| Three weeks before Lent proper begins we enter into a period of preparation. It is a constant feature of our tradition of worship that every major liturgical event – Christmas, Easter, Lent, etc., is announced and prepared long in advance. Knowing our lack of concentration, the “worldliness” of our life, the Church calls our attention to the seriousness of the approaching event, invites us to meditate on its various “dimensions”; thus, before we can practice Lent, we are given its basic theology. Pre-lenten preparation includes four consecutive Sundays preceding Lent. 1. Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee On the eve of this day, i.e., at the Saturday Vigil Service, the liturgical book of the Lenten season – the Triodion makes its first appearance and texts from it are added to the usual liturgical material of the Resurrection service. They develop the first major theme of the season: that of humility; the Gospel lesson of the day (Lk. 18, 10-14) teaches that humility is the condition of repentance. No one can acquire the spirit of repentance without rejecting the attitude of the Pharisee. Here is a man who is always pleased with himself and thinks that he complies with all the requirements of religion. Yet, he has reduced religion to purely formal rules and measures it by the amount of his financial contribution to the temple. Religion for him is a source of pride and self-satisfaction. The Publican is humble and humility justifies him before God. (2) Sunday of the Prodigal Son The Gospel reading of this day (Lk. 15, 11-32) gives the second theme of Lent: that of a return to God. It is not enough to acknowledge sins and to confess them. Repentance remains fruitless without the desire and the decision to change life, to go back to God. The true repentance has as its source the spiritual beauty and purity which man has lost. “…I shall return to the compassionate Father crying with tears, receive me as one of Thy servants.” At Matins of this day to the usual psalms of the Polyeleos “Praise ye the name of the Lord” (Ps. 135), the Psalm 137 is added, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea we wept, when we remembered Zion… If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning…” The Christian remembers and knows that what he lost: the communion with God, the peace and joy of His Kingdom. He was baptized, introduced into the Body of Christ. Repentance, therefore, is the renewal of baptism, a movement of love, which brings him back to God. (3) Sunday of the Last Judgment |
| So, we have lots of things to talk about today. But we will begin by discussing the first two Sundays of The Triodion : the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee and the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. In the Byzantine tradition, we have four Sundays before the fasting period called Lent, which prepare us for the Fast. These Sundays are of: Each of these Sundays gives us certain topics to contemplate from the Bible, topics that motivate us in different ways for the upcoming fasting period, so that we fast in the proper spirit. On the first Sunday of The Triodion, or four weeks before Lent, we hear the Gospel reading about the publican, or tax collector, and the Pharisee. This is a parable, or little story, told by Jesus Christ to illustrate a certain life-lesson. “Two men went up to the temple to pray: one a Pharisee and the other, a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rouges, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying: ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Lk.18: 10-14). Now, note that the tax collector did indeed lead a corrupt life: he was a corrupt Jew, regarded as a religious outcast, in fact, by Orthodox Jews like the Pharisee in this story. Tax collectors are often classed in the Gospel with harlots, sinners, and even heathen. And the Pharisee in this story did indeed lead a life according to the external religious rules of his time. So, if these two men happened to be women today, you could compare them to, say, a pious Orthodox woman, who stands in church in a long skirt and head scarf, who properly fasts at all the proper times, and regularly goes to church, but despises other people; and another woman, who wanders into church once in a while in a short skirt, let us say, and perhaps, lots of makeup and no head scarf, and sleeps with various men out of wedlock; or perhaps, another kind of woman we tend to despise as religious Orthodox, somebody that is a religious outcast for us, say, an openly homosexual woman. And yet, in this story in the Gospel, the one who leaves justified by God is the corrupt guy, the religious outcast, the tax collector, because he regards himself with humility and relies only on God’s mercy. |
| The importance of fasting and its observance today: Draft document of the Pan-Orthodox Council Source: DECR Draft document of the Pan-Orthodox Council, adopted by the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference in Chambésy on October 10-17, 2015. Photo: http://www.patriarchia.ru/ Published in compliance with the decision of the Synaxis of Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Chambésy, January 21-28, 2016. 1. Fast is God’s commandment (Gen 2:16-17). According to St Basil the Great, fasting is as old as humanity itself; it was prescribed in Paradise (On Fasting, 1,3). It is a great spiritual endeavour and the foremost expression of the Orthodox ascetic ideal. The Orthodox Church, in strict conformity with the precepts of the holy apostles, the rules of the Councils and the patristic tradition as a whole, has always proclaimed a great significance of fasting for people’s spiritual life and salvation. The annual cycle of liturgical celebrations fully reflects the patristic teaching on fasting, as well as the teaching on the necessity of constant unrelaxing watchfulness and on how to succeed in spiritual endeavours. The Triodion praises fasting as bringing the light of grace , as the invincible arms , the beginning of spiritual warfare , the perfect path of virtues , the nourishment for the soul , the source of wisdom , the life imperishable and imitation the angelic life , the mother of all blessings and virtues , and as the image of the life to come . 2. As an ancient institution, fasting was mentioned already in the Old Testament (Deut 9:18; Is 58:4-10; Joel 2:15; Jonah 3:5-7) and affirmed in the New Testament. The Lord Himself fasted for forty days before entering upon His public ministry (Lk 4:1-2) and gave to people instructions on how to practice fasting (Mt 6:16-18). Fasting as a means of abstinence, repentance and spiritual growth is presented in the New Testament (Mk 1:6; Acts 13:3; 14:23; Rom 14:21). Since the apostolic times, the Church has being proclaiming a profound importance of fasting, having established Wednesday and Friday as fast days (Didache, 8,1) and the fast before Easter (St Irenaeus of Lyons in Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 5, 24). |
| NY court lets woman refuse vaccine made with aborted baby tissue/Православие.Ru NY court lets woman refuse vaccine made with aborted baby tissue New York, September 3, 2015 An Orthodox Christian woman has won the right to refuse a vaccine developed using aborted babies' tissue, based on her religious beliefs. The vaccine is for measles/mumps/rubella and is required by New York City law for all schoolchildren. It was developed from fetal tissue procured from abortions, hence the moral dilemma for practicing Christians. The woman, who remains anonymous, said her Christian beliefs against abortion compel her to have nothing to do with vaccines made using aborted fetal tissue. " Abortion is clearly a mortal sin and is [an] abhorrent act to any Christian, " the New York mom said in her petition for exemption, according to the New York Post. " The vaccine manufacturers' use of aborted fetal cells in its products and research means that I cannot associate with them or support them financially (by buying their products), for such support would make me complicit to their sin. " New York State Department of Education Commissioner Mary Ellen Elia concluded in the woman's favor, explaining, " The weight of the evidence supports petitioner's contentions that her opposition to the MMR vaccine stems from sincerely held religious beliefs. " Christianity has always opposed abortion, from the time of the New Testament. The Bible teaches that from conception, the womb holds a human person, calling pregnancy " to be with child " (Isaiah 7:14). Many biblical individuals are explicitly described as called or known from the womb, such as Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-5), Isaiah (Isaiah 44:2; 49:1), Job (Job 10:8-12), Paul (Gal. 1:15), and John the Baptist (Lk. 1:15). The New Testament also condemns abortifacients (Galatians 5:20; Revelation 9:21, 18:23, 21:8, 22:15). Other early Church documents condemning abortion include the Didache, the Epistle of Barnabas, the Epistle to Diognetus, the Apocalypse of Peter, St. Athenagoras's writings, the letters of St. Clement of Alexandria, the Apostolic Constitutions, Tertullian, Hippolytus's Apostolic Traditions. Additionally, every early Church council says likewise. |
| The Ascension. Giotto, c.1305, Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, Padua, Italy Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (Heb. 4:14). Let us follow along now mentally, brethren, with the sacred writers, depicting the path of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Ascension into Heaven, in the glory of His Father. This path, ending with His Ascension to the Father (Jn. 20:17) and His receiving of the Heavenly glory which He had in His Divinity before the world was (Jn. 17:5), commenced with His sufferings. Ascending up far above all heavens, our Lord had to descend first into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9-10) to disappear into the bowels of the earth, into the depths of the abyss, and be cut off from the land of the living that, having made Himself an offering of propitiation (Is. 53:8-10) for the sins of man, He could present Himself as our High Priest, able to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Heb. 4:15). And we see how this bearer of man’s sin, forsaken among the dead and reduced into the dust of earth (Ps. 88:5, 21:15), is the Victor over hell and death , and binds the strong man, that is, the devil (Mt. 12:29). He Who cometh from Edom … glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength (Is. 63:1), and ascended on high , receives rather the spoils of human souls saved by Him (Ps. 68:18), as the King of glory, entering through the gates of Heaven itself, to appear there as the Forerunner and Intercessor for us (Ps. 23:7-10; Heb. 6:20, 12:23-24). If, brethren, such is the path of the Ascension of Christ Himself into His glory (Lk. 24:26)—that is, a path of suffering and death—then can our path be otherwise? If He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6), then how can we come to God the Father, if not by imitating our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 13:15)? If our Lord Jesus Christ sits on the right hand of God, then set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth , for if we have died with Him, then, according to the apostle, our lives must now be hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:1-3). Let us mortify our earthly passions and thoughts (Col. 3:5) in order to have our citizenship in Heaven (Phil. 3:20), and with our purified minds to follow Christ, the Lord of our lives, Who has ascended into Heaven and is drawing us there where He is. Let us prepare our minds with contemplation and prayer for that spiritual joy with which the apostles were filled as they stood watching Christ as He ascended from Earth to Heaven, and afterwards returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Lk. 24:52; Acts 1:10-12). |
| ‘’He who does not love his brother abides in death’’ (1Jn 3:14) The action of life is the heroism of love. This is the milk that is given in abundance by our Mother Church. ‘’Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him’’ (1Jn 3:18-19). In the life of the Orthodox Church we don’t worship a dogma or some belief. But what we live is a theophany: the revelation of the truth, that God is love. Out of love, God creates everything. And when humanity fell from love, from communion with God, He did not abandon it. He humbled Himself and saved it. The God-man our Lord Jesus Christ as you know from the life of the Church, is a revelation of ineffable love for all of creation and the human being. Jesus does not see enemies but friends. He gives no defense to be saved, but sacrifices Himself to save everyone. He even considers friends those who crucify Him. He does not destroy enemies because He doesn’t have any, but abolishes the hatred in humanity. This final victory of peace destroys death, enlivens everyone and resurrects them. The lighthouse which guides and frees the human being from the ravages of death is the confession by the Apostle of love who said: ‘’we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death’’ (1Jn 3:14; cf. Lk 10:27-28). There is a world of difference between thinking about love and loving, between noble thoughts and noble actions. We have enough talk, enough ideas. We need action. We need deeds; not that deeds buy our ticket to heaven, but talk definitely doesn’t. Love is the oxygen of life. It does not divide but unites. It helps everyone improve their behavior, heals the sick and assists people to rejoice in their life. We don’t breathe life into our souls simply by being informed about different religious views, but by the living examples of those who conquered death, through the sacrifice of love. No soul is nourished with religious informative views, but by the spirit of the heroism of love. |
| Eirmos: Ineffable is the childbearing of a seedless conception, unsullied the pregnancy of a Virgin Mother, for the birth of God renews natures. So in all generations we magnify thee in orthodox fashion as the Mother and Bride of God. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me. Troparia: Christ the Word healed diseases, preached the Gospel to the poor, cured cripples, ate with publicans, conversed with sinners, and He brought back the departed soul of Jairus’ daughter by the touch of His hand. ( Mt.9:11 ; Mk.5:41-42 ) The publican was saved, the harlot was made chaste, but the pharisee through boasting was condemned. For the first said, “Be merciful”, the second, “Have mercy on me”, but the last boasted and cried, “O God, I thank Thee”, and then some foolish words. ( Lk.7:36-50; 18:9-14 ) Zacchaeus was a publican, but yet was healed, and Simon the Pharisee was disappointed; but the harlot received the release of full forgiveness from Him Who has power to forgive sins. Obtain His forgiveness thyself, my soul. ( Lk.19:1-10; 7:36-50 ) Thou, my wretched soul, hast not emulated the harlot who took the alabaster jar of perfumed oil and anointed with tears and wiped with her hair the feet of the Savior, Who tore up for her the handwriting of her old accusation. ( Lk.7:37-38 ; Col.2:14 ) Thou knowest how the towns to which Christ offered the Gospel were cursed. Fear this example, my soul, do not be like them; for the Lord compared them to the Sodomites and condemned them to hell. ( Lk.10:13-15 ) Do not let despair make thee worse than the Canaanite woman, my soul, for thou hast heard of her faith through which her daughter was healed by the Word of God. Call to Christ like her from the depth of thy heart, “Son of David, save me.” ( Mt.15:22 ) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: To The Trinity: Let us glorify the Father, exalt the Son, and faithfully worship the Divine Spirit, inseparable Trinity, Unity in essence, as the Light and Lights, the Life and Lives, giving life and light to the ends of the earth. |
| 5. The Shunammite woman of old with right good will entertained the righteous man. But thou, my soul, have taken into thy house neither stranger nor traveler. Therefore thou wilt be cast out of the bridal hall wailing. ( 2King.4:8 ) 6. Thou hast always imitated the vile mind of Gehazi, O wretched soul. Rid thyself of his love of money, at least in old age; escape from the fire of Gehenna by leaving thy evil ways. ( 2King.5:20-27 ) 7. Having emulated Uzziah, my soul, thou hast his leprosy in thee doubled. For thou dost think disgusting thoughts and do outrageous things. Let go of what thou art holding and run to repentance. ( 2King.15:5 ; 2Chron.26:19 ) 8. Hast thou heard, my soul, of the Ninevites, who repented before God in sackcloth and ashes? Thou hast not imitated them, but appear to be more crooked than all who have sinned before and after the law. ( Jona.3:5 ) 9. Thou hast heard of Jer.in the mud pit, my soul, how he cried out with lamentations against the City of Zion, and was seeking tears. Imitate his life of lamentation and thou wilt be saved. ( Jer.38:6 ) 10. Jonah fled to Tarshish, foreseeing the conversion of the Ninevites; for, being a Prophet, he was aware of God’s compassion, and was anxious that his prophesy should not prove false. ( Jona.1:3 ) 11. Thou hast heard, my soul, of Daniel in the lion’s den, and how he shut the beasts’ mouths. Thou dost know how the Children who were with Azariah extinguished the flames of the burning furnace by faith. ( Dan.6:16-22; 3:23 ) 12. I have reviewed all the people of the Old Testament as examples for thou, my soul. Imitate the God-loving deeds of the righteous and shun the sins of the wicked. 13. Just Judge and Savior, have mercy on me and deliver me from the fire and the threat which I shall justly incur at the judgment. Forgive me before my end by virtue and repentance. 14. Like the robber I cry, “Remember me!” Like Peter I weep bitterly, “Release me, O Savior!” I croak like the publican; I weep like the harlot. Accept my lamentation as once the Canaanite woman. ( Lk.23:42 ; Mt.26:75 ; Lk.18:13 . ; Lk.7:37-38 ; Mt.15:22-28 ) |
| Waterless clouds have gathered over the Russian plains from all sides. They have been brought by the wind, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever (Jude 1:13). Their mouths utter words that are puffed up. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts (Jude 1:16). The cunning adversary walks about in the form of wild people, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Pet 5:8). The gates of hell have gathered all their might and have fallen headlong on Christ’s Holy Church. Do we have to point out these enemies of the Church? But who does not know them? Only the blind cannot see them. We believe, we believe unwaveringly, that no winds, no tempests can sink the ship of Jesus Christ! The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church of Christ! Truth is great and stronger than all things, it endures and is strong for ever (2 Esd 4:35-38). It is easier to extinguish the sun than to destroy the Church, as St John Chrysostom says. Let us not fear for Holy Church! But look how the inheritance of God is stolen away! How many good people have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Chor (Jude 1: 1. Compare Gen 4:7; Num 22:22; 16:13). Surely it is not possible to entangle ourselves with the affairs of this life (2 Tim 2:4) with a clear conscience, when they are tormenting our own mother – Holy Church – and her children are being stolen away? In the form of the Church Christ is once more being crucified, once more being mocked and reviled in madness. What sort of conscience do we need not to lighten the cross of Christ, like Simon of Cyrene? How can any who have received a Church education, to whom God has given strength and knowledge, who love God, whom Christ has chosen for His service, not stand up and defend the Savior? How can they not guard the inheritance of God from plundering wolves? This is a great and gracious cause. If any of you, writes the Apostle, do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins (Jas 5: 19-20). And how sad it is when you hear that they who have started all with one consent begin to make excuse (Lk 14:18). Around us are brothers who perish for the faith and the guests say: This is not my affair: let those who wish serve him, but as for me…I have bought a piece of ground, I have married a wife, – have me excused (Lk 14: 18-20). But the blood of your brother, the blood of all who through your negligence have been trapped by the spiritual wolf, cries to God from the ground (Gen 4:10). To you is given strength, to you knowledge, and you did not want to give them to the service of God and Holy Church? Thou didst eat fine flour and honey and oil, but thou didst shamelessly betray God (Ezek 16:13; read to the end of the chapter). |
| Commune with your hearts ... and be silent. Be still, and know that I am God ( Ps.4:4, 46:10 ). The teaching about brevity and silence in prayer is found in all of the spiritual teachers. Saint Dimitry of Rostov sums up this teaching when he says that the publican prayed only “God be merciful to me a sinner” and was justified; the repentant thief prayed only “Remember me ...” and received paradise; and the prodigal son and the tax-collector, Zacchaeus, said nothing at all, and received the mercy of the Father and the forgiveness of Christ ( Lk.15:20, 18:13, 19:5, 22:42 ; cf. St Dimitry of Rostov, 17th c., The Art of Prayer, Igumen Chariton, ed.). Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened... If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in My name, I will do it ( Jn.14:13–14 ). Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, He will give it to you in My name. Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full ( Jn.16:23–24 ). Whatever one asks in the name of Jesus will be given. This does not mean that man can ask God for anything at all. He cannot ask for what is not needed, or for what is evil. He can ask, however, and must ask for “good gifts,” for whatever can be asked in the name of Christ, for whatever is holy and sinless and good. If one asks for good things in faith, he will certainly receive them if God thinks that he should have them for his life and salvation. This is the promise of the Lord Himself. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you ( Jn.15:7 ). And whatever you ask in prayer, if you have faith, you will receive ( Mt.21:22 ; cf. Lk.18:1–8 ). |
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