(6th Sunday after Pentecost) (Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils)
Earlier this week, I read a news report about how nine women were supposedly ordained as priests and deacons in the Roman Catholic Church. These “ordinations” were performed by three other women who, in 2003, were supposedly consecrated as bishops; and took place on board a tour ship cruising the St. Lawrence River between the United States and Canada, so that, according to the participants, they were not in the jurisdiction of any particular diocese, either Canadian or American. Of course, the Church of Rome does not recognize any of these women as having valid orders as a bishop, priest, or deacon.
Why do I mention this? Among other reasons, I found the explanation offered by one of the women who claims now to be a deacon to be, in many ways, a statement about our culture today. She said, in effect, “I consider my ordination to be valid, even though it violates the law of the Church, because it is an unjust law.” In other words, if I think something is immoral or unjust – or maybe even merely unfair – I am not required to be obedient; I can do what I think is right, even if it is the Church that has said otherwise. This, of course, is a recipe for anarchy.
In a parallel example of this type of thinking – and it is, I think, an important development, as it has shaped the thinking of our culture to produce the perhaps extreme example of the supposed ordinations – we should consider the Protestant doctrine of sola Scriptura, and its accompanying teaching that everyone is capable of understanding the Bible by himself or herself, without the need for the guidance of anyone, or of any religious body. This, too, is a recipe for chaos; and, in part, goes a long way to explain how one book can be interpreted in thousands of ways, all different to one degree or another – as evidenced by the myriad number of denominations among the Protestants. In the Phoenix area Yellow Pages, for example, if you look under "Churches" you'll find 104 different listings. That's not 104 churches; that's 104 different kinds of churches! The saying, "Every man his own Pope" -- that is, everyone may read and interpret Scripture for himself -- has led to the development of this cultural mindset in which we think we can choose which laws we will obey, and which we will set aside.
These are not Orthodox ways of thinking. We are not free to disregard or disobey a law simply because we think it is unfair or unjust. We are not free to read and interpret Scripture in any way that seems to make sense to us. This is not to say that we must obey an unjust or immoral law. Indeed, if keeping God’s requirements means that we must break the law of the land, then break it we must; and if keeping the law of the land means that we will violate what God has commanded, then we must not obey that law. Of course, we must also acknowledge that these actions have consequences; but, of course, the martyrs and confessors show us what we must do! Nor am I saying that we are not supposed to use our minds – which, after all, are given to us by God – to think and reason about the Scriptures. Of course we are supposed to think about what we read in the Bible! But we do so within the teaching of the Church – and this keeps us from going astray.
Today we commemorate the holy fathers of the first six Ecumenical Councils. At these councils, heretical teachings were considered and rejected, and the understanding of the Orthodox faith was made deeper and richer as a result. But how do we know we can rely on the decisions of these councils? We know that what was determined at these councils because we know that the Holy Spirit guides the Church – but how do we know that the Holy Spirit was present at these councils?
Among other things, we can know by the quality of the lives of the fathers gathered there. Because they were men of prayer, because they kept the feasts and fasts, because they gave to those in need, because they struggled to live in a God-pleasing way, and because they taught others, ourselves included, to do the same, we know that they had turned to God, and away from this world. We know that their pursuit of holiness caused them to draw near to God; and He enlightened them so that they could see the true path to follow, and the right way to live and think and worship God. We see the teachings of the Bible carried out in their lives; we see the life of Christ made manifest in them; and so we know that we can trust what they have said to us, and follow it, even when we do not fully grasp why this is so, when the world says that what we believe is unjust or unfair.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: The wealth of the teachings and life of the Church is ours today because of the efforts made on our behalf by those who have gone before us. Let us fast and pray; let us give alms, and struggle to do what is pleasing to God, uprooting our sins, and putting in their place the godly virtues, so that those who follow us in the faith will be blessed as we have been blessed, with an unbroken line of faith and way of living, to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Holy fathers of the first six councils, pray to God for us!
(For a related discussion, please see Women's Ordination and the Catholic Church at my other blog, "Observations from an Empty Well.")
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Why Do We Live As Swine?
(Matthew 8:29-9:1) (5th Sunday after Pentecost)
Of all the possible images connected with the reading today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, perhaps the most vivid would be that of the herd of swine, possessed by demons, rushing down a cliff, going to their destruction in the sea. While it isn’t very flattering, I also can’t help but think that each of us, in our sins, is more or less a member of that herd of swine – for, as we persist in our sins, we are also rushing to our own destruction. The difference, of course, is that we have chosen the path that leads to death; while the swine had their destruction imposed on them from without. It’s not a pretty picture.
Why do we live this way, as if we were swine? The fathers tell us that this is because Christ is not ruling and guiding our lives. He’s present, but we’re not listening to Him; instead, we’re following the suggestions of the demons. These fallen angels hate us, and seek our destruction. When we sin, and defile the image of God in us, we give them cause to celebrate. When we repent, and confess, and embrace the way of life we learn in the Church, they are defeated; while we have hope for the salvation of our souls.
We are not meant to live like swine; we are called to be saints. Remember that a saint is someone who shows, by the quality of their life, the transforming power and presence of God. Take, for example, the Great-martyr Euphemia, whom we celebrate today. She refused to engage in pagan worship; and was tortured; and by her steadfast faith led two soldiers to Christ – and they were also martyred. Consider also the righteous Olga, Princess of Russia. She was the grandmother of St. Vladimir, the enlightener of all Russia. Surely the example of her life, and her prayers, played a part in St. Vladimir’s own conversion, and the transformation of the people of the Russian land.
We, too, are called to be saints; but when we live like swine, and not like the saints, whom do we serve? What example do we give? We have been given the life of the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, in our baptism, and, in our chrismation, the power of the Holy Spirit to manifest this life, to the glory of God and the salvation of souls. We have been given the way to develop and deepen the life of Christ in ours, through prayer, and fasting, the giving of alms, and the spiritual struggle to overcome our passions, putting godly virtues in their place. But, when we sin, when we persist in that fallen way of life, we are like the townspeople who come to our Lord after the herd of swine has perished in the sea. They did not beseech Him to stay with them; rather, they begged Him to leave them alone. We have to ask ourselves, as we consider our sins, “Is that what I want – for the Lord to leave?”
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: the Lord is in our midst, and He longs for us to dwell with Him, that He might lead us to His heavenly kingdom. We must choose whether we will follow Him, or beg Him to leave us to live – and die – as swine. May Christ our God, through the prayers of the Great-martyr Euphemia, the righteous Olga, princess of Russia, and all the saints, have mercy on us, that we will choose to repent, and confess, and follow as our Lord Jesus Christ leads us home; and that we will follow the Orthodox way of life, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Of all the possible images connected with the reading today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, perhaps the most vivid would be that of the herd of swine, possessed by demons, rushing down a cliff, going to their destruction in the sea. While it isn’t very flattering, I also can’t help but think that each of us, in our sins, is more or less a member of that herd of swine – for, as we persist in our sins, we are also rushing to our own destruction. The difference, of course, is that we have chosen the path that leads to death; while the swine had their destruction imposed on them from without. It’s not a pretty picture.
Why do we live this way, as if we were swine? The fathers tell us that this is because Christ is not ruling and guiding our lives. He’s present, but we’re not listening to Him; instead, we’re following the suggestions of the demons. These fallen angels hate us, and seek our destruction. When we sin, and defile the image of God in us, we give them cause to celebrate. When we repent, and confess, and embrace the way of life we learn in the Church, they are defeated; while we have hope for the salvation of our souls.
We are not meant to live like swine; we are called to be saints. Remember that a saint is someone who shows, by the quality of their life, the transforming power and presence of God. Take, for example, the Great-martyr Euphemia, whom we celebrate today. She refused to engage in pagan worship; and was tortured; and by her steadfast faith led two soldiers to Christ – and they were also martyred. Consider also the righteous Olga, Princess of Russia. She was the grandmother of St. Vladimir, the enlightener of all Russia. Surely the example of her life, and her prayers, played a part in St. Vladimir’s own conversion, and the transformation of the people of the Russian land.
We, too, are called to be saints; but when we live like swine, and not like the saints, whom do we serve? What example do we give? We have been given the life of the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, in our baptism, and, in our chrismation, the power of the Holy Spirit to manifest this life, to the glory of God and the salvation of souls. We have been given the way to develop and deepen the life of Christ in ours, through prayer, and fasting, the giving of alms, and the spiritual struggle to overcome our passions, putting godly virtues in their place. But, when we sin, when we persist in that fallen way of life, we are like the townspeople who come to our Lord after the herd of swine has perished in the sea. They did not beseech Him to stay with them; rather, they begged Him to leave them alone. We have to ask ourselves, as we consider our sins, “Is that what I want – for the Lord to leave?”
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: the Lord is in our midst, and He longs for us to dwell with Him, that He might lead us to His heavenly kingdom. We must choose whether we will follow Him, or beg Him to leave us to live – and die – as swine. May Christ our God, through the prayers of the Great-martyr Euphemia, the righteous Olga, princess of Russia, and all the saints, have mercy on us, that we will choose to repent, and confess, and follow as our Lord Jesus Christ leads us home; and that we will follow the Orthodox way of life, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Children of the Kingdom
(Matthew 8:5-13) (4th Sunday after Pentecost)
Here’s the bottom line on today’s reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew: An outsider has more faith than the children of the kingdom. The centurion is praised by our Lord, and held up by Him as an example, to warn those who think they are the children of the kingdom that, in effect, their seat at the table is not guaranteed – that there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth among many who thought that they were “in.” We need to be careful, because, today, it is not the scribes and Pharisees who are at risk; rather, we are the children of the kingdom – and the warning is thus meant for us. What, then, must we do to be saved?
The answer is found in the Gospel; it can be summed up in one statement made by the centurion. Let’s take a look at the sequence of steps that leads us to the answer.
The centurion has a servant who is dying, and he desires that the Lord heal his servant. He knows it is not necessary for the servant to be brought into the physical presence of the Lord, for the Lord can heal the servant with a word. The Lord does not merely grant the centurion’s request, but offers to go with the centurion to his house. The centurion replies that it is not any more necessary for the Lord to come to the servant than it is for the servant to come to the Lord. His authority is such that His commands will be obeyed, without regard to His physical location.
The key is how the centurion begins his declaration of faith in the Lord’s power to heal: “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof.” By declaring that he was a sinner, and therefore not worthy to have the Lord enter into his dwelling place, he gained not only the healing of his servant, but also a place in the household of God, a place of glory in the kingdom of heaven.
The mistake that so burdened the scribes and the Pharisees was that they thought that, as they were the children of Abraham, they were automatically going to receive the reward that Abraham received – a place in the kingdom of God. But, as our Lord tells them at another time, “The Lord is able to raise up children of Abraham from these stones.” Our mistake is very similar. We think, because we have been “born again,” baptized into Christ, that we are automatically heirs of the promise. We must recognize that our failure to “put on Christ,” evidenced by our sins, makes us unworthy, unless we repent of our sins, and confess them, and do all we can to assist in the transformation of our being, through prayer, and fasting, the giving of alms, and the struggle to uproot our passions and establish the godly virtues in their place. If we think we are worthy, we will not examine our lives, or confess, or repent – and so we will be at risk of finding ourselves cast into the outer darkness, and the torments that will follow for all eternity.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us ask God for grace to examine ourselves; and for grace to repent and confess our sins, and our own unworthiness. We must be honest about who we are; even as we do not give up the hope that God loves us, and desires not the death of sinners, but that all should come unto Him and be saved. Let us give thanks for God’s love and mercy, that He accepts us even as we are unworthy, making us clean once more by our confession – that He may enter under the roof of our lives, and dwell with us, that we may live with Him forever.
Here’s the bottom line on today’s reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew: An outsider has more faith than the children of the kingdom. The centurion is praised by our Lord, and held up by Him as an example, to warn those who think they are the children of the kingdom that, in effect, their seat at the table is not guaranteed – that there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth among many who thought that they were “in.” We need to be careful, because, today, it is not the scribes and Pharisees who are at risk; rather, we are the children of the kingdom – and the warning is thus meant for us. What, then, must we do to be saved?
The answer is found in the Gospel; it can be summed up in one statement made by the centurion. Let’s take a look at the sequence of steps that leads us to the answer.
The centurion has a servant who is dying, and he desires that the Lord heal his servant. He knows it is not necessary for the servant to be brought into the physical presence of the Lord, for the Lord can heal the servant with a word. The Lord does not merely grant the centurion’s request, but offers to go with the centurion to his house. The centurion replies that it is not any more necessary for the Lord to come to the servant than it is for the servant to come to the Lord. His authority is such that His commands will be obeyed, without regard to His physical location.
The key is how the centurion begins his declaration of faith in the Lord’s power to heal: “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof.” By declaring that he was a sinner, and therefore not worthy to have the Lord enter into his dwelling place, he gained not only the healing of his servant, but also a place in the household of God, a place of glory in the kingdom of heaven.
The mistake that so burdened the scribes and the Pharisees was that they thought that, as they were the children of Abraham, they were automatically going to receive the reward that Abraham received – a place in the kingdom of God. But, as our Lord tells them at another time, “The Lord is able to raise up children of Abraham from these stones.” Our mistake is very similar. We think, because we have been “born again,” baptized into Christ, that we are automatically heirs of the promise. We must recognize that our failure to “put on Christ,” evidenced by our sins, makes us unworthy, unless we repent of our sins, and confess them, and do all we can to assist in the transformation of our being, through prayer, and fasting, the giving of alms, and the struggle to uproot our passions and establish the godly virtues in their place. If we think we are worthy, we will not examine our lives, or confess, or repent – and so we will be at risk of finding ourselves cast into the outer darkness, and the torments that will follow for all eternity.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us ask God for grace to examine ourselves; and for grace to repent and confess our sins, and our own unworthiness. We must be honest about who we are; even as we do not give up the hope that God loves us, and desires not the death of sinners, but that all should come unto Him and be saved. Let us give thanks for God’s love and mercy, that He accepts us even as we are unworthy, making us clean once more by our confession – that He may enter under the roof of our lives, and dwell with us, that we may live with Him forever.
St. Sampson the Hospitable
(Matthew 6:22-33) (3rd Sunday after Pentecost)
Most of us know, when our Lord says, “You cannot serve God and mammon,” that “mammon” means “money” – or “riches” or “wealth”; especially as a negative influence upon our spiritual life and development. The fathers warn us that wealth tends to drive us away from God. This concept really isn’t that hard to understand: for wealth makes it possible for us to enjoy the material pleasures of this world, tying us to the things and ways of thinking of this world – and making us neglect the ways of the kingdom of heaven, and our pursuit of these ways in our own lives. Of course, having some makes us want more – and we can become greedy, which makes a bad situation even worse.
Wealth, the fathers tell us, is a curse. Of course, most of us would respond as does the main character of the story, “Fiddler on the Roof,” who says of such a curse, “May God smite me with it – and may I never recover!” It takes a special person – a saint, actually – to correctly understand the purpose of God’s giving wealth, and to respond properly, in a God-pleasing manner. One such saint is commemorated today: St. Sampson the Hospitable.
He was born into wealth in Rome, and raised with the best that money could buy. As he completed his education, he studied medicine, and became a doctor. As a physician, he treated the bodily ailments of those who came to him; and, as a Christian, he treated their spiritual illnesses, encouraging everyone to do everything in their power to live according to the requirements of the Christian faith. When he moved to Constantinople, he lived in a small house, using his wealth to give alms and medical attention, including medicine, to all who suffered in body, mind, or spirit. When the Patriarch heard of his virtue, he ordained St. Sampson to the priesthood.
When the Emperor Justinian became ill with what his doctors thought was an incurable disease, he sent for St. Sampson after having prayed to God, and having seen the saint in a dream, revealed as someone who could heal the Emperor. St. Sampson did nothing more than place his hand on the diseased place, and the Emperor was healed. When he was offered an immense sum of money, St. Sampson refused, replying that he had left silver and gold for the sake of Christ. The Emperor insisted on doing something to thank St. Sampson; and so the saint asked that a home be built for the poor. There, St. Sampson took care of the poor and needy until the day of his repose (which we mark today) in the year 530 A.D.
How do we fulfill the requirements of our Christian faith, as St. Sampson urged everyone to do? We do so by “putting on Christ,” into Whom we have been baptized. We are faithful servants of the Lord when we make Him known, in word and in deed, through our testimony to Him in the way we live our lives: showing forth mercy and patience and forgiveness, and virtue, and love – and confessing our sins, and repenting, when we have fallen short of the mark. We use the tools given to us to achieve the goal of showing forth Christ in our lives: prayer, and fasting, and the struggle to acquire spiritual virtues in place of our passions – and by giving alms. We remember the needs of the Church, and give to help satisfy these needs; and we remember those in need around us, and we give to help satisfy their needs. We give as St. Sampson gave – without thought of reward, except for the treasure laid up for us in heaven. This is how we fulfill the requirements of the Christian faith.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us always remember that the material blessing of this life we enjoy are gifts of love from God to us. We are meant to use these gifts wisely, to benefit not only ourselves, but others as well. Let us pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle, that we may show forth Christ in our lives, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Venerable father Sampson, pray to God for us!
Most of us know, when our Lord says, “You cannot serve God and mammon,” that “mammon” means “money” – or “riches” or “wealth”; especially as a negative influence upon our spiritual life and development. The fathers warn us that wealth tends to drive us away from God. This concept really isn’t that hard to understand: for wealth makes it possible for us to enjoy the material pleasures of this world, tying us to the things and ways of thinking of this world – and making us neglect the ways of the kingdom of heaven, and our pursuit of these ways in our own lives. Of course, having some makes us want more – and we can become greedy, which makes a bad situation even worse.
Wealth, the fathers tell us, is a curse. Of course, most of us would respond as does the main character of the story, “Fiddler on the Roof,” who says of such a curse, “May God smite me with it – and may I never recover!” It takes a special person – a saint, actually – to correctly understand the purpose of God’s giving wealth, and to respond properly, in a God-pleasing manner. One such saint is commemorated today: St. Sampson the Hospitable.
He was born into wealth in Rome, and raised with the best that money could buy. As he completed his education, he studied medicine, and became a doctor. As a physician, he treated the bodily ailments of those who came to him; and, as a Christian, he treated their spiritual illnesses, encouraging everyone to do everything in their power to live according to the requirements of the Christian faith. When he moved to Constantinople, he lived in a small house, using his wealth to give alms and medical attention, including medicine, to all who suffered in body, mind, or spirit. When the Patriarch heard of his virtue, he ordained St. Sampson to the priesthood.
When the Emperor Justinian became ill with what his doctors thought was an incurable disease, he sent for St. Sampson after having prayed to God, and having seen the saint in a dream, revealed as someone who could heal the Emperor. St. Sampson did nothing more than place his hand on the diseased place, and the Emperor was healed. When he was offered an immense sum of money, St. Sampson refused, replying that he had left silver and gold for the sake of Christ. The Emperor insisted on doing something to thank St. Sampson; and so the saint asked that a home be built for the poor. There, St. Sampson took care of the poor and needy until the day of his repose (which we mark today) in the year 530 A.D.
How do we fulfill the requirements of our Christian faith, as St. Sampson urged everyone to do? We do so by “putting on Christ,” into Whom we have been baptized. We are faithful servants of the Lord when we make Him known, in word and in deed, through our testimony to Him in the way we live our lives: showing forth mercy and patience and forgiveness, and virtue, and love – and confessing our sins, and repenting, when we have fallen short of the mark. We use the tools given to us to achieve the goal of showing forth Christ in our lives: prayer, and fasting, and the struggle to acquire spiritual virtues in place of our passions – and by giving alms. We remember the needs of the Church, and give to help satisfy these needs; and we remember those in need around us, and we give to help satisfy their needs. We give as St. Sampson gave – without thought of reward, except for the treasure laid up for us in heaven. This is how we fulfill the requirements of the Christian faith.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us always remember that the material blessing of this life we enjoy are gifts of love from God to us. We are meant to use these gifts wisely, to benefit not only ourselves, but others as well. Let us pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle, that we may show forth Christ in our lives, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Venerable father Sampson, pray to God for us!
Saturday, July 09, 2005
What is a "Saint?"
(All Saints of Russia) (July 3, 2005)
As we noted yesterday, the Church year now underway in the season after Pentecost is marked by the celebration of saints. Last Sunday was the Feast of All Saints; yesterday, we remembered and celebrated St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco; and today we celebrate the Feast of all the saints of the Russian land. By the way, I know that the icon we have for the feast isn’t really the icon for all the saints of Russia, but for the New Martyrs and Confessors. Well, we don’t have the other one; and the saints on the icon here are among the saints of Russia! I’m convinced that, had it not been for the example of the saints of Russia across time and space, and for their prayers, that the New Martyrs and Confessors would not have been able to endure the persecution they suffered not so very long ago. We, who are Orthodox Christians following the traditions of the Church of Russia, are also heirs of this great tradition of faith and practice, and are of one household with such saints as St. Sergius of Radonezh, and St. Seraphim of Sarov, and St. Olga. She was the grandmother of St. Vladimir, the Enlightener of Russia; and no doubt was a great influence upon her grandson by the example of her life, and by her prayers. Of course, Russia is not alone in having so great a cloud of witnesses as her saints; for example, many churches today celebrate all the saints of Mt. Athos, in Greece. But the saints of Russia are a significant part of our heritage, and we do well to commemorate them this day.
What is a saint? That’s not a question that can be answered easily, or quickly. In one sense, we can begin with the Greek word hagios, which can be translated as “holy” or as “saint.” Its meaning conveys the sense of something that is different, not of this world. So a saint is someone who lives, not according to the ways of this world, but rather by the way of heaven. We can also grasp what it means to be a “saint” by looking at the icons of saints. See the halo – that circle of gold behind their head? That isn’t some sort of gold tiara given by God to those who are holy; rather, it is the only way the writer of the icon can show the truth – that is, that the uncreated light of the glory of God is shining forth from that person. This is because a saint is someone who has labored to bring into reality the potential created in us all at our baptism and chrismation. A saint is someone who has “put on” Christ – has drawn near to God in prayer and fasting; has left this world with its possessions and pains and pleasures behind, and so grown in likeness to Christ that, when we see them, we see Him, in the uncreated light of His glory, as was shown forth on the mount of Transfiguration.
It’s sometimes said that there are two kinds of people in the world: sinners who think they are saints; and saints who think they are sinners. We can get an idea about where we fall on this spectrum by deciding which group is ours. Do you pray enough? Fast enough? Give enough? Struggle enough against your sins and the passions? If we answer, “yes” to any of these questions, guess what: we’re sinners who think we’re saints. The saints aren’t perfect; even as they attained a level of perfection beyond what most of us will achieve, they saw their sins in greater detail than most of us could bear. The saints, like us, never stopped sinning; but, unlike most of us, they grieved deeply over even the slightest of things; while we are quite often blind to serious flaws and faults, and the hurt we do to others, to ourselves, and to our relationship with God.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us love God more than we love ourselves. Let us turn our hearts and minds away from the things of this world, and all that binds us to it, and set our desires instead on the way of life that is pleasing to God, beneficial to the salvation of our souls, and which will let some of the light of Christ shine forth from us to encourage those around us, both among those who are of the household of faith, and those who are searching for what we have been given in the Orthodox Church and faith and way of life; to the glory of God, and to the salvation of our souls.
All saints of Russia, pray to God for us!
As we noted yesterday, the Church year now underway in the season after Pentecost is marked by the celebration of saints. Last Sunday was the Feast of All Saints; yesterday, we remembered and celebrated St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco; and today we celebrate the Feast of all the saints of the Russian land. By the way, I know that the icon we have for the feast isn’t really the icon for all the saints of Russia, but for the New Martyrs and Confessors. Well, we don’t have the other one; and the saints on the icon here are among the saints of Russia! I’m convinced that, had it not been for the example of the saints of Russia across time and space, and for their prayers, that the New Martyrs and Confessors would not have been able to endure the persecution they suffered not so very long ago. We, who are Orthodox Christians following the traditions of the Church of Russia, are also heirs of this great tradition of faith and practice, and are of one household with such saints as St. Sergius of Radonezh, and St. Seraphim of Sarov, and St. Olga. She was the grandmother of St. Vladimir, the Enlightener of Russia; and no doubt was a great influence upon her grandson by the example of her life, and by her prayers. Of course, Russia is not alone in having so great a cloud of witnesses as her saints; for example, many churches today celebrate all the saints of Mt. Athos, in Greece. But the saints of Russia are a significant part of our heritage, and we do well to commemorate them this day.
What is a saint? That’s not a question that can be answered easily, or quickly. In one sense, we can begin with the Greek word hagios, which can be translated as “holy” or as “saint.” Its meaning conveys the sense of something that is different, not of this world. So a saint is someone who lives, not according to the ways of this world, but rather by the way of heaven. We can also grasp what it means to be a “saint” by looking at the icons of saints. See the halo – that circle of gold behind their head? That isn’t some sort of gold tiara given by God to those who are holy; rather, it is the only way the writer of the icon can show the truth – that is, that the uncreated light of the glory of God is shining forth from that person. This is because a saint is someone who has labored to bring into reality the potential created in us all at our baptism and chrismation. A saint is someone who has “put on” Christ – has drawn near to God in prayer and fasting; has left this world with its possessions and pains and pleasures behind, and so grown in likeness to Christ that, when we see them, we see Him, in the uncreated light of His glory, as was shown forth on the mount of Transfiguration.
It’s sometimes said that there are two kinds of people in the world: sinners who think they are saints; and saints who think they are sinners. We can get an idea about where we fall on this spectrum by deciding which group is ours. Do you pray enough? Fast enough? Give enough? Struggle enough against your sins and the passions? If we answer, “yes” to any of these questions, guess what: we’re sinners who think we’re saints. The saints aren’t perfect; even as they attained a level of perfection beyond what most of us will achieve, they saw their sins in greater detail than most of us could bear. The saints, like us, never stopped sinning; but, unlike most of us, they grieved deeply over even the slightest of things; while we are quite often blind to serious flaws and faults, and the hurt we do to others, to ourselves, and to our relationship with God.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us love God more than we love ourselves. Let us turn our hearts and minds away from the things of this world, and all that binds us to it, and set our desires instead on the way of life that is pleasing to God, beneficial to the salvation of our souls, and which will let some of the light of Christ shine forth from us to encourage those around us, both among those who are of the household of faith, and those who are searching for what we have been given in the Orthodox Church and faith and way of life; to the glory of God, and to the salvation of our souls.
All saints of Russia, pray to God for us!
Saints in Our Midst Today
(The Feast of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco) (July 2,2005)
Right now, we are in the midst of a number of celebrations of the saints. Last Sunday was the Sunday of All Saints; today we celebrate St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco; and tomorrow, all the saints of Russia. But this is appropriate as we begin the season after Pentecost, for saints, among other things, reveal the great glory and greater mercy and grace of God. They make known to us the reality of God’s grace and mercy; they make known to us the truth that the Day of Pentecost was not merely an event that took place “long ago and far away.” The truth is that the Holy Spirit is always and continually present in the Church and in the world – and in us. We are also called to be saints.
There are people alive today who remember when St. John was present in his earthly life, when they saw him serve the Divine Liturgy, and the other services of the Church. They saw this holy man of God in their midst, preaching the Gospel of our salvation in words and in deeds, caring for his flock, visiting the sick and the troubled and the poor and the needy. They may have seen a miracle; they may have been blessed by a miracle. Not everyone recognized him as a saint while he was with them; indeed, some opposed him, and tried to have him removed as their bishop. But today, he is greatly loved and revered; and no one I know of who has been to his relics at our cathedral in San Francisco has not been moved – and this includes people who are not – at least, not yet – Orthodox Christians. It is amazing, that we can be in the presence of this holy man of God even today; and all who call upon him for his prayers are answered.
There are saints in our midst today – maybe even here, in this part of the body of Christ known as Holy Archangels Orthodox Church. If there aren’t, there should be! If there aren’t, it is because we are not willing to make the struggle, to take the steps necessary to live more fully the life given to us in our baptism, the life in which we are guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit given to us in our chrismation, the life nourished in us when we receive the wondrous grace of God in the Holy Mysteries – the same mysteries which strengthened and sustained our holy father John of Shanghai and San Francisco – the same mysteries by which he was sanctified. Do we not, when we receive in worthy fashion, prepared by confession and repentance and prayer and fasting, receive the same grace in the same mysteries? If we do – and we do – it stands to reason that our lives should more closely resemble the life of our holy father John. If the resemblance is missing, who is responsible, except each one of us?
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us love God more than we love ourselves. Let us love the ways He has appointed for us to keep more than we love the things and pleasures of this world. Let us pray, and fast, as did St. John; let us give to the poor, and did St. John; and let us struggle against our sins, as did St. John, calling upon him to help us to do what he has done, and does even now, showing forth in himself, and in us, the life of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
Holy hierarch, Father John, pray to God for us!
Right now, we are in the midst of a number of celebrations of the saints. Last Sunday was the Sunday of All Saints; today we celebrate St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco; and tomorrow, all the saints of Russia. But this is appropriate as we begin the season after Pentecost, for saints, among other things, reveal the great glory and greater mercy and grace of God. They make known to us the reality of God’s grace and mercy; they make known to us the truth that the Day of Pentecost was not merely an event that took place “long ago and far away.” The truth is that the Holy Spirit is always and continually present in the Church and in the world – and in us. We are also called to be saints.
There are people alive today who remember when St. John was present in his earthly life, when they saw him serve the Divine Liturgy, and the other services of the Church. They saw this holy man of God in their midst, preaching the Gospel of our salvation in words and in deeds, caring for his flock, visiting the sick and the troubled and the poor and the needy. They may have seen a miracle; they may have been blessed by a miracle. Not everyone recognized him as a saint while he was with them; indeed, some opposed him, and tried to have him removed as their bishop. But today, he is greatly loved and revered; and no one I know of who has been to his relics at our cathedral in San Francisco has not been moved – and this includes people who are not – at least, not yet – Orthodox Christians. It is amazing, that we can be in the presence of this holy man of God even today; and all who call upon him for his prayers are answered.
There are saints in our midst today – maybe even here, in this part of the body of Christ known as Holy Archangels Orthodox Church. If there aren’t, there should be! If there aren’t, it is because we are not willing to make the struggle, to take the steps necessary to live more fully the life given to us in our baptism, the life in which we are guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit given to us in our chrismation, the life nourished in us when we receive the wondrous grace of God in the Holy Mysteries – the same mysteries which strengthened and sustained our holy father John of Shanghai and San Francisco – the same mysteries by which he was sanctified. Do we not, when we receive in worthy fashion, prepared by confession and repentance and prayer and fasting, receive the same grace in the same mysteries? If we do – and we do – it stands to reason that our lives should more closely resemble the life of our holy father John. If the resemblance is missing, who is responsible, except each one of us?
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us love God more than we love ourselves. Let us love the ways He has appointed for us to keep more than we love the things and pleasures of this world. Let us pray, and fast, as did St. John; let us give to the poor, and did St. John; and let us struggle against our sins, as did St. John, calling upon him to help us to do what he has done, and does even now, showing forth in himself, and in us, the life of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
Holy hierarch, Father John, pray to God for us!
Sunday, June 26, 2005
The Sunday of All Saints
(Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30) (First Sunday after Pentecost)
Last Sunday, you’ll recall, was the Feast of Pentecost, the day we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of the Lord. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they went forth to bear witness to the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. In what they said, and in what they did, they told everyone about our deliverance from death and our being set free from sins by the death and resurrection of our Lord. This was not without consequences. Many were mocked and ridiculed; others were tortured; and some were put to death for bearing witness to Christ. James, the brother of our Lord, was thrown to his death from the top of the temple in Jerusalem. Peter and Paul were crucified. Some were beheaded; some were sawn in two; killed by wild beasts; burned alive; drowned; in fact, if there was a particularly horrible way to kill someone, there is probably a martyr whose life was ended in that way. The fathers tell us that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that the martyrs and confessors could remain faithful to our Lord when such tortures were brought to bear against them.
Today, the first Sunday after Pentecost, is the day we, the Church, celebrate all the saints of the Church. Some of their pictures hang on the walls around us; a “hall of fame” in which they are remembered for the way in which they show us the life of Christ. Again, some are martyrs; some, confessors; some died peacefully, but showed a form of holiness worthy of our consideration. They are saints: people from whom shines forth to us the light of Christ in them, the hope of glory. We honor them this day; and the best way to honor them is to follow their example, to strive to be like them, to show forth Christ in our own lives.
What makes the saints different from us? It isn’t something in their nature, for we are made of the same “stuff,” the same substance, the same human nature. It isn’t in the power they have received on high; for, like them, “we have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith…” In our baptism, our nature was transformed, just as theirs was transformed; they received the life of the risen Lord, and so did we. When we were chrismated, we received the same Holy Spirit they received. So, what makes the saints different from us? Why are we not more like them?
The answer is simple: we don’t love God they way they love God. We love our sins; and we love ourselves more than we love God. When we’re faced with a choice between doing what we want, and what God wants, more often than not, we chose to please ourselves – even if this means that we sin. You know, it’s hard to fight against our passions when we so often indulge them; and, if we don’t struggle against our passions, we can never hope to defeat them, we can never hope to transform them, so that what we think and do and say and want will be pleasing to God, rather than offensive. What can we do?
The answer is simple: we begin by following the life of the Church. We pray; and, in praying, cultivate within ourselves a desire to draw closer to God, to enter into His presence, to pour out our hearts to Him, and to allow Him to guide us. We fast; to cleanse ourselves by denial, and to teach ourselves that we can do without certain foods, so that we can learn as well to do without our sins. We give, so that we can be free from the things that attach us to this world. And we struggle, fighting against our sins and passions, overcoming the evil within us by doing what is good and right, calling upon our Lord to help us.
Brothers and sisters: We may not be called to suffer, or be tortured, or to become martyrs for the Orthodox faith. Our suffering, our torture, our martyrdom may be nothing more than to struggle against the passions and desires that lead us into sin. But we must not be confused. We are called to walk the same path the saints walked during the time of their life on earth. We are called to be transformed into vessels bearing the light, and life, and love of Christ. We have been given the life of Christ; we have received the heavenly Spirit. Let us resolve ourselves to embrace these gifts, and to work to show them forth to the world, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
O ye saints of God, pray to God for us!
Last Sunday, you’ll recall, was the Feast of Pentecost, the day we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of the Lord. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they went forth to bear witness to the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. In what they said, and in what they did, they told everyone about our deliverance from death and our being set free from sins by the death and resurrection of our Lord. This was not without consequences. Many were mocked and ridiculed; others were tortured; and some were put to death for bearing witness to Christ. James, the brother of our Lord, was thrown to his death from the top of the temple in Jerusalem. Peter and Paul were crucified. Some were beheaded; some were sawn in two; killed by wild beasts; burned alive; drowned; in fact, if there was a particularly horrible way to kill someone, there is probably a martyr whose life was ended in that way. The fathers tell us that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that the martyrs and confessors could remain faithful to our Lord when such tortures were brought to bear against them.
Today, the first Sunday after Pentecost, is the day we, the Church, celebrate all the saints of the Church. Some of their pictures hang on the walls around us; a “hall of fame” in which they are remembered for the way in which they show us the life of Christ. Again, some are martyrs; some, confessors; some died peacefully, but showed a form of holiness worthy of our consideration. They are saints: people from whom shines forth to us the light of Christ in them, the hope of glory. We honor them this day; and the best way to honor them is to follow their example, to strive to be like them, to show forth Christ in our own lives.
What makes the saints different from us? It isn’t something in their nature, for we are made of the same “stuff,” the same substance, the same human nature. It isn’t in the power they have received on high; for, like them, “we have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith…” In our baptism, our nature was transformed, just as theirs was transformed; they received the life of the risen Lord, and so did we. When we were chrismated, we received the same Holy Spirit they received. So, what makes the saints different from us? Why are we not more like them?
The answer is simple: we don’t love God they way they love God. We love our sins; and we love ourselves more than we love God. When we’re faced with a choice between doing what we want, and what God wants, more often than not, we chose to please ourselves – even if this means that we sin. You know, it’s hard to fight against our passions when we so often indulge them; and, if we don’t struggle against our passions, we can never hope to defeat them, we can never hope to transform them, so that what we think and do and say and want will be pleasing to God, rather than offensive. What can we do?
The answer is simple: we begin by following the life of the Church. We pray; and, in praying, cultivate within ourselves a desire to draw closer to God, to enter into His presence, to pour out our hearts to Him, and to allow Him to guide us. We fast; to cleanse ourselves by denial, and to teach ourselves that we can do without certain foods, so that we can learn as well to do without our sins. We give, so that we can be free from the things that attach us to this world. And we struggle, fighting against our sins and passions, overcoming the evil within us by doing what is good and right, calling upon our Lord to help us.
Brothers and sisters: We may not be called to suffer, or be tortured, or to become martyrs for the Orthodox faith. Our suffering, our torture, our martyrdom may be nothing more than to struggle against the passions and desires that lead us into sin. But we must not be confused. We are called to walk the same path the saints walked during the time of their life on earth. We are called to be transformed into vessels bearing the light, and life, and love of Christ. We have been given the life of Christ; we have received the heavenly Spirit. Let us resolve ourselves to embrace these gifts, and to work to show them forth to the world, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
O ye saints of God, pray to God for us!
Monday, June 20, 2005
Pascha, Pentecost, and "Ordinary Time"
(John 7:37-52; 8:12) (Pentecost)
Today is the great day of the Feast of Pentecost, on which we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of the Lord, gathered together, undoubtedly for prayer and worship; and the establishment of the Church, the ark of our salvation. Today is also one of the turning points in our liturgical year. In a way, we said, “goodbye” to Pascha at the Feast of the Ascension, ten days ago. At that time, we cease the Paschal greeting, “Christ is risen – Truly, He is risen!” In our worship services, we stopped the three-fold singing of “Christ is risen from the dead…” with that feast; and yet, things were still incomplete, because we did not resume the use of the prayer, “O Heavenly King…” until the Vigil service for Pentecost, last night. Thus, in a way, Pascha is completed: Our Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, has ascended in both His human and divine natures to be at the right hand of God the Father; but has also kept His promise not to leave us as orphans – He has sent us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to lead us into all truth, and to teach us, and to empower us in living the life we received in our baptism, the very life of Christ Himself, risen from the dead. As every Sunday is a remembrance of, and participation in, the Pascha of our Lord, so, too, is every Sunday a remembrance of, and participation in, the day of Pentecost.
The day of Pentecost marks a transition in the liturgical cycle of the Church. In a way, this corresponds to our own lives as believers in Christ. We begin as Christ is born in us, enlightening us, and calling us into communion with Him – the feast of our Lord’s Incarnation at Nativity, and His Theophany. This is quite often accompanied by an awakened sense of our sins, and our captivity to our passions, and the need to be set free from death – celebrated in the Pascha of our Lord. Now, realizing that the power of death has been broken, and no longer has a hold on us, we are empowered to go forth and live the life of Christ in every aspect of our being, and in every place we go. Pentecost is our empowering to go forth and bear witness to the power of the risen Lord dwelling in us: praying and fasting and giving and struggling to overcome our sins and passions, living the life we find modeled for us in the Church by the saints. The season after Pentecost symbolizes the time between our Lord’s Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit – Pascha and Pentecost – and the great and terrible Day of Judgment that is yet to come. It is, in a way, “ordinary time”; and the time in which we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”
Brothers and sisters! We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the truth faith. Let us worship the undivided Trinity, Who has saved us, by humbly asking God to empower us to bear witness to His Son by our repentance and turning from the ways of sin and death, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We Have Work to Do
(John 17:1-13) (Seventh Sunday of Pascha)
You will recall that Adam, after the Fall of our first parents, was condemned to laboring to make the ground bring forth the food we need in order to live, eating his bread by the sweat of his brow; while Eve’s labor was also transformed, so that the act of giving birth would be painful and difficult. One of the consequences of the Fall is that we must work to obtain the things we need.
This is not news to the Orthodox Christian – at least, it shouldn’t be! We know that we must work: above all, to labor for the salvation of our souls. This includes, of course, the work we must do to obtain what is needed to keep us alive: food, clothing, shelter, and so on. There are, of course, dangers on that path: we might, if we are not careful, get so caught up in the pursuit of the things needed for our earthly life that we forget that the earthly life is temporary; and that we should really focus our attention on acquiring what we need for the life in eternity, the life that does not end. Among other reasons, this is why we need to hear, on a regular basis, that we must always be careful to devote ourselves to the work that benefits us for life without end: prayer, and fasting, and giving of alms, and struggling against our sinful passions.
In the Epistle reading today, St. Paul speaks to the Church, and outlines another dimension of the work we must do: to preserve and protect the Truth given to us by and in the Church. He warns us that the Church will be attacked by “wolves” – those from without who will seek to destroy the Church. He also warns about the arising of false teachers within the Church, leading astray many with perverse doctrines and practices. This means that part of our labors must include knowing the true teachings of the Church; and being on guard to watch for attempts to deviate from the Path that we have been given. How will you know that what is being taught is false if you have never bothered to study the truth? And there is always something more for us to learn; so, this task of ours never really comes to an end. It is because of this task, the declaration of the truth against false teachings that would lead the faithful into pagan lives, that the 318 Fathers of the Church met at the Council of Nicaea in 325, to speak out against the heresy taught by Arius, a priest of the Church. The Symbol of Faith we recite each Sunday has its beginning in the proclamations of that Council; and it is part of our task to know the truth contained therein, and to follow and practice that way of life. We celebrate them on this day; but the best way to remember them and give thanks for their labors is to be faithful in living the life and faith we share in common with them.
Among the ends for keeping the Orthodox way of life is that of being “one”; which is a part of the High Priestly prayer offered for us by our Lord Jesus Christ, heard, in part, in the Gospel reading today. He prays to His Father that we might be one, as our Lord Jesus Christ and His Father are one. As we strive to live the life of Christ implanted in us by our baptism, empowered by the Holy Spirit, sustained by partaking of Holy Communion, and expressed in prayer and fasting and giving and struggle, and above all by loving and caring for each other – all of which qualify as work! – we are helping ourselves and each other to live as one. Not only that: we become an example to those outside, who do not, now, know the truth; who have not yet found the path that leads from earth to heaven. As we work to live the way we should, we are a witness and example to them; and those who are seeking will follow, and so find salvation for their souls. This witness and example are part of our work, a part of the labors appointed for us: to build the Church, the Body of Christ.
Brothers and sisters: we have work to do! We have a Church to build. It’s more than the building (although we have that important responsibility as well); it is gathering the people who will meet in and fill the building; the people who build the Body of Christ. Let us rouse ourselves from our slumbers, and leave behind being lazy, and get to work, saving our souls, in order to be witnesses of Christ, to the glory of God, and the salvation of the world.
The Healing of the Man Born Blind
(John 9:1-38) (Sixth Sunday of Pascha)
In the epistle reading today, the jailer, after the earthquake had set free from their restraints all the prisoners in his charge, asks Paul and Silas a question that each of us would do well to ponder: “What must I do to be saved?” He is told, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” The man born blind also believed that Jesus is the Son of God; he believed, and worshipped Him. Who are we like? Do we resemble the blind man, or the jailer? Or are we more like the parents of the man born blind, who spoke, not from faith, but from fear of the Jews; or perhaps even like the Pharisees, whose denial of Christ was made in the most pious of terms, as they said, “We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t know where this guy comes from.” (OK, so I paraphrased it a little bit!)
Now, we might say, “Well, it took a miraculous healing to convince the man born blind; and a miraculous earthquake to convince the jailer; but nothing like that has ever happened to me!” And there’s no doubt but that, in our society, to be open and honest about our faith is to run the risk of being ridiculed; our culture moves us towards being like the blind man’s parents, who were afraid of being put out of the synagogue – which means being ostracized from their society – if they were to even suggest that perhaps Jesus was the Messiah. How, then, can we have faith, which is necessary for us if we wish to be saved?
I wish that I had a simple answer to this question to give you, but I don’t. I think I’ve seen some miracles – people who have been healed of disease after prayer and the laying on of hands; but nothing like the healing of someone born blind. And I’m such a child of our culture that, even with what I’ve seen, I can’t stop my mind from wondering whether there wasn’t an explanation for what happened that doesn’t require belief in a miracle. I’ve had prayers answered, for things both great and small; and yet a part of my mind says, “Maybe it was just random chance”; or, “Maybe it would have happened anyway.” I’m also sure that I have been delivered from dangerous situations with the help of God, and my guardian angel – but I can’t offer you any proof of these things; so why should anyone believe these things?
Sometimes, we can better say what we believe by starting with what we don’t believe; what, to put it in its $5 term, we call, the “apophatic way of knowing.” I don’t believe that our existence is merely the result of random chance. I don’t believe that life came into being or evolved without the guiding intelligence and purpose of a Creator; because if these things are true, there is no meaning or purpose to life; and there is no reason to restrain any impulse or to deny any desire, if, after our life is at an end, we cease completely to exist. I don’t believe that love is merely the product of biological urges. I don’t believe that the character traits that set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom are merely accidental, or simply the result of the pressures of society to conform and keep order. I do believe instead that these are the product of our being made in the image of God; and that the love we so desire to share in life arises from our connection to God, Who, above all, is a God of love: for, without love, there in no mercy, no patience, and no forgiveness; and there are no miracles – and if being loved, despite all that is wicked and wrong and wretched in ourselves, is not a miracle, then I don’t know what a miracle is.
We are told, in the epistle to the Hebrews, that, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The man born blind had faith – he hoped that the Messiah would come; and He did come, and the blind man met Him, and was healed. The jailer had faith – he saw the miracle, and, without meeting the One responsible, put his trust and hope in Him. We don’t have to know in any provable way that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; it is enough for us to have hope, and trust the testimony of the Church, and of her saints, who bear witness to Him with their very lives. In this way, by faith, we, too, can believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and our Savior and Lord; and so have hope that we, too, will be saved.
Christ is risen!
Water and Thirst: The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
(John 4:4-42) (Fifth Sunday of Pascha)
Living in the desert, we are all aware (or should be aware) of the importance of having enough water to drink. Not only is water scarce – that’s what makes it a desert! – but the heat of the desert also increases the need for drinking plenty of water. If you are outside for any reason during the summer, and especially if you’re doing some type of work, you will get thirsty! When that happens, there’s nothing to compare with a drink of cool water.
The woman who meets our Lord Jesus at the well has come there during the heat of the day to obtain water. Our Lord asks her to draw water from the well for Him to drink; and uses this as a way to gently instruct her to her spiritual needs. He begins with her bodily thirst, to show her, from what she knows, a deeper truth she needs to know. He says of the well, “Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinks of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst.”
“Water” here refers to the Holy Spirit, and especially to the power of the Holy Spirit to cleanse, as in washing with water; and to refresh, as in the drink of cool water when we are hot and thirsty. As water makes a garden or an orchard more lush and productive, so, too, does the Holy Spirit to the soul that is willing to be “watered.” As someone with a well that is deep never lacks water, and so is never thirsty, the soul that is watered by the Holy Spirit does not thirst: that is, such a soul is not touched by despondency, and is not touched by the plots and plans of the evil one, for the water quenches the fiery darts of the evil one.
Material thirst is quenched by material water; spiritual thirst, by spiritual water, the water of the Holy Spirit. We need both forms of water to stay alive. Material water must be replenished; we drink water every day (unless prevented). If we don’t, we will weaken, and then die. Spiritual water must also be replenished, and we need to drink of it every day. If we don’t, we will weaken, and we will die.
But wait: Doesn’t our Lord say that the water He shall give shall be a well springing up to everlasting life? Doesn’t this refer to something that is permanent?
Yes: but just as a spring of material water, which flows without ceasing, can become polluted, or even be stopped up by our actions, such as filling the spring with stones, so, too, is it possible for us to receive this life-giving spring in ourselves, only to pollute its waters with our sins, and to stop it up by the hardening of our hearts. To have this water remain in us, flowing pure and sweet, we must turn from the earthly life and be transformed by the life we learn in the Church: the life of prayer, and fasting, and alms-giving, and struggle; the life of repentance and confession; a life of loving and caring for others with the patience and love and mercy of God. When we pray and fast and repent and confess, we keep the water pure and unpolluted; and by loving and caring for others, we keep the water flowing. This is because, when all is said and done, the water of this life-giving spring in our soul is the love of God; and that water is not meant for ourselves alone, but that we might learn to increase the flow of this water, and so become a source of blessing and refreshment to everyone around us.
Brothers and sisters! God’s love for us is a ever-flowing river, great and mighty. Let us repent and confess, and fast and pray, that we might be faithful servants of God, and receive within ourselves this water of everlasting life. Let us also love and care for each other, and so be sources of comfort and refreshment to all who are made in the image of God, to the glory of His name, and the salvation of our souls.
Christ is risen!
Monday, May 23, 2005
The Healing of the Paralytic
(John 5:1-15) (Fourth Sunday of Pascha)
If you think about it, we have the same problem as the paralytic. He wanted to be healed; but, when the time came, and the angel had troubled the waters of the pool at Bethesda, he could not get into the water by himself; he needed help, and he had no one to help him. We are paralyzed by our sins – especially by the ones that we have to repeat each and every time we go to confession, because we continue to repeat the sins through the course of our lives. Oh, sometimes we do resist the temptations that beset us; but even when we’ve had a victorious day, we know that, sooner or later, we’re going to fall again, and sin again.
We have to recognize that we are trying to overcome these sins by our own efforts alone, with only our own strength – and that we cannot, and will not, succeed by this approach. We have to recognize our inability to be holy and pure on our own; and that we have to ask for help.
So: how do we not try to do this by our own strength? I don’t know; I’m struggling with that myself. But there are hints from the fathers for us to take into consideration.
The first is that we must pray, asking for God’s help. OK, so this is obvious. It is the foundation for our having a rule of prayer, which begins with attending as many of the services of the Church that we can fit into our schedule – and giving these services the highest priority, rather than just “making do” with the ones that are convenient. The rule of prayer continues with developing the habit of daily morning and evening prayers. We start with the ones found in the prayer book; and add our own hopes and needs and intercessions for others as well. We make a part of this rule the blessing of food before we eat; and giving thanks when we have finished; and we also ask for God’s guidance before we start an activity, and give thanks when the task is completed. Bless yourself and the vehicle you’re driving when you’re about to depart. Parents, bless your children when they go to school, or are going out with friends; and children, pray for your parents. When you learn of someone in need, stop and pray for God to bless and help them. When you hear that someone has died, stop and ask God to be merciful to them, and to grant that person a blessed repose; and do the same when you pass by a cemetery. When you hear a siren, or see a police car, fire truck, or ambulance go by, ask God to protect and deliver those in need, and to keep safe those who go to render them aid.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, father, that’s a lot of time in prayer!” Well, keep in mind that St. Paul instructs us to pray continually. These are steps we can take in that direction; and when our minds are fixed in prayer, and we remember that prayer brings us into the intimate presence of God, it is easier to resist the temptations to sin! More prayer is good, and most all of us would benefit by it.
The next thing we need to do is to fast. Prayer and fasting are the sword and shield of our spiritual warfare. Fasting teaches our flesh that it cannot have what it wants simply because it wants it. Fasting weakens the flesh and its desires, and purifies us in body, mind and spirit. Fasting shows us that we can deny ourselves; and so we can learn to fast from our sins, as well as from food; and so gain an advantage against our sinful desires and habits. If you deny a weed the food or water it needs, it weakens, and can be uprooted and removed far more easily than when it is at full strength. So, too, it is with our sins.
It won’t surprise you, I’m sure, to hear that we must also give alms, and struggle against our passions. In fact, this is one of the points the fathers make about how we can achieve the victory over sins, the healing of our beings that we desire, but cannot achieve in our own strength. We see two mechanisms at work in the Gospel account today. The first, when the angel comes and troubles the waters, is akin to the Church, and the way of life we are taught to follow. If we will do these things, we will be healed; and it isn’t just the first person in who is helped. Each one of us can and will be transformed to the extent that we embrace the way of life that has been the way of the saints.
Of course, the paralytic was not healed in that way: he was healed by our Lord Jesus Christ. But note that he was present at the pool at Bethesda; it is there that the Lord found him, and delivered him; and afterward, he was found in the Temple, giving thanks to God. It was there, by the way, that he was also warned not to return to his sinful ways, lest something worse should come upon him than the paralysis from which he had been delivered. He did not come seeking out our Lord; he was following the way that had been given, and was found there and helped by the Lord. In the same way, we may also be found and delivered by the Lord; and we make ourselves available to Him by following the Orthodox way of life.
Finally, we must not be discouraged, we must not give up, just because we don’t see anything changing. Remember that the paralytic had waited, without becoming bitter, and without losing hope, for thirty-eight years! St. John Chrysostom notes that we, having persisted in prayer for all of ten days, and not having received what we had asked for, are too slothful afterwards to have enough zeal to continue in prayer. So, even as we continue to struggle to do all that we can with the strength that we have, we should also pray without ceasing for the strength and help we cannot do by ourselves; that our Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen us with His strength, and win in and through us the victory that we cannot attain by ourselves. Let us offer this prayer as we offer ourselves, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Christ is risen!
We are Meant to Be Like Them
(Mark 15:43-16:8) (Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women)
The myrrh-bearing women came to the tomb, bearing fragrant spices with which to care for the body of their Lord. This was an act of obedience, being performed according to the traditions of the Jews, to keep His body from corruption, and from the odor associated with that condition. The myrrh they brought would absorb the moisture of the body that would otherwise promote the decay of the flesh; and the myrrh, together with other herbs and spices, would give the body a sweet, rather than a foul, fragrance. So they came, out of a sense of duty; out of a sense of devotion; they came because of their love for the Lord. And so they were among the first to learn the good news from the angel: He is not here; Christ is risen from the dead.
The myrrh-bearing women came to the tomb, bearing fragrant spices with which to care for the body of their Lord. This was an act of obedience, being performed according to the traditions of the Jews, to keep His body from corruption, and from the odor associated with that condition. The myrrh they brought would absorb the moisture of the body that would otherwise promote the decay of the flesh; and the myrrh, together with other herbs and spices, would give the body a sweet, rather than a foul, fragrance. So they came, out of a sense of duty; out of a sense of devotion; they came because of their love for the Lord. And so they were among the first to learn the good news from the angel: He is not here; Christ is risen from the dead.
Why do we celebrate the myrrh-bearing women? As is so often the case, the Church gives us this example for our instruction, for we are meant to be like them.
Consider that they are going to the tomb at the start of the day. We, too, should start our day with our attention focused upon the Lord, and of how we might offer service and devotion to Him. As they came bearing spices, we should also seek to bring to Him spiritual perfume: with humility, and meekness, and the love of peace that leads us to be of help and service to others. We should come to anoint His Body with the spiritual oils of love and mercy, of prayer and fasting, and of giving to meet the needs of others. In this, let us remember that His Body is the Church – our brothers and sisters in Christ; and even those who hate us, and are our enemies.
As they journeyed to the tomb, they wondered, who would roll away the stone from the sepulcher, so that they could enter to perform this service for His Body? When they arrived, they found the stone rolled away. For us, it is as if our hearts, too, were sealed with a great stone, which we, by ourselves, are unable to roll away. Our sins, and our ignorance, our indifference to the commands of our Lord, and to the needs of others, and the deadening of our conscience by our repeated sinful habits, make it seem as if Christ in our hearts is also dead and buried; and who shall roll away the stone for us? Do we even have such a desire, to have the stone rolled away, so that we might be with the Lord, living in our hearts? If we will but come to the tomb, desiring to see Him, repenting of our sins, praying that God will transform us and help us to struggle against our sins, will not the angel who guards us roll away the stone, and let us behold the living Lord within us?
Brothers and sisters: Let us strive to be like the myrrh-bearing women. Let us arise each day with a desire to draw near to our Lord, and render to Him the duty required of us as an act of love and devotion for Him. Let us love and care for each other; let us pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle, that we might be a sweet fragrance before God and man. Let us do our part to labor with God to transform our hearts, stony with sin, to be rolled away, that we might bear the living heart of Christ, filled with love for God and man, and so show forth Him Who has risen from the dead, trampling down death by death for all the world to see.
Christ is risen!
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
With Palm Branches in Our Hands
(John 12:1-18) (The Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem)
There were two groups of people gathered along the streets that day: Those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God; and those who were curious, wanting to see the man who had raised Lazarus from the dead. Those who rejoiced at His coming spread their garments on the street, and cut down branches from the palm and olive trees to do the same, and cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest!” Caught up in the emotion of the moment, the others, the curious, said and did the same. Not too many days later, of course, many who had welcomed the entry of our Lord into Jerusalem with these shouts and deeds of praise and celebration would be gathered again, crying out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
And here we stand, with palm branches in our hands, singing His praises, and celebrating His arrival. We need to examine ourselves, and ask ourselves: are we merely among the curious? Or do we believe? We need to know, as we consider the state of our own souls, that every time we turn aside from the way of the Lord to pursue our passions, every time we give ourselves over to our sins, we betray the Son of God; we are crucifying Him.
The fathers remind us that the body we have is a garment and covering for the soul; and that those who laid down their garments for the Lord to ride upon are those who subject their flesh to the spirit, and so establish in themselves, in body, mind, and spirit, the virtues. How do we do this? By prayer, asking God’s help and guidance to overcome our sins and our passions; and by fasting, to weaken our flesh, and teach it to be subject to the will of God through our own will, rather than being subject to the desires arising from within itself. We acquire the virtues by giving alms, using the wealth and blessing that God has entrusted to us for the benefit of others; and by struggling to replace our passions with the holy way of living that the passions have supplanted: so humility for pride, generosity for selfishness, chastity for lust, patience for impatience, and so on.
Brothers and sisters: Our King and Savior comes to each of us, not in the fullness of His glory, which would blind us, and cause us to be filled with fear, and so be unable to speak or think or act. He comes, not at the head of a conquering army, but in gentleness and humility, asking us to receive Him, and to invite Him, the author of our lives, into the center of our life. He Who has given Himself for us asks us to give ourselves to Him, in loving obedience. Let us deny ourselves the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and follow Him Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let us pray, and fast, and give, and struggle, for the glory of His name, for the salvation of our souls, and to celebrate with rejoicing His most glorious Pascha!
There were two groups of people gathered along the streets that day: Those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God; and those who were curious, wanting to see the man who had raised Lazarus from the dead. Those who rejoiced at His coming spread their garments on the street, and cut down branches from the palm and olive trees to do the same, and cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest!” Caught up in the emotion of the moment, the others, the curious, said and did the same. Not too many days later, of course, many who had welcomed the entry of our Lord into Jerusalem with these shouts and deeds of praise and celebration would be gathered again, crying out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
And here we stand, with palm branches in our hands, singing His praises, and celebrating His arrival. We need to examine ourselves, and ask ourselves: are we merely among the curious? Or do we believe? We need to know, as we consider the state of our own souls, that every time we turn aside from the way of the Lord to pursue our passions, every time we give ourselves over to our sins, we betray the Son of God; we are crucifying Him.
The fathers remind us that the body we have is a garment and covering for the soul; and that those who laid down their garments for the Lord to ride upon are those who subject their flesh to the spirit, and so establish in themselves, in body, mind, and spirit, the virtues. How do we do this? By prayer, asking God’s help and guidance to overcome our sins and our passions; and by fasting, to weaken our flesh, and teach it to be subject to the will of God through our own will, rather than being subject to the desires arising from within itself. We acquire the virtues by giving alms, using the wealth and blessing that God has entrusted to us for the benefit of others; and by struggling to replace our passions with the holy way of living that the passions have supplanted: so humility for pride, generosity for selfishness, chastity for lust, patience for impatience, and so on.
Brothers and sisters: Our King and Savior comes to each of us, not in the fullness of His glory, which would blind us, and cause us to be filled with fear, and so be unable to speak or think or act. He comes, not at the head of a conquering army, but in gentleness and humility, asking us to receive Him, and to invite Him, the author of our lives, into the center of our life. He Who has given Himself for us asks us to give ourselves to Him, in loving obedience. Let us deny ourselves the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and follow Him Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let us pray, and fast, and give, and struggle, for the glory of His name, for the salvation of our souls, and to celebrate with rejoicing His most glorious Pascha!
"Lord, He Stinketh"
(John 11:1-45) (Lazarus Saturday)
Lazarus is not the first person called from the dead by our Lord. For example, He did so for Jairus’ daughter; and raised the son of the widow of Nain while his body was being carried to his funeral. What sets Lazarus apart from the others is that Lazarus had been dead for four days when he was restored to life.
Four days dead meant, among other things, that decay had begun. This is why Martha says, in a quote beloved by every seminarian, “He stinketh.” Perhaps Jairus’ daughter hadn’t actually died -- even though the truth was otherwise. Even at the time, they said that she was simply asleep. Perhaps the son of the widow of Nain wasn’t actually dead, but only in a coma – even though he was on his way to be buried. Some might have doubted these earlier miracles; but, with Lazarus, no such doubts were possible. There was no question but that he was truly dead; and, if dead, his body would be in an advancing state of decay at the time our Lord ordered the stone to be rolled away from the tomb.
Our Lord is preparing His disciples, and anyone else who mighty be paying attention, for His own death, and burial, and resurrection. Oh, there would be those who would repeat the lies: “He wasn’t really dead, but recovered, and some people claimed He was risen from the dead”; as if the scourging and beating hadn’t been enough to produce His death. If nothing else, the spear that pierced His side would have been fatal. The lies began with His resurrection, when the leaders of the Jews paid the Roman guards to say that His disciples had come and taken His body away, and were now claiming, falsely, that He was risen from the dead. No, there could be no doubt about His having raised Lazarus after four days in the tomb; and His disciples, remembering this when they heard the glorious news that our Lord had risen after three days in the tomb, knew He has the power to raise the dead, and so would be able to raise Himself as well.
So we have good reason to hope, for our Lord Jesus Christ, Who called Lazarus from death to life out of the tomb, Who has the power to raise Himself from the dead, has, as well, the power to raise us. We are like Lazarus, in that we are dead in our sins, and corruption and decay has affected us, so that we, in a way, stink, because of our many sins and our wickedness. Yet as He restored Lazarus, so, too, He is able to restore us. No matter how foul, no matter how corrupted, no matter how decayed we have become, He is able to raise us to new life in Himself. Death no longer binds us, when we have been joined to Him; as we have by our baptism, our burial with Him, and our being raised to new life through the waters of regeneration.
Brothers and sisters! Our Lord Jesus Christ has the power of life without end, and will bestow it upon us if we but seek Him. Let us pray, and fast, and give, and struggle, giving thanks to God for our hope in Him. Let us put our hope and trust in Christ, that we, like Lazarus, may be called from death and decay to life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lazarus is not the first person called from the dead by our Lord. For example, He did so for Jairus’ daughter; and raised the son of the widow of Nain while his body was being carried to his funeral. What sets Lazarus apart from the others is that Lazarus had been dead for four days when he was restored to life.
Four days dead meant, among other things, that decay had begun. This is why Martha says, in a quote beloved by every seminarian, “He stinketh.” Perhaps Jairus’ daughter hadn’t actually died -- even though the truth was otherwise. Even at the time, they said that she was simply asleep. Perhaps the son of the widow of Nain wasn’t actually dead, but only in a coma – even though he was on his way to be buried. Some might have doubted these earlier miracles; but, with Lazarus, no such doubts were possible. There was no question but that he was truly dead; and, if dead, his body would be in an advancing state of decay at the time our Lord ordered the stone to be rolled away from the tomb.
Our Lord is preparing His disciples, and anyone else who mighty be paying attention, for His own death, and burial, and resurrection. Oh, there would be those who would repeat the lies: “He wasn’t really dead, but recovered, and some people claimed He was risen from the dead”; as if the scourging and beating hadn’t been enough to produce His death. If nothing else, the spear that pierced His side would have been fatal. The lies began with His resurrection, when the leaders of the Jews paid the Roman guards to say that His disciples had come and taken His body away, and were now claiming, falsely, that He was risen from the dead. No, there could be no doubt about His having raised Lazarus after four days in the tomb; and His disciples, remembering this when they heard the glorious news that our Lord had risen after three days in the tomb, knew He has the power to raise the dead, and so would be able to raise Himself as well.
So we have good reason to hope, for our Lord Jesus Christ, Who called Lazarus from death to life out of the tomb, Who has the power to raise Himself from the dead, has, as well, the power to raise us. We are like Lazarus, in that we are dead in our sins, and corruption and decay has affected us, so that we, in a way, stink, because of our many sins and our wickedness. Yet as He restored Lazarus, so, too, He is able to restore us. No matter how foul, no matter how corrupted, no matter how decayed we have become, He is able to raise us to new life in Himself. Death no longer binds us, when we have been joined to Him; as we have by our baptism, our burial with Him, and our being raised to new life through the waters of regeneration.
Brothers and sisters! Our Lord Jesus Christ has the power of life without end, and will bestow it upon us if we but seek Him. Let us pray, and fast, and give, and struggle, giving thanks to God for our hope in Him. Let us put our hope and trust in Christ, that we, like Lazarus, may be called from death and decay to life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
St. Mary of Egypt
(Mark 10:32b-45) (Great Lent 5: St. Mary of Egypt)
Today, we celebrate St. Mary of Egypt. Those of you who were able to attend the Matins service last Wednesday evening heard, with the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, the account she gave of her life; and of the manner of her departing from this world.
St. Mary would certainly have found a place for herself in today’s culture. She gave herself fully to enjoying her sexuality, and practiced every possible vice in association with these desires. Imagine what she might have done with the internet at her disposal! No, on second thought, don’t imagine that… But in a world where “stars” (if we can call them that) of pornographic movies and magazines have celebrity status, and incomes of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, there would have been a place for St. Mary of Egypt to indulge her fleshly passions for fun and profit.
By God’s grace, she was prevented from entering a church for the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross, until, with the help of the most holy Theotokos, she confessed her sins, and repented, and asked for help in living a new life. Then, she could enter the church, and reverence the Cross. She was baptized, and received the Holy Mysteries, and then, the same day, to fulfill her vow, went into the desert, with only the clothes on her back, and three loaves of bread. It would be seventeen years before she spoke again with another human being. In that time, by her own words, she suffered from hunger and thirst, and from the heat and cold of the desert; but above all, by the desire to please her flesh, to return to the way of life she had lived before repenting and confessing. She said that she often had to throw herself to the ground and bite the earth to fight the assaults of the demons and the temptations – and that she might spend a day and a half in such conflict, until the temptation had passed her by. By God’s grace, in her time in the desert, she mastered the passions, and these no longer beset her – although she was always wary of their return, and kept her guard always. Yet St. Zosimas, whom she met in the desert during Great Lent, to whom she told her story, at one time saw her praying an arm’s length in the air, above the ground – a sign to him, and to us, of her holy prayer. She asked him to return at the same time the next year, that she might receive the Holy Mysteries once more, for the first time in seventeen years. He returned, and she received, and gave her soul to the Lord the very same day. St. Zosimas found her incorrupt relics at his return the next year, where he, with the help of a lion, buried St. Mary in the desert.
Why do we celebrate St. Mary of Egypt? We need to know that there is no sin that the Lord will not forgive; there is no sinner who is beyond redemption – no one here who is lost because of their sins, so long as they – we – will call upon the Lord and confess our sins, and repent of them. We also need to see that we are not able to allow ourselves to continue to indulge ourselves in our sins, to be the “victims” of the passions that torment us. Who among us has spent a day and a half writhing on the ground, biting it, while praying fervently for the passion to depart from us? Who among us has fasted to the point of hunger? Who among us has forsaken the world and everything and everyone in it, in order to be alone with God, and to do battle with all the things that interfere with our relationship with God? I know I haven’t.
Most of us cannot flee to the desert to do battle with our sins, and with the demons. Let’s face it – most of us don’t want to! As such, most of us will not attain the holiness that came to be part of St. Mary’s life. But this does not mean that we do not need to fast; or to pray; or to give alms; or to struggle with all our might against the passions that lead us, time and time again, into sin after sin after sin. As God gives us time, and strength, and opportunity, we need to do battle, again, and again, and again, with every thought, word, deed, and desire for anything that causes us to defile His image in us, and to wound ourselves and others with our sins.
Brothers and sisters: Great Lent is drawing to a close. Soon, we will recall the events of our Lord’s Passion and death; and His glorious Resurrection. Even at this late date, we are called by our Lord, and by His Church, to remember His mercy shown to St, Mary of Egypt; the same mercy and forgiveness He offers to us, if we will only stretch forth our hands to receive it, and make it our own in prayer and fasting and giving and struggle. Let us dedicate ourselves once more to being transformed into His likeness; and call upon St. Mary to help us to leave behind our sins, and love and serve the Lord.
Holy mother Mary, pray to God for us!
Today, we celebrate St. Mary of Egypt. Those of you who were able to attend the Matins service last Wednesday evening heard, with the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, the account she gave of her life; and of the manner of her departing from this world.
St. Mary would certainly have found a place for herself in today’s culture. She gave herself fully to enjoying her sexuality, and practiced every possible vice in association with these desires. Imagine what she might have done with the internet at her disposal! No, on second thought, don’t imagine that… But in a world where “stars” (if we can call them that) of pornographic movies and magazines have celebrity status, and incomes of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, there would have been a place for St. Mary of Egypt to indulge her fleshly passions for fun and profit.
By God’s grace, she was prevented from entering a church for the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross, until, with the help of the most holy Theotokos, she confessed her sins, and repented, and asked for help in living a new life. Then, she could enter the church, and reverence the Cross. She was baptized, and received the Holy Mysteries, and then, the same day, to fulfill her vow, went into the desert, with only the clothes on her back, and three loaves of bread. It would be seventeen years before she spoke again with another human being. In that time, by her own words, she suffered from hunger and thirst, and from the heat and cold of the desert; but above all, by the desire to please her flesh, to return to the way of life she had lived before repenting and confessing. She said that she often had to throw herself to the ground and bite the earth to fight the assaults of the demons and the temptations – and that she might spend a day and a half in such conflict, until the temptation had passed her by. By God’s grace, in her time in the desert, she mastered the passions, and these no longer beset her – although she was always wary of their return, and kept her guard always. Yet St. Zosimas, whom she met in the desert during Great Lent, to whom she told her story, at one time saw her praying an arm’s length in the air, above the ground – a sign to him, and to us, of her holy prayer. She asked him to return at the same time the next year, that she might receive the Holy Mysteries once more, for the first time in seventeen years. He returned, and she received, and gave her soul to the Lord the very same day. St. Zosimas found her incorrupt relics at his return the next year, where he, with the help of a lion, buried St. Mary in the desert.
Why do we celebrate St. Mary of Egypt? We need to know that there is no sin that the Lord will not forgive; there is no sinner who is beyond redemption – no one here who is lost because of their sins, so long as they – we – will call upon the Lord and confess our sins, and repent of them. We also need to see that we are not able to allow ourselves to continue to indulge ourselves in our sins, to be the “victims” of the passions that torment us. Who among us has spent a day and a half writhing on the ground, biting it, while praying fervently for the passion to depart from us? Who among us has fasted to the point of hunger? Who among us has forsaken the world and everything and everyone in it, in order to be alone with God, and to do battle with all the things that interfere with our relationship with God? I know I haven’t.
Most of us cannot flee to the desert to do battle with our sins, and with the demons. Let’s face it – most of us don’t want to! As such, most of us will not attain the holiness that came to be part of St. Mary’s life. But this does not mean that we do not need to fast; or to pray; or to give alms; or to struggle with all our might against the passions that lead us, time and time again, into sin after sin after sin. As God gives us time, and strength, and opportunity, we need to do battle, again, and again, and again, with every thought, word, deed, and desire for anything that causes us to defile His image in us, and to wound ourselves and others with our sins.
Brothers and sisters: Great Lent is drawing to a close. Soon, we will recall the events of our Lord’s Passion and death; and His glorious Resurrection. Even at this late date, we are called by our Lord, and by His Church, to remember His mercy shown to St, Mary of Egypt; the same mercy and forgiveness He offers to us, if we will only stretch forth our hands to receive it, and make it our own in prayer and fasting and giving and struggle. Let us dedicate ourselves once more to being transformed into His likeness; and call upon St. Mary to help us to leave behind our sins, and love and serve the Lord.
Holy mother Mary, pray to God for us!
"Who Do You Say That I Am?"
(Mark 8:27-31) (Saturday of the Akathist Hymn)
Today, we celebrate the most holy Lady Theotokos, and the Akathist hymn written in her honor over 1400 years ago. Tradition says that the Akathist hymn was one of many hymns written by St. Romanus the Melodist. The kontakion with which the Akathist begins and ends was written after the city of Constantinople was delivered from attack by the protection of the Theotokos: “To thee, the champion leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanks-giving, as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Theotokos…”
In celebration, we offer this Divine Liturgy. As always takes place at the Divine Liturgy, we offer bread and wine to our God, Who blesses the offering to be His most pure Body and Blood, given to us to cleanse and heal and strengthen us. As such, we are making as well an offering of ourselves – at least, we have the opportunity to do so, to offer ourselves in faith to be the servants of God, to be the bearers of the life of Christ, to open our hearts to allow Him to dwell in us, and to so direct and transform our lives that He may be seen in us, and through us draw others, even the whole world, to Himself.
The Gospel reading appointed for this day in Great Lent asks a question of profound significance, and we must not neglect it or fail to consider it ourselves. Our Lord asks His disciples – which means not only those who were with Him at that point in time and space, but also each of us who are called by His name, each of us who have received His life in baptism – to consider Who He is, and what this means for us. First, He asks, “Who do men” – that is, the world – “say that I am?” The disciples report a variety of answers: A prophet; the prophet Elijah; John the Baptizer. To this, we might add, “a good man, a wise teacher, a good example; a mystic; a madman; a fraud.” But the essential question comes next: “Who do you say that I am?” St. Peter gives the correct answer: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Because we know the answer printed in the book, we have a tendency to respond that way at those unlikely times when we might actually be asked this same question, as we are being asked today. As such, we need to remember that what we do is at least as important as what we say. If Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God, then He is our Lord and Master, and we belong to Him. Belonging to Him, we are His servants; and He would have His servants do His will, and not to do that which is contrary to His will. Every time we sin, we are being disobedient servants. If we say, then, that Jesus Christ is Lord, but do not live in accordance with His will, we make our words empty and powerless. And if we deny Him, in word or in deed, before the world, how can we expect Him to speak on our behalf before the Judgment seat of God?
Brothers and sisters, let us consider well the place we grant to our Lord in our lives. Does He rule over us, and do we follow Him, as we should? Or do we push Him aside, in order to pursue the desires of our will and our flesh? Do we walk in the ways that He has established for us, or according to the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil? As we draw close to the end of Great Lent, as we draw nearer the great Feast of our Lord’s Pascha, let us reflect, and repent, and pray for mercy, and the grace of God, that we may show forth in our lives, in words and in deeds, that we also believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Today, we celebrate the most holy Lady Theotokos, and the Akathist hymn written in her honor over 1400 years ago. Tradition says that the Akathist hymn was one of many hymns written by St. Romanus the Melodist. The kontakion with which the Akathist begins and ends was written after the city of Constantinople was delivered from attack by the protection of the Theotokos: “To thee, the champion leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanks-giving, as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Theotokos…”
In celebration, we offer this Divine Liturgy. As always takes place at the Divine Liturgy, we offer bread and wine to our God, Who blesses the offering to be His most pure Body and Blood, given to us to cleanse and heal and strengthen us. As such, we are making as well an offering of ourselves – at least, we have the opportunity to do so, to offer ourselves in faith to be the servants of God, to be the bearers of the life of Christ, to open our hearts to allow Him to dwell in us, and to so direct and transform our lives that He may be seen in us, and through us draw others, even the whole world, to Himself.
The Gospel reading appointed for this day in Great Lent asks a question of profound significance, and we must not neglect it or fail to consider it ourselves. Our Lord asks His disciples – which means not only those who were with Him at that point in time and space, but also each of us who are called by His name, each of us who have received His life in baptism – to consider Who He is, and what this means for us. First, He asks, “Who do men” – that is, the world – “say that I am?” The disciples report a variety of answers: A prophet; the prophet Elijah; John the Baptizer. To this, we might add, “a good man, a wise teacher, a good example; a mystic; a madman; a fraud.” But the essential question comes next: “Who do you say that I am?” St. Peter gives the correct answer: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Because we know the answer printed in the book, we have a tendency to respond that way at those unlikely times when we might actually be asked this same question, as we are being asked today. As such, we need to remember that what we do is at least as important as what we say. If Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God, then He is our Lord and Master, and we belong to Him. Belonging to Him, we are His servants; and He would have His servants do His will, and not to do that which is contrary to His will. Every time we sin, we are being disobedient servants. If we say, then, that Jesus Christ is Lord, but do not live in accordance with His will, we make our words empty and powerless. And if we deny Him, in word or in deed, before the world, how can we expect Him to speak on our behalf before the Judgment seat of God?
Brothers and sisters, let us consider well the place we grant to our Lord in our lives. Does He rule over us, and do we follow Him, as we should? Or do we push Him aside, in order to pursue the desires of our will and our flesh? Do we walk in the ways that He has established for us, or according to the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil? As we draw close to the end of Great Lent, as we draw nearer the great Feast of our Lord’s Pascha, let us reflect, and repent, and pray for mercy, and the grace of God, that we may show forth in our lives, in words and in deeds, that we also believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Prayer, Fasting, and Spiritual Warfare
(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.
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.
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.
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