(21st Sunday after Pentecost) (Luke 8:5-15)
St. Paul, writing to the Church in Galatia, says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” This is a particularly appropriate text for us, as last week, on Wednesday, new life was granted to four new members of the household of God, four new members of the Body of Christ. Remember the significance of your baptism and chrismation, as St. Paul writes: When we are baptized, we are buried with Christ in His death, and raised to new life in Him. Our entry into the water of the font, being submerged in it, is likened to being buried in the grave; and, as Christ rose from the grave, and so conquering death and entering into life without end, we also, raised with Him, enter into life without end. After being baptized, each of us can say what St. Paul said: “Christ lives in me.” The challenge for each of us thereafter is to make this a reality – to show forth the life of Christ in our own lives.
Do others see Christ in you? If not, why not? This is a part of the challenge, this is a part of the struggle we face as Orthodox Christians: To turn away from the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to walk instead in the way that God has established for us. We have Christ living in us – but when we sin, we hide His face beneath the filth of our sins. He cannot be seen, because we live in the flesh, and not in the Spirit, Who will lead us into all truth, and will do in and through us good works, if we will let go of our attachments to this world, and the pleasures, momentary and temporary as they are, of our sins. As long as we do not do our part to be transformed, as long as we neglect the way of life that is ours for the taking – of prayer, and fasting, and giving, and struggling against our passions, struggling to acquire the virtues – humility, chastity, self-control, generosity, and, above all, love – His life will be hidden and unseen in us.
This is what St. Paul means when he says, “I have been crucified with Christ.” It means he has lived the way of the Orthodox life: he has struggled to live as Christ lived in our midst, without sin, doing the will of our Father in heaven. There is a connection between the Passion of our Lord in His death, and our striving to be dead to sins – for we suffer when we pursue righteousness. It isn’t easy to turn down that delicious food (“just a little taste, just one more bite”). It isn’t easy to say, “Lord, have mercy” or “Lord, forgive them” when someone has done something we don’t like, and would respond with angry words or actions against them. It isn’t easy to look at someone else and say, “My sins are worse than theirs.” Yet each time we do so, we put our flesh to death – and so we are also crucified with Christ, when we actively struggle against our sins.
It is not possible for us to do this on our own. We need help. The good news is, help is there! We receive the Holy Spirit when we are chrismated; and He will help us, if we let Him. When we pray, we draw near to God, and that helps make us different persons. When we fast, we teach our flesh that it cannot always have what it wants, and we strengthen ourselves for the labor of purity and righteousness. When we give, we set ourselves free from attachments to this world. And when we receive the holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have Him living in us in a most profound and wonderful way – and we are empowered by Him to live His life.
Brothers and sisters: We have been given a marvelous gift – the life of Christ in us. We were washed clean of our sins in baptism; but have fouled ourselves once more by our sins. Let us repent of our sins, and confess them to God, that we might be made clean once more by His grace. Let us rejoice in the life of Christ in us; and let us commit ourselves to the Orthodox way of life, that we might be transformed into His likeness, and show Him forth, in holiness and love, for all the world to see. Let us prepare ourselves to receive Him, and His most holy Body and Blood, that we may evermore dwell in Him, and He, in us – to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Monday, November 07, 2005
"Joy of All Who Sorrow"
(20th Sunday after Pentecost) (Luke 7:11-16)
In the year 1688, a woman named Euphemia, the sister of Joachim, the Patriarch of Moscow, was suffering from a serious wound in her side. When the doctors were unable to treat her, she “fell down” in prayer to the most Holy Lady Theotokos. Euphemia was told in prayer by the Mother of God to go to the Church of the Transfiguration, and ask the priest there to serve a Molieben before the icon, “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” Euphemia was obedient to this instruction. She went to the church; and, when the priest served the Molieben before the icon, she was completely healed.
What mother who loves her child would refuse that child any reasonable request? So it is for us with the most holy Mother of God. She loves those who love her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; she loves us with a mother’s love. Now, this is a difficult thing to accept, especially for those of us who did not grow up in the Orthodox Church and faith, but came to the Church and faith from a Protestant background. We all need to remember what transpired at the foot of the Cross, when our Lord, seeing His mother and the disciple He loved, gave her into the care of that disciple, and told him, “Behold your mother.” From that hour, we are told, the disciple took her into his own home, and cared for her as his own mother. Who was that disciple? In time and space, the Church tells us, it was the holy Apostle, Evangelist, and Theologian, John. But the disciple loved by Christ is each one of us, who live Him. And this is part of the blessing: His mother loves us, and she does so with the love that only a mother can have for her child. So it shouldn’t surprise us that Euphemia was healed; and it shouldn’t surprise us when we ask for her help, and our request is answered.
Now, what greater sorrow can there be than when a mother must watch her child die? So it was for the most holy Lady Theotokos, who saw her Son put to death on the Cross. What terrible sorrow pierced her heart, as if by a spear, when she saw this child of hers suffer and die? And how great, then, her joy at His resurrection! Because she has known both sorrow and joy in great measure, her love for us carries this experience as well – and so she can truly be the “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”
What makes all of this possible? Love. It begins with God, Who, we are told, is Love. It is the love of God that calls us into being; it is the love of God that sustains all creation. It is God’s love for us that calls us into communion with Him, Who is Three Persons in One Being – a community one in love, as we, also, are called to be. It is love that causes the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to be obedient to the will of God the Father; and so He became incarnate, which is also a sign of His love for us, for He came to save us from death, and set us free from sin. It was love for God that led the most holy Theotokos to yield herself, in the fullness of her being, to the will of God, allowing our Savior to take on our nature, and enter the world to save our souls, and make us one with God.
Beloved of God, we are also called to love. We are called to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength – with the fullness of our being, as did the Mother of God. We are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, as did Christ, Who made us His neighbors by coming into our midst. We are called to love our enemies; as did Christ, Who died for us, even though we deny Him, even though we hate Him, whenever we sin. It is love that heals us; it is love that saves us, it is love that provides for our every need, from the smallest crumb to the greatest joy to the hope of our salvation in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, let us love one another, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Let us love God more than we love the world, and the ways of the flesh. Let us devote ourselves to the service of God, as bearers of Christ within ourselves; and let us show Him forth to the world with the love we have for each other, and for all who are made in the image of God. Let us love one another, to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
In the year 1688, a woman named Euphemia, the sister of Joachim, the Patriarch of Moscow, was suffering from a serious wound in her side. When the doctors were unable to treat her, she “fell down” in prayer to the most Holy Lady Theotokos. Euphemia was told in prayer by the Mother of God to go to the Church of the Transfiguration, and ask the priest there to serve a Molieben before the icon, “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” Euphemia was obedient to this instruction. She went to the church; and, when the priest served the Molieben before the icon, she was completely healed.
What mother who loves her child would refuse that child any reasonable request? So it is for us with the most holy Mother of God. She loves those who love her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; she loves us with a mother’s love. Now, this is a difficult thing to accept, especially for those of us who did not grow up in the Orthodox Church and faith, but came to the Church and faith from a Protestant background. We all need to remember what transpired at the foot of the Cross, when our Lord, seeing His mother and the disciple He loved, gave her into the care of that disciple, and told him, “Behold your mother.” From that hour, we are told, the disciple took her into his own home, and cared for her as his own mother. Who was that disciple? In time and space, the Church tells us, it was the holy Apostle, Evangelist, and Theologian, John. But the disciple loved by Christ is each one of us, who live Him. And this is part of the blessing: His mother loves us, and she does so with the love that only a mother can have for her child. So it shouldn’t surprise us that Euphemia was healed; and it shouldn’t surprise us when we ask for her help, and our request is answered.
Now, what greater sorrow can there be than when a mother must watch her child die? So it was for the most holy Lady Theotokos, who saw her Son put to death on the Cross. What terrible sorrow pierced her heart, as if by a spear, when she saw this child of hers suffer and die? And how great, then, her joy at His resurrection! Because she has known both sorrow and joy in great measure, her love for us carries this experience as well – and so she can truly be the “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”
What makes all of this possible? Love. It begins with God, Who, we are told, is Love. It is the love of God that calls us into being; it is the love of God that sustains all creation. It is God’s love for us that calls us into communion with Him, Who is Three Persons in One Being – a community one in love, as we, also, are called to be. It is love that causes the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to be obedient to the will of God the Father; and so He became incarnate, which is also a sign of His love for us, for He came to save us from death, and set us free from sin. It was love for God that led the most holy Theotokos to yield herself, in the fullness of her being, to the will of God, allowing our Savior to take on our nature, and enter the world to save our souls, and make us one with God.
Beloved of God, we are also called to love. We are called to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength – with the fullness of our being, as did the Mother of God. We are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, as did Christ, Who made us His neighbors by coming into our midst. We are called to love our enemies; as did Christ, Who died for us, even though we deny Him, even though we hate Him, whenever we sin. It is love that heals us; it is love that saves us, it is love that provides for our every need, from the smallest crumb to the greatest joy to the hope of our salvation in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, let us love one another, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Let us love God more than we love the world, and the ways of the flesh. Let us devote ourselves to the service of God, as bearers of Christ within ourselves; and let us show Him forth to the world with the love we have for each other, and for all who are made in the image of God. Let us love one another, to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Most holy Theotokos, save us!
Friday, November 04, 2005
Correctness and Love
(St. John of Kronstadt) (1 John 4:7-11)
The Orthodox faith is rich, and deep, and wonderful. We have the holy Scriptures, in which God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is revealed to us. We have the teachings of the Fathers, and the lives of the saints, to show us how to think, and what to do, and how to live. Our worship glorifies God, and touches us in all our senses: the icons, and the candles, and the vestments, even the architecture of the church have meaning for our eyes; the music, and the chanting, and the preaching, for our ears; incense and candles for the nose; bows and prostrations and relics that we reverence by touch; and the bread and wine we taste. It is important for us to be knowledgeable, and there is a great deal for us to know: when to pray, and what prayers to use, for morning, and evening, and in preparation for receiving Holy Communion, and after receiving Holy Communion, and in times of need; when to fast, and how to do it as the fast days and seasons vary from strict days to “wine and oil” days to fish days; when to make bows, and when to make, or not make, prostrations – the list goes on and on. It is important to know what to do, and how to do it correctly: for example, how to cross yourself, and when to do it. We put the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand together at the tips, which symbolizes the Holy Trinity; while the other two fingers are kept together in the palm, symbolizing the two natures, divine and human, of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the three joined together, we touch our forehead (“Father”, and then lower our hand to the abdomen, just about at the navel (“Son”); then to the right shoulder (“Holy Spirit”), and then across to the left shoulder (“Amen”). Once completed, we bow forward slightly – not before we’re done, so that we don’t “break the Cross” and so delight the demons. We move slowly, with dignity, not waving our hand about, or moving as quickly as we can.
Everything that is present in the Church has meaning and purpose. Every word we say or hear has meaning and purpose. Every movement we make, and when we do not move, has meaning and purpose. We should do all that we can to learn these things, and do our best to do them correctly. But all of these things are for nothing, brothers and sisters, if we do not do them for love. If we rush through our prayers without the desire to draw near to God, for love of God Who loves us, the words are empty and meaningless, and there is no reason to think that God will hear or honor our prayers or bless the time we spend offering them. If we give alms and offerings without love for our brothers and sisters, without love for those who are in need, what have we done, and what have we gained? When we sin, we show that we love ourselves and the pleasures of this world more than we love God. When we sin against each other, we show that we love ourselves more than we love our neighbor – and so all of our Orthodoxy is good for nothing, all our claims to be Orthodox Christians will be charged against us on the great and terrible Day of Judgment, unless we do what we do for love.
Brothers and sisters: As we celebrate the feast of St. John of Kronstadt, who, by his great love for God, and for the people God entrusted to his care, was also greatly loved by them as a spiritual father, let us remember the great love that God has for us, and seek to find His love in our hearts, that we may fulfill the commandment given to us. Let us be earnest in prayer, and ask to be filled with the love of God, for Him, and for each other, and for all who are made in His image. Let us love one another, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, that we may do the same, to the glory of His name, and the salvation of our souls.
The Orthodox faith is rich, and deep, and wonderful. We have the holy Scriptures, in which God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is revealed to us. We have the teachings of the Fathers, and the lives of the saints, to show us how to think, and what to do, and how to live. Our worship glorifies God, and touches us in all our senses: the icons, and the candles, and the vestments, even the architecture of the church have meaning for our eyes; the music, and the chanting, and the preaching, for our ears; incense and candles for the nose; bows and prostrations and relics that we reverence by touch; and the bread and wine we taste. It is important for us to be knowledgeable, and there is a great deal for us to know: when to pray, and what prayers to use, for morning, and evening, and in preparation for receiving Holy Communion, and after receiving Holy Communion, and in times of need; when to fast, and how to do it as the fast days and seasons vary from strict days to “wine and oil” days to fish days; when to make bows, and when to make, or not make, prostrations – the list goes on and on. It is important to know what to do, and how to do it correctly: for example, how to cross yourself, and when to do it. We put the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand together at the tips, which symbolizes the Holy Trinity; while the other two fingers are kept together in the palm, symbolizing the two natures, divine and human, of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the three joined together, we touch our forehead (“Father”, and then lower our hand to the abdomen, just about at the navel (“Son”); then to the right shoulder (“Holy Spirit”), and then across to the left shoulder (“Amen”). Once completed, we bow forward slightly – not before we’re done, so that we don’t “break the Cross” and so delight the demons. We move slowly, with dignity, not waving our hand about, or moving as quickly as we can.
Everything that is present in the Church has meaning and purpose. Every word we say or hear has meaning and purpose. Every movement we make, and when we do not move, has meaning and purpose. We should do all that we can to learn these things, and do our best to do them correctly. But all of these things are for nothing, brothers and sisters, if we do not do them for love. If we rush through our prayers without the desire to draw near to God, for love of God Who loves us, the words are empty and meaningless, and there is no reason to think that God will hear or honor our prayers or bless the time we spend offering them. If we give alms and offerings without love for our brothers and sisters, without love for those who are in need, what have we done, and what have we gained? When we sin, we show that we love ourselves and the pleasures of this world more than we love God. When we sin against each other, we show that we love ourselves more than we love our neighbor – and so all of our Orthodoxy is good for nothing, all our claims to be Orthodox Christians will be charged against us on the great and terrible Day of Judgment, unless we do what we do for love.
Brothers and sisters: As we celebrate the feast of St. John of Kronstadt, who, by his great love for God, and for the people God entrusted to his care, was also greatly loved by them as a spiritual father, let us remember the great love that God has for us, and seek to find His love in our hearts, that we may fulfill the commandment given to us. Let us be earnest in prayer, and ask to be filled with the love of God, for Him, and for each other, and for all who are made in His image. Let us love one another, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, that we may do the same, to the glory of His name, and the salvation of our souls.
God's Love for His Unfaithful People
(19th Sunday after Pentecost) (Luke 6:31-36)
The holy Prophet Hosea, celebrated today on the calendar of the Church, lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of wars and turmoil and political intrigue. Six kings ruled in the final 25 years of the northern kingdom. Four of them were killed by those who then took the throne; only one was succeeded by his son. Israel was a vassal state of Assyria, paying tribute; and the intrigues and disloyalty of her last two kings led to invasions by Assyria, which ultimately destroyed the kingdom and caused the exile of the people from that land. The ten northern tribes of Israel vanished into history.
The prophet’s own life was marked by peculiarities as well. He was commanded by God to marry an adulterous woman; and their three children (two of which were probably not his) were given names that were symbolic of the destruction that was to come if the people did not repent, and abandon their worship of idols, and return to the true and proper worship of God. The names given to the children are translated as, “God scatters”; “not loved”; and “not My people.” Yet Hosea is commanded by God to love his wife, even though she has been loved by someone else, and is guilty of adultery. The holy prophet is obedient, and redeems is wife from the slavery into which she had fallen, serving as a prostitute. He tells her, as God has commanded, that she is to live with him and be faithful to him, and he will love her and care for her.
The people of God are being told, through the prophet’s actions, of the great love that God has for them, even though they have not been faithful to Him. The withdrawal of God’s protection occurred when they would not repent of their worship of idols: which included the offering of their children as sacrificial animals in fire, making them burnt offerings to their gods. The people of God also engaged in a number of different forms of sexual activities they had learned from the pagan peoples around them, including sodomy and bestiality. They did not repent; and so their kingdom was destroyed, and they were taken away into exile from the land God had given them, never to return. Even then, God promises that He will continue to love His people; and, for those who repent, He will bring them to Himself, and love them, and provide for their needs, as Hosea does for his wife after she has been unfaithful to him.
At a glance, we who are the new Israel, might wonder what may be in store for us, as we dwell in a land where the lives of unborn children are offered up as sacrifices on the altar of convenience; and where we are told that we must accept all sorts of sexual practices as acceptable “alternative lifestyles.” We would do well to examine our lives, and see if we have departed from the ways that God has given us to walk in; to see whether or not each of us has been faithful to the Lord, or unfaithful. Of course, if we look honestly, we must say that we have been unfaithful, for we have sinned – and our sins show us our unfaithfulness, and the idols we prefer to our God. Pride, greed, lust, gluttony; as well as a lack of prayer, neglecting to fast, failing to give alms and offerings, and indulging our passion, rather than struggling against them – all these things point to our spiritual adultery in our relationship with God. Yet God’s promise still is true: for those who repent and return to Him, He will love, and provide for their salvation.
If we will dwell in God’s love, we can do what our Lord Jesus commands in today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Luke. If we are filled with God’s love, as He promises, we can love our enemies, as well as those who love us. This should make us stop and think. When someone hates you, they expect that you will hate them in return. If, instead, we love them, there is the possibility that they may be changed, as their hatred is met with love and kindness and patience and forgiveness. If we do so, we are like God, Who has loved us when we hated Him, Who has blessed us when we were His enemies. And if we strive to love everyone, we are like God, Who is merciful to the unthankful and to those who are evil – as we have been, and are, each time we sin.
Brothers and sisters: Let us repent of our sins, and return to the worship of the God Who has shown the depth of His love for us by the sacrifice He made of Himself on our behalf. Let us love our Lord with the fullness of our being; and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. If we do these things, we need have no fear on the great and terrible Day of Judgment; for we shall be safe in the love of God.
The holy Prophet Hosea, celebrated today on the calendar of the Church, lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of wars and turmoil and political intrigue. Six kings ruled in the final 25 years of the northern kingdom. Four of them were killed by those who then took the throne; only one was succeeded by his son. Israel was a vassal state of Assyria, paying tribute; and the intrigues and disloyalty of her last two kings led to invasions by Assyria, which ultimately destroyed the kingdom and caused the exile of the people from that land. The ten northern tribes of Israel vanished into history.
The prophet’s own life was marked by peculiarities as well. He was commanded by God to marry an adulterous woman; and their three children (two of which were probably not his) were given names that were symbolic of the destruction that was to come if the people did not repent, and abandon their worship of idols, and return to the true and proper worship of God. The names given to the children are translated as, “God scatters”; “not loved”; and “not My people.” Yet Hosea is commanded by God to love his wife, even though she has been loved by someone else, and is guilty of adultery. The holy prophet is obedient, and redeems is wife from the slavery into which she had fallen, serving as a prostitute. He tells her, as God has commanded, that she is to live with him and be faithful to him, and he will love her and care for her.
The people of God are being told, through the prophet’s actions, of the great love that God has for them, even though they have not been faithful to Him. The withdrawal of God’s protection occurred when they would not repent of their worship of idols: which included the offering of their children as sacrificial animals in fire, making them burnt offerings to their gods. The people of God also engaged in a number of different forms of sexual activities they had learned from the pagan peoples around them, including sodomy and bestiality. They did not repent; and so their kingdom was destroyed, and they were taken away into exile from the land God had given them, never to return. Even then, God promises that He will continue to love His people; and, for those who repent, He will bring them to Himself, and love them, and provide for their needs, as Hosea does for his wife after she has been unfaithful to him.
At a glance, we who are the new Israel, might wonder what may be in store for us, as we dwell in a land where the lives of unborn children are offered up as sacrifices on the altar of convenience; and where we are told that we must accept all sorts of sexual practices as acceptable “alternative lifestyles.” We would do well to examine our lives, and see if we have departed from the ways that God has given us to walk in; to see whether or not each of us has been faithful to the Lord, or unfaithful. Of course, if we look honestly, we must say that we have been unfaithful, for we have sinned – and our sins show us our unfaithfulness, and the idols we prefer to our God. Pride, greed, lust, gluttony; as well as a lack of prayer, neglecting to fast, failing to give alms and offerings, and indulging our passion, rather than struggling against them – all these things point to our spiritual adultery in our relationship with God. Yet God’s promise still is true: for those who repent and return to Him, He will love, and provide for their salvation.
If we will dwell in God’s love, we can do what our Lord Jesus commands in today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Luke. If we are filled with God’s love, as He promises, we can love our enemies, as well as those who love us. This should make us stop and think. When someone hates you, they expect that you will hate them in return. If, instead, we love them, there is the possibility that they may be changed, as their hatred is met with love and kindness and patience and forgiveness. If we do so, we are like God, Who has loved us when we hated Him, Who has blessed us when we were His enemies. And if we strive to love everyone, we are like God, Who is merciful to the unthankful and to those who are evil – as we have been, and are, each time we sin.
Brothers and sisters: Let us repent of our sins, and return to the worship of the God Who has shown the depth of His love for us by the sacrifice He made of Himself on our behalf. Let us love our Lord with the fullness of our being; and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. If we do these things, we need have no fear on the great and terrible Day of Judgment; for we shall be safe in the love of God.
"Depart from Me, O Lord"
(18th Sunday after Pentecost) (Luke 5:1-11)
“Well, when I get to heaven, I’ll explain it to God, and He’ll understand, and I will be forgiven.”
Maybe you know someone who has said something like that – or maybe you have said something like that. It’s probably a comforting thought to many; but, if you ask me, I think that, when we are summoned into the presence of God to give an account of our lives, we will find ourselves unable to speak, confronted as we will be with the fullness of the glory and majesty and righteousness of God. If we can say anything at all, it will probably be along the lines of what St. Peter says to our Lord after witnessing the miraculous catch of fish: “Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
St. Paul, in his epistle to the Church in Rome, wrote to say that all of us have sinned, and so we have fallen short of the glory of God. Christ alone is without sin; the only human being to have lived without sinning. Now, you might say, “Well, His human nature was joined to Him in His divinity – so of course He did not sin!” That’s another way of saying, “Well, it was easy for Him!” That’s not true, of course. He was tempted as we are tempted; He knew every human weakness, every human desire – and overcame them. How? I’m sure that the absolute holiness and righteousness that God possesses by nature was part of the source of power our Lord Jesus used to live without sinning. But the greatest part of His power came through His obedience to the commandment He also gave to us: to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength; and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Above all, it was His love for God the Father that allowed our Lord to overcome sin.
What does this mean for us? It means that we have a path we can follow, if we will choose to do the same. Think about it. It is true that we did not come down from heaven and become incarnate, so we do not have a divine nature by the natural order of things. We are not holy and righteous by nature. However, we have been given grace to accomplish what is not ours by birth; we have been given the life of Christ in our Baptism, and the power of the Holy Spirit in chrismation. And we have the commandment to love God, and to love our neighbor. This means that the only thing that keeps us from fulfilling what has been established in us is our love for the pleasures of this world, and the desires of our flesh. We love ourselves more than we love God; because if the reverse were true, it would mean more for us to choose the way of holiness than the way of sin. We love ourselves more than we love our neighbor; because if the reverse were true, we would not murder them, or steal from them, or desire what they have; we would not speak harshly to them, or about them; we would consider ourselves to be better, more worthy, or more entitled to fame and power and prestige than they are. And so all we can say, in the light of truth, is that we are sinners – and that the Lord would do well to depart from us.
But there’s good news. God, holy and righteous, has not departed from us, nor turned His back on us. Rather, He has come into our midst, and desires us to come to Him. It is His love for us that brings Him to us. It is His love for us that forgives our sins, and blesses us with the grace by which our lives are changed. It is His love for us that transforms us more and more into the likeness of His Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters: Let us consider the holiness of God, and how far we fall from showing His likeness. Let us, with St. Peter, confess ourselves to be sinners. Let us remember the love of God that saves us; and let us walk in His ways as an offering of ourselves in love to Him – to the glory of God, and the salvation of ou
“Well, when I get to heaven, I’ll explain it to God, and He’ll understand, and I will be forgiven.”
Maybe you know someone who has said something like that – or maybe you have said something like that. It’s probably a comforting thought to many; but, if you ask me, I think that, when we are summoned into the presence of God to give an account of our lives, we will find ourselves unable to speak, confronted as we will be with the fullness of the glory and majesty and righteousness of God. If we can say anything at all, it will probably be along the lines of what St. Peter says to our Lord after witnessing the miraculous catch of fish: “Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
St. Paul, in his epistle to the Church in Rome, wrote to say that all of us have sinned, and so we have fallen short of the glory of God. Christ alone is without sin; the only human being to have lived without sinning. Now, you might say, “Well, His human nature was joined to Him in His divinity – so of course He did not sin!” That’s another way of saying, “Well, it was easy for Him!” That’s not true, of course. He was tempted as we are tempted; He knew every human weakness, every human desire – and overcame them. How? I’m sure that the absolute holiness and righteousness that God possesses by nature was part of the source of power our Lord Jesus used to live without sinning. But the greatest part of His power came through His obedience to the commandment He also gave to us: to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength; and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Above all, it was His love for God the Father that allowed our Lord to overcome sin.
What does this mean for us? It means that we have a path we can follow, if we will choose to do the same. Think about it. It is true that we did not come down from heaven and become incarnate, so we do not have a divine nature by the natural order of things. We are not holy and righteous by nature. However, we have been given grace to accomplish what is not ours by birth; we have been given the life of Christ in our Baptism, and the power of the Holy Spirit in chrismation. And we have the commandment to love God, and to love our neighbor. This means that the only thing that keeps us from fulfilling what has been established in us is our love for the pleasures of this world, and the desires of our flesh. We love ourselves more than we love God; because if the reverse were true, it would mean more for us to choose the way of holiness than the way of sin. We love ourselves more than we love our neighbor; because if the reverse were true, we would not murder them, or steal from them, or desire what they have; we would not speak harshly to them, or about them; we would consider ourselves to be better, more worthy, or more entitled to fame and power and prestige than they are. And so all we can say, in the light of truth, is that we are sinners – and that the Lord would do well to depart from us.
But there’s good news. God, holy and righteous, has not departed from us, nor turned His back on us. Rather, He has come into our midst, and desires us to come to Him. It is His love for us that brings Him to us. It is His love for us that forgives our sins, and blesses us with the grace by which our lives are changed. It is His love for us that transforms us more and more into the likeness of His Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters: Let us consider the holiness of God, and how far we fall from showing His likeness. Let us, with St. Peter, confess ourselves to be sinners. Let us remember the love of God that saves us; and let us walk in His ways as an offering of ourselves in love to Him – to the glory of God, and the salvation of ou
Persistence and Diligence
(17th Sunday after Pentecost) (Matt. 15:21-28; Matt, 13:44-54)
If we had to “boil down” the thrust of the two readings today from the Gospel of St. Matthew into a key word for each, I’d suggest that these key words would be persistence and diligence. Persistence and diligence. (I hope you’re paying attention, because there’s going to be a quiz later.)
In the first passage, the Canaanite woman has a request she very much wants our Lord to grant – she wants Him to heal her daughter, who is ill. Here is our lesson in persistence: Although she does not initially receive a favorable response to her entreaties, either of our Lord or of His disciples, she persists. By the way, there are two levels of persistence here. She does not stop seeking what she desires – she persists in asking; but, more importantly, she does not lose faith, but rather persists in her knowledge that the Lord cis able to grant her request. It is her persistence above all in her faith that finally leads her to obtain the healing of her daughter.
In the second passage, our Lord tells us about the kingdom of heaven, and of how we should value it. The treasure in the field is the proclamation of the Kingdom of heaven in the world; and the pearl of great value is the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In each case, those who are wise, when they recognize that these treasures can be theirs, give up everything they have in order to obtain the desired treasure.
We have the same opportunity – indeed, as Orthodox Christians, we are already heirs of the kingdom. The pearl of great value, the knowledge of Christ, has already been entrusted to us – but do we truly regard these great riches as we should? For, if we did, we would know that we, also, are called to give up everything we have in order to obtain the reality of the rich inheritance that is ours. This means that we must lay aside all earthly cares; all our possessions; all of the power and prestige and influence we may have – anything that holds us and binds us to this life, to this world. We must let all these things go, and embrace the Orthodox life – through prayer, and fasting, through giving, and through the struggle to replace our passions with the godly virtues – and we must persist in this way of life. It is not enough to pray once, or fast once, or give once, or struggle only for a day, or an hour, or a moment. The Orthodox way of life is one in which we must persist, if we hope to be transformed, and take on more fully the likeness of Christ in us.
Having spoken of the riches of the kingdom, our Lord then speaks of the need for diligence, when He tells the parable of the kingdom as a net cast into the sea, which makes a great catch of fish. After the net is brought in, the fish are sorted, with those that are good being kept, but those that are not being cast out, thrown into the fire. Now, you may ask, what is the basis for distinguishing a good fish from a bad fish? The fathers tell us that this separation of the good from the bad speaks to us of the great and terrible Day of Judgment; and that it is not enough to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, not enough merely to say this – for, by our deeds, by the way we live our lives each day, we “say” much more than we express in words. And so we must be diligent to examine ourselves, and to see if what we do is consistent with what we say when we say we believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. This pearl of great value, our Lord Jesus, should transform us, and we should live in a way that models His life in our own. He is humble, patient, slow to become angry, quick to forgive, and, above all, filled with a love for God that cannot be contained, but instead is a river flowing with love for us, made in the image and likeness of God. Do we live like that? Are we humble, or are we given to pride? Are we patient, or do we want our own way, right away? Are we slow to become angry? Are we quick to forgive? Do we love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength? Do we love our neighbors as we love ourselves? We must be diligent. We must examine ourselves regularly, and when we find that we have not been faithful bearers of Christ in ourselves in the world, we must repent, and confess, and seek once more God’s help and grace to be less of who we were, and more like Him Who dwells in us. We must be diligent; and we must persist in this diligence.
Brothers and sisters, loved by God: Let us give thanks to God for His mercy and grace and love given to us, unworthy and sinful as we are. Let us give thanks that the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ has been entrusted to us; and let us so value this knowledge that we may persist in following the Orthodox way of life, and be diligent about examining ourselves as we do so; that we may be transformed more and more into His likeness – to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
If we had to “boil down” the thrust of the two readings today from the Gospel of St. Matthew into a key word for each, I’d suggest that these key words would be persistence and diligence. Persistence and diligence. (I hope you’re paying attention, because there’s going to be a quiz later.)
In the first passage, the Canaanite woman has a request she very much wants our Lord to grant – she wants Him to heal her daughter, who is ill. Here is our lesson in persistence: Although she does not initially receive a favorable response to her entreaties, either of our Lord or of His disciples, she persists. By the way, there are two levels of persistence here. She does not stop seeking what she desires – she persists in asking; but, more importantly, she does not lose faith, but rather persists in her knowledge that the Lord cis able to grant her request. It is her persistence above all in her faith that finally leads her to obtain the healing of her daughter.
In the second passage, our Lord tells us about the kingdom of heaven, and of how we should value it. The treasure in the field is the proclamation of the Kingdom of heaven in the world; and the pearl of great value is the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In each case, those who are wise, when they recognize that these treasures can be theirs, give up everything they have in order to obtain the desired treasure.
We have the same opportunity – indeed, as Orthodox Christians, we are already heirs of the kingdom. The pearl of great value, the knowledge of Christ, has already been entrusted to us – but do we truly regard these great riches as we should? For, if we did, we would know that we, also, are called to give up everything we have in order to obtain the reality of the rich inheritance that is ours. This means that we must lay aside all earthly cares; all our possessions; all of the power and prestige and influence we may have – anything that holds us and binds us to this life, to this world. We must let all these things go, and embrace the Orthodox life – through prayer, and fasting, through giving, and through the struggle to replace our passions with the godly virtues – and we must persist in this way of life. It is not enough to pray once, or fast once, or give once, or struggle only for a day, or an hour, or a moment. The Orthodox way of life is one in which we must persist, if we hope to be transformed, and take on more fully the likeness of Christ in us.
Having spoken of the riches of the kingdom, our Lord then speaks of the need for diligence, when He tells the parable of the kingdom as a net cast into the sea, which makes a great catch of fish. After the net is brought in, the fish are sorted, with those that are good being kept, but those that are not being cast out, thrown into the fire. Now, you may ask, what is the basis for distinguishing a good fish from a bad fish? The fathers tell us that this separation of the good from the bad speaks to us of the great and terrible Day of Judgment; and that it is not enough to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, not enough merely to say this – for, by our deeds, by the way we live our lives each day, we “say” much more than we express in words. And so we must be diligent to examine ourselves, and to see if what we do is consistent with what we say when we say we believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. This pearl of great value, our Lord Jesus, should transform us, and we should live in a way that models His life in our own. He is humble, patient, slow to become angry, quick to forgive, and, above all, filled with a love for God that cannot be contained, but instead is a river flowing with love for us, made in the image and likeness of God. Do we live like that? Are we humble, or are we given to pride? Are we patient, or do we want our own way, right away? Are we slow to become angry? Are we quick to forgive? Do we love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength? Do we love our neighbors as we love ourselves? We must be diligent. We must examine ourselves regularly, and when we find that we have not been faithful bearers of Christ in ourselves in the world, we must repent, and confess, and seek once more God’s help and grace to be less of who we were, and more like Him Who dwells in us. We must be diligent; and we must persist in this diligence.
Brothers and sisters, loved by God: Let us give thanks to God for His mercy and grace and love given to us, unworthy and sinful as we are. Let us give thanks that the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ has been entrusted to us; and let us so value this knowledge that we may persist in following the Orthodox way of life, and be diligent about examining ourselves as we do so; that we may be transformed more and more into His likeness – to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
The Protection of the Theotokos
(Protection of the Most Holy Lady Theotokos) (Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28)
At the end of today’s Gospel reading from St. Luke, we hear a woman in the crowd say to our Lord, “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts which Thou didst suck.” Our Lord replies that it is those who hear the word of God, and keep it, that are blessed.
This passage, together with one found in the Gospels of Ss. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where our Lord is told that His mother and brothers are outside waiting for Him, and He replies that His mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God, and do it, are often cited by many in the protestant groups as evidence that we should not give any special honor to the most holy Theotokos, and should not offer prayers to her. Likewise, they would say, of the account in the Gospel of St. John the Theologian of our Lord on the Cross, committing the care of His mother to the disciple whom He loved, that this referred only to St. John. Of course, our Lord did, indeed, commit the care of His mother to St. John, who took her into his own home from that time forward; but it can equally be argued that the “disciple whom He loves” is also each one who hears the word of God, and keeps it, and lives according to it. As such, the care of His mother, the most holy Theotokos, has been committed to each of us; and it is the great teaching and practice of the Orthodox Church to love and honor the most holy Mother of God.
What mother would not have love for anyone who loves and respects her son? What mother would not do anything in her power on behalf of those who honor and obey her son? I am speaking in human terms, of an ordinary relationship between a mother and her son. If we, being sinful, know how to love and help those who honor those near and dear to us, why would this be any different of the most holy Theotokos? She is worthy of our respect and veneration, because she yielded herself completely, in the fullness of her being, body, mind, and spirit, to the will of God. She is worthy of our respect and veneration because of the virtuous life she lived in preparation for this service, and after the birth of our Lord. She is honored and loved by Her son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and why would He object if we also love and honor her? After all, in doing so, we do nothing more than follow His example. And her response, among others, is to intercede for us who love her Son, and to offer her protection to us, as we celebrate this day.
Brothers and sisters: Let us keep this festival with joy and thanksgiving for the protection of the most holy Theotokos. Let us join her in loving and honoring her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and let us give thanks for her prayers for our deliverance, and our salvation.
At the end of today’s Gospel reading from St. Luke, we hear a woman in the crowd say to our Lord, “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts which Thou didst suck.” Our Lord replies that it is those who hear the word of God, and keep it, that are blessed.
This passage, together with one found in the Gospels of Ss. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where our Lord is told that His mother and brothers are outside waiting for Him, and He replies that His mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God, and do it, are often cited by many in the protestant groups as evidence that we should not give any special honor to the most holy Theotokos, and should not offer prayers to her. Likewise, they would say, of the account in the Gospel of St. John the Theologian of our Lord on the Cross, committing the care of His mother to the disciple whom He loved, that this referred only to St. John. Of course, our Lord did, indeed, commit the care of His mother to St. John, who took her into his own home from that time forward; but it can equally be argued that the “disciple whom He loves” is also each one who hears the word of God, and keeps it, and lives according to it. As such, the care of His mother, the most holy Theotokos, has been committed to each of us; and it is the great teaching and practice of the Orthodox Church to love and honor the most holy Mother of God.
What mother would not have love for anyone who loves and respects her son? What mother would not do anything in her power on behalf of those who honor and obey her son? I am speaking in human terms, of an ordinary relationship between a mother and her son. If we, being sinful, know how to love and help those who honor those near and dear to us, why would this be any different of the most holy Theotokos? She is worthy of our respect and veneration, because she yielded herself completely, in the fullness of her being, body, mind, and spirit, to the will of God. She is worthy of our respect and veneration because of the virtuous life she lived in preparation for this service, and after the birth of our Lord. She is honored and loved by Her son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and why would He object if we also love and honor her? After all, in doing so, we do nothing more than follow His example. And her response, among others, is to intercede for us who love her Son, and to offer her protection to us, as we celebrate this day.
Brothers and sisters: Let us keep this festival with joy and thanksgiving for the protection of the most holy Theotokos. Let us join her in loving and honoring her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and let us give thanks for her prayers for our deliverance, and our salvation.
You and Your Talents
(16th Sunday after Pentecost) (Matthew 25:14-30)
How many talents has your Master entrusted to you? How have you put those talents to work for Him?
We do well to ponder these questions for ourselves, because we will one day be called into His presence to give an account for all that we have done. Now, I don’t know about you, but, for myself, I’d much rather hear Him say to me, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Does anyone want to be called a wicked and slothful servant? But if we don’t consider how we use the blessings that God has given to us, we have, in effect, buried our talent in the earth; and will find ourselves judged, as was the servant who had been entrusted with one talent.
Because the “talent” spoken of in the parable has monetary value, we can, and should, and must, speak about how we use the material resources with which God has provided us. In our Orthodox life of prayer, and fasting, and struggling to acquire the virtues, there is also the component of giving – that is, of using the material resources (sometimes called “time” and “treasure”) we have for the work of God. Scripture speaks to us of the need for us to give tithes and offerings: giving our tithe – 10% – to support the work and operations of the Church; and making offerings for the needs of others. Are you tithing to support the church? If not, why not? Are you giving to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked? If not, why not? This is certainly one aspect of understanding this parable of the talents in our world today.
Consider all that the Lord has given to you. Not sure what that might be? Well, let’s make a list. It’s not a comprehensive list – I can’t give you all the answers! But we can certainly cover a few of the more important gifts each of us has received.
To begin with, God has given you your life. You didn’t have to exist, you know! God, for the sake of His love, has called each one of us into existence, and desires that we might enter into a relationship with Him – one that He intends will never end. And, in giving us life, He has done so in a way that establishes His image in us – a very significant action. (We’ll come back to this point later.)
In giving you life, God has also given you the power to believe. Our power to believe is an amazing one: partly residing in our hearts, and partly in our minds; and being as well an act of our will. We then go forth and act in accordance with what we believe; and to help us in this, God has revealed Himself to us: in nature, where we can see the work of His hands; in Scripture, where we learn of His mighty acts; and through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made flesh for our salvation. When we believe the testimony of nature, and the Bible, and of the Holy Church, our belief leads us to have faith; and it is by faith that we are saved, for faith impels us to examine our lives, and repent of our sins, and to seek to be transformed, that we might save our lives.
God, we said, in giving us life, has also made us in His image. This tells us something else about the talents we have received. The Holy Apostle and Evangelist, St. John the Theologian, whose repose is commemorated on this day, tells us that, “God is love.” For us, then, to live in the image, and after the likeness, of God, we must love.
Sometimes, it is easy to love. As a general rule, we love our families: husbands and wives love each other; parents and children love each other; brothers and sisters love each other. Even when relations are strained, or even broken, there is always the hope that the love once there will be renewed. It is also easy, for the most part, to love those who are similar to us. This is one of the things that make the Church so much like a family: we’re all in this together, and have chosen to travel in the same direction along the same path. It’s not as easy to love those who hate us, or reject us, or make fun of us, or ignore us – and yet God loves each one of us even when we sin against Him, or against each other. Forgiveness is only possible with love; restoration to each other is only possible with love; we can only be true to ourselves when we love; we can only resemble God by love. God loves us even when we are unlovely, and unlovable; and if we could only realize some part of the incredible depths of God’s love for us, we would be ashamed of how shallow our own lives are; and be moved to be instead vessels of God’s love, poured out into the world on behalf of all, and for all.
Brothers and sisters: There are no greater riches than the love of God for us. He has given us His love, and has entrusted this treasure, this “talent,” this ability to love and care for each other in His name, and on His behalf, to each of us. Let us put this, and all our other time and abilities into service to Him Who loves us with a most incredible love. Let us love one another, as Christ loves us and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.
How many talents has your Master entrusted to you? How have you put those talents to work for Him?
We do well to ponder these questions for ourselves, because we will one day be called into His presence to give an account for all that we have done. Now, I don’t know about you, but, for myself, I’d much rather hear Him say to me, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Does anyone want to be called a wicked and slothful servant? But if we don’t consider how we use the blessings that God has given to us, we have, in effect, buried our talent in the earth; and will find ourselves judged, as was the servant who had been entrusted with one talent.
Because the “talent” spoken of in the parable has monetary value, we can, and should, and must, speak about how we use the material resources with which God has provided us. In our Orthodox life of prayer, and fasting, and struggling to acquire the virtues, there is also the component of giving – that is, of using the material resources (sometimes called “time” and “treasure”) we have for the work of God. Scripture speaks to us of the need for us to give tithes and offerings: giving our tithe – 10% – to support the work and operations of the Church; and making offerings for the needs of others. Are you tithing to support the church? If not, why not? Are you giving to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked? If not, why not? This is certainly one aspect of understanding this parable of the talents in our world today.
Consider all that the Lord has given to you. Not sure what that might be? Well, let’s make a list. It’s not a comprehensive list – I can’t give you all the answers! But we can certainly cover a few of the more important gifts each of us has received.
To begin with, God has given you your life. You didn’t have to exist, you know! God, for the sake of His love, has called each one of us into existence, and desires that we might enter into a relationship with Him – one that He intends will never end. And, in giving us life, He has done so in a way that establishes His image in us – a very significant action. (We’ll come back to this point later.)
In giving you life, God has also given you the power to believe. Our power to believe is an amazing one: partly residing in our hearts, and partly in our minds; and being as well an act of our will. We then go forth and act in accordance with what we believe; and to help us in this, God has revealed Himself to us: in nature, where we can see the work of His hands; in Scripture, where we learn of His mighty acts; and through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made flesh for our salvation. When we believe the testimony of nature, and the Bible, and of the Holy Church, our belief leads us to have faith; and it is by faith that we are saved, for faith impels us to examine our lives, and repent of our sins, and to seek to be transformed, that we might save our lives.
God, we said, in giving us life, has also made us in His image. This tells us something else about the talents we have received. The Holy Apostle and Evangelist, St. John the Theologian, whose repose is commemorated on this day, tells us that, “God is love.” For us, then, to live in the image, and after the likeness, of God, we must love.
Sometimes, it is easy to love. As a general rule, we love our families: husbands and wives love each other; parents and children love each other; brothers and sisters love each other. Even when relations are strained, or even broken, there is always the hope that the love once there will be renewed. It is also easy, for the most part, to love those who are similar to us. This is one of the things that make the Church so much like a family: we’re all in this together, and have chosen to travel in the same direction along the same path. It’s not as easy to love those who hate us, or reject us, or make fun of us, or ignore us – and yet God loves each one of us even when we sin against Him, or against each other. Forgiveness is only possible with love; restoration to each other is only possible with love; we can only be true to ourselves when we love; we can only resemble God by love. God loves us even when we are unlovely, and unlovable; and if we could only realize some part of the incredible depths of God’s love for us, we would be ashamed of how shallow our own lives are; and be moved to be instead vessels of God’s love, poured out into the world on behalf of all, and for all.
Brothers and sisters: There are no greater riches than the love of God for us. He has given us His love, and has entrusted this treasure, this “talent,” this ability to love and care for each other in His name, and on His behalf, to each of us. Let us put this, and all our other time and abilities into service to Him Who loves us with a most incredible love. Let us love one another, as Christ loves us and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Taking Up the Cross for Love
(15th Sunday after Pentecost)
What made it possible for our Lord Jesus Christ to take up His Cross, and die for us? Love. It is the love between God the Father and God the Son that enabled our Lord, in His hour of struggle, to say, “Not my will, but thine, be done,” and for the Son to be obedient to the Father to accomplish our deliverance from sin and death. It is the love of God for us, the work of His hands, that caused Him id not depart from us, but rather to come and dwell in our midst, identifying Himself with us completely by joining our nature to His own. His coming and His Cross are empowered by love.
What made it possible for the martyrs to endure suffering and death rather than denying that Jesus Christ is Lord? It was their love for God that led the holy martyrs Trophimus and Sabbatius to reject their high positions in this world and to be faithful to our Lord during a time of persecution. It was the love for those to whom we are joined in the faith that led the martyr Dorymedon to tend to the wounds of Trophimus and Sabbatius during their time of torture, which led to his own martyrdom. Faithfulness and tenderness are empowered by love.
In the two Gospel readings appointed for today, we hear how it is necessary for us to fulfill the Summary of the Law; and to take up our cross and follow the Lord. You know the Summary: “Love the Lord your God will all your heart and soul and mind and strength; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Our Lord fulfills both these teachings by taking His Cross, an act of love for God and for us, whom God has made His neighbors by living among us. The martyrs fulfill these teachings, loving God more than they loved life in this world, and caring for each other, even at the risk of death. Without love for God, it is impossible for us to take up our cross and follow Him; without love for God, it is impossible for us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
What about us? Can we honestly say that we love God? Perhaps your answer will be like mine: I love God, but not with all my heart and soul and mind and strength; I love God, but I also love myself, and I am still attached to many pleasures of this life and world, and must struggle when the time comes to give them up, and I often fail in the time of trial. Perhaps your answer might be like mine: I love my neighbor, but I love myself more.
Every time we choose the ways of this world instead of the way of God – every time we sin – we show that our love for God is incomplete. Wealth, comfort, power, fame – these lead us to greed, and laziness, and pride; and, ultimately loving ourselves more than we love God. Every time we allow ourselves to become angry, such as when we get cut off in traffic; every time we become impatient or irritated, or we don’t get our own way; in all these things, we show that we do not love our neighbors as well as we love ourselves. What about us? Can we honestly say that we love God? Without love for God, it is impossible for us to take up our cross and follow Him; without love for God, it is impossible for us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
We show our love for God when we take up our cross: when we dedicate ourselves to serving God by laboring to be transformed increasingly in His likeness through the way of life of the Orthodox Church – through prayer and fasting and giving and struggle. We show our love for God when we take up the cross of humbling ourselves, setting ourselves aside, and considering others as more important, and more worthy of love and respect, than we think we are, ourselves. It is not easy; but when we recognize that we are loved by God, and truly believe in the power of His love for us, then the task becomes one that is worth the effort – and you are truly, deeply loved by God.
Brothers and sisters, beloved of God: let us show our love for God by caring for each other, and considering others more worthy than ourselves. Let us show our love for God by taking up our cross, and following faithfully the way of life given to us in His Church. With us, in our strength alone, this is impossible; but we will succeed through the power of His love.
What made it possible for our Lord Jesus Christ to take up His Cross, and die for us? Love. It is the love between God the Father and God the Son that enabled our Lord, in His hour of struggle, to say, “Not my will, but thine, be done,” and for the Son to be obedient to the Father to accomplish our deliverance from sin and death. It is the love of God for us, the work of His hands, that caused Him id not depart from us, but rather to come and dwell in our midst, identifying Himself with us completely by joining our nature to His own. His coming and His Cross are empowered by love.
What made it possible for the martyrs to endure suffering and death rather than denying that Jesus Christ is Lord? It was their love for God that led the holy martyrs Trophimus and Sabbatius to reject their high positions in this world and to be faithful to our Lord during a time of persecution. It was the love for those to whom we are joined in the faith that led the martyr Dorymedon to tend to the wounds of Trophimus and Sabbatius during their time of torture, which led to his own martyrdom. Faithfulness and tenderness are empowered by love.
In the two Gospel readings appointed for today, we hear how it is necessary for us to fulfill the Summary of the Law; and to take up our cross and follow the Lord. You know the Summary: “Love the Lord your God will all your heart and soul and mind and strength; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Our Lord fulfills both these teachings by taking His Cross, an act of love for God and for us, whom God has made His neighbors by living among us. The martyrs fulfill these teachings, loving God more than they loved life in this world, and caring for each other, even at the risk of death. Without love for God, it is impossible for us to take up our cross and follow Him; without love for God, it is impossible for us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
What about us? Can we honestly say that we love God? Perhaps your answer will be like mine: I love God, but not with all my heart and soul and mind and strength; I love God, but I also love myself, and I am still attached to many pleasures of this life and world, and must struggle when the time comes to give them up, and I often fail in the time of trial. Perhaps your answer might be like mine: I love my neighbor, but I love myself more.
Every time we choose the ways of this world instead of the way of God – every time we sin – we show that our love for God is incomplete. Wealth, comfort, power, fame – these lead us to greed, and laziness, and pride; and, ultimately loving ourselves more than we love God. Every time we allow ourselves to become angry, such as when we get cut off in traffic; every time we become impatient or irritated, or we don’t get our own way; in all these things, we show that we do not love our neighbors as well as we love ourselves. What about us? Can we honestly say that we love God? Without love for God, it is impossible for us to take up our cross and follow Him; without love for God, it is impossible for us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
We show our love for God when we take up our cross: when we dedicate ourselves to serving God by laboring to be transformed increasingly in His likeness through the way of life of the Orthodox Church – through prayer and fasting and giving and struggle. We show our love for God when we take up the cross of humbling ourselves, setting ourselves aside, and considering others as more important, and more worthy of love and respect, than we think we are, ourselves. It is not easy; but when we recognize that we are loved by God, and truly believe in the power of His love for us, then the task becomes one that is worth the effort – and you are truly, deeply loved by God.
Brothers and sisters, beloved of God: let us show our love for God by caring for each other, and considering others more worthy than ourselves. Let us show our love for God by taking up our cross, and following faithfully the way of life given to us in His Church. With us, in our strength alone, this is impossible; but we will succeed through the power of His love.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
By This Sign Conquer
(The Exaltation of the Cross) (John 19:6-11a, 13-20, 25-28a, 30b-35)
It is said that the Emperor Constantine, as he was preparing his troops for the battle that would make him the ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, had a vision of a Cross of brilliant light superimposed upon the sun; and he heard a voice say to him, “By this sign you will conquer.” He ordered his men to put the sign of the Cross on their shields; and he was, indeed, victorious in battle that day. The Emperor, a pagan at that time, later issued the Edict of Milan, which ended the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire; and he would also summon the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 to put to an end the dissension in the Church aroused by the heretical teachings of Arius. He became a Christian as his death drew near; and the Church recognizes him as St. Constantine the Great.
When the Empress Helena, Constantine’s mother, went to Jerusalem to find the Cross of our Lord, it was discovered that the site of our Lord’s Crucifixion had been covered by a temple to the Goddess Diana. Excavating the site, three crosses were found. How would it be possible to determine the True Cross? The Patriarch Macarius was able to discern a way. As a funeral procession passed by, he directed that the person being taken to be buried be placed on each cross. With the first two, there was no effect; but, when the corpse was placed on the Cross of our Lord, life was immediately restored to that person. After that, a woman who was ill was placed on the Cross, and she was healed. In this way, the True Cross was revealed, and was venerated by all as the precious and holy life-giving Cross..
We may not ever see a vision. We may never hear a voice tell us anything. But we must know this: By this sign, the sign of the Cross, we are able to conquer in every battle that we face. The sign of the Cross wounds the demons, and drives them far from us; and so, when we are tempted, we have as part of our defensive arsenal the sign of the Cross. When we are afraid, we make the sign of the Cross, remembering that we do not achieve anything by our own strength, but only by the strength of Him Who dwells in us. When we have sinned, we make the sign of the Cross, remembering Him Who died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and so we can be helped to repent and confess. By this, by confessing and repenting, and by using the power of the sign of the Cross in our own lives, we too conquer death; we, too, are raised from death to life by the power of the holy and life-giving Cross.
Brothers and sisters: As we keep this solemn feast day, let us give thanks that our Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us on the Cross; and let us give thanks that, in the sign of the Cross, we have a weapon to use against the demons, against our weakness, and against our sins, that we might have life, and have it in abundance.
It is said that the Emperor Constantine, as he was preparing his troops for the battle that would make him the ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, had a vision of a Cross of brilliant light superimposed upon the sun; and he heard a voice say to him, “By this sign you will conquer.” He ordered his men to put the sign of the Cross on their shields; and he was, indeed, victorious in battle that day. The Emperor, a pagan at that time, later issued the Edict of Milan, which ended the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire; and he would also summon the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 to put to an end the dissension in the Church aroused by the heretical teachings of Arius. He became a Christian as his death drew near; and the Church recognizes him as St. Constantine the Great.
When the Empress Helena, Constantine’s mother, went to Jerusalem to find the Cross of our Lord, it was discovered that the site of our Lord’s Crucifixion had been covered by a temple to the Goddess Diana. Excavating the site, three crosses were found. How would it be possible to determine the True Cross? The Patriarch Macarius was able to discern a way. As a funeral procession passed by, he directed that the person being taken to be buried be placed on each cross. With the first two, there was no effect; but, when the corpse was placed on the Cross of our Lord, life was immediately restored to that person. After that, a woman who was ill was placed on the Cross, and she was healed. In this way, the True Cross was revealed, and was venerated by all as the precious and holy life-giving Cross..
We may not ever see a vision. We may never hear a voice tell us anything. But we must know this: By this sign, the sign of the Cross, we are able to conquer in every battle that we face. The sign of the Cross wounds the demons, and drives them far from us; and so, when we are tempted, we have as part of our defensive arsenal the sign of the Cross. When we are afraid, we make the sign of the Cross, remembering that we do not achieve anything by our own strength, but only by the strength of Him Who dwells in us. When we have sinned, we make the sign of the Cross, remembering Him Who died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and so we can be helped to repent and confess. By this, by confessing and repenting, and by using the power of the sign of the Cross in our own lives, we too conquer death; we, too, are raised from death to life by the power of the holy and life-giving Cross.
Brothers and sisters: As we keep this solemn feast day, let us give thanks that our Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us on the Cross; and let us give thanks that, in the sign of the Cross, we have a weapon to use against the demons, against our weakness, and against our sins, that we might have life, and have it in abundance.
What is This Thing Called Love?
(14th Sunday after Pentecost) (John 3:13-17)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
What is this thing called love? Most of us would probably define love as a feeling: whether as an attraction to someone, or of affection, or of caring for someone. In our culture today, we talk about love as a feeling that can be overwhelming, and irresistible. Elvis said, “I can’t help falling in love with you.” But love based on feelings can be deceptive: what happens when the attraction fades, when the circumstances change; what happens “after the love is gone?” Is this the love that St. John the Theologian was talking about when he wrote of God’s love?
I’ve heard it said that the Greeks had five different words that we translate into English as “love.” I don’t know about five; but I am familiar with three: eros, which denotes “sexual love”; philos, which is usually translated as “brotherly love,” or, perhaps, that love that exists between friends – a “friendly love,” which is not sexual in nature; and agape, which might be defined, in one word, as “benevolence” – to be full of good will towards another, and to show this good will in word and in deed. In a way, eros and agape are opposites: both generating very strong thoughts and feelings, but where eros is physical or sexual, agape is spiritual, rather than physical. Eros is the type of love that makes you feel as if you will die if it isn’t expressed or returned; but only agape can describe the love for another that makes it possible for us to die on their behalf. It is this love, agape, which St. John the Theologian speaks of to tell us of God’s love for us.
St. Paul writes in a similar way, “But God shows His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) This love is not a “feeling” – it is a choice. God, for whatever reason, despite our rejection of Him, despite our unworthiness, despite the fact that our sins have made us unlovely, and unlovable, chooses to love us; and in that act of love, gives that which is truly lovely, and truly loveable, His only-begotten Son, so that we might be transformed from enemies of God into His friends; transformed from being sinners into saints; transformed from a death-directed existence into persons who will live a life without death, dwelling in His kingdom in an unbroken and unending relationship of love so intense that we cannot begin to speak of it. Speaking for myself, I think we can only begin to appreciate the fire of God’s love for us by grasping the intensity of love as eros; and somehow moving from its sexual intensity to a spiritual intensity, as agape. The intensity of the love that attracts us to each other, bonding men and women together as husbands and wives, leads us from a love that begins by filling a need within us to becoming a love in which we can give all that we have, and all that we are, for the benefit of the person we love – taking this love beyond husband and wife, and becoming the love that exists between parents and children; from which then can flow love for our extended families, and our family in Christ – and ultimately to love for God, so that we can fulfill our Lord’s commandment to love the Lord our God, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
So there is good news for us: we are loved. Each and every one of us is loved by God. No matter what you have done, no matter how you have sinned, God loves you, and desires that you share with Him in a relationship of love; which will never end, never grow cold, never be dull. It is not a feeling; it is a choice that God has made, to offer Himself to us in love; and a choice we must make, to offer ourselves to Him in love. This is the only reason for us to pay attention to His commandments, to keep His laws: not as a duty; not to avoid punishment – for these reasons cannot give us the strength to persist when the way becomes difficult. We can only hope to succeed in following the path of the life of prayer and fasting and giving and spiritual struggle because we choose to love God more than we love the pleasures of this world, and the momentary and illusive and ultimately empty pleasures of our sins.
Brothers and sisters: Let us love one another, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Let us love God with all the fullness of our being; and let us love and care for each other, choosing to do so with the love of God, and no thought of gain or advantage for ourselves. By doing so, we find God’s love for us; and so be set free to love Him, and each other, in return.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
What is this thing called love? Most of us would probably define love as a feeling: whether as an attraction to someone, or of affection, or of caring for someone. In our culture today, we talk about love as a feeling that can be overwhelming, and irresistible. Elvis said, “I can’t help falling in love with you.” But love based on feelings can be deceptive: what happens when the attraction fades, when the circumstances change; what happens “after the love is gone?” Is this the love that St. John the Theologian was talking about when he wrote of God’s love?
I’ve heard it said that the Greeks had five different words that we translate into English as “love.” I don’t know about five; but I am familiar with three: eros, which denotes “sexual love”; philos, which is usually translated as “brotherly love,” or, perhaps, that love that exists between friends – a “friendly love,” which is not sexual in nature; and agape, which might be defined, in one word, as “benevolence” – to be full of good will towards another, and to show this good will in word and in deed. In a way, eros and agape are opposites: both generating very strong thoughts and feelings, but where eros is physical or sexual, agape is spiritual, rather than physical. Eros is the type of love that makes you feel as if you will die if it isn’t expressed or returned; but only agape can describe the love for another that makes it possible for us to die on their behalf. It is this love, agape, which St. John the Theologian speaks of to tell us of God’s love for us.
St. Paul writes in a similar way, “But God shows His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) This love is not a “feeling” – it is a choice. God, for whatever reason, despite our rejection of Him, despite our unworthiness, despite the fact that our sins have made us unlovely, and unlovable, chooses to love us; and in that act of love, gives that which is truly lovely, and truly loveable, His only-begotten Son, so that we might be transformed from enemies of God into His friends; transformed from being sinners into saints; transformed from a death-directed existence into persons who will live a life without death, dwelling in His kingdom in an unbroken and unending relationship of love so intense that we cannot begin to speak of it. Speaking for myself, I think we can only begin to appreciate the fire of God’s love for us by grasping the intensity of love as eros; and somehow moving from its sexual intensity to a spiritual intensity, as agape. The intensity of the love that attracts us to each other, bonding men and women together as husbands and wives, leads us from a love that begins by filling a need within us to becoming a love in which we can give all that we have, and all that we are, for the benefit of the person we love – taking this love beyond husband and wife, and becoming the love that exists between parents and children; from which then can flow love for our extended families, and our family in Christ – and ultimately to love for God, so that we can fulfill our Lord’s commandment to love the Lord our God, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
So there is good news for us: we are loved. Each and every one of us is loved by God. No matter what you have done, no matter how you have sinned, God loves you, and desires that you share with Him in a relationship of love; which will never end, never grow cold, never be dull. It is not a feeling; it is a choice that God has made, to offer Himself to us in love; and a choice we must make, to offer ourselves to Him in love. This is the only reason for us to pay attention to His commandments, to keep His laws: not as a duty; not to avoid punishment – for these reasons cannot give us the strength to persist when the way becomes difficult. We can only hope to succeed in following the path of the life of prayer and fasting and giving and spiritual struggle because we choose to love God more than we love the pleasures of this world, and the momentary and illusive and ultimately empty pleasures of our sins.
Brothers and sisters: Let us love one another, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Let us love God with all the fullness of our being; and let us love and care for each other, choosing to do so with the love of God, and no thought of gain or advantage for ourselves. By doing so, we find God’s love for us; and so be set free to love Him, and each other, in return.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Tending His Vineyard
(13th Sunday after Pentecost) (Matthew 21:33-42)
When our Lord speaks in parables, He is using familiar imagery to allow us to see more deeply into the reality of our existence. In today’s Gospel reading, He tells a story about a man who, in today’s terms, makes an investment by planting, and making other improvements to, a vineyard. He then rents his property, and goes to a far country. As the harvest time comes, he sends his representatives to collect the rent, deferred until the harvest is in. But instead of paying the rent, the tenants drive off the representatives, beating one, stoning another, and killing another.
Now, at this point, we would have called the police – probably even before this point. But the property owner decides that he will send his son as his representative, thinking that the people who had done business with him would respect his presence in the person of his son. Instead, the tenants say among themselves, “Look, here is his son. Let us kill him, and take this property, which is his inheritance.” And so they seize the son, drag him out of the vineyard, and kill him.
Of course, we recognize that the son who is killed is our Lord speaking about Himself, the Son of God; He is speaking of His own death. The deeper truth, then, is that this is a parable about the world. The fathers tell us that the man who plants the vineyard is God Who, in His love for man, calls Himself a man. The vineyard is the Jewish people, planted – that is to say – established by God in the land He promised to them. The hedge may be understood to be the Law He gave to guide them, or the holy angels He set to guard them. The winepress is the altar; the tower is the temple. Those who tend the vineyard are the teachers of the people, the scribes and Pharisees. We are also meant to understand that the “far country” to which the owner departs represents the long-suffering patience of God, when evil increases, and it seems that God is absent. The representatives who were sent are the prophets; and the son sent, of course, is His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The tenants, who were meant to receive the Son on behalf of the vineyard, the people of God under the old covenant, crucified Him; and as a result, they were destroyed; and the vineyard was rented to new tenants, to the apostles, and to those who teach the apostolic faith.
Thus, on the one hand, we have received the inheritance spoken of; but, on the other hand, we are also responsible for delivering to the landlord His portion of the fruit of the vineyard. There are a number of levels we should understand in what we are meant to give to the Lord. Probably the most obvious is in terms of rent: when we pay rent, we are doing so in money; and so we can see the need to give our tithe to the church, and to make offerings for the needs of others. Money, of course, is usually the result of our labors, using our time and our talents; and so these, too, are meant to be placed at the service of the Lord. Among the demands upon our time is the need for prayer, and to gather to worship the Lord. Finally, at the deepest level, we are speaking of love: for all our giving of money or time or effort, all our prayers, all our worship, are empty and meaningless is not rising from a love for the Lord Who loves us, and without love for each other – a love that is patient and long-suffering and forgiving of offenses, and understanding of weakness. We have been planted as a vineyard in God’s love. We have been surrounded and protected by the hedge of God’s love. We have been raised up to see visions of the heavenly country by the tower of God’s love. We have in our midst the altar where God shows His love for us by giving Himself for us, and giving Himself to us in the bread and wine that He blesses to be His Body and Blood. And we have each other, a vineyard to be cared for in love – love for God, and for each other.
Brothers and sisters, the vineyard of God: Let us love one another, as Christ loves us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Let us worship God, giving thanks for His love; and let us care for each other, as we are His Body; and let us love those who have not yet been joined to Him, that, by seeing our love, they may see Him, and so come to Him, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
When our Lord speaks in parables, He is using familiar imagery to allow us to see more deeply into the reality of our existence. In today’s Gospel reading, He tells a story about a man who, in today’s terms, makes an investment by planting, and making other improvements to, a vineyard. He then rents his property, and goes to a far country. As the harvest time comes, he sends his representatives to collect the rent, deferred until the harvest is in. But instead of paying the rent, the tenants drive off the representatives, beating one, stoning another, and killing another.
Now, at this point, we would have called the police – probably even before this point. But the property owner decides that he will send his son as his representative, thinking that the people who had done business with him would respect his presence in the person of his son. Instead, the tenants say among themselves, “Look, here is his son. Let us kill him, and take this property, which is his inheritance.” And so they seize the son, drag him out of the vineyard, and kill him.
Of course, we recognize that the son who is killed is our Lord speaking about Himself, the Son of God; He is speaking of His own death. The deeper truth, then, is that this is a parable about the world. The fathers tell us that the man who plants the vineyard is God Who, in His love for man, calls Himself a man. The vineyard is the Jewish people, planted – that is to say – established by God in the land He promised to them. The hedge may be understood to be the Law He gave to guide them, or the holy angels He set to guard them. The winepress is the altar; the tower is the temple. Those who tend the vineyard are the teachers of the people, the scribes and Pharisees. We are also meant to understand that the “far country” to which the owner departs represents the long-suffering patience of God, when evil increases, and it seems that God is absent. The representatives who were sent are the prophets; and the son sent, of course, is His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The tenants, who were meant to receive the Son on behalf of the vineyard, the people of God under the old covenant, crucified Him; and as a result, they were destroyed; and the vineyard was rented to new tenants, to the apostles, and to those who teach the apostolic faith.
Thus, on the one hand, we have received the inheritance spoken of; but, on the other hand, we are also responsible for delivering to the landlord His portion of the fruit of the vineyard. There are a number of levels we should understand in what we are meant to give to the Lord. Probably the most obvious is in terms of rent: when we pay rent, we are doing so in money; and so we can see the need to give our tithe to the church, and to make offerings for the needs of others. Money, of course, is usually the result of our labors, using our time and our talents; and so these, too, are meant to be placed at the service of the Lord. Among the demands upon our time is the need for prayer, and to gather to worship the Lord. Finally, at the deepest level, we are speaking of love: for all our giving of money or time or effort, all our prayers, all our worship, are empty and meaningless is not rising from a love for the Lord Who loves us, and without love for each other – a love that is patient and long-suffering and forgiving of offenses, and understanding of weakness. We have been planted as a vineyard in God’s love. We have been surrounded and protected by the hedge of God’s love. We have been raised up to see visions of the heavenly country by the tower of God’s love. We have in our midst the altar where God shows His love for us by giving Himself for us, and giving Himself to us in the bread and wine that He blesses to be His Body and Blood. And we have each other, a vineyard to be cared for in love – love for God, and for each other.
Brothers and sisters, the vineyard of God: Let us love one another, as Christ loves us, and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Let us worship God, giving thanks for His love; and let us care for each other, as we are His Body; and let us love those who have not yet been joined to Him, that, by seeing our love, they may see Him, and so come to Him, to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Is Anybody Reading These?
OK, so, it's not like I'm not going to continue to write sermons -- at least, not as long as I am permitted to serve as a priest in the Church. And, having written them down (which I do to clarify my thoughts, such as they are, and cut down on the amount of rambling that takes place while actually preaching!), it really doesn't take much time to post them here; nor does it cost anything, as this is a free site. (I do have Scottish blood in my background after all. Not cheap -- thrifty!)
Still, there's no need to consume bandwidth if no one reads these poor and humble offerings. Even so, I guess I'm betraying some level of pride in wanting people to read these sermons, and even more, to comment on them...
Comments, anyone?
Still, there's no need to consume bandwidth if no one reads these poor and humble offerings. Even so, I guess I'm betraying some level of pride in wanting people to read these sermons, and even more, to comment on them...
Comments, anyone?
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
"What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
(11th Sunday after Pentecost) (Matthew 19:16-26)
Four years ago today, terrorists attacked New York City and Washington, D.C. Thousands of people were killed. We are still living with the aftermath today.
Two weeks ago today, Hurricane Katrina came ashore in the central Gulf Coast. Hundreds of people were killed; perhaps thousands. We will be living with the aftermath of this storm for years to come.
If nothing else, the remembrance of these events should stir us to consider anew the question with which the rich young man approaches our Lord Jesus Christ: What good thing shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life? This is in keeping with the instruction we have from the Fathers, who teach us that we must, without becoming obsessed with the idea, be ever mindful of the reality that each of us will, one day, depart from this life, and come into the presence of God, to give an account of how we lived, and be judged on that basis.
Who among us can say, with the rich young man, that we have kept all of the commandments of God from our youth? Who among us is not concerned at all about the things of this world, about ease and comfort that requires us to have many things? Such people are exceedingly rare. Now, you might say, “Father, I’m not rich.” Well, maybe you’re not like an actress I read about recently who, when she travels, requires a hotel room for her shoes, in addition to the suite she stays in (at a price of $3,500 a day); and who, while waiting for her luggage at an airport, had her purse stolen from her – with $200,000 of jewelry in it. OK, no one here is rich in that sense; but, in comparison to most of the people who have lived, and most of the people living now, we are rich: we live more comfortably, with more convenience and leisure, than most people have ever experienced. It is the material prosperity of our country and culture that leads people to hide in packing crates and shipping containers, or to walk through the desert, in an attempt to enter this country, and partake of the lifestyle we take for granted, all the while thinking that we need more before we can call ourselves, “rich.”
What must I do to inherit eternal life? Our Lord gives the rich young man the bottom line: Give up all that you have to benefit those in need, and follow me. Some of us are called to this ascetic path today – to give up everything, and follow Christ. Most of us are not capable of doing this in a literal way: if nothing else, we have others who are dependent upon us to provide them with the things necessary for life; we are not free to sell everything we have, and enter a monastery, or devote ourselves entirely to ministering to those in need. But we must still follow Christ; and we have, in the Orthodox way of life, the path and the means to do this. We must pray; we must fast; we must struggle against our passions, and labor to replace them with their opposing virtues – and we must give, so as to set ourselves free, at least in some way, from our possessions. We are called to give our tithes for the support of the Church; and we are called to make offerings for those in need – such as those who have lost everything in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Maybe we can’t yet part with every earthly possession; but we can make tithes and offerings, and so begin to do at least part of what is needed to allow us to follow Christ, rather than depart from Him in sorrow, as did the rich young man, whose possessions, we are told, were great.
Brothers and sisters: We do not know at what hour our life in this world will come to an end; and so we must develop in ourselves a sense that urgent preparation is needed, lest that day be today, and we be found lacking in what God requires of us. What must we do to inherit eternal life? We must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and God, and Savior; and this, not only in word, but also in deed. We must direct our lives so that what we say and what we do testify alike to the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, and we are His servants. As His servants, we must do what He does: live without sin, and confessing our sins when we fall; we must be patient, and merciful, humble; we must love our neighbors, and so desire their salvation that we are willing to give of ourselves, of our time, our talents, and our treasures – that the hungry may be fed, the naked clothes, the homeless sheltered, and the sick and the prisoners be comforted. Our Lord calls us, as He called the rich young man: Be free of all your earthly possessions, and come, and follow Me.
Four years ago today, terrorists attacked New York City and Washington, D.C. Thousands of people were killed. We are still living with the aftermath today.
Two weeks ago today, Hurricane Katrina came ashore in the central Gulf Coast. Hundreds of people were killed; perhaps thousands. We will be living with the aftermath of this storm for years to come.
If nothing else, the remembrance of these events should stir us to consider anew the question with which the rich young man approaches our Lord Jesus Christ: What good thing shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life? This is in keeping with the instruction we have from the Fathers, who teach us that we must, without becoming obsessed with the idea, be ever mindful of the reality that each of us will, one day, depart from this life, and come into the presence of God, to give an account of how we lived, and be judged on that basis.
Who among us can say, with the rich young man, that we have kept all of the commandments of God from our youth? Who among us is not concerned at all about the things of this world, about ease and comfort that requires us to have many things? Such people are exceedingly rare. Now, you might say, “Father, I’m not rich.” Well, maybe you’re not like an actress I read about recently who, when she travels, requires a hotel room for her shoes, in addition to the suite she stays in (at a price of $3,500 a day); and who, while waiting for her luggage at an airport, had her purse stolen from her – with $200,000 of jewelry in it. OK, no one here is rich in that sense; but, in comparison to most of the people who have lived, and most of the people living now, we are rich: we live more comfortably, with more convenience and leisure, than most people have ever experienced. It is the material prosperity of our country and culture that leads people to hide in packing crates and shipping containers, or to walk through the desert, in an attempt to enter this country, and partake of the lifestyle we take for granted, all the while thinking that we need more before we can call ourselves, “rich.”
What must I do to inherit eternal life? Our Lord gives the rich young man the bottom line: Give up all that you have to benefit those in need, and follow me. Some of us are called to this ascetic path today – to give up everything, and follow Christ. Most of us are not capable of doing this in a literal way: if nothing else, we have others who are dependent upon us to provide them with the things necessary for life; we are not free to sell everything we have, and enter a monastery, or devote ourselves entirely to ministering to those in need. But we must still follow Christ; and we have, in the Orthodox way of life, the path and the means to do this. We must pray; we must fast; we must struggle against our passions, and labor to replace them with their opposing virtues – and we must give, so as to set ourselves free, at least in some way, from our possessions. We are called to give our tithes for the support of the Church; and we are called to make offerings for those in need – such as those who have lost everything in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Maybe we can’t yet part with every earthly possession; but we can make tithes and offerings, and so begin to do at least part of what is needed to allow us to follow Christ, rather than depart from Him in sorrow, as did the rich young man, whose possessions, we are told, were great.
Brothers and sisters: We do not know at what hour our life in this world will come to an end; and so we must develop in ourselves a sense that urgent preparation is needed, lest that day be today, and we be found lacking in what God requires of us. What must we do to inherit eternal life? We must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and God, and Savior; and this, not only in word, but also in deed. We must direct our lives so that what we say and what we do testify alike to the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, and we are His servants. As His servants, we must do what He does: live without sin, and confessing our sins when we fall; we must be patient, and merciful, humble; we must love our neighbors, and so desire their salvation that we are willing to give of ourselves, of our time, our talents, and our treasures – that the hungry may be fed, the naked clothes, the homeless sheltered, and the sick and the prisoners be comforted. Our Lord calls us, as He called the rich young man: Be free of all your earthly possessions, and come, and follow Me.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Death and the Dormition
(10th Sunday after Pentecost) (The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos)
Here’s a news flash: Unless the Lord returns before it happens, we are all, one day, going to die. Our life in this world will come to an end. We all know this, of course; but we don’t always live as we should in the light of this knowledge. The Fathers tell us that this thought should always be uppermost in our minds, and that it should guide every thought, every word, every deed.
Today the Church celebrates the Dormition of our Lady Theotokos; the day she “fell asleep” in the Lord, the day she departed from this life – the day she died. As we can be instructed by her life, we can also be instructed by her departing from this life. After the Crucifixion of her Son, she lived with the apostle John, to whose care He had given her. She rejoiced in the apostles, and often went to pray at the places that had been the location of significant events in the life and ministry of our Lord. Chief among these were the Mount of Olives, and Golgotha. In her old age, her prayers, especially in these two places, were to be released from this life. These prayers however, also included the fervent request that, when her soul and body were parted, that she be spared the darkness and its terrors and punishment; and that she might not encounter the power of Satan, but be delivered from the accusations brought against her.
This should make us stop and think. If the one who gave birth to our Lord Jesus Christ, Who broke the gates of hell and trampled down death by death felt the need to pray for such protection, what about us, who are sinners? If she, whom we say is “…without corruption” – that is, without sin – “gavest birth to God the Word,” needed to pray for deliverance, what about us, who are sinners? In the same humility which, at the time of the Annunciation, led her to proclaim herself as the handmaiden of the Lord, at the time of her death, she did not put any value upon the role she had fulfilled as the Birth-giver of God, but instead entrusted herself to the mercy of God, and not in her works. She was mindful of death; she took no pleasure in this world, but desired instead the world to come; she prepared herself for the day of her departure from this life; and she prayed for mercy.
Can we do any less than our glorious Lady Theotokos? We, too, must be mindful of death. We should remember that the life in this world is temporary, and so not allow ourselves to be attached to any of its pleasures. We should prepare ourselves for the great and terrible Day of Judgment, and repent, and do all that is within our power to do the will of God, and turn away from the passions and the weakness and wickedness of our flesh. We should do all that is within our power to be faithful in prayer, and in fasting, in giving alms, and in struggling to acquire the godly virtues, if only to prepare for the day of our death; and we should always pray for God’s mercy, especially at the time of death: for ourselves, for those whom we love, for all Orthodox Christians, and for all who are made in the image of God.
Brother and sisters, called to be saints: Let us commit ourselves, and one another, and all our life, into Christ our God. Let us follow the example of the life and prayers of our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary. Let us be mindful of death, and be instructed by her Dormition, so that we also will prepare ourselves for that day; to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Here’s a news flash: Unless the Lord returns before it happens, we are all, one day, going to die. Our life in this world will come to an end. We all know this, of course; but we don’t always live as we should in the light of this knowledge. The Fathers tell us that this thought should always be uppermost in our minds, and that it should guide every thought, every word, every deed.
Today the Church celebrates the Dormition of our Lady Theotokos; the day she “fell asleep” in the Lord, the day she departed from this life – the day she died. As we can be instructed by her life, we can also be instructed by her departing from this life. After the Crucifixion of her Son, she lived with the apostle John, to whose care He had given her. She rejoiced in the apostles, and often went to pray at the places that had been the location of significant events in the life and ministry of our Lord. Chief among these were the Mount of Olives, and Golgotha. In her old age, her prayers, especially in these two places, were to be released from this life. These prayers however, also included the fervent request that, when her soul and body were parted, that she be spared the darkness and its terrors and punishment; and that she might not encounter the power of Satan, but be delivered from the accusations brought against her.
This should make us stop and think. If the one who gave birth to our Lord Jesus Christ, Who broke the gates of hell and trampled down death by death felt the need to pray for such protection, what about us, who are sinners? If she, whom we say is “…without corruption” – that is, without sin – “gavest birth to God the Word,” needed to pray for deliverance, what about us, who are sinners? In the same humility which, at the time of the Annunciation, led her to proclaim herself as the handmaiden of the Lord, at the time of her death, she did not put any value upon the role she had fulfilled as the Birth-giver of God, but instead entrusted herself to the mercy of God, and not in her works. She was mindful of death; she took no pleasure in this world, but desired instead the world to come; she prepared herself for the day of her departure from this life; and she prayed for mercy.
Can we do any less than our glorious Lady Theotokos? We, too, must be mindful of death. We should remember that the life in this world is temporary, and so not allow ourselves to be attached to any of its pleasures. We should prepare ourselves for the great and terrible Day of Judgment, and repent, and do all that is within our power to do the will of God, and turn away from the passions and the weakness and wickedness of our flesh. We should do all that is within our power to be faithful in prayer, and in fasting, in giving alms, and in struggling to acquire the godly virtues, if only to prepare for the day of our death; and we should always pray for God’s mercy, especially at the time of death: for ourselves, for those whom we love, for all Orthodox Christians, and for all who are made in the image of God.
Brother and sisters, called to be saints: Let us commit ourselves, and one another, and all our life, into Christ our God. Let us follow the example of the life and prayers of our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary. Let us be mindful of death, and be instructed by her Dormition, so that we also will prepare ourselves for that day; to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
We Are Also in the Boat
(9th Sunday after Pentecost) (August 21, 2005)
Today’s reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew is a familiar story. Having miraculously fed five thousand men, as well as women and children, with five loaves and two fish, our Lord sends His disciples ahead by boat, while He goes by Himself to a mountaintop to pray. As night falls, the boat, in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, is being tossed by wind and waves. In the fourth watch, our Lord comes to His disciples, walking on the water; but they mistake Him for a spirit, not recognizing Him – hardly surprising, given that He is walking on the water! He calls to encourage them; and St. Peter, filled with excitement, says, “Lord, if You will, command me to come to you on the water.” Our Lord says, “Come, “ and St. Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water – at least, while his attention is fixed on the Lord. As soon as he turns his attention to the action of wind and waves, he begins to sink, and cries out for the Lord to save him. He does so, while commenting, “O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?” The disciples worship Him when He enters the boat, for they recognize that He is, indeed, the Son of God.
That’s a dramatic story, with very vivid images. I recall one summer many years ago, boating with friends up on Canyon Lake, on the Verde River. It’s a calm, quiet lake; or, it was until a strong thunderstorm developed; and, as the wind grew stronger, the surface of the lake was stirred up, and soon we were facing waves of two to three feet in height as we raced back to the dock ahead of the storm. I can appreciate what the disciples must have been experiencing, out on a much larger body of water for a longer period of time, and at night. In particular, imagine what might have been going through the minds of those who were not experienced sailors; and Peter and Andrew and James and John, all experienced fishermen, must have been busy trying to keep the boat safe and on course. You can’t earn your living on the water, as fishermen do, without knowing of friends and colleagues lost by shipwreck and storm, washed overboard, and drowned. To me, this makes Peter’s act of getting out of the boat all that more significant. He had to know the risks involved, and yet his love for the Lord, and his faith in Him – and Peter did have faith, or else he could never have tried to step out of the boat – overcome his fears; at least, for a moment.
On one level, this story reveals the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the master of the earthly realm, able even to walk on water. It would probably help us to remember that we are also disciples, followers of the Lord. This means that we are also in the boat.
The fathers tell us that one way we can understand this story is to see that the boat in which the disciples are traveling is the world; while the waves are our passions, troubled by the winds, the actions of the evil spirits, the demons; and the night stands for our ignorance. Unlike the disciples in the story, we have Christ, the Light of the world, dwelling in us; and yet every time we choose to follow our passions, our sinful desires, instead of the ways of God, we blind ourselves to the Light, and choose to dwell in darkness. Because we do not seek the light as we should – by prayer, and fasting, by giving alms, and by struggling to overcome our passions – we are ignorant, and we do not always recognize our Lord when He draws near to us. As a result, we do not take the step of faith that would lead us to become more than who we are, and that would show forth Christ in our lives.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Do you have faith? Do you believe? Is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who has died in our place, and risen from the dead, trampling down death by death? If we truly believe that we are loved by God, and that He has saved us, and lives in us, and that He has given us power to be transformed more and more into His likeness, let us live in such a way that we show this belief, this trust, this faith, not only in what we say, but also in what we do. Let us pray; let us fast; let us give; and let us labor to replace our passions with the God-pleasing virtues. As we do so, we will find our thoughts and desires turning to Him, instead of clinging to the world; and we will be able to walk on the waves, no matter how great the storm – to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
Today’s reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew is a familiar story. Having miraculously fed five thousand men, as well as women and children, with five loaves and two fish, our Lord sends His disciples ahead by boat, while He goes by Himself to a mountaintop to pray. As night falls, the boat, in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, is being tossed by wind and waves. In the fourth watch, our Lord comes to His disciples, walking on the water; but they mistake Him for a spirit, not recognizing Him – hardly surprising, given that He is walking on the water! He calls to encourage them; and St. Peter, filled with excitement, says, “Lord, if You will, command me to come to you on the water.” Our Lord says, “Come, “ and St. Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water – at least, while his attention is fixed on the Lord. As soon as he turns his attention to the action of wind and waves, he begins to sink, and cries out for the Lord to save him. He does so, while commenting, “O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?” The disciples worship Him when He enters the boat, for they recognize that He is, indeed, the Son of God.
That’s a dramatic story, with very vivid images. I recall one summer many years ago, boating with friends up on Canyon Lake, on the Verde River. It’s a calm, quiet lake; or, it was until a strong thunderstorm developed; and, as the wind grew stronger, the surface of the lake was stirred up, and soon we were facing waves of two to three feet in height as we raced back to the dock ahead of the storm. I can appreciate what the disciples must have been experiencing, out on a much larger body of water for a longer period of time, and at night. In particular, imagine what might have been going through the minds of those who were not experienced sailors; and Peter and Andrew and James and John, all experienced fishermen, must have been busy trying to keep the boat safe and on course. You can’t earn your living on the water, as fishermen do, without knowing of friends and colleagues lost by shipwreck and storm, washed overboard, and drowned. To me, this makes Peter’s act of getting out of the boat all that more significant. He had to know the risks involved, and yet his love for the Lord, and his faith in Him – and Peter did have faith, or else he could never have tried to step out of the boat – overcome his fears; at least, for a moment.
On one level, this story reveals the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the master of the earthly realm, able even to walk on water. It would probably help us to remember that we are also disciples, followers of the Lord. This means that we are also in the boat.
The fathers tell us that one way we can understand this story is to see that the boat in which the disciples are traveling is the world; while the waves are our passions, troubled by the winds, the actions of the evil spirits, the demons; and the night stands for our ignorance. Unlike the disciples in the story, we have Christ, the Light of the world, dwelling in us; and yet every time we choose to follow our passions, our sinful desires, instead of the ways of God, we blind ourselves to the Light, and choose to dwell in darkness. Because we do not seek the light as we should – by prayer, and fasting, by giving alms, and by struggling to overcome our passions – we are ignorant, and we do not always recognize our Lord when He draws near to us. As a result, we do not take the step of faith that would lead us to become more than who we are, and that would show forth Christ in our lives.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Do you have faith? Do you believe? Is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who has died in our place, and risen from the dead, trampling down death by death? If we truly believe that we are loved by God, and that He has saved us, and lives in us, and that He has given us power to be transformed more and more into His likeness, let us live in such a way that we show this belief, this trust, this faith, not only in what we say, but also in what we do. Let us pray; let us fast; let us give; and let us labor to replace our passions with the God-pleasing virtues. As we do so, we will find our thoughts and desires turning to Him, instead of clinging to the world; and we will be able to walk on the waves, no matter how great the storm – to the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
"His Face Did Shine as the Sun"
(The Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ) (August 19, 2005)
“His face did shine as the sun.” Anyone who drives here in the Valley of the Sun has experienced driving east in the morning, or west in the evening, with the sun low on the horizon, and the bright light shining into your eyes. Yet the light of the sun is dim in comparison with the uncreated light of the glory of God, which Peter and James and John beheld on Mount Tabor when our Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured in glory, making His face shine as the sun, and His clothing to be white as the light.
The theme of light occurs many times in the Holy Scriptures. Moses had to veil his face when he left the presence of God, for, without the veil, his face would shine with the light it received from being in the presence of God. St. John speaks of Christ as the light that enlightens every man. Our Lord Himself told us, “You are the light of the world”; and then instructs us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.”
The uncreated light of the glory of God, which properly belongs to the Son of God, was veiled in human flesh when our Lord became incarnate for our salvation. As Christ now dwells in us, so, too, does the light of His glory. This is what enlightens our minds, making it possible for us to see the truth, and the way in which we are to walk, so as to serve God in a pleasing manner. But when we cling to our sinful ways, when we prefer our passions, and the world, to the godly way of life, we shut our eyes to the light that is meant to guide us; we try to cover the light with the filth of our sins. Brothers and sisters, this should not be.
The fathers tell us that only those who are worthy are able to climb the mountain with the Lord, as did Peter and James and John; and it is only after we have climbed the mountain that we are worthy of the Divine vision. We begin to climb as we repent of our sins, and confess them, and seek the mercy and help of God for the transformation of our lives. As we pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle against the habits of our passions, and labor to acquire the godly virtues, we climb still higher; until, by the grace of God, we have become bearers of Christ. Then, we may behold Him in His glory; and then, we may shine forth with the same, and so draw others nearer to His light, and to their salvation.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Our Lord Jesus Christ is willing and able to raise up those who love Him, and who have faith in Him that fills them with zeal. Let us repent, and confess; let us labor, and follow the Orthodox way of life, that we also may ascend the mount of Transfiguration, and allow the Light that dwells in us to shine, so that we may glorify our Father in heaven, and be His servants in the salvation of souls.
“His face did shine as the sun.” Anyone who drives here in the Valley of the Sun has experienced driving east in the morning, or west in the evening, with the sun low on the horizon, and the bright light shining into your eyes. Yet the light of the sun is dim in comparison with the uncreated light of the glory of God, which Peter and James and John beheld on Mount Tabor when our Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured in glory, making His face shine as the sun, and His clothing to be white as the light.
The theme of light occurs many times in the Holy Scriptures. Moses had to veil his face when he left the presence of God, for, without the veil, his face would shine with the light it received from being in the presence of God. St. John speaks of Christ as the light that enlightens every man. Our Lord Himself told us, “You are the light of the world”; and then instructs us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.”
The uncreated light of the glory of God, which properly belongs to the Son of God, was veiled in human flesh when our Lord became incarnate for our salvation. As Christ now dwells in us, so, too, does the light of His glory. This is what enlightens our minds, making it possible for us to see the truth, and the way in which we are to walk, so as to serve God in a pleasing manner. But when we cling to our sinful ways, when we prefer our passions, and the world, to the godly way of life, we shut our eyes to the light that is meant to guide us; we try to cover the light with the filth of our sins. Brothers and sisters, this should not be.
The fathers tell us that only those who are worthy are able to climb the mountain with the Lord, as did Peter and James and John; and it is only after we have climbed the mountain that we are worthy of the Divine vision. We begin to climb as we repent of our sins, and confess them, and seek the mercy and help of God for the transformation of our lives. As we pray, and fast, and give alms, and struggle against the habits of our passions, and labor to acquire the godly virtues, we climb still higher; until, by the grace of God, we have become bearers of Christ. Then, we may behold Him in His glory; and then, we may shine forth with the same, and so draw others nearer to His light, and to their salvation.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Our Lord Jesus Christ is willing and able to raise up those who love Him, and who have faith in Him that fills them with zeal. Let us repent, and confess; let us labor, and follow the Orthodox way of life, that we also may ascend the mount of Transfiguration, and allow the Light that dwells in us to shine, so that we may glorify our Father in heaven, and be His servants in the salvation of souls.
Our Task as Orthodox Christians
(8th Sunday after Pentecost) (August 14, 2005)
What is our task as Orthodox Christians? Among other things, we are called to be saints. That is, we are called to show forth Christ in our lives. When people see us, they should see our Lord Jesus Christ. To the extent that we faithfully follow the Orthodox way of life – of prayer, and fasting, of giving, and struggling against our sins and our weaknesses, as we do our part in the transformation of our being, we grow in our ability to show others the truth of Christ in us. When we indulge our sins and weaknesses and passions, we hide the light of Christ under the “bushel” of our flesh. When we look like everybody else, and they can’t see a difference in us, we have failed to show forth Christ in our lives. At times like that, we need to remember what we are called to do, and how we are meant to live.
The first reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew tells us of the feeding of the five thousand. Notice that, in the story, the disciples act as servants, distributing the food, and then gathering together what remains. It is our Lord who feeds the people, with the help of the disciples. Later, after the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, after the Holy Spirit has come, as He had promised, the disciples do what our Lord had done. They direct the feeding of the people; in some cases, with food for their bodies; in others, with food for their souls – and, above all, in the bread and wine that are blessed to become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. They have help in these tasks – bishops, and priests, and deacons; and all who are followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Their ministry continues to this day. We have the apostolic teaching to guide us; and we have the structure of the Church, and her servants, to provide us with the grace of God that comes to us through the Holy Mysteries. We are meant to take this rich bounty not only for ourselves, but into the world at large as well, as the disciples took what they had received, and distributed it among the five thousand. We are meant to be in the midst of the multitude, to feed them in their needs, both in body and in soul. To do this, and especially to feed those who, while having enough (and more than enough) for their bodies, are spiritually starving – a very real concern in this land, where we have access to such material wealth – to feed them in their spirit, we must be at work to be transformed, so that they can better see Christ in us, and so come to understand, and desire, that they can, and must, obtain the same.
We must also be aware that this comes at a price. We must take up our Cross, and follow the Lord. This means both faithfully laboring to live the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, and accepting that many will not approve of this; many will even wish to cause us to suffer, or put us to death, because we seek to grow closer to Christ, and make Him known to all the world. If the world did not hesitate to put Him to death to get Him out of their midst, what will they be willing to do to us? Laugh at us? Take advantage of us? Cause us to suffer in body, mind, and spirit? Put us to death?
Ultimately, none of these things matter. Even death, the reality of which causes such terror in our culture, is not to be feared; for Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death – and our treasures are not found here in this earthly life, but in the life of the world to come, in the heavenly dominions of our Lord. If we seek to preserve our life in this world’s terms, we will lose our life in the world to come; but if we draw near to Christ, He will draw near to us – and we will have the hope of life without end in His presence; and this, too, is something we can offer to the world at large.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us be faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray, and fast, and give alms, and labor to replace our passions with the godly virtues which are their counterparts. Let us make ourselves, in word and in deed, bearers of Christ, and feed the spiritually hungry with His presence in their midst through us – and those who are physically hungry with our alms. Let us take up the Cross of the Orthodox way of life and faith, and give no thought to the threats of this world; for it is by the Cross of Christ we are saved – and, through us, if we are faithful, five thousand can be fed; five thousand can be saved.
What is our task as Orthodox Christians? Among other things, we are called to be saints. That is, we are called to show forth Christ in our lives. When people see us, they should see our Lord Jesus Christ. To the extent that we faithfully follow the Orthodox way of life – of prayer, and fasting, of giving, and struggling against our sins and our weaknesses, as we do our part in the transformation of our being, we grow in our ability to show others the truth of Christ in us. When we indulge our sins and weaknesses and passions, we hide the light of Christ under the “bushel” of our flesh. When we look like everybody else, and they can’t see a difference in us, we have failed to show forth Christ in our lives. At times like that, we need to remember what we are called to do, and how we are meant to live.
The first reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew tells us of the feeding of the five thousand. Notice that, in the story, the disciples act as servants, distributing the food, and then gathering together what remains. It is our Lord who feeds the people, with the help of the disciples. Later, after the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, after the Holy Spirit has come, as He had promised, the disciples do what our Lord had done. They direct the feeding of the people; in some cases, with food for their bodies; in others, with food for their souls – and, above all, in the bread and wine that are blessed to become the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. They have help in these tasks – bishops, and priests, and deacons; and all who are followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Their ministry continues to this day. We have the apostolic teaching to guide us; and we have the structure of the Church, and her servants, to provide us with the grace of God that comes to us through the Holy Mysteries. We are meant to take this rich bounty not only for ourselves, but into the world at large as well, as the disciples took what they had received, and distributed it among the five thousand. We are meant to be in the midst of the multitude, to feed them in their needs, both in body and in soul. To do this, and especially to feed those who, while having enough (and more than enough) for their bodies, are spiritually starving – a very real concern in this land, where we have access to such material wealth – to feed them in their spirit, we must be at work to be transformed, so that they can better see Christ in us, and so come to understand, and desire, that they can, and must, obtain the same.
We must also be aware that this comes at a price. We must take up our Cross, and follow the Lord. This means both faithfully laboring to live the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, and accepting that many will not approve of this; many will even wish to cause us to suffer, or put us to death, because we seek to grow closer to Christ, and make Him known to all the world. If the world did not hesitate to put Him to death to get Him out of their midst, what will they be willing to do to us? Laugh at us? Take advantage of us? Cause us to suffer in body, mind, and spirit? Put us to death?
Ultimately, none of these things matter. Even death, the reality of which causes such terror in our culture, is not to be feared; for Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death – and our treasures are not found here in this earthly life, but in the life of the world to come, in the heavenly dominions of our Lord. If we seek to preserve our life in this world’s terms, we will lose our life in the world to come; but if we draw near to Christ, He will draw near to us – and we will have the hope of life without end in His presence; and this, too, is something we can offer to the world at large.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: Let us be faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray, and fast, and give alms, and labor to replace our passions with the godly virtues which are their counterparts. Let us make ourselves, in word and in deed, bearers of Christ, and feed the spiritually hungry with His presence in their midst through us – and those who are physically hungry with our alms. Let us take up the Cross of the Orthodox way of life and faith, and give no thought to the threats of this world; for it is by the Cross of Christ we are saved – and, through us, if we are faithful, five thousand can be fed; five thousand can be saved.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Healing the Blind and the Mute
(7th Sunday after Pentecost) (August 7, 2005)
Have you ever seen, or known, someone who was blind, and had their vision restored to them? Have you ever known someone who was unable to speak and recovered the ability to do so without effort or therapy? I can’t say that I have ever seen such a thing, or known anyone of whom this can be said.
At the end of today’s Gospel reading, we hear that our Lord Jesus Christ, having given sight to two blind men, and the ability to speak to a man who was mute, went about all the land, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and healing every sickness and disease among the people. This is a frequent theme of our Lord’s ministry; and it occurs as well in the life of the Church – which is to say, in the lives of many of the faithful. We shouldn’t be surprised. After all, our Lord told His disciples at the Last Supper that they would do the things He had done, and more, because He was departing, but He would send the Holy Spirit to them, so that they could do what He had done. In the “Acts of the Apostles,” we hear of people being healed by St. Peter and St. John, and by St. Paul; some are healed by the touch of the handkerchief of an apostle – and even by the touch of a shadow! Why don’t we see these kinds of healings taking place today?
Many Evangelical Protestants will say that this is because these miraculous healings were meant to assist the early Church in its proclamation of the Gospel; but that this time came to an end with the close of the apostolic period of the Church. In that part of the Protestant spectrum that is called “charismatic,” the response is that, because God does not change, the Holy Spirit is, indeed, present and active, and so expects to see – and perform – such healings today. The Orthodox position falls somewhere in between. We would agree that many of the hallmarks of the apostolic period – the time when the Church was led by the apostles themselves, before their repose – are not meant for today. But we also know that the saints, across time and space, have often been blessed with the power to heal the sick – although not in the way that the charismatics practice. No, our answer to the question of why such healings do not take place today is that we are not the people – the saints – we are meant to be. This shouldn’t surprise anyone; for, after all, how can we expect to do what our Lord did, when we are not laboring to make real in ourselves the life He has given us – His life, risen from the dead? How can we expect to find in ourselves, or in the Church, the power to heal, when we are not seeking to acquire the Holy Spirit? If we do not seek the kingdom of God, and the way to enter into it, why should we think that we will be able to manifest the signs of the kingdom, such as giving sight to the blind, or speech to the dumb?
The saints set themselves apart from us precisely because they did labor to bring into the reality of their lives the life of our risen Lord. They did leave behind the kingdom of this world, and seek to enter the kingdom of God, by prayer, and fasting, and the giving of alms, and the giving of themselves; and by struggling to replace their passions with the virtues, and to overcome their sins with a holy life: replacing anger and pride with patience and humility, lust with chastity, greed with generosity, gluttony with fasting and self-denial. Having been baptized into Christ, they put on Christ. They were transformed by acquiring the Holy Spirit through faith in God, and devotion in prayer and the way of life in the Orthodox Church. They grew deeper and stronger in the image, and after the likeness of God – and, by their holy way of living, and the power of God active in them, they proclaim to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear, the coming of the kingdom of God, in which the sick and the suffering shall be healed and comforted and made whole.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: We have a job to do. We are meant to declare the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. We are meant to preach the coming of the kingdom, and the return of the King. We speak of these things both in our words, and in the testimony of our lives. Each of us needs to consider what message we give by the quality of our lives. Do others see the presence of God in us? Or do they see only the ways of the world?
Have you ever seen, or known, someone who was blind, and had their vision restored to them? Have you ever known someone who was unable to speak and recovered the ability to do so without effort or therapy? I can’t say that I have ever seen such a thing, or known anyone of whom this can be said.
At the end of today’s Gospel reading, we hear that our Lord Jesus Christ, having given sight to two blind men, and the ability to speak to a man who was mute, went about all the land, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and healing every sickness and disease among the people. This is a frequent theme of our Lord’s ministry; and it occurs as well in the life of the Church – which is to say, in the lives of many of the faithful. We shouldn’t be surprised. After all, our Lord told His disciples at the Last Supper that they would do the things He had done, and more, because He was departing, but He would send the Holy Spirit to them, so that they could do what He had done. In the “Acts of the Apostles,” we hear of people being healed by St. Peter and St. John, and by St. Paul; some are healed by the touch of the handkerchief of an apostle – and even by the touch of a shadow! Why don’t we see these kinds of healings taking place today?
Many Evangelical Protestants will say that this is because these miraculous healings were meant to assist the early Church in its proclamation of the Gospel; but that this time came to an end with the close of the apostolic period of the Church. In that part of the Protestant spectrum that is called “charismatic,” the response is that, because God does not change, the Holy Spirit is, indeed, present and active, and so expects to see – and perform – such healings today. The Orthodox position falls somewhere in between. We would agree that many of the hallmarks of the apostolic period – the time when the Church was led by the apostles themselves, before their repose – are not meant for today. But we also know that the saints, across time and space, have often been blessed with the power to heal the sick – although not in the way that the charismatics practice. No, our answer to the question of why such healings do not take place today is that we are not the people – the saints – we are meant to be. This shouldn’t surprise anyone; for, after all, how can we expect to do what our Lord did, when we are not laboring to make real in ourselves the life He has given us – His life, risen from the dead? How can we expect to find in ourselves, or in the Church, the power to heal, when we are not seeking to acquire the Holy Spirit? If we do not seek the kingdom of God, and the way to enter into it, why should we think that we will be able to manifest the signs of the kingdom, such as giving sight to the blind, or speech to the dumb?
The saints set themselves apart from us precisely because they did labor to bring into the reality of their lives the life of our risen Lord. They did leave behind the kingdom of this world, and seek to enter the kingdom of God, by prayer, and fasting, and the giving of alms, and the giving of themselves; and by struggling to replace their passions with the virtues, and to overcome their sins with a holy life: replacing anger and pride with patience and humility, lust with chastity, greed with generosity, gluttony with fasting and self-denial. Having been baptized into Christ, they put on Christ. They were transformed by acquiring the Holy Spirit through faith in God, and devotion in prayer and the way of life in the Orthodox Church. They grew deeper and stronger in the image, and after the likeness of God – and, by their holy way of living, and the power of God active in them, they proclaim to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear, the coming of the kingdom of God, in which the sick and the suffering shall be healed and comforted and made whole.
Brothers and sisters, called to be saints: We have a job to do. We are meant to declare the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. We are meant to preach the coming of the kingdom, and the return of the King. We speak of these things both in our words, and in the testimony of our lives. Each of us needs to consider what message we give by the quality of our lives. Do others see the presence of God in us? Or do they see only the ways of the world?
Sunday, July 31, 2005
"Picking and Choosing" and Obedience
(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.")
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.")
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!
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