Our Compasionate God - For Saturday

St. Matthew 15:32-39 (8/16) Gospel for Saturday of the
Ninth Week after Pentecost

Our Compassionate God: St. Matthew 15:32-39, especially vs. 32: "...I
have compassion on the multitude...." Out of pure compassion, Christ
our God concerned Himself with the hunger of a multitude of thousands of
men, women, and children (vs. 32). Such is the record. Such is God's
true nature. His actions substantiate His words. Indeed, in feeding a
multitude, God manifest mercy and compassion for a crowd isolated on a
country mountainside far from all sources of food. They had been with
Him for three days, seeking and receiving healing for those of them who
were mute, maimed, blind, and lame (Mt. 15:30). At last all supplies of
food became exhausted (vs. 32), and so, in still another, basic, and
direct way, the Compassionate One revealed His immediate provident
nature - He saw men's hunger and He fed them.

Three compelling truths concerning the compassion of God emerge from
this account: 1) Because He is compassionate, God intervenes in human
distress. 2) The compassion of God cannot be measured, established, nor
verified by human, scientific, statistical means - Divine compassion is
revealed to faith. 3) Faith perceives in the Lord Jesus' feeding of
over 4,000 people, the greatest aspect of God's involvement in human
affairs - His became a man Himself to defeat our sin and death, the
issues that reign over our improvident existence.

The message in this passage proclaims that God is compassionate. The
people came to the Lord Jesus and lay their sick and injured loved ones
at His feet, hoping He would restore and heal them (Mt. 15:30). They
were not disappointed. Thus, in some measure their faith in God's
compassion enlarged, for they saw clear evidence of the hand of the
compassionate "God of Israel" (Mt. 15:31). Hence, the crowd lingered in
the wilderness to be near Jesus, for in Him they found active, merciful
help for their tangible needs. Again, when their food ran out, they
discovered that the compassion of God manifests itself toward real
needs. The Lord Jesus also fed them. "Compassionate and merciful is
the Lord, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is good to
all, and His compassions are over all His works" (Ps. 144:8-9).

The account raises a question: here on this tiny planet earth, teeming
with billions of people, how can we say that the God of the entire,
immense universe really cares when there are so many who are hungry?
The question is not stated explicitly. Rather, you will find it woven
into the inquiry of the Lord Jesus' disciples: "Where could we get
enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?" (Mt.
15:33). On this speck of a planet, in the vast "spatial wilderness" we
call "the universe," mankind faces either an impersonal whorl of matter
devoid of care, or we meet Him Who created us and continues to care for
us now and ever.

In the feeding of the 4,000, we are invited to grasp the awe of the
Prophet Isaiah: "He shall tend His flock as a shepherd, and He shall
gather the lambs with His arm, and shall soothe them that are with
young. Who has measured the water in His hand, and the heaven with a
span, and all the earth in a handful?" (Is. 40:11,12). O Faithful in
Christ, our God is compassionate!

Even more, the great declaration of God's compassion is stunningly
embedded in this passage: God appeared as a man and remains so forever.
The compassionate God specifically fed a multitude of 4,000 on a
mountain, He was specifically among us as Jesus of Nazareth - He the One
without Whom "nothing was made that was made" (Jn. 1:3). "God [is] in
Christ reconciling the world to Himself" (2 Cor. 5:19); that is how
compassionate our God is! What need shall we bring to the Compassionate
One to which He is indifferent?

Come, my soul, let us ascend the mountain yonder, whence cometh thy
help. My help cometh from the Lord, Who hath made heaven and earth.
(Ps. 120:1,2)

Dormition of the Theotokos

St. Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28 (8/15) Gospel for
the Dormition of the Theotokos

Distractions: St. Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28, especially vs. 40: "...Martha
was distracted with much serving...." The Evangelist Luke describes the
Lord Jesus enjoying hospitality from His friends Martha and Mary:
Martha is busy serving her guests, but becomes exasperated with Mary who
is not helping her. Our Lord then teaches about the pitfall of losing
focus while serving - this from Him Who exalted service to His future
Apostles: "whoever desires to become great among you shall be your
servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of
all." He points out that "...the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve" (Mk. 10:43-45). How easy it is to be "distracted with
much serving," fall prey to the tyranny of the urgent, forget one's
purpose, and shift focus from the Lord to one's self.

The fact is that Martha, in welcoming the Lord into her home, fulfilled
the royal law of hospitality, a practice highly valued as a worthy act
of piety among the peoples of the Middle East. The great Patriarch
Abraham entertained the Lord God Himself in the theophany of the three
Angels (Gen. 18:1-8). Extending welcome to travelers and strangers
remains an esteemed act of piety (Ex. 2:20; Jdgs. 6:18). And the Lord
Jesus honored hospitality by blessing those who offered Him the comfort
of their homes (Mt. 9:10; Lk. 19:7; Jn. 2:2).

Martha's problem was not serving, but being "distracted by much serving"
(Lk. 10:40). A danger in worthwhile activity is letting that which
seems to be urgent crowd out the truly important matters of life. The
telephone, email, fax machines, and other means of rapid communication
breach the walls of our homes with constant and sometimes imperious
demands. Who does not know the reality of piles of unanswered mail,
unread books, prayerless days, and sleepless nights - all because of
allowing oneself to become a slave to the urgent?

Martha's shift in priorities became evident by the manner in which she
appealed to the Lord Jesus. She scolds: "Don't You care?....tell her to
help me!" (Lk. 10:40). The pressure of "the urgent" transformed
Martha's service into self-service. Was she most concerned about the
Lord and His teaching or herself as a hostess? What motivated Martha?
Was it the chance to be "a slave to all," or her own concerns with the
tasks of providing hospitality singlehandedly? St. Theophan the Recluse
points out how easily we can succumb to pleasing ourselves: the self
"seeks its own comfort and pleasure in all its doing, even the most
righteous and spiritual, and secretly and lustfully feeds on it as
though it were food."

Our gracious Savior and Lord corrects Martha, but also He warns us. He
indicates the best way in the situation. He calls attention to Mary's
choice of "...that good part, which will not be taken away from her"
(Lk. 10:42). Notice in the Lord's comment that Mary "chose" to sit at
His feet and to hear His word (Lk. 10:39, 42). If we are too quick to
heed the urgent, we are apt to succumb to its insistent voice! Be
watchful of little momentary demands that pester you for attention.
When we allow the urgent to tyrannize, we void our freedom in the Lord
and give away the power He graciously bestows upon us to live for His
glory.

Always, to choose the living word of the Lord is the "best part,"
because in so doing, He remains our highest priority. He continues to
be the center of life, and the One we actually serve - no matter the
task at hand. St. Theophan offers a suggestion: to keep peace in our
hearts when affliction and urgency would disturb us, incline the will
toward "God's will itself, then wish it and do it, but only because God
wishes it...only for His glory alone."

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doing with Thy most gracious favor, that
in all our works, begun, continued and ended in Thee, we may, by Thine
aid, serve and glorify Thee alone.

The Worthy Heart V - Bears Fruit

St. Matthew 21:12-14, 17-20 (8/15) Gospel for Friday of the Ninth
Week after Pentecost

The Worthy Heart V ~ Bears Fruit: St. Matthew 21:12-14, 17-20,
especially vs. 19: "And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and
found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, 'Let no fruit grow on
you ever again.' Immediately, the fig tree withered away." Talking
once with a Samaritan woman at Sychar (Jn. 4:6-26), the Lord Jesus
described the nature of true worship: "...true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to
worship Him" (Jn. 4:23). In the present passage from St. Matthew, the
Lord repeats the message but demonstrates His word graphically by
driving out those who were defiling His Temple (Mt. 21:12-13), healing
those who came to Him in His Temple (vs. 14), and emphasizing His will
either to fill with life those who bear fruit for Him or to withdraw
life from those who fail to bear Him fruit (vss 17-20). Those of worthy
hearts trust God, worship Him truly, and bear Him fruit.

When the Lord Jesus came to the Jerusalem Temple, do not miss the fact
that the Master of the House had come, God Himself, but Incarnate as a
man, yet deserving all honor, glory, and worship in His Holy Temple.
What He found was buying and selling, profane arrangements of tables,
chairs, various denominations and forms of money, and animals - a tidy,
bustling business for the merchants, a convenience store for those
coming to offer sacrifice. In His "driving out" and "overturning," the
Lord Jesus dramatized His ownership of the Temple, expressing plainly
His disfavor with the business operations. All this should be clear
enough.

In addition, in His act of cleansing of the Temple, the Lord Jesus
reiterates the same spiritual truth He made in conversation with the
woman (St. Photeini) at Sychar (Jn. 4:7-26): God's Temple is not a place
but a condition of the heart - our heart is the temple of the Lord.
Therefore, it is possible, if we are mindless and not attentive, that we
can set up business in our heart and displace the true worship of God
for which our heart is consecrated through the Holy Mysteries. As
Blessed Theophylact pleads, "O reader, look and see whether perhaps you
have made God's temple, that is your mind, a den of thieves, that is a
demon's lair. It will be such a den if we have thoughts full of the
desire of material things, of buying and selling and a love of money...."

The facts are that the Lord Jesus came into the physical Temple to heal
those who would "come" to Him (vs. 14), but a false practice had
developed that forbid the lame and the blind to enter the Jerusalem
Temple: no "imperfect" thing or person, was allowed to "desecrate" the
Temple by their mere presence. From the Lord Jesus' perspective, the
very ones who needed to be admitted were excluded while "business for
profit" actively took their place.

Once Christ our God disrupted the false "business as usual," the blind
and lame readily made their way to Him (vs. 14). This applies to you
and me: we may enjoy the Lord's presence within our physical Temples,
but never forget that "His True Temple" is in your heart. Those of
"worthy hearts," those who know their spiritual blindness and crippled
state, joyfully throng to the Lord, go into the Temple of their hearts,
and seek the healing touch of Christ our God. Therefore, anywhere in
the world, men and women may worship the Lord, come "to Him" (vs. 14) in
spirit and in truth, and be illumined and strengthened, and be healed of
sin and evils.

Finally, heed the warning of the fig tree. When the Lord Jesus found a
thriving but fruitless tree, He cursed it to wither away (vs. 19). He
continues searching for those of true worship who will bear fruit to Him
from their hearts. His message is stark, yet full of hope. He will
give life to those who seek Him, but He will also surely withdraw life
from those who turn away from Him being "invested in their own business"
and who do not bear fruit to Him.

"...the meditation of my heart shall be before Thee for ever, O
Lord..." (see Ps. 18:14).

The Worthy Heart IV - Longs to Serve

St. Matthew 20:17-28 (8/14) Gospel for Thursday of the Ninth Week after Pentecost The Worthy Heart IV ~ Longs to Serve: St. Matthew 20:17-28, especially vss. 27, 28: "...whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." In this passage from St. Matthew, the Lord Jesus draws our attention to the desire to serve - a quality of heart required for His Kingdom. He whom Isaiah called, "The just One Who serves many well" (Is. 53:11), reveals, through His Life and teaching, the high calling of "servanthood." He illumines service. He transforms serving. He raises service from an activity and establishes it as a blessed, divine attitude of heart! A heart worthy of the Kingdom of God longs to serve in the manner and by the grace of God Incarnate. Thus, our Lord Jesus discloses "service" to His Faithful ones (vs. 17) - in the context of His Passion (vss. 18-19). Hence, to receive Baptism in Christ and partake of His Cup (vss. 20-23) is to join Him in giving one's life "a ransom for many" (vss. 24-28). When the critical time came for the Lord Jesus to go up to Jerusalem, He took His disciples aside from the multitudes, and shared with them the solemn events that lay ahead: His betrayal, condemnation, death, and Resurrection. The largest portion in all four Gospels and the preponderance of what is taught in the Holy Icons, concern the Passion and the Resurrection. For the faithful, the Lord's "servanthood" dominates even our approach to the passage of time. We mark the weeks by fasts on Wednesday and Friday and by the celebration of the Resurrection by calling the first of the Week "the Lord's Day." Similarly, the years are marked by Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha, so that the Mystery of service is held in the hearts of the faithful. By His own actions as "The Suffering Servant" (Is. 52:13-53:12), Christ our God reveals the profound depth of blessing in service even when done menially. Notice this: Christ our Lord is inviting us to see His teaching and actions in the context of His Passion (Mt. 20:18-19), as "service" rendered for us. In the Passion, He exposes the illusions of the grandeur, majesty, position, and prestige that men seek. True status and honor are given eternally by God our Father to "those for whom it is prepared" (vs. 20:23), servants of the Lord. The incident involving James and John (vss. 20-24) follows the Lord Jesus' disclosure of the necessity of death to self (vss. 18-19) for any who would embrace service. James and John were captivated by Jesus' power over sickness, disease, nature, and death. In turn they were impressed with their own "status" as disciples. They spun images of themselves in the trappings of prestige and power; yet, as we know that "...in the grave...kings and beggars are the same." Like them, we also may easily forget how death levels us all. See, when our Lord spoke of mocking, scourging, and crucifixion (Mt. 20:19), the brothers, remained charmed by what St. Macarios the Great calls "the inconstant dreams of this world." Let us not, like them, fail to grasp that Baptism into Christ is to share His Cup (vss. 22-23). Rather, let us hear our Savior as He exalts the high truth of service and brushes away our fantasies. In the solemn Mysteries of Holy Baptism and the Divine Liturgy, the Lord Jesus illumines the blessings to be found in service. He sobers the heart and shows the mind the import of being the first who quietly serves and slaves for others (vss. 25-27). When one ransoms a slave or captive by paying the price of his release, he knows true joy in seeing one like himself released from bondage. Thus, St. Paul reminds us that Christ our God knew joy "as He endured the cross, despising the shame" (Heb. 12:2). Surely our Lord is also calling us to share His joy by serving with Him in freeing others (Mt. 20:27, 28).

The Worthy Heart III - Is Grateful

St. Matthew 20:1-16 (8/13) Gospel for Wednesday of the Ninth Week after Pentecost The Worthy Heart III ~ Is Grateful: St. Matthew 20:1-16, especially vs. 15: "Is it not lawful for Me to do what I wish with My Own things? Or is your eye evil because I Am good?" In St. Matthew's account of the parable of the vineyard workers, the Lord Jesus begins and ends with identical declarations: "the last will be first, and the first last"(vss. 19:30 and 20:16). These pronouncements are rather like "bookends," that highlight the theme of the parable. Christ's repetition invites exploration so one can appreciate the meaning of the theme of the parable. The way to understand the larger context is to review our Lord's challenge to a man who said he wished to follow Him (Mt. 19:16). The Lord confronted his desire with a challenge: "if you want to be perfect, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor" (Mt. 19:21). Sadly, the man was unable to let go of his great possessions, and backed off (vs. 19:22). Our Lord's disciples were perplexed by the stringency of the demand made on the man and asked, "Who then can be saved?" (vs. 25). Peter was quick to apply the message to himself and declared, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" (vs. 27). Our Lord assured His disciples that they would have a place as rulers, "...judging the twelve tribes of Israel," and that if anyone should give up the goods of this world to follow Him, he would be rewarded a hundred fold "...and inherit eternal life" (vss. 28,29). Then comes the first "bookend": "But many who are first will be last, and the last first" (vs. 30). It is evident that the Lord Jesus wished to reassure His disciples in their commitment to Him. But He desires that all his "followers" should not be "reward-oriented," but rather grateful to Him; for, of course, God rewards those who are committed to Him. However, He rejoices in those who gratefully embrace Him as did Abram (Gen. 15:1). The singular emphasis of the parable that follows is that "all laborers receive equal pay." Common human thinking expects compensation to differ in proportion to labor expended, but our Lord is explicit on the point that the Kingdom of God operates by its own rules - even as they shatter the tidy categories of reward-oriented thinking. Gradations such as "first" and "last" are rendered meaningless in the "avalanche" of God's unmerited grace toward men. Listen to St. John Chrysostom in his famous Paschal homily and apply it to this parable: If any have toiled from the first hour, let him receive his due reward. If any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude join in the Feast. And he that arrived after the sixth hour, let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss. And if any have delayed to the ninth hour, let him not hesitate, but let him come too. And he that hath arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay; for the Lord is gracious and receiveth the last even as the first....Let all then enter into the joy of our Lord. Yet first and last receiving alike your reward.... St John Chrysostom understands that gratitude must replace compensation! In the mercy and saving love of our Lord, repentance and gratitude gain Life. "O give thanks unto the Lord and call upon His Name; declare among the nations His works" (Ps. 104:1). Commenting further on this parable, St. John Chrysostom queries: "But the question is this, whether the first have gloriously approved themselves, and having pleased God, and having throughout the whole day shone by their labors, are possessed by the basest feeling of vice, jealousy, and envy." May God's grace sustain our gratitude and keep us far from envy and dissatisfaction - from questioning what God gives us in relation to what He bestows upon others. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endureth for ever! (Ps. 105:1)

Peace in the Orthodox Liturgy

Peace in the Orthodox Liturgy by Mark Isaac Pearson “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” –John 14:27 In the Orthodox church, the notion of peace generally gets a bad press, if it gets any. I have been trying to figure out why. I think that the reason has to do with what the Orthodox public perceives peace to be. Rightly or wrongly, it is associated with an anti-establishment stance, left wing, liberal, hippy, call it what you will. We see the term being used in a frivolous ways, e.g. ‘peace pops’ popsicles, in ideological ways, e.g. ‘peace tent’, and what happens in a ‘peace Pagoda’ is anyone’s guess. In Russia, the term ‘peace’ has been almost permanently corrupted by it’s association with state propaganda. Thus Orthodox Christians are often suspicious of the term. But it is this hijacking of a term describing a spiritual state to which all Christians are urged to aspire which I believe we must combat. How can we create a climate of peace, a culture of peace, a church where Christ is — par excellence — the Prince of Peace? Firstly, we need to scrape away surface preconceptions with the scalpel of Holy Tradition. Let us consider the question, how does Orthodox tradition speak of peace, because peace, as an attribute of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is a central component of Orthodox liturgical life. ‘I give you my Peace’: Peace in Orthodox Tradition Christ Himself is the core of Orthodox Holy Tradition; all written, oral, iconic and choral tradition of His holy church springs forth from the Holy Trinity. And Christ ‘is Himself our peace’ [Ephesians 2:14] but this is not the same as the world’s peace [John 14:27], it is the ‘peace of God which passes all understanding’ [Phil 4:7. (When I was at school this was recalled at mealtimes when we had fish and chips as 'the piece of cod which passeth all understanding' :-)]. Thus peace lies at the root of Orthodox Christianity. In Colossians chapter 3 verses 11 through 15 St Paul tells the Christians of Colossae that in the new man renewed in God’s image there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free but Christ who is all and in all. Then he tells them to put on the virtues especially forgiveness. But above all the virtues St Paul tells them,’clothe yourselves with love, which binds all the virtues into perfection’ (v 14), and with this, allow ‘the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts’ because ‘as members of one body’ , the Church, ‘you were called to peace’ (NIV). Here St Paul clearly points to the calling of the Church, that is the calling to peace. And how is this manifested? In thanks (v15) (an allusion to the Eucharist perhaps), by letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly, and in worship (psalms, hymns and spiritual songs)(v16). So we have here the central calling of Christ’s body, the Church, to peace through worship. The unity of the church depends upon the bonds of peace between its members. St Paul urges the Ephesians [Ephesians 4:3-6] to bind themselves together in the unity given by the Spirit with bonds of peace. The unity of the Church, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all; all this depends on the bond of peace. We are also to live in harmony with our neighbours outside the church, for ‘God has called us to peace’ [I Corinthians 7:15], ‘to live peaceably with all’ [Romans 12:18], ‘to make every effort to live in peace with all men’[Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)]. Moving from the New Testament to the liturgical texts of the church, let us look at the evangelists and some of the saints of the church. We see a clear message of peace here. St Matthew has “borne the gospel of peace, life, and salvation to men” [Apostikha of Vespers for St Matthew (November 16)]. On April 25th we ’sing praises to Mark’, ‘the wise writer of the gospel’ ['Lord I Call' (tone 1) of Vespers verse 1 April 25th]. We pray that ‘by your prayers and teachings, / Guide our lives in the way of peace.’ [Same verse as before.] and we pray him to ‘entreat Christ, … to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!’ [Apostikha of Vespers verses2-3]. ‘Most blessed Mark’, even became ‘a river of peace, flowing from Eden’ ['Lord I Call' of Vespers verse 4]. St Luke’s holy writings are ‘powerful weapons of light’ piercing the darkness of evil and we petition him to ‘pray that we may love the light of all’ so that ‘we may granted peace, eternal light and great mercy’ [Apostikha of Vespers October 18th]. Moreover, ‘Your feet were beautiful, most blessed one / as you preached the Gospel of the Peace surpassing all understanding’ [Canticle 8, Matins Canon, Oct 18th]. But it is with our beloved Father Herman of Alaska that we see that peace is for the American people. No fewer than seven times do we petition Father Herman for intercession to grant ‘peace to our souls’ [Canonization of St Herman of Alaska (August 9), Matins post gospel verses], or ‘peace for this land and great mercy to our souls [Vespers 'Lord I Call']. The Kontakion of St Herman (tone 3) on the feast of his canonization expresses the significance of peace: The eternal light of Christ our Savior Guided you, blessed Father Herman, on your evangelical journey to America, Proclaiming the gospel of peace. Now you stand before the throne of glory; Intercede for your land and its people: Peace for the world and salvation for our souls! Finally we have a wonderful Irmos in the Matins canon: I seek you early, Creator of all And peace that passes understanding. Guide me in your commandments, for they are my light [Canticle 5 Matins Canon] And there is not only Father Herman. We pray to St. Innocent, enlightener of the Aleuts and Apostle to America that ‘as the foundation of the Orthodox Church in America’ he would ‘confirm our lives in peace and unity! [Matins canon Canticle 3, March 31st]. We also ‘Pray that your flocks across three continents / In peace and tranquility may glorify the Lord’[Matins Praises (tone 6)]. Saints Peter and Paul were also missionaries of the gospel of peace; ‘Their feet carried them to the ends of the earth, / Preaching the gospel of peace.’ ['Lord I Call' Vespers (tone 2) June29th] Through the Apostles ‘You have given peace to the Universe’ [Wednesday Matins sessional hymn (tone 2), 3rd week of Pentecost]; ‘united by a bond of love’ ‘their beautiful feet were washed / for the preaching of the gospel of peace to all’ [Holy Week Thursday Matins canon Canticle 5]. We ask them to “guard us as we pass through the time of the fast:/May we remain at peace with each other by the grace of God!’ ['Lord I call' (tone 8) Wednesday vespers 5th week of Lent] We find also that the Theotokos ‘grants peace to those who extol you in song’ [Canticle 5second canon, Katavasia, Matins Sunday 2nd week of Lent, Canticle 5 Matins Saturday 5thweek of Lent and four other references in the Lenten Triodion.]. As the Mother of God, ‘She commenced the peace, she opened the kingdom’ ['Lord I Call' Great and Holy Saturday Vespers] . Through her prayers and those of the apostles and saints, we ask the Lord to ‘grant us Your peace and have mercy on us’ [Apostikha (tone 1) Sunday Vespers, 5th week of Lent],to ‘keep the church and our land in abiding peace’ [Troparion to the saints (tone 8) 2nd Sunday after Pentecost All Saints of North America], to ‘guide our lives in peace’ [Troparion (tone 4)Saturday before Lent, Commemoration of all who shone forth in the ascetic life], and ‘keep all who praise and magnify you (i.e. God) in perfect peace’ [Kotakion (tone 8) same day]. We alsopray to the Theotokos that she would ‘make the strife and scandals of the Church to cease; in Your goodness grant her peace’ [Matins Praises of Great and Holy Saturday]. Rightly confessing the true faith, the Church ‘is seen overshadowed with peace’ ['Lord I Call'(tone 6) Vespers Tuesday 4th week of Lent]. This is a remarkable statement upon reflection. Time and time again we find the phrase ‘and He grants to our souls peace and great mercy!’[Troparion to September 26: Repose of the Apostle & Evangelist John the Theologian].Note here that peace is intimately associated with mercy. Christ is portrayed as the Prince of Peace ‘For You are the Prince of Peace’ [Canticle 5, Third Week Sunday Matins, Pentecostarion] ‘who gives peace to all who sing your praises’ [Canticle 4 second Canon Thursday Matins Ascension, 6th Week Pentecost] whose ’statutes are light and peace’[Canticle 5, Matins Seventh Sunday of Pascha]. ‘He is the life, the light, and the peace of the world’ [Antiphon XII (tone 8) Holy Friday: Matins Post-Gospel Antiphons] and ‘Our illumination and resurrection and peace’ ["Lord I Call" Antipascha Saturday Vespers of Thomas]. ‘You are the river of peace and valley of paradise’ ["Lord I Call" (tone 4, Vespers January 2: First Day of the Prefeast of the Theophany], granting ‘peace that passes all understanding’ [Matins Canticle 5, January 1: the Circumcision of Our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ]. And “wondrous is Your Incarnation, Good Jesus…/ You have given peace to all those dwelling on earth” ["Lord I Call", Vespers seventh Tuesday of Pentecost]. The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is also the harbinger of peace; ‘Holy Comforter, hasten to bring peace to the world’ [Apostikha Vespers week of Pentecost (Pentecostarion)].’The most joyful celebration of Pentecost’ ‘grants our souls peace and great mercy’ ["Lord I Call" Thursday Vespers, fourth week of Pentecost]. With the spirit cometh power: ‘Let your Spirit come, bringing peace to the world; / Show the children of mankind the works of your power’ ["Lord I Call", Vespers Thursday 6th week of Pentecost]. But it is not all peace and light in the Orthodox liturgy. ‘Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians over their Enemies’ O Lord save thy people, And bless thine inheritance. Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians, Over their adversaries. –Octoechoes Troparion in Tone 1 This is a familiar Troparion to most Orthodox Christians since it is sung on many feast days (e.g. Elevation of the Cross, Sept 14th) as well as being part of the standard Octoechoes. But who exactly are the adversaries of Orthodox Christians? This question was easier to answer in the era of the Byzantine Emperors and Russian Tsars (i.e. Caesars). It was taken for granted that the enemies of the state were the personal enemies of the Orthodox people. Victories for the state in battle or diplomacy were victories for Orthodox Christians and preserved the church -simple. However, the era of God supported Byzantium and Holy Russia has passed (if it was ever really present) and with it the theology and all too cozy symbiosis of church and state. Now we have a radically different situation in the religiously pluralistic United States of America and elsewhere in the Western world where the religion of secularism is the imposed state religion. Thus the adversaries or enemies of the Orthodox cannot be identified with the enemies of the state or of its organs of control such as the FBI or KGB. But the hymn remains, and we must make some sense of it. It is in the spiritual sense that we can reap the most from this liturgical gem. For who is the adversary but Satan himself? In the book of Job we find that the word ‘Satan’ literally means adversary. And so the real adversaries of Orthodox Christians are the demons over which we struggle for victory. The liturgical texts are replete with references to “the enemy” and his defeat by the forces of the Orthodox righteous. In some cases the reference is obviously to external enemies, for example, ‘In days of old’,Daniel ‘wisely slew the priests of the enemy (the god of the Chaldeans)’ [Canticle 6 first Canon, Matins, Sunday of the Holy Forefathers], and ‘You crushed Rahab like a carcass, / you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm’ [The Praises (tone 8) August 6: the Transfiguration of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ]. But more often the enemy or adversary is the devil or his host of demons. In this respect, the martyrs are particularly notable for defeating demons. Though the martyrs ‘lie in their tombs, they drive away demons,/ and defeat the power of the enemy’ [Apostikha Monday Vespers Tone 3 Octoechoes]; ‘their brave endurance’ ‘defeated the snares of the enemy from whom all evil comes’ [Sessional hymn Matins, Tone 3 Saturday, Octoechoes]. ‘The thrice-blessed Demetrius’, ‘Ever reveals himself to the foe as a two-edged sword, Cutting down the uprisings of the enemy, And casting down the boldness of demons!’ ['Lord I Call' (tone 8) Vespers October 23rd]. But even he, ‘ever prays to Christ to grant peace and great mercy to all.’ [Matins Sessional hymn (tone4) October 23rd] St George ‘brave warrior among the martyrs,’ was ‘invincible to his adversaries’ and ‘conquered the hordes of demons’. Even so, we still ‘ask peace for our souls through your prayers’ [Litya of Vespers (tone 1) April23: Holy glorious great-martyr, victory bearer and wonder worker George (303)]. Saints Barbara and Julianna ‘attacked the enemy and gravely wounded him’ ['Lord I Call' (tone 2)Vespers December 4: the Holy Great Martyr Barbara together with Julianna (c.306)] and ‘the evil enemy …./ is put to shame, conquered by a woman!’ [The Praises (tone 2) December 4th]And of course the apostles help too. St Matthew’s words ‘overthrew the deceitful enemy’[Apostikha of Vespers (tone 4), November 16: the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew] by a fiery tongue, St Andrew, ‘fishing with the cross’, ‘leads souls up from the deception of the enemy’ [Post Gospel verses, Matins, November 30: Andrew the First-called Apostle (62)], and the glorious apostles ‘destroyed all the forces of the devil / who had stolen …. the souls of mankind’ [Matins Sessional hymn, Octoechoes tone 4, Wednesday.]. Moreover, we ourselves can be our own “worst enemies”, for ’since I have sinned by my own choice more than all people / …. / I have become the enemy of my soul’ ['Lord I Call', Fifth week of Lent Wednesday Vespers, Triodion] and ‘our unjust deeds have become our enemies’ [Apostikha, Tone 2 Thursday Matins, Octoechoes], nevertheless, with St Seraphim of Sarov’ by the sign of the cross and by prayer’ [Matins Sessional hymn (tone 4) January 2nd] we can defeat the temptations of the enemy. ‘Reconcile the Two in a Single Body to God through the Cross’ [Ephesians 2:16] So how can we reconcile loving our enemies with victories over them? How can we account for a God of peace who nevertheless orders the massacre of the Amalekites? ["Then Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord, at Gilgal" (1 Samuel 15:33). The story of Saul's disobedience to God's command to utterly destroy the Amalekites, every man, woman, child and living thing, is well known (I Samuel chapter 15). But it's hard to understand why God would punish the Amalekites in such a final way unless they were so wholly evil that this was the only option. When I asked the pastor of my former church whether he had any explanation for this state of affairs, his reply was one which I think is symptomatic of many Christians today. He just said, "they were wrong. God didn't tell them to do that". Well, of course, that denies the essence of God's covenant with Israel and therefore His subsequent covenant with us too.] We get a clue from the Postfeast of the Elevation of the Cross (September 20th). For: The sign of your cross was revealed beforehand! Mightily driving away the hordes of demons, Casting down the pride of the devils By the power that conquered Amalek, the enemy! –’Lord I Call’ of Vespers (tone 2) September 20: Postfeast of the of the Elevation of the Cross Thus, the same power that drives away demons also conquers evil. By the cross ‘we are empowered to crush the heads of invisible enemies’ [Matins stichera (tone 2) August 1: the Procession of the Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord]; the cross is ‘the might of the Church’, ‘the enemy of demons’ [Apostikha of Vespers September 13: Prefeast of the of the Elevation of the Cross], as ‘the invincible weapon of godliness’ it is also ‘the invincible weapon of peace round which the angels stand in fear’ [Apostikha (tone 5) of Vespers of The Elevation of the Life-giving Cross (September 14th)]. It is a weapon of godliness, an invincible weapon of peace because ‘it vanquishes the arrogance of demons’ and ‘Now it declares the resurrection of the Saviour and saves all who cry / Grant peace to the world, and enlighten our souls!’["Lord I Call" (tone 4), Vespers August 1: the Procession of the Holy Cross]. ‘When you were nailed to the tree of the cross, / the power of the enemy was slain! [The Praises the Octoechos Tone One Sunday Matins] , you ‘destroyed the corruptible dragon, the enemy of mankind’[Sessional hymn, Matins tone 1 Octoechoes], but ‘now your Church, O Christ, has put forth your cross as a flower, / making life spring up for the world!’ [Apostikha Octoechos Tone 8Wednesday Matins]. Why is this so? Because the cross is the symbol, nay, the reality, of sacrifice. And as the symbol of Christ’s sacrifice for us it is also the symbol of His death-defeating resurrection. By this we are saved, by this was the Comforter sent, by this ‘joy has come into all the world’[Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, immediately after communion of the faithful]. The cross is thus the instrument of peace and because Christ’s sacrifice conquered the final enemy death we say that the cross is the ‘weapon of peace’. And it is our weapon too, for it is by carrying our own cross given to us by God that we are able to become peacemakers and be blessed. Peace and sacrifice! Peace and the Cross! The invincible weapon of peace! The angels stand in fear around it since they cannot offer themselves in sacrifice on the cross. Peace and godliness! By ‘acquiring inward peace’ as St Seraphim said, we acquire godliness, we renew the image of God within ourselves. The uncircumcised Gentiles have been made full inheritors of God’s covenant to Israel through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (Ephesians 2:12-15),because He Himself is our peace. Christ proclaimed the gospel of peace to those near and far(v17), and by His own sacrifice he has annulled the law (v15), and brought Gentiles into full communion with God’s covenant thereby establishing peace and unity and a new church. What an awesome thing. The fullfilment of Christ’s mission on earth was the creation of peace! Shining with pure rays, the Holy Cross sheds its divine light upon the nations darkened by the beguilement of error, and it reconciles them to Christ who was crucified on it granting peace to our souls. –Matins Canon Canticle 5 / September 14: Feast of the of the Elevation of the Life-giving Cross [September 14: Feast of the of the Elevation of the Life-giving Cross] Apostikha Tone 5 to the special melody Rejoice O life-bearing Cross Rejoice, O life-bearing Cross! The invincible weapon of godliness; The gate of paradise, the protection of the faithful! The Cross is the might of the church. Through it corruption is abolished. Through it the power of death is crushed And we are raised from earth to heaven! The invincible weapon of peace! The Cross is the enemy of demons, The glory of the martyrs, The haven of salvation Which grants the world great mercy! Verse: Extol the Lord our God: worship at his footstool for it is holy! Rejoice, O Cross of the Lord! Through you mankind has been delivered from the curse, Shattering the enemy by your exaltation! O Cross, worthy of all honor, You are a sign of true joy; You are our help, you are the strength of kings. You are the power of the righteous. You are the majesty of priests. All who sign themselves with you are freed from anger. O rod of strength, under which we like sheep are tended. O weapon of peace round which the angels stand in fear! O divine glory of Christ our God, Who grants the world great mercy. November 26, 1996 (St Innocent of Irkutsk) Mark Isaac Pearson, a longtime member of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship, directs the Computer Center at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. Updated June 23, 1997

The Worthy Heart II - Reveals God in Parish Life

St. Matthew 18:18-22;19:1-2, 13-15 (8/12) Gospel for Tuesday, 9th
Week after Pentecost

The Worthy Heart II ~ Reveals God in Parish Life: St. Matthew 18:18-22;
19:1-2, 13-15, especially vs. 18:19: "Again I say to you that if two of
you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done
for them by My Father in heaven." While the verses appointed for
today's Gospel are not continuous, they are one in addressing aspects of
the life in Christ that are commonly experienced in our Parish
communities - admission to the Holy Mysteries, prayer, worship,
forgiveness, healing and the active participation of children. Each of
these elements of parish life includes lay men and women, the clergy,
and, above all, God Himself Who actively reveals Himself in and through
our gathered life. An Orthodox Christian of a worthy heart seeks God
and seeks to reveal Him in all that happens within the parish community.

Being accustomed to the worship in a parish Church, some may mistake the
Divine services as "just another activity" of our community life. In
some parishes, announcements in the weekly bulletin wisely are grouped
under separate headings, with "Divine Services" listed apart from
"Meetings and Activities." Such separation calls attention to the
reality that Divine Services are unique. How so? They are the chief
means and moments that God appoints for revealing Himself among us. St.
Paul makes this point when he asks, "The cup of blessing which we bless,
is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we
break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" (1 Cor. 10:16).

This miracle of the presence of God in the Holy Mysteries requires our
Orthodox Priests to guard the Holy Gifts from profanation. Priests are
responsible to protect the Chalice, turning away both those who are not
yet united to the Body of Christ through the Initiation Mystery and
those members who by sins have broken Communion with the Church and are
not yet reconciled with the Church. What Priests "bind and loose" is
bound and loosed in heaven (Mt. 18:18).

In addition, the Lord Jesus reminds us that as we pray, our Heavenly
Father responds to our requests. Whatever we ask "will be done,"
particularly as we "agree" (vs. 18:19). In the original, the word,
"agree," implies "agreement through talking over a matter." The miracle
of God's response to our prayers is neither automatic nor guaranteed.
We must work with each other to be led by the Holy Spirit and attain
deep agreement of heart. However, let none of us wickedly think that
because two of us happen to "agree," that God is obligated to violate
His will in a given matter. Agreement comes to us when our Lord leads
and is included: "Your will be done" (Mt. 6:10). God reveals Himself as
we agree with each other in the Spirit in prayer.

Forgiveness is a great miracle among God's People. May this holy wonder
bless all our relationships "seventy times seven" (Mt. 18:22), revealing
God's forgiveness in a hundred unnoticed reconciliations. This may also
occur formally at times as at Forgiveness Vespers before the Great
Fast. But let all forgiveness begin through our confession at every
season!

Thanks be to God that His miracle of healing is revealed frequently in
parish life. Our Lord still heals the multitudes who come to Him (vs
19:2) through holy water and oil, in special Unction Services, and as we
partake of the Holy Gifts, and by our constant intercessions.

God reveals Himself visibly in parish life through our children. We are
given the privilege of seeing tiny children grow in Christ as they
partake of the Holy Mysteries. Pray for the infants and mothers who
come to be Churched. Pray at Baptisms and for Church School classes.
Christ reveals Himself miraculously through the earthly hands of our
Priests who anoint, bless, and touch our children, for "of such is the
kingdom of heaven" (vs. 19:14).

"Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who alone doeth wonders" (Ps.
71:19).

The Worthy Heart I ~ Is Humble

St. Matthew 18:1-11 (8/11) Gospel for Monday of the Ninth Week after Pentecost The Worthy Heart I ~ Is Humble: St. Matthew 18:1-11, especially vs. 1: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'" To answer His disciples' question, the Lord Jesus places a young child before us as an "icon" of humility, to illumine that single characteristic of a heart that makes it worthy to be held in highest honor in Kingdom of Heaven (vs. 4). Our Lord's point is identical to His teaching in the first of His Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mt. 5:3). Consider why the Lord Jesus places humility among qualities of heart worthy of first honor in His Kingdom. St. Maximos the Confessor explains: "the highest of all blessings [is] humility that conserves other blessings and destroys their opposites." The humble heart nurtures everything in the heart characteristic of the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, even to become a disciple - a beginner in the Life in Christ - one must be "converted" to humility (Mt. 18:3). Christ-like humility must be our goal, or we are not even on the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. Since a humble heart is the prime goal of every disciple, the question arises: how does one gain genuine humility? The Blessed Motivator for achieving a humble heart is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, of course. He embodies humility. Examine our Lord's humility and discover His ineffable, Divine condescension. His humility draws you to Him. It awes and then it transforms: could my personal and social activities become that pure? As we are able to receive the Lord Himself (vs. 5), we become humble like a little child (vs. 4). In revealing the priceless value of humility, our Savior and Lord graciously prompts us to address all others from a humble heart, but do not be idealistic about acquiring such a heart. Yes, we are drawn to humility, but let us expect a battle in our souls, for the cost of being humble on Christ's terms rapidly emerges as an all-out fight against self-service, pride, and vainglory. The humility that we see incarnate in Christ our God, becomes for us a lifelong task of "putting to death" our carelessness, pride, arrogance, selfishness and self-indulgence. Still, if we do not try to humble ourselves, we surely offend God, and then, woe to us (vs. 7)! We would be better off to have "...a millstone were hung around [our] neck, and [we] were drowned in the depth of the sea" (vs. 6). Behold the humble heart become each one's cross to take up in following Christ. Let us remember that true Life only comes through dying: "...unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (Jn. 12:24). The Lord uses hyperbole (Mt. 18: 8,9) to encourage us in the effort never to contribute to the fall of others through carelessness, pride, arrogance, selfishness and self-indulgence. This is His point in the command to cut off even our hand, our foot, our eye, or whatever may lead us to abandon the quest for a humble heart. For if our negative habits of heart remain unchecked, because we give them free reign, they will destroy every semblance of humility within us. Yes, let us struggle against these sins that we may be blessed with a tiny bit of life from Christ, one grain of humility of heart; for, if we refuse, we choose "...to be cast into hell fire" (vs. 9). Do not despair: the boastful fisherman, Peter, became a humble Apostle; and the self-assured persecutor, Saul, became the Apostle Paul, first among sinners. Christ came "...to save that which was lost" (vs. 11), He will not abandon us in our struggle to gain a humble heart! Thou rememberest not how I angered Thee, but foreseeing humility, lamentation and a sincere disposition, Thou does proclaim: 'Take out the best garment, kill the fatted calf and let us be consoled and make merry!' May Thine angels, O Master, also gather and rejoice for me, Thy son who was lost and who has been found. (from St. Ephraim the Syrian)

About the Divine Liturgy

About the Divine Liturgy - the center of the orthodox life. St.John Chrisostom The Divine Liturgy is indeed the center of the Orthodox Christian life. It is the sacrament of sacraments, or to use the more traditional Orthodox expression, the 'mystery of mysteries." The word for "sacrament" among the Orthodox is usually "mystery." The central mystery of the Orthodox faith is the service of Holy Communion, called the Eucharist. As words, liturgy means "common action' and eucharist means "thanksgiving." The first action of the liturgy is the gathering in common. The baptized and confirmed gather in one place. After the common prayer of the Church called the Great Litany in which petitions are made for all of the essential elements of life, biblical psalms are sung and the Word of God is presented to the faithful. Here the emphasis is on the epistle, the gospel and the sermon. Then follows the offering of the bread and the wine as the offering of ourselves and our world to God in Christ. We ask God to accept us and our gifts (the bread and wine) as we love one another and confess the Orthodox faith, the Nicene Creed which we, or our sponsors for us, proclaimed at our baptism. We then offer up ourselves and our gifts to God in Christ in remembrance of all that He has done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection of the third day, the ascension into heaven, the sitting on the right hand of God the Father, and the second and glorious coming again. We then call the Holy Spirit "to come up us and upon our gifts" and to make them the Body and Blood of Christ and to give us the experience of the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, we receive back our gifts of bread and wine as the gift of Holy Communion with God the Father through Christ and the Spirit. Finally we depart in peace to bear witness in the world to the Kingdom of God which has been given to us, calling all men into this unity with God and each other in Him. The Orthodox celebrate this Mystery of the Kingdom of God, the Divine Liturgy on each Lord's Day as well as on feasts and special occasions. It is the living experience of what all Christianity, and indeed all of life, is really about. The Liturgy reveals what Orthodoxy really is. The Liturgy is the central revelation of the Christian mystery, and in it the whole of Orthodoxy is somehow contained, remembered and given to our living experience. All the icons, the vestments, the candles, the singing.. everything taken together in harmony and unity serve to disclose just one thing: Man is made for God and finds his identity, fulfillment and perfection in Him. We speak much today about identity and fulfillment. Who am I? What am I doing in this world? What is the sense of it all? Does it have any meaning? The Orthodox Church says that the answer to all these crucial questions lies in Christ, His Cross and His Resurrection. Through Christ the meaning of myself and the world and everything that exists is disclosed and revealed. Through Christ, the Kingdom of God is opened to men and the possibility for my becoming myself is guaranteed. I become myself only in God. My nature finds its meaning in Him. My existence, as an image reflecting His divine reality, is secured. My life as an eternal be is established. In this life this means that I must put Christ and take up His Cross and follow him. I must suffer for truth and love and goodness And yet there is joy in this suffering, for obedience to the Word is fulfilled in the Marriage Banquet of the Lamb of God in the Kingdom of God. This is the Christian Mystery hich the liturgy reveals and for which alone, the Orthodox Christian Church exists in the world.

Foreshadowing: For Sunday

St. Matthew 14:14-22 (8/10) Gospel for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Foreshadowing: St. Matthew 14:14-22, especially vs. 19: "...And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes." Notice how closely the description of the feeding of the multitude parallels Christ's words of institution in the Divine Liturgy. Two factors account for the parallelism: 1) our Lord followed the traditional forms of His People for blessings before meals, and, 2) at the same time, He placed His own unique signature upon the traditional prayers and actions of blessing (Lk. 24:30,31). Thus we have foreshadowing the Divine Liturgy. Jewish prayers of blessings consistently bless only God, never things. For example, in the common prayer for the blessing of bread in Jewish homes, the father of the family lays his hands on the bread, elevates it and says, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe Who hast brought forth bread from the earth." Notice how he does not bless the bread but only God. This pattern of only blessing God has been carried over to many, though not all, of our Christian prayers of blessing. The pattern is strikingly apparent in the opening lines of the Anaphora, the great prayer of blessing in the Divine Liturgy: "It is meet and right to hymn Thee, to bless Thee, to praise Thee, to give thanks unto Thee...." Another facet of the Lord Jesus' feeding of the multitude transfers into the Divine Liturgy in the ritual actions, straightforward in themselves. These are marked by four verbs: "took, blessed, broke, and gave." Unquestionably, Christ's command at the Last Supper to "do" these actions in "remembrance" of Him (Lk. 22:19) set the pattern in the deep underlying structure of all historic Christian Liturgies, including our four traditional Orthodox Eucharistic Liturgies. The pattern also is present in the two Western-rite Liturgies used within the Antiochian Patriarchate and under girds the Liturgies of many non-Orthodox Churches, as well. In conformity with the actions received from the Lord Jesus - as in the feeding of the multitude, or at the Last Supper - the elements of bread and wine to be consecrated as the Holy Gifts are taken onto the Holy Table prior to the great prayer of blessing (Mt. 14:17-19). In all Liturgies, these elements are understood to be the gifts of the people - offerings of themselves. In the Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and of St. Basil, the "bringing, taking and placing" occur with extensive ceremony. These include the Prothesis, during which the "Lamb" is set apart on the diskos and the wine and water are mixed in the chalice; the Great Entrance, in which the bread and wine are brought to the Altar with prayers and the singing of the Cherubic Hymn; and the Prayer of the Prothesis in which the gifts brought forward are presented to God. The Eucharistic Prayer of Blessing, called the Anaphora in Orthodox practice, begins with the bidding "...stand aright,...stand with fear...attend, that we may offer the Holy Oblation in peace." The prayer, following our Lord's practice, blesses the Holy Trinity, acknowledges His unchanging and ineffable nature, recalls the mighty acts of God for our Salvation, includes Christ's words instituting the Liturgy, calls down the Holy Spirit to transform the Bread and Wine, petitions God for the living and the dead, and concludes with the Lord's Prayer. The breaking of the Bread, rarely obvious to the Orthodox Faithful, occurs when the Priest "...breaks the Holy Bread into four parts with great reverence and care saying, 'Divided and distributed is the Lamb of God Who is divided, yet not disunited....'" Then, with great care after this, the Holy Gifts are "given" to the people as the Priest says, "With fear of God, and faith and love, draw near." Behold, Beloved, we are among all the multitudes who receive Him! Of Thy mystic supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant!

Understand: For Sunday

Understand: St. John 20:11-18, especially vs.15: “Jesus said to her,‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’” St. Paul does usgreat service when he points out that our understanding of God haslimits beyond which we cannot go. The Apostle helps us come to termswith being in relationship with God - as we have come to know Him inChrist Jesus. So much comes to us from God! It simply “surpasses allunderstanding” (Phil. 4:7), whether it be God’s peace, love, power,gentleness, forgiveness, righteousness, or His commandments. How is itthat we may aspire to “being rooted and grounded in love” so that we are“able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length anddepth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge”(Eph. 3:17-19)? Who can say! Yes, we understand, but at the same time weknow we shall never comprehend the ways of the Lord. They are not our ways. Consider Mary Magdalen, the very first of us to meet the risen Christour God. With all the help she received from angels - yes, and fromChrist Jesus Himself - still she struggled to “take it all in.” Watchher grow in understanding. Study her struggle to comprehend. It helps inappreciating the limits that face us, those boundaries beyond which wecannot go. In the end, I come to rest in the only choice available to us- to acknowledge the relationship you and I have with God through ChristJesus. The love of God in Christ Jesus was plainly manifest to Mary (asit is to us) by the grace of God; and we can let “the roots of ourheart” be grounded in that love, but, when all is said, we shall have toconfess that God’s love is beyond our comprehension. The two angels in the tomb help us understand. Mary “stood outside bythe tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into thetomb” (Jn. 20:11). It helps to go to the graveside and look down intothe depths of the grave. The truth “comes home,” it “sinks in,” weabsorb the pain that “all are dust, all are ashes, all are shadows.”Whatever we had, the one we knew is gone, “for when death cometh,all...things vanish utterly.” But, no; stop there! The angels sitting inthe Lord Jesus’ tomb, “one at the head and the other at the feet, wherethe body of Jesus had lain” (vs. 12), ask us “why are you weeping?” (vs.13). They know that the inexorable rule, the ubiquity of death, theinvariable pall over us has given way before God. But they are Hisgentle messengers, kind and loving; they simply start us towardunderstanding. Then something, or someone, behind us moves. We do not see Him, we onlysense His presence. When this indefinite, unspoken awareness happenedfor her, Mary “turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did notknow that it was Jesus” (vs. 14). Grief at death is a very great power.“I weep and I wail when I think upon death, and behold our beauty,fashioned after the image of God, lying in the tomb, disfigured,dishonored, bereft of form” (Funeral Service). Of course, she did notknow that it was Jesus! Seeing is not believing; believing is seeing! Wesee what our mind permits. When we come up against the barrier of death,what else is there but weeping? The Gospel tells us: Jesus is standingthere. Who can comprehend that! God is gentle with us and kind to our grief. He wept Himself at thegrave of Lazarus (Jn. 11:35). He understands; He comprehends all thingsutterly. He also presses us toward His new creation. He asks, as theangels did, “why are you weeping?” (vs. 15); but he takes us to a realmbeyond when He asks, “Whom are you seeking?” Not “what,” but “Whom” (vs.15). He drew Mary as He draws us to Himself. He continues in the waythat is reserved for friends, between those who trust each other: “Jesussaid to her, ‘Mary!’” (vs. 16). He calls us by name. She did notcomprehend, so He restrained her clinging to a past understanding(vs.17). Christ is risen! He calls like a shepherd to the bleating lamb; truly, my good Shepherdis calling me.

Roots of Orthodox Worship

Eastern Orthodox services trace their beginnings back to the Old Testament liturgical rites and services of the Hebrews. They are a treasury of Scripture readings, prayers, hymns, and canons composed by the Saints and pious Christians throughout the ages. Like our Jewish predecessors, Orthodox services are liturgical, sacramental, and ceremonial. Many of the hymns you hear come from the Psalms. Most of them are sung or chanted, as has been the tradition since the days of Jewish - Christian practice. Some of the ancient document sources of the Orthodox liturgical order of service go back to the second (Justin Martyr, c. A.D. 150) and third centuries (Hippolytus, c. 215 A.D.). Eastern liturgies went through development in the fourth and fifth centuries. They became stabilized in the sixth century, and by the eight century were so fixed that they have not changed even today. What is the content of Orthodox liturgical worship? One of the striking characteristics of Orthodox worship is its near total integration with its theology. It is this blending of theology and worship that gives Orthodoxy its thoroughly liturgical character. From the Orthodox Christian perspective, Western Christianity exhibits a breach or rupture between theology and liturgical experience. In Orthodox Christianity they are a single, inseparable act. Participate in the liturgical cycle of the Orthodox Church and you will hear and see its theology, through its text, chant, hymnography and iconography. http://www.saintig.org/saintig/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=91