| Shutterstock The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 25:31-46 One of the joys of serving in the priesthood is that any given day can turn out to be an adventure. When the phone rings, you never know exactly what is coming. This week someone called the church thinking that we were Roman Catholic and asking me if I would come and perform “last rites” for someone who was dying. In our tradition of course, there is no such “last rites” but we perform the sacrament of Holy Unction for anyone who is sick, at any time, including on their deathbed. After talking to them I figured out that they were not Orthodox Christians and I told them that I was not a Roman Catholic priest but that I was willing to come and pray with them and anoint the man who was dying with another blessed oil. After all, I was not sure how long the man would live or if they would be able to get a Roman priest to visit in time. They agreed. I’m sharing all of this with you for a reason, as you will soon see. I ended up at their home and I went in and saw the older man who was sick. He was asleep or unconscious, I did not know which. I did what I could do. I prayed for him. I asked God to forgive his sins. I anointed him with some blessed oil (not the Holy Unction). But ultimately I have no idea what kind of a life he had lived. He was preparing to stand before the throne of the judgment seat of God and there was only so much that I could do for him. The time to prepare for our end is not just when we are on our deathbed or when we find out that we are very ill. The time to prepare for our end is every single day because we don’t know the hour and the day when we will go to meet the Holy King. On this the second to last Sunday before we plunge into the waters of Great Lent, the Church reminds us that we are all going to face the same fate. We are all going to pass through the path of death one day. So as a mercy, we are reminded that the Lord Jesus Christ has taught us exactly what is expected of us. |
| Spiritual Growth: Is it My Job or God " s? Our Faith Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2011 - 05:50:02 Spiritual Growth: Is it My Job or God " s? Jan 28, 2011, 10:00 Discuss this article Printer friendly page Source: Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States " And they continued steadfastly in the apostles " doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles " (Acts 2:42-43). Many times we hope to be growing and progressing in our spiritual relationship with God. But then suddenly, this hope is demolished and we end up disappointed and discouraged. There is a lesson to be learned from watching babies grow from being dependent on their mother and father to becoming independent. By looking at their eyes as they wonder about an unknown object and reach to touch it for the first time, we get a glimpse of what it means to learn. We get to see the miracle of life just happening in front of our own eyes. The point is that maturity, which affects the way we see things, becomes clear to us as we strive for everything we do in order to learn, prosper, and reach our goal. When we see people failing time after time to reach their goal of spiritual maturity, we get discouraged. We also become afraid of trying because our mind tells us it is not possible to reach God. We tell ourselves we are sinners, but we fail to recognize that through the Holy Bible God has given us many examples of how He loves sinners like us. For example: Our motivation to grow spiritually will come from understanding that we must rely on God " s grace to overcome our fear of failure. Instead of fear, we must realize that trusting and having faith in God will be our driving force in getting close to Him. " Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the way of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment " (Ecclesiastes 11:9). |
| Spiritual Life Cannot Be “Bought,” Even with Some Sort of Deed Highlights of the Rector of Saint Tikhon " s Orthodox University Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov " s annual conversation with first-year students. What is spiritual life? – How can we understand whether or not the Holy Spirit is a person? At the end of January 1978, I went to a wonderful starets, Archimandrite Tavrion Batozskiy. He was seriously ill with cancer, and I didn’t know if I would see him or not. Archimandrite Tavrion Batozskiy You had to go through the woods from the bus stop. It was quite dark. The snow glistened and the stars were on fire. When I entered the monastery, it seemed as though everyone was asleep, but there were already a lot of pilgrims in the temple. Those who came to the monastery, received Holy Communion every day. Many criticized Father Tavrion for that. I went into the temple and heard them reading something, and after a while realized that it was a homily of Symeon the New Theologian. They read the place where St. Symeon explains: if anyone says that the Holy Spirit in him, but it is not noticeable, then — it is not true, because the presence of the Holy Spirit in one’s heart can not be confused. It’s like a fragrance in the nostrils or light to the eye. Suddenly, Father Tavrion came out from the altar and said : “You know, I give my blessing for all to take communion frequently. When I come to the Last Judgment, God will ask me: “How could you give communion to everyone every day? From where have you gained such a confidence?” I will answer him: “I warned them. The words of St. Symeon is a warning. ” It means: Don’t fool yourself. If you don’t feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, this means He is not in you. In this case, don’t go to communion frequently. You are not ready to live the grace of a spiritual life. Apostle Paul speaks a little differently about this: “Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Rom. 8: 9). Spiritual life is not broad intellectual interests. It is not literature, nor theater, nor a conservatory. It is life with the Holy Spirit in the heart. |
| St. John of Shanghai The doors of repentance are opening, Great Lent is beginning. Every year Great Lent is repeated, and each time it brings us great benefit if we spend it as we should. It is a preparation for the life to come and, more immediately, a preparation for the Bright Resurrection. Just as a stairway is built into a tall building in order to enable one, by climbing the steps, to easily reach the top, so too, the various days in the year serve as steps for our spiritual ascent. This is especially true of the days of Great Lent and Holy Pascha. By means of Great Lent we cleanse ourselves of the filth of sin, and at Holy Pascha we experience the blessedness of Christ's Kingdom that is to come. In climbing a high mountain, one tries to eliminate all unnecessary weight. The less a person carries, the easier it is for him to climb and the higher he is able to climb. So, too, in order to ascend spiritually, it is necessary first of all to free oneself from the weight of sin. This weight is lifted from us through repentance, provided that we banish from ourselves all enmity and forgive each person whom we consider to be at fault before us. Once cleansed and forgiven by God, we then greet the Bright Resurrection of Christ. And what a priceless gift of God we receive, at the culmination of our lenten struggle. We already hear about this in the first hymns of the daily lenten stichera: " Our food shall be the Lamb of God, on the holy and radiant night of His Awakening: the Victim offered for us, given in communion to the disciples on the evening of the Mystery. " (Aposticha sticheron, Sunday of the Last Judgment). Communing of the Body and Blood of the Risen Christ, unto life eternal — this is the aim of the holy Quadragesima [Forty Days]. Not only on Pascha do we commune, but during Lent also. On Pascha those people should commune who have fasted, confessed and received the Holy Mysteries during Great Lent. Just before Pascha itself there is little opportunity for a proper and thorough confession; the priests are very busy and most of the time occupied with the Passion services. Rather one must prepare ahead of time. |
| St. Spyridon, Bishop of Tremithius; Balkans. Serbia, Decani. 14th c. I n the Life of St. Spyridon of Tremithius is retold in detail how at the First Ecumenical Council the holy elder entered into a debate with the Greek philosopher who defended the Arian heresy. The arguments made by the holy hierarch were the simplest confession of the essence of faith in the Omnipotent God, One in the Trinity, and in the salvation of the human race accomplished by God the Son. Even so, after his conversation with St. Spyridon the philosopher turned to his friends and said, “Do you hear? While our debate went on by means of argument, I put forth one argument against another and through my skill in argumentation deflected everything presented to me. But when instead of argument proceeding from reason some kind of special power began to proceed from the elder’s lips, any argument became powerless before it, inasmuch as man cannot successfully oppose God. If any of you are able to think as I do, then believe in Christ and follow after this elder along with me, for God Himself spoke through his lips.” In this brief episode from the Life of St. Spyridon, just as in other stories connected with his righteous service, the question is answered with particular force as to what language of faith Christians should use when addressing a world that has rejected Christ. The saint was a shepherd; he did not have storehouse of theological education that could have withstood the sophistry of the philosophers. Obviously, this language was the language of virtue, accessible to every Christian. In the Sermon on the Mount the Savior clearly points to this, saying, Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Mt. 5:14-16). Nevertheless, in the real life of a Christian, fulfilling the commandment to preach the faith, to transform the world through virtue and moral action is bound up with many difficulties. Thus, the Lord talks about how at the Last Judgment even those who worked miracles in His name—which means healing, instructing, persuading apostates to return—will be cast out. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Mt. 7:22-23). As it turns out, the language of the virtues, in which we are called to converse with the world, is not so simple after all. |
| The Church Prepares us for Lent: the Prodigal Son Source: Fr. Bill's Blog Fr. Bill Olnhausen 24 February 2019 The parable of the prodigal son. V. Kruchkov. “Oh, it’s Christmas Eve! I wonder – what presents should I give to everybody this year?” You know how well that would not work. It’s the same with Lent. That’s why the Church gives us the season of Pre-Lent – so we won’t get to Clean Monday (March 11 this year) and say “Already? What shall I do for Lent this year?” No. Get yourself ready for Lent. Now! Pre-Lent – which this year began on Sunday February 17. The date varies according to the date of Pascha. Now, the purpose of Lent is not to give up cheeseburgers for a few weeks and then start eating them again. Big deal. The purpose of Lent is to get our lives back in order, get ourselves headed in the right direction again. Lent is our annual shape-up time – “spring training” to get us ready for the summer season. We all tend to stray from the straight and narrow, don’t we? In many ways. Maybe it’s our prayer life. Maybe we’re not forgiving or apologizing as we should. Maybe we just need to lose some weight. (That’s not the chief purpose of Lent, but we are responsible to God to care for the bodies he gave us.) Maybe we’ve fallen into a particular sin. Many possibilities. Lent is the time catch ourselves before we go too far and lose control. So now, plan which virtues should you work on during Lent. Which sins and failings should you try to overcome? How should you fast? What should your Lenten Rule be? Scripture readings on our four Pre Lenten Sundays advise us how to keep a good Lent. These are the Sundays of 1 the Publican and Pharisee, 2 the Prodigal Son, 3 the Last Judgment, 4 Forgiveness. Moral for Lent During Lent, during life, do not waste your time looking down on others. If you’re tempted to talk about other peoples’ failings, or even think about them, let alone inform God about them (!), sit on it. Who do you despise?… (out with it…) …Now, STOP! This may be fun but it’s dangerous. During Lent, during life, deal with your own sins and failings, not those of others. |
| The Day of the Theophany: A Time to Remember Our Vows to God What will happen if, on the last day of the history of mankind on earth, the day of the Dread Judgment, one who has given vows (or had them given on his behalf by his sponsors) does not even know what these vows are or what was promised? What will happen to such a person? On the Feast Day of the Theophany or Baptism of the Lord it is not superfluous for every Orthodox Christian to remember another Baptism, the Baptism that was celebrated over each one of us, Orthodox Christians, a Baptism at which each one of us, through the mouths of our godparents, vowed to God always to renounce Satan and his works and always to be conjoined and “united” with Christ. This, I repeat, is especially becoming for the present day. The solemn rite of the Great Blessing of the Waters will now be celebrated. One may say that its central and primary part is the magnificent prayer in which the Lord is glorified and the grace of the Holy Spirit is invoked upon the sanctified water. This prayer begins with these beautiful words: “Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy works, and no word is adequate to sing the praise of Thy wonders!” Those who have been present at the celebration of the Mystery of Baptism and have listened attentively will know that the prayer the blesses the waters into which one will be Baptized begins with these very same words, and that the first part of this prayer is perfectly identical in both the Great Blessing of the Waters and at the celebration of the Mystery of Baptism. Only later, in the final part, does the prayer at the celebration of the Mystery of Baptism differ, as is appropriate for this Mystery at which a new human soul is Baptized. Therefore it would do us no harm to recall the vows that are given at Baptism on behalf of us all. When someone is Baptized in adulthood, as now sometimes happens and as was particularly frequent in antiquity, he makes his vows on his own behalf; but if he is Baptized in infancy then his vows are made by his godfather or godmother, or “sponsors” as the Church calls them. These vows, in which Christians promise God to renounce Satan and all his works and to unite with and join Christ, are often not only forgotten, but many people do not even know the first thing about them, or that these vows were made for them and that they should think about how to keep them. |
| The Last Judgment, Fresco in the Chora Monastery, Constantinople When they are in fashion, fads are never recognized as fads. Those under their influence and promoting them feel that they have come across An Important New Truth, or (if Orthodox) An Important But Neglected Part of Our Tradition. Recognizing them as fads or, (worse yet for Orthodox) as deviations from genuine Tradition, would only serve to dismiss them from serious consideration. Thus fads never ’fess up. I suggest that the latest interest in Universalism, the belief that everyone will eventually be saved, is the latest fad (or, if preferred, that it is currently fashionable). Evidence of this may be found in the fact that the view is being promoted by a number of different people who have little contact with one another and with little else in common. Thus we find it promoted by a scholar such as David Bentley Hart in his essay God, Creation, and Evil , and also in more popular form (I am being polite), by Rob Bell in his best-seller Love Wins . (My review of the latter may be found here .) Admittedly the conviction that everyone will eventually be saved (including Satan and the demons) has been expressed from time to time throughout Christian history (as has the unrelated conviction that Christ is not fully divine), but, like the latter Arian opinion, the majority of Christians have decided to pass on it. For people like the Orthodox who believe that God guides His Church and that therefore consensus matters, the solid fact of Christian consensus about the eternity of hell is surely significant. Orthodox scholars rarely stand on their hind legs and boldly proclaim that everyone will be saved. Like Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, they simply ask “Dare We Hope for the Salvation of All?” (see his essay by that title in the anthology The Inner Kingdom ), and then go on to answer, “Why yes, of course”. Metropolitan Kallistos thus begins by declaring the question open (much like he recently declared the question of whether or not women may be ordained priests as open in the latest revision of his The Orthodox Church ), and then proceeds to examine the evidence. We will do the same here, and examine the Scriptures, the Fathers, and the teaching of the Fifth Ecumenical Council. Since this is a blog and not a book, the examination must of necessity be somewhat limited. |
| The Life of St. Mary of Egypt is one of the ascetical treasures of the Orthodox Church, which helps us understand God’s plan for salvation. Like everything that is outside of time, the Life of the Egyptian desert-dweller is contemporary in the true sense of the word—every living soul can recognize its own experience in St. Mary’s experience; the Life of the saint both rebukes and heals. St. Mary crosses the Jordan. According to the [Russian] Bible dictionary, believing means not only, and not so much being sure of something as it means trusting. It means being ready to follow the One Whom you love, with open eyes. To go where He Himself leads you. To the desert. Thus did Abraham leave his house in order to learn the Truth, bringing his own son as a sacrifice. Thus was Job led to the desert of total loss, and spoke with the unsearchable God face to face. Thus did the Israelites trust in God and through risky wanderings in the desert they obtained the Promise Land for themselves. The desert is a place of trust, and not surety. There is no guarantee here. How many of the Israelites who followed Moses actually saw the earthly paradise? Faith, or belief, is discomfort, pain, light, and joy. Having faith (believing) means walking on water. Why did the Lord call Mary to repentance in such an unexpected manner? Does this mean that there are on this earth special people chosen by heaven, for whom the path of salvation and illumination are prepared, and that if you don’t belong to their category then there is no point in fleeing your enslavement? If we suppose that the Creator divided his children from the beginning (not just creatures, but children) into the loved and not loved, then we turn ourselves into marionettes, and the Last Judgment promised in the Gospels is cancelled. The simplest justification for a sinner is, “I was not chosen for salvation, You did not give me the possibility to rise from my knees, so how can I now converse with angels?” Fatalism says that the Lord gave Mary strength, and therefore the harlot became an angel. First grace, and then labors. But we see it differently. On the earth, time moves from the past to the future, but in heaven there is no past, nor future. Therefore the Lord gives special grace to the one whom His foreknowledge discerns to be a laborer of the spirit. First labors, and then grace. It is a paradox of reverse time. |
| The old saying is “blood is thicker than water” and it seems that every culture has some form of this saying to reinforce the idea that family comes first! One of the strongest memories that I have as a boy growing up is my own mother reminding me that my behavior reflects on her and how she did as a mother to me. Bringing shame on my mother through bad behavior was always seen as something to be avoided at all costs. Besides, she would remind me, you have a family name to live up to. Family comes first! And that makes perfect sense in a society made up of family relationships. But we live in an age where the term “family” is being redefined; where a “family” can be anything we want it to be. I wonder if folks stop to consider the unintended consequences of their tinkering with foundational principles of society? Look at our Lesson today in Matthew 12:46-50; 13:1-3: At that time, while Jesus was speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.” That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he entered a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables. The Lord is beginning His teaching ministry that will last a little over 3 years until His crucifixion in Jerusalem. And His earthly family; His mother, step-siblings, and cousins, are watching His popularity grow and the crowds press in on Jesus. Naturally, they are concerned for Him. Now some moderns have suggested this passage proves that the Lord dismissed the importance of His family, even His mother, the Theotokos. Others point to this as proof that Mary and Joseph had other children besides the Lord Jesus after the Lord was born. Suffice it to say that, as usual, they are reading more into the passage than is allowed and they are ignoring other information that would correct their snap judgment. |
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