. Most of us have done this enough times to know that it isn’t true – but that doesn’t stop the temptations, the feelings, the desires. It is all too easy for us to convince ourselves that what we did wasn’t really a “sin” – we can find lots of reasons why we “should” have done what we did; or, we think we can explain it in such a way that God will overlook it, and let us off the hook. To be sure, the enemy of our salvation is right there as well, trying to lead us into that way of thinking and feeling and acting. But if guarded the thoughts and desires of our hearts more closely, we’d be much harder to deceive.
Brothers and sisters! We celebrate today she who, by the surrender of herself – a total surrender, of body, mind and spirit – to the will of God made it possible for Christ to enter the world for our salvation. Let us seek God’s grace to join her in His service, becoming faithful servants devoted to our Lord with the fullness of our being. Let us question every thought, feeling, word, or desire that is not uttered as a servant of God; and let us join our blessed Lady Theotokos as well in bearing Christ into the world: for the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
In the canon for the Feast of the Annunciation, which is read during the Matins service, there is an interesting dialog that takes place, based upon the Gospel account read today. The archangel Gabriel appears to the Theotokos, and salutes her; and she questions him about the report he has just given her, asking, how can this be, since I have not known a man? There is another element to the dialog that isn’t as familiar as the main theme of the Annunciation; but it is instructive for us, and so worth noting. It is this: As her conversation with the angel proceeds, she, more than once, questions the angel, not so much in disbelief about what has been said, but being very careful not to be deceived by this mysterious visitor, as the serpent had deceived our first-Mother, Eve. She takes care to try to be certain that what is taking place is, indeed, from God, and not some trick of the devil.
In this, the Theotokos provides us with another excellent example of who we are to be, and how we are to live. There is no doubt in my mind that every Christian would do well to cultivate, both by mental decision, and by beseeching God to make it so, the response that our blessed Lady Theotokos made to the archangel’s announcement: Behold, I am the hand-maiden of the Lord. If each of us were to strive to make this our own response; to say, “I am the servant of the Lord” – and do everything in our power to actually live as such, we would be transformed; our families would be transformed; the Church would be transformed; and the world would be transformed. A good servant does not seek anything apart from what pleases his or her master; and desire to do only that which is pleasing to the master. As the servants of God, we would not seek glory for ourselves, but to give glory to God; and we would do all we could to live without sin, as our sins separate us from our Master. When we live according to the virtues – when we live according to the life of Christ given to us in our baptism, empowered by our chrismation, and fed and strengthened and enlightened by the Holy Mysteries of our Lord’s Body and Blood, we do what is pleasing to God. It is our hope to hear, when our time in this world is completed, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”
We would also do well to take to heart the caution displayed by our Lady Theotokos. We need to be on guard against being deceived; and, above all, by our own hearts, and by our own flesh. It is all too easy for us to convince ourselves that the thing that we want is essential to our happiness, or even to our survival. Most of us have done this enough times to know that it isn’t true – but that doesn’t stop the temptations, the feelings, the desires. It is all too easy for us to convince ourselves that what we did wasn’t really a “sin” – we can find lots of reasons why we “should” have done what we did; or, we think we can explain it in such a way that God will overlook it, and let us off the hook. To be sure, the enemy of our salvation is right there as well, trying to lead us into that way of thinking and feeling and acting. But if guarded the thoughts and desires of our hearts more closely, we’d be much harder to deceive.
Brothers and sisters! We celebrate today she who, by the surrender of herself – a total surrender, of body, mind and spirit – to the will of God made it possible for Christ to enter the world for our salvation. Let us seek God’s grace to join her in His service, becoming faithful servants devoted to our Lord with the fullness of our being. Let us question every thought, feeling, word, or desire that is not uttered as a servant of God; and let us join our blessed Lady Theotokos as well in bearing Christ into the world: for the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Our Destination is the Cross
(Mark 8:34b-9:1) (Great Lent 3: The Veneration of the Holy Cross)
This is the third Sunday of Great Lent. We are now halfway to Palm Sunday, and the start of Holy Week. Pascha is now four weeks away. Of course, before we get to Pascha, before we come to the Resurrection, we must go past Golgotha, and the three crosses atop that hill outside the city wall…
It is at this time in our journey through Great Lent that we celebrate the Veneration of the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In part, this is meant to encourage us, as we make this journey, which is sometimes difficult, sometimes demanding, sometimes depressing. After all, is there anyone here who hasn’t fallen away from their resolve to keep a holy Lent, and to struggle to overcome the sins and weaknesses that all too often carry us away? We’ve eaten something we should have avoided; or we’ve watched some television, or listened to some music, or read a book, or played a game that we should have set aside… We haven’t prayed as much, fasted as much, been as forgiving, been as patient, been as generous, been as chaste, as we’d meant to be, as we know we could have been, and could have done, if we’d have just put our minds to it, and hunkered down, and gotten to work… Well, there’s still time to get back on track; there’s still time to profit from the holy Lent.
So, on the one hand, we venerate the Cross as a way of encouragement. In another way, by venerating the Cross at this time, we are saying that the Cross is our destination. What’s the point of keeping Great Lent if we do not intend to follow our Lord Jesus Christ? The answer is, there isn’t any point, except in obedience to what our Lord said in today’s Gospel reading: “Anyone who wants to be with Me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow Me.” Our Lord came into the world to save sinners. He emptied Himself of the glory that was His from before the creation of the world, in order to become the Servant of God, and to accomplish our salvation. He knew that this path went to Golgotha, and to the Cross, and the grave: and He went willingly, obedient to the command of God the Father. By His death, He has destroyed death – the death that rightly is ours, for He did not sin, as we have all sinned. By His Resurrection, we have life, His life; a life that is without death, without end.
So the Cross is our destination. We have a sinner to save – ourselves. To save our souls, we deny ourselves. What do we give up? Above all, we give up the “right” to indulge ourselves in whatever pleasures and whatever passions please our flesh. This is why we fast: to teach our flesh that it is not in charge, that it is not allowed to have whatever it wants, whenever it wants it. This is why we give: to teach our flesh that what this world has to offer is nothing compared to the riches that await us in the Kingdom of heaven; and so we set ourselves free from the attachments to the things of this world by using a portion of what God has given us of material wealth on behalf of the needs of others. This is why we struggle against our sins, and the passions from which our sins arise: to follow our Lord Jesus in living a life that is holy, and righteous, and without sin; and, when we fail, repenting, and confessing, and dedicating ourselves once more to be faithful in the battle.
The Cross is our destination, because we intend to put to death there our flesh, so that we might live in a way that is pleasing to the God Who loves us. And the Cross is our destination because the world does not, and will not, understand why we seek to leave its ways behind, and instead try to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. And so the world hates us; and tries to distract and delay and deter and defeat us; and if we still will not turn aside from the way of God, the way to His kingdom, the world will try to kill us: to quench our spirit, or even to take our life from us. After all, they put our Lord Jesus to death on the Cross; and there’s plenty of wood left in the world…
Brothers and sisters! Pascha, the sweet and joyous celebration of our deliverance from sin and death draws ever nearer. While all may partake of that glorious feast, how much greater is the joy of those who have struggled! The Cross is now before us. Let us endeavor to take up our Cross and deny ourselves, and follow our Lord Jesus in the life, which He is calling us to live. Let us pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle to bring to life within ourselves the virtues that replace the passions and our sins; to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
This is the third Sunday of Great Lent. We are now halfway to Palm Sunday, and the start of Holy Week. Pascha is now four weeks away. Of course, before we get to Pascha, before we come to the Resurrection, we must go past Golgotha, and the three crosses atop that hill outside the city wall…
It is at this time in our journey through Great Lent that we celebrate the Veneration of the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In part, this is meant to encourage us, as we make this journey, which is sometimes difficult, sometimes demanding, sometimes depressing. After all, is there anyone here who hasn’t fallen away from their resolve to keep a holy Lent, and to struggle to overcome the sins and weaknesses that all too often carry us away? We’ve eaten something we should have avoided; or we’ve watched some television, or listened to some music, or read a book, or played a game that we should have set aside… We haven’t prayed as much, fasted as much, been as forgiving, been as patient, been as generous, been as chaste, as we’d meant to be, as we know we could have been, and could have done, if we’d have just put our minds to it, and hunkered down, and gotten to work… Well, there’s still time to get back on track; there’s still time to profit from the holy Lent.
So, on the one hand, we venerate the Cross as a way of encouragement. In another way, by venerating the Cross at this time, we are saying that the Cross is our destination. What’s the point of keeping Great Lent if we do not intend to follow our Lord Jesus Christ? The answer is, there isn’t any point, except in obedience to what our Lord said in today’s Gospel reading: “Anyone who wants to be with Me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow Me.” Our Lord came into the world to save sinners. He emptied Himself of the glory that was His from before the creation of the world, in order to become the Servant of God, and to accomplish our salvation. He knew that this path went to Golgotha, and to the Cross, and the grave: and He went willingly, obedient to the command of God the Father. By His death, He has destroyed death – the death that rightly is ours, for He did not sin, as we have all sinned. By His Resurrection, we have life, His life; a life that is without death, without end.
So the Cross is our destination. We have a sinner to save – ourselves. To save our souls, we deny ourselves. What do we give up? Above all, we give up the “right” to indulge ourselves in whatever pleasures and whatever passions please our flesh. This is why we fast: to teach our flesh that it is not in charge, that it is not allowed to have whatever it wants, whenever it wants it. This is why we give: to teach our flesh that what this world has to offer is nothing compared to the riches that await us in the Kingdom of heaven; and so we set ourselves free from the attachments to the things of this world by using a portion of what God has given us of material wealth on behalf of the needs of others. This is why we struggle against our sins, and the passions from which our sins arise: to follow our Lord Jesus in living a life that is holy, and righteous, and without sin; and, when we fail, repenting, and confessing, and dedicating ourselves once more to be faithful in the battle.
The Cross is our destination, because we intend to put to death there our flesh, so that we might live in a way that is pleasing to the God Who loves us. And the Cross is our destination because the world does not, and will not, understand why we seek to leave its ways behind, and instead try to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. And so the world hates us; and tries to distract and delay and deter and defeat us; and if we still will not turn aside from the way of God, the way to His kingdom, the world will try to kill us: to quench our spirit, or even to take our life from us. After all, they put our Lord Jesus to death on the Cross; and there’s plenty of wood left in the world…
Brothers and sisters! Pascha, the sweet and joyous celebration of our deliverance from sin and death draws ever nearer. While all may partake of that glorious feast, how much greater is the joy of those who have struggled! The Cross is now before us. Let us endeavor to take up our Cross and deny ourselves, and follow our Lord Jesus in the life, which He is calling us to live. Let us pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle to bring to life within ourselves the virtues that replace the passions and our sins; to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
We Have Found Him!
(John 1:43-51) (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
They had no idea what was in store for them, but that didn’t stop them. They would experience miracles; and martyrdom. They would catch a glimpse of the glories of heaven; and be all too familiar with the suffering that is a form of hell on earth. They had no idea what was in store for them; they knew almost nothing at all. But when our Lord Jesus said, “Follow me,” they did; and Philip even ran to Nathanael and said, “We have found Him!”
Can you hear it? The excitement in his voice? “We have found Him of whom Moses mentioned in the Law, and the prophets foretold.” There’s a joy there, too, as we can hear when the righteous Symeon says, “Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” Symeon had been watching and waiting, and recognized the Lord when He was placed in the arms of this righteous man. Philip was waiting for the Holy One of Israel, and studying the Scriptures; and recognized the Lord when he was called to follow.
The seven holy hieromartyrs of Cherson, who suffered for Christ at the beginning of the fourth century, knew the excitement. Only one of them died peacefully. One, Basil, was bound by the feet and dragged behind a chariot through the streets of the city until he died, because he had raised the son of a prince to life. One was beheaded. Three were beaten to death with rods and stones. The last, in response to a request of the pagan Scythians, put on his Episcopal vestments and entered a fiery furnace, remaining in it for about an hour, emerging unharmed, without even a scorch-mark on his clothing. This caused those who had challenged him to praise God, and be baptized; and this provoked others among the pagans to drown the miracle-working bishop. But all endured, were willing to endure, because they, too, had found Him.
The faithful who suffered at the hands of the iconoclasts in the eighth century knew the excitement. They endured suffering and death while continuing to reverence the holy ones – our Lord Jesus Christ, our most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos, and all the saints – depicted on the icons that had been outlawed and banned. Why did they suffer? Why did they bother? Because they had found Him Who is greater than any earthly treasure, and worth any burden – our Lord Jesus Christ.
Things really aren’t much different today. It’s still possible to catch the occasional glimpse of heaven, if you’re willing to do what is necessary. Of course, one has to work hard to avoid seeing the suffering that continues to this very day and hour – hell on earth hasn’t gotten any better. There are still miracles; and even martyrdom for the faithful. Our Lord still calls people to follow Him.
So here’s the question for you. Do you know the excitement? Have you been called? Have you found Him?
Brothers and sisters! Great Lent has begun. We have entered into the time of cleansing, so that we who are bearers of the image of God but have hidden that image by the stain of our sins might be restored once more to the love of God. We have started the time of preparation, by prayer and fasting, alms-giving and struggle, to be able to see our Lord risen from the dead. Why bother to fast? Why bother to pray? Why bother to give up TV and movies, and popular music, and talk radio, and the like? You can’t do it for long, if you don’t hear the excitement; you won’t do it for long, if you have not found Him..
May God grant to each of us to hear Him call us to follow. May we, too, be like Philip, filled with excitement; and may we also draw others to follow, to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
They had no idea what was in store for them, but that didn’t stop them. They would experience miracles; and martyrdom. They would catch a glimpse of the glories of heaven; and be all too familiar with the suffering that is a form of hell on earth. They had no idea what was in store for them; they knew almost nothing at all. But when our Lord Jesus said, “Follow me,” they did; and Philip even ran to Nathanael and said, “We have found Him!”
Can you hear it? The excitement in his voice? “We have found Him of whom Moses mentioned in the Law, and the prophets foretold.” There’s a joy there, too, as we can hear when the righteous Symeon says, “Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” Symeon had been watching and waiting, and recognized the Lord when He was placed in the arms of this righteous man. Philip was waiting for the Holy One of Israel, and studying the Scriptures; and recognized the Lord when he was called to follow.
The seven holy hieromartyrs of Cherson, who suffered for Christ at the beginning of the fourth century, knew the excitement. Only one of them died peacefully. One, Basil, was bound by the feet and dragged behind a chariot through the streets of the city until he died, because he had raised the son of a prince to life. One was beheaded. Three were beaten to death with rods and stones. The last, in response to a request of the pagan Scythians, put on his Episcopal vestments and entered a fiery furnace, remaining in it for about an hour, emerging unharmed, without even a scorch-mark on his clothing. This caused those who had challenged him to praise God, and be baptized; and this provoked others among the pagans to drown the miracle-working bishop. But all endured, were willing to endure, because they, too, had found Him.
The faithful who suffered at the hands of the iconoclasts in the eighth century knew the excitement. They endured suffering and death while continuing to reverence the holy ones – our Lord Jesus Christ, our most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos, and all the saints – depicted on the icons that had been outlawed and banned. Why did they suffer? Why did they bother? Because they had found Him Who is greater than any earthly treasure, and worth any burden – our Lord Jesus Christ.
Things really aren’t much different today. It’s still possible to catch the occasional glimpse of heaven, if you’re willing to do what is necessary. Of course, one has to work hard to avoid seeing the suffering that continues to this very day and hour – hell on earth hasn’t gotten any better. There are still miracles; and even martyrdom for the faithful. Our Lord still calls people to follow Him.
So here’s the question for you. Do you know the excitement? Have you been called? Have you found Him?
Brothers and sisters! Great Lent has begun. We have entered into the time of cleansing, so that we who are bearers of the image of God but have hidden that image by the stain of our sins might be restored once more to the love of God. We have started the time of preparation, by prayer and fasting, alms-giving and struggle, to be able to see our Lord risen from the dead. Why bother to fast? Why bother to pray? Why bother to give up TV and movies, and popular music, and talk radio, and the like? You can’t do it for long, if you don’t hear the excitement; you won’t do it for long, if you have not found Him..
May God grant to each of us to hear Him call us to follow. May we, too, be like Philip, filled with excitement; and may we also draw others to follow, to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
"Forgive One Another"
(Matthew 6:14-21) (Forgiveness Sunday)
Today marks the end of one season, putting, as it were, the final period and bracket to the season which began back in November, with the period of fasting that was in preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord; and shortly thereafter, His Theophany. We’ve considered two basic themes throughout this period of time.
The first is that of theosis: of becoming like God. We have talked about and thought about the significance of the Son of God taking on our nature; and how, as a result, we are taken into His nature. We have said that, among other things, we embody Christ. That is, we make Him present here and now, and all the more so, as we grow more and more into His likeness. It is our calling to show Him forth in and through our lives each day.
The second theme is the wonderful and tender love that God has for each of us. We have considered how it is an act of God’s love by which He forgives us our sins, and restores us to Himself, and to each other. This is meant to create love for God in us, and for each other, making us vessels of His love. God is love; and, if we are going to accomplish our theosis, and be like God, we must love.
And now it is Forgiveness Sunday, and we stand at the threshold of Great Lent. We are about to enter into the fast that is the time of preparation for the celebration of our Lord’s Pascha, when, by His love, He gives Himself for us completely, so that we might, in Him, trample down death by death – His death. Such is the instruction we are given by St. Matthew today; for his words call us once more to consider theosis, being like God; and the love of God for each and all of us.
Our Lord tells us that we are to forgive one another for the sins that have offended us. This is not an unusual instruction. For example, we are told, each time before we come to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, or even before making any offering to the Lord, that we should first be reconciled to each other. So that we may enter into and keep a holy Lent, later today, during the Vespers service, we will make a prostration to each other as a sign of humility, and ask forgiveness of each other, saying, “Forgive me, a sinner”; and replying, “God forgives; forgive me, a sinner”; to which the response is, “May God forgive and have mercy on us all.” It is a beautiful service; but it should not stop here. It is meant to be an example of how we should always respond to sin, whether it is an offense we have committed, or which someone has done to us. The key is in the exchange: “God forgives; forgive me, a sinner.” The promise is clear: If we forgive, we will be forgiven; and if we will not forgive, we will not be forgiven. When we forgive, we are like God; and God, recognizing the likeness of Christ in us, gladly saves us. If we will not forgive, we do not look like Christ – and will not be recognized as being His.
Consider also the necessity of always cultivating love for God, and for all who are made in His image, in us. To do so, we must value our relationship of love with God, and with each other, as being more important, more valuable, than anything else this world has to offer. Anything of material value will ultimately cease to exist; but the heavenly things that we establish within ourselves (by God’s grace) will endure. Our Lord says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” If Christ is our treasure, our hearts will be with Him; and if our hearts are with Him, they will be influenced by Him; and if our hearts are influenced by Him, we will become more like Him; and the process of becoming like God, theosis, will be achieved – and all because we have learned to love with the love of God.
Brothers and sisters: Great Lent is upon us. At its completion is the completion of all things – our salvation, achieved by our Lord Jesus Christ by His offering of Himself for our sake because of His love. Let us forgive one another, and all who have sinned against us, even as we confess our sins; and let us earnestly desire to be filled with the love of God, and make Christ our treasure, that we may be with Him, and He with us; always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Today marks the end of one season, putting, as it were, the final period and bracket to the season which began back in November, with the period of fasting that was in preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord; and shortly thereafter, His Theophany. We’ve considered two basic themes throughout this period of time.
The first is that of theosis: of becoming like God. We have talked about and thought about the significance of the Son of God taking on our nature; and how, as a result, we are taken into His nature. We have said that, among other things, we embody Christ. That is, we make Him present here and now, and all the more so, as we grow more and more into His likeness. It is our calling to show Him forth in and through our lives each day.
The second theme is the wonderful and tender love that God has for each of us. We have considered how it is an act of God’s love by which He forgives us our sins, and restores us to Himself, and to each other. This is meant to create love for God in us, and for each other, making us vessels of His love. God is love; and, if we are going to accomplish our theosis, and be like God, we must love.
And now it is Forgiveness Sunday, and we stand at the threshold of Great Lent. We are about to enter into the fast that is the time of preparation for the celebration of our Lord’s Pascha, when, by His love, He gives Himself for us completely, so that we might, in Him, trample down death by death – His death. Such is the instruction we are given by St. Matthew today; for his words call us once more to consider theosis, being like God; and the love of God for each and all of us.
Our Lord tells us that we are to forgive one another for the sins that have offended us. This is not an unusual instruction. For example, we are told, each time before we come to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, or even before making any offering to the Lord, that we should first be reconciled to each other. So that we may enter into and keep a holy Lent, later today, during the Vespers service, we will make a prostration to each other as a sign of humility, and ask forgiveness of each other, saying, “Forgive me, a sinner”; and replying, “God forgives; forgive me, a sinner”; to which the response is, “May God forgive and have mercy on us all.” It is a beautiful service; but it should not stop here. It is meant to be an example of how we should always respond to sin, whether it is an offense we have committed, or which someone has done to us. The key is in the exchange: “God forgives; forgive me, a sinner.” The promise is clear: If we forgive, we will be forgiven; and if we will not forgive, we will not be forgiven. When we forgive, we are like God; and God, recognizing the likeness of Christ in us, gladly saves us. If we will not forgive, we do not look like Christ – and will not be recognized as being His.
Consider also the necessity of always cultivating love for God, and for all who are made in His image, in us. To do so, we must value our relationship of love with God, and with each other, as being more important, more valuable, than anything else this world has to offer. Anything of material value will ultimately cease to exist; but the heavenly things that we establish within ourselves (by God’s grace) will endure. Our Lord says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” If Christ is our treasure, our hearts will be with Him; and if our hearts are with Him, they will be influenced by Him; and if our hearts are influenced by Him, we will become more like Him; and the process of becoming like God, theosis, will be achieved – and all because we have learned to love with the love of God.
Brothers and sisters: Great Lent is upon us. At its completion is the completion of all things – our salvation, achieved by our Lord Jesus Christ by His offering of Himself for our sake because of His love. Let us forgive one another, and all who have sinned against us, even as we confess our sins; and let us earnestly desire to be filled with the love of God, and make Christ our treasure, that we may be with Him, and He with us; always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Love and Hell
(Matthew 25:31-46) (Sunday of the Last Judgment)
“When I think of the multitude of evil things I have done, I, a wretched one, I tremble at the fearful day of judgment; but, trusting in the mercy of Thy loving-kindness, like David I cry unto Thee: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.”
We’ve been singing this at Matins over the past several weeks. It is sung after the reading from the Gospel, in the place where, ordinarily, we’d sing, “Having beheld the resurrection of Christ…” It follows the hymn, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out my transgression.” It signals a change in tone, a different mood, which is being introduced as we draw near to the start of Great Lent. It is particularly appropriate today, with the reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel about the Last Judgment.
“I tremble at the fearful day of judgment.” We should be afraid; we should be very afraid of that day. We need to remember a truth that, all too often, it seems, contemporary Christianity doesn’t want to talk about; or, only talks about it in the wrong way. Hell is real; and people will suffer unspeakable torment without end for all eternity there. But, apart from saying to someone else, “You’re going to burn in hell for all eternity, you heretic!” – or something like that – we don’t often talk about the reality of Hell. Maybe that’s because, deep down, we know that, if we found ourselves in that place of torment, there would be no one to blame except ourselves. Hell is real, and people will suffer there for all eternity – not because God sent them there; but because they chose to go there.
Last week, we heard of the incredible love of the father for his Prodigal Son; and for his elder son, as well. We learned that we are meant to know that the love that our heavenly Father has for His children is of the same quality; that, as soon as we, His prodigal children, make the turn towards home, by our repentance and the confession of our faults, and our desire to be restored to Him, He runs to meet us, and to welcome us home. It is because of His love for us that He forgives our sins. Now, as we hear the parable of the Last Judgment, we need to understand that what is at question here is our response to God’s love for us. Do we love God? Do we love those made in His image? This is important, because the separation into those who will stand at the right hand of our Lord, and those who will be sent to His left, is directly related to our love.
Please take some time this week to contemplate the reality of God’s love for you. He has given you life; and more. He has given you what you need to save your soul; and more. He has given Himself; and what more can anyone give? He has called you into existence because of His love; and desires to share that love with you, with each of us, with all of us; now, and also for ever, in a life without end. Forgive, me, please, brothers and sisters: There are not words powerful enough to speak of the great depths of the love that our God has for us.
It’s important for us to realize that we are loved by God; for love calls forth love. When we realize how greatly God loves us, love for God should arise in us in response; and it is this love that moves us to desire to do what is pleasing to our Beloved – to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. It is love that moves us to desire to become vessels of God’s love; and, when we yield ourselves to Him for this purpose, we are filled with love, not only for God, but for each person who bears the image of God. It is this that leads us to feed the hungry, to give the thirsty something to drink, to welcome the stranger, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, and those in prison.
On the other hand, when we respond to insult or injury, or being mistreated by others, with anger, with pride, or with self-righteousness, we are not responding from love – and it’s the absence of love that blinds us to the needs of others, and keeps us from performing acts of mercy for them. When we have love only for ourselves, and not for others; when we only grudgingly give of our time and resources – all of which have been given to us by God in His love – to meet, not our wants and needs, but the needs of others, we are not acting from love; and it is this that will place us on the left hand of the Lord, where we will be told to depart from Him into the everlasting fire, the torment without end that will be Hell.
Brothers and sisters: The great and terrible Day of Judgment is coming. Hell is real; and those who have chosen a way of life marked above all by love of self will suffer there for all eternity. Where will you be told to stand? On the Lord’s right hand? Or on His left? Let us, while we can, choose to be vessels of God’s love, and love one another, even as He loves us, and died for us, that we might live in love with Him; now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
“When I think of the multitude of evil things I have done, I, a wretched one, I tremble at the fearful day of judgment; but, trusting in the mercy of Thy loving-kindness, like David I cry unto Thee: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.”
We’ve been singing this at Matins over the past several weeks. It is sung after the reading from the Gospel, in the place where, ordinarily, we’d sing, “Having beheld the resurrection of Christ…” It follows the hymn, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out my transgression.” It signals a change in tone, a different mood, which is being introduced as we draw near to the start of Great Lent. It is particularly appropriate today, with the reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel about the Last Judgment.
“I tremble at the fearful day of judgment.” We should be afraid; we should be very afraid of that day. We need to remember a truth that, all too often, it seems, contemporary Christianity doesn’t want to talk about; or, only talks about it in the wrong way. Hell is real; and people will suffer unspeakable torment without end for all eternity there. But, apart from saying to someone else, “You’re going to burn in hell for all eternity, you heretic!” – or something like that – we don’t often talk about the reality of Hell. Maybe that’s because, deep down, we know that, if we found ourselves in that place of torment, there would be no one to blame except ourselves. Hell is real, and people will suffer there for all eternity – not because God sent them there; but because they chose to go there.
Last week, we heard of the incredible love of the father for his Prodigal Son; and for his elder son, as well. We learned that we are meant to know that the love that our heavenly Father has for His children is of the same quality; that, as soon as we, His prodigal children, make the turn towards home, by our repentance and the confession of our faults, and our desire to be restored to Him, He runs to meet us, and to welcome us home. It is because of His love for us that He forgives our sins. Now, as we hear the parable of the Last Judgment, we need to understand that what is at question here is our response to God’s love for us. Do we love God? Do we love those made in His image? This is important, because the separation into those who will stand at the right hand of our Lord, and those who will be sent to His left, is directly related to our love.
Please take some time this week to contemplate the reality of God’s love for you. He has given you life; and more. He has given you what you need to save your soul; and more. He has given Himself; and what more can anyone give? He has called you into existence because of His love; and desires to share that love with you, with each of us, with all of us; now, and also for ever, in a life without end. Forgive, me, please, brothers and sisters: There are not words powerful enough to speak of the great depths of the love that our God has for us.
It’s important for us to realize that we are loved by God; for love calls forth love. When we realize how greatly God loves us, love for God should arise in us in response; and it is this love that moves us to desire to do what is pleasing to our Beloved – to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. It is love that moves us to desire to become vessels of God’s love; and, when we yield ourselves to Him for this purpose, we are filled with love, not only for God, but for each person who bears the image of God. It is this that leads us to feed the hungry, to give the thirsty something to drink, to welcome the stranger, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, and those in prison.
On the other hand, when we respond to insult or injury, or being mistreated by others, with anger, with pride, or with self-righteousness, we are not responding from love – and it’s the absence of love that blinds us to the needs of others, and keeps us from performing acts of mercy for them. When we have love only for ourselves, and not for others; when we only grudgingly give of our time and resources – all of which have been given to us by God in His love – to meet, not our wants and needs, but the needs of others, we are not acting from love; and it is this that will place us on the left hand of the Lord, where we will be told to depart from Him into the everlasting fire, the torment without end that will be Hell.
Brothers and sisters: The great and terrible Day of Judgment is coming. Hell is real; and those who have chosen a way of life marked above all by love of self will suffer there for all eternity. Where will you be told to stand? On the Lord’s right hand? Or on His left? Let us, while we can, choose to be vessels of God’s love, and love one another, even as He loves us, and died for us, that we might live in love with Him; now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Running Away from Home
(Luke 15:11-32) (Sunday of the Prodigal Son)
Did you ever run away from home? Probably not; most of us don’t. That doesn’t mean we didn’t think about it! I know I planned to, more than once. And just because you grow up doesn’t mean that the risk is over. Children! Sometimes your parents want to run away from home!
Occasionally, someone will run away from home to escape a difficult, or even dangerous, situation. More often than not, however, those who run away – and the vast majority of those of us who thought about it, but didn’t actually do it – are not running away from a painful or abusive situation. No, what motivates us in this circumstance is the desire to run away from the rules and regulations that our parents have established for us. Oh, sure, these were fine when we were young, and didn’t know anything about life; but now, we’re older, and we know what we’re doing – and who are they to think they should be in control of our lives? So we decide to leave, and get away from these unfair and oppressive rules for living that restrict us, and show no respect for us as individuals.
We see this happening in the parable of the Prodigal Son. While the elder son is righteous, and accepts his father’s authority, the younger son is rebellious, and wants to go his own way. With an arrogance born of his pride, he demands his share of his father’s estate; and, having received it, he leaves his father’s house, and departs into the world, to live life as he thinks best. And, after all, he knows what he’s doing – right?
It doesn’t take very long for him to throw away all that he had; and suddenly life looks quite different to him. The friends he had have disappeared, now that he can no longer indulge himself, and them, in wild living. “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow, we die”; and on the morning after, he finds himself alone and in need. Once the son of a prosperous father, an heir to a valuable estate, he now must take a job feeding pods to swine. But there’s something good in this humbling experience: he comes to his senses, and realizes that the way of life to which his father had held him was not meant to oppress him, but rather to protect and prepare him for life. In his humility, he decides to go home; and, recognizing that he is unworthy to be considered a son any longer, he plans to ask to be considered simply as one of the hired servants.
I’m pretty sure his father expected his son to do what he did. If it had been up to him, he would have stopped his son from leaving; but, knowing that this would only have made matters worse, and would have needed actual coercion, the father allowed him to leave – but never stopped loving his son, never stopped caring about what was happening to him, never stopped worrying about his health and safety and well-being. Well, that’s what parents do, after all. So, when he found his son was heading home, his love for his son led him to run to embrace him while he was still a long way from home; and this same love led to the forgiveness of his offenses, and the son’s restoration to his rightful place in the family.
OK, so, maybe we didn’t run away from home, in the physical sense of having left our parent’s home. But, when it comes to our home in heaven, we must admit that we have, indeed, run away from home; and for the same reasons as did the Prodigal Son: We didn’t want to live by our Father’s rules. Knowing without a doubt that we knew what we were doing – and that what we wanted was just fine, despite the fact that our Father had said otherwise – we left His home, and went out to make our way in the world. But we went far away, and lived a life of sin; and we continue to do so now. But our Father’s love for us is undiminished, unchanged, unbroken; and it is His deep and genuine desire and hope that we will yet come to our senses, and repent of our foolishness, and turn away from our sinful and death-directed lives, and seek to come back to His household once more.
Brothers and sisters: We stand here today in our Father’s house. Sunday dinner is being prepared, and will be served soon: the foretaste of the great wedding banquet, the Holy Mysteries of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Body and Blood. There’s a place at the table for every one of you; and God our Father desires each of you to repent, and prepare yourselves, and come to the feast, and partake of His love. “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore, let us keep the feast”; to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Did you ever run away from home? Probably not; most of us don’t. That doesn’t mean we didn’t think about it! I know I planned to, more than once. And just because you grow up doesn’t mean that the risk is over. Children! Sometimes your parents want to run away from home!
Occasionally, someone will run away from home to escape a difficult, or even dangerous, situation. More often than not, however, those who run away – and the vast majority of those of us who thought about it, but didn’t actually do it – are not running away from a painful or abusive situation. No, what motivates us in this circumstance is the desire to run away from the rules and regulations that our parents have established for us. Oh, sure, these were fine when we were young, and didn’t know anything about life; but now, we’re older, and we know what we’re doing – and who are they to think they should be in control of our lives? So we decide to leave, and get away from these unfair and oppressive rules for living that restrict us, and show no respect for us as individuals.
We see this happening in the parable of the Prodigal Son. While the elder son is righteous, and accepts his father’s authority, the younger son is rebellious, and wants to go his own way. With an arrogance born of his pride, he demands his share of his father’s estate; and, having received it, he leaves his father’s house, and departs into the world, to live life as he thinks best. And, after all, he knows what he’s doing – right?
It doesn’t take very long for him to throw away all that he had; and suddenly life looks quite different to him. The friends he had have disappeared, now that he can no longer indulge himself, and them, in wild living. “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow, we die”; and on the morning after, he finds himself alone and in need. Once the son of a prosperous father, an heir to a valuable estate, he now must take a job feeding pods to swine. But there’s something good in this humbling experience: he comes to his senses, and realizes that the way of life to which his father had held him was not meant to oppress him, but rather to protect and prepare him for life. In his humility, he decides to go home; and, recognizing that he is unworthy to be considered a son any longer, he plans to ask to be considered simply as one of the hired servants.
I’m pretty sure his father expected his son to do what he did. If it had been up to him, he would have stopped his son from leaving; but, knowing that this would only have made matters worse, and would have needed actual coercion, the father allowed him to leave – but never stopped loving his son, never stopped caring about what was happening to him, never stopped worrying about his health and safety and well-being. Well, that’s what parents do, after all. So, when he found his son was heading home, his love for his son led him to run to embrace him while he was still a long way from home; and this same love led to the forgiveness of his offenses, and the son’s restoration to his rightful place in the family.
OK, so, maybe we didn’t run away from home, in the physical sense of having left our parent’s home. But, when it comes to our home in heaven, we must admit that we have, indeed, run away from home; and for the same reasons as did the Prodigal Son: We didn’t want to live by our Father’s rules. Knowing without a doubt that we knew what we were doing – and that what we wanted was just fine, despite the fact that our Father had said otherwise – we left His home, and went out to make our way in the world. But we went far away, and lived a life of sin; and we continue to do so now. But our Father’s love for us is undiminished, unchanged, unbroken; and it is His deep and genuine desire and hope that we will yet come to our senses, and repent of our foolishness, and turn away from our sinful and death-directed lives, and seek to come back to His household once more.
Brothers and sisters: We stand here today in our Father’s house. Sunday dinner is being prepared, and will be served soon: the foretaste of the great wedding banquet, the Holy Mysteries of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Body and Blood. There’s a place at the table for every one of you; and God our Father desires each of you to repent, and prepare yourselves, and come to the feast, and partake of His love. “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore, let us keep the feast”; to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
On Being Humble
(Luke 18:10-14) (Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee)
We all know what we’re supposed to understand from this parable: We are to be humble, as was the publican; and not proud, as was the Pharisee. The Fathers teach us that humility is a virtue, while pride is the root and essence of sin. They also tell us that we must be careful when we think we are righteous; because when righteousness, which brings us closer to God, takes pride as a companion, it no longer raises us up, but casts us down, and makes demonic what had been God-like in us. So, we’re all going to be humble; right?
We all know what the word means. The question, the challenge we face, is to put this knowledge into action. The apostle James wrote, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” (Jas. 4:10) But just how do we humble ourselves?
We certainly don’t learn how to be humble from our culture. I’m not a fan of country music, but I can appreciate the thought expressed by Mac Davis in the song, “O Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” That could be our theme song. To a certain extent, we can begin the task of setting aside our pride and becoming humble by employing the “fake it ‘til you make it” strategy: that is, if I act as if I am humble, even if I don’t feel that way or think that way, I might one day become truly humble. I’m not sure how this will come to pass, apart from the grace of God delivering humility to me as a complete set – but what am I to do, if this strategy doesn’t work? And I have to be honest with you: no matter how hard I’ve tried to be humble, and to remind myself that I am not worthy, and that the person who just cut me off in traffic is more deserving than I am, when push comes to shove, I fail the test. Isn’t there anything we can do?
From The Arena, a book of instruction for monastics written by Bp. Ignatiy (Brianchaninov), we learn that holy monks, remembering our Lord’s words, “I tell you the truth, what you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did to Me,” did not stop to consider whether their neighbor was worthy or not of their respect or service. Rather, their efforts were directed toward making sure that they did not fail to see that their neighbor is the image of God; and that what we do to or for that person is done to or for Christ.
Think about that for a moment. That person who just cut you off, or otherwise offended you in word or in deed – what are you thinking, what are you saying, about them? Something about their lack of intelligence, good manners, proper hygiene, personal appearance, or family background? Would you say those things to or about our Lord? Or would you be too embarrassed to repeat those words or thoughts in His presence? See, we have to realize that when we offend another, or wrong another, in thought, word, or deed, we have offended our Lord Jesus Christ; we have done wrong to Him. There is, the Fathers tell us, a profound connection between love and humility: love for our neighbor is preceded by humility; hatred for our neighbor is preceded by criticism and condemnation – and these are rooted in our pride.
If we focus on “being humble” in the “fake it ‘til you make it” school of thought, we are still concentrating on ourselves. If, instead, we learn to see everyone else as an icon of Christ, and to respond appropriately, we will find humility without even looking for it; for Christ Himself did not count equality with God as something to be grasped, but humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant; to the extent of accepting death on the Cross for our salvation. Can we, who are made in His image, and after His likeness, do any less in our dealings with each other? If we are to be at all successful in bringing to life His image in us, we must be willing to consider everyone else as being Christ to us, and see no one’s sins but our own, and, like the publican, pray, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Brothers and sisters: We who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. We have within ourselves Christ, the hope of glory. Let us not seek glory; not even the glory of being thought to be humble; but rather, let us seek to see and serve Christ in everyone else, giving ourselves in the service of others, as He gave Himself to save our souls.
We all know what we’re supposed to understand from this parable: We are to be humble, as was the publican; and not proud, as was the Pharisee. The Fathers teach us that humility is a virtue, while pride is the root and essence of sin. They also tell us that we must be careful when we think we are righteous; because when righteousness, which brings us closer to God, takes pride as a companion, it no longer raises us up, but casts us down, and makes demonic what had been God-like in us. So, we’re all going to be humble; right?
We all know what the word means. The question, the challenge we face, is to put this knowledge into action. The apostle James wrote, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” (Jas. 4:10) But just how do we humble ourselves?
We certainly don’t learn how to be humble from our culture. I’m not a fan of country music, but I can appreciate the thought expressed by Mac Davis in the song, “O Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” That could be our theme song. To a certain extent, we can begin the task of setting aside our pride and becoming humble by employing the “fake it ‘til you make it” strategy: that is, if I act as if I am humble, even if I don’t feel that way or think that way, I might one day become truly humble. I’m not sure how this will come to pass, apart from the grace of God delivering humility to me as a complete set – but what am I to do, if this strategy doesn’t work? And I have to be honest with you: no matter how hard I’ve tried to be humble, and to remind myself that I am not worthy, and that the person who just cut me off in traffic is more deserving than I am, when push comes to shove, I fail the test. Isn’t there anything we can do?
From The Arena, a book of instruction for monastics written by Bp. Ignatiy (Brianchaninov), we learn that holy monks, remembering our Lord’s words, “I tell you the truth, what you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did to Me,” did not stop to consider whether their neighbor was worthy or not of their respect or service. Rather, their efforts were directed toward making sure that they did not fail to see that their neighbor is the image of God; and that what we do to or for that person is done to or for Christ.
Think about that for a moment. That person who just cut you off, or otherwise offended you in word or in deed – what are you thinking, what are you saying, about them? Something about their lack of intelligence, good manners, proper hygiene, personal appearance, or family background? Would you say those things to or about our Lord? Or would you be too embarrassed to repeat those words or thoughts in His presence? See, we have to realize that when we offend another, or wrong another, in thought, word, or deed, we have offended our Lord Jesus Christ; we have done wrong to Him. There is, the Fathers tell us, a profound connection between love and humility: love for our neighbor is preceded by humility; hatred for our neighbor is preceded by criticism and condemnation – and these are rooted in our pride.
If we focus on “being humble” in the “fake it ‘til you make it” school of thought, we are still concentrating on ourselves. If, instead, we learn to see everyone else as an icon of Christ, and to respond appropriately, we will find humility without even looking for it; for Christ Himself did not count equality with God as something to be grasped, but humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant; to the extent of accepting death on the Cross for our salvation. Can we, who are made in His image, and after His likeness, do any less in our dealings with each other? If we are to be at all successful in bringing to life His image in us, we must be willing to consider everyone else as being Christ to us, and see no one’s sins but our own, and, like the publican, pray, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Brothers and sisters: We who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. We have within ourselves Christ, the hope of glory. Let us not seek glory; not even the glory of being thought to be humble; but rather, let us seek to see and serve Christ in everyone else, giving ourselves in the service of others, as He gave Himself to save our souls.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
"The Fall and Rise of Many"
(Luke 2:22-40) (The Meeting of Our Lord)
People sometimes ask which translation of the Bible is the one they should use. I always tell them to check and see how the version they’re looking at translates Isaiah 7:14 – the prophecy about the birth of our Lord that is quoted in Matthew 1:23. If the passage in Isaiah makes reference to a “virgin,” the translation is probably OK; but if it says, “a young woman shall conceive,” put it down and find another one. A little bit of background: The word used in the Hebrew text is “almah”; which means, “a young woman capable of bearing a child, who is either a maiden or newly-married.” The word used in the Greek text is “parthenos”; which means, “virgin.” The two words are essentially the same; but there is a bit more ambiguity to the Hebrew, if what you are looking for is a way around the prophecy.
St. Matthew took his quote from the prophet Isaiah from the version found in the Septuagint, which is the Greek version of the Old Testament that was translated over one hundred and fifty years before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Septuagint” means “seventy”; and it refers to the number of experts whose labors produced the Greek text.
One of these expert translators was the Righteous Simeon; who, when he came to the passage in Isaiah referring to the virgin who would conceive and bear a son, was troubled, and was going to replace the word, “virgin,” in the text with the phrase, “young woman,” when an angel of the Lord appeared to him to tell him that the prophecy was true, and should be left unchanged. To confirm this, the angel said, by the will of God, Simeon would not die until he had seen the prophecy fulfilled.
Thus it was that, when the infant child was brought to the Temple with His mother, the Theotokos, to fulfill the law, the righteous Simeon recognized Him, and gave thanks that his wait was completed. He also made a prophecy: “This Child is set for the fall and the rising again of many in Israel.”
The fathers tell us that this prophecy of the righteous Simeon speaks of the downfall of those who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior; while those who do believe will rise from the dead, partaking of His resurrection. They also tell us that we can understand this prophecy as meaning that, for those who are in Christ, He will bring about the fall of evil things in our souls, and the rising up of good things in their place. Fornication and lust shall fall; chastity shall rise to take their place. Greed and envy will fall; generosity shall rise to take their place. Doubt and unbelief will fall; faith will rise to take their place. Pride and anger shall fall; humility and meekness shall rise to take their place.
Do you see what this means for us? No matter what sins or passions particularly bedevil and beset us, these are not greater than He Who is in us. If we will meet Him, He will raise us up, both from death, and from the sins and passions in us that lead us down into death. The truth is, He is already within us (who have been baptized) for us to meet Him; and if we will endeavor to bring our lives closer to His own by following and practicing the disciplines of the Orthodox faith: prayer, fasting, giving alms, and struggling, He will meet us and join us in working towards our salvation.
Brothers and sisters! The righteous Simeon rejoiced to see the Holy One of Israel, and held Him in his arms. Let us know that, by His grace, we hold Him within ourselves; and let us also rejoice to know that, if we will believe, He will raise us up, delivering us from our sins, and from death itself, granting us to always be with Him in His kingdom, in life without death.
People sometimes ask which translation of the Bible is the one they should use. I always tell them to check and see how the version they’re looking at translates Isaiah 7:14 – the prophecy about the birth of our Lord that is quoted in Matthew 1:23. If the passage in Isaiah makes reference to a “virgin,” the translation is probably OK; but if it says, “a young woman shall conceive,” put it down and find another one. A little bit of background: The word used in the Hebrew text is “almah”; which means, “a young woman capable of bearing a child, who is either a maiden or newly-married.” The word used in the Greek text is “parthenos”; which means, “virgin.” The two words are essentially the same; but there is a bit more ambiguity to the Hebrew, if what you are looking for is a way around the prophecy.
St. Matthew took his quote from the prophet Isaiah from the version found in the Septuagint, which is the Greek version of the Old Testament that was translated over one hundred and fifty years before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Septuagint” means “seventy”; and it refers to the number of experts whose labors produced the Greek text.
One of these expert translators was the Righteous Simeon; who, when he came to the passage in Isaiah referring to the virgin who would conceive and bear a son, was troubled, and was going to replace the word, “virgin,” in the text with the phrase, “young woman,” when an angel of the Lord appeared to him to tell him that the prophecy was true, and should be left unchanged. To confirm this, the angel said, by the will of God, Simeon would not die until he had seen the prophecy fulfilled.
Thus it was that, when the infant child was brought to the Temple with His mother, the Theotokos, to fulfill the law, the righteous Simeon recognized Him, and gave thanks that his wait was completed. He also made a prophecy: “This Child is set for the fall and the rising again of many in Israel.”
The fathers tell us that this prophecy of the righteous Simeon speaks of the downfall of those who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior; while those who do believe will rise from the dead, partaking of His resurrection. They also tell us that we can understand this prophecy as meaning that, for those who are in Christ, He will bring about the fall of evil things in our souls, and the rising up of good things in their place. Fornication and lust shall fall; chastity shall rise to take their place. Greed and envy will fall; generosity shall rise to take their place. Doubt and unbelief will fall; faith will rise to take their place. Pride and anger shall fall; humility and meekness shall rise to take their place.
Do you see what this means for us? No matter what sins or passions particularly bedevil and beset us, these are not greater than He Who is in us. If we will meet Him, He will raise us up, both from death, and from the sins and passions in us that lead us down into death. The truth is, He is already within us (who have been baptized) for us to meet Him; and if we will endeavor to bring our lives closer to His own by following and practicing the disciplines of the Orthodox faith: prayer, fasting, giving alms, and struggling, He will meet us and join us in working towards our salvation.
Brothers and sisters! The righteous Simeon rejoiced to see the Holy One of Israel, and held Him in his arms. Let us know that, by His grace, we hold Him within ourselves; and let us also rejoice to know that, if we will believe, He will raise us up, delivering us from our sins, and from death itself, granting us to always be with Him in His kingdom, in life without death.
Go Climb a Tree!
(Luke 19:1-10) (37th Sunday after Pentecost)
Everyone can picture how this story starts, right? A man goes to see an event, but can’t, because he’s too short to see over the crowd. So he climbs a tree to take a look; and lo and behold, the person at the center of attention spots him in the tree and tells him to come down quickly, because he’s going to stay at the short guy’s house. Not only is he short – he’s also quite unpopular, because he’s a tax collector. In fact, he’s the chief tax collector for his area. The celebrity’s visit makes quite an impact on the short tax collector: because he gives half his wealthy – which is apparently considerable – to the poor; and promises to restore four times what he took unlawfully from anyone.
Chances are, nobody here works as a tax collector; and the number of people here who would climb a tree to see a parade or other event is probably pretty small; as is the chance of having a celebrity call you and tell you that they are coming to visit your house. Sure, it could happen… But it isn’t likely. So what are we to make of this story about Zacchaeus and our Lord Jesus Christ?
Publicans – tax collectors – were reviled, for the most part in the time of our Lord’s Incarnation, because they not only made their living at the expense of others; they usually did so by stealing, collecting more than they were required to obtain, and keeping the extra amount. As such, Zacchaeus, as the chief publican, was chief in wickedness. When we are engaged in sins and wickedness, or even when we are just deeply attached to this material world, we become very small spiritually – and then we can’t see for the crowd of the passions and the entanglement of worldly concerns that have grown up around us. As such, we can’t, by ourselves, see Jesus – we can’t see Him present and active and moving in our midst; and we won’t recognize the things done in His name, done for the love of Him Who so loves us, as being Christian actions. Something must change – something in us must be transformed.
By the grace of God, something happens to arouse us from our slumber, from our focus on this world and its pleasures and pursuits, stirring us to see. It is then that we begin to recognize that we are unable to see on our own, and we try to climb to a higher place. In doing so, we can see the Lord, Who has already seen us – and He warns us to come down, that is, to be humble, lest we fall in our pride, and so are lost. If we will humble ourselves, He says, He will come to abide with us.
If we will do so – if we will allow Him to enter under the roof of our souls, and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, we have hope that we can begin to be set free from pride, and our passions, and our material possessions. Indeed, being set free of them, we can begin to use them as God has intended, not only for ourselves, but on behalf of others as well: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick, and those in prison; and providing as well for the worship of God and the needs of the church.
Our Lord comes to us when we humble ourselves, and, in humility of spirit, confess our sins, and admit our weakness, and our wickedness, and humbly ask Him to help and save us. As He is present in our lives, we see the need to be transformed, to be cleansed of our sinful ways and habits – and so we take up the broom of the Orthodox way of life: praying, and fasting, and giving, and working to replace our passions with virtues: courage, prudence, righteousness, and self-control. When we fail, and fall, we repent, and confess, and put our trust and hope in Him once more. In this way, as did Abraham of old, who believed God, as had his faith counted unto him as righteousness, we leave the house of our father, the devil, and the wickedness of his domain, and enter into the house – that is, the family – of Abraham. Once in his house, we, also, become sons of Abraham, and find salvation for our souls.
Brothers and sisters! Although we may be spiritually short because of our sins, we have the opportunity to stand tall for the faith! Let us repent, and confess our sins. Let us leave behind our sinful ways, and work to put right what we have done wrong. Let us begin by desiring to see Christ; and, when He calls us to be humble and open our hearts to Him, let us be quick, indeed, to respond.
Everyone can picture how this story starts, right? A man goes to see an event, but can’t, because he’s too short to see over the crowd. So he climbs a tree to take a look; and lo and behold, the person at the center of attention spots him in the tree and tells him to come down quickly, because he’s going to stay at the short guy’s house. Not only is he short – he’s also quite unpopular, because he’s a tax collector. In fact, he’s the chief tax collector for his area. The celebrity’s visit makes quite an impact on the short tax collector: because he gives half his wealthy – which is apparently considerable – to the poor; and promises to restore four times what he took unlawfully from anyone.
Chances are, nobody here works as a tax collector; and the number of people here who would climb a tree to see a parade or other event is probably pretty small; as is the chance of having a celebrity call you and tell you that they are coming to visit your house. Sure, it could happen… But it isn’t likely. So what are we to make of this story about Zacchaeus and our Lord Jesus Christ?
Publicans – tax collectors – were reviled, for the most part in the time of our Lord’s Incarnation, because they not only made their living at the expense of others; they usually did so by stealing, collecting more than they were required to obtain, and keeping the extra amount. As such, Zacchaeus, as the chief publican, was chief in wickedness. When we are engaged in sins and wickedness, or even when we are just deeply attached to this material world, we become very small spiritually – and then we can’t see for the crowd of the passions and the entanglement of worldly concerns that have grown up around us. As such, we can’t, by ourselves, see Jesus – we can’t see Him present and active and moving in our midst; and we won’t recognize the things done in His name, done for the love of Him Who so loves us, as being Christian actions. Something must change – something in us must be transformed.
By the grace of God, something happens to arouse us from our slumber, from our focus on this world and its pleasures and pursuits, stirring us to see. It is then that we begin to recognize that we are unable to see on our own, and we try to climb to a higher place. In doing so, we can see the Lord, Who has already seen us – and He warns us to come down, that is, to be humble, lest we fall in our pride, and so are lost. If we will humble ourselves, He says, He will come to abide with us.
If we will do so – if we will allow Him to enter under the roof of our souls, and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, we have hope that we can begin to be set free from pride, and our passions, and our material possessions. Indeed, being set free of them, we can begin to use them as God has intended, not only for ourselves, but on behalf of others as well: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick, and those in prison; and providing as well for the worship of God and the needs of the church.
Our Lord comes to us when we humble ourselves, and, in humility of spirit, confess our sins, and admit our weakness, and our wickedness, and humbly ask Him to help and save us. As He is present in our lives, we see the need to be transformed, to be cleansed of our sinful ways and habits – and so we take up the broom of the Orthodox way of life: praying, and fasting, and giving, and working to replace our passions with virtues: courage, prudence, righteousness, and self-control. When we fail, and fall, we repent, and confess, and put our trust and hope in Him once more. In this way, as did Abraham of old, who believed God, as had his faith counted unto him as righteousness, we leave the house of our father, the devil, and the wickedness of his domain, and enter into the house – that is, the family – of Abraham. Once in his house, we, also, become sons of Abraham, and find salvation for our souls.
Brothers and sisters! Although we may be spiritually short because of our sins, we have the opportunity to stand tall for the faith! Let us repent, and confess our sins. Let us leave behind our sinful ways, and work to put right what we have done wrong. Let us begin by desiring to see Christ; and, when He calls us to be humble and open our hearts to Him, let us be quick, indeed, to respond.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia
(Matt. 15:21-28) (36th Sunday after Pentecost)
I became an Orthodox Christian because I believe the Orthodox faith is the highest and best expression of the Truth. I became an Orthodox Christian because I believe the Orthodox Church is the Church established by our Lord on the Day of Pentecost. But I chose to enter the Orthodox faith and Church through the Russian Church to a very large degree because of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, whose memory we celebrate today. More on this in a moment…
In the reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew today, we see a Canaanite woman come to our Lord, beseeching Him to have mercy on her, because a demon is tormenting her daughter. At first, He ignores her. When His disciples plead her case, He tells them that He was sent only for the “lost sheep of Israel.” She comes near to Him and worships Him, asking once more for mercy; and He calls her, in effect, a dog. A dog!
I don’t know about you, but where I grew up, them’s fightin’ words! Call me a dog, will ya? But she doesn’t get upset. In fact, she agrees with the description; and points out the truth: Yes, children eat their bread at the table; but the dogs eat the crumbs that fall on the floor. To the children, the crumbs are nothing; but to the dogs, the crumbs are a great deal, indeed.
Dogs are considered to be unclean. By calling the Gentile woman a dog, our Lord is making a clear statement: The Gentiles are unclean. The Canaanite woman stands for the nations of the wicked that were driven from the Promised Land as the people of Israel came there at the end of the Exodus. They were driven out so that they would not pervert the Israelites with their idolatrous ways. Yet this woman, by her humility, obtains what she desired; her faith has taken her from being a dog under the table hoping for a crumb to being a child of God, seated at the banquet table of the great Wedding Feast in heaven. In Christ, such things are possible.
If we were honest about it, most of us would have to say that the same thing is also true of us: by the way we live, we show ourselves to be nothing more than dogs. We make ourselves unclean by our sins, when we are meant to be children, seated at God’s table. In truth, we are children; but we are acting like dogs. Yet even so, God does not withhold His blessings or His presence or His mercy or His love from us. Today, God is calling us to faith. Today, God is calling us to transformation. Today, God is calling us to repent, and confess, and come back to the table, and take part in the feast – not eat the scraps on the floor! And the only thing we need is faith.
What kind of faith are we talking about? Certainly, it is the faith of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. No one knows how many there were; no one knows how many thousands suffered; no one knows how many died, save God alone. Some were arrested because they were clergy; some were taken because they were leaders; some were dragged off because they refused to be silent when confronted with the monstrous evils of the Bolshevik regime; and some were taken for no other reason than they would not give up their Church and faith. Like us, none were perfect; like us, some struggled greatly with sins and temptations that defile the soul. But though they were treated like dogs, they did not become dogs; their faith sustained them through torture and starvation and suffering, and death, to win a seat at the high table in the Kingdom of God. They shine forth today as glorious examples of what the children of God can do if they will but have faith.
Take a look at the world around us. Can you honestly say that there will not be a time when we, as Christians, will not have to take a stand against some monstrous evil being allowed, or even required, by the government? Do you honestly think that Christians will never be hated, and therefore denounced, because of the things we believe and do? As I learned of the persecutions of the faithful in Russia, in the prisons, in the camps, and in the killing fields, I looked at myself, and found myself to be lacking. There was nothing in my experience of the life of the faith that was mine as part of the western church that I felt would equip me to face the challenges that had confronted millions of Christians in the USSR. When I found the Orthodox Church and faith; when I found how it had shaped and strengthened the New Martyrs and Confessors, I knew I had found a way to be filled with what I lacked. If I will follow the Orthodox way of life; if I will pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle, I can be like those who are celebrated today. If you will fast, and pray, and struggle, and give, you, too, can be like the New Martyrs and Confessors. If we will be faithful, and live the life they lived, perhaps, if it is needed, we can also face death as they did; and if not us, our children, or our children’s children.
Brothers and sisters, let us keep the faith. Let us come to the table, and there receive the Bread of life, the Body of Christ, that is ours because we are among the children of God. Let us eat the Bread, and be made strong by it, to live the Orthodox faith and life; and bear witness thereby that Christ is in our midst, and nothing, not even arrest, imprisonment, torture, or death, can take the Truth away from us..
Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, pray to God for us!
I became an Orthodox Christian because I believe the Orthodox faith is the highest and best expression of the Truth. I became an Orthodox Christian because I believe the Orthodox Church is the Church established by our Lord on the Day of Pentecost. But I chose to enter the Orthodox faith and Church through the Russian Church to a very large degree because of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, whose memory we celebrate today. More on this in a moment…
In the reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew today, we see a Canaanite woman come to our Lord, beseeching Him to have mercy on her, because a demon is tormenting her daughter. At first, He ignores her. When His disciples plead her case, He tells them that He was sent only for the “lost sheep of Israel.” She comes near to Him and worships Him, asking once more for mercy; and He calls her, in effect, a dog. A dog!
I don’t know about you, but where I grew up, them’s fightin’ words! Call me a dog, will ya? But she doesn’t get upset. In fact, she agrees with the description; and points out the truth: Yes, children eat their bread at the table; but the dogs eat the crumbs that fall on the floor. To the children, the crumbs are nothing; but to the dogs, the crumbs are a great deal, indeed.
Dogs are considered to be unclean. By calling the Gentile woman a dog, our Lord is making a clear statement: The Gentiles are unclean. The Canaanite woman stands for the nations of the wicked that were driven from the Promised Land as the people of Israel came there at the end of the Exodus. They were driven out so that they would not pervert the Israelites with their idolatrous ways. Yet this woman, by her humility, obtains what she desired; her faith has taken her from being a dog under the table hoping for a crumb to being a child of God, seated at the banquet table of the great Wedding Feast in heaven. In Christ, such things are possible.
If we were honest about it, most of us would have to say that the same thing is also true of us: by the way we live, we show ourselves to be nothing more than dogs. We make ourselves unclean by our sins, when we are meant to be children, seated at God’s table. In truth, we are children; but we are acting like dogs. Yet even so, God does not withhold His blessings or His presence or His mercy or His love from us. Today, God is calling us to faith. Today, God is calling us to transformation. Today, God is calling us to repent, and confess, and come back to the table, and take part in the feast – not eat the scraps on the floor! And the only thing we need is faith.
What kind of faith are we talking about? Certainly, it is the faith of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. No one knows how many there were; no one knows how many thousands suffered; no one knows how many died, save God alone. Some were arrested because they were clergy; some were taken because they were leaders; some were dragged off because they refused to be silent when confronted with the monstrous evils of the Bolshevik regime; and some were taken for no other reason than they would not give up their Church and faith. Like us, none were perfect; like us, some struggled greatly with sins and temptations that defile the soul. But though they were treated like dogs, they did not become dogs; their faith sustained them through torture and starvation and suffering, and death, to win a seat at the high table in the Kingdom of God. They shine forth today as glorious examples of what the children of God can do if they will but have faith.
Take a look at the world around us. Can you honestly say that there will not be a time when we, as Christians, will not have to take a stand against some monstrous evil being allowed, or even required, by the government? Do you honestly think that Christians will never be hated, and therefore denounced, because of the things we believe and do? As I learned of the persecutions of the faithful in Russia, in the prisons, in the camps, and in the killing fields, I looked at myself, and found myself to be lacking. There was nothing in my experience of the life of the faith that was mine as part of the western church that I felt would equip me to face the challenges that had confronted millions of Christians in the USSR. When I found the Orthodox Church and faith; when I found how it had shaped and strengthened the New Martyrs and Confessors, I knew I had found a way to be filled with what I lacked. If I will follow the Orthodox way of life; if I will pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle, I can be like those who are celebrated today. If you will fast, and pray, and struggle, and give, you, too, can be like the New Martyrs and Confessors. If we will be faithful, and live the life they lived, perhaps, if it is needed, we can also face death as they did; and if not us, our children, or our children’s children.
Brothers and sisters, let us keep the faith. Let us come to the table, and there receive the Bread of life, the Body of Christ, that is ours because we are among the children of God. Let us eat the Bread, and be made strong by it, to live the Orthodox faith and life; and bear witness thereby that Christ is in our midst, and nothing, not even arrest, imprisonment, torture, or death, can take the Truth away from us..
Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, pray to God for us!
Monday, January 31, 2005
Receiving our Sight
(Luke 18:35-42) (35th Sunday after Pentecost)
“Lord, that I might receive my sight.”
This is the request made by the blind man when our Lord Jesus asked him what the man wanted of Him. It’s not a surprising request: a blind man wants to see. Our Lord grants his request, telling him, “Your faith has saved you.”
We’ve been considering the significance for ourselves of the events of the last month, in which we have celebrated the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ; and what it means for us that the eternal Son of God joined our humanity to His Divinity by becoming incarnate of the most holy Theotokos; celebrating His birth at the feast of the Nativity, and the revelation that the man, Jesus, is also the Son of God, in the feast of the Theophany. This is not a one-way street. If our Lord has put together His Divinity and our humanity, it is not in Himself alone. As St. Athanasios teaches, “He became as we are, in order that we might become as He is.” We who are made in the image of God, and according to His likeness, found that fulfilling the potential this established for us became impossibly more difficult after our fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. The defect in our nature that came about because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, meant that we could no longer, by ourselves alone, become who we are meant to be. By joining our humanity to His divinity, our Lord Jesus did what Adam was meant to do; and has restored to us the potential to become like Him. We are baptized into His life; and we receive the power to live this life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, beginning with our chrismation, and energized by our partaking of the Holy Mysteries, and above all in the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The life of the Orthodox Church and faith is designed as well to assist us in making the potential a reality: by prayer, and fasting, by giving alms, and spiritual struggle, we seek to transform who we are into the likeness of Christ in and through ourselves. We have to understand this; for, if we are ignorant, we will have no desire to act to bring about the marvelous and wondrous transformation unto salvation that God seeks to accomplish in and for us.
The blind man wants to see. This is not surprising; it is perfectly natural. But let us not think that his request was strictly that he be given the ability to perceive with his eyes the material world. We must be aware of the deeper spiritual reality that underlies the sensible world around us. “Sensible,” by the way, used here does not mean that the world “makes sense”; or that it is “reasonable” or “prudent.” Rather, it means the world we know by reason of our senses; the world we can see, and hear, and smell, and taste and touch; and can describe in terms of these experiences – in short, the material world.
Our senses are good; our appetites are good; but if we remain blind to the spiritual aspect of our existence, and dwell solely in the material world, we cannot grow into the likeness of Christ. Food is good; but if we do not understand that there is a dimension to food beyond the material, we can never understand the hunger and thirst for righteousness that God alone fills; we will never pursue the spiritual food and drink we need to be happy, complete, and at peace with God and each other and all creation. Great art, whether as a painting, or sculpture, or music, can lift us to God; but if we don’t know God, we won’t be able to see why we are so moved, or how to use this for our benefit and the benefit of others – and not only here, but also in the world to come, in the “life without death” that is our destiny. If we remain blind to the spiritual aspects of our existence, and live only for the sensible, what shall we do when this sensible world ceases to exist?
Today we celebrate the life of our holy and God-bearing father Anthony the Great, the first of the great desert-dwelling ascetics of the Orthodox Church and life. Born into a wealthy family, at the age of twenty he gave his inheritance for the benefit of the poor, and entered into a life of asceticism, leaving the city after a few years to enter the solitude of the desert. He struggled there, living in the presence of God alone, for some twenty years, fasting, praying, in contemplation of God, and enduring the temptations and assaults of the demons. He considered the life of the sensible world to be not worth holding, so that he might enter into and explore the depths of the spiritual realm. He lived as an angel here on earth, and, as do the angels, beheld God.
Not all of us are called to be monastics, or to be ascetics on a par with St. Anthony; but we are all called to take the same path, to go beyond (without necessarily leaving behind) the material realm to live in the spiritual realm. To do this, we have the example of saints such as Father Anthony the Great; and the teachings of the Orthodox Church and faith; and the practices of the Orthodox way of life; and the grace and power of the Holy Spirit.
Brothers and sisters: Let us also pray to our Lord that we might receive our sight. Let us pray that we may see beyond the sensible world, and perceive more clearly the world of the spiritual realm; and, that seeing, we may pursue that spiritual way of life, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
“Lord, that I might receive my sight.”
This is the request made by the blind man when our Lord Jesus asked him what the man wanted of Him. It’s not a surprising request: a blind man wants to see. Our Lord grants his request, telling him, “Your faith has saved you.”
We’ve been considering the significance for ourselves of the events of the last month, in which we have celebrated the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ; and what it means for us that the eternal Son of God joined our humanity to His Divinity by becoming incarnate of the most holy Theotokos; celebrating His birth at the feast of the Nativity, and the revelation that the man, Jesus, is also the Son of God, in the feast of the Theophany. This is not a one-way street. If our Lord has put together His Divinity and our humanity, it is not in Himself alone. As St. Athanasios teaches, “He became as we are, in order that we might become as He is.” We who are made in the image of God, and according to His likeness, found that fulfilling the potential this established for us became impossibly more difficult after our fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. The defect in our nature that came about because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, meant that we could no longer, by ourselves alone, become who we are meant to be. By joining our humanity to His divinity, our Lord Jesus did what Adam was meant to do; and has restored to us the potential to become like Him. We are baptized into His life; and we receive the power to live this life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, beginning with our chrismation, and energized by our partaking of the Holy Mysteries, and above all in the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The life of the Orthodox Church and faith is designed as well to assist us in making the potential a reality: by prayer, and fasting, by giving alms, and spiritual struggle, we seek to transform who we are into the likeness of Christ in and through ourselves. We have to understand this; for, if we are ignorant, we will have no desire to act to bring about the marvelous and wondrous transformation unto salvation that God seeks to accomplish in and for us.
The blind man wants to see. This is not surprising; it is perfectly natural. But let us not think that his request was strictly that he be given the ability to perceive with his eyes the material world. We must be aware of the deeper spiritual reality that underlies the sensible world around us. “Sensible,” by the way, used here does not mean that the world “makes sense”; or that it is “reasonable” or “prudent.” Rather, it means the world we know by reason of our senses; the world we can see, and hear, and smell, and taste and touch; and can describe in terms of these experiences – in short, the material world.
Our senses are good; our appetites are good; but if we remain blind to the spiritual aspect of our existence, and dwell solely in the material world, we cannot grow into the likeness of Christ. Food is good; but if we do not understand that there is a dimension to food beyond the material, we can never understand the hunger and thirst for righteousness that God alone fills; we will never pursue the spiritual food and drink we need to be happy, complete, and at peace with God and each other and all creation. Great art, whether as a painting, or sculpture, or music, can lift us to God; but if we don’t know God, we won’t be able to see why we are so moved, or how to use this for our benefit and the benefit of others – and not only here, but also in the world to come, in the “life without death” that is our destiny. If we remain blind to the spiritual aspects of our existence, and live only for the sensible, what shall we do when this sensible world ceases to exist?
Today we celebrate the life of our holy and God-bearing father Anthony the Great, the first of the great desert-dwelling ascetics of the Orthodox Church and life. Born into a wealthy family, at the age of twenty he gave his inheritance for the benefit of the poor, and entered into a life of asceticism, leaving the city after a few years to enter the solitude of the desert. He struggled there, living in the presence of God alone, for some twenty years, fasting, praying, in contemplation of God, and enduring the temptations and assaults of the demons. He considered the life of the sensible world to be not worth holding, so that he might enter into and explore the depths of the spiritual realm. He lived as an angel here on earth, and, as do the angels, beheld God.
Not all of us are called to be monastics, or to be ascetics on a par with St. Anthony; but we are all called to take the same path, to go beyond (without necessarily leaving behind) the material realm to live in the spiritual realm. To do this, we have the example of saints such as Father Anthony the Great; and the teachings of the Orthodox Church and faith; and the practices of the Orthodox way of life; and the grace and power of the Holy Spirit.
Brothers and sisters: Let us also pray to our Lord that we might receive our sight. Let us pray that we may see beyond the sensible world, and perceive more clearly the world of the spiritual realm; and, that seeing, we may pursue that spiritual way of life, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand
(Matt. 4:12-17) (Sunday after Theophany; Pentecost 34)
We’ve been considering the meanings of the events of the various Feasts that have been taking place. At the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; the Son of God has joined His Divinity to our humanity. At the Theophany, He is revealed as the God-man, when the man Jesus is acknowledged as the Son of God by the voice of God the Father, and the descent of God the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. His Divinity is embodied in our humanity: true for Him; and also true for us who have been baptized into His death, and raised to new life in Him, with the power of the Holy Spirit given to us in chrismation, to make it possible for us to bring the life of Christ into reality in and through our own life.
Now, we behold the start of His earthly ministry, as He calls us to repentance, because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is the place – if we can speak in these terms – where God is found. God is found in us, who are made in His image, and after His likeness. God is found in us, who have been baptized and chrismated into the life of Christ. But if we continue to live a worldly life, following the desires of our flesh, we cannot see that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, within us. We must begin to live the life of virtue – the life of Christ – in order to recognize what is happening. Do you understand the potential that exists in you, to be like Christ? If you do not understand this, you cannot realize this, you cannot bring it into being. It takes a conscious effort on our part to achieve the reality of the life of Christ in us. Yet, even as we persist in ignorance and sin, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
When we recognize the heavenly, the angelic, life we are meant to live, and how far short we fall from measuring up, we are led to repentance. We confess our failure, and our mistakes, and our surrendering of ourselves to our passions, and the demands of the flesh. We ask for forgiveness, and the ability to do what is right, and pleasing to God; and for the grace and strength to live the life of Christ in and of ourselves. We repent, so as to come closer to the kingdom of heaven.
And as we do these things, we find that we, too, have a ministry to fulfill, in addition to laboring to save our souls. We, as did our Lord Jesus, are to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and call those around us to repent, and to begin to live the heavenly life. In word, and in deed, by prayer, and fasting, by giving alms, and by struggling to replace our passions with the virtues, we are meant to bring the great light of the Gospel to those who still dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. We were delivered from just such a state; and we can also be the agents, the servants of God, who act to set many others free: free from bondage to sin and death; free from the sense of helpless despair that comes from dwelling in the darkness that comes as our continuing in sin overwhelms our souls. We were once trapped in the darkness of our errors and ungodly desires and actions. The great Light of the Gospel came and sought us out, and set us free; and we must do all we can to be filled with that light, and bring that light to those still trapped, that they, too, may be set free, and join with us in drawing closer to God.
Brothers and sisters: we who embody the divine life of Christ, we who have been baptized into Him, have the opportunity as well to share in His ministry of deliverance, reconciliation, and cleansing. Let us set forth on the journey to be transformed more and more into His likeness, and become bearers of the Gospel light: to the glory of God, and to the salvation of souls.
We’ve been considering the meanings of the events of the various Feasts that have been taking place. At the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; the Son of God has joined His Divinity to our humanity. At the Theophany, He is revealed as the God-man, when the man Jesus is acknowledged as the Son of God by the voice of God the Father, and the descent of God the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. His Divinity is embodied in our humanity: true for Him; and also true for us who have been baptized into His death, and raised to new life in Him, with the power of the Holy Spirit given to us in chrismation, to make it possible for us to bring the life of Christ into reality in and through our own life.
Now, we behold the start of His earthly ministry, as He calls us to repentance, because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is the place – if we can speak in these terms – where God is found. God is found in us, who are made in His image, and after His likeness. God is found in us, who have been baptized and chrismated into the life of Christ. But if we continue to live a worldly life, following the desires of our flesh, we cannot see that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, within us. We must begin to live the life of virtue – the life of Christ – in order to recognize what is happening. Do you understand the potential that exists in you, to be like Christ? If you do not understand this, you cannot realize this, you cannot bring it into being. It takes a conscious effort on our part to achieve the reality of the life of Christ in us. Yet, even as we persist in ignorance and sin, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
When we recognize the heavenly, the angelic, life we are meant to live, and how far short we fall from measuring up, we are led to repentance. We confess our failure, and our mistakes, and our surrendering of ourselves to our passions, and the demands of the flesh. We ask for forgiveness, and the ability to do what is right, and pleasing to God; and for the grace and strength to live the life of Christ in and of ourselves. We repent, so as to come closer to the kingdom of heaven.
And as we do these things, we find that we, too, have a ministry to fulfill, in addition to laboring to save our souls. We, as did our Lord Jesus, are to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and call those around us to repent, and to begin to live the heavenly life. In word, and in deed, by prayer, and fasting, by giving alms, and by struggling to replace our passions with the virtues, we are meant to bring the great light of the Gospel to those who still dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. We were delivered from just such a state; and we can also be the agents, the servants of God, who act to set many others free: free from bondage to sin and death; free from the sense of helpless despair that comes from dwelling in the darkness that comes as our continuing in sin overwhelms our souls. We were once trapped in the darkness of our errors and ungodly desires and actions. The great Light of the Gospel came and sought us out, and set us free; and we must do all we can to be filled with that light, and bring that light to those still trapped, that they, too, may be set free, and join with us in drawing closer to God.
Brothers and sisters: we who embody the divine life of Christ, we who have been baptized into Him, have the opportunity as well to share in His ministry of deliverance, reconciliation, and cleansing. Let us set forth on the journey to be transformed more and more into His likeness, and become bearers of the Gospel light: to the glory of God, and to the salvation of souls.
Friday, January 21, 2005
The Way to Heaven is Opened to Us
(Matt. 3:13-17) (The Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ)
The Gospels, when recounting the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, tell us that, as He came up out of the waters of the Jordan River, He saw the heavens opened unto Him, and the Spirit of God descending in the form of a dove. This is a familiar image for us, who have heard this story many times, and who have an idea of where it fits in the larger story of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, from the time of His birth to the time of His Passion, crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension.
But wait, the Fathers tell us: there’s more! As the heavens did for our Lord at His baptism, so, too, do are the heavens opened to us when we are baptized. This is true, they say, even if we don’t see it at the time. In a way, this makes perfect sense. Remember that we lost access to the intimate Presence of God that was ours in the Garden of Eden through the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. We all carry the stain of disobedience, from which we need to be cleansed; but which we, by ourselves, are unable to remove. Christ, Who alone among human beings, did not need to be cleansed, by His baptism makes all mankind clean. As we, then, are baptized into His death and resurrection, we are made clean once more; and, being raised to new life in Him – His life, which death has no hold upon, now living in us – the way to heaven, to the intimate Presence of God, is no longer closed to us, but open once more.
The heavens, the Fathers tell us, are opened to us, in order that we might ascend thereto; and not by ourselves, alone, but leading others there, as well. This should change who we understand ourselves to be; this should change the way we live. If we lived in a heavenly manner, how different we would be! We would have a different way to value, and use, the things of this world, and the time given to us. As we celebrate the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the revelation that He is the Son of God by the Father and the Holy Spirit – thereby making known to us the Holy Trinity as well – we should reflect upon the transformation of our being, and ask ourselves: Am I living any differently? Am I living in such a way that others will be lead to heaven by traveling the way that I am going?
When we live in a way that is no different from the ways of those who do not understand that the way to heaven has been opened for us, those among the unbelievers (and maybe even some of those whose faith is weak) disbelieve the things we say about our beliefs, since what we do demonstrates that we do not believe what we say we believe. Actions speak louder than words… When they see us building fine houses, driving expensive automobiles, wearing fancy clothing, eating rich foods, why should they believe us when we say that we are preparing for another sort of residence away from this (earthly) realm? We give our toil, and tears, and troubles for the sake of possessions here that will not endure, and give little or nothing to purchase a place of glory in heaven. We should be teaching the heathen to despise all material things; but instead, we are consumed by our possessions, and by the lust for more. We are supposed to be salt and light for the world; but when we live in darkness, we lead others there, as well, rather than into the light. We endanger ourselves and our souls – and we endanger others as well. If we lead them into condemnation, it will be our fault; and it will be held against us.
If, on the other hand, we discipline ourselves by alms-giving, and by fasting, to become indifferent to material possessions, and devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness by prayer and fasting and the struggle to replace our passions with the virtues, we encourage the faithful to do likewise, and we show a different way to live to those who do not yet believe, or understand. If we have love for one another, and show this forth in mercy and kindness and patience and forgiveness, we show a glimpse of the life of heaven; and those who are seeking another way will be drawn by our example to follow us, and so come closer to the Lord our God.
Brothers and sisters: Our Lord has opened the way to heaven for us. Let us follow that way, the way of the Orthodox life and faith. Let us follow Him, our Savior and Lord, and encourage, in word and deed, others to do the same: to the glory of His name, and to the salvation of our souls.
The Gospels, when recounting the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, tell us that, as He came up out of the waters of the Jordan River, He saw the heavens opened unto Him, and the Spirit of God descending in the form of a dove. This is a familiar image for us, who have heard this story many times, and who have an idea of where it fits in the larger story of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, from the time of His birth to the time of His Passion, crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension.
But wait, the Fathers tell us: there’s more! As the heavens did for our Lord at His baptism, so, too, do are the heavens opened to us when we are baptized. This is true, they say, even if we don’t see it at the time. In a way, this makes perfect sense. Remember that we lost access to the intimate Presence of God that was ours in the Garden of Eden through the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. We all carry the stain of disobedience, from which we need to be cleansed; but which we, by ourselves, are unable to remove. Christ, Who alone among human beings, did not need to be cleansed, by His baptism makes all mankind clean. As we, then, are baptized into His death and resurrection, we are made clean once more; and, being raised to new life in Him – His life, which death has no hold upon, now living in us – the way to heaven, to the intimate Presence of God, is no longer closed to us, but open once more.
The heavens, the Fathers tell us, are opened to us, in order that we might ascend thereto; and not by ourselves, alone, but leading others there, as well. This should change who we understand ourselves to be; this should change the way we live. If we lived in a heavenly manner, how different we would be! We would have a different way to value, and use, the things of this world, and the time given to us. As we celebrate the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the revelation that He is the Son of God by the Father and the Holy Spirit – thereby making known to us the Holy Trinity as well – we should reflect upon the transformation of our being, and ask ourselves: Am I living any differently? Am I living in such a way that others will be lead to heaven by traveling the way that I am going?
When we live in a way that is no different from the ways of those who do not understand that the way to heaven has been opened for us, those among the unbelievers (and maybe even some of those whose faith is weak) disbelieve the things we say about our beliefs, since what we do demonstrates that we do not believe what we say we believe. Actions speak louder than words… When they see us building fine houses, driving expensive automobiles, wearing fancy clothing, eating rich foods, why should they believe us when we say that we are preparing for another sort of residence away from this (earthly) realm? We give our toil, and tears, and troubles for the sake of possessions here that will not endure, and give little or nothing to purchase a place of glory in heaven. We should be teaching the heathen to despise all material things; but instead, we are consumed by our possessions, and by the lust for more. We are supposed to be salt and light for the world; but when we live in darkness, we lead others there, as well, rather than into the light. We endanger ourselves and our souls – and we endanger others as well. If we lead them into condemnation, it will be our fault; and it will be held against us.
If, on the other hand, we discipline ourselves by alms-giving, and by fasting, to become indifferent to material possessions, and devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness by prayer and fasting and the struggle to replace our passions with the virtues, we encourage the faithful to do likewise, and we show a different way to live to those who do not yet believe, or understand. If we have love for one another, and show this forth in mercy and kindness and patience and forgiveness, we show a glimpse of the life of heaven; and those who are seeking another way will be drawn by our example to follow us, and so come closer to the Lord our God.
Brothers and sisters: Our Lord has opened the way to heaven for us. Let us follow that way, the way of the Orthodox life and faith. Let us follow Him, our Savior and Lord, and encourage, in word and deed, others to do the same: to the glory of His name, and to the salvation of our souls.
Mankind Embodied in Divinity
(Mark 1:1-8) (Sunday before Theophany)
“He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.”
St. Athanasios sums up the great mystery of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ in this teaching. In the Nativity, which we’ve just recently celebrated, God becomes man – He becomes like us. In the Theophany, which we’re about to celebrate, the second part of the teaching comes into play, as the man, Jesus, is shown to be the Son of God. The baptism of our Lord, and the miraculous events of the Theophany that take place at that time, mark the beginning of His activities to teach and preach, declaring the coming of the Kingdom of God. The revelation of the man, Jesus, as the divine Son of God, culminates at the time of His Transfiguration. We need to understand this. At the Nativity, the divine is embodied in humanity. With the Theophany, we see that mankind is embodied in divinity. “He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.”
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” We are made in the image of God; and after His likeness. The Fathers tell us that to be made in the image of God means that there is a resemblance to God in each of us; and, to be made “after the likeness” of God is to have the potential to be like God. Some theologians have speculated that our life in the Garden of Eden, where we – in Adam and Eve – dwelt in close proximity to God, was to be one whereby this capacity to be like God would be developed and fulfilled. We know that each of us has been profoundly influenced by our parents; that we are so like them in so many ways, whether we know it or not. Indeed, many times, we must become aware of this connection if we are to be transformed, and not to repeat the errors we have learned from them; otherwise, in our ignorance, we will have no choice but to continue in the ways we have learned. As we learn from our parents, so, too, might we have learned from being close to God in the Garden; but, alas, we failed in the very first test, when we disobeyed the commandment of God regarding the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And what was the temptation? The serpent said to Eve, “God knows that, when you eat of the fruit, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods…” We tried to take the shortcut; and got thrown out of the Garden, out of the intimate presence of God, as a result.
But what we lost in the Fall, we got back, if you’ll forgive the pun, in the spring: that is, when our Lord was baptized in the Jordan River. The God-man Jesus took our human nature into the waters and was baptized to fulfill all righteousness, regenerating our nature, and restoring the dignity we had lost. We were dead in sins because of our disobedience there; but by His baptism, we are restored to life. And so it is for us in our baptism as well; we are buried in baptism with Christ, and are raised to a new life in Him: not the old life of the flesh, but His life; and we are empowered with the Holy Spirit to bring the potential established in us by this baptism of burial and resurrection into reality in ourselves. To this end, we live the Orthodox life of prayer and fasting and giving and struggling for the virtues; to this end, we partake of the Mysteries of the Church, and especially of His most precious and holy Body and Blood – that we might truly embody Him, and be His presence here and now; and be in His presence in the age to come.
Brothers and sisters: We must not be ignorant of these things. We must recognize that we have been changed from who we were into His likeness. We must labor, therefore, to accomplish what has been started in us by the grace and mercy and love of God. We must also recognize what has been transformed in others, in every other person in the world we may meet. Do you recognize the divinity in them? Do you act towards them as you would act towards God? When we grasp this truth, that each and every person is made in the image and after the likeness of God, it should change how we interact with them. Would you steal from God? Would you speak insultingly to God? Would you seek to make God take a lower place than yourself? I know it’s not easy to see the person who just cut you off in traffic as God. I know it’s not easy to see the person who just insulted you, or ignored you, or ripped you off, as God. I know it’s not easy to see the guy on the street corner with the cardboard sign, or the drunk staggering along as God, or the prostitute, or the politician, or the thief; and yet each of them are no different, by nature, than each of us. If we can teach ourselves to consider everyone else as being better, more worthy, than we are ourselves; if we can learn to see clearly the magnitude of our sins, and be blind to the sins of everyone else – at least, insofar as allowing ourselves to think we are better than they are because of their sins – we can be transformed, our lives will be changed; and so, too, might the lives of others as well.
“He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.” Let us set our will to live like Him, to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
“He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.”
St. Athanasios sums up the great mystery of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ in this teaching. In the Nativity, which we’ve just recently celebrated, God becomes man – He becomes like us. In the Theophany, which we’re about to celebrate, the second part of the teaching comes into play, as the man, Jesus, is shown to be the Son of God. The baptism of our Lord, and the miraculous events of the Theophany that take place at that time, mark the beginning of His activities to teach and preach, declaring the coming of the Kingdom of God. The revelation of the man, Jesus, as the divine Son of God, culminates at the time of His Transfiguration. We need to understand this. At the Nativity, the divine is embodied in humanity. With the Theophany, we see that mankind is embodied in divinity. “He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.”
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” We are made in the image of God; and after His likeness. The Fathers tell us that to be made in the image of God means that there is a resemblance to God in each of us; and, to be made “after the likeness” of God is to have the potential to be like God. Some theologians have speculated that our life in the Garden of Eden, where we – in Adam and Eve – dwelt in close proximity to God, was to be one whereby this capacity to be like God would be developed and fulfilled. We know that each of us has been profoundly influenced by our parents; that we are so like them in so many ways, whether we know it or not. Indeed, many times, we must become aware of this connection if we are to be transformed, and not to repeat the errors we have learned from them; otherwise, in our ignorance, we will have no choice but to continue in the ways we have learned. As we learn from our parents, so, too, might we have learned from being close to God in the Garden; but, alas, we failed in the very first test, when we disobeyed the commandment of God regarding the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And what was the temptation? The serpent said to Eve, “God knows that, when you eat of the fruit, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods…” We tried to take the shortcut; and got thrown out of the Garden, out of the intimate presence of God, as a result.
But what we lost in the Fall, we got back, if you’ll forgive the pun, in the spring: that is, when our Lord was baptized in the Jordan River. The God-man Jesus took our human nature into the waters and was baptized to fulfill all righteousness, regenerating our nature, and restoring the dignity we had lost. We were dead in sins because of our disobedience there; but by His baptism, we are restored to life. And so it is for us in our baptism as well; we are buried in baptism with Christ, and are raised to a new life in Him: not the old life of the flesh, but His life; and we are empowered with the Holy Spirit to bring the potential established in us by this baptism of burial and resurrection into reality in ourselves. To this end, we live the Orthodox life of prayer and fasting and giving and struggling for the virtues; to this end, we partake of the Mysteries of the Church, and especially of His most precious and holy Body and Blood – that we might truly embody Him, and be His presence here and now; and be in His presence in the age to come.
Brothers and sisters: We must not be ignorant of these things. We must recognize that we have been changed from who we were into His likeness. We must labor, therefore, to accomplish what has been started in us by the grace and mercy and love of God. We must also recognize what has been transformed in others, in every other person in the world we may meet. Do you recognize the divinity in them? Do you act towards them as you would act towards God? When we grasp this truth, that each and every person is made in the image and after the likeness of God, it should change how we interact with them. Would you steal from God? Would you speak insultingly to God? Would you seek to make God take a lower place than yourself? I know it’s not easy to see the person who just cut you off in traffic as God. I know it’s not easy to see the person who just insulted you, or ignored you, or ripped you off, as God. I know it’s not easy to see the guy on the street corner with the cardboard sign, or the drunk staggering along as God, or the prostitute, or the politician, or the thief; and yet each of them are no different, by nature, than each of us. If we can teach ourselves to consider everyone else as being better, more worthy, than we are ourselves; if we can learn to see clearly the magnitude of our sins, and be blind to the sins of everyone else – at least, insofar as allowing ourselves to think we are better than they are because of their sins – we can be transformed, our lives will be changed; and so, too, might the lives of others as well.
“He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.” Let us set our will to live like Him, to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Monday, January 10, 2005
The Righteous Joseph
(Matthew 2:13-23) (32nd Sunday after Pentecost; Sunday after Nativity)
Let us consider the righteous Joseph.
It’s an interesting, and in some ways an anomalous, situation. He is betrothed – sort of married, but not actually married – to Mary, the Lady Theotokos, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such, in “normal” or “ordinary” circumstances, Joseph would be the father of her child; certainly, on one level, we can say that the righteous Joseph is the “stepfather” of our Lord.
I feel a bit qualified to say something about that role in family life. Just as giving birth is not the epitome, but only the start, of motherhood, so, too, is paternity only the start of being a father. Being a father, as it is for being a mother, means being there, loving, guiding, teaching by word and by example, and, when there is need, disciplining. A father provides for his family in many ways; usually, as the one who provides the means to obtain the things needed for life – food, clothing, shelter, and so on. It’s the father who gets up to check things out when something goes “bump” in the middle of the night; and who deals with the difficult or dangerous situations that arise. Sons need fathers to show them how to be men; and daughters need fathers to show them a father’s love and guidance, and patience, and strength – and how powerful an influence is a father’s faithfulness, especially in worshipping and serving God. All of us who are fathers have a most important responsibility: our children, and even our wives, are able to see and relate to God as our heavenly Father to the extent that we recognize that we stand in His place, and show Him forth to those around us. That’s why we’re the “head of the household” – and that’s how we’re supposed to be: over the household as God is head over all: loving, patient, forgiving, and merciful; protecting and providing for those in His care.
The righteous Joseph did these things for his family: loving Mary, and the Child she bore, and laboring to provide for their earthly needs. We know he was devout and faithful; that led the elders to select him to protect and provide for Mary to begin with. We know that he was gentle and forgiving; when he suspected that Mary had conceived a child outside of their union, he might have accused her publicly, and brought her to be stoned to death. But he resolved instead to act mercifully, charitably; and, when the angel appeared to him with the instruction not to put her away, but to take her to be his wife, he was faithful once more in following the leadership of God.
And so it is as danger approaches, as Herod, determined to keep his throne against this “usurper” who has been born, gives the order for the male children of Bethlehem to be executed. The angel comes to Joseph, and tells him to take the Child and His mother into Egypt. He obeys, once more acting as the protector and guardian appointed by God for His Son and the woman who gave Him birth. There, he provides fro them until it is safe to return. I think we can say without fear of error that the character of our Lord in His humanity benefited greatly from the example He received by the life and witness of the righteous Joseph.
Each of us can learn from him, as well. In a way, when we continue in our sins, we who are made in the image and after the likeness of God, and have received His life in Holy Baptism, we become like Herod, seeking to destroy the One Who is to rule over us, so that we can continue to indulge ourselves without being thrust off the throne of our control of our lives. As the righteous Joseph acted to protect our Lord and His mother by fleeing with them to Egypt, we, too, should protect the faith implanted in us by repenting of our sins, and confessing them. As he took the Child and His mother to Egypt, we, too, should take our Lord Jesus once more into our hearts, and the Lady Theotokos with Him, never separating the Child from His mother – and dwell in peace with them there, laboring to provide what is needed for Him to grow stronger within us. As the righteous Joseph returned with our Lord and His mother to his native land when the angel declared it was safe to do so, we also should do what we can to make Christ present, in and through our lives, to the world around us.
Brothers and sisters: Through the prayers of the righteous Joseph, of his son, James, the brother of our Lord, and of the holy prophet King David, the ancestor of Christ, may He Who, for our sake was born in a cave and lay in a manger for our salvation be also born and live in our hearts; to the glory of His name, and the salvation of our souls.
Christ is born!
Let us consider the righteous Joseph.
It’s an interesting, and in some ways an anomalous, situation. He is betrothed – sort of married, but not actually married – to Mary, the Lady Theotokos, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such, in “normal” or “ordinary” circumstances, Joseph would be the father of her child; certainly, on one level, we can say that the righteous Joseph is the “stepfather” of our Lord.
I feel a bit qualified to say something about that role in family life. Just as giving birth is not the epitome, but only the start, of motherhood, so, too, is paternity only the start of being a father. Being a father, as it is for being a mother, means being there, loving, guiding, teaching by word and by example, and, when there is need, disciplining. A father provides for his family in many ways; usually, as the one who provides the means to obtain the things needed for life – food, clothing, shelter, and so on. It’s the father who gets up to check things out when something goes “bump” in the middle of the night; and who deals with the difficult or dangerous situations that arise. Sons need fathers to show them how to be men; and daughters need fathers to show them a father’s love and guidance, and patience, and strength – and how powerful an influence is a father’s faithfulness, especially in worshipping and serving God. All of us who are fathers have a most important responsibility: our children, and even our wives, are able to see and relate to God as our heavenly Father to the extent that we recognize that we stand in His place, and show Him forth to those around us. That’s why we’re the “head of the household” – and that’s how we’re supposed to be: over the household as God is head over all: loving, patient, forgiving, and merciful; protecting and providing for those in His care.
The righteous Joseph did these things for his family: loving Mary, and the Child she bore, and laboring to provide for their earthly needs. We know he was devout and faithful; that led the elders to select him to protect and provide for Mary to begin with. We know that he was gentle and forgiving; when he suspected that Mary had conceived a child outside of their union, he might have accused her publicly, and brought her to be stoned to death. But he resolved instead to act mercifully, charitably; and, when the angel appeared to him with the instruction not to put her away, but to take her to be his wife, he was faithful once more in following the leadership of God.
And so it is as danger approaches, as Herod, determined to keep his throne against this “usurper” who has been born, gives the order for the male children of Bethlehem to be executed. The angel comes to Joseph, and tells him to take the Child and His mother into Egypt. He obeys, once more acting as the protector and guardian appointed by God for His Son and the woman who gave Him birth. There, he provides fro them until it is safe to return. I think we can say without fear of error that the character of our Lord in His humanity benefited greatly from the example He received by the life and witness of the righteous Joseph.
Each of us can learn from him, as well. In a way, when we continue in our sins, we who are made in the image and after the likeness of God, and have received His life in Holy Baptism, we become like Herod, seeking to destroy the One Who is to rule over us, so that we can continue to indulge ourselves without being thrust off the throne of our control of our lives. As the righteous Joseph acted to protect our Lord and His mother by fleeing with them to Egypt, we, too, should protect the faith implanted in us by repenting of our sins, and confessing them. As he took the Child and His mother to Egypt, we, too, should take our Lord Jesus once more into our hearts, and the Lady Theotokos with Him, never separating the Child from His mother – and dwell in peace with them there, laboring to provide what is needed for Him to grow stronger within us. As the righteous Joseph returned with our Lord and His mother to his native land when the angel declared it was safe to do so, we also should do what we can to make Christ present, in and through our lives, to the world around us.
Brothers and sisters: Through the prayers of the righteous Joseph, of his son, James, the brother of our Lord, and of the holy prophet King David, the ancestor of Christ, may He Who, for our sake was born in a cave and lay in a manger for our salvation be also born and live in our hearts; to the glory of His name, and the salvation of our souls.
Christ is born!
Friday, January 07, 2005
Journeying with the Magi
(Matthew 2:1-12) (The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ)
According to the Fathers, the Magi came from Persia, which today is the country of Iran. We don’t know, exactly, where they came from; but the distance from Tehran to Jerusalem is about 1,000 miles. Now, even today, that’s not a trip most people would take lightly. That’s a trip of 10 to 12 hours (or more) by car; and even flying, that’s a trip that will take several hours. Made on a camel, well, if you cover 20 miles a day, it’s a trip of 50 days! According to one source, a fast camel, ridden all-out, can go 70 m.p.h.; but that still leaves a journey of between 14 and 15 days.
The point here isn’t to recommend you go by camel the next time you make a long trip! It is something for us to think about: The Magi made a long and tiring journey to a strange land to worship a new-born king they did not know. They left behind what was familiar to them, and the people and patterns that supported them in their everyday lives in order to bring themselves, and the gifts they carried, to honor and worship our Lord Jesus Christ at the time of His birth.
Some of you can appreciate the “traveling” aspect of this. As I recall, it’s about 85 miles or so, round trip, between where some of you live, in Surprise, and the church. It’s about 110 miles or so, one way, from Tucson; and a bit more, one way, from Chino Valley. Hey, if you think the trip is bad now, consider having to make it on camel-back! (Of course, you should come south on either 16th or 24th streets from Camelback…)
But even those of us who live (relatively) nearby, in terms of physical mileage, as well as those who live far away, are called, spiritually, to join the Magi in their journey. Each one of us is called to leave behind the familiar world around us, and to make a journey to a “land” that, by the standards of our world, of our culture, is “strange.” We are called by God to make a journey to come to His kingdom – to come to the Church, the “port of entry” to the kingdom, where we are meant to leave the world and its ways behind. We are meant to come to worship Him, our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The journey, in all probability, has been, and will continue to be, a long and difficult one. There will be days and times when the circumstances seem to conspire to try to force us to turn back, or to slow us down, to block the way. There will be days when we are sick, or weak, and will not be able to travel; or, at least, will not want to travel. There will even be times when we turn aside from the path, and lose ourselves in our sins and passions. But let us press on, and come to Him Who has come to us, to save our souls, and to make us one with Him. Let us come to Bethlehem in Judea to honor Him, and to be with Him. By the way, Bethlehem means, “House of Bread”; and Judea means, “confession.” This, the Fathers tell us, is how we come: We come to the House where the Bread – His Body – is offered; we come to receive Him into ourselves through the Mystery of His Most holy Body and precious Blood; and the pathway is by repentance, and confession of our sins. In His House, the Church, we are forgiven, and healed, and strengthened, and blessed – and He makes it possible for us to continue the journey.
Brothers and sisters: Let us come to Bethlehem; let us adore Him Who is born this day. Let us honor and obey Him as our Lord and King; and make the journey on which He leads us, to leave this world behind, and travel with Him to His kingdom. It is the way of prayer and fasting and giving and struggle; it is the way of tears; it is the way of faith. Let us receive Him Who is the Bread of Life, and then bear Him in ourselves into the world, that they also might know Him, and follow Him, through us, as we travel the way of faith; to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Christ is born!
According to the Fathers, the Magi came from Persia, which today is the country of Iran. We don’t know, exactly, where they came from; but the distance from Tehran to Jerusalem is about 1,000 miles. Now, even today, that’s not a trip most people would take lightly. That’s a trip of 10 to 12 hours (or more) by car; and even flying, that’s a trip that will take several hours. Made on a camel, well, if you cover 20 miles a day, it’s a trip of 50 days! According to one source, a fast camel, ridden all-out, can go 70 m.p.h.; but that still leaves a journey of between 14 and 15 days.
The point here isn’t to recommend you go by camel the next time you make a long trip! It is something for us to think about: The Magi made a long and tiring journey to a strange land to worship a new-born king they did not know. They left behind what was familiar to them, and the people and patterns that supported them in their everyday lives in order to bring themselves, and the gifts they carried, to honor and worship our Lord Jesus Christ at the time of His birth.
Some of you can appreciate the “traveling” aspect of this. As I recall, it’s about 85 miles or so, round trip, between where some of you live, in Surprise, and the church. It’s about 110 miles or so, one way, from Tucson; and a bit more, one way, from Chino Valley. Hey, if you think the trip is bad now, consider having to make it on camel-back! (Of course, you should come south on either 16th or 24th streets from Camelback…)
But even those of us who live (relatively) nearby, in terms of physical mileage, as well as those who live far away, are called, spiritually, to join the Magi in their journey. Each one of us is called to leave behind the familiar world around us, and to make a journey to a “land” that, by the standards of our world, of our culture, is “strange.” We are called by God to make a journey to come to His kingdom – to come to the Church, the “port of entry” to the kingdom, where we are meant to leave the world and its ways behind. We are meant to come to worship Him, our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The journey, in all probability, has been, and will continue to be, a long and difficult one. There will be days and times when the circumstances seem to conspire to try to force us to turn back, or to slow us down, to block the way. There will be days when we are sick, or weak, and will not be able to travel; or, at least, will not want to travel. There will even be times when we turn aside from the path, and lose ourselves in our sins and passions. But let us press on, and come to Him Who has come to us, to save our souls, and to make us one with Him. Let us come to Bethlehem in Judea to honor Him, and to be with Him. By the way, Bethlehem means, “House of Bread”; and Judea means, “confession.” This, the Fathers tell us, is how we come: We come to the House where the Bread – His Body – is offered; we come to receive Him into ourselves through the Mystery of His Most holy Body and precious Blood; and the pathway is by repentance, and confession of our sins. In His House, the Church, we are forgiven, and healed, and strengthened, and blessed – and He makes it possible for us to continue the journey.
Brothers and sisters: Let us come to Bethlehem; let us adore Him Who is born this day. Let us honor and obey Him as our Lord and King; and make the journey on which He leads us, to leave this world behind, and travel with Him to His kingdom. It is the way of prayer and fasting and giving and struggle; it is the way of tears; it is the way of faith. Let us receive Him Who is the Bread of Life, and then bear Him in ourselves into the world, that they also might know Him, and follow Him, through us, as we travel the way of faith; to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Christ is born!
"She Pondered Them in Her Heart"
(Luke 2:1-20) (Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ)
From St. Luke, we hear the wondrous story of the humble birth of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ: the circumstances of worldly affairs that caused prophecies to be fulfilled; how there was no room for His mother and father at the inn, and so He was born in a stable, and laid in a manger. We hear of the angelic hosts singing of Him, and proclaiming the good news of His birth to shepherds; and of these shepherds drawn to find Him, praising God when they behold Him. And we hear how His mother, the most-blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-virgin, Mary, “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”
She undoubtedly remembered that the angel had told her she would conceive, and bear a son; and now she had done just that, as it had been foretold to her. She heard of the heavenly hosts gathered to praise this Child she had borne, now resting in a manger; heard this from the shepherds who had come to see for themselves. She undoubtedly remembered the incredible words she had heard from the angel of the Annunciation: that the Child she had borne is the Son of God.
We, too, should ponder on these things, even as we prepare to sing His praises with the angels, and to celebrate His birth. We should remind ourselves that what the archangel Gabriel promised has come to pass. We should consider that it is our Lord Jesus Christ Who brings peace to us on earth – peace between us and God; and the potential for peace between each of us all. We should also consider that He is the good will of God for us; that God provides for our every need, because He Who has made us, loves each and every one of us, so much so that the Son of God took on our human nature, becoming one with us, identifying Himself fully and completely with us, to be the author of our salvation, and to restore us to communion with God, lost so long ago in the Garden of Eden. This is good news, and should bring us joy.
Pondering on these things should change who we are; and this change becomes known by a difference in what we do: praying and fasting; giving to meet the needs of others that flows from the love of God in us; and pursuing virtue instead of our passions. As did Mary, the Lady Theotokos, we, too, should consider all that we have seen and heard; and store all these things in our hearts, with the fervent prayer that our hearts and minds might thereby be changed; and our souls saved – to the glory of Him Whose birth we celebrate with joy.
From St. Luke, we hear the wondrous story of the humble birth of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ: the circumstances of worldly affairs that caused prophecies to be fulfilled; how there was no room for His mother and father at the inn, and so He was born in a stable, and laid in a manger. We hear of the angelic hosts singing of Him, and proclaiming the good news of His birth to shepherds; and of these shepherds drawn to find Him, praising God when they behold Him. And we hear how His mother, the most-blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-virgin, Mary, “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”
She undoubtedly remembered that the angel had told her she would conceive, and bear a son; and now she had done just that, as it had been foretold to her. She heard of the heavenly hosts gathered to praise this Child she had borne, now resting in a manger; heard this from the shepherds who had come to see for themselves. She undoubtedly remembered the incredible words she had heard from the angel of the Annunciation: that the Child she had borne is the Son of God.
We, too, should ponder on these things, even as we prepare to sing His praises with the angels, and to celebrate His birth. We should remind ourselves that what the archangel Gabriel promised has come to pass. We should consider that it is our Lord Jesus Christ Who brings peace to us on earth – peace between us and God; and the potential for peace between each of us all. We should also consider that He is the good will of God for us; that God provides for our every need, because He Who has made us, loves each and every one of us, so much so that the Son of God took on our human nature, becoming one with us, identifying Himself fully and completely with us, to be the author of our salvation, and to restore us to communion with God, lost so long ago in the Garden of Eden. This is good news, and should bring us joy.
Pondering on these things should change who we are; and this change becomes known by a difference in what we do: praying and fasting; giving to meet the needs of others that flows from the love of God in us; and pursuing virtue instead of our passions. As did Mary, the Lady Theotokos, we, too, should consider all that we have seen and heard; and store all these things in our hearts, with the fervent prayer that our hearts and minds might thereby be changed; and our souls saved – to the glory of Him Whose birth we celebrate with joy.
Monday, January 03, 2005
The Return of the King
The time to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, is almost here; the time of preparing is almost at an end. Later this week, God willing, we will celebrate the joyous event of our Lord’s Incarnation, making Himself one with us, that we might also become one with Him.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found it easier, in some ways, to avoid getting caught up in what our culture calls the “Christmas spirit” because December 25th in the Church comes thirteen days after the world celebrates that date. Even so, we need to be careful not to lose sight of an important fact: as we hear the hymns of the Church celebrating His coming, this infant, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and placed in a manger, we need to remember not only His coming then, but that He will also come again – and the form of His coming will not be the same.
The world was – or, at least, the faithful were – awaiting His coming; yet who, apart from His parents, and some shepherds, and the magi, recognized Him when He came? The woman at the well said to Him, “We know that when Messiah comes…” The Jews knew that God would one day send them a Deliverer, a Messiah, of the lineage of David the King; but only a relative handful recognized Him for who He was at that time. We know He will come again – we say this at every Divine Liturgy, in the Creed, the “Symbol of Faith” – He will come again, in glory, to judge both the living and the dead. Will we recognize Him when He comes again? Will we acknowledge Him to be our King and our God?
We should be looking for Him, you know – we should be getting ready. Yes, the time of preparation for the feast is drawing to a close; but that doesn’t mean that we are ready to meet Him when He comes again. How else are we to make sense of what has happened in the past week on the other side of the world, where an earthquake triggered a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean, killing over 123,000 people, some of them almost 3,800 miles away, in Somalia, on the east coast of Africa? The news reports sometimes refer to it as “a disaster of Biblical proportions” – acknowledging that there are powers at work in the world that are beyond our ability to comprehend, much less control. Some ask: Was this the wrath of God? Was this a punishment? We must certainly say that, if nothing else, this must be taken as a warning. There will be wars, and rumors of wars; nations rising against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms; famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. Are we living as if the great and terrible Day of Judgment could take place at any time? Are we ready for His coming again?
The first time our Lord, came, there was no room for Him at the inn; and He entered this world in a cave, where animals were stabled. When He comes to each of us now, reaching out with love, we must ask ourselves: is there room for Him in our hearts? And even if there is room, what is the condition of our heart? Have we labored to clean it and to air it out, so that it is bright and fresh and a pleasant place to dwell? Or have we allowed our hearts to be stables, or worse than stables, filthy, unclean, and no fit place for our Lord and King to enter, much less dwell?
Brothers and sisters: We rightly look forward with joyful anticipation to the time when we celebrate our dear Savior’s birth. We rightly fast, and pray, in preparation for the celebration of the feast. But let us not drop our guard, or be less vigilant in addressing our sins and passions, even as the feast is now at hand. In the midst of the feast, let us always recall that He will one day come again – and that day may be closer than we can even imagine. And so we must ask: are we prepared for when He comes again?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found it easier, in some ways, to avoid getting caught up in what our culture calls the “Christmas spirit” because December 25th in the Church comes thirteen days after the world celebrates that date. Even so, we need to be careful not to lose sight of an important fact: as we hear the hymns of the Church celebrating His coming, this infant, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and placed in a manger, we need to remember not only His coming then, but that He will also come again – and the form of His coming will not be the same.
The world was – or, at least, the faithful were – awaiting His coming; yet who, apart from His parents, and some shepherds, and the magi, recognized Him when He came? The woman at the well said to Him, “We know that when Messiah comes…” The Jews knew that God would one day send them a Deliverer, a Messiah, of the lineage of David the King; but only a relative handful recognized Him for who He was at that time. We know He will come again – we say this at every Divine Liturgy, in the Creed, the “Symbol of Faith” – He will come again, in glory, to judge both the living and the dead. Will we recognize Him when He comes again? Will we acknowledge Him to be our King and our God?
We should be looking for Him, you know – we should be getting ready. Yes, the time of preparation for the feast is drawing to a close; but that doesn’t mean that we are ready to meet Him when He comes again. How else are we to make sense of what has happened in the past week on the other side of the world, where an earthquake triggered a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean, killing over 123,000 people, some of them almost 3,800 miles away, in Somalia, on the east coast of Africa? The news reports sometimes refer to it as “a disaster of Biblical proportions” – acknowledging that there are powers at work in the world that are beyond our ability to comprehend, much less control. Some ask: Was this the wrath of God? Was this a punishment? We must certainly say that, if nothing else, this must be taken as a warning. There will be wars, and rumors of wars; nations rising against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms; famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. Are we living as if the great and terrible Day of Judgment could take place at any time? Are we ready for His coming again?
The first time our Lord, came, there was no room for Him at the inn; and He entered this world in a cave, where animals were stabled. When He comes to each of us now, reaching out with love, we must ask ourselves: is there room for Him in our hearts? And even if there is room, what is the condition of our heart? Have we labored to clean it and to air it out, so that it is bright and fresh and a pleasant place to dwell? Or have we allowed our hearts to be stables, or worse than stables, filthy, unclean, and no fit place for our Lord and King to enter, much less dwell?
Brothers and sisters: We rightly look forward with joyful anticipation to the time when we celebrate our dear Savior’s birth. We rightly fast, and pray, in preparation for the celebration of the feast. But let us not drop our guard, or be less vigilant in addressing our sins and passions, even as the feast is now at hand. In the midst of the feast, let us always recall that He will one day come again – and that day may be closer than we can even imagine. And so we must ask: are we prepared for when He comes again?
Monday, December 27, 2004
The Great Supper and the Incarnation
(Luke 14:16-24) (30th Sunday after Pentecost)
Right now, we’re in sort of an Orthodox “time warp.” Yesterday was western Christmas; and, for us, today is the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Christ, who are always commemorated on the Sunday before the Sunday before the Nativity. Well, if nothing else, it means that the Feast of the Nativity is that much closer!
In the first reading today from the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the parable of the Great Supper. This is St. Luke’s account of the Parable of the Marriage Feast, which is found in the Gospel according to St. Matthew; and which is read on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, which was back on the fifth of September (new style). Why read the story again, sixteen weeks later?
The Fathers tell us that the marriage feast mentioned in St. Matthew’s account, and hinted at here, is the celebration of the union – the “marriage” – of the divinity of the Son of God with our human nature. That is, the Feast that has been prepared, to which all are invited, is the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ; which we celebrate on the Nativity, when God joined Himself to us. St. Athanasios wrote of this, “He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.” The Son of God took on our fallen human nature, restoring it to its former glory, and returning to it the potential for growing into the likeness of God, in Whose image we are all created. The Feast is to celebrate what God has done; and everyone is welcome to attend!
However, the feast is not “come as you are”; it is, in a way, a formal affair, and suitable attire is required. We don’t, we can’t, simply “drop in”; some advance preparation is required. Now, everything that is needed is provided for us by God; but until we choose to accept what He has given, and “put on” the garments provided, we cannot come to the Feast in the House of the Lord.
God does not expect us to come on our own merit, for we have none. He brings us into His house by His grace and mercy, and gives us opportunities for purifying ourselves, and to have communion with Him. There is, first of all, the purification of Holy Baptism, in which we are washed clean, and clothed in the wedding garment of the righteousness of Christ; as we sing at that service: “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia!” Few of us, however, keep that garment clean; it becomes stained, and shabby, because we continue in our sinful ways. But we can be made clean once more through the Mystery of Repentance, confessing our sins, and committing ourselves to being transformed through the Orthodox way of life; and we can reach towards being worthy by prayer, and fasting, and giving, and struggling to practice the virtues, instead of yielding ourselves to the passions that beset us. This is how we “put on Christ” once more: by living the Orthodox way of life. And God meets us, above all in the Mystery of Holy Communion, which feeds us with a foretaste of the heavenly banquet of that great Feast, to strengthen and encourage us to seek, not earthly rewards, but to be admitted to the Feast.
Brothers and sisters: Let us not be like those who, invited to the feast, turned aside to earthly concerns, and lost their place at the banquet table thereby. Let us prepare ourselves for the great Feast to come, remembering as we do so the great act of God’s love for us in joining Himself to us. Let us honor the holy ancestors of Christ by seeking to follow the example of their righteous lives; praying, and fasting, giving alms, and struggling to be virtuous; to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Right now, we’re in sort of an Orthodox “time warp.” Yesterday was western Christmas; and, for us, today is the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Christ, who are always commemorated on the Sunday before the Sunday before the Nativity. Well, if nothing else, it means that the Feast of the Nativity is that much closer!
In the first reading today from the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the parable of the Great Supper. This is St. Luke’s account of the Parable of the Marriage Feast, which is found in the Gospel according to St. Matthew; and which is read on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, which was back on the fifth of September (new style). Why read the story again, sixteen weeks later?
The Fathers tell us that the marriage feast mentioned in St. Matthew’s account, and hinted at here, is the celebration of the union – the “marriage” – of the divinity of the Son of God with our human nature. That is, the Feast that has been prepared, to which all are invited, is the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ; which we celebrate on the Nativity, when God joined Himself to us. St. Athanasios wrote of this, “He became like us, in order that we might become like Him.” The Son of God took on our fallen human nature, restoring it to its former glory, and returning to it the potential for growing into the likeness of God, in Whose image we are all created. The Feast is to celebrate what God has done; and everyone is welcome to attend!
However, the feast is not “come as you are”; it is, in a way, a formal affair, and suitable attire is required. We don’t, we can’t, simply “drop in”; some advance preparation is required. Now, everything that is needed is provided for us by God; but until we choose to accept what He has given, and “put on” the garments provided, we cannot come to the Feast in the House of the Lord.
God does not expect us to come on our own merit, for we have none. He brings us into His house by His grace and mercy, and gives us opportunities for purifying ourselves, and to have communion with Him. There is, first of all, the purification of Holy Baptism, in which we are washed clean, and clothed in the wedding garment of the righteousness of Christ; as we sing at that service: “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia!” Few of us, however, keep that garment clean; it becomes stained, and shabby, because we continue in our sinful ways. But we can be made clean once more through the Mystery of Repentance, confessing our sins, and committing ourselves to being transformed through the Orthodox way of life; and we can reach towards being worthy by prayer, and fasting, and giving, and struggling to practice the virtues, instead of yielding ourselves to the passions that beset us. This is how we “put on Christ” once more: by living the Orthodox way of life. And God meets us, above all in the Mystery of Holy Communion, which feeds us with a foretaste of the heavenly banquet of that great Feast, to strengthen and encourage us to seek, not earthly rewards, but to be admitted to the Feast.
Brothers and sisters: Let us not be like those who, invited to the feast, turned aside to earthly concerns, and lost their place at the banquet table thereby. Let us prepare ourselves for the great Feast to come, remembering as we do so the great act of God’s love for us in joining Himself to us. Let us honor the holy ancestors of Christ by seeking to follow the example of their righteous lives; praying, and fasting, giving alms, and struggling to be virtuous; to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
St. Herman of Alaska: Then and Now
As a young man, St. Herman of Alaska was drawn to the monastic life during the time of the revival of monasticism in Russia, led by St. Paisius Velichkovsky. He favored the monasteries that were isolated, becoming a monk at the monastery in Valaam after having lived in the forests in southeastern Russia and a monastery in St. Petersburg. There, he received a blessing to live in solitude, pursuing his salvation by prayer and fasting.
One of the hallmarks of our Orthodox life is that of obedience. We see this in St. Herman’s life. Word came to Abbot Nazarius at Valaam of the mistreatment by Russian traders and businessmen of the Aleut Indians in the Russian territory of Alaska. Abbot Nazarius knew that missionaries were needed to both recall the Russians there to living their Orthodox faith; and to bring that same faith to the pagan Aleuts. He therefore selected ten men from the monastery; one of whom was St. Herman. He probably would have preferred to remain in solitude; but, out of obedience, he left Valaam with the others to make the journey across Siberia to the Alaskan territory. It was the year 1793.
Once he had arrived in Alaska, St. Herman established himself in a solitary setting on Spruce Island, adjacent to Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Taking little care for himself, living in a hole in the ground he scooped out for himself (he called it his “cave”) until the Russian-American Company built him a hut, he built a chapel and a school, and taught the Orthodox faith and way of life to the native Aleuts, even as he labored to bring the Russians there to a renewed faith. He did all he could to provide food, and clothing, and books for the children in his care; and prayed and fasted with all his power. He did not hesitate to stand up for the weak and helpless before those who oppressed them. The example of his life, and the miracles God performed through His servant, Herman, led many others to pursue salvation, and built an Orthodox community among the Aleuts that remains to this day.
That was then; this is now. We do not need to look far away to find reports of people being misused by those in government or business; we do not need to look far away to find people who are in need of faith, or a renewal of faith. We do not need to travel to unknown lands to be missionaries for the Orthodox Church and faith. The mission field begins right outside the door to the church; you enter it as soon as you pull out of the driveway. Maybe we don’t see it because we’re so used to the world around us that we miss seeing what we might see if we were in an unfamiliar land, as St. Herman and the other missionaries were upon arriving in Alaska. Maybe we don’t see it because we are, in effect, living lives in solitude – not the solitude in which St. Herman lived; in which one might find salvation – but rather a life cut off from the world around us, in our comfortable homes, with abundance, and many forms of entertainment to distract us from not only the needs of others, but even the care of our own souls, even the pursuit of our own salvation. In some ways, the mission field begins within us; it begins with the transformation of our own hearts and lives.
Brothers and sisters: As we celebrate the life and ministry of our holy Father Herman of Alaska, let us examine our own lives. Are we living as lights in the world? Will those around us see someone living, not an earthly life, but the heavenly life? They might, if we would pursue holiness, as did St. Herman. They might, if we grasped that we are called to be missionaries, to leave behind the life we have, to be obedient to the instruction to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Let us pray, including in our petitions that God would use each of us to build His Church. Let us fast, that we might not be so attached to this world that we cannot see, or live in, the world to come. Let us give, so that we may help those is need, even as we help ourselves by being set free from the material realm; and let us struggle to be holy, and so be lights to a world in darkness, and in the shadow of death. To the glory of God, and the salvation of souls, we say: Holy Father Herman, pray to God for us.
One of the hallmarks of our Orthodox life is that of obedience. We see this in St. Herman’s life. Word came to Abbot Nazarius at Valaam of the mistreatment by Russian traders and businessmen of the Aleut Indians in the Russian territory of Alaska. Abbot Nazarius knew that missionaries were needed to both recall the Russians there to living their Orthodox faith; and to bring that same faith to the pagan Aleuts. He therefore selected ten men from the monastery; one of whom was St. Herman. He probably would have preferred to remain in solitude; but, out of obedience, he left Valaam with the others to make the journey across Siberia to the Alaskan territory. It was the year 1793.
Once he had arrived in Alaska, St. Herman established himself in a solitary setting on Spruce Island, adjacent to Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Taking little care for himself, living in a hole in the ground he scooped out for himself (he called it his “cave”) until the Russian-American Company built him a hut, he built a chapel and a school, and taught the Orthodox faith and way of life to the native Aleuts, even as he labored to bring the Russians there to a renewed faith. He did all he could to provide food, and clothing, and books for the children in his care; and prayed and fasted with all his power. He did not hesitate to stand up for the weak and helpless before those who oppressed them. The example of his life, and the miracles God performed through His servant, Herman, led many others to pursue salvation, and built an Orthodox community among the Aleuts that remains to this day.
That was then; this is now. We do not need to look far away to find reports of people being misused by those in government or business; we do not need to look far away to find people who are in need of faith, or a renewal of faith. We do not need to travel to unknown lands to be missionaries for the Orthodox Church and faith. The mission field begins right outside the door to the church; you enter it as soon as you pull out of the driveway. Maybe we don’t see it because we’re so used to the world around us that we miss seeing what we might see if we were in an unfamiliar land, as St. Herman and the other missionaries were upon arriving in Alaska. Maybe we don’t see it because we are, in effect, living lives in solitude – not the solitude in which St. Herman lived; in which one might find salvation – but rather a life cut off from the world around us, in our comfortable homes, with abundance, and many forms of entertainment to distract us from not only the needs of others, but even the care of our own souls, even the pursuit of our own salvation. In some ways, the mission field begins within us; it begins with the transformation of our own hearts and lives.
Brothers and sisters: As we celebrate the life and ministry of our holy Father Herman of Alaska, let us examine our own lives. Are we living as lights in the world? Will those around us see someone living, not an earthly life, but the heavenly life? They might, if we would pursue holiness, as did St. Herman. They might, if we grasped that we are called to be missionaries, to leave behind the life we have, to be obedient to the instruction to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Let us pray, including in our petitions that God would use each of us to build His Church. Let us fast, that we might not be so attached to this world that we cannot see, or live in, the world to come. Let us give, so that we may help those is need, even as we help ourselves by being set free from the material realm; and let us struggle to be holy, and so be lights to a world in darkness, and in the shadow of death. To the glory of God, and the salvation of souls, we say: Holy Father Herman, pray to God for us.
Monday, December 20, 2004
St. Nicholas of Myra
You will recall the command given by our Lord Jesus Christ to the rich young man in last Sunday’s reading from the Gospel of St. Luke: Go, sell all you have, and give it to the poor. Among other things, this command was obeyed by the saint we venerate today: Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. From an early age, he was given to a life of prayer and fasting; and, when his parents died, and he received his inheritance, the young priest-monk sold all that he had, and gave it to the poor.
Everybody knows that it is St. Nicholas who has been transformed in his journey across time to the West into “Santa Claus”; the secular symbol for Christmas, the icon of the consumer culture. Many people know part of his story, and how he came to be associated with the anonymous giving of gifts, as is part of the Santa Claus/St. Nick/Kris Kringle image; when he delivered three young women from being sold into prostitution because their family had lost its wealth and fallen into extreme poverty. On three separate nights, the saint threw a bag of gold through a window; and the father used the gold as a dowry for each daughter in turn, arranging a Christian marriage for each, and so providing for his daughters, rather than turning his home into a brothel where they would be sold into depravity, and their father with them, because of his actions. It’s not so far from these bags of gold tossed through windows to a sack of toys brought down a chimney, is it?
Many people also know the story of how the saint struck the heretic, Arius, in the face during the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.; and that he was stripped of his episcopal rank as a result, and put into jail for this deed; and how many of the bishops that night had a vision of St. Nicholas with our Lord bearing a golden book of the Gospels to one side of the saint, and the blessed Lady Theotokos with his omophorion on the other side. This led the bishops to restore St. Nicholas to his rank and place at the Council.
St. Nicholas was also known to be a helper of travelers, and especially of those traveling on the sea. He calmed storms, delivered many from shipwreck, even raised from the dead a sailor who had fallen from the rigging to his death on the deck of a ship. He destroyed the pagan temples in his city, tearing them down to the ground, and even removing their foundation stones. He saved from execution many who were innocent; healed many, both while alive, and, after his repose, by the sweet-smelling myrrh that flowed from his relics. Many icons of St. Nicholas are myrrh-streaming; and people continue to be healed when anointed, even in this day and age. He helped many in poverty, feeding the hungry, and housing the homeless. He gave richly and freely; and never lacked in his ability to provide help for all who turn to him in need, as God richly supplies His saint.
You know, we could do worse than to take St. Nicholas as an example of how we should live our lives. But what a standard he sets! When was the last time you delivered someone from a life of depravity? Or saved a ship from a storm at sea? When was the last time you tore down a pagan temple? Or punched a heretic in the nose?
Let’s be sure we understand these things. Each has both a literal meaning, and a spiritual meaning; and both meanings are applicable, in one way or another, in our daily lives. Well, OK, maybe not literally tearing down a pagan temple! But we can certainly confront the pagan attitudes that have their temples in our hearts and minds – the things we do that support us in our sins, making us a law unto ourselves, as if we could somehow be exempt from being obedient, and accountable, to God’s law. Certainly, the temple in which we worship ourselves needs to be torn down, a St. Nicholas did in Myra.
Come to think of it, you also need to be careful about taking literally St. Nicholas’ example of having punched Arius in the nose! Going that far is definitely not recommended! But that doesn’t mean we should be silent in the face of false teaching or practices. We need to speak up about the truth – gently, respectfully – but being heard, regardless. We must be zealous for the truth; and we must also know the Truth, and be able to state clearly what we believe. As such, we should devote ourselves to studying the Scriptures and the teachings of the Fathers and the lives of the saints. It also means that we must stop deceiving ourselves about how we are living, and what we are doing. It’s all too easy for us to excuse ourselves for our offenses. We need to hold ourselves accountable.
As St. Nicholas was a help to those who were traveling, so, too, can we be of help. Sometimes, it means doing something for someone else – perhaps they have a flat tire, or some other mechanical problem on the roadway. I was blessed with someone’s help this week. Sometimes, it means opening your home to someone who needs a place to stay, as some of you have done, or are willing to do, for people who want to come to our church from some distance away. There is also the reality that each of us needs help on our spiritual journeys – and that’s one of the reasons we’re gathered here in the church; where we come to praise and worship God, and to love and care for each other.
We’ve probably not literally had the opportunity to save someone from falling into a depraved or degraded life, as St. Nicholas delivered the three virgins from a life of prostitution – but there are ministries that reach out to people who have fallen into such circumstances, and the opportunity to be of help may come your way – you may even seek out those who work to deliver such unfortunates, or the homeless, or those addicted to drugs or alcohol. We also need to be aware of the opportunity to deliver ourselves from temptations to lust, or greed, or envy, or the other forms of sin and the passions which defile and degrade the image of God in us.
Brothers and sisters: Blessed is our God, Who is made wondrous in His saints! None of us may ever reach the heights that St. Nicholas attained, although that should not stop us from making the effort to do so! But each of us can reach for a portion of his holy life, and to be like him, in the world, and in our spiritual lives. Through the prayers of our holy father and hierarch, Nicholas, O Savior, save us.
Everybody knows that it is St. Nicholas who has been transformed in his journey across time to the West into “Santa Claus”; the secular symbol for Christmas, the icon of the consumer culture. Many people know part of his story, and how he came to be associated with the anonymous giving of gifts, as is part of the Santa Claus/St. Nick/Kris Kringle image; when he delivered three young women from being sold into prostitution because their family had lost its wealth and fallen into extreme poverty. On three separate nights, the saint threw a bag of gold through a window; and the father used the gold as a dowry for each daughter in turn, arranging a Christian marriage for each, and so providing for his daughters, rather than turning his home into a brothel where they would be sold into depravity, and their father with them, because of his actions. It’s not so far from these bags of gold tossed through windows to a sack of toys brought down a chimney, is it?
Many people also know the story of how the saint struck the heretic, Arius, in the face during the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.; and that he was stripped of his episcopal rank as a result, and put into jail for this deed; and how many of the bishops that night had a vision of St. Nicholas with our Lord bearing a golden book of the Gospels to one side of the saint, and the blessed Lady Theotokos with his omophorion on the other side. This led the bishops to restore St. Nicholas to his rank and place at the Council.
St. Nicholas was also known to be a helper of travelers, and especially of those traveling on the sea. He calmed storms, delivered many from shipwreck, even raised from the dead a sailor who had fallen from the rigging to his death on the deck of a ship. He destroyed the pagan temples in his city, tearing them down to the ground, and even removing their foundation stones. He saved from execution many who were innocent; healed many, both while alive, and, after his repose, by the sweet-smelling myrrh that flowed from his relics. Many icons of St. Nicholas are myrrh-streaming; and people continue to be healed when anointed, even in this day and age. He helped many in poverty, feeding the hungry, and housing the homeless. He gave richly and freely; and never lacked in his ability to provide help for all who turn to him in need, as God richly supplies His saint.
You know, we could do worse than to take St. Nicholas as an example of how we should live our lives. But what a standard he sets! When was the last time you delivered someone from a life of depravity? Or saved a ship from a storm at sea? When was the last time you tore down a pagan temple? Or punched a heretic in the nose?
Let’s be sure we understand these things. Each has both a literal meaning, and a spiritual meaning; and both meanings are applicable, in one way or another, in our daily lives. Well, OK, maybe not literally tearing down a pagan temple! But we can certainly confront the pagan attitudes that have their temples in our hearts and minds – the things we do that support us in our sins, making us a law unto ourselves, as if we could somehow be exempt from being obedient, and accountable, to God’s law. Certainly, the temple in which we worship ourselves needs to be torn down, a St. Nicholas did in Myra.
Come to think of it, you also need to be careful about taking literally St. Nicholas’ example of having punched Arius in the nose! Going that far is definitely not recommended! But that doesn’t mean we should be silent in the face of false teaching or practices. We need to speak up about the truth – gently, respectfully – but being heard, regardless. We must be zealous for the truth; and we must also know the Truth, and be able to state clearly what we believe. As such, we should devote ourselves to studying the Scriptures and the teachings of the Fathers and the lives of the saints. It also means that we must stop deceiving ourselves about how we are living, and what we are doing. It’s all too easy for us to excuse ourselves for our offenses. We need to hold ourselves accountable.
As St. Nicholas was a help to those who were traveling, so, too, can we be of help. Sometimes, it means doing something for someone else – perhaps they have a flat tire, or some other mechanical problem on the roadway. I was blessed with someone’s help this week. Sometimes, it means opening your home to someone who needs a place to stay, as some of you have done, or are willing to do, for people who want to come to our church from some distance away. There is also the reality that each of us needs help on our spiritual journeys – and that’s one of the reasons we’re gathered here in the church; where we come to praise and worship God, and to love and care for each other.
We’ve probably not literally had the opportunity to save someone from falling into a depraved or degraded life, as St. Nicholas delivered the three virgins from a life of prostitution – but there are ministries that reach out to people who have fallen into such circumstances, and the opportunity to be of help may come your way – you may even seek out those who work to deliver such unfortunates, or the homeless, or those addicted to drugs or alcohol. We also need to be aware of the opportunity to deliver ourselves from temptations to lust, or greed, or envy, or the other forms of sin and the passions which defile and degrade the image of God in us.
Brothers and sisters: Blessed is our God, Who is made wondrous in His saints! None of us may ever reach the heights that St. Nicholas attained, although that should not stop us from making the effort to do so! But each of us can reach for a portion of his holy life, and to be like him, in the world, and in our spiritual lives. Through the prayers of our holy father and hierarch, Nicholas, O Savior, save us.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Go, Sell All You Have, and Give It to the Poor
(Luke 18:18-27) (28th Sunday after Pentecost)
“Go, and sell all you have, and give it to the poor; and come and follow me.”
If you are a normal Christian, you’ve heard this command which our Lord gave to the rich young man who came to Him with a question, and wondered if this command applies to you; and, if it does, how it applies to you. Here’s a news flash: The command does apply to you; and to everyone who would be a follower of Christ.
Now, does this mean that you should go home today and have a garage sale, bring the money that you get from it to the church, or to some charity, and then head off to spend the rest of your life at a monastery? Maybe. The path to which our obedience to this command will lead us is going to be different for each one of us. At its heart, however, the point is the same: Those who cannot part with their possessions, and the power or comfort that are derived from them, are the slaves of their possessions; and will find it difficult, at best, to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever it is that you have and cannot sell or give away possesses you – and clinging to it can prevent you from rising into the presence of God.
See, the rich young man asked the right question, the question each of us needs to be able to answer, not only in words, but in the direction of our lives: What must I do to inherit eternal life? Our Lord tells him, “Keep the commandments”; and lists some specifics. The rich young man responds that he has kept all the things our Lord mentions from his youth. But there is more; and we, because of the circumstances in which we live, are at risk of being misled by our possessions, as was that young man. After all, if we think about it on the basis of a “standard of living,” we are much richer than he could possibly have been.
OK: What if the command was, go, sell half of what you have, and give it to the poor, and follow me? I don’t think we’d really do much better. I think most of us can’t even begin to imagine ourselves being able to obey any command of this sort that takes more than 10% of what we have; and probably less. So let’s look at things from another angle.
Suppose you have a serious illness, or are involved in a serious accident. Even with a good medical insurance plan, let’s say that the cost to you is such that you’re going to have to sell everything you have in order to pay for the operation and the rehabilitation that will be needed afterwards. Could you do it? I mean, it’s now a question of your life. If you don’t have the operation, you’re going to die; so, wouldn’t you go and sell as much as you could to raise the money needed to save your life? What if it wasn’t you, but a member of your family, that needed the money for an operation?
OK, granted, it’s a hypothetical question. But it’s easy to see that we’re much more likely to be able to seriously contemplate selling all that we have in order to save our lives – right? Why, then, do we find ourselves unable to do what is needed to save our souls? If the holy martyr Paramon refused to make a sacrifice to an idol in order to save his life, why is it so difficult for us to “sacrifice” some of our material blessings to meet the needs of others?
Brothers and sisters, we are given the discipline of giving alms and making offerings to help the poor, and to support the needs and work of the church, so that we may begin to be set free of the pernicious attachment to our possessions that can lead us into the soul-destroying passions of greed, and envy, and the love of money, which our Lord teaches is the root of all evil. Let us take care to examine our lives, and ask ourselves about our relation to our possessions. Let us examine the way in which we live, and see if we might not set ourselves to do more to help the poor, using what God has given to tend to their needs, using the things that are valued and valuable in this world to store up for ourselves a treasure in heaven. It will do us no good to keep all other commandments if we do not also labor to keep this one. Trusting in God, Who has given us every bit of wealth we enjoy, let us devote ourselves to using in His name that part we can to help those in need: to the glory of His name, and to the salvation of our souls.
“Go, and sell all you have, and give it to the poor; and come and follow me.”
If you are a normal Christian, you’ve heard this command which our Lord gave to the rich young man who came to Him with a question, and wondered if this command applies to you; and, if it does, how it applies to you. Here’s a news flash: The command does apply to you; and to everyone who would be a follower of Christ.
Now, does this mean that you should go home today and have a garage sale, bring the money that you get from it to the church, or to some charity, and then head off to spend the rest of your life at a monastery? Maybe. The path to which our obedience to this command will lead us is going to be different for each one of us. At its heart, however, the point is the same: Those who cannot part with their possessions, and the power or comfort that are derived from them, are the slaves of their possessions; and will find it difficult, at best, to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever it is that you have and cannot sell or give away possesses you – and clinging to it can prevent you from rising into the presence of God.
See, the rich young man asked the right question, the question each of us needs to be able to answer, not only in words, but in the direction of our lives: What must I do to inherit eternal life? Our Lord tells him, “Keep the commandments”; and lists some specifics. The rich young man responds that he has kept all the things our Lord mentions from his youth. But there is more; and we, because of the circumstances in which we live, are at risk of being misled by our possessions, as was that young man. After all, if we think about it on the basis of a “standard of living,” we are much richer than he could possibly have been.
OK: What if the command was, go, sell half of what you have, and give it to the poor, and follow me? I don’t think we’d really do much better. I think most of us can’t even begin to imagine ourselves being able to obey any command of this sort that takes more than 10% of what we have; and probably less. So let’s look at things from another angle.
Suppose you have a serious illness, or are involved in a serious accident. Even with a good medical insurance plan, let’s say that the cost to you is such that you’re going to have to sell everything you have in order to pay for the operation and the rehabilitation that will be needed afterwards. Could you do it? I mean, it’s now a question of your life. If you don’t have the operation, you’re going to die; so, wouldn’t you go and sell as much as you could to raise the money needed to save your life? What if it wasn’t you, but a member of your family, that needed the money for an operation?
OK, granted, it’s a hypothetical question. But it’s easy to see that we’re much more likely to be able to seriously contemplate selling all that we have in order to save our lives – right? Why, then, do we find ourselves unable to do what is needed to save our souls? If the holy martyr Paramon refused to make a sacrifice to an idol in order to save his life, why is it so difficult for us to “sacrifice” some of our material blessings to meet the needs of others?
Brothers and sisters, we are given the discipline of giving alms and making offerings to help the poor, and to support the needs and work of the church, so that we may begin to be set free of the pernicious attachment to our possessions that can lead us into the soul-destroying passions of greed, and envy, and the love of money, which our Lord teaches is the root of all evil. Let us take care to examine our lives, and ask ourselves about our relation to our possessions. Let us examine the way in which we live, and see if we might not set ourselves to do more to help the poor, using what God has given to tend to their needs, using the things that are valued and valuable in this world to store up for ourselves a treasure in heaven. It will do us no good to keep all other commandments if we do not also labor to keep this one. Trusting in God, Who has given us every bit of wealth we enjoy, let us devote ourselves to using in His name that part we can to help those in need: to the glory of His name, and to the salvation of our souls.
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