Dormition Fast Meditation -- Afterfeast of the Transfiguration

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

Do evil to nobody nor keep any evil in your heart against anyone. Do not belittle a wrong-doer; do not be influenced by one who does wrong to his neighbor. Do not slander anybody but say: “God knows each one.” Do not agree with one who slanders; neither rejoice with him in his slandering nor hate him who slanders his neighbor—and this is “judge not [that you be not judged”] (Lk. 6:37). 

Do not be at enmity with anybody and do not foster enmity in your heart; do not hate one who is at enmity with his neighbor—and this is peace. Console yourself with this: there is labor for a short while then repose for eternity, by the grace of the divine Word. Amen.

—Abba Moses, Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Dormition Fast Meditation -- Afterfeast of the Transfiguration

 

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

Christianity is not reconciliation with death. It is the revelation of death, and it reveals death because it is the revelation of Life. Christ is this Life. And only if Christ is Life is death what Christianity proclaims it to be; namely, the enemy to be destroyed, and not a “mystery” to be explained.

Religion and secularism, by explaining death, give it a “status,” a rationale, make it “normal.” Only Christianity proclaims it to be abnormal and, therefore, truly horrible. In the light of Christ, this world, this life are lost and beyond mere “help,” not because there is fear of death in them, but because they have accepted and normalized death. 

—Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, 

For the Life of the World

Dormition Fast Meditation (Transfiguration) -- The Holy Transfiguration of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

Source: oca.org

The Lord does not always appear in glory to all who stand before Him. To beginners He appears in the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7); to those able to follow Him as He climbs the high mountain of His transfiguration He appears in the form of God, the form in which He existed before the world came to be (John 17:5).

It is therefore possible for the same Lord not to appear in the same way to all who stand before Him, but to appear to some in one way and to others in another way, according to the measure of each person’s faith.

When the Logos of God becomes manifest and radiant in us, and His face shines like the sun, then His clothes will also look white. That is to say, the words of the Gospel will then be clear and distinct, with nothing concealed. And Moses and Elijah—the more spiritual principles of the Law and the Prophets—will also be present with Him.

—St. Maximus the Confessor, Second Century on Theology

Thursday's Theological Thoughts -- A Feast of Theology: The Transfiguration, the Heart of the Orthodox Faith

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

On August 6 we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Leave-taking of the Feast is on August 13. A time to think deeply on this wonderful and unique event from Lord's earthly ministry.

This feast is thus embedded in the time of the Dormition Fast, but still retains all of its festal splendor. What a truly blessed Feast! 

The Transfiguration is particularly rich in essential theological themes that reveal the very heart of our Orthodox Christian Faith. These dogmatic/doctrinal themes are expressed poetically throughout the services - Vespers, Matins, Liturgy - of the Feast in an abundant variety of hymnographical forms. The troparion and kontakion of any given Feast offer a "summary" of the Feast's over-all meaning and place in God's oikonomia (divine dispensation):

Thou wast transfigured on the Mount, O Christ God, revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples as far as they could bear it. LetThine everlasting light shine upon us sinners! Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Giver of Light, glory to Thee! (Troparion)

On the mountain wast Thou transfigured, O Christ God, and Thy disciples beheld Thy glory as far as they could see it; so that when they would behold Thee crucified, they would understand that Thy suffering was voluntary, and would proclaim to the world that Thou art truly the Radiance of the Father! (Kontakion)

Over the years and through repeated use, many of the faithful know these hymns by heart. If we listen carefully, or even study it outside of the services, the hymnography reveals very profound truths in the realm of Christology (the Person of Christ, both God and man); anthropology (the human person created in the image and likeness of God); triadology (the dogma of the Trinity); and eschatology (the Kingdom of God coming in power at the end of time).

Christology

On Mt. Tabor, when transfigured before His disciples, our Lord reveals to His disciples - and to all of us - His divine nature "hidden" in humility beneath the human nature of His flesh:

Enlightening the disciples that were with Thee, O Christ our Benefactor, Thou hast shown them upon the holy mountain the hidden and blinding light of Thy nature and of Thy divine beauty beneath the flesh.

The nature that knows no change, being mingled with the mortal nature, shone forth ineffably, unveiling in some small measure to the apostles the light of the immaterial Godhead. (First Canon of Matins, Canticle Five)

As St. John of Damascus has written: 

"He was transfigured, then: not taking on what he was not, nor being changed to what he was not, but making what he was visible to his own disciples, opening their eyes and enabling them, who had been blind, to see. This is what the phrase means, "He was transfigured before their faces" (Matt 17:2); he remained exactly the same as he was, but appeared in a way beyond the way he had appeared before, and in that appearance seemed different to his disciples." (Oration on the Transfiguration)

Anthropology

Christ is fully and truly human. He is without sin. Thus, He is the "perfect" human being, by revealing to us the glory of human nature when fully united to God - something that we lost in the Fall. To be filled with the glory of God in communion with God is the true destiny of human beings and thus the true revelation of our human nature. By assuming our human nature, Christ has restored that relationship:

For having gone up, O Christ, with Thy disciples into Mount Tabor, Thou wast transfigured, and hast made the nature that had grown dark in Adam to shine again as lightning, transforming it into the glory and splendor of Thine own divinity. (Aposticha, Great Vespers)

Thou hast put Adam on entire, O Christ, and changing the nature grown dark in past times, Thou hast filled it with glory and made it godlike by the alteration of Thy form. (First Canon of Matins, Canticle Three)

In the words of Archbishop Kallistos Ware: 

"In the light of Christ's face that was so strangely and so strikingly altered upon the mountaintop, in his garments that became dazzling white, all human faces have acquired a new brightness, all common things have been transformed. For those who believe in Christ's Transfiguration, no one is despicable, nothing is trivial or mean."

Triadology

The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity were revealed on Mount Tabor, as they were revealed in the Jordan at the time of the Lord's Baptism. On Tabor it is again the voice of the Father, and the Spirit now appears in the form of a luminous cloud. Every revelation and action of God's is trinitarian, for the Father, Son/Word and Holy Spirit act in perfect harmony revealing thus the unity of the one divine nature:

Today on Tabor in the manifestation of Thy Light, O Word, Thou unaltered Light from the Light of the unbegotten Father, we have seen the Father as Light and the Spirit as Light, guiding with light the whole creation. (Exapostilarion, Matins)

Again, in the words of St. John of Damascus: 

"For God is recognized as one, in three hypostases(Persons). There is one substance of Godhead: the Father who bears witness, and the Son to whom he witnesses, and the Spirit who overshadows him." (Oration on the Transfiguration)

Eschatology

The Lord reveals by anticipation in His transfiguration on Mount Tabor, both his approaching Resurrection and the glorious appearance that we await at His Second Coming. He also reveals the transfiguration of our own lowly human nature in the Kingdom of God, where the righteous will shine like the stars of heaven. Thus, this is a Feast of Hope, as well as a Feast of Divine Beauty, as we anticipate His eternal and unfading presence and our transformation in Him, also eternal and unending:

Thou wast transfigured upon Mount Tabor, showing the exchange mortal men will make with Thy glory at Thy second and fearful coming, O Savior. (Sessional Hymn, Matins)

To show plainly how, at Thy mysterious second coming, Thou wilt appear as the Most High God standing in the midst of gods, on Mount Tabor Thou hast shone in fashion past words upon the apostles and upon Moses and Elijah. (Second Canon of Matins, Canticle Nine)

We bless fruit on this Feast because all of creation awaits transfiguration at the end of time. Even the garments of Christ were shining forth with a radiance brighter than the sun. The blessed fruit represents this awaited transfiguration when the creation will be freed from bondage. In earlier times, the grapes themselves would be used for the eucharistic offering of wine.

The importance of the Transfiguration is shown by the fact that it is recorded in three of the Gospels: MATT. 17:1-13; MK. 9:2-8; LK. 28-36. It is also clearly alluded to in II PET. 1:16-18.

To appeal one final time to St. John of Damascus:

"Let us observe these divine commandments with total concentration, so that we too may feast upon his divine beauty; and be filled with the taste of his sweetness: now, insofar as this is attainable for those weighed down by this earthly tent of the body; but in the next life more clearly and purely, when the 'just shall shine like the sun,' when they shall be released from the body's necessities, and shall be imperishable, like angels with the Lord, at the time of the great and radiant appearance of our Lord and God and Savior from heaven, Jesus Christ: with whom may glory be given to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, now and to the endless ages of ages. Amen." (Oration on the Transfiguration)


Truly a feast of theology and beauty!

Dormition Fast Meditation -- Forefeast of the Transfiguration

Source: legacyicons.com

That death has been dissolved, and the cross has become victory over it, and it is no longer strong but is itself truly dead, no mean proof but an evident surety is that it is despised by all Christ’s disciples, and everyone tramples on it, and no longer fears it, but with the sign of the cross and faith in Christ tread it underfoot as something dead.

Of old, before the divine sojourn of the Savior, all used to weep for those dying as if they were perishing. But since the Savior’s raising the body, no longer is death fearsome, but all believers in Christ tread on it as nothing, and would rather choose to die than deny their faith in Christ.

—St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation

The Blessing of Fruit

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

"Bless, O Lord, this new fruit of the vine ..." 

(Prayer at the Blessing of Grapes on the Transfiguration)

Blessing of Fruit - We bless grapes (mentioned prominently in the prayers) and all different kinds of fruit on the Feast of Transfiguration. I noticed that I did not specifically mention that in yesterday's "In the Life of the Parish." So, if you plan on being here on Thursday morning for the festal Liturgy, you may bring a basket of fruit and place it on the table in front prepared for that purpose. At the end of the Liturgy, all fruit baskets will be blessed through prayer and Holy Water. As Met. Kallistos Ware writes about the Feast:

"The Feast of the Transfiguration ... is not simply the commemoration of a past event in the life of Christ. Possessing an 'eschatological' dimension, it is turned towards the future - towards the 'splendor of the Resurrection at the Last Day,' towards the 'beauty of the divine Kingdom' which all Christians hope eventually to enjoy."

From The Festal Menaion: On the day of the feast, fish, wine and oil are allowed, but meat and animal products are not eaten, because it is within the fast before the Dormition of the Theotokos.

Dormition Fast Meditation

Source: archangelsbooks.com

Behold the Virgin, the daughter of Adam and Mother of God: because of Adam she commits her body to the earth, but because of her Son she gives her body to the heavenly tabernacle above. Let the holy city be blessed! Let it enjoy blessing upon blessing forever!

Let the angels go before the holy tent as it passes on; let them prepare her tomb carefully! Let the radiance of the Spirit beautify it! Let perfume be made ready, to anoint that wholly spotless, wholly fragrant body. Let a pure wave come and bathe it in blessings from the pure spring of blessing. “Let the earth rejoice” (Ps. 96.11), as her body is laid to rest; let the air leap as her spirit ascends! 

Let the breezes blow, filled with grace as soft as dew! Let all creation celebrate the ascent of the Mother of God!

—St. John of Damascus, A Discourse on the Dormition of Our Lady, the Mother of God, Homily III

Dormition Fast Meditation -- Procession of the Honorable Wood of the Lifegiving Cross of the Lord

Source: antiochpatriarchate.org

Longsuffering is a marvelous thing. It places the soul as in a quiet harbor, freeing it from tossings and evil spirits. And this is everywhere Christ has taught us, but especially now, when He is judged and dragged, and led about … But why was it that Pilate did not make the inquiry in their presence, but apart, having gone into the judgment hall? He suspected something great respecting Him. …

Concerning that of which Pilate must have desired to hear, namely, His Kingdom, He answered, saying, “My kingdom is not of this world.” That is, “I am indeed a King, yet not such an one as you suspect, but far more glorious” … But they cried out, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Of their own will they subjected themselves to punishment. Therefore also God gave them up, because they were the first to cast themselves out from His providence and superintendence … And why did they strive to kill Him in this manner? It was a shameful death.

Fearing therefore lest there should afterward be any remembrance of Him, they desired to bring Him to the accursed punishment, not knowing that truth is exalted by hindrances.

—St. John Chrysostom, Homilies LXXXV, 1, 2, 3, on John XIX

Reflection By An Inquirer

 

Source: ancientfaith.com

I received this from one of our more recent inquirers following the Liturgy on Sunday and the Gospel reading of the Multiplication of the Loaves (Matt. 14:14-22). I appreciate the honesty and openness of what is written, and asked permission to share it with the rest of the parish. Any given Liturgy and any given Gospel passage, can open us up to deep self-reflection, if we in turn arrive with an open mind and an open heart.

_____

Hello Father Steven,

I just wanted to expand on my feelings today during Liturgy. I spoke with you briefly, however, there was no way for me to convey everything that at once ran through me in an explosion of clarity. Writing also often helps me gather my thoughts to make more sense of them.

I have often wondered how, in the scriptures, so many directly saw the miracles of Christ and still did not believe. When reading I often try to place myself in the text to understand better. How could our Lord heal the blind and sick and still be doubted? How could He calm the seas and still be doubted? How could He run out demons from the people and still be doubted? I thought to myself that I would not have been among those that doubted. Can I, however, say that with confidence?

It is so easy to think you know something and yet still not fully understand. I have been to eleven Divine Liturgies now at Christ the Savior Church including the one held today. I knew what the Eucharist represented. And yet, for ten of those liturgies, I did not fully understand the miracle I was witnessing. I can now see that I was one in the multitudes that you described, unaware of a miracle happening right in front of me.

I now reflect that I was even resistant to the idea that simple wine and bread could be transformed into the body and blood of Christ. I have always prided myself for my scientific mind, and learning to have real faith in things I cannot logically comprehend is something I struggle with, though I wrestle with myself to change. When you said today that we may see miracles every day and not believe it due to attributing them to something else, those words rang so true to me. You described something I battle every day. How often have I been skeptical and even resistant? My mind is often closed to the truth and instead insists, “I will believe it when I see it.”

And yet I had “seen” for ten weeks, but only with an unopened mind incapable of true seeing. My “logical” mind took the Eucharist for purely a tradition passed down in honor of Christ. Today, at your words, something finally clicked and took my breath from me as I finally saw the truth that I had missed week after week. My Lord and my God was in front of me and yet I had not recognized Him, just as those who travelled on the road with Him after His resurrection.

It is deeply humbling to suddenly recognize your own blindness that stems from a misguided pride in the "logical" mind. Then I recognized the accompanying unbelief that my pride had led me to. While I felt in the moment that I was silly for the tears that then came to me, who would not weep?

The words of Mark 9:24 come to me now. “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

There is still so much for me to learn and I pray that my eyes continue to be opened to the truth. For now I will trust in our Lord that He will help my unbelief, if I but stretch out my hands and ask with a sincere and humble heart.

Deep Theology in Shallow Waters

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

A warm anecdote that I asked the Harkins to share with the parish. 

_____

This is a small conversation Mae had with a young boy named Brightman she met playing in the waves at Fernandina Beach; he enthusiastically introduced himself, as Mae relayed to me later, and it struck Rhett and I how much the reality of the Trinity is expressed in our faith and naturally absorbed!

Brightman: “Hello! My name is Brightman…I believe in God. Do you believe in God?”

Mae: “Like Jesus Christ? You know, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?”

Brightman: “Yea!”

Mae: “So, you’re a Christian?”

Brightman: “Oh yea, I’m a BIG Christian.”

Mae: “Me too.”

Haha it was so sweet to me that that was the most natural first conversation for these kids, no agenda, just genuine interest; and that Mae immediately clarified exactly which “God” with the Holy Trinity!

In Christ,

Jenny

Monday Morning Meditation - The Dormition Fast: A Challenge and a Choice

Source: oca.org

On Saturday, August 1, we will begin the relatively short Dormition Fast that always covers the first two weeks of August (1-14), culminating in the Feast of the Dormition on August 15. 

We will celebrate the Feast with Great Vespersl  on Friday evening, August 14; and the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, August 15. As has become our tradition, we will place the tomb in the center of the church, decorate it with flowers, venerate the icon of the blessed repose of the Ever-Virgin Mother of God – Miriam of Nazareth - and sing hymns of praise to her “translation” into the Kingdom of Heaven. Not a celebration to be missed! Please mark your calendars and prepare to be present for this beautiful Feast. 

Every fast presents us with a challenge and a choice. In this instance, I would say that our choice is between “convenience” and “commitment.” We can choose convenience, because of the simple fact that to fast is decidedly inconvenient. It takes planning, vigilance, discipline, self-denial, and an over-all concerted effort. It is convenient to allow life to flow on at its usual (summertime) rhythm, which includes searching for that comfort level of least resistance. To break our established patterns of living is always difficult, and it may be something we would only contemplate with reluctance. So, one choice is to do nothing different during this current Dormition Fast, or perhaps only something minimal, as a kind of token recognition of our life in the Church. I am not quite sure, however, what such a choice would yield in terms of further growth in our life “in Christ.” It may rather mean a missed opportunity. 

Yet the choice remains to embrace the Dormition Fast, a choice that is decidedly “counter-cultural” and one that manifests a conscious commitment to an Orthodox Christian “way of life.” Such a commitment signifies that we are looking beyond what is convenient toward what is meaningful. It would be a choice in which we recognize our weaknesses, and our need precisely for the planning, vigilance, discipline, self-denial and over-all concerted effort that distinguishes the seeker of the “mind of Christ” which we have as a gift within the life of the Church. 

That is a difficult choice to make, and one that is perhaps particularly difficult within the life of a family with children who are often resistant to any changes. I still believe, though, that such a difficult choice has its “rewards” and that such a commitment will bear fruit in our families and in our parishes. (If embraced legalistically and judgmentally, however, we will lose our access to the potential fruitfulness of the Fast and only succeed in creating a miserable atmosphere in our homes). It is a choice that is determined to seize a good opportunity as at least a potential tool that leads to spiritual growth.

My opinion and observation is that we combine the “convenient” with our “commitment” within our contemporary social and cultural life to some degree. We often don’t allow the Church to “get in the way” of our plans and goals. And those plans and goals may be hard to avoid in the circumstances and conditions of our present way of life. It is hard to prevail in the never-ending “battle of the calendars.” The surrounding social and cultural milieu no longer supports our commitment to Christ and the Church. In fact, it is usually quite indifferent and it may even be hostile toward such a commitment. 

Though we may hesitate to admit it, we find it very challenging not to conform to the world around us. But it is never impossible to choose our commitment to our Orthodox Christian way of life over what is merely convenient – or simply desired. That may just be one of those “daily crosses” that the Lord spoke of – though it may be a stretch to call that a “cross.” This also entails choices, and we have to assess these choices with honesty as we look at all the factors that make up our lives. In short, it is very difficult – but profoundly rewarding - to practice our Orthodox Christian Faith today!

I remain confident, however, that the heart of a sincere Orthodox Christian desires to choose the hard path of commitment over the easy (and rather boring?) path of convenience. We now have the God-given opportunity to escape the summer doldrums that drain our spiritual energy. With prayer, almsgiving and fasting, we can renew our tired bodies and souls. We can lift up our “drooping hands” in an attitude of prayer and thanksgiving.

The Dormition of the Theotokos has often been called “pascha in the summer.” It celebrates the victory of life over death; or of death as a translation into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Dormition Fast is our spiritually-vigilant preparation leading up to that glorious celebration. 

“Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation!”(II COR. 6:2)

_____

Addendum. From St. Vladimir's Seminary:

Dear Fr. Steven,

Glory to Jesus Christ, Glory forever!

Thank you for signing up to receive Meditations on the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God.

Every day beginning August 1 through August 15 you will get an email containing a meditation and daily scripture passages related to the Dormition Fast. 

We pray these meditations will bless and prepare you for the feast of The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God. 

I will share these with the entire parish starting on August 1.

Monastic Pilgrimage

Source: christthesavioroca.org

Last weekend, a small group from the parish made a short overnight visit/pilgrimage to the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Elwood City, PA. One of the nuns there, Mother Paula, was a former parishioner here for many years before leaving to pursue her monastic vocation. Though short, it was a wonderful trip, as we worshiped with Mother Christophora (the abbess) and the other Mothers and Sisters; shared meals with them; walked around the beautiful monastic grounds; and had an opportunity to interact with Mother Paula and the other nuns. 

Mother Christophora is very concerned about future monastic vocations, and she is thinking out any possible “strategies” for attracting Orthodox women to the monastic life. Orthodox monasticism and popular American culture are two very different “lifestyles,” to say the least. Ascetical discipline (including chastity) and obedience do not readily come to mind as “lifestyle choices” when one plans for the future in contemporary America! However, for the young (Orthodox) Christian man or woman who comes to love Christ above all else, these monastic virtues are not burdens to tolerate, but the light yoke of Christ that accompanies coming to him in response to his call, challenging as they may be (Matt.11:28-30).

My purpose is not to compose a short apologia for monasticism, but to simply invite everyone who reads this to think about visiting an Orthodox monastery in order to “taste and see” a very different Christian vocation that has been an integral part of Church life for many centuries. One can sense an intensified embodiment to an Orthodox Christian "way of life" immediately. Hospitality is, by the way, a key component of most Orthodox monasteries. Beside the commitment to the evangelical life of the Gospel, we should be aware that our liturgical tradition and spirituality have been decisively shaped by monastic patterns, also for centuries now.

Americans love and look forward to their vacations. A time to (supposedly) relax and be entertained. A time to escape what often devolves into the mundane, daily grind of life’s responsibilities. This may be especially true for families with children. However, there exists an alternate choice to the conventional vacation. I would ask Orthodox families to consider a trip to a monastery. You will not be entertained, but you will be edified. You can immerse yourselves into an atmosphere of real silence, punctuated by the call to prayer, the sounds of nature on the monastery’s grounds, and by quiet and purposeful conversation. A retreat that may provide (spiritual) renewal and a renewed commitment to the “life in Christ” which so completely fills the daily life and prayerful environment of the monastery. A time to “slow down” and reflect upon – or be reminded again - of the “one thing needful:” Jesus Christ.

In the past, our parish has organized and made many such pilgrimages to the women’s Monastery of the Holy Dormition in Rives Junction, MI; and the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Elwood City, PA. Our parish men have often visited St. Gregory Palamas Monastery in Hayesville, OH. Perhaps it is time to renew those annual pilgrimages from the parish

Fragments for Friday -- The Divine Liturgy - 'The Liturgy of the Word'

 

Source: orthodoxartsjournal.org

"We need to take refuge with the Church, to drink milk at her breast, to be fed with the Scriptures of the Lord. For the Church has been planted in the world as a paradise."

- St. Irenaeus of Lyons

"We are said to drink the blood of Christ not only when we receive it according to the rite of the mysteries, but also when we receive his words, in which life dwells, as he said himself: 'The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life'."

- Origen

To follow up on an introductory meditation on the Divine Liturgy from last week, here are a few brief words about the purpose of the Scripture readings during the Liturgy. The following is the briefest of outlines of the first part of the Liturgy.

+ My former professor, Fr. John Meyendorff, a great Orthodox historian and theologian, would always stress the  paschal nature of the Liturgy. This passage from darkness to light; and from death to life is the basic and most fundamental truth of the Liturgy. It is the crucified, risen and glorified Lord who is in our midst. 

+ When we come to the reading of the Scriptures and the ensuing homily, we have reached the culminating point of the first half of the Liturgy - the Liturgy of the Word or of the Catechumens, as it is usually called. The two texts cited above from St. Irenaeus and Origen already reveal to us the great power of the Scriptures. We are proclaiming the "words of the Word" (of God) at every Liturgy. That is why we first hear: "Let us Attend" before the actual reading. It is one thing to hear the Gospel; and another to listen with attention. In a very real sense, we commune with Christ in and through his living word, before we commune with him in the Eucharist. There is this "double Communion" at every Liturgy which we need to be mindful and respectful of. Therefore, arriving at the Liturgy after the Gospel means that one is not properly prepared to receive the Eucharist and should refrain from doing so.

+ The first part of the Liturgy is filled with litanies, antiphons and prayers. The first two antiphons and their preparatory prayers that we share together, are based on psalmody. The hymn attached to the second homily, "Only begotten Son of God," is thoroughly paschal in nature and is one example of how the paschal mystery permeates the Liturgy.

+ This is the immovable structure of the Liturgy - what remains unchanging; but every Sunday we sing and chant the various troparia and kontakia which change from Sunday to Sunday. The resurrectional troparia and kontakia rotate in an eight-week cycle according to the appointed tone of the week. The number eight is chosen for its symbolic value: the Liturgy is celebrated on the "eighth day" of the week - the day of the Kingdom which takes us beyond the time of this world signified by our seven-day week. We also sing troparia and kontakia commemorating the particular saints or events which fall on a given Sunday. This coming Sunday, we will sing in honor of one of our American saints: Jacob Netsvetov, Enlightener of the Peoples of Alaska

+ On Sunday, we will hear of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. This miracle, by anticipation, is a very eucharistic passage that will serve to prepare us the Liturgy of the Faithful, when Christ will "feed" and nourish us with His Body and Blood. This is a communal meal, uniting those who have gathered in the Name of the Lord.

Thursday's Theological Thoughts

Source: oca.org

Recently, the Church commemorated the 30th anniversary (1996 - 2016) of the repose of Protopresbyter John Meyendorff, internationally acclaimed theologian and patriotic scholar. I had the great privilege of studying under - and worshiping with - Fr. John for three years at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (1978-1981). This short, but brilliant passage is a wonderful distillation of Fr. John's understanding of the role of  theology in the Church throughout the centuries and, of course, for today. 

_____

When Orthodoxy speaks of a “return to the sources,” it does not mean a return to the dead past, but only continuity and consistency with the apostolic faith. Consistency does not imply repetition, but living understanding—or gnosis—of the faith “once delivered to the saints,” which must be rediscovered, reformulated, and witnessed anew in the midst of historical change. Furthermore, the theology of the New Testament implies not only preservation of a faith revealed once for all, but it also affirms that human history has a meaning and a goal. Christians will be judged not only for their faithfulness to the past, but for the manner in which they have worked for and prepared “the last things” (ta eschata).

Jesus Christ is not only the alpha, but the omega (Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13). His presence, through the Holy Spirit, in His Body, the Church, judges the past, the present, and the future, of the East and of the West.

–Fr. John Meyendorff, The Orthodox Church (SVS Press, 1981)

Fragments for Friday -- The Divine Liturgy - Introduction

Source: orthodoxartsjournal.org

 

"The divine liturgy is truly a heavenly service on earth, in which God himself, in a particular, immediate and most clear manner is present and dwells with men, for he himself is the invisible celebrant of the service; he is both the offerer and the offering. There is on earth nothing higher, greater, more holy, than the liturgy; nothing more solemn, nothing more life-giving."

- St. John of Kronstadt

Keeping the words of Fr. John of Kronstadt in mind, I am going to offer a "few" meditations in the upcoming weeks on the meaning and practice of the Divine Liturgy. As I wrote a bit earlier, we all face the "temptation" to experience the month of July as devoid of major ecclesial events. But every Liturgy is a major ecclesial event as Fr. John expresses above so powerfully.

This will hopefully further inform our new visitors, inquirers, etc. about the depth of meaning found in the Liturgy. I will remind everyone else at the outset that it could seem like we were merely reviewing what we already know for the most part. But in the Church to review means to renew - to renew our commitment to Christ, to the Church, and to our deepest possible experience that is offered to us in the Divine Liturgy. Renewal is an ongoing process that is essential in our relationship with God. In short, to review is to renew. 

+ The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom as served and celebrated today, is the result of a long process of development. — From the apostolic "breaking of bread" to the ongoing experience of the Liturgy to this day, we find a remarkable continuity of meaning and experience. The Liturgy is identical with itself all through the history of the Church. We all experience the same presence of Christ and the reception of the Eucharist as did the earliest Christians in the apostolic Church. On that level the Liturgy is unchanging. Yet, there have been many changes, additions, embellishments and expansive elements in the outward form of the Liturgy. We are essentially serving a Byzantine-style Liturgy that did not reach its completed form until the late medieval period within the context of the Eastern Christian world, centered in Constantinople (now Istanbul). You can trace this development in a fine book by Hugh Wybreth on the Liturgy.

+ The very title of "Divine Liturgy" is deeply meaningful. — Liturgy is from the Gk. leitourgia meaning the "common action" or "common work" of the assembled people. This is just one more word from the realm of ancient Greek culture "baptized" by the Church to now refer to the assembly of the Christian faithful prepared to offer its "common action/work" of being the People of God and Body of Christ - the Church - in a given local setting. Liturgy is something that we do. There are no passive participants. By praying together with the prayers of the Liturgy and sealing those common prayers with our collective "amen," we are all doing something in common and communal. To come to church is "to liturgize" within the framework of the Liturgy.

+ The Liturgy is "divine" because it is ultimately from God. — We gather to worship the living God - the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Liturgy is about God before it is about us. This sense of the holiness of God pervades the Liturgy: "Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God of Sabbaoth!" If we actualize the presence of Christ in the Liturgy, then Christ is the Gift of God to us and for us. We are thus working with God in the Liturgy as we prepare to encounter Christ in the Gospel and in the Eucharist.

+ We begin the Liturgy with the solemn doxology: "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." Our destination is announced from the beginning. — The Kingdom of God is an already present reality that we perhaps most clearly perceive and experience precisely in the Liturgy. We "ascend" into the Kingdom in the Liturgy and from the heavenly banquet table we receive and partake of the the Lamb of God "slain before the foundation of the world." We thus anticipate the Kingdom that will come at the end of history here and now in the Liturgy. We even "remember" the "second and glorious coming" in the anamnesis.

+ St. John of Kronstadt has got it right: there is nothing comparable to the Liturgy for Orthodox Christians. — It is the heart and soul of parish life from which everything else flows outwardly into our lives and into the world as we carry it with us when we "depart in peace."

+ Upcoming meditations will concentrate on the first part of the Liturgy culminating with the reading of the Scriptures.

Monday Morning Meditation - July: A 'month-long spiritual desert'

Source: pixnio.com

Unless we find ourselves on an exciting vacation somewhere far from home, it seems that nothing can conceivably be more uneventful than a Monday morning in mid-July. The only “variety” offered seems to be found in the weather. Will it rain or will the sun shine? Will the blistering heat continue, or will we feel some relief?

At this point in the summer, we may have already been on vacation – which means that there isn’t much to look forward to—or we are awaiting an upcoming trip that at least fills us with some sense of anticipation and “escape.” Which poses a further question: are those carefully-planned vacations into which we invest so much time, energy, money – and even hope – always as rewarding, relaxing and renewing as anticipated? I suppose that can only be assessed once we have returned – hopefully as intact as when we departed!

Whatever the case may be, the following passage from the Scriptures may just inspire us to see beyond the tedium that leads to the forgetfulness of God: 

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather healed” (Heb 12:12-13).

Adding to our spiritual ennui is, admittedly, the fact that July is the most uneventful month of the year liturgically: no major fasts or feasts occur during this month. Basically, there is “only” the Liturgy on Sundays and the commemoration of a few well-known saints throughout the month. (And we will celebrate the Liturgy for the Prophet Elijah and St. Mary Magdalene later in the month - the 20th and 22nd). With vacationing parishioners, there can be a noticeable drop in church attendance. There may also be certain signs of “spiritual laziness” setting in (induced, perhaps, in part by the haziness of the weather) leading to that condition of spiritual torpor known in our spiritual literature as akedia = "lack of care" or "listlessness." 

July, therefore, is something of a month-long stretch of desert, for we celebrated the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul at the end of June and await the major Feasts of the Transfiguration and Dormition in August within the context of the two-week fast from August 1-14.

Of course, we never want to find ourselves saying that there is “only” the Liturgy on Sunday mornings. The word “only” is hopelessly inadequate when applied to the Lord’s Day celebration of the Eucharist! 

“Only” implies “uneventful.” Yet, every Liturgy is the actualization of the Paschal Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, and our participation in that mystery. And every Liturgy is simultaneously the actualization of the Pentecostal mystery of the sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit: "Send down Thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here offered." 

At every Liturgy we proclaim and bless the presence and power of the Kingdom of Heaven. We are praying to and praising the Holy Trinity together with the angels and the saints. We are in direct communion with God and one another in the Liturgy. This means that every Liturgy is “eventful” in a manner that we can barely comprehend!

If, indeed, the summer proves to be something of a spiritual drought, then we can only thank God for the weekly liturgical cycle that begins and culminates with the Divine Liturgy on the Lord’s Day so that we can recover and renew our genuine humanity that has been created, redeemed and transformed “in Christ.” 

To speak of our life “in Christ” on the communal level we believe that at every Liturgy, we anticipate the messianic banquet where and when “many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). The heavenly manna, or the “Bread from heaven” that we receive by the grace of God, strengthens us in the somewhat outward and inward “desert-like” conditions of the world around or within us.

On a more interior level, we may one day make the wonderful discovery that we need not travel far away geographically in order to embark upon a life-transforming journey. In the Prologue to his book The Orthodox Way, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware relates the following anecdote.

“One of the best known of the Desert Fathers of the fourth-century Egypt, Saint Sarapion the Sidonite, traveled once on pilgrimage to Rome. Here he was told of a celebrated recluse, a woman who lives always in one small room, never going out. Skeptical about her way of life – for he was himself a great wanderer – Sarapion called on her and asked: ‘Why are you sitting here?’ To this she replied: ‘I am not sitting, I am on a journey'.”

Admittedly, this will not work well with the children! But at one point in our lives, we need desperately to make that discovery of our interior depths wherein we find a point of stillness that will further still our excessive restlessness that endlessly pushes us “outward” rather than “inward.” In one of my favorite sentences in The Orthodox Way, Metropolitan Kallistos puts it this way: 

“We are on a journey through the inward space of the heart, a journey not measured by the hours of our watch or the days of the calendar, for it is a journey out of time into eternity.”

“Vacations” are one thing, and “journeys” (or pilgrimages) another. The packaging and planning of the former make them much more predictable that the limitless possibilities of the latter. So, as we plan our outward vacations by plane or car, we need make provisions for the interior journeys into the greater space of our hearts through “faith, hope and love,” as well as through the practices of prayer and fasting, so as to remain attentive to the “still voice of God” that gives direction and meaning to our lives. Be that as it may, we pray that God will bless us on both forms of travel!

250th Anniversary of our Nation

Source: pixnio.com

 "Celebrating the ideals of the Declaration of Independence is hard if you don’t believe in them."

- Anne Applebaum

'We draw our people, our strength, from every country and every corner of the world."

- Ronald Reagan

The Fourth of July this year is the 250th anniversary of our country. "Only" a quarter of a millennium, but still a significant number of years for the "American Experiment" to take root, grow and inspire other nations, as well as evoke a healthy patriotism in our own minds. Yet, there is no contradiction with having pride in one's country and its achievements, while at the same time acknowledging any historical "sins" that only serve to undermine the basic principles that make our country "great" among the nations of the world. As responsible and patriotic citizens, our collective role is to  vigilantly promote, protect and preserve these basic principles - especially our democracy - with moral and ethical integrity. 

However, I would further add: Democracy is not a religion and the Constitution is not sacred scripture. Yet, both allow for a maximum of freedom (not license) in a pluralistic society that from the beginning has not sanctioned one church or religion over another. It is important that we respect those with whom we disagree, even on such basic issues as to how we understand God and what we believe and claim with certainty as divine revelation. I firmly believe that the Gospel can withstand any form of indifference, criticism or rejection, coming from any conceivable source. We will leave all  judgment in the hands of the God who is love.

All in all, I look forward to celebrating our 250th anniversary and the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, and hope and pray that those ideals can withstand any challenge that threatens them. Our future and that of our children and grandchildren depend upon that. 

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The Holy Synod of Bishops has issued a statement on the 250th Anniversary of our nation's existence. There is also a "Service of Thanksgiving for the Well-being of our Nation" that has been created for that celebration. We will pray a portion of that service on Sunday during the Divine Liturgy. The link below will take you to both:

https://www.oca.org/news/headline-news/orthodox-church-in-america-publishes-service-of-thanksgiving-for-the-well-being-of-the-nation

A Guest Reflection

 

Source: prayerrope.co

Kevin Rains here offers a very creative and reading of last Sunday's Gospel reading (Matt. 8:5-13). With insight - not artiface - he finds a liturgical/eucharistic dimension to the healing of the centurion's servant. Please read through this carefully:

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Most Orthodox Christians have said the words hundreds of times without noticing: “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Originally these were not the Church’s words. They are a Roman soldier’s words - lifted verbatim from Matthew 8:8 and placed at the most sacred threshold of the Divine Liturgy, the moment right before we receive Holy Communion.

But that is only the beginning.

The entire shape of the Liturgy mirrors the centurion’s movement. When the deacon cries “Wisdom! Let us attend” before the Gospel, the congregation is standing attentively, silently - that is the centurion’s posture exactly. We are gathered for one reason: to receive the commanding word of One with exousia, divine authority over all things. “Only speak the word.”

Every Kyrie eleison - Lord have mercy - is the same cry that every supplicant in Matthew 8 makes with empty hands. The leper. The centurion. The Syrophoenician woman. The Liturgy is structured around this posture of approaching the unapproachable with nothing to offer but need and trust.

Then there is verse 11, which Jesus speaks over the centurion’s faith: “Many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”Every Divine Liturgy is that prophecy fulfilled. We - mostly (or all?) Gentiles, outsiders, those coming from east and west - are precisely those Jesus saw when he marveled at a Roman soldier’s faith.

And at the end: “Go in peace” echoes “Go; let it be done.” Sent out having received.

The whole movement is there. Approach. Unworthiness. The commanding word. Healing. Sending.

The centurion’s encounter with Christ mirrors the structure that we follow in every liturgy. From two thousand years ago! And we walk that same path every Sunday.