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Not only, he says, are you the causes of life to us, but also of much joy, and so much that we cannot worthily give thanks to God. Your good behavior, he continues, we consider to be a gift of God. Such kindness have you shown to us, that we think it to be of God; rather, it is God.
For such a disposition of mind comes not of a human soul or carefulness. “Night and day,” he says, “praying exceedingly.” This too is a sign of joy.
+St. John Chrysostom: Homily IV on I Thessalonians III
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| Source: wikipedia.org |
Some more thoughtful responses to the NYT's article about the recent conversions to Orthodox Christianity.
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Good morning, Father!
Reflecting on the line "The Church becomes monstrous when it worships itself and reduces its identity to lists of moral principles or a retro historical ideal." Two weeks after I became a Catechumen back in 2023, I visited St Gregory Palamas for the first time with a group of guys. After Liturgy, Abbot Josef was kind enough to visit with us in the guest house. Mark Phillips asked Abbot Josef if he had any pieces of advice for inquirers or catechumens, and his response was "Learn to love Christ more than you love Orthodoxy." That has stuck with me as a way to remain grounded and focused, not overemphasizing the form of Orthodoxy or entering into a "Orthodoxy vs the world" mindset, but simply to focus on Christ through the Church. I think it can be easy as a convert to see the Church as something primarily negative, as something that stands opposed to whatever ideology we disapprove of (political, religious, modernity, etc). The Abbot's reminder was that the Church belongs to Christ and points directly at Him; becoming united to the Body for any other reason than Christ is superfluous.
Just a thought I wanted to share. I agree with you in all of this, finding the article to be dissapointing in its caricature of the Church, though unintentionally. I think it is also a reminder that to begin to understand Orthodoxy, you really have to engage in the rhythm of Orthodox life; a cursory outside look can render these flat renditions of something that is quite beautiful.
In Christ,
Ben Linnabary
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The Church is the Body of Christ, it is about acquiring the Spirit of Christ, of overcoming prejudice and fear; to believe that love and forgiveness is the ultimate Christian message - the Gospel message, and it should not promote any ideological agenda. There is a lot of chaos on the internet and in Orthodox parishes, as well as to unfortunately include clergy and monastics, that is, in my opinion, in direct opposition to the Gospel.
With respect,
Presvytera Deborah
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| Source: legacyicons.com |
Just as the Fathers lay down that perfect love knows no sin, so I for my part declare that a perfect sense of death is free from fear…
The remembrance of death, like all other blessings, is a gift of God…
He who has died to all things remembers death…
+St. John Climacus: Ladder of Divine Ascent
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| Source: wikipedia.org |
The NYT published an article the other day, entitled "Orthodox Pews are Overflowing With Converts," by Ruth Graham. I was pretty disappointed with the overall tenor of the article. It focused, if not exclusively, then primarily, on young men who are now attracted to the Orthodox Church, with the implication that it is in the Church that they can encounter a "manosphere" to their liking. In the words of the article:
"Across the country, the ancient tradition of Orthodox Christianity is attracting energetic new adherents, especially among conservative young men. They are drawn to what they describe as a more demanding, even difficult, practice of Christianity. Echoing some of the rhetoric of the so-called manosphere, new waves of young converts say Orthodoxy offers them hard truths and affirms their masculinity."
This is very misleading because of the fact that there are so many women, from many and varies backgrounds, also attracted to the Church - as in our own parish! Be that as it may, the Orthodox scholar, Fr. Nicholas Denysenko, wrote a very thoughtful and balanced response to the NYT's article, which I am sharing here:
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Today's NYT article on converts to Orthodoxy elicited lively discussion. Some rejoiced. Others criticized the journalist for the limited scope of her presentation. One friend commented that she ignored mainstream Orthodoxy and misrepresented the Church.Peeling back the layers of the gravitation of young American men to Orthodoxy is a story that will draw readers, no matter how much of the larger picture is left out. I'm not making excuses for the journalist. I'm mentioning this because I remember what it was like to have one of the least substantive lines from a long interview used for a story. Some of those unhappy with today's story feel like most of the substance of Orthodoxy was excluded.
I don't know what is going to come of people who come to Church because they feel like it validates their political views. The people they meet in the Church might disappoint them. Maybe they'll become digital creators and use social media platforms to make their case. There are many potential pitfalls.
The one I fear the most is that the people will try to recreate the Church in the image, the name, the metanarrative that comes from some ideological platform, and not from God.The Church becomes monstrous when it worships itself and reduces its identity to lists of moral principles or a retro historical ideal. The Church betrays the tradition she has received when it delights and indulges in confessional polemics, ever seeking to mock and humiliate people who belong to other churches and religious communities. It is as if we try to unlearn the ascetical tradition the Church has us rehearse on a daily basis.
I hope that the people coming to Church will allow their ears to be opened to hear the word of God and to meet him. I hope they will stay the course and learn early on that the gifts of the Spirit received in becoming and being Christian did not include a big, red easy button.I hope that the pastors receiving new people will see the image of God in them and invite them to join a communion of saints in a civilization of priests, prophets, and kings who fail frequently but have the courage to try again the next day.
Those of us committed to the ministries to which we have been appointed are overwhelmed by this moment and many of us are learning on the job, as we go. We need a lot of grace to be the body of Christ in this moment. And maybe that acknowledgement is what can open our eyes to the reality that we are called to be gracious to the seekers and inquirers God sends us.
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This is a very exciting time for us as members of the Orthodox Church, a so many "inquirers" are finding the Church. It demands both openness and pastoral discernment as we encounter and greet spiritually-thirsting human beings - women and men - who are seeking entrance into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We greet them with the love of Christ, for it is Christ - incarnate, crucified and risen - who is the ultimate goal of that spiritual thirst.
Now these things said by us are not merely words but have the witness of their truth from experience itself. Let him who wishes come up and behold the proof of virtue in the virgins of Christ and in the youth who live a pure life in chastity, and the belief in immortality in so great a company of martyrs.
And let him come who wishes to put to test what has been said, and in front of the illusions of the demons and the deceit of the oracles, and the wonders of magic, let him use the sign of the cross, which is mocked by them, merely naming Christ, and he will see how by it demons are put to flight, oracles cease, and all magic and witchcraft are brought to naught.
Who, then, and how great is this Christ, who by His naming and presence overshadows and brings to naught everything everywhere, and who is alone powerful over all, and has filled the whole inhabited world with His teaching?
+St. Athanasius: On the Incarnation
Did God make all men? It is surely plain to every man. How then are not all equal with respect to virtue and vice? Whence are the good and gentle and meek? Whence are the worthless and evil? For if these things do not require any purpose, but are of nature, how are they made different from each other? For if by nature all were bad, it would not be possible for any one to be good, but if good by nature, then no one would be bad.
… But if we should say that by nature the one is good, the other bad, which would not be reasonable, these things must be unchangeable, for the things of nature are unchangeable. No, listen. All mortals are also liable to suffering; and no one is free from suffering, even though he should strive without end. … But why did He make worthless men at all, when He might have made all men good? Whence then are the evil things? he says.
Ask yourself; for it is my part to show they are not of nature, nor from God … but from willing and not willing. … It is from ourselves … for evil is nothing else than disobedience to God …
+St. John Chrysostom: Homily LIX on Matthew XVIII
For He who gives riches becomes poor, for He assumes the poverty of my flesh that I may assume the riches of His divinity. He that is full empties himself, for He empties himself of His glory for a short while that I may have a share in His fullness.
What are the riches of His goodness! What is this mystery that is around me! I had a share in the Image but I did not keep it. He now partakes of my flesh that He might both save the image and make flesh immortal.
+Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko: The Winter Pascha
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| Source: uncutmountainsupply.com |
An excellent piece that reminds us of one of the most important components of our Christian lives, perhaps even more so during a fasting season as the one we just embarked on. This piece by Fr. Thomas Hopko came readily to mind as we just heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan during the Liturgy yesterday morning.
Fr. Steven
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AN ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING
OF ACTS OF MERCY
Fr. Thomas Hopko
Christ commanded his disciples to give alms. To "give alms" means literally "to do" or "to make merciful deeds" or "acts of mercy." According to the Scriptures the Lord is compassionate and merciful, longsuffering, full of mercy, faithful and true. He is the one who does merciful deeds (see Psalm 103).
Acts of mercy are an "imitation of God" who ceaselessly executes mercy for all, without exception, condition or qualification. He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
To "do mercy" means to do good to others in concrete acts of charity. It does not mean, in the first instance, to forgive, or to "let off sinners." A merciful person is one who is kind, gracious, generous and giving; a helper and servant of the poor and needy. For example, St. John the Merciful of Alexandria was a bishop who helped the poor and needy; he was not a judge who let off criminals.
Mercy is a sign of love. God is Love. A deed of merciful love is the most Godlike act a human being can do. "Being perfect" in Matthew's Gospel corresponds to "being merciful" in Luke's Gospel. "Perfection" and "being merciful" are the same thing.
To love as Christ loves, with the love of God who is Love, is the chief commandment for human beings according to Christianity. It can only be accomplished by God's grace, by faith. It is not humanly possible. It is done by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. One can prove one's love for God only by love for one's neighbors, including one's worst enemies, without exception, qualification or condition. There is no other way.
To love God "with all one's strength" which is part of "the first and great commandment" means to love God with all one's money, resources, properties, possessions and powers.
Acts of mercy must be concrete, physical actions. They cannot be "in word and speech, but in deed and truth" (First letter of John and letter of James).
Jesus lists the acts of mercy on which human beings will be judged at the final judgment (Parable of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25). Acts of mercy are acts done to Christ himself who was hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, in prison and "sick" i.e. wounded for our transgressions on the Christ, taking up of our wounds, and dying our death.
Christian acts of mercy must be done silently, humbly, secretly, not for vanity or praise, not to be seen by men, "not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing", etc.
Christian acts of mercy must be sacrificial. By this, we understand that we must not simply give to others what is left over. We have to be sharing our possessions with others in ways that limit ourselves in some way (The Widow's Mite).
Acts of mercy should be done without qualification or condition to everyone, no matter who, what or how they are (Parable of the Good Samaritan).
Christians, when possible, should do acts of mercy in an organized manner, through organizations and communities formed to do merciful deeds. Throughout its history the Christian people have had many forms of eleemosynary institutions and activities.
Being the poor Christians are not only to help the poor; they are themselves to be the poor, in and with Jesus Christ their Lord. Christians are to have no more than they actually need for themselves, their children and their dependents.
How much is enough? How much is necessary? What do we really need? How may we use our money and possessions for ourselves, our families, our children and our churches?
These are the hardest questions for Christians to answer.
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*Fr. Thomas Hopko was the Dean Emeritus of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary and served for many years at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, before his repose in 2015.
+St. Tikhon of Zadonsk: Confessions and Thanksgiving
To add to this: The Fathers understood the Good Samaritan as an image of the Son of God descending, seeking, finding and healing a beaten and half-dead humanity.
St. Vladimir's Seminary is offering daily meditations throughout the 40 days of the Nativity Fast. I will be sure to pass on a good many to the parish.
November 15, 2025
We hear from Ezekiel, teaching as it were in the name of the Lord, when he says, “If the righteous turns away and commits iniquity, I will not remember the righteousness which he committed before; in his sin he shall die” (Ezek. 18.24) …What availed all Solomon’s vast wisdom? … Not even the blessed David was blameless …One example …the fall from the better to the worse of Judas …Learn then, brother, that it is not approved in God’s sight …Do not straightaway attempt extreme discipline; above all things beware of confidence in yourself, lest you fall.
+St. Basil the Great: Letter to Chilo, His Disciple
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| Source: uncutmountainsupply.com |
Here is a meditation from a few years back that I do not overly hesitate to send yet again, because the issues presented here for us to think hard about ("meditate" on), are certainly with us today and are far from being resolved: "There is nothing new under the sun." I hope everyone is prepared to make a real effort to embrace the forty-day Nativity Fast on a level that works for you and your family and that commits us to the life of the Church in a meaningful manner. If we are not prepared, perhaps what you read here will alert you to the Season we are now about to enter.
~ Fr. Steven
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Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,
Forty Shopping (and Fasting) Days Until Christmas
On Saturday, November 15, we will observe the first day of the 40-day Nativity/Advent Fast, meant to prepare us for the advent of the Son of God in the flesh, celebrated on December 25. (The Western observance is from the four Advent Sundays before Christmas). For some/many of us this might very well catch us unaware and unprepared. However, as the saying goes, “it is what it is,” and so the church calendar directs us to enter into this sacred season in just a few days. This indicates an intensification of the perennial “battle of the calendars” that every Orthodox Christian is engaged in consciously or unconsciously. The two calendars – the ecclesial and the secular – represent the Church and “the world” respectively. Often, there is an underlying tension between these two spheres.
Because of that tension between the two, I believe that we find ourselves in the rather peculiar situation of being ascetical and consumerist simultaneously. To fast, pray and be charitable is to lead a simplified life that is based around restraint, a certain discipline and a primary choice to live according to the principles of the Gospel in a highly secularized and increasingly hedonistic world. That is what it means to be ascetical. And to be an ascetic is not to be a fanatic, but to follow the words of Christ who taught us to practice "self-denial" (MK. 8:34). It further means to focus upon Christ amidst an ever-increasing amount of distractions and diversions. Even with the best of intentions and a firm resolve that is not easy! From our historical perspective of being alive in the twenty-first century, and leading the “good life” where everything is readily available, practicing any form of voluntary self-restraint is tantamount to bearing a cross. Perhaps fulfilling some modest goals based on the Gospel in today’s world, such as it is, amounts to a Christian witness, unspectacular as those goals may be.
Yet, as our society counts down the remaining shopping days until Christmas; and as our spending is seen as almost a patriotic act of contributing to the build-up of our failing economy; and as we want to “fit in” – especially for the sake of our children – we also are prone (or just waiting) to unleashing the “consumer within” always alert to the joys of shopping, spending and accumulating. When you add in the unending “entertainment” that is designed to create a holiday season atmosphere, it can all get rather overwhelming. Certainly, these are some of the joys of family life, and we feel a deep satisfaction when we surround our children with the warmth and security that the sharing of gifts brings to our domestic lives. Perhaps, though, we can be vigilant about knowing when “enough is enough;” or even better that “enough is a feast.” An awareness – combined with sharing - of those who have next to nothing is also a way of overcoming our own self-absorption and expanding our notion of the “neighbor.”
Therefore, to be both an ascetic and a consumer is indicative of the challenges facing us as Christians in a world that clearly favors and “caters” to our consumerist tendencies. To speak honestly, this is a difficult and uneasy balance to maintain. How can it possibly be otherwise, when to live ascetically is to restrain those very consumerist tendencies? I believe that what we are essentially trying to maintain is our identity as Orthodox Christians within the confines of a culture either indifferent or hostile to Christianity.
If the Church remains an essential part of the build-up toward Christmas, then we can go a long way in maintaining that balance. Although I do not particularly like putting it this way, I would contend that if the church is a place of choice that at least “competes” with the mall, then that again may be one of the modest victories in the underlying battle for our ultimate loyalty that a consumerist Christmas season awakens us to. The Church directs us to fast before we feast. Does that make any sense? Do we understand the theological/spiritual principles that is behind such an approach? Can we develop some domestic strategies that will give us the opportunity to put that into practice to at least some extent? Do we care enough?
The final question always returns us to the question that Jesus asked of his initial disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” If we confess together with St. Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, then we know where we stand as the “battle of the calendars” intensifies for the next forty days. In such a way, these forty days will result in a meaningful journey toward the mystery of the Incarnation rather than in an exhaustive excursion toward a vapid winter holiday. The choice is ours to make.
Things to do:
+ Embrace fasting, prayers and almsgiving with consistency.
+ Read the Scriptures with regularity. Be sure to read the Nativity narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Also the Prologue of in St. John's Gospel. Share this reading with the family, bringing the children into the conversation about the birth of Christ.
+ Choose a good book of Orthodox literature to read during this Season.
+ Be aware and attentive to the liturgical services during the upcoming forty days. Make a point of being at some of the pre-Nativity services from December 20 - 24.
+ Prepare to confess your sins in the Sacrament of Confession.
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| Source: wikipedia.com |
At the Liturgy on Sunday, we heard the Gospel narrative of a miracle within another miracle.(Or two works of "power" - Gk. dynameis). The raising of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, is momentarily interrupted when Jesus encounters the woman with an issue of blood (Lk. 8:41-56). After Jesus heals her, and in the process praises her faith: "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace," he will go to the home of Jairus and bring his daughter back from the realm of the dead by and restoring her to her family, once "her spirit returned." Certainly two amazing and dramatic events. Studying this event through a contemporary biblical commentary, I always recall a statement by Brendan Byrne, a New Testament scholar who wrote a memorable sentence in his fine book, The Hospitality of God - A Reading of St. Luke's Gospel. In speaking of this woman's lack of place in the world of her day, Byrne wrote tellingly: "She is in many ways one of the most marginalized figures in the Gospel." Considering the level of human misery and suffering encountered in the Gospel, that is saying a great deal! And Byrne makes the case in the following succinct paragraph:
"In contrast to the influential ruler of the synagogue, how different the situation of this nameless woman (v. 43-48). As far as the community is concerned, she is as good as dead; according to Lev. 15:25-31, her condition renders her permanently unclean, and she in turn renders unclean any person or objects she touches. It is scarcely possible to grasp the loneliness and isolation of her situation - accentuated now by poverty, since she has spent all she had on physicians (v. 43)."
Loneliness and isolation are two conditions corrosive of a healthy personality. One can sink ever deeper into a debilitating depression. Are loneliness and isolation self-inflicted; or are they inflicted from without, from the icy disregard of a closed social order? The presence of the woman with an issue of blood, as we just read, was unwelcome, and thus she remained marginalized by the prejudice of her society, even if we acknowledge that isolation driven by adherence to the Law. We like to think that our social world is more tolerant today, and perhaps that is true. But perhaps the same kind of prejudice and marginalization is equally present today as then. We certainly have countless people in our midst today who are actually pushed off to the margins as human beings unwanted and uncared for.
It is often the "other," the person we cannot relate to in his/her full and distinct humanity. The "other" is a person who embraces a life-style we consider sinful or aberrant; or someone who looks or speaks differently; or a "displaced person" entering into our world from outside (which is why Flannery O'Connor wrote that Jesus was just another DP). We are to assist persons to move in from the margins, not to stay out there in isolation. Jesus restored this woman to fellowship with her fellow countrymen. It is a noble task, worthy of the Gospel, to embrace, not to exclude. May the Lord give us the strength and vision to fulfill that ministry as we claim to serve and belong to Him.
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| Source: uncutmountainsupply.com |
"Remember, O Lord ... those who remember the poor ..."
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
The headline on Friday's Cincinnati Enquirer was the following: "Families, groups brace for end of SNAP benefits."
And the first line of the article reads as follows: "In November, 96,609 people in Hamilton County could lose money they count on to feed their families every month." That is a large body of local citizens who face the crippling loss of essential resources that would result if their SNAP benefits will be cut off. Thus, a personal disaster for many struggling families that could have been avoided. Primarily due to the fact that there is $5.25 billion in a contingency fund that has been allocated by Congress, and which could go a long way toward the $8 billion allotment that is needed. And, indeed, on Friday a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the these funds need to be distributed "as soon as possible." We are hoping to hear of the fulfillment of that court order.
We all know that this crisis is tied in to the present government shutdown, which has no end in sight. A costly battle of political wills! Yet, what is a political issue is also a profound moral and ethical issue; the two cannot be easily separated. As a "Christian nation," will we assist or ignore so many millions of struggling Americans? This question is intensified for Orthodox Christians by the fact that we so recently heard the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in church! For this reason, in the parish we continue to receive everyone's donation as the parish faithful pass by the "Lazarus basket" by the Cross at the end of the Liturgy. These donations may take on an even greater importance for some of our local neighbors this year, so our generosity also takes on a greater importance.
I would like to share the following letter (anonymously) that I recently received from one of our parish families. You will read of this family's readiness to offer financial assistance to "bridge the gap" for others who may be struggling. And I will raise the issue with the Parish Council, so that we as a community can also respond with our own resources designated for that purpose.
Fr. Steven,
I'm reaching out after talking with _____ about the government shutdown and its potential effects on families in the parish. I know there are avenues to assist those in need through the council, food pantry, or perhaps the Lazarus offerings. However, if there are special circumstances of food insecurity or other needs due to the shutdown, we would be willing to assist financially to 'bridge the gap' so to speak. Of course we would treat anything confidentially and with discretion however you would suggest.
If you become aware of any needs - we are willing and able to help.
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| Source: orthodoxchristiansupply.com |
In this excerpt from one of St. John Chrysostom's homilies on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, he does what we customarily often does in his preaching: go off the immediate theme in order to develop a moral, ethical or spiritual theme only loosely related to the parable. In analyzing the rich man's practice to "feast sumptuously" at his table, St. John launches into a general lesson on how we should approach the daily need to eat and drink. Here he delivers his famous aphorism on how to approach eating and drinking, which you will encounter below in italics. St. John never missed an opportunity to probe into all aspects of a Christian "lifestyle" - both what we usually term the "spiritual" and the "material."
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Christ has made it very clear that after taking nourishment at table we ought to receive not sleep in bed but prayer and reading of the divine Scriptures. When he had fed the great multitude in the wilderness, He did not send them to bed and to sleep, but summoned them to hear divine sayings. He had not filled their stomachs to bursting, nor abandoned them to drunkenness; but when he had satisfied their need, He led them to spiritual nourishment. Let us do the same; and let us accustom ourselves to eat only enough to live, not enough to be distracted and weighed down. For we were not born, we do not live, in order to eat and drink; but we eat in order to live. At the beginning life was not made for eating, but eating for life. But we, as if we had come into the world for this purpose, spend everything for eating.
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| Source: stjohndc.org |
St. John Chrysostom poses the question: How do we evaluate real wealth and real poverty? His answer, as indicated in one of his homilies on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, will sound jarring to us if we evaluate wealth and poverty by the standards of "this world" alone. Yet, St. John always begins with the Gospel revelation centered in Christ's teaching. The "reversal of fortune" found in the parable extends far beyond the story in the Gospel, and into our own perceptions and priorities:
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Let us learn from this man not to call the rich lucky nor the poor unfortunate. Rather, if we are to tell the truth, the rich man is not the one who has collected many possessions but the one who needs few possessions; and the poor man is not the one who has no possessions but the one who has many desires. We ought to consider this the definition of poverty and wealth. So if you see someone greedy for many things, you should consider him the poorest of all, even if he has acquired everyone's money. If, on the other hand, you see someone with few needs, you should count him the richest of all, even if he has acquired nothing.
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| Source: store.ancientfaith.com |
In yesterday's Monday Morning Meditation, I quoted a passage from St. John Chrysostom's series of homilies on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. I would like to share a few more as the week unfolds. With his typical wide-ranging depth of interpretation, St. John uncovered many themes in this multi-layered parable. In this passage, he speaks of the various roles human beings assume in life. But these very roles will eventually be stripped away in death, and then the true identity of a person will be revealed in the light of God's judgement:
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Just as in the theatre, when evening falls and the audience departs, and the kings and generals go outside to remove the costumes of their roles, they are revealed to everyone thereafter appearing to be exactly what they are; so also now when death arrives and the theatre is dissolved, everyone puts off the masks of wealth or poverty and departs to the other world. When all are judged by their deed alone, some are revealed truly wealthy, others poor, some of high class, others of no account.
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| Source: sthermansoca.org |
“And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” (LK. 8:14)
There is an interior connection between the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (LK. 16:19-31), heard yesterday at the Divine Liturgy. For the “rich man” of the parable is the embodiment of a person who has been “choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life,” as described in the Parable of the Sower. Brushing aside the teaching of the Torah, and the Jewish emphasis on charity as one of the great acts of true piety, the rich man remained coldly indifferent to poor Lazarus who was clearly visible at his very gate. Preoccupied with fine linen and sumptuous feasting (v. 19), the rich man was scarcely prepared in his heart to alleviate the sufferings of Lazarus, sufferings that were exemplified by the dogs that licked his sores (v. 20). Such indifference is frightening when seen in the light of the many scriptural admonitions that either chastise the neglect of the poor: “He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard;”or encourage his care: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” (PROV. 21:13; 19:17)
And the severity of the consequences of such neglect of the poor is vividly described in the parable’s “reversal of fortune,” with the rich man languishing in hades, unable to be relieved of his torment there. The contrast of his fate and that of Lazarus being carried into the “bosom of Abraham” by a heavenly escort is striking. (v. 22-23)
The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man was delivered with the Pharisees in mind, for right before Jesus proclaimed the parable, we hear this unflattering description of the Pharisees: “The Pharisees who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him. But he said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God’.” (LK. 16:14-15) Whatever or whoever may have prompted the words of the Lord during his ministry, our concern now is with our own attitude and treatment of the poor. To think or believe otherwise is to fail to “hear” the parable as it is proclaimed today for our chastisement or encouragement.
The words of the Lord – the “Gospel truth” – cannot be properly assessed within the narrow limits of any political allegiances – Democrat or Republican; nor even of a wider-scoped ideology – liberal or conservative. The Gospel transcends these categories as something far greater and infinitely more demanding of our allegiance. Through this parable, the Lord exhorts us to minister to the "demographically vulnerable" members of our society. In fact, the moral and ethical integrity of any society is revealed to a great degree as to how that society will treat and care for precisely those who are "demographically vulnerable."
At a time when neither political parties nor even political ideologies existed or had any real impact on the prevailing cultural or social assumptions of the time, St. John Chrysostom (+407) delivered a series of brilliant homilies on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. (These seven homilies now exist in English translation under the title on Wealth and Poverty). With his impressive knowledge of the Scriptures; his unmatched rhetorical skills; but most importantly his profound zeal for the moral and ethical teaching of the Gospel; St. John offered a radical critique of selfishness and a radical exhortation to overcome such selfishness for the sake of the poor. Challenging conventional notions of what theft is, he famously expanded its definition by meditating deeply on the parable at hand:
I shall bring you testimony from the divine Scriptures, saying that not only the theft of others’ goods but also the failure to share one’s own goods with others is theft and swindle and defraudation. What is this testimony? Accusing the Jews by the prophet, God says, ‘The earth has brought forth her increase, and you have not brought forth your tithes; but the theft of the poor is in your houses.’ (MAL. 3:8-10) Since you have not given the accustomed offering, He says, you have stolen the goods of the poor. He says this to show the rich that they hold the goods of the poor even if they have inherited them from their fathers or no matter how they have gathered their wealth. And elsewhere the Scripture says, ‘Deprive not the poor of his living.’ (SIR. 4:1) To deprive is to take what belongs to another; for it is called deprivation when we take and keep what belongs to others. By this we are taught that when we do not show mercy, we will be punished just like those who steal. For our money is the Lord’s, however we may have gathered it. If we provide for those in need, we shall obtain great plenty. This is why God has allowed you to have more; not for you to waste on prostitutes, drink, food, expensive clothes, and all the other kinds of indulgence, but for you to distribute to those in need … If you are affluent, but spend more than you need, you will give an account of the funds which were entrusted to you … For you have obtained more than others have, and you have received it, not to spend it for yourself, but to become a good steward for others as well.(On Wealth and Poverty, homily two)
This is a radical teaching, though again not based on any particular social or political philosophy. For St. John the “true philosophy” was adherence to the Gospel. St. John is primarily concerned with uncovering the meaning and implications of what we discover in the Scriptures. If that is challenging to the point of seeming “impossible’” or of least taking us way out of our “comfort zones,” then rather than “soft-pedaling” the Gospel message, St. John would continue in the hope of inspiring us to strengthen our efforts and to put on “the mind of Christ.”
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| Source: uncutmountainsupply.com |
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"Take heed then to how you hear." (LK. 18:18)
Make sure that you never refuse to listen when He speaks." (HEB. 12:25)
We are blessed with hearing the Scriptures at every Divine Liturgy, be it the Lord's Day or any other day on which the Liturgy is celebrated. Therefore, we will hear at least one reading from an Epistle and one from a Gospel. When the calendar so designates it, there may be two readings. When there exists a complicated convergence of feast days and commemorations, there are even Liturgies at which there may be as many as three prescribed readings!
The readings from the Scriptures are the culminating moments of the first part of the Liturgy, referred to as the "Liturgy of the Word," or "The Liturgy of the Catechumens." Before we commune with Christ in the Eucharist, we commune with Him through the inspired words of the Holy Scriptures - the words of the Word. This is the public proclamation of the Word of God, meant to complement each believer's personal or "domestic" reading of the Scriptures.
Just as we pray both liturgically and personally; so we hear/read the Scriptures both liturgically and personally. Each is essential to support and make the other meaningful. To ignore one or the other is to impoverish our relationship with Christ.
By the presence of the Spirit, our minds are open to the full meaning of the sacred texts that we hear. This was revealed to all Christians of all generations on the Road to Emmaus, when the Risen Lord encountered Cleopas and an unknown disciple: "And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (LK. 24:27).
Following this encounter and the "breaking of the bread," during which these disciples recognized the Risen Lord, "They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures'?" (LK. 24:32).
Christ speaks to us today through the reading of the Scriptures, thus making it possible for us today to experience the identical "burning of heart" when we, too, make the time to read the Scriptures. As Fr. John Behr succinctly said: "In the Church, we are still on the road to Emmaus."
Due to the great importance of the liturgical proclamation of the Scriptures, these readings are prefaced by a dialogue between the celebrant, the designated reader and the gathered faithful. I will concentrate here on the liturgical reading from the Gospel, aware that the preparation for the Epistle also has its own solemn and very similar introduction. Before the reading from the Gospel, we thus always hear:
Priest or Deacon: Wisdom! Let us stand aright. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.
Bishop or Priest: Peace be unto all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Priest or Deacon: The reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint _____.
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Priest: Let us attend!
This solemn dialogue both reveals to us that we are about to do something of great importance: proclaim the living Word of God amidst the assembled believers - clergy and laity alike. And this prefatory dialogue is therefore meant to get our attention. In fact, the final words before the actual reading are: "Let us attend!" In some translations, it may be: "Let us be attentive!" In simple English it could be: "Pay attention!"
Right before this we are first directed to "stand aright." This is lost in some translations, which twice read "Let us attend," as a translation of two different Gk. words in this dialogue. When we hear "Let us attend" for the first time, this is actually "Let us stand aright," based on the Gk. command "Orthi" which means more-or-less literally "stand aright." The second "Let us attend!" is based on the Gk. word proskhomen.
The point is that standing at attention is a potentially better bodily posture than sitting for the gathering of our (scattered?) thoughts, as well as simply a bodily posture that expresses greater respect for listening to the Lord teaching us through the words of the Gospel. Strange as it may sound to us, there is something of the soldier standing at solemn attention as he is about to hear his "orders" that must be faithfully fulfilled. This is an image that is found often in Christian antiquity.
In our Liturgy today, it is a time when there should be no movement in the church, and nothing to distract us from hearing the Gospel with an attentiveness that expresses our love of the Gospel as the "precious pearl" worth more than anything else. An outer silence in the church will hopefully facilitate an inner stillness within our minds and hearts that honors the Gospel reading as the sharing of the "words of eternal life" on our behalf.
As a possible "test" to measure our actual attentiveness at a given Liturgy, we can ask ourselves later in the day - or perhaps even during the week! - what was the Gospel reading that I heard earlier in the Liturgy? An attentive listening of the Gospel would mean that we can identify the evangelist and, even more importantly, the prescribed text for the day. And the same should hold true for the Epistle reading. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
If our ultimate goal is to live out the teachings of the Gospel beyond the initial hearing of the Gospel, then our awareness of the text, accompanied by a "burning of heart" will allow us to meditate upon a given passage with the goal in mind of actualizing the teaching heard in our daily lives. How would any of this be possible if we forget the Gospel reading once we leave the church? (The homily is meant to support that process - but that may or may not happen!). If we forget the Gospel reading, that means that we may have "attended" church, but that we were not "attentive" in church. To "be" there cannot be reduced to our bodily presence.
To further emphasize the great significance of the Gospel reading at the Liturgy, there is a wonderful prayer said by the celebrant before we actually get to the dialogue outlined and commented on above. This prayer is placed immediately after the final alleluia verse following the Epistle reading. And it prepares us for the ensuing dialogue. For this reason alone it is my humble opinion that this "prayer before the Gospel" must be chanted/read aloud by the celebrant of the Liturgy - the bishop or priest. That is the practice in our parish. Why should a prayer that embraces everyone present be read "silently" by the clergy alone? Though we have heard this prayer countless times, perhaps bringing it to mind here will be helpful. For the attentive reader of the Scriptures, there are various scriptural passages that are gathered together, alluded to, or paraphrased in this prayer, a few of which will be pointed out:
Illumine our hearts (II COR. 4:6), O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light (REV. 21:23-25) of Thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind (EPH. 1:18; LK. 24:45) to the understanding of Thy gospel teachings. Implant also in us the fear of Thy blessed commandments, that trampling down carnal desires (II PET. 2:10), we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living (I COR. 2:12), both thinking and doing such things as are well-pleasing unto Thee (PHIL. 2:13). For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Obviously, a good deal is made of the Gospel Reading at each and every Liturgy. This is because the Gospel is "Good News" to be attentively listened to and obeyed. Familiarity may dull our appreciation of this, but we must always struggle against familiarity leading to spiritual laziness or inattentiveness. When (over-) familiarity turns to boredom then we are facing a spiritual crisis of sorts.
Putting aside any such temptation, let us acknowledge how privileged and blessed we are to "stand aright" in church at the Liturgy and to hear the Holy Gospel. "Let us attend!"
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| Source: legacyicons.com |
A very fine response to the recent meditation on compassion from our own parishioner, John Dumancic. I thought to share this as a kind of extension/follow through on the theme of compassion:
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Dear Father Steven,
I had this thought while reading this reflection: both 'compassion' and 'sympathy' seem to have the same etymological meaning: com + passio in the Latin, σύν + πάθος (syn + pathos) in the Greek, 'to suffer with'. St. Paul commands us to 'rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep': this is having compassion, when we are so centered on our neighbor that we suffer and rejoice with them in their suffering and rejoicing. (And, with a broader reading of the word pathos, I think you could admit both of these in 'compassion'!)
The Cross, then, in this reading, reveals God principally as the Compassionate One; God, who is not subject to pathos, nevertheless assumes all our suffering and rejoicing in the Incarnation of the Son: He carried all of our crosses to Golgotha, and by His suffering destroyed our suffering (the fruit of which we will reap in both this life and the ages to come). Or, if you will, by His death and resurrection, He made our suffering and our crosses to be a vehicle of glory, a pathway to eternal life. 'Blessed are they that mourn' — not because mourning is anything good in itself, but because they that love others must mourn, until the Lord 'wipes every tear from every eye.'
Sincerely,
John Dumancic
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| Source: uncutmountainsupply.com |
"The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and of great goodness." (Psalm. 103:8)
"And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep"." (Lk. 7:13)
Compassion \kem-'pa-shan\: "Sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it."
Merriam Webster Dictionary
The appointed Gospel that we heard at the Liturgy this last Sunday was Lk. 7:11-16, the extraordinary account of the raising from death of the son of the widow of Nain. This account is unique to the Gospel According to St. Luke. And it is one of the three accounts in the Gospels in which Christ restores a human person to life following death (Jairus's daughter and Lazarus of Bethany being the other two). Although only the Lord Jesus Christ has been resurrected unto eternal life - "For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him" (Rom. 6:9) - those three who were resuscitated to life again were seen as pledges or prefigurations of the resurrection of the dead awaited for at the end of time, as affirmed each and every time that we recite the Nicene Creed in our communal and personal prayer. For this reason, the crowd that accompanied the widow of Nain in the funeral procession of her son glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has visited his people!" (7:16) In this account, Jesus appears as another Elijah who raised the son of the widow of Zarephath (I Kg. 17:17-24).
However, this raising of the young man is not the only remarkable event of note in this dramatic account. For the mother of the young man was a widow and this was her only son (Lk. 7:12). When the Lord had authoritatively brought the funeral procession to a halt, St. Luke informs us: "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep"." (Lk. 7:13) Compassion always characterized Jesus in his interactions with those who were suffering some form of distress, mental or physical. Jesus understood the distress of this poor widow, who would now be on her own without her husband or son. By restoring the young man to life, he also restores new life to the grief-stricken and lonely widow. In fact, the way that St. Luke conveys this story seems as if that was his main concern in immortalizing it in his Gospel.
Many will claim that St. Luke stresses the compassion of the Lord the most among the evangelists. Compassion goes beyond mere kindness or helpfulness. It wells up from the heart and it seeks to alleviate the distress of the other. Even the dry definition that is so often characteristic of the dictionary - as cited above - captures this deeper meaning of compassion as an interior sympathy seeking to manifest itself in an exterior action.
Looking inwardly at the "household of faith," which is the Church, the followers of Christ need also to be persons filled with compassion for the other who may be suffering. Compassion takes us far beyond outward forms of piety. Actually, without compassion those forms of piety can dry up and manifest the religious hypocrisy so strongly criticized by the Lord. The world can be a very cold place filled with marginalized and lonely people. We also see that people are often manipulated and abused due to their powerlessness.
Thus, if a given society is drained of compassion because of a certain ideological orientation or political goals, that society has surrendered its basic humanitarian impulses contrary to the natural goodness of human nature as created by God "in the beginning." The neoconservative social commentator, David Brooks, claims that we are living in "the era of dark passions." He comments on the following: anger, hatred, resentment, fear and the desire to dominate. These are the antitheses of compassion and mercy. And that means that they are contrary to the blessed principles manifested in Christ and meant to be manifested by His followers. In other words, a "Christian" is meant to be "Christ-like."
"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (Lk. 6:36)
