January 8, 2007 - United with Christ in His Baptism
Dear Parish Faithful,
The Feast of Theophany is more ancient than that of Christ's Nativity on 25 December. In fact, the sources point to 6 January as the date when the Church celebrated Christ's birth (and the adoration of the Magi) together with His baptism in the Jordan. These events - of the greatest significance not only in the life of Christ but in the "economy" of our salvation - were united in one commemoration known as Theophany. This, in turn, means "manifestion of God." The Feast is also referred to as Epiphany, which simply means "manifestation." In His Nativity and in His Baptism, Christ is manifested or revealed to the world as the Light of the world in order to dispel the darkness of ignorance and spiritual blindness which are the direct result of sin:
It was in the fourth century that the Christian East began to celebrate our Lord's Nativity and the adoration of the Magi as a separate and unique event on 25 December, while 6 January remained as the Feast of Theophany on which Christ's Baptism was commemorated. Why did the Feast of 6 January retain the title of Theophany-Epiphany instead of 25 December, when the manifestation of the eternal Light was first revealed in His Nativity in the flesh? St. John Chrysostom writes: " ... because it was not when He was born that He became manifest to all, but when He was baptized; for up to this day He was unkown to the majority."
But not only was the Lord Jesus revealed to the world as He began His public ministry with His Baptism in the Jordan at the hands of St. John the Forerunner. The Holy Trinity was manifested, for the "voice of the Father" bore witness to His beloved Son, and the Spirit, "in the form of a dove," descended and rested upon the Son. The trinitarian nature of God was manifested when Christ came to the Jordan to be baptized. As it is written in The Synaxarion under 6 January:
Accordingly, this Feast of Theophany is also referred to as the "Feast of Lights." The Christian vocation is to partake of the threefold light of the One God, a process that begins in the mystery of holy Baptism.
Yet, if Baptism is for the "remission of sins," then why is Christ baptized, for He is without sin (cf. I PET. 2:22)? The liturgical texts repeatedly ask and answer this question for us in the following manner:
Christ is representative of all humanity. He is baptized for our sake. It is we who are cleansed and regenerated when He descends inot the waters of the Jordan. For with Christ, and in Christ, our human nature - the human nature He assumed in all of its fulness in the Incarnation - descends into the cleansing and purifying waters of the Jordan (anticipating holy Baptism), so that the very same human nature may ascend out of the waters renewed, restored and recreated. As the New ane Last Adam He "sums up" all of us in Himself - for this reason He became man. The Spirit descends and rests upon Christ, so that our humanity may be anointed in Him. St. Athanasios writes: " ... when He is anointed .. we it is who in Him are anointed ... when He is baptized, we it is who in Him are baptized." Every baptism is an "extension," a participation, in the one, unique Baptism of Christ; just as every Eucharist is an "extension," a participation in the one, unique Mystical Supper. Actually, all of creation participates and is sanctified by the manifestation of God's Son in the flesh:
We die to sin in Baptism and are raised to new life - for this reason the baptismal font is both tomb and womb as St. Cyril of Jerusalem tells us. An attention reading of the following excerpts from a homily of St. Gregory of Nyssa On Baptism, will eloquently reveal to us the nature of the baptismal grace we once received and the need to spiritually struggle in order to manifest that grace in our lives:
O Christ our God Who has revealed Thyself, glory to Thee!
Fr. Steven
January 5, 2007 - Recovering Our Baptismal Consciousness
Dear Parish Faithful,
In the Third Royal Hour for Theophany, we heard the following text from the Prophet Isaiah:
If we bear in mind that the Feast of Theophany is centered around Christ's Baptism in the Jordan, and thus, by extension, all subsequent baptisms "into Christ," then the beauty and power of this passage is clearly evident. A person is "washed" and "cleansed" in the blessed waters of the baptismal font. Evil has been removed from our hearts, as the Holy Spirit enters that inner shrine of our being so as to incline us toward the good - in deed, word and thought. Though we may be "stained" by sin as if by being draped in the glaring colors of crimson and scarlet, we emerge from the baptismal font in a purity that can only be appropriately signified by the whiteness of snow and wool. Our post-baptismal sin is the result of human weakness, temptation from the evil one and our own passionate thoughts, the environment of a sinful world, forgetfulness of God, etc. The list can be drawn out further in an all too-dreary manner. In His love for us, God allows us to repent of our sins and continually return to His loving embrace. The early Church struggled and argued over the possibility of being forgiven of "post-baptismal" sin, but eventually came to the consensus that no limit should be placed on God's forgiveness if true repentance is present. However, "penance" was taken much more seriously in the past, and one would have to spend a period of time in penance before being restored to Communion.
I believe that we have lost a "baptismal consciousness" to one extent or another. I would hope not to a great extent (though that is probably the fate of the baptized Orthodox Christians that are no longer active members of the Church - and even here it is certainly not totally extinguished, otherwise they would not return as many eventually do); but still to the point where we may have lost a real awareness between being baptized or non-baptized. On the psychological level, this could be attributed to infant baptism. We indeed strongly defend and practice infant baptism which, according to some New Testament texts, could very well have been a practice of the earliest Church (cf. ACTS 16:33). However, we do not remember our baptism if baptized as infants. We know that we have been baptized as our older family members will perhaps even relate the details of the day to us. And we know how we were baptized by being present for the many infant baptisms that happen in our parishes. In addition, we have many good theological books that teach us the significance of baptism and the meaning of all of the baptismal rites. But we have no "conversion experience" to look back on that led us to the choice of being baptized. (In American forms of Christianity, that influence us consciously or unconsciously, these often dramatic "conversion" experiences are at times treated as if they are essential to Christian faith). My point here is to rehearse the pro and cons of infant baptism, but to again mention one factor that may lead to a lack that lack of a "baptismal consciousness" that I mentioned above.
The Feast of Theophany then takes on an even greater importance, in that it reminds us of the source of Christian baptism - the Jordan River where our Lord was immersed in the waters by St. John the Forerunner and Baptist; and our own personal baptism, when we "put on Christ" after emerging from the baptismal font which serves as both "tomb" and "womb" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem). It also reminds us quite vividly that we need to live and believe precisely as baptized people of God, walking in the newness of life that was bestowed upon us in the saving waters of redemption, and in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Fr. Steven
January 3, 2007 - The Coming Year
Dear Parish Faithful,
I am a couple of days off the mark, but I would like to offer my New Year's greetings to everyone, hoping and praying that the blessings of the Lord will grace your lives as you survey your prospects and plans for the upcoming Year of our Lord 2007. (I have the feeling that the over-all scope of those future dreams becomes more modest in its dimensions for those of us who realize that we are getting old!). We trust in God's providence and watchfulness over us; but that also means that we need to seek to do His will in all things and to include Him in those very prospects and plans that fill us with hope for better things to come. When we think of the future and our desires and goals, the words of St. James should always come to mind:
If you prefer homespun wisdom, we could quote Tevye the Dairyman, from Sholem Aleichim's wonderful tales (known to many through the folk-musical "Fiddler on the Roof") who said: "The more man plans, the harder God laughs." The future is indeterminate and open, and besides the inevitable parts of life that we anticipate, there is much that remains unknown and dependent on the many choices and decisions that we will have to make. Vigilance and focus on God are essential if we hope to make the decisions that not only may promote our careers and fortunes, but also our spiritual well-being and the condition of our hearts. Our society stresses optimism; but perhaps that optimism needs to be balanced with a biblical realism that soberly reminds us that the steady "progress" that we seek is not something that we are entitled to. In other words, "stuff happens." According to the Scriptures, not only are we to endure such "stuff," but in the process become even deeper human beings. Once again, St. James:
Our faith - which encompasses both love and trust - is the very foundation on which we strengthen our inner lives as we approach God in prayer:
St. James is not promoting a kind of Stoic resignation or "character-building" that is confined to the space and time of "this world." The "Brother of the Lord," and "First Bishop of Jerusalem" who refers to himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" (JM. 1:1), is aware of our final resting place as given to us by God as a gift/reward:
We served Great Vespers on New Year's Eve, and in the process added all of the special petitions taken from the Prayer Service for the New Year. Some of these petitions are wonderfully expressive of our very human hopes and desires for life:
Others are a call to the spiritual labor that we need to wholeheartedly embrace if we truly desire "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (ROM. 8:39):
This petition, in turn, may be something of an echo of what St. James teaches us about our daily lives and some of the besetting temptations that trouble us:
(I can't resist saying this, but it does a whole lot more convincing and to the point than Dr. Phil's advice!)
I am not quite sure what a "happy" New Year precisely means, but I am certain that any freedom from our passions and evil inclinations can only be truly liberating and a source of great joy. If we believe that "Christianity" somehow restricts our inalienable right to the "pursuit of happiness" (by indulging in our passions?), then I fear that such a belief would trap us in an unresolvable tension. As the years go by and time "slips away" from our grasp, I would hope that this only further strengthens our need for God and our certainty that all depends upon His goodness. St. James says this in a wonderful passage that we hear part of at the end of every celebration of the Divine Liturgy:
May the Lord bless this New Year that we will all share together!
In Christ,
Fr. Steven
December 22, 2006 - What We Affirm, Why We Celebrate
Dear Parish Faithful,
On Monday, December 25, we will celebrate the Feast of The Nativity According to the flesh of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. In Bethlehem of Judea, Jesus is born to Miriam of Nazareth, and He Himself will be called a "Nazarene" according to St. Matthew's Gospel. (MATT. 2:23) Regardless of the controversy and debate over this particular verse, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth has always been understood within the Church to be the fulfillment of the prophecy found in the Book of Isaiah:
Combined with his clear affirmation of the "virginal conception" of Christ (MATT. 1:20), this title of Emmanuel is St. Matthew's way of revealing the total and utter uniqueness of Jesus of Nazareth - He is actually God in our midst. St. Matthew is thus pointing toward what, in theological language, is called the Incarnation. This rich and decisive word could be translated as "enfleshment" or "embodiment" in direct reference to God being enfleshed as Jesus of Nazareth. In other words, God was "humanized" when conceived and born as the Messiah of Israel -Jesus (the) Christ. The classical biblical text is, of course, found in the prologue of the Gospel According to St. John:
Earlier in that magnificent prologue to his Gospel, St. John revealed to us that:
Therefore, the Word of God, Who was "in the beginning," and Who "was God" began to live a human life as Jesus of Nazareth when He was born or became incarnate in what St. Paul called "the fulness of time." (GAL. 4:4) "Flesh" in this context means the fulness of human nature in its totality and completeness. This is precisely why we sing in the beautiful Kontakion of the Feast:
We need to be perfectly clear about what we are claiming about the Incarnation, and thus what we actually celebrate on Christmas. The Word of God is also called the Son and Wisdom of God. He is what God (the Father) is by nature, but He is distinct as One of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. He has no beginning, since He is eternally "begotten/born" of the Father. He is eternal - "begotten of the Father before all ages" as we confess in the Nicene Creed. He is "Light of Light; true God of true God" as we further confess in the Creed. He is the One Who was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary when she was "overshadowed" (LK. 1:35) by the Holy Spirit according to the will of the Father. When the Virgin Mary freely consented to her role in the Incarnation, the Word of God entered her womb and was conceived without seed. Thus, St. Joseph the Betrothed was not involved in the conception of Jesus. For this reason he is not shown together with the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child in the cave in the Nativity icons. This "seedless conception" was absolutely essential. From among many examples, St. Gregory Palamas puts it this way:
The Person in the womb of the Virgin Mary is the eternal Word, Son and Wisdom of God. And this is why it is perfectly logical, or rather theo-logical, that she is called and venerated as the Theotokos. Although loosely translated as the Mother of God, it actually means the one who bore or gave birth to God. Jesus Christ is not a human person somehow united with the Word of God after He was born. Rather, He is the Word of God Who is born as a unique human being, at a particular place and time. Yet, does this diminish his true humanity? Is there something less real about our Lord's human nature, as if His humanity was an illusion of sorts, an "incognito" for God to walk among us? Many early heresies succumbed to that false conclusion drawn from the Incarnation. They even rejected the whole "birthing process." But, as St. Germanos, Patriarch of Constantinople put it: "God came forth from her as a complete human being, the Son of a real mother who was subject to the natural laws of childbearing." (First Homily on the Dormition) If we emphasize the divinity of Christ at the expense of His humanity, then we fall into a one-sidedness which is always a characteristic of heresy. Which is why the Incarnation is a divine-human mystery with the Theotokos as the "highly favored one" who will give the Lord His humanity in all of its fulness and integrity.
We confess the Incarnation while preserving the mystery: "A mystery took place which remains a mystery to this day, and it shall never cease to be a mystery." (Basil of Seleucia) It is this paradox of God becoming human that is at the center of our Orthodox Christian Faith. In the face of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, we "see" and encounter God incarnate. We want to hold onto this mystery as we prepare to celebrate the Feast. We will hear it sung and chanted in endless variation as we participate in the upcoming liturgical services. If we are moved by "baby Jesus" we want to remember that He is actually Emmanuel - "God with us."
Fr. Steven
December 20, 2006 - Don't Pre-Celebrate Christmas
Dear Parish Faithful,
I saw a brief promotional trailer the other day of a new film entitled "Black Christmas." According to what I saw, I would have to describe the genre as "slasher" or "horror." There was a great deal of hysterical screaming, demonic faces, flashing knives and blood splattering about. I admit that things can indeed go terribly wrong on Christmas morning - someone just may burn the cookies or the cocoa, or not get the gift they were anticipating and thus start moping - but this all seems rather excessive. The film is scheduled for release on Christmas Day. Fun for the family just never stops! I immediately thought to myself, just imagine what would happen if the film was entitled "Black Hannakuh" or "Black Ramadan." It would then be either media-blitzed or bombed out of existence. The majority religion of the land is thus fair game for exploitation or desecration. Perhaps Christians shouldn't protest so strongly about the use of the word "Christmas" remaining in the public domain. Then trash like this would be stuck with the vapid title of "Black Holidays" - and no one would bother with it. Anyways, it will be interesting to read the reviews and monitor the box-office receipts ...
_____
A follow up paragraph on Monday's mini-meditation about the "battle of the calendars" and the opposing rhythms between the secular and ecclesial celebration of Christmas and how this effects our own approaches. This is from an article by Fr. Andrew George entitled "Don't Pre-Celebrate Christmas!" Fr. Andrew writes the following:
"Some 40 or 50 years ago here in America, people decorated their Christmas trees on Christmas Eve. Slowly, through the influence of merchants and media, we started to put up our decorations and trees earlier and earlier each year. As a result, not waiting for Theophany observances of January 5-7, which are specifically part of the 12-day cycle beginning on Christmas.
... On the day after Christmas we hear people say that Christmas is over, and the Christmas trees are put out on the curb. Since they have pre-decorated and pre-celebrated and feasted, in their minds "it's over," when really it should just be beginning."
_____
For those "lovers of theology" who are out there somewhere, here is a densely-packed and profoundly theological reflection on the meaning of the Lord's Incarnation and what it reveals to us about God. In other words a pre-festal banquet that will nourish and feed the soul! This passage comes from Fr. George Florovsky (+1979), arguably one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the 20th c. He weaves together the themes of Incarnation, Love and Humility with great depth. In this one short paragraph, Fr. George says a great deal more than most of the books out there in the Christian section of our major bookstores. This is because he is writing from within the ecclesial experience of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
"In the Incarnation two very core elements of any spirituality are clearly evidenced - the love and humility of God. The idea that humility is rooted in God may appear astonishing. The humility of God cannot, of course, be considered in the same light as ascetical humility, or any human form of humility. However, the human forms of humility are derived from the very nature of God, just as the commandment to love is rooted in God's love for mankind. God's humility is precisely that being God he desires, he wills to be in communion with everything and everything is inferior to God. This has great theological significance, for it reveals the value of all created things, a value willed by God. There is even a parallel here with the saints who loved animals and flowers. And from this idea, an idea intrinsically derived from the Incarnation and kenosis ("self-emptying") of God the Son, one can clearly see the real Divine origin in action of Christ's teaching about "others." In the very notion of a vertical spirituality a concern for otthers is presupposed. And while one is ascending to God,k his fellow man must be included in the dimensions of spirituality. Through the Incarnation both the love and the humility of God are made known. And man is to love God and fellow humankind because love is the very nature of God. And many is to experience humility, to become inflamed by humility precisely because humility belongs also to God and hence its value is derived from God. But to become filled inwardly with love and humility is not easy. It demands not a mere acknowledgment of the fact that God is love and humility is Divine. Rather, it demands the complete purification of our inner nature by God. And this is the struggle, the spiritual warfare that must be waged to enter and maintain the reality of love and humility."
Fr. Steven
December 18, 2006 - Battle of the Calendars II - Recapturing the 12 Days of Christmas
Dear Parish Faithful,
As an immediate follow-up to Monday's meditation, I would like to forward this very practical and thoughtful example from one of our parish families. Obviously, it will be most meaningful for other families with young children, but I wanted to send it to all as a good example of what I would call - and hopefully Terri won't terribly mind! -"An Orthodox Counter-Cultural Approach to Christmas." I encourage the sharing of ideas and approaches that anyone may come up in this spirit of trying to make Christ the center of our homes.
_____
Celebrating the 12 days of Christmas:
A different approach to gift giving....
A couple of years ago our family started a new tradition. We celebrate the "12 days of Christmas" starting on Christmas morning and ending on Theophany. Each day our family gathers by the Christmas tree (which is in the same room with our Icon corner) and we pray, discuss the significance of that day (listed below), and the children open one gift. Christmas morning, of course, is a really big (or expensive) gift and every day after that it is something small (modest) or sentimental. Some days it is a group gift (like a movie or a family board game) or maybe a card with a family outing printed on it like "Bowling" or "Ice Skating". On the eve of Theophany the family receives a group gift ... something everyone will enjoy. We feel this approach to the Christmas season has many benefits.
1. It teaches the children that Christmas is a Season not just one day. The Christmas Season holds many days that remember important Saints or happenings in church history.
2. It takes the "greed factor" out of Christmas morning. Our children know that there will be one, nice gift that they have wished for under the tree but not a MOUND of presents. They also exchange the small inexpensive or homemade gifts that they have for each other. I truly feel that because they each have a pile of gifts to GIVE on Christmas morning that they almost look forward to GIVING more than RECEIVING! After all isn't that the true spirit of Christmas? This year we are going to go to Liturgy FIRST and open gifts when we get home ... I'll let you know how that goes.
I have had friends tell me that if their children didn't have a "mound" of gifts to open on Christmas morning that they would be disappointed. But I tell them my kids enjoy each others gifts as well and don't mind extending the Christmas season.
If we can enjoy the Christmas Season more by teaching our children to look for significance of the Season instead of the "Santa Claus...what am I getting for Christmas" factor I believe they will see that it is truly about God and not about gifts at all. After all... Jesus is our most important gift of all!
- 25 Dec -- The Nativity
- 26 Dec -- The Synaxis of the Mother of God
- 27 Dec -- Saint Stephen
- 28 Dec -- 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia
- 29 Dec -- 14,000 Holy Innocents slain by Herod
- 30 Dec -- Holy Martyr Anysia
- 31 Dec -- The Venerable Melania
- 1 Jan -- The Circumcision of Our Lord, Saint Basil the Great
- 2 Jan -- Saint Sylvester
- 3 Jan -- Holy Prophet Malachi
- 4 Jan -- Synaxis of the 70 Disciples
- 5 Jan -- Eve of Theophany; Hieromartyr Theopemptus
- 6 Jan -- The Theophany
December 18, 2006 - Battle of the Calendars
Dear Parish Faithful,
The perpetual "battle of the calendars" is undoubtedly heating up in this pre-festal week before the Nativity. On the one hand, everyone is most assuredly catching up with an endless host of last-minute preparations for Christmas. This will include coping with huge crowds of increasingly impatient shoppers in the malls, together with the over-worked and frazzled salespersons if, that is, you first survive the giant-scale dodgem car arena of the parking lots. (What you mumble and mutter there could possibly be "worthy" of Confession, by the way). And, of course, there are the regular weekly rhythms of life that go on. All together, this just may be the proverbial "tip of the iceberg."
On the other hand, there is the Church calendar that treats December 20-24 as an equivalent to Holy Week before Pascha. No provision is made to accomodate parties and "pre-Christmas" celebrations of eating, drinking and making merry. On the contrary, we are called to an ever more vigilant observance of the fast. All this for the simple reason that the Feast has not yet arrived! The unique - and common sensical - rhythm of the Church is to prepare for a Feast by fasting, not by more pre-feasting. (The prefestal services of the Church are meant to direct our minds and hearts to the impending mystery of the Incarnation). In our secular society, we have adjusted our calendars, especially before Nativity, to get as "Christmasy(?)" as possible leading up to December 25, thus absorbing most of our time, energy, and "taste" for the Feast before it has actually arrived. Hence, the relative blankness and loss of the "twelve days of Christmas" - what we would call the post-Festal, fast-free period - which are meant to link together Nativity and Theophany on January 6. A good deal of this "battle of the calendars" is unavoidable and inevitable, considering our workplaces, friends and relatives living by an approach other than that of the Church. Here, we must be open and charitable to the others around us. Yet, some of this tension may be self-generated, as we ignore the wisdom of the Church and establish our own "traditions" in striking contrast to those of the Church.
Without intendng to spoil anyone's "party," but rather to make it more meaningful and properly-placed as we draw near to December 25, I am simply reminding everyone to respect and to observe the remainder of this "holy week" according to the tradiions, discipline and rhythm of the Church of which we are members. Otherwise, the Church is reduced to adding "color," "sentiment," and "religiosity" to a more-or-less this-worldly celebration of "Christmas."
For those who were not in church yesterday for the post-Liturgy announcements, the schedule of services for this week is as follows:
Make some room for the Church in this prefestal week leading up to the "Winter Pasha" of our Lord's Nativity!
Fr. Steven
December 13, 2006 - St Herman of Alaska: Crucial to Christmas
Dear Parish Faithful,
Today, we celebrate and commemorate Blessed Fr. Herman of Alaska. He arrived in Alaska in 1794, and remained there until his respose in the Lord on December 13, 1837. He was officially glorified by the Church on August 9, 1970. While working primarily with the Aleut Indians, he remained a simple monk (he was never ordained) and was a teacher, pastor and spiritual guide for them. His most famous words are often found on his icons written on a scroll that he is shown holding in his hands: "From this day forward, from this hour, from this moment let us love God about all else." Very simple, but also challenging and ellusive. The Scriptural readings at today's Liturgy, reveal to us how the saints - men, women and children - appeared to accomplish the "impossible," for these words of the Apostle Paul and Christ Himself, are believed to have been embodied in the lives of the saints:
Fr. Thomas Hopko, in his book The Winter Pascha, wrote the following about Blessed Fr. Herman:
Fr. Steven
December 8, 2006 - The Fire of Zeal
Dear Parish Faithful,
Reading the book The Path to Salvation by St. Theophan the Recluse (+1894), a very prominent spiritual writer of the 19th c., I came across these few paragraphs. They are from the opening chapter, entitled "How the Christian Life Begins;" and a subsection entitled "The Fire of Zeal."
What success can one expect when there is no enthusiastic zeal for a Christian pleasing of God?
A merchant, a soldier, a judge, or a scholar has work which is full of cares and difficulties. How do they sustain themselves in the midst of their labors? By enthusiasm and love for their work. One cannot sustain oneself by anything else on the path of piety. Without this we will be serving God in a state of sluggishness, boredom, and lack of interest. An animal like the sloth also moves, but with difficulty, whilke for the swift gazelle or the nimble squirrel movement and getting about are a delight. Zealous pleasing of God is the path to God which is full of consolation and gives wings to the spirit. Without it one can ruin everything.
One must do everything for the glory of God in defiance of the sin which dwells in us. Without this we will do everthing only out of habit, because it seems "proper," because this is the way it has always been done, or the way others do it. We must do all we can, otherwise we will do some things and neglect others, and this without amy contrition or even knowledge of what we have omitted. One must do everything with heedfulness and care, as our chief task; otherwise we will do everything just as it comes.
And so, it is clear that without zeal a Christian is a poor Christian. He is drowsy, feeble, lifeless, neither hot nor cold - and this kind of life is not life at all. Knowing this, let us strive to manifest ourselves as true zealots of good deeds, so that we might truly be pleasing to God, having neither stain nor spot, nor any of these things.
According to Webster's dictionary, "zeal" means: "From Gk zelos: eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something: FERVOR syn see PASSION."
Perhaps we could ask ourselves, by way of a test: just what "something" out there in our lives, or in the world, do we "pursue" with an "ardent interest?" Or with "fervor" or "passion?" In terms of time, energy, resources how does our zealous "pursuit" of God compare? Can the Word becoming flesh help us to recover our zeal for God during this Nativity Season? Only if our enthusiasm, according to St. Theophan, equals or surpasses the zeal of "the merchant, soldier, judge or scholar" - or any and all professional, vocational, recreational, domestic or other pursuits
In Christ,
Fr. Steven
December 6, 2006 - On St Nicholas
Dear Parish Faithful,
Today we commemorate one of the most beloved of all the saints - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and bishop of Myra (+ c. 350). And yesterday evening, we celebrated a Vesperal Liturgy in his memory. From what I have read, he is even venerated by Muslims! Here is the closing paragraph from a fine article I just finished by a certain Elaine Mattei (Epiphany Journal, Winter 1985):
Throughout his life, St. Nicholas exemplified the highest Christian virtues, and particularly personified the striving to "love one another as I have loved you." (Jn. 13:34) This faithful servant of Christ ever acted with kindness, charity, and protection, and his self-forgetfulness imbued him with the Mind of Christ that cuts like a keen-edged sword. On December 6th, about 350 A.D., St. Nicholas laid down his earthly life to drink of the sweetness of eternal life in Heaven. His body was laid to rest in his own cathedral in Myra (where it remained until it was taken to Bari, Italy in 1087), and because of his extreme holiness, God blessed his relics to remain incorrupt, to give forth a sweet smelling fragrance, and to have healing power. From his tomb flows a miraculous oil which restores to wholeness the blind, the deaf, and the weak. Countless miracles have been perfomrd through his intercession. The sanctity of his life has endeared him to the faithful throughout the centuries and children, parents, sailors, captives, and nations call him their special guardian and patron. For over 1500 years this tireless servant of God has worked on earth and in the heavens to inspire Christians to virtue, kindness, generosity, and to arouse the faith of mankind in God's Good Gift to us - that Holy Child born Christmas night, for the salvation of our souls.
Fr. Steven
December 4, 2006 - Appreciating the Gift
Dear Parish Faithful,
During the Nativity Season there is a great deal of concentration on gifts. In fact, this meditation may find you well in the midst of gift buying and wrapping, if not frantically trying to make sure that you have something for everyone on your "gift list." For most people, Christmas culminates with the exchange of gifts among loved ones and friends. From profound theological reflections to pastoral homilies and parish bulletins, we will read and hear finely-crafted rhetorical phrases about the "Gift" from God - our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - Who descended from heaven into our world so that we may ascend to heaven in and through Him. And we will again hear the timelessly- appealing account of the first gifts offered to Christ by the wise men from the East of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
It might be worthwhile, then, to reflect on what is meant by the word "gift" - especially as gifts will consume our attention over the next few weeks. We can begin the quest for the meaning of this word by turning to Webster's Dictionary. The first definition that we find there under "gift" is: "something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation." A bit cold, lifeless and functional, but perhaps to be expected from the dictionary! However, this definition accurately reminds us that a gift is something freely given, and that the gift-giver, ideally at least, is not looking or expecting anything in return. Perhaps we could further say that a true gift is unexpected; it comes and is received as a surprise. A gift, to be truly a gift, must not be something earned, merited or deserved. To further humanize and add warmth to the concept, we could say that a gift is given "from the heart" of one person to another. This process may be spontaneous or planned far in advance. Therefore, the combined elements of freedom, unexpectedness and even undeservedness are essential for something that is given to be truly a "gift." Anticipating our discussion below, just think how appreciative a friend or co-worker is when we present them with a gift, however small, when unexpected. (By the way, if you prefer the word "present," Webster defines it as: "something presented: GIFT." So what I offer below would also works with "present").
Certainly, we could apply all of these elements to the Incarnation. When "in the fulness of time God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law" (GAL. 4:4 - the Epistle reading for the Liturgy of the Nativity), this "Gift" to humankind was freely given, unexpected and undeserved. Those who eventually came to believe in Christ, at least, were - to use C. S. Lewis' celebrated expression - "surprised by joy." Even though Christians now search the Scriptures and indeed find many prophetic texts promising messianic deliverance, and legitimately apply these texts to Christ, the overwhelming event of the Word of God "becoming flesh" was something unexpected. And the unanimous perception of the New Testament texts and the entire Christian Tradition is that this freely-given Gift was undeserved and unmerited - we were sinners to whom the Word descended! That this birth would culminate with death on the Cross "for us" further overwhelmed the believing community of the Church: "While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (ROM. 5:6) Webster's is right: God is not seeking "compensation." Yet, still God "desires all all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (I TIM. 4) This must mean a desire for our freely-given response of faith, based on our heartfelt acceptance and thanksgiving for this imcomparable Gift. Every Nativity Season our faith is tested: are we still "surprised by joy" at the Nativity of Christ;or have other concerns consumed the attention of our hearts?
And nothing can consume us as the seemingly endless shopping, spending and swapping of gifts. For many (Christians?) that is what Christmas is for and about. Yet are we in fact giving and receiving precisely gifts in this annually-anticipated process? Our "gifts" to one another are expected and even "demanded" it seems! We expect certain gifts (of a certain quality and quantity) from others; and they expect the same back in return. Have we ever experienced anger of hurt feelings when that quality and quanity are not fully met? And parents only need to think of the "Christmas lists" with which you are presented by your children to realize that at least some of the elements behind a true gift are completely lacking in our annual domestic rituals of rampant consumerism. Just how surprised or disappointed can we be if our children are more greedy than grateful at this time of year? With the accompanying certainty of entitlement that we all have - adults and children alike - are we actually exchanging gifts?
Of course there is a balance to the above, in that Christmas is the time of year that we set aside to express our love for the others in our life through the timeless process of gift-giving - for Christians in the name of Christ. And this is of great importance in our interpersonal relationships. A well-timed gift given in love can mean a great deal to another!
Yet, as much as we truly desire, with all our heart, to give gifts to our loved ones - for "It is more blessed to give than to receive" - I wonder if any real freedom remains in the whole Christmas process as it has developed. Everything is rather choreographed and predetermined well ahead of time. We will find something for the person who already has everything - or else! And then there are the financial burdens that families may place on themselves in order to "keep up" with the rest. Credit card debt is one of the unspoken and unseen oppressive burdens that afflict far too many people in our society. How ironic that it is the celebration of the birth of Christ that can add to that oppressiveness. In the frenzied and even obsence consumerism that marks the "holiday season" I highly doubt that one can any longer distinguish between Christian and non-Christian celebrations of Christmas. (The relentless advertising and promotional pressure of our major retail stores will assure us that our society is inclusive when it comes to Christmas spending).
I can wholeheartedly assure you that I am not trying to take the "fun" out of Christmas morning. I certainly enjoy mine! I am not Mr. Scrooge's or the Grinch's ecclesiastical representative! And though I may be fooling myself, I like to think that as I grow older, I appreciate the gifts that I do receive all the more. May the Lord bless everyone's domestic bliss in that celebration. And may you appreciate and cherish your gifts. My immediate concern in this meditation is with the questions inevitably generated by our current social practices and emphases and our uncritical acceptance of these:
Has something gone wrong in the process? Have we gone astray from the real meaning behind our Lord's Nativity? Is the Incarnation the focus of the Season, or the excuse for the Season? Have we become so dependent upon our Christmas presents that Christmas would become unrecognizable and empty with even a more modest emphasis on those gifts? For millions of people, Christmas is not "fun" at all - it is probably quite depressing. Such people may feel inadequate because they cannot supply their own families with the many gifts that are supposedly essential to Christmas. Their children may feel hurt or deprived. Then again, perhaps such folks are more appreciative of the little things that they do receive. However that may be, have we left room for such people on our priority lists at Christmas time? Are we willing to share the abundance of our blessings with others when there exist endless opportunities for precisely such activity?
Cliches become lifeless after awhile. But the annual cliche "dished out" by pastors, moralists, essayists, journalists and editorialists, etc., that Christmas has become hopelessly commercialized, is so empirically well-grounded, and so impossbile to deny, that we need to face up to it and our own participation in it. This has all happened in a "Christian nation!" Be that as it may, Christmas remains the time of year when the words of the Lord need to be tested: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (MATT. 6:21) By the grace of God, may that treasure be nothing other than the Gift of God in the "today" of His Word becoming flesh.
Fr. Steven
November 22, 2006 - Giving Thanks and Giving Alms
Dear Parish Faithful,
"It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold." (Tobit, 12:8)
I just completed reading the rather unknown Book of Tobit. This book is found in the editions of the Bible that include the Apocrypha - meaning books that are not considered canonical/authoritative, but which could be read as instructive or edifying. However, for Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics, such a book as that of Tobit would be considered "deuterocanonical," meaning something like "secondary-level Scripture."
However, the canonical status of the Book of Tobit is not my major concern at the moment. Rather, I would like to share a few passages from this book that can inspire us today toward a fuller practice of our own Christian Faith that, according to Christ, must embrace both God and neighbor. This book is known for its strong emphasis on charity, for Tobit was representative of the best in Jewish piety toward those in need. Tobit himself relates this to us in the first person in the book's opening chapter (notice his emphasis on tithing):
At one point, before sending his son Tobias on an important journey to Media (ancient Persia) in order to collect some money that he had entrusted to someone there, Tobit exhorts Tobias with some wonderful instruction that we would do well to teach to our own children today:
Unknown to both Tobit and Tobias, it is the Archangel Raphael who accompanies Tobias on the road in the guise of an experienced guide - though actually being and serving as a guardian angel - for the young man. In the Order of Blessing for a Journey By Land, this beautiful passage is the basis for the prayer that we offer up to God that He grant us an "Angel as guide and guardian" as "You did for Tobias" in order that we be "delivered from every evil circumstance resulting from enemies, both visible and invisible" on our travels. Eventually, the Archangel Raphael will reveal himself to Tobit and Tobias, and in the process deliver this angelic exhortation about the true love of God and neighbor:
The Archangel Raphael combines prayer with fasting and almsgiving, anticipating the teaching of Christ Himself when He instructed His disciples in the practice of all three virtues. The three need to be integrally and organically united for the true worship and praise of God. And as we approach Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, we hear the Archangel's voice concerning the need to give thanks to God in all things.
These passages are perfectly suited to guide us through the Season of the Nativity Fast. Surely, we need to fast as the Church guides us, but this fasting will be meaningless if we are not almsgivers at the same time and if we do not praise and thank God with our whole hearts at all times. We cannot simply concentrate on ourselves and our immediate families and expect to be blessed by God. Tobit was a pious Jew before the Advent of Christ. We, the followers of Christ, must manifest the same, if not greater, piety today following His Advent in the flesh as the ultimate Gift of God to a humanity impoverished by sin, corruption and death.
Toward the end of the book, Tobit offers up a marvelous prayer to God that contains the following:
Ancient wisdom for the modern world that will keep us in continuity with the saints throughout the ages.
_____
In order to give thanks to God in the spirit of Tobit, we will have a Service of Thanksgiving this evening at 7:00 p.m. and the Divine Liturgy on Thanksgiving Day at 9:30 a.m.
Hope to see you there!
In Christ,
Fr. Steven
November 20, 2006 - Anticipating the Nativity
Dear Parish Faithful,
A somewhat minor skirmish in what are called the "cultural wars" in our society (implying the battle between religion and secularism and the public expression of either) is over the use of the word "Christmas" at this time of year. Is it an appropriate or inappropriate term, given the secular and religiously pluralistic nature of contemporary society? Though desired by most Christians, is it a term that could offend the sensibilities of non-Christians and make them feel "left out?" One solution to this dilemma has been to substitute the harmless, neutral, but hopelessly vapid expression of "happy holidays" for "Merry Christmas." It appears that some of the major retail chains in America are planning on returning the term "Christmas" this year to their slogans and promotionsd, after an attempt of allowing "happy holidays" to fill the void. I, for one, am neither excited nor impressed. This attempt at being more "traditional" is clearly a marketing ploy that was decided upon after a great deal of (expensive) study and research by these corporations, fueled by the threats of boycott from some large Christian groups, including a traditional Roman Catholic group if I am not mistaken. "Christmas" in this context is meant to boost sales and preserve a certain public image from being tarnished. If this issue has even caught anyone's attention, then it can at best be seen as a very minor "victory" - if a victory at all - in the cultural wars alluded to above.
"Christmas" probably goes back to the Middle English expression of Christmasse, itself derived from the Old English word Cristes maesse, or literally "Christ's mass." And it was meant to refer to the birth of Christ. This was a medieval development. Thus, it remains a long-standing term - "traditional" we could say - that brings to mind the celebration of Christ's birth. Then there is also the term "nativity," a word derived from the Medieval Latin nativitat-, nativitas, itself going back to the Latin nativus. This, of course, means "birth." Nativity/birth is the best English equivalent of the Gk. word gennesis (literally, "genesis") that is used in the Orthodox Church to refer to the birth of Christ. Actually, the entire title of this Feast is The Nativity According to the flesh of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ - or, the Nativity for short!
Both Nativity and Christmas are a long way from "happy holidays" when the words are given all of the theological weight that they are meant to carry. However, based on what "Christmas" has meant for so many years now in our contemporary jargon, I would actually draw a contrast between Christmas and the Feast of the Nativity. The term Christmas has grown to convey an over-all feel for the Season, and particularly its emphasis on family traditions, sumptuous meals, parties, gift-shopping/giving, decorations, vacation time, and the like. As such, Christmas can be and is "observed" both by people who believe in Christ and by others who do not have any particular belief in Christ at all - or certainly not that He is God incarnate! "Merry Christmas" is thus meant to capture the over-all congeniality of the Sesaon. And one can, of course, be nostalgic for precisely this meaning of Christmas. It certainly conveys a sense of warmth, closeness and "peace on earth, goodwill among men." Having experienced this from our youth up,. we would not want to be without it. (In C.S. Lewis' Narnia, before Aslan defeated the witch and reclaimed his kingdom, it was said to be "always winter, but never Christmas" - and thus endlessly dreary). It is this form of "Christmas" that basically fills up the weeks leading up to December 25, and which leaves most everyone rather sick and tired of the whole thing once it arrives. The "twelve days of Christmas" leading up to Theophany are then days of recovery (and the realization of unwanted debt?) - not of celebration. In the words of Fr. Roman Braga:
The Nativity of Christ as conceived and presented in the Church is meant not only to celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God, but by including the forty days before that date, to fill us with a sense of waiting, longing, expectation and anticipation precisely for that miraculous coming in the flesh. This forty days, in turn, becomes something of a condensed version - a microcosm - of the long historical and providentially guided process of Israel awaiting its Messiah and Savior. Because of its many sins, Israel was exhorted to pray and fast by the prophets. We do the same, because we await the coming of Christ to each and every one of us. Yet, ultimately, prayer and fasting are meant to instill in us a joyous anticipation, "like a bride anticipating the wedding day." (Fr. Roman)Awaiting the nativity of Christ, shouldn't the Christian be the most joy-filled person during this Season? Again, in the words of Fr. Roman Braga:
Fr. Roman's conclusion is rather simple and direct:
For a longer-lasting and deeper joy, look first to the Church and her wisdom in guiding us through this Season. Then we will be able to experience the "today" of Christ's Nativity in the flesh.
Fr. Steven
