Summer 2006 Meditations: All Saints through End of Church Year

All Saints

Bicentennial Icon
All Saints
of North America (1994)

The Transfiguration

 

The Dormition of the Holy Theotokos

St Herman of Alaska

August 28, 3006 - The Archpriest Raphael and the Anticipation of the Kingdom of God

Dear Parish Faithful,

As announced, presvytera Deborah and I made the trip to Flint, MI on the weekend, to be present at the funeral of the Archpriest Raphael Biernacki, a close friend of ours.  Though unable to attend the Vigil Service for Burial of a Priest on Friday evening, we were there for the Liturgy on Saturday morning.  It was quite an overwhelming experience, and I would like to share something of it with all of you by way of description.   His Eminence Archbishop Job was there as the presiding hierarch/celebrant.  He was surrounded and supported by about twenty priests, five deacons, a host of subdeacons and a countless number of acolytes.  The choir was large, well-prepared and sang with great compunction. Though a poor judge of crowds, I would imagine that there were at least 350-400 parishoners and friends also present, if not indeed more. This was truly a majectic funeral.  In fact, Matushka Kathleen, Fr. Raphael's wife, called it "regal" and another person used the term "grand."    It was "meet and right" that such a large funeral spontaneously came together for Fr. Raphael.  For there was something "larger-than-life" about him.  Physically,  Fr. Raphael was a very tall man - six feet seven inches and of a large fulsome frame.  His embrace was huge!  Yet, though his size was imposing, it was never intimidating because of his joyful and friendly spirit that disarmed and put  immediately at ease each and every person that came into contact with him.  This was just one characteristic for which he was deeply respected and loved by all.

 However,  this was not a majestic funeral  only because of its size.   Sheer size alone can at times be only loud and bombastic - form over content.  Bidding farewell to a faithful priest and servant of God, great consolation was sent down from on High:  a quiet yet unmistakable certitude in the Christian hope of the Kingdom of God and eternal life was distinctly present.  It was this spirit that was pervasive throughout the long service and transformed the sorrow of many into an ecclesial experience of the joyful paschal mystery of life triumphant over death.  And, indeed, at the appointed Epistle reading at the Liturgy we heard the ringing words of the Apostle Paul:  "O death, where is thy victory?  O death, where is thy sting?"  By the grace of God, this funeral was an event at which the Gospel was both proclaimed and experienced.  The Liturgy is the anticipation, here and now, of the Kingdom of God that will come with all power one day.  With the solemnity of death present, so was the victory of the Kingdom and a sense that Fr. Raphael had entered the longed-for sabbath rest. 

A priest has the advantage of being sure that his burial will be done "decently and in order," or perhaps we could say, the "right way."  His body is in the church the entire time after being washed by his fellow priests and clothed in his priestly vestments.  The church has been his "home" through his years of service - not the funeral "home."  It is in the church that he is visibly in the midst of Christ, the Mother of God, the angels and all of the saints.  It is here that the faithful will visit him and lovingly surround his earthly remains and pray for the respose of his soul.  And, as mentioned above, the funeral service culminates with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.  In the Liturgy our union with Christ - the unity the living and the dead - is fully revealed and experienced.  In the Eucharist the boundaries of space and time, and of death itself, are overcome in and through the love of God revealed in Christ.

As we prayed to God for the eternal repose in a blessed life for our departed friend, the Archpriest Raphael, and that Christ would give him rest "with the saints," we could only be reminded of our own impending deaths and hopeful passage into the Kingdom of God.  Every funeral service that we attend is a reminder of our own mortality and that we will also die at a time known only to God.  I, too, will be in that coffin one day!  It is impossible to fully comprehend one's own death, but a sober mindfulness of its inevitability and that we, too, will come before the "dread judgment seat of Christ" is absolutely essential for a genuine spiritual life - despite the superficial deflections away from the remembrance of death that characterize our secular culture.  Secularism cannot deal with death so it ignores it by placing a premium on an ever-fleeting presence that is ultimately going nowhere.  The secular realm is for those who "have no hope."  The Church is the Body of Christ in which death has been overcome, so it approaches death realistically and with the hope of life everlasting through the Crucified and Risen Lord.   It is this realism that is reflected in some of the hymns chanted at the funeral, at the time of the "last kiss:"

 

        As we look upon him that lies dead before us, let us all accept the image of our final hour.
        For he vanishes like smoke from the earth, is withered like a flower, is cut down like grass,
        is wrapped in sackcloth and concealed in the earth.  As we leave him hidden from sight,
        let us pray unto Christ that He will give him rest unto the ages.

 

        ... For we shall all pass away, we all shall die, kings and princes, judges and rulers, rich
        and poor, and all of mankind.  For now, they who once were alive, are cast into the grave.
        Let us pray that the Lord will give them rest.

 

Yet, regardless of how stark this realism may be, each hymn and the entire service is filled with the assurance of the mercy of God, the victory of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and the hope that Christ in His mercy will receive us into His Kingdom.  All of this was experienced in abundance by those of us who were present at Fr. Raphael Biernacki's funeral service on Saturday.  Once again, I simply wanted to share something of this experience with you.  Not all men bring honor and glory to the vocation of the priesthood into which they were ordained.  I strongly believe that Fr. Raphael is one priest who did, and that God in His mercy made that evident to us on Saturday.  May his memory be eternal!

Fr. Steven

In Memoriam: The Very Rev. Raphael Biernacki - (OCA Diocese of the Midwest article)

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August 16, 2006 - The Feast of the Dormition

Dear Parish Faithful,

We had so many people in church Monday evening for the Feast of the Dormition, that it had something of the "feel" of a Sunday - especially with so many communicants!   And there were many families with younger children adding to the over-all energy and liveliness of our celebration.  It was deeply encouraging to witness the Orthodox faithful - the People of God - responding with love and reverence for the Theotokos.  Truly a blessed conclusion to the Dormition Fast!  Combined with our celebration of the Lord's Transfiguration on August 6, we experienced two of the major Feast Days of the Church in an ecclesial ("churchly") manner, as the gathered assembly of the faithful united as members of the Body of Christ.  The tomb with the burial shroud of the Theotokos open for veneration in the center of the church  surrounded by the flowers brought in her honor and later blessed, added to the over-all warmth of our commemoration.

This year, the Church School curriculum will center on the Feast Days of the liturgical year.  I will write more about this in the upcoming weeks.  For now, I express the hope that the Feasts will become more integral to the rhythm of our parish and domestic lives, as we, in turn, intergrate ourselves more into the mystery of Christ as manifested in the Church.

Fr. Steven

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August 14, 2006 - The Paschal Death of the Theotokos

Dear Parish Faithful,

        If her childbearing was remarkable, if her conceiving was beyond all nature and understanding
        and was of saving worth for the world, surely her falling asleep was glorious, too - truly sacred
        and wholly worthy of praise.  (St. John of Damascus)

As we are preparing for a splendid Feast of the Dormition this evening, I wanted to share a bit more about the Church's understanding of the Theotokos and the service we will soon celebrate.  In reading an article by Fr. George Florovsky entitled, "The Ever-Virgin Mother of God," I came across these words which are directed toward the present Feast of the Dormition:

        The Church now contemplates her in the state of perfection.  She is now seen as inseparably
        united with her Son, who "sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty."  For her the
        final consummation of life has already come - in an anticipation.  You are passed over into
        Life, who art the Mother of Life," acknowledges the Church, "Neither the grave nor death
        had power over the Mother of God ... for the Mother of Life has been brought into Life
        by Him who dwelled in her ever-virgin womb."  (Troparion and Kontakion for the feast of
        the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Koimoisis)  Again, it is not so much a heavenly reward for her
        purity and virtue, as an "implication" of her sublime office, of her being the Mother of God, the
        Theotokos. 

And Fr. Florovsky offers his own expression of what I have stressed earlier concerning her role as the Mother of all believers:

        Incorporation into Christ, which is the essence of the Church and of the whole Christian
        existence, is first of all an incorporation into his sacrificial love for mankind.  And here
        there is a special place for her who is united with the Redeemer in the unique intimacy
        of motherly affection and devotion.  The Mother of God is truly the common mother of
        all living, of the whole Christian race born or reborn in the Spirit and truth.  An affectionate
        identification with the child, which is the spiritual essence of motherhood, is here
        consummated in its ultimate perfection.

And in celebrating the Feast, we are able to participate in this awesome "mystery" of the paschal death of the Theotokos.  To stress yet again, her death is a "falling asleep" (the meaning of the Gk. Koimoisis and the Lat. dormition.  Tbis transforms the whole meaning of death.  As Brian Daley has written:

        So for every Christian who hopes in Christ, death becomes a "falling asleep" rather than an
        experience of terror and demonic subjugation.  Even Mary's continuing patronage and
        intercession, her benign presence in the Church, so strongly emphasized ... is an expression
        both of the full reality of her salvation in Christ and of her active solidarity with those who hope
        for the same salvation.

If that alone cannot bring us to the Feast by first "laying aside all earthly cares," then I have no idea what possibly could ...

This year, to add to the fulness of the celebration of the Feast, the tomb has been decorated and placed in the center of the church with a "burial shroud" of the Theotokos laying upon it for our veneration.  However, unlike the Shroud of Christ as on Holy Friday, it is not necessary to make full prostrations before this icon.  Rather, we should make the sign of the Cross twice accompanied by a bow at the waist, venerate the shroud, step back and then a make a final sign of the Cross accompanied by a final bow.   We will place the tomb back in its usual place following the service, but the shroud will remain there until the Leavetaking of the Feast on August 23.  That means that whenever we enter the church during these days, we should make a point of venerating the burial shroud of the Theotokos in the same manner.

As mentioned earlier, please place the flowers that you bring for a blessing around the tomb upon the floor.  Please feel free to take your flowers home following the Liturgy.  If you want to leave them in the church, we will find a place for them.

We have the opportunity to make the final Feast of the liturgical year a wonderful celebration.  Hopefully, that will come to pass.

Fr. Steven

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August 10, 2006 - Behold, Your Mother!

Dear Parish Faithful,

Imagine for a moment, the following plausible and hopefully realistic scenario:

A good friend, neighbor, colleague, relative or fellow parishoner has just lost his mother.  Funeral arrangements have been made and announced in due time.  You realize that you will have a difficult time making it to the actual funeral which will take place on a weekday morning, because of work-related responsibilites that cannot be avoided.  However, you can certainly make an appearance at the local funeral home on the evening prior to the funeral.  This visit to the funeral home may prove to be "inconvenient" because you will have to cancel previous plans that will disappoint your children who will not quite understand.  Perhaps you even had tickets to the baseball game.  Or, this may be your designated evening reserved for an evening class, workout session at the local facilities, lawn work, etc.  However, as a sign of respect, concern, and solidarity with your friend, you gladly postpone life's regular rhythms for the sake of what is never a very pleasant experience - a trip to the funeral home to honor the deceased.  In other words, you fully realize that it would be quite inappropriate to completely miss the funeral of your friend's, neighbor's, colleague's, relative's, or fellow parishoners's mother.  Certainly, it could possibly strain any future relationships a bit if you did.

Obviously, if this was the mother of someone particularly close to you - or your own! - then you would even absorb the consequences of missing work on the day of the funeral and be present at the funeral itself, and not just the visitation from the prior evening. 

I strongly contend that the above scenario is magnified a hundred-fold when applied to the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.  

In other words, to miss this Feast for any reason that is not worthy of a blessing, would in some way be equivalent to missing your own mother's funeral - or at least the annual commemoration of her death when other family members gather together for that commemoration!  If that sounds excessively rhetorical, I would explain it in the following way:  the Mother of God is the Mother of all Orthodox Christians by extension - just as the heavenly Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is also "our" Father.  (Of course, this is only a comparison, for the Virgin Mary is a human being and, though "deified," is not divine).  The Theotokos is the "New Eve" according to some of the early Church Fathers (St. Justin Martyr, St. Irenaeus of Lyons).  The first Eve was called the "mother of the living" based upon her very name, even though fallen and expelled from the Garden of Eden through the sin of disobedience.  The Virgin Mary is the "mother of the living" especially of those who are alive in Christ as members of His Body, the Church.  We always seek her intercessory prayers as children seeking the loving presence of a mother.  For centuries Orthodox Christians have so honored and turned to the Mother of God.

 On Golgotha, at the foot of the Cross, she was designated as St. John's mother, and St. John as her son, by the Lord Himself as He hung upon the Cross:  "Woman, behold your son!" ... "Behold, your mother!"  (JN. 19:26-27)  St. John is understood to be the ideal and representative disciple; thus the Mother of God becomes the mother of all of Christ's disciples who are faithful to Him as he was.  Holy Tradition tells us that the apostles were all gathered together in Jerusalem when the Mother of God fell asleep in the Lord ("dormition" means to fall asleep).  They mourned her greatly with much lamention and weeping as their common mother.  And their joy was exceedingly great when they realized that she was "translated to Heaven." 

The Feast is the actualization of the events surrounding her holy dormition.  We gather as did the apostles and her close friends and fellow Christians, who surrounded her with love and in faith as they awaiting the mysterious moment of the parting of her soul and body.  But we already realize that her death is a paschal death; that is, a transition/translation to the Kingdom of Heaven.  For the Mother of God this is uniquely of both body and soul.  That is why her death is paradoxically a Feast Day!  I have heard it referred to as "Pascha in the Summer."  We commemorate the victory of Her Son over death in her "deathless death."   Her fate in death is what we await in hope and anticipation.  A secular funeral home may try and cover up death, but only in our churches do we understand, through faith, that death has actually been overcome.  Again, most assuredly in the Dormition of the Theotokos.  Here is the one "funeral" that reveals the hidden hope behind all other funerals. Truly a blessed event and a blessed Feast!  Certainly not one to be missed. 

I would thus ask you to think out the implications of the plausible scenario that began this meditation and apply them to your own deliberations, plans, choices and decisions concerning next Monday evening,  August 14, when we gather in the church to celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos.  We will serve a Vesperal Liturgy, beginning at 6:00 p.m., in order to maximize our participation in the fullness of the Feast which culminates in the Eucharist.  To be present would be to honor, respect, love and venerate the "Mother of the Living" with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as faithful children would do.   

        Sing, O ye people, sing ye the praises of the Mother of our God:  for today she delivers
        her soul, full of light, into the immaculate hands of Him who was made incarnate of her without
        seed.  And she entreats Him without ceasing to grant the inhabited earth peace and great mercy.
        (Great Vespers, Litya)

Fr. Steven

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August 9, 2006 - Orthodox Night School on Wednesdays through August

Dear Parish Faithful,

We are already past the midpoint of the relatively short Dormition Fast.  Today we commemorate Blessed Father Herman of Alaska and, in fact, we just completed the Liturgy.  For those who keep the Fast in its fulness, "fish, wine, and oil" are allowed today in honor of this great North American saint.  This evening, we will serve Vespers at 7:00 p.m. and then receive James White into the Catechumenate in prepartion for his baptism into the Church on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m.  Following these prayers, we will continue with our Summer Bible Study which finds us in the second half of chapter 9 of the Gospel According to St. Luke.  We will begin by making further observations about the present Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord based upon St. Luke's account in 9:28-36.  We will then go on to read and study:

As a fast is meant to "maximalize" our life in the Church - especially if we have managed to "minimalize" it through neglect or any other reason - participation in the Bible Study will go a long way in doing just that.  To assure you of this, all you need to do is ask any one of your fellow parishoners who have attended the Bible Study faithfully.  People who find their spiritual hunger being fed, keep coming back for more.  The satisfaction of our physical hunger is much less permanent and lasting than how the living Word of God is able to satisfy the human soul and heart.  As one of our most eminent biblical scholars, John Breck, writes in the preface of his book The Power of the Word::

 

        The Word of God expressed in the form of Holy Scripture and traditional creedal formulas
        possesses an inherent power by which it communicates divine grace and truth ...
 
        In comtemporary Orthodoxy, however, the dynamic quality of the Word, the "power of the
        Gospel for salvation," has become largely obscured by a general neglect of Scripture study
        and a failure to perceive doctrine, liturgy and iconography as vehicles of biblical revelation.
        One of the most pressing needs within the Church today is to recover this vision of the
        dynamic quality of the Word as the instrument of God's self-disclosure and self-communication.
        It is my hope ... that this volume might contribute to a much needed reawakening of our Orthodox
        consciousness of the power and the beauty of the divine Word, not to serve esthetic interests,
        but to enable us to rediscover the central place of Holy Scripture within Orthodoxy as the primary
        source of Christian truth and life.

 

Hearing the Word of God on Sunday morning in the context of the Liturgy is good and essential.  This is why coming to the Liturgy after the Gospel reading is something of a mini-disaster if such careless tardiness can be avoided.  But the hearing on Sunday morning must be further strengthened, nurtured, sustained and extended by personal study of the Scriptures.  Another form of that process of deepening our knowledge of the Scriptures is through the parish Bible Studies that are beginning to characterize more and more of our Orthodox parishes in America.  Through the quality of their seminary education, our priests are now adequately trained to be effective teachers of the Scriptures.  If not, they shouldn't be ordained.  Your Protestant friends need not be able to dance circles around you when it comes to knowing the Bible!   Or, make you feel inadequate and unable to respond convincingly when a "discussion" ever arises.  The Bible is "our" book because it belongs to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  And it is properly interpreted within the Church largely based upon the scriptural commentaries of the Great Church Fathers. 

I heard a very distinguished priest recently say that we should spend as much time reading the Scriptures as we do watching television!  Where would that leave everyone?  I would at least strongly suggest some balance.  If you are a daily TV viewer, then you need to be a daily Scripture reader.  The television distracts, entertains, and perhaps even informs; but it hardly nourishes the soul as do the Scriptures.  As the Lord said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."   If you admit to having any "gaps" in your knowledge of the Scripture; if you desire to learn more for the simple sake of your love of Christ's teaching; then you have a "night school" class right here in the parish for daytime workers.  The registration fee has been waived by the Lord, Who "desires that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth."    You will not officially receive any credit hours toward a degree, but you may just may add to the prospect of having your name written in the Book of Life. 

May the intercessions of the Theotokos, whose holy dormition we are preparing to celebrate, increase such a desire in our hearts!

Fr. Steven

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August 7, 2006 - Transfigured Life

Dear Parish Faithful,

Over the weekend we enjoyed a splendid celebration of one of our Great Feasts, that of the Transfiguration of the Lord.  Many parishoners responded to the opportunity of keeping this Feast as fully as possible by first attending the Great Vespers on Saturday evening in great numbers.  With a full choir singing all of the beautiful hymnography, we worshiped our Lord Jesus Christ "transfigured on the mount" in divine glory.  The service, as is prescribed for the eves of Great Feast, culminated in the blessing of loaves, their distribution as we venerated the festal icon, and anointing with the oil that was simultaneously blessed.  This prepared us for the Liturgy of the Feast that fell on a Sunday this year. 

The Liturgy was also well-attended and it too had a festal quality.  We heard the Gospel account of St. Matthew tell us how Christ was transfigured before His disciples on the Mount:  "and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."  A wonderful tradition connected particularly to this Feast is the Blessing of Fruit that occured right before the Dismissal.  The cosmic dimension of the Feast is revealed and supported by this practice of blessing grapes and other fruits as anticipating the transfiguration of the cosmos and all of creation at the end of time when "God will be all in all."  (I COR. 15:28)  We had a generous collection of many-colored fruit baskets that were a visible reminder of the "incarnational" aspect of our Faith.  Everyone and all things are potentially embraced by the light of Christ.  Needless to say, I am sure that your fruit somehow tasted even more delicious after being blessed in church!   I hope that eveyone had a further good "taste" of the joy of celebrating a Feast of the Church as a united body, of one mind and one heart. 

The Leavetaking of the Transfiguration occurs on August 13.  To appreciate the wonderful revelation of this Feast, we have the insightful words of Archbishop Kallistos Ware:

 

        The light of the transfiguration ... foreshadows not only Christ's own Resurrection on the third
        day, but equally the Resurrection glory of the righteous at His Second Coming.  The glory
        which shone from Jesus on Tabor is a glory in which all mankind is called to share.  On Mount
        Tabor we see Christ's human nature - the human substance which He took from us - filled with
        splendour, 'made godlike' or 'deified.'  What has happened to human nature in Christ can happen
        also to the humanity of Christ's followers.  The Transfiguration, then, reveals to us the full
        potentiality of our human nature:  it shows us the glory which our humanity once possessed and
        the glory which, by God's grace, it will again recover at the Last Day.

 

The Feast of the Transfiguration falls within the Dormition Fast.  Hopefully, it built up some "momentum" for everyone that will carry us joyfully to the celebration of the falling asleep in death of the Mother of God.  I will write of this shortly.  As we proceed through the Dormition Fast, we come to the celebration of our own beloved St. Herman of Alaska.  On August 9 we commemorate his glorification as a saint of the Church, an event that occured in Alaska in 1970. 

Therefore, we will serve Great Vespers tommorow evening at 7:00 p.m. and the Divine Liturgy on Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m.

Fr. Steven

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July 31, 2006 - Beginning the Dormition Fast: Liberation Through Ascetical Efforts 

Dear Parish Faithful,

And you, good Lady, bearer of our good Lord, watch over us; lead and guide our lives where you will; put the urges of our most shameful passions to rest, calm the tossing of their waves, lead us to the safe harbor of God's will, make us worthy of the blessedness to come, the sweet light of his own face, who is God the Word, made flesh from you.  (St. John of Damascus, Homily 1 on the Dormition)

Picking up where I left off yesterday following the Liturgy, and in the last paragraph of today's Monday Morning Meditation, I would like to make a few more observations about the Dormition Fast that begins tomorrow, August 1.

This is the last of the four fasting periods that make up the liturgical year that begins on September 1.  There are, in addition, the Nativity Fast, Great Lent and the Apostles' Fast.

This fast is always for exactly fourteen days (Aug. 1-14), culminating with the Feast of the Dormition on August 15.

Similar to the other fasts, we are directed to abstain from all meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and even wine (alcoholic beverages) and oil.  There are exceptions when "fish, wine and oil" are allowed according to the calendar, and your home calendar should have all of that listed.  That would be for the Feast of the Transfiguration (Aug. 6) and certain major saints' days.  Obviously, that is rather demanding - especially the stricture on oil!  In my opinion, the abstention from "wine" is a good rule to follow, because it would break up any pattern of "drinking" on a daily basis, even the seemingly innocent practice of a single drink to "unwind."  Be that as it may, the rest of the fast  gives up the opportunity to be disciplined and ascetical (meaning "spiritual training" that involves both body and soul).  All healthy Orthodox Christians can do some fasting, including our children.  With a bit of effort, everyone - old and young alike - can try and abstain from meat for the duration of the Fast.  As I said yesterday, what is one more hamburger going to do for us?!  And what an opportunity to take a further break from all of those less-than-healthy sweets! 

In addition, of course, we should all work on being more mindful of God by freeing ourselves from our many preoccupations of a more "worldly nature." 

If you stay with the Fast, no matter its duration, what begins as  "restricting" eventually becomes "liberating."  As athletes and others like to say, "No pain, no gain!"

Looking ahead, we will celebrate the Feast of the Dormition with a Vesperal Liturgy on Monday evening, August 14, at 6:00 p.m.  This is a pastoral decision intended to "maximize" attendance/participation for the Feast.  Mark that date on your calendars and plan on being present for the culminating event of the Fast - the Feast of the Liturgy.  If you will be out-of-town, then certainly other Orthodox parishes will be celebrating the Feast.

As the heat continues to melt us down, these words from the Epistle to the Hebrews can serve to inspire us:

"Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint bur rather be healed."   (HEB. 12:12)

 Fr. Steven

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July 31, 2006 - Maximalists For Christ

Dear Parish Faithful,

     It it something of a precarious and risk-ridden venture to try and describe our Lord Jesus Christ as a particular (personality) "type," according to the commonly accepted notions of such descriptions and classifications.  I do not think you will find much of this in the Church Fathers; and it of course invites one-sidedness.   As a certain Anglican theologican said a few decades ago, if I recall this correctly, we can hardly hope to understand the psychology of God incarnate!    This is certainly not the denial of the full and complete humanity of our Lord, but rather a cautionary reminder of the dangers of speculating on such a subject beyond what is revealed by the evangelists, who do not delve into the psychology of Christ, at least how we would today understand that "science."   Bearing this in mind, I would still suggest that based upon the content of His teachings and deeds; and on the over-all image of Christ that shines through in the Gospels, I would describe our Lord as a "maximalist."  As a rather loose definition, and in the context of this meditation, a maximalist is someone who at all times will pour all of his energy and being - without reservation or "holding back" - into the task, vocation or destination at hand.  This is abundantly clear about Christ when we look at His teaching:

 

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  (MATT. 5:20)

"You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."  (MATT. 5:48)

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."  (MATT. 6:33)

"You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me ... With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."  (MK. 10:21, 27)

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."   (MATT. 22:37-38)

 

     I do not think that any of these saying of our Lord have been plucked out of context, but rather that each is expressive of the very heart of the Gospel.  Jesus is a "maximalist" in that everything that He said and did is entirely, completely and totally directed toward God and His Kingdom; that there is nothing in His life that we are even remotely aware of that does not reveal His absolute and unswerving God-centeredness; or His utter abandonment and commitment to, and love for, His heavenly Father.  In all things it was the will of Christ to do the will of His heavenly Father:  "Yet not what I will, but what thou wilt."  (MK. 14:36)   To borrow a phrase characteristic of some contemporary biblical scholars/theolgians, Jesus is a "being unto God."   As Orthodox we would further clarify by saying that in His full and complete humanity, assumed by His Divine Person as the Word of God, Christ is "maximally" united to the Father in a union that reveals all of the potential and integrity of our human nature in relationship to God. 

     This is all very demanding, as it was to His original disciples, and it is often expressed in the form of commandments.  But this is not all simply "law."  Christ can demand this of His disciples throughout the ages, because it is rooted in His maximal love for us and for the world:  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  (JN. 3:16)   Christ's authority is based on His love which is unconditional and led Him to give up His life for us on the Cross.   If we respond to His love with our love, then we will at least strive to be "maximalists" in our living out of the Gospel.  Together with the saints, we can be fellow maximalists with Christ.  And this, I believe, is one way of describing our vocation as Christians.  The Lord expresses His maximal vision for us in the following manner:

"You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hid.  Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  (MATT. 5:14-16)

     But what if we act as "minimalists?"  What if we are minimalists claiming to believe in and claiming to follow a maximalist? A "minimalist" in the context of this meditation is someone who does enough to just get by, "going through the motions," so to speak, and with not much enthusiasm, commitment or energy.  Could this possibly describe our relationship to Christ and the Church?  If that is indeed so, and to use a contemporary expression, we would experience a "disconnect" of rather staggering proportions as Christ reveals in the following words: 

"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? 
It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men."  (MATT. 5:13)

     A biblical synonym for such minimalism is "lukewarmness," and some of the most frightening words in the New Testament are reserved for this particular spiritual illness: 

"I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot.  Would that you were cold or hot! 
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will spew you out of my mouth."  (REV. 3:15-16)

     Our best response to such a dilemma would be repentance.  And if honesty forces you to admit that this has been the  "summer of my disconnect," there is relief at hand:  the two-week Dormition Fast that begins tomorrow, August 1.  A fasting period is the time to "maximize" our efforts and the over-all quality of our life in the Church.  This is done by prayer, almsgiving and fasting.  By reading the Scriptures, participating in the worship of the Church and confession of sins.  We can concentrate, re-focus on "the one thing needful."  We can slowly be transformed from "minimalists"  into "maximalists" by the grace of God energizing our efforts.  We can, at least potentially, break the pattern of our tepid minimalism and respond to the vision of the Church, in which we are being shaped in the likeness of Christ.  In the process, we will honor the Theotokos as we prepare to be spiritually vigilant in the celebration of the Feast of her falling asleep and of her translation to the Kingdom of God. 

     Everything in the Church is about responding to love with love.  If Christ Jesus revealed the maximum extent of His love for us, then we can respond with our maximum capacity to love in return. 

 Fr. Steven

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July 24, 2006 - The Reality of Sin... and of Redemption

Dear Fathers, Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

"Weep about sin:  sin is the soul's sickness; it is the death of the immortal; sin is worthy of mourning and of unceasing lamenting."  (St. Basil, To Julitta, Martyr)

The Divine Liturgy unfolds prayerfully, majestically and dynamically toward that moment when we are invited to "draw near" and receive the Eucharist "in the fear of God, and with faith."   And when we actually "taste and see that the Lord is good," it is accompanied by the words of the bishop or priest "for the remission of sins and unto life everlasting."   In the so-called "words of institution" that will culminate with the Epiclesis and the consecration of our gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, we hear that the "Body which is broken for you;" and the "Blood of the New Testament,"  are "for the remission of sins."   Certain petitions that are repeated in the litanies that punctuate the Liturgy are a plea for the "pardon and remission of our sins."   And we openly acknowledge our sinfulness when we pray together right before receiving the Eucharist, echoing the words of the Apostles Peter and Paul:

        I believe , O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the living God,
        who camest into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first.

 Essentially we are sinners in the hands of a loving and compassionate God.  In His kenotic love for us, Christ "through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God" (HEB. 9:14) as an "expiation" for our sins - not as the "propitiation" of an angry deity. 

The phrase "remission of sins" tells us that we have been saved from something - the negative aspect of salvation, we could say; while the additional phrase "unto life everlasting" tells us that we have been saved for something - the positive aspect of salvation, we could further say.  Christ is at the heart and center of the whole process from redemption to deification.  Therefore, we are not "sin-obsessed," bur rather "Christ-centered."  At the same time, we certainly cannot follow the world and uneasily pretend that "sin" no longer exists!  Hence, our social and cultural preoccupation with "problems," "issues," "dysfunction," etc.  We need to be thankful that the Church keeps the reality of sin before our gaze and attention, so that we do not also slip into this sort of relativizing - if not trivializing - of a very serious aspect of life.  The reality of sin reveals the more absolute categories of Good and Evil - and of God.  If there is no God then there is no sin. 

The appointed Gospel for the Liturgy yesterday morning - MATT. 9:1-8 - should have brought this to our attention yet again.   In the healing of the paralytic, Jesus revealed Himself as the Son of Man who "has authority on earth to forgive sins."  Christ  forgives us of our paralyzing sins of commission and omission.  But beyond these concrete sins, we are liberated and redeemed from the existentially catastrophic condition of sin:  "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin (singular) of the world!"  (JN. 1:29)  This amartia is defined by one Greek-English Lexicon as meaning "to miss, miss the mark, miss the road, to fail of doing, fail of one's purpose, to miss one's point, fail, go wrong, to fail of having, to be deprived of, to lose, err, sin."  The "mark" is God, so amartia is alienation from God.  Admittedly, one may continue to "keep smiling" - and eating, drinking, merry-making and, of course, spending  - but this is actually a fearful condition of isolation, confusion and hopelessness.   Even a kind of spiritual disfigurement.

According to St. John Chrysostom - if I recall correctly - the only reality that we need to fear is that of sin.  People actually fear poverty, illness and death to a far greater extent he says, but St. John reminds us then not one of those three much-feared realities need alienate us from God, while sin can and does. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is not a reluctant Savior.  He assures us that the angels of heaven rejoice over the repentance of one sinner, which means that He does too.  As we continue to enjoy the forgiveness of sins through our repentance and confession within the grace-filled life of the Church, can there be any other response other than love, adoration, thanksgiving and worship?   

 Fr. Steven

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July 19, 2006 - Summer Heat Wave, and True Refreshment

Dear Parish Faithful,

It is quite hot these days.  Basically, our usual summer heat wave.  Our energy level is drained in the process, and we are running for air-conditioned shelter - or perhaps a swimming pool - wherever we can find it.  The energy-draining quality of the heat also has an effect on our spiritual lives.  We are even less inclined than usual to come to church (outside of Sunday's Liturgy).  And, admittedly, the opportunities are less in number.  Usually, it is Vespers and the Bible Study that make up the week's schedule in addition to our Catechetical Class.  This particular week, we will have the Liturgy on Thursday morning in commemoration of the Prophet Elijah.  The church is air-conditioned, but the hall is not.  So, the noisy fans are kept blowing in the hall as we read and study the Scriptures together.  In the process, one may even sweat a bit - though we do have cold water in ice-filled cups to drink. 

Yet, the compensation - or spiritual consolation - for a bit of discomfort is great indeed!   Immersed in the living Word of God; learning more about Christ; sharing with fellow believers in the context of an intimate circle of friendly discourse; all of this enlivens the evening and more than makes up for the slight discomfort.  Every week takes us deeper into the Gospel According to St. Luke, and thus deeper into the mystery of Christ and His saving words and deeds.  There is a veritable spiritual banquet promised this evening, with the following passages from ch. 8 to anticipate:

     I am not quite sure that we will be able to cover all of that material in one evening, but we will try following the Vespers service that begins at 7:00 p.m.  Here is what St. John Chrysostom said about studying the Scriptures, anticipating, I believe, some of our own "excuses" today for ignoring the Bible:

 

        Do not let anyone say to me these vain words, worthy of a heavy condemnation, "I cannot
        leave the courthouse, I administer the business of the city, I practice a craft, I have a wife,
        I am raising children, I am in charge of a household, I am a man of the world; reading the
        Scriptures is not for me, but for those who have been set apart, who have settled on the
        mountaintops, who keep this way of life continuously."  What are you saying?  That attending
        to the Scriptures is not for you, since you are surrounded by a multitude of cares?  Rather it
        is for you more than for them.  They do not need the help of the divine Scriptures as much as
        those do who are involved in many occupations...; but we, as if tossed in the midst of the sea,
        driven by a multitude of sins, always need the continuous and ceaseless aid of the Scriptures.
        ... For it is not possible, not possible for anyone to be saved without continually taking
        advantage of spiritual reading.  Actually, we must be content, if even with continual use of this
        therapy, we are barely able to be saved.  But when we are struck every day, if we do not use
        any medical care, what hope do we have of salvation?

 

     Even allowing for St. John's use of his wonderful gift of rhetorical eloquence, his point is well-made.  We ignore the Scriptures at great expense to our spiritual lives.  So join us for this evening's Bible Study.  Sweat a bit.  But leave refreshed, rejuvenated and with "your youth renewed like the eagle's"  through the living Word of God.  If you are unable to join us for "a reason worthy of a blessing," then read along with us at home.  Avoid the "heavy condemnation" that St. John threatens us with for ignoring the Scriptures.  As Christ Himself said about His teaching in a passage that we will discuss this evening:  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  (LK. 8:8)

Fr. Steven

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July 6, 2006 - The Riches Of The Gospel

Dear Parish Faithful,

Yesterday evening, about twenty of us gathered together following Vespers in order to read and discuss the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospel According to St. Luke.  We were studying what has come to be called "the Sermon on the Plain" found in LK. 6.  In this passage, we come to the very heart of Christ's teaching, to the words that penetrate both the mind and heart, and which have drawn countless people to Christ from the time they were first uttered and throughout the centuries up to our own day.  (Yet, are these words that we as Orthodox Christians neglect?)  I am referring to the "hard sayings" of our Lord that both elevate and perplex us; that simultaneously attract and frighten us; that reveal to us a "better way" of living, but which remain as a postponed ideal:

But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those
who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the
other also; and from him who takes away your cloak do not withhold your coat as well.  Give to
every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again.
And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
 
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love
them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For  even
sinners do the same.  And if you lend to to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that  
to you?   Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  But love your enemies, and do
good and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons  
the most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.  Be merciful, even as your Father
is merciful.
 
Judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive,
and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For the measure you give will be
the measure you get back.  LK. 6:27-37

     One of our better and more lively discussions followed each of these passages as we struggled to grasp the meaning of these perhaps overly-familiar words and how we can somehow live up to them in our own lives.  Here is just a sample of our shared insights:

    This is a brief summary of some of our lively discussion.  We will continue with LK. 7 next Wednesday evening.       

Fr. Steven

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July 5, 2006 - Make Such A Study of The Gospel . . .

Dear Parish Faithful,

In preparing myself for this evening's continuation of our Spring/Summer Bible Study, I came across these words of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (+1867):

 

        ... A Christian should occupy himself with all possible care and attention with the reading of the
        Holy Gospel.  He should make such a study of the Gospel that it may always be present in his
        memory, and at every moral step he takes, for every act, for every thought, he may always have
        ready in his memory the teaching of the Gospel ....  Never cease studying the Gospel 'til the end
        of your life.  Do not think you know it enough, even if you know it by heart.
 
        When you open the Holy Gospel to read it, remember that it will decide your fate in eternity.  We
        will be judged according to that book.

 

     I would further add that a Christian should know no other forms of literature better than the Holy Gospels.  After all, the Gospels record the words and deeds of Christ - the One we worship as our Savior!   Literate, educated people have no real excuse for not reading the Gospels.  If we hear anything from the Gospels that we are unfamiliar with, then it means that we must better familiarize ourselves with their content.  Of course, we can and should do this "privately" when we read and study the Scriptures on our own.  But it also means taking full advantage of what is offered in our parishes.  Our parish Bible Study is designed so that we can read and study the Gospels - this year specifically the Gospel According to St. Luke - as a group.  There is no substitute for reading a passage aloud and then discussing its meaning, both in the time of Christ and for us today.  I would even argue that for most people, participation in the Bible Study will lead to more consistency in "private" reading of the Scriptures.  Group discussion kindles the desire for greater knowledge of the Scriptures.  If you are unable to attend the Bible Study for good reasons, then of course I hope that everyone "reads along" with us at home.  Please remember, though, the parish Bible Study is for everyone, not just a small circle of "Bible readers."

This evening, we begin with Vespers at 7:00 p.m. followed by the Bible Study at 7:45 p.m.

Fr. Steven

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July 3, 2006 - Reflections On 25 Years In The Holy Priesthood

Dear Parish Faithful,

Actually, I could very well entitle this piece "In Place of a Monday Morning Meditation," because, somewhat differently than usual, I would simply like to offer some reflection on yesterday's post-Liturgy events.  Or, perhaps this piece remains something of a meditation after all, though of a different kind.  In my "old age" I find myself getting more emotional than in the past, so perhaps sharing some thoughts now may be more effective than if I had attempted to say too much under the circumstances yesterday. 

On Wednesday, June 28, I celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of my ordination to the holy priesthood in 1981.  (I was ordained to the priesthood about a month after graduating from St. Vladimir's seminary in New York, and immediately assigned to a parish in Granite City, IL, by the Most Reverend Kyrill, Archbishop of Pittsburg and the Bulgarian Diocese).  I must begin by thanking God for keeping me in good health, and my family intact, so that I could serve the Church over this past quarter century.  Alas, though filled up with many memorable events and countless abiding friendships and deep relationships, the time has passed inexorably, a "fact of life" we all have to live with.  In addition, I must thank my family - beginning with presvytera Deborah, of course - for being supportive of someone who, in a real sense, is responsible for two families - the domestic and the parish; the natural and the ecclesial.  It takes a priest many years before he realizes how dependent he is on the support of his wife and family.  And that is abundantly true of me.  On a more immediate level, I would like to thank all of the organizers of yesterday's "surprise" celebration and everyone who stayed and participated.  It was a genuine surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!  I particularly appreciated Pat Pride's comments as the appointed "parish representative" to share a few words and who, together with Mickey Callendar, our parish council president, presented me with the wonderful gift of a new set of beautiful "pentecostal green" vestments.  I look forward to wearing them on Sunday!   Other gifts followed that I also very much appreciate.

Over the years, I have received many cards, gifts, phone calls and personally delivered words of encouragement and support.  Those are seemingly simple gestures, but for a priest they are very significant and often serve to "keep him going."  Parishoners may not realize this, but this is all something of a "ministry" to the priest and to his family!  Here is an opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks for this invaluable kindness.  I have had occasion, recently, to make the point that I do not feel like a "professional priest" here at Christ the Savior/Holy Spirit.  In other words, I am not a hired liturgical celebrant whose essential role is to serve the Liturgy and then baptisms, marriages and funerals - "hatch, match and dispatch," as someone has cleverly described it.  Without trying to sound too pretentious or sentimental, over the years I have grown to assume the role of "spiritual father" to the parish family that has formed here by the grace of God.  This is only possible if our relationship has been one based on trust and mutual respect within the context of a deep commitment to the Gospel of Christ.

As you also realize, every priest develops his own "style" over the years, and my style, as you know, is not to get too warm and fuzzy!   So, at this point, I would like to offer a few more reflections in a different "key."  Again, as to priestly "style"  (based on a combination of personality - or "character!" - and a particular vision of the priesthood), some in a parish may appreciate it; others respectfully tolerate it; and others may find it particularly grating.  (And the same may hold true for how the priest may view or relate to his parishoners!).  This cannot be helped  for the most part.  As the Apostle Paul wrote:  "But by the grace of God I am what I am." (I COR. 15:10)  Yet, it is precisely in a strong parish that everyone makes the necessary "adjustments" for the sake of the over-all spiritual health of the parish family.  Over the course of time, such an approach is "rewarded" by a greater understanding of each other.  I have tried to make my decisions for the direction and life of the parish based on fidelity to the Gospel and the living Tradition of the Church that definitively shapes our understanding of the Gospel.  And as you know, I resist deviating from the Tradition too far!  Our Faith is Orthodox, and it is this Orthodox Faith in our Savior Jesus Christ that will successfully direct us toward the Kingdom of God.   My role is the humble one of "transmitting" the Tradition/Faith as well as possible.  I like to think that I have learned to apply the Tradition with a growing sense of pastoral flexibility over the years when needed - but perhaps I am fooling myself.  More to the point is the realization on my part of all of the flaws, shortcomings, and sins that have prevented me from becoming a better priest.  All I can do is wince, hope no irreparable damage has been done, try to repent, seek forgiveness and then further try to avoid the same mistakes in the future.  This must by why the Lirurgy has so wisely inserted the  bows of the priest, accompanied by the humble plea, O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me, before the elevation of the Holy Gifts. 

At this point, I think it best to avoid writing a short treatise on the priesthood; or to consume you with my vision of the priesthood.  My goal was the humble one of adding a reflection or two following yesterday's commemorative dinner graciously offered by the parish on the twenty-fifth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood.  I thank God that I have been able to spend seventeen of those years here in Cincinnati.  I doubt I have twenty-five more years left!  Nothing is promised to us - not even tomorrow.  I do hope to have some good years left, however, continuing to serve here as we hopefully continue to grow together "to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."  (EPH. 4:13) 

Fr. Steven

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June 19, 2006 - I Will Not Betray My Faith

Dear Parish Faithful,

"I am an Orthodox Christian and I will not betray my faith!"

According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church in Alaska, these were the last words of St. Peter the Aleut at the time of his martyrdom at the hands of overly-zealous Spaniards in 1815.  St. Peter was tortured for not renouncing his Orthodox Faith and died of his wounds.  This occured at Fort Ross near San Francisco.  St. Peter was a native Aleut by the name of Tchounagnak.  When baptized he received the Christian name of Peter.  It was said that when St. Herman of Alaska was informed of this youth's martyrdom, he immediately exclaimed:  "Holy newly-martyred Peter pray unto God for us!"

His words take on an ever greater significance because St. Peter was fifteen years old at the time of his martyrdom!  To repeat myself from yesterday morning's homily at the Divine Liturgy - and for the sake of those who were not there - I believe that every one of us and, for that matter, all Orthodox (and non-Orthodox) Christians,  should memorize this very memorable saying, inscribe it in our minds and on our hearts; and utter these words, aloud or silently, whenever we are tempted to betray our Faith.  Thank God, we are not threatened with martyrdom as many of the saints have been throughout the long centuries of Church history.  But a martyr is one who bears witness, and our witness as Orthodox Christians in North America may not be as outwardly grandiose and spectacular as was that of the martyrs.  It may be about overcoming the daily grind and the many temptations that come with it, including the "forgetfulness of  God" that leads us to seek comfort in all things.   

We can betray our Faith by simply putting our "faith" in something or someone other than Christ.  We can actually believe more in worldly power, authority and military strength - the "princes and sons of men" of the psalms - than in the "power" of Christ crucified.  (Nietzche once said that Christians don't really believe in God, but in the police).  We can betray our Faith by accepting non-Christian arguments that gain popularity through their promotion and distribution though various channels of the media.  We then find ourselves led down a morally and ethically "slippery slope" without even taking the time to carefully study the position or response of the Church.  If you cannot intelligently respond to a pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia, pro-homosexual argument with anything of substance from the living Tradition of the Church - the Scriptures, the Liturgy, the Fathers, contempory theology, etc - then isn't such a failure to witness something of a betrayal?  ("Respond," by the way, does not mean to simply criticize, dismiss or vilify; but to grasp the theological principles involved so that we can present a holistic position that remains faithful to the Gospel and human life - or the "Gospel of life" - as revealed in the Tradition). 

Or, sadly enough, we can just be so materialistic that we betray our Faith by worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator (cf. ROM. 1:18-23).  This "idolatry" is, according to the Scriptures, the worst of sins.  We have become so instinctively and wholeheartedly materialistic, that our endless accumulation of things has become as natural as breathing.   "Christian consumerism" and "secular/atheistic consumerism" are indistinguishable.   And we pass this on to our children as an essential part of life!   An anti-materialist voice is treated with either indifference, contempt or awkward silence.  To overcome our materialistic drive would be no easier than overcoming our drive to eat and drink.  It is not simply a matter of having a great deal; but a matter of putting so much of our mind, heart, soul and strength into the things we have.   Do we define ourselves by who we are as Christians, or by what we have as consumers?   (Fr. Alexander Schmemann used to say that it is an insult to our humanity that we are now even defined as consumers).   Called to be "eucharistic/sacramental beings," we are now "shopping beings."  Pray or read the Scriptures for the perfunctory five minutes, but "shop until you drop!"  And being "materialistic" is all relative.  One can be a consumer-out-of-control with a high or low income.  It is ultimately a matter of the heart.  St. John Klimakos once wrote that he witnessed monks fighting over rags!  The cumulative effect of all of this is to find the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount - a call to "simplifying" - incomprehensible.  (Here, we can say thank God for our monastic comunities who reveal to the world a cheerful simplicity). 

I write the above because I am far too materialistic.  As the child's taunt tellingly reveals: "It takes one to know one."   But I hope that you will admit with me, that we can betray our Faith in just such a manner.  For many Christians today, "materialism" and all that it brings with it - excessive comfort, false security, class-consciousness, condescension toward others, neglect of the poor, superficiality -  may be the most persistent temptation.  If so, just what is the quality of our witness when so tempted?

"I am an Orthodox Christian and I will not betray my faith!"  This can serve us as a wonderful confession of Faith whenever we are confronted with the temptation to act, speak, or even think in a way contrary to a genuine and authentic witness to our Lord Jesus Christ.  I may sound hopelessly naive, but I honestly believe that we could find ourselves in situations for sinning that we can be "saved" from by repeating these words as we begin to weaken and falter.  Our "martyria" is not worth much unless it is manifested in times of trial - even the "little trials" that beset us as middle-class Christians in a fast-paced, ethically relativistic, spiritually vapid and "metaphysically-challenged" society.  Otherwise, we face the unenviable and unrelieved tension of absorbing a distinct and thoroughly Christian vision of life in the Liturgy that we then fail to embody in our daily lives due to intellectual and social pressures that evoke and provoke us to a different vision of life.

Perhaps we could combine the words of St. Peter the Aleut with those of St. Herman of Alaska:  "From this day, from this hour, from this moment, let us love God above all else."    The right vision (theoria) as witnessed to by these saints can lead us to right action (praxis). 

 Fr. Steven

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