Coffee With Sister Vassa -- JOY-CREATING SORROW

 

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Cor 7:10)

Yesterday evening in Rome, on the eve of this Saturday of the Deceased, I was sitting in the courtyard of the basilica of St. Agnes, a 13-year-old martyred for her faith in the 4th century, whose relics are in this basilica. And I observed a steady stream of women, one by one, coming into the courtyard to pray and/or light a candle in front of the statue of the Mother of God, at the place you see in this photo. There was a kind of sorrow in the air, which wasn’t a morbid kind of sorrow, but the kind of lamentation that’s in the air during Lent; the kind that women might bring to a place where the relics of St. Agnes rest, who was executed after being dragged naked through the streets to a brothel (where she was probably raped), and where a statue of the long-suffering (in her own lifetime) Mother of God looks over the courtyard.

On my way home, I was thinking about the above-quoted words of St. Paul. What would the not-godly sorrow be, the “sorrow of the world” that “produces death”? It’s the sorrow human beings feel for losing what we are meant to lose, in order that we may gain eternal life. It’s the sorrow over our ageing process, which is a sign that we’re closer to parting from this world, which is what our soul desires, but our body resists. It’s the sorrow over losing the friend or friends we used to have, because either they or we have moved on, as God willed it to be, either because they died, or some other circumstances beyond our control. It’s the sorrow over the world not bringing us what we expected, but what God brought us instead, by His loving providence.

Thank You, Lord, for last evening in this holy city. What is usually known as “Adam’s lament,” I saw as “Eve’s lament,” because it happened only to be women, who passed by this place where I was sitting; and there was St. Agnes and the Theotokos, looking over us, as women who had already experienced the godly sorrow that led to salvation, after many trials. By their prayers, dear God, help us, save us, and keep us by Your grace, throughout the joy-creating sorrow of our Lenten journey.

COFFEE WITH SISTER VASSA -- IDLE TALK

 

O Lord and Master of my life, grant me not the spirit of idleness(ἀργίας, праздности), despondency, lust of power, and idle talk / idle words(ἀργο-λογίας, праздно-словия).“ (Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem, part 1)

It is important for us to talk and to share with one another our thoughts, sorrows, joys, and so on. No doubt about it. In fact I think we don’t do enough of that today, when we are so often “ alone together,“ even as a family, with each member staring into his or her computer/phone while sitting at the same table. Nonetheless, there is such a thing as “ idle talk/words,“ so let me reflect on that a bit. What is it?

Just like “idleness” (ἀργία, from ἀ-ἐργία, or “ not doing”) means “ not doing” what I am supposed to be doing, how, when and why I am supposed to be doing it, so does my “idle” use of words (ἀργο-λογία), whether spoken, written, or typed on my computer, mean my “ not saying” what I am supposed to be saying, how, when and why I am supposed to be saying it, according to my vocation. So, “ idle words” involve the inappropriate and untimely use of words, as well as their use with the wrong motivation. “ Idle words” are always unconstructive, unproductive ones, which do more harm than good both to myself and others.

What are some of the “wrong” motivations for using words, and why are they harmful? I can, for example, “over-talk” about my certain aspirations or problems, out of self-assertion, self-justification, or self-pity. The harm in that is, I may be avoiding the silent contemplation of these issues; avoiding listening for the answers God may be sending me toward their further resolution, either through other people or otherwise. So I am blocking out the answers through my own words. I can similarly over-talk to God, as Christ warns us: “ And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words…” (Mt 6: 7)

So let me be reminded today of something I recently read (in the “ Harvard Business Review,” if you want to know). It’s a bit of advice very useful in matters both practical and spiritual: “ Silence is a greatly underestimated source of power… In silence, it can be easier to reach the truth.” Let me stop my own words, when they cease to be of service, and become a bit more teachable, in silence and openness to God’s voice in my life.

Lenten Meditation -- Second Thursday of Great Lent

 

Source: wikipedia.org

In the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts [catechumens] are prayed for with special fervor. This prayer has not lost its meaning, for still...there are catechumens preparing for Baptism.... We will be praying for them during Lent.... And we ourselves, after all, never stop being catechumens. The Word of God made flesh never ceases to educate us. The Holy Spirit never ceases to educate us. The Holy Spirit never stops knocking at the door of our hearts. Lent is a time which is particularly well suited to hearing, to listening to, the voice of God.

—A Monk of the Eastern Church, The Year of Grace of the Lord

Thursday's Theological Thoughts

 

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

During the homily on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, I spoke of Holy Tradition as understood within the Church, and in doing so, I shared a remarkable passage - actually one sentence! - from the renowned patristic scholar and historian, Fr. John Meyendorff. I had the immense privilege of studying under such a "giant" of 20th century Orthodoxy as Fr. John for three years at St. Vladimir's seminary. Be that as it may, in this single sentence, Fr. John captures all of the nuances that are associated with such a rich theme. Without a deep acquaintance with the theme of Holy Tradition, one could hardly begin to understand Orthodox Christianity. I had a couple of requests to make this passage available, so I simply reproduce it here for those who may be interested:

"The one Holy Tradition, which constitutes the self-identity of the Church through the ages and is the organic and visible expression of the life of the Spirit in the Church, is not to be confused with the inevitable, often creative and positive, sometimes sinful, and always relative accumulation of human traditions in the historical Church."

Protopresbyter John Meyendorff

In the same homily, I also shared a wonderful passage from one of contemporary Orthodoxy's most capable theologians, Fr. John Behr. In this also short passage, Fr. John directs us to the very heart of Orthodox Christianity. 

"The orthodoxy that we celebrate today is not fulfilled by having the right answers to particular questions, nor by preserving traditions for the sake of their antiquity or particular practices because we think they will make us better Christians. No. The orthodoxy that we celebrate today is that of having our attention captivated by, our gaze fixed upon, our ears opened to, and our hearts enthralled with our Lord Jesus Christ. He is for us the beginning and the end of all things; he is the one who began our faith, and he is the one who will bring it to fulfillment."

Archpriest John Behr

Lenten Meditation -- Second Tuesday of Great Lent

 

Source: oca.org

Love between sinners is essentially expressed in forgiveness. There is no other way. It cannot be otherwise. Forgiveness is the singular expression of love in this fallen world. If, therefore, we desire to be loved and forgiven by God—and even more if we know that as a matter of fact we are so loved and forgiven—then we must love and forgive each other. The lenten season exists for this purpose: to express the love of God for one another through mutual forgiveness. This is the teaching of Jesus Himself.

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mk. 11:25–26) 

—Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, The Lenten Spring

COFFEE WITH SISTER VASSA -- WHY IS ICON-VENERATION so CENTRAL TO ‘ORTHODOXY’?

On this ‘Sunday of Orthodoxy,’ which celebrates nothing more and nothing less than the restoration of icon-veneration in Constantinople in 843, after a period of iconoclasm, we might be asking this question. The thing I’d like to explain here is that iconoclasm was deeply anti-Christian, not because it was a rejection of God, but because it was a rejection of humanity, in a vital sense. Iconoclasm denied the capacity of the human being to ‘see’ and receive the revelation of God, and to pass on or to tradition this revelation, this vision, by the human creativity that it takes to create holy images (icons).

Iconoclasm encapsulates the not-Christian, anti-human tendency that underlies the rejection of other ‘icons’ of Tradition, done by human hands, like Holy Scripture, written down by human hands; liturgical hymns and church-calendar(s), systematized by human beings; theological treatises, church-councils, organized by humans, etc. Iconoclasm is essentially a rejection of the Church, which is a divinely-inspired enterprise that is entrusted not to angels, but to fallible human beings throughout and within history. While the Church is an (unchangeable) mystery, it is revealed and lived within (changeable) history, which is a messy business that involves human mistakes, excesses, distortions, divisions, and occasional need of reforms. But it’s always human creativity, in synergy with God, that is challenged to discern in every generation, how to pass on the ‘seen’ and received Tradition in its own historical context.

Our own vision can become distorted or crooked, time and again, which is why we are challenged with living ‘Ortho-doxy,’ (from ‘ortho,’ meaning ‘upright’ or ‘straightened out’, and ‘doxa,’ meaning both ‘opinion/perspective’ and ‘glorification’), which is our continuous, lifelong straightening-out process. Through all our feasts and fasts and other traditions, we’re always being reminded and empowered to straighten out and clarify our perspective or the ‘eye’ of our body, so as to ‘see’ more clearly, both Him, Jesus Christ in our midst, and all that He has passed on to us, through His eyewitnesses the Apostles and those who came after them. In our time, when in popular culture many believe that ‘humanity’ is at an all-time low, we believe in a counter-cultural way that our ‘humanity’ continues to be called to the dignifying challenge of straightening out and ‘seeing’ the Light of Christ. And we believe, as God believes, that we are capable of seeing it, and of passing it on. Glory be to Him, for all of this. Happy Sunday of Orthodoxy, dear friends!

Monday Morning Meditation

Source: unsplash.com

As we begin the Second Week of the Fast, I am sharing some insightful and challenging passages for us to "meditate" (think hard) on from two fellow Orthodox priests currently serving in their respective parishes. Both priests present that "bigger picture" that is essential to grasp in order for the Fast to be truly fruitful.

_____

"You can follow all the fasting rules of the Orthodox Church to the nth degree and never have an empty stomach once for all six weeks. Which means you miss one of the chief reasons for fasting - to be hungry! - and being hungry, to have some sympathy for the poor and needy, and then to act on that sympathy in measurable ways. Eating lobster instead of tuna is not fasting, it's abstaining. And abstaining isn't all that impressive ... it's something that every diabetic or person with IBS or celiac disease does every day of his life."

"And so our conclusion: In the Orthodox Church, Lent is simple: we fast from food. We go hungry a little bit so that someone else might eat (i.e. almsgiving with money saved by fasting). Or as St. Euthymius told his monks" Correct abstinence is consuming a little less than the belly would like. In the season of Great and Holy Lent, I invite you - for the sake of the hungry, homeless, hurting Christ out there - give up a meal and feed the Lord instead. This is the Gospel, this is Good News - not only for the poor around us, but for all of us who discover that in skipping a meal, we unknowingly fed the Lord, who rewards us forever with a place at his eternal banquet of love."

- Fr. Mark Sietsema Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
_____

"Our hearts are not softened through the vain repetition of fasting regulations, but through the realization that our lives are not sustained simply by the food we eat, but by the Word of God. The experience of the Church teaches us that by restricting both the type and quantity of food we consume, we begin to learn — not just intellectually, but deeply within our hearts — upon Whom we truly depend."

"The rules of the fast should not be dismissed. At the same time, they must be applied and understood properly, so that they cultivate and till the soil of our hearts rather than merely strengthen our sense of accomplishment. Properly embraced, the fast prepares us to receive and participate fully in the joy of Christ’s resurrection."

- Fr. Gregory Ealy

The Apostle Paul Orthodox Church