July 5, 2007 - How Much He Must Suffer
Dear Parish Faithful,
We recently celebrated the Feast of the Apostles Peter & Paul (June 29). As I said briefly in the homily at last Sunday morning's eucharistic Liturgy, we should avoid the temptation to idealize, romanticize or even glamorize the lives and times of the apostles, as foundational and fascinating as those early years of the Church actually are. The following passage from the Apostle Paul, breathing wirh a profound pathos even for us today, should make this point very clear:
Apparently, St. Paul was not very successful at finding his "comfort zone!" Or, rather, it appears that God had prepared no such "zone" for him to occupy. At the very beginning of his apostolic vocation, the Lord said of Paul: "... I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." (ACTS 9:16) Of course, St. Paul was only imitating his Lord in this. Yet, such a passage as the above is so remote from our daily experience as Christians, that the tendency to possibly ideailze, romanticize, or glamorize this apostolic experience is one way of trying to make some sense out of it. We can praise St. Paul for his perseverance and endurance, while at the same time not even considering to go too far out of our own way for the sake of Christ. His pain paved the way for our (Christian?) pleasure! When historical figures - including Christian saints - take on "mythic status," we tend to lift them out of the "messy" realites of their historical lives and contexts. In this way, the Apostle Paul becomes the great missionary preacher who drew in the Gentile world with a kind of irresistable charisma; thus forgetting that he was subject to all of the above when we encountered some rather particularly stubborn resistance to his proclamation of the Gospel! |
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Perhaps the least we can do is remember the suffering image of the the Apostle Paul when minor, petty and trifling "issues" get in the way of our relationship with Christ. Bad weather, bad moods, busy schedules, constant distractions, worldly pursuits and the rest are insufficient grounds for neglecting our Lord so that desires of a much lesser significance can be satisfied. Rather than the saying "avoid pain, and seek plesure," we would be closer to the mind of St. Paul if we remembered the saying "no pain, no gain." That may be a hard lesson, but it is one based on the Cross and the examples of the great saints, beginning with the Apostle Paul.
Fr. Steven
June 29, 2007 - Pick Up and Read
Dear Parish Faithful,
We can learn about church life in the ancient world through reading the numerous surviving homilies of St. John Chrysostom (+407). This includes the positive and the negative. As we know, St. John had the incomparable gift of encouraging others in Christ - but also the same gift for pastoral rebuke and chastisement! Here is what he wrote when encountering too much noise in the church:
We will put a stop (to our enmity with our neighbor) if we remember our own sins, if we carefully examine all our faults - at home, abroad, in public, in church. After all, if for no other reason, we at least deserve to incur the ultimate penalty for our lack of respect here: despite the singing of the prophets, the praise offered by the apostles and God's own speaking, we wander outside and bring in the hubbub of worldly affairs. We do not even afford God's laws the kind of stillness that patrons at spectacles provide for the emperor's letters. There, remember, at the reading of those letters, consuls and viceroys and senate and people all stand to attention, listening quietly to what is said; should anyone during that profound stillness leap up and cry aloud, he suffers the ultimate penalty for insulting the emperor.
Here, on the contrary, when the letters from heaven are read out, pandemonium ensues on all sides. And yet the one who sent the letters is much more important than this emperor, and the venue is more solemn: it is not only for human beings but also for angels, and these triumphal achievements which the letters report are much more awesome than those on earth. Hence not only human beings but also angels and archangels, and the heavenly choirs of all of us on earth are bidden to give praise... Yet while this and much more is being read, and we should be in awe and not even think we are on earth, we make a noise and get distracted as if in the middle of the marketplace, and spend the whole time of the service talking of things that are of no value to us. (From Homily 19 on the Gospel of St. Matthew)
Sounds like it was much worse in St. John's day in those large, teeming, cosmopolitan churches of Antioch or Constantinople! Literally thousands could have been present at once. St. John also had to remind his flock not to applaud during his homilies. We lesser priests and preachers have to remind our flocks, perhaps, not to fall asleep! Be that as it may, we never know when our children will decide to "express" themselves during the Liturgy. But that is a "holy noise" - as Fr. Alexander Schmemann used to call it - that we can not only endure, but understand. Far worse, and infinitely more to blame, if the adult members of the parish (dare!) to chatter during the reading of the Holy Scriptures. That would indeed be an unjustifiable lack of respect toward the living Word of God being read aloud! From my vantage point, at least, that does not seem to be our problem.
Then again, how many of us truly listen to the reading of the Epistle and Gospel on any given Sunday? We can remain outwardly quiet and even still, but be very "far away" on the interior level, not listening at all, but rather "daydreaming" about some trivial or post-Liturgy concerns/plans. As St. John said, we could bring the "hubbub of worldly affairs" with us into the Liturgy and thus have as our main goal the simple desire to get through it as quickly as possible, muttering under our breath if it happens to be a bit longer or include further prayer following the dismissal. In other words, we can "be there" and "not be there" simultaneously! In such an instance we lack the "ears to hear" of which Christ spoke. How deep into the week can we remember the Gospel from the previous Sunday? Or should I begin by asking how deep into that very Sunday do we remember the appointed Gospel?! Quick, what Gospel have be reading from for about a month now? What impact does it have on us and of our understanding of the world around us? And how about the Epistle? I believe that our unfamiliarity with the Epistles in general make their comprehension difficult. (Our appointed readers bear the responsibility to read aloud with care and clarity, not rushing through the given reading, but proclaiming the Word of God as a loving steward of that Word). St. Paul, admittedly, is not easy reading/listening.
For this reason, I would strongly suggest reading the appointed passages ahead of time, perhaps on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. This could certainly become a good family practice. Or, look on the church calender and discover, say, that we are now reading The Epistle to the Romans on Sundays (soon to switch to I Corinthians). If you apply yourself to the entire Epistle, then you will have a much greater understanding of the context of any given passage when heard during the Liturgy. Some editions of the Bible have good explanatory notes at the bottom of the page - as does the Orthodox Study Bible - and a careful reading of the notes can go a long way in illuminating a difficult passage. Once again, this may be especially true of a writer like the Apostle Paul. Actually, I wouldn't worry about "understanding" everything. The important thing is that you are reading the Holy Scriptures. Enough will stay with you to recall your "high calling" in Christ; the need to pursue a life of virtue worthy of Christ. And simply to "lay aside all earthly cares" if only for a few minutes and expand your vision beyond any immediate needs and desires.
The blessed Augustine's conversion to Christ began when, sitting in a remote garden one day, he heard a "voice" say to him: "Pick up and read." The book near to hand was the Scriptures, and he opened, I believe, to a passage in Romans. His life radically and irrevocably changed that day. Such is the power of the Scriptures!
If we, too, "pick up and read," the Scriptural revelation of the living God can also change our lives so that we are re-directed with greater faith, hope and love toward our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Fr. Steven
June 27, 2007 - Days of the Son of Man
Dear Parish Faithful,
"Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!" (LK. 17:1)
This intriguing, challenging and frightening saying of the Lord will only be one of many that we will be discussing this evening at our Bible Study.
The Lord continues: "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin." (v. 2)
Who are the "little ones" of this verse? Come to the Bible Study and find out! If you are sure that you know the answer, then come and enlighten your brothers and sisters in Christ! Share your insights! Everyone is encouraged to speak!
Things will only deepen from there. We will discuss the "Ten Cleansed Lepers," which is about not only physical healing, but the need to offer thanksgiving to the Healer. And then a very difficult passage about the "Coming of the Kingdom." Here we will hear the enigmatic words about the "days of the Son of Man." (LK. 17:22) Who is this "Son of Man?" Who is He in relationship to Christ? Since Christ speaks often about the Son of Man, isn't it more important to know His identity than the latest TV, film, or sports stars? Are we properly balancing our time and energy in discovering more about the former if we are indeed spending time and energy discovering the latter?
If you are around my age, then perhaps you can identify such pop-culture persons - real or imaginary - behind such "titles" as the "Bambino," the "Say Hey Kid," the "Queen of Soul," the "Duke," the "Caped Crusader," etc. (Sorry, just can't come up with any more recent ones!) Perhaps you even know a good deal about their lives - both public and personal. But again, as Orthodox Christians, how well do we know the biblical figure of the "Son of Man," and the passages where He is described and explained? If this title was important enough to be on the lips of Christ, then certainly we need to take heed and learn what we can from the Holy Scriptures and Fathers of the Church about it. Therefore, we will spend some time on the "Son of Man" at this evening's Bible Study.
In LK. 17:27, Jesus says: "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage." Even though Christ goes on to say that this occurred "until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all;" He could certainly be describing the contemporary world - "there is nothing new under the sun" after all - and add some of the following: "they shopped, they spent, they vacationed, they partied, they invested, they ..." The point is not that these are "bad" activities, but that they were all-consuming and disproportionately practiced at the expense of seeking God and His righteousness. At that point, one forgets God, as in the days of Noah. The days of Noah anticipate and prepare for the end of time - something like a paradigm - and give us a warning of the appalling possibility that too may be unprepared for the "days of the Son of Man."
Making time for the concentrated and careful study of the Holy Scriptures is meant to liberate us from that horrifying possibility. Our parishes are meant to be spiritual oases that allow us that "rest" and refreshment on an ongoing basis. Such oases exist in deserts for the weary traveler. If you make your way through the desert of our often barren culture, you will arrive at the church as at a well with fresh water more than adequate to quench your thirst.
- Vespers at 7:00 p.m.
- Bible Study at 7:45 p.m. - Luke 17.
Fr. Steven
June 20, 2007 - Your Invitation to a Richly Laden Banquet...
Dear Parish Faithful,
Like a richly laden banquet table that offers a seemingly endless amount of delicious food and drink, so this evening's Bible Study will offer "food and drink" of a spiritual nature that is much more satisfying, for it will "fill" not our bellies, but our minds and hearts with the heavenly manna of the living Word of God. At the end of the Bible Study you will not feel "stuffed" or "bloated" because you ate to excess, but thoroughly nourished because of the perfect "sweetness" of the Word of God. You will want to return for more, not because you were left unsatisfied, but because of the perfect "meal" set before you.
A bit more realistically, let us say that the "richly laden banquet table" from above was a "cook-out," a barbecue dinner, or simply a get-together to which you were invited by a friend or neighbor. Or how about a "two-for-one" offer at the local restaurant? What would be more likely: that you would accept or decline the invitation? Would you tell your friends/neighbors that you can't make it, and thus risk "offending" them (and missing a good meal); or would you accept and have it marked on your calendars very carefully? Would social etiquette triumph over other domestic demands that need your attention? Just how pressing would those demands have to be in order to turn down the invitation to share a good meal together?
Ask yourselves the same questions, though apply them to the "invitation" from the Lord to come and study His living Word as found in the Holy Scriptures. Is there a living being in this world who hears "No" as often as God does to His gracious invitations?
This evening, we will be served yet another banquet of spiritual delight (there is never a biblical equivalent to hamburgers and hot dogs!): LK. 16 has two parables - the "Dishonest Servant" and the powerful "Lazarus and the Rich Man," together with other sayings of the Lord about how to deal with "unrighteous mammon." In fact in LK. 16:13 we will hear the identical words of Christ that we heard this last Sunday morning in the Gospel, and which this week's Monday Morning Meditation dealt with:
It should be more than a little interesting to share some thoughts and insights together about these profoundly challenging words of the Lord. I believe that it is this type of subject that Orthodox Christians need to explore and think more deeply about. What better then as brothers and sisters of the same parish family in a free and informal setting that helps us focus and concentrate on the given teaching at hand?
Every Wednesday evening, there is a "two-for-one" offer at Christ the Savior/Holy Spirit: one trip to the church and there is both Vespers and the Bible Study - worship and fellowship, praise and study, prayer and reflection!
Vespers at 7:00 p.m. Bible Study at 7:45 p.m.
Fr. Steven
June 18, 2007 - Serving Two Masters?
Dear Parish Faithful,
From the Gospel According to St. Matthew, we heard a significant portion of the Sermon on the Mount at yesterday's Divine Liturgy. The greater part of the text is well-known, but recording it here may be helpful as you read on:
Regardless of how often we actually turn to this text, I am sure that everyone is familiar with it to some extent. Everyone vaguely knows that Jesus spoke of the "lilies of the field" and of the splendor of Solomon; and of serving either God or mammon. And though this familiarity would certainly not breed contempt, for we respect the words of the Lord; it may yet dull the effect of this passage, stripping it of the radical choice it raises between serving God and mammon, perhaps by praising its "poetic quality." In fact, critics of the teaching of Christ will point precisely to this text to demonstrate that Christ is unrealistic in His demands, overly "idealistic," or even something of a "romantic dreamer" in His assurance that God, as a heavenly Father, will take care of everyone's most basic needs if only they put Him first. Yet this portion of the Sermon on the Mount is hardly Christ's Galilean version of a bucolic idyll! It is a radical call to place one's trust in God above all things and to abide in that trust, so that the lure of mammon will not deflect us from the offered gift of the Kingdom of God. "Radical" means outside of the "comfort zone" of settling into the benign enjoyment of the "best of both worlds." These words of the Lord thus proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom in a very concentrated and memorable form.
Any one of us who suffers from a certain double-mindedness, internal division and unresolved anxiety over the fact that we are precisely doing what Christ warns against - serving both God and mammon - is forced to acknowledge the truthfulness of His stark contrast between the two. We know that we cannot serve both God and mammon, and yet we simply cannot stop ourselves from doing precisely that! We are so caught up in the world of mammon - the pursuit of wealth, physical comfort, instant gratification, over-all "materialism" - that we despair of ever extricating ourselves from its grip. When I look upon my own possessions accumulated over many years, it is rather frightening to make an inventory of just how much "stuff" and how many "things" I actually have. But what is more frightening, is the "grip" these things have on me. Do I possess my things, or do they possess me? Why do I cling to them, to the point where thinking about parting from them resembles the fear of facing bodily amputation? Am I any less in the thrall of mammon than my agnostic neighbor on the right, or my atheist neighbor on the left? And yet I partake of the liberating experience of the Kingdom of God every Lord's Day in the life of the Church! Hence, the "anxiety" that Christ warns us about. (The "anxiety" that Christ refers to, by the way, can perhaps be likened to a gnawing sense of worry that is ever present just below the surface of our outward demeanor).
Yet Christ was speaking about basic want and needs. He spoke to people who struggled over daily food and drink and such necessities as clothing and housing. That is something that can cause genuine anxiety. However, in our comfortable lives, we are no longer anxious about clothing, but about appearing well-dressed and fashionable. We are no longer anxious about what we will eat, but about gourmet dining and an incessant desire to fill our bellies, the obverse of which is to complain about fasting as an almost life-threatenig imposition. We are not anxious about what we will drink, but about our next wonderful beverage, be it that perfect blend of coffee or a well-mixed drink. We are no longer anxious about where we will live, but about how many vehicles we can park in the attached garage of our big, beautiful home; or how much "storage space" there is to hide away the "junk" we are unwilling to part with. Basically, we are no longer anxious about real want, but about a desire for the "luxuries" of life. In other words, we compound our anxiety way beyond what Christ was initially addressing. Sadly, many people find relief in therapy and pills rather than repentance, prayer and fasting. "Early man" was a hunter and a gatherer, and we are told that this had an evolutionary impetus and rationale behind it. Today, untold millennia later, we are shoppers and consumers! And the evolutionary purpose of those two activities - let alone their spiritual purpose - continues to elude us. And still we cannot stop ourselves.
The short-term gratification that comes through serving mammon is compelling and tempting. The "rewards" often seem to be more immediate and concrete. We tend to postpone the long-term to an indeterminate future -and that may be how we understand God in the over-all scope of our lives. God will always be there at the appropriate time of our need. To put that all somewhat crassly, perhaps we unconsciously convince ourselves that we can indeed have the "best of both worlds" by serving mammon in this one while clinging to some kind of vague assurance that God will protect us in the next one. "Eat, drink and be merry'" now, because God has provided heaven for later. Sounds like the ultimate gamble! And yet we may forget that our entire life in this world is "short-term." Our decisions and loyalties in the "short-term" of this world are preparing us for the "long-term" of the world to come. I just recently came upon this passage from Samuel Johnson in a book about the history of prayer:
Yet, our fixed attention upon eternity will recede further and further away in the pursuit of the short-term gratifications of serving mammon. Eventually, eternity for the lovers of mammon will be brushed aside as the empty dream of the weak and powerless of this world.
Undoubtedly, the pressures of daily living force that compromise between God and mammon upon us, but the truth of Christ's words remain: "You cannot serve God and mammon." Perhaps the word "serve" is a key to the sting of this saying. In this context, "serve" could very well mean to honor, respect, worship, trust, obey and love above all. We must make an interior choice about the "object' of our heart's desire: will it be God or mammon? Before whom or before what will be bow down in worship? Is it God on Sunday, and mammon on the other days of the week? In whom or in what will we ultimately trust? These strike me as fair and honest questions. Again, I suspect that we are caught somewhere in between. Hence, our need to read such a passage of teaching from Christ with care, thoughtfulness and prayer. To seriously consider our choices. To examine whether or not we are simply providing lip-service to God. To acknowledge our weaknesses and repent of them and confess them; and attempt to build up and strengthen our faith by giving more of our time and energy to God. Any such "assessments" are positive and not negative. They will assist us in re-orientating our lives (back) toward God and His eternal Kingdom.
The words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount are realistic, assuring, profoundly challenging, encouraging and hopeful. They are spoken with authority, and hence can be trusted. In our secular, mammon-worshiping world, Christ continues to attract us with the vision of the Kingdom of God and not through fear. And that is because mammon can never satisfy the human heart that longs for God and eternity. Once we listen to these words with a kind of life-and-death seriousness and not as pious platitudes for Sunday morning, we will then accept them as life-giving and act accordingly.
Fr. Steven
June 14, 2007 - Things to Remember for Summer
Dear Parish Faithful,
In last Sunday's weekly supplement, I included a short article, entitled, "Things to Remember for the Summer." For those who were not present, and for those who did not take this home, I thought to recreate the article here for your convenience:
Things to Remember for the Summer
There is hardly a good reason to be less "God-centered/Church-centered" in the summer than during the other seasons of the year. There is nothing "seasonal" about God: if He withdrew His presence but for a moment, we would simply cease to exist! Here are some suggestions meant to maintain our vigilance with the approach of the summer months:
- + Inform Fr. Steven if you are traveling, so that we can pray for your safety and well-being during the Liturgy.
- + Remain vigilant in preparing for Holy Communion: respect and keep the weekly fast days of Wednesday and
- Friday; keep a total fast (no food or drink) from at least midnight on the eve of the next day's Liturgy.
- Periodically confess your sins. Make your evening before next day's Liturgy peaceful. Come to Great Vespers!
- + Make a point of trying to be near an Orthodox parish on Sunday for the Liturgy when you are out of town.
- + Think of making a pilgrimage to an Orthodox monastery. If you are "on the road" there is the possibility that
- a monastery may be in "striking distance" at least for a brief visit.
- + Be aware of and observe both the Apostles' Fast in June (4-28) and the Dormition Fast in August (1-14),
- together with the festal Liturgies on June 29 and August 15, respectively. There is also the beautiful Feast
- of the Transfiguration and the blessing of fruit on August 6.
- + Participate in the Summer Bible Study on Wednesday evenings, preceded by Vespers.
- + Choose another quality book related to the Faith for summer reading. We now have a parish library and a
- bookstore.
- + Do not let your daily rule of prayer lapse during the summer months. Perseverance, according the saints,
- is one of the keys to an effective prayer life.
In other words, if we seek to maintain a more-or-less minimalistic approach to God - Sunday morning with nothing of real substance in between; if our vacations away from home mean "vacations" from God - no Liturgy/Eucharist, scanty prayer, all replaced by a heavy dose of "worldly pleasures;" then that will only guarantee one thing - a lack of closeness to God. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (JM. 4:8)
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Miscellaneous Notes:
I continue to listen to Ancient Faith Radio - Timeless Christianity 24 Hours A Day, and would highly recommend it to anyone else. This is a fine Orthodox ministry that is reaching a growing number of listeners, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox. There is a wonderful and ongoing selection of a great variety of Orthodox liturgical music - Byzantine, Slavic, Arabic, in many languages, together with many hymns translated into English. There are periodic readings from the Scriptures, the Holy Fathers and the Lives of the Saints; also biblical readings and commentaries from contemporary Orthodox thinkers and pastors. If you are by the computer and are able to play something meaningful, you need only go to ancientfaithradio.com.
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We have already filled up eighteen of the twenty spots for our Annual pilgrimage to the Dormition Monastery. That leaves us two last spots to be filled, so please let me know if you would like to be placed on the list.
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The first meeting of the Fellowship of Sts. Herman and Innocent of Alaska, a "twenty-thirtysomething Orthodox fellowship," is scheduled for June 24 at the home of Lee and Jennie Malatesta. A flyer explaining the goals of the fellowship, which include Study, Fellowship, Service and Inreach/Outreach, is available in the church. I plan on being present at the fellowship's first meeting on June 24.
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Fr. Steven
June 13, 2007 - The Parish Bible Study
Dear Parish Faithful,
At this evening's Bible Study, we will take a close look at three of the most profound of Christ's parables, all located in LK. 15: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and the incomparable Prodigal Son. A good way to approach these parables in the informal and open atmosphere of a Bible Study, is provided by Fr. John Breck, in an article simply entitled, "The Parish Bible Study." Before making these suggestions, however, Fr. John offers an explanation as to why the "average parishioner" today views the parish Bible Study as "irrelevant," "boring," "one more obligation," or "it's a Protestant import." Fr. John offers the following analysis:
This does not bode well for a parish activity such as a Bible Study:
Continuing, Fr. John reminds us of the glorious calling of Orthodox Christians to witness to a reality that can potentially change human lives and the world:
It seems that a close, tight-knit group of Orthodox Christians committed to an Orthodox world-view, hungry for a deeper relationship with Christ, and desiring to connect their Sundays, could go a long way in overcoming the relentless secularizing tendencies that seemingly make the Bible "irrelevant," "boring," or "one more obligation" in our daily lives. But I digress.
Allow me to return to Fr. John's suggestions for discerning both the literal (the author's intended meaning) and spiritual (the text as directed to us today), meaning of the Biblical text under study:
I believe that to some extent, we have already been doing this in our Bible studies, but we can work on further deepening some of these suggestions from Fr. John. When "two or three" are gathered in the name of Christ, He will be present in "their midst." We are thus assured that "Christ is in our midst" when we gather in His name for our parish Bible Study. That sounds like a remarkable and compelling invitation.
Fr. Steven
June 7, 2007 - Excuses, Excuses...
Dear Parish Faithful,
At yesterday evening's Bible Study we read and discussed the following parable from the Gospel According to St. Luke:
We ended up having a pretty lively discussion based upon this parable. The original meaning of the parable must be sought in the tension-filled relationship between Jesus and the Pharisees. In fact, Christ spoke this parable while having supper "with one of the rulers of the Pharisees." (LK. 14:1) Jesus kept emphasizing to the Pharisees that the very people they tended to neglect and hold in contempt - "the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind" - were not only worthy of their attention and compassion; but that they too were invited into the Kingdom of God. In fact, and here is where Jesus offended the righteous Pharisees, they would supplant or replace the Pharisees who did not recognize the gift of the Kingdom in the words of deeds of Christ. The parable tells of the many "excuses" used to ignore the immediacy of God's presence. Such an attitude leads to self-exclusion from the Master's supper which, in turn, is clearly an image of the heavenly banquet in the Kingdom of God. Others will be invited, including the hated Gentiles! Thus the Kingdom of God is revealed as a "place" of inclusion, not exclusion. The coming of Christ provoked a crisis of decision-making. The implicit challenge coming from the Lord's ministry was this: are you prepared to put even important pursuits aside for the sake of the Kingdom of God?
For it is key to interpreting the parable to note that the excuses used by many to ignore the master's invitation were not that flimsy. Within the context of our knowledge of first-century Jewish society and customs, they were rather legitimate. As some said yesterday evening, they did not excuse themselves by saying they needed to go shopping - or gambling! At the same time, the human mind excels at excuse-making. And this rather dubious distinction includes excuses to keep away from God when He is "right there." We thus somehow manage to make even the most trivial excuses sound compelling when we want to avoid doing something meaningful like drawing near to God when invited. Wired and programmed with an amazing consistency into a "Sunday morning is my only time for Church" approach to our communal relationship with God, many of the faithful, in order to maintain that status quo, are equipped with an impressive supply of "excuses" that display an envious deposit of both ingenuity and resourcefulness. No matter how insistent the invitation, we will discover an appropriate excuse to ignore it! The drawback to this is more-or-less explicitly implied in the following questions posed by an anonymous nun in a recent article entitled, "The Fullness of the Kingdom:"
This past Sunday, we commemorated, remembered, honored and venerated all of the saints of the Church - All Saints Sunday for short. We can offer an endless stream of descriptions and definitions about the make-up of "saintliness" or human holiness, for the saints are literally the "holy ones." There are two extremes that we need to avoid, though: the saint as a "perfect" or "sinless" human being (for then they would be "equal to Christ" - a heretical claim rejected in the early Church); or the saint as "super good/nice person" (for then we would be teaching a glorified humanism). In the context of the Parable of the Supper that opened this meditation, perhaps we could say that a saint is a person who never made an excuse when graciously invited by God to enter into His presence. The saints refused to find an excuse as to why they could not pray in church or at home; to read and study the Scriptures at church or at home; to respond to the "neighbor" with kindness and compassion at church or at home. We would call this the gift of perseverance. The saints must have taken to heart these stern words of the Lord: "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (LK. 9:62)
Every excuse is an opportunity squandered. A failure to "redeem the time because the days are evil." (EPH. 5:16) Once down the excuse-making path that leads us away from the Kingdom of God, it is difficult to recover and turn back. The more often we excuse ourselves, the fainter the invitation begins to sound. Only when we make the effort to repent and return to God will we discover just how pitiful our excuses really are.
When read carefully, the Lord's parables do not exclude anyone from the Kingdom of God. Each parable confronts us with a choice, and often a hard one. In order to emulate the great saints of the Church, let us persevere in responding to God's call as well as possible, given the circumstances of our daily lives. I believe that it is realistic to claim that at least some of the obstacles that we face on a daily basis can be turned into opportunities, or can be seen as "tests" to be passed. This means that not every obstacle will become an immediate excuse ready-at-hand to ignore the invitation of God to "draw near." A great deal will depend upon just how attractive the Master's presence at the supper actually is for our minds and hearts.
Fr. Steven
June 6, 2007 - To Kindle the Fire
Dear Parish Faithful,
On the Feast Day of Pentecost, we read the following from the Gospel According to St. John:
The "Scripture" in this case clearly refers to the Old Testament. After His resurrection, Christ directly taught the disciples how the Scriptures witnessed to Him:
If we read the Old Testament "in Christ" we will find an over-all prophetic preparation for the coming of the Suffering Servant of the Lord. This summer, I would like to periodically turn our attention to some of these crucial Old Testament themes from "the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms" concerning our Lord Jesus Christ.
That "living water" is certainly found in the New Testament. And it is one of the New Testament books that we are studying in this year's Bible Study. Now the image of thirst is used often by the Church Fathers as a way of describing our desire to "drink" from the wisdom of the Scriptures. But we have to desire to satisfy this thirst and not passively expect it to simply flow our way. This leads into some considerations of our Spring/Summer Bible Study:
This may sound terribly naive on my part, and I know that it may sound repetitive, but I cannot understand to this day -twenty-six years into my priesthood - how the Bible Study is not packed and overflowing with eager, hungry, thirsting, and totally committed participants. Parish members who would demand a Bible Study if it was not freely offered. Frankly, I hope that I never will "understand." Why do we not have twice or three times the number of participants than we do? Why are Orthodox Christians not rushing to that well of "living water" to drink from which is a gift overflowing the heart with living water? If there are legitimate reasons why you cannot participate - and certainly there are many - are you saddened and disappointed over that fact? Like that twinge of disappointment when you cannot watch a particular TV program one evening because of another unavoidable commitment. I know that many people will resort to taping such a program for later viewing. Is the Bible Study possibly interfering with such a program on Wednesday evenings? How many of you who are unable to attend are "reading along" with us? Do you know what book we are studying in this year's Bible Study?
I am hardly a scriptural scholar and I do not pretend to be. However, it would be falsely modest on my part to not at least claim to be adequate to the task of teaching everyone in the parish the Orthodox understanding of the Holy Scriptures. Further, I believe that I can make it more than a little interesting, challenging and "contemporary." I joke when I remind everyone that it is "free," but a bit more seriously: just what kind of evening class would you pay for in order to learn some other subject or another? What kind of speaker would you pay to listen to - and how much? - on a subject that is not of eternal significance? I can say this: the same people keep coming back for more, so there must be something to it that is worthwhile. Everyone has heard the invitation: "Try it, you'll like it." This fits our parish Bible Study perfectly.
I have noticed another trend that concerns me: once people have been catechized in preparation for their entrance into the Church, they no longer participate (after their reception) in the educational life of the parish, be it Adult Education, Bible Study, etc. It is as if once the obligation to attend such classes has been lifted, then the desire to do so immediately disappears. Catechism, however, is an ongoing endeavor; even a lifetime commitment to continue studying the Faith which is ultimately inexhaustible. And this begins with the Holy Scriptures. On the whole the unavoidable impression remains that Orthodox Christians continue to be indifferent students of the Scriptures. Does this rub off on former Protestants who have convert to Orthodoxy?! This sits very uneasily with our claim to be the "true Church" or to hold to the "true Faith." God alone knows just what kind of blistering homilies this would evoke from someone like St. John Chrysostom today, at a time when everyone can afford a Bible and with "modern" communication possibilities for endless study of the Scriptures!
There is one thing I can absolutely assure you of: I am not writing in such a spirit and asking such pointed questions in order to offend anyone or probe into your personal lives and choices. But I am trying to get your attention so that you will think this over a bit and perhaps reassess some of those choices. I know that out of unreflective and sheer habit, I make choices that keep me away from good places to be; or that keep me from pursuing beneficial things to be done. Perhaps I am not alone in that. Or perhaps you share with me the need of a "fire" being lit underneath to get motivated and moving. Actually, the "fire" come from above: I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (LK. 12:49) Some of the sparks from that fire flare up and shoot around at our Bible Study classes. When they strike someone, however, they do no harm but rather much good. They do not burn with the fire of judgment but rather with the fire of purification. They do indeed kindle a tired or even depressed spirit. They restore faith and commitment to Christ. They convince us that "reality" is not on TV in the form of an aged dancer, a teen-age "idol," or a stud surrounded by sexy women; but rather in the God Who has revealed Himself to us. They may even inspire an "extreme make-over" in the minds and hearts of those singed by these scriptural sparks. Great things come from modest beginnings. Sounds exciting!
This evening Vespers will begin at 7:00 p.m. followed by the Bible Study at 7:45 p.m.
Fr. Steven
June 4, 2007 - Embracing the Apostles' Fast
Dear Parish Faithful,
The Sts. Peter and Paul Fast begins today and will last until June 29. The length of this particular fast differs every year, because its duration depends upon the date of Pascha/Pentecost. Last year it was eleven days long, and it will be only six days long in 2008. It always begins eight days after Pentecost, or the Monday after the Sunday of All Saints, celebrated yesterday. Admittedly, it is the least well-known and, assumedly, the least well-practiced of the four fasting seasons of the liturgical year. But for all of its "inconveniences" and our reluctance to embrace it, it remains what it is: a call to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation of the Feast of the two greatest of the apostles - Sts. Peter and Paul. If you examine your church calendars, it is not as intense a fast as that of Great Lent, but the basic fasting discipline remains. I believe that it is our responsibility to respect the fast with some degree of observation, and in so doing respect the great apostolic labors of Sts. Peter and Paul. If we make the choice to ignore the fast - and thus not to practice our faith on this level - then we should not "practice" the reception of Holy Communion during this time, so that we at least remain consistent, and not embrace a "pick and choose" approach to the Faith. We are not spiritually strengthened when we have things "our way" only. Please bear this in mind when making your decisions about the over-all life of the Church and your commitment to that life.
During this fast, I would recommend reading one or two of the Epistles of the Apostles Peter and Paul. I PETER is a remarkable epistle that is always essential reading for anyone serious about the new life offered as a gift in Christ. I would also recommend reading St. Paul's first epistles - I & II Thessalonians. Perhaps also the Epistle to the Philippians.
Fr. Steven
May 31, 2007 - St John of Damascus: On The Holy Spirit
Dear Parish Faithful,
Here is a wonderful passage from St. John of Damascus on the Holy Spirit. As this very "theological" passage will reveal, we do not have a vague or uncertain teaching about the Holy Spirit, as if we were uncertain in the Church as to the personal "identity" or reality of the Spirit. As St. John writes below, the Spirit is "distinctly personal," and thus is not an "energy," "power," or "divine blast." Having said that, I will allow this remarkable passage speak for itself:
Fr. Steven
May 30, 2007 - 49+1: The Feast of Pentecost and the Life Beyond Time
Dear Parish Faithful,
We are currently enjoying the "fast-free" week of Pentecost, the Feast itself having arrived as "the last and great day" this past Sunday. At the Vespers of Pentecost on Sunday, "on bended knees," we implored the Risen Lord, Who sat down at the "right hand" of God the Father, to send the Holy Spirit upon us, as He did upon the apostles who "were all together in one place." (ACTS 2:1) It is quite significant that Pentecost occurred exactly fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ. In the ancient world, there was a deep symbolic or even sacred character to the use of numbers, and this is fully shared and reflected in the Scriptures. Fr. Alexander Schmemann explains this "sacred numerology" as it relates to the Feast of Pentecost:
This reality that takes us beyond the fullness of time as experienced in this world, we call eschatological: the fullness of the Kingdom of God which is "not of this world" but yet experienced here and now within the grace-filled life of the Church, herself the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The "appropriation" of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, referred to above by Fr. Alexander, implies the rejection of a way of life that is described as "fleshly." In an extraordinary passage of the Apostle Paul, found in his Epistle to the Galatians, we encounter the contrast between the "works of the flesh" and the "fruit of the Spirit." (GAL. 5:16-24) St. Paul emphasizes this contrast at the beginning of this passage:
It is essential to realize that the Apostle Paul does not mean by "flesh" what we would call our "bodies" or physical existence. He is not attacking our bodily, physical existence as such. That would introduce us to the realm of dualism, an artificial and non-Scriptural conflict between the spiritual and the material. By "flesh," the Apostle Paul means the human person in rebellion against God, that results in a self-centered way of life that further results in perversions of both the body and soul. As this passage continues, you can clearly discern the comprehensive nature of the "flesh" as encompassing both the mind and body and directing them to sinful activities or attitudes:
My intention is not to be discouraging, but if anything here sounds self-descriptive or reminiscent of your last confession, then the you are still contending with the "works of the flesh." According to the Apostle, the long-term prospects for such a way of life are not very promising, if not altogether bleak:
However, the "good news" is that there exists another way of life, one that is "spiritual" but expressed through our bodily existence in the rhythms of our daily life:
There is no mention in these "fruits of the Spirit" of miracle-working, visions, ecstatic and/or mystical experiences. St. Paul calls upon very human virtues, but with the implication that they are heightened - or deepened - by the Holy Spirit in such a way that a new way of living is being manifested, one he calls elsewhere a "new creation." (II COR. 5:17) This newness of life in the Holy Spirit distinguished the early Christians from their environment, and is meant to distinguish Christians to this day. Failure to live by the "fruit of the Spirit" is essentially a failure of our Christian vocation. St. Paul implies as much when he writes with confidence:
A final exhortation with behavioral consequences concludes this remarkable passage on the newness of life made possible by the Holy Spirit:
As members of the original Pentecostal Church, Orthodox Christians have every opportunity to both "live by the Spirit," and "walk by the Spirit."
Fr. Steven
May 10, 2007 - The Cosmic Orphan Meets the Resurrection
Dear Parish Faithful,
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
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After Pascha, I try and make a point of reading at least one book dealing with the theological and historical aspects of Christ's Resurrection. This year, I turned to a book that I had already read some years ago, entitled Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection - Our Response to the Empty Tomb, written by William L. Craig. The cover itself is rather clever, because it is a drawing of a contemporary man, wearing a suit with briefcase in hand, peering into the empty tomb from which the stone has been rolled back. He seems rather tentative, hesitant and uncertain. This captures the dilemma of the modern or post-modern person: still remotely aware and interested in the implications of the empty tomb, but uncertain as to what to make of it. People want to believe in something beyond the space and time continuum of this world, but are afraid to commit to "Truth claims," especially of a religious nature, in an age increasingly dominated by scientific claims to only trust the empirical. |
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However, what I would like to share in the remainder of this meditation is the provocative and challenging opening chapter to the book, that acts as something of a "preface" to his study of Christ's resurrection. Craig begins his opening chapter, "The Cosmic Orphan," by stating that we can only fully understand the significance of Christ's resurrection when we come to terms with our human "predicament." (Craig borrowed the phrase "the cosmic orphan" from the writer Loren Eiseley). We are now convinced that we are "cosmic orphans" due to a seismic shift in worldviews occurring slowly but steadily over the course of the last few centuries - a seismic shift that has moved us from a theistic to a non-theistic or openly atheistic perception of the cosmos. The result of blind and purposeless evolutionary forces, we are doomed to die. Craig summarizes the "predicament of modern man" in the following manner:
To make this all the more poignant and representative of our status as "cosmic orphans," Craig quotes Nietzsche's celebrated phrase: "God is dead, and we have killed him." Without God, our orphanhood is finally and irrevocably sealed. And the hope of immortality has now evaporated as no more than a naive and passing dream:
That last sentence can spoil your day - even if it is sunny and warm. Life itself, adds Craig, is "a mixed blessing." Before the finality of death, we must face 1) "the evil in the heart of man;" 2) "the problem of disease;" and 3) "the problem of old age." His description of these ubiquitous "plagues" makes the over-all picture even less pretty. Craig reinforces his point by turning to the historian Stewart C. Easton's own conclusion of our human predicament:
Now, William Craig is not some kind of Christian pessimist or doomsday soothsayer, determined to drain life of the joys and pleasures that if affords because he himself is 'hag-ridden by fear and worry." Actually, he comes across as a Christian filled with faith, hope and love based upon his conviction that Christ has been raised from the dead. That is the ultimate event that revealed God's love for the world manifested in the gift of His only-begotten Son and His victory over the "last enemy" - death itself. But in his opening chapter to a book devoted to a study of Christ's resurrection from the dead - "The Cosmic Orphan" - Craig is determined that we open up our eyes to all of the implications of a world without God. He makes a strong case against both the capacity and viability of a humanistic "faith" in progress or a stoic resignation before the inevitable fate that we all share, to give ultimate meaning to human life trapped in a vast and empty universe. His belief in Christ's resurrection is placed within the wider context of his "optimistic" belief that the human person has a natural "orientation" toward both God and immortality, though that orientation has been obscured for many. Neither science nor philosophy can eradicate those beliefs. Therefore,
This is all immensely important for those of us who call ourselves "believers." We may indeed, by the grace of God, be believers, but which of us does not cry out to the Lord: "I believe, help my unbelief!" Of course, we can suppress our doubts and hesitations, but we cannot completely escape them. That is why the type of questions and problems raised by William Craig need to be meditated upon and pondered over in a serious and thoughtful manner. If not, then even our Christianity will become dull and lifeless and our vision myopic. All Christians should embrace the well-known aphorism of Sophocles: "The unexamined life is not worth living." What do we believe and why do we believe it? What is the basis of our religious beliefs? Why do we want our children to believe and can we help them answer some of their own tough questions? When I sing and say "Christ is Risen!" what do I actually mean? What unanswered or unresolved questions do I still have about Christ's Resurrection? Could I explain my belief to my neighbor if asked to? If we "hide" from these basic questions, then we may seek cover in distractions and false enticements. As Craig writes:
William Craig's book is a wonderful work of biblical exegesis of the events surrounding the resurrection of Christ. It is filled with many lucid insights and theological reflections. One of the strengths of the book is placing that discussion within the wider context of those "cursed questions" that continue to trouble us and demand reflection. And this, in turn, helps us to recover the overwhelming, immense and incalculable significance of Christ's resurrection. It brings hope to the hopeless dead end that a Godless world would actually be. It holds out the gift and promise of redemption and salvation from the prison-like confinement of a world unable to "open up" to the infinite. It is truly "Good News!"
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
I would like to further summarize the book's closing chapter, "Resurrection Life," in another meditation in the near future.
Fr. Steven
April 20, 2007 - The Virginia Tech Tragedy, Part 2
Dear Parish Faithful,
As more of the harrowing details emerge about the twisted mind of Cho Seung-Hui, the "experts" are assembling what is amounting to be a classic profile of a mass murderer. As Northeastern University criminal justice professor James Alan said: "In virtually every regard, Cho is prototypical of mass killers that I have studied in the past 25 years." He then went on to say: "That does not mean however, that one could have predicted his rampage." Unpredictability, perhaps, remains a consistent trait of such spontaneous outbursts of evil. Obviously, there are countless others who fit the same profile, but who do not make that fateful decision to wreck such violent vengeance on society. The troubling images of this young man rationalizing the irrational from beyond the grave will remain indelible for some time to come. Certainly it was painful to hear the name of, and even comparison with, Jesus Christ, spewing forth in the gunman's irrational rant against his fellow-students and the world. Seeking such an infamous form of "immortality" is difficult for us to conceive. It seems wholly insane. Of course, it may be far better to try and understand the mind of persons such as Cho Seung-Hui than to vilify them; but whatever one's choice about that, I find it difficult to ignore the presence of evil in this latest rampage of violence.
I admit to lacking the necessary psychological and psychiatric skills needed to analyze a mass murderer. And there will be no shortage of such analysis in the days to come as the very human desire to find a "motive" in this case will be doggedly pursued. The effects of being "bullied," gun-control, the polarizing effects of social acceptance or alienation, and other important issues will be the focus of discussion and debate once again. Yet, beyond - or could we even say transcending? - the environmental, genetic, psychological and social factors readily available to our gaze, there remains a "choice" that one makes expressive of the capacity and need for self-determination. At least according to the teachings of Orthodox Christian anthropology. And thus one has the "freedom" to choose to do something that is undeniably evil. In the public forum, though, it seems that the very concept of evil is ignored or treated as a four-letter word. Our secular age is very uneasy with concepts that press toward a more religious/metaphysical/moral dimension. Or perhaps evil is resorted to as an explanation only in the face such horrific events that unfolded on the campus of Virginia Tech.
For Christians the source of evil is the "evil one;" yet in a manner that is never quite susceptible to rational analysis. From our limited perspective it is immensely difficult to unravel that connection in a satisfactory manner. In no way, does this allow Christians to somehow lessen the moral responsibility of the perpetrator of evil, as in the limp cliche: "the devil made me/him do it." We always stand morally responsible for aligning ourselves with evil/the evil one. We come back to the reality of a choice that puts one on a "road to perdition" that once embarked upon may prove humanly impossible to turn back from. Perhaps at a certain point one is "too far" along that road, thus leading to a sense of being engulfed by the inevitable or irreversible. Or perhaps to a greater sense of calculation and perverse empowerment when contemplating the effects of a considered course of action.
As Christians we must develop a realistic understanding of the pervasive presence of evil in the world. We take seriously the Apostle Paul's claim that we live in "this present evil age." (GAL. 1:4) And Christ spoke of "the ruler of this world." (JN. 12:30) That does not make the Lord and His great apostle, or us for that matter, metaphysical dualists obsessed with the reality of evil as if it were an independent substance, as were the early Gnostics. Without being either "optimists" or "pessimists" we realize that the vast majority of humankind is made up of good, decent people who do not wish evil on anyone. Most people desire to lead morally-healthy lives pursuing positive and constructive goals. If it was otherwise, life would be unendurable. But as Christians we accept an ethical dualism in the world that keeps us vigilant to the fact that on a daily basis people make choices that can only be described as evil - whether on a minor or major scale. And others suffer because of those choices, including these new innocent victims and their families, friends and communities (and elsewhere throughout the world today). This creates anxiety and fear in us. It fills us with mistrust and suspicion. It is why we lock our doors at night. As I wrote earlier, it has us warily awaiting its next deadly outburst. As such, and in a mysterious manner, this supports the evil one.
To expand the two biblical texts above, and thus uncover their powerful meaning, we read that the Apostle Paul actually wrote:
And that the Lord declared:
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. (JN. 12:31)
The source of evil - the evil one - has been overthrown in an ultimate sense. His "power' is not eternal as is the power, glory and authority of God. This supposed power will be bound and cast away in the "Day of the Lord." Suffering - as powerful, absorbing and crippling as it may be - is only temporary. Its effects will be undone and overcome. This is the promise of God. And the living Face of this promise is Christ, Who vanquished the power of sin, death and the devil on the Cross, revealing that victory in His life-giving Resurrection. The evil of "this world" converged on Christ and He absorbed it through love and conquered it through an act of sacrificial love. This does not free us from being the potential victims of evil in the time allotted to us for our lives in this world. If death is the "last enemy" that in itself is an "evil" we must all endure. It is only our hope in Christ that makes any "sense" in the face of such evil deeds as these recent shootings.
Whatever helpful insights we hear throughout all of the "talk" that will fill the various media sources in the days to come; whatever we can learn to create a society better protected from such outbursts; however we equip social institutions and families to "read" the signs of mayhem waiting to explode; I believe that we need to realize that the "battleground" exists within the human heart, where God and the devil struggle for mastery, awaiting the free choices that we will eventually make.
Fr. Steven
April 18, 2007 - The Virginia Tech Tragedy, Part 1
Dear Parish Faithful,
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
One of the unspoken subtexts of our lives today is a certain uneasiness or anxiety as we await the next inevitable "man-made" tragedy to unfold. Domestically, we warily lead or lives within those peaceful intervals between shootings and mass killings. We are now certain that it is all a matter of when and where. The availability of guns and the openness of our society makes such attacks virtually impossible to stop. We are probably never quite as "safe' as we like to believe. Many of these murderous rampages have been revisited over the course of the last few days, at least since the time of the Columbine shootings, as the media attempts to place this latest tragedy within a wider context of similar events. We almost feel guilty when we cannot quite remember the most recent shooting and the precise number of victims. Straining to find language fully expressive of this latest horrific event on the campus of Virginia Tech, the media is calling these latest shootings a "massacre" because of the "record" number of persons killed there in a short span of time. For all of our social adaptability and openness, our cultural pluralism and toleration, and our inclusiveness; there will always be those lonely, isolated and twisted individuals that come to the insanely irrational conclusion that the only resolution to their problems is the senseless destruction of other innocent lives before they end their own. Truly, there must "inner demons" at work here that are far beyond our comprehension.
For myself, it was difficult not to remain rather fixated before the television as more and more of the facts behind this tragic event were discovered and disclosed. The questions awaiting the university authorities and the local law enforcement agencies are troubling and perhaps even staggering in their implications. All of that belongs to the future. When you see the victims slowly being personalized as flesh and blood human beings through photos and stories, you can only be overwhelmed by the seemingly senseless nature of these unique lives so abruptly and horrifically ended. From our limited human perspective, the finality of death is indeed dreadful. Yet, I was deeply impressed by how some of the parents and siblings of the victims were able to respond when asked to speak publicly. In their initial shock and bewilderment, you could only feebly try to empathize with these family members as they expressed their grief and utter sense of loss before the nation. As a parent of children of similar age, it is impossible to even think of the parents of the shooter. That must be an unchartered realm of pain and agony that is beyond the endurable. That is one more family that we need to include in our prayers.
It seems to be too early to speak about the consolation of God to those most effected by this tragedy. The raw feelings and the need to assimilate such loss must first be respected and processed. The 'bigger picture" may or may not be in sight for many involved at the present time. The "healing process" takes a great deal of time and effort. It was rather fascinating to hear the words of a young girl who is now paralyzed from the waist down after being struck in a school shooting in Arkansas(?). She spoke of "forgiving" the young man who shot her, and that is the source of her present acceptance and peace with her condition. Yet, perhaps many of these families are being sustained precisely by their faith in God, and if Christian, their faith in Christ. If so, may the grace of God in Christ be poured into their broken hearts with abundance! The Apostle Paul did encourage Christians not to be "as others who have no hope." (I THESS. 4:13) What a challenge for those directly facing this tragedy! We pray for all of the victims and hope, in turn, that the God Who is not constrained by the "impossible" will work in their hearts in the difficult days ahead.
Fr. Steven
