Reflection on the Theotokos

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

 This is a follow-up from the passage I shared on Tuesday from Met. Kallistos Ware's essay on "The Dormition of the Theotokos." In this next paragraph, he focuses on the uniqueness of the Virgin Mary, who is the Theotokos.

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The Holy Virgin is unique in the sense that there has been only one Divine Incarnation, and so there can be only one Mother of God. Throughout the entire history of the world, both past and future, only once has a baby been born who, while entirely human, is also the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, 'true God from true God;' and so throughout the entire history of the world, both past and future, only once has there been a woman who was  chosen to be, in the literal and physical sense, Birthgiver of God. Spiritually, it is true, we are all of us called to give birth to God in our hearts; but in the later case we are speaking of a maternity that is mystical, not physical.

... By virtue of her Divine Maternity, her life was conformed to his in every possible respect, due allowance being made, of course, for the all-important point of differentiation that he is the only-begotten Son of God, divine by nature, whereas she is a created human person, divinized by grace.

The Virgin Mary - Singular and Universal

Source: uncutmountainsupply.com

As we move through the relatively short Dormition Fast, we have the opportunity to "think hard" about the role of the Virgin Mary within the divine oikonomia. No better guide to assist us in this endeavor than Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (+2022). In a brilliant article of his entitled "The Dormition of the Theotokos," he offers the following insight. His writing is always distinguished by clarity and depth.

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The Holy Virgin's place in the scheme of salvation may be interpreted in two ways. These are to be seen not as alternatives but as complementary; both approaches are needed. And in both cases her role is to be understood as strictly 'under Christ,' who is as much her Savior as he is Savior of the rest of the human race (see Lk. 1:47). First, Mary may be seen as unique, that is to say, as distinct from all other members of the human race, and called to fulfill a vocation never assigned in the whole of history to any other person on this earth. Second, she may be seen as our archetype and representative, that is to say, as the model and pattern of what we are all intended to be, as the fullest and highest example - next to her Son, and solely through his grace and power - of what it is to be human. These two manners of approaching the mystery of the Theotokos - in terms of her singularity and her universality - may be applied to all the main moments of her earthly life, and not least to her final glorification.

Meditation for the Apostles Fast - June 25, 2025

 

Christ our God has loved his own to the uttermost. Because of love he created the world, because of love he took up our broken humanity into himself and made it his own. Because of love he identified himself with all our distress. Because of love he offered himself as a sacrifice, choosing at Gethsemane to go voluntarily to his Passion: “I lay down my life for my sheep…. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (Jn. 10.15,18).

It was willing love, not exterior compulsion, that brought Jesus to his death. At his agony in the garden and at his Crucifixion the forces of darkness assail him with all their violence, but they cannot change his compassion into hatred; they cannot prevent his love from continuing to be itself.

—Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Way

Contemporary Classics of Orthodox Literature

 

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,  

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God ..."  - Heb. 13:7

 

 

Contemporary Classics of Orthodox Literature

 by Fr. Steven Kostoff

It is my observation that today many Orthodox Christians are reading a good deal of contemporary Orthodox literature - books on spirituality, liturgy, theology and history. These are books that are read immediately upon publication and which are very well promoted - if not well "marketed." A steady Orthodox reading discipline/program is essential in today's world perhaps more than ever. We are so ideologically bombarded from so many disparate quarters, that we need to remember who we are and what we believe! 

I am writing, though, with a particular concern in mind: Perhaps we are only - or mostly only - reading the most contemporary literature. Most of the Orthodox literature that I am now referring to can be accessed on Ancient Faith Radio. There is a circle of well-read authors there who are fairly prolific and have a wide Orthodox reading audience. I am not writing anything against those authors or their books.

However, because I am from an older generation, and have been an Orthodox priest for over forty years now, I want to make a heartfelt plea for the great writers who nurtured me, who nurtured an entire earlier generation or two, and who wrote the classics of twentieth century Orthodox literature. This is a great literature that placed Orthodoxy on the "map" both in America and in Europe and beyond - into Russia and other parts of the world. 

I strongly believe that we need to read these classics of the twentieth century, because these are the very books that served as the foundation for others to build on. These were books that allowed Orthodoxy to emerge from its sheltered ethnic communities; books which revived an abiding and lasting focus on the Fathers of the Church; books which completely restored the apostolic vision of the Liturgy and the Eucharist; and books that penetrated deeply into our genuine spiritual Tradition with the insights and practices that lead us to lives of holiness. 

I repeat: I am not claiming that our newer contemporary literature cannot do that, but our newer authors are standing on the shoulders of the "giants" who prepared the vision that may sustain them. For the sake of balance and wholeness, we must not neglect these classics. It would be a great loss if these books - and their authors - were more-or-less forgotten as the years pass. A further point is that the authors I am about to enumerate were steeped in a centuries-old Orthodox culture. They did not need to be overly defensive defensive, polemical or apologetic. 

This is not a "nostalgia fest" on my part. Of that, I can assure you. I think that as clergy and laity, we need a broad a range of theological grounding as much possible, and again, the classics go a long way in assuring that. (I of course, assume that everyone is reading the Scriptures and Fathers with regularity).

There were four great writers from the Orthodox Tradition that wrote brilliant and compelling books for many decades throughout the twentieth century. I read their works over and over - and over. They have had a lasting effect on me, and I like to think that in my own very modest way, I have applied their vision in my own pastoral ministry, from liturgy to theology. With the exception of Lossky, the other three - especially Frs. Schmemann and Meyendorff - were the key "architects" in establishing the Orthodox Church in America. I had the great privilege of actually knowing, studying under and worshiping with, Frs. Alexander Schmemann and John Meyendorff while a student at St. Vladimir's Seminary (1978-1981), as well as with Fr. Thomas Hopko. An unforgettable experience.

So, here are a few of the authors and books that I would like to highlight and bring to your attention:

+ George Florovsky (1893 - 1979)

His collected works have been published in 13 volumes, I believe, but I would single out:

Vol 1 - Bible, Church, Tradition - An Orthodox Perspective - A collection of essays that provide insight after insight into the meaning and relationship between Scripture and Tradition.

Vol. IV - Creation and Redemption - Another set of brilliant essays that incorporate the works of the Church Fathers in understanding the divine oikonomia from the Incarnation to the Resurrection.

There is a new volume of many never-before translated works, though it is quite expensive. Still, a worthwhile investment. Everything is simply brilliant that is contained in this volume, which also has a great Introduction:

The Patristic Witness of George Florovsky - The Essential Theological Writings 

+ Vladimir Lossky (1903-1958)

The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church - This book is the Orthodox classic of the twentieth century, written in 1945. It takes some real concentration, but endlessly fascinating and insightful.

The Image and Likeness of God - Essays that cover the whole range of theological, anthropological and Mariological themes.

Orthodox Dogmatics - A comprehensive study of dogmatic subjects by a brilliant theologian who leans heavily on the Church Fathers. 

 

+ Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983)

For the Life of the World - An absolute "must read" classic.

Great Lent - Considered the best single volume on the subject in the English language by Met. Kallistos Ware.

The Eucharist - Fr. Schmemann's final study of his life-long engagement with the meaning and practice of the Eucharist.

Church, World, Mission - A series of challenging essays about the Orthodox Church facing the challenges of the contemporary world. 

 

John Meyendorff (1926-1993)

Byzantine Theology - Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes - A "classic" study of the Byzantine roots of our theological Tradition.

The Byzantine Legacy of the Orthodox Church - A great collection of essays that distinguish between the relative and eternal components of the Byzantine legacy.

Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions - A more detailed look at Church History from the 5th - 8th c. A brilliant work of historical synthesis.

 

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (1934-2022)  

We cannot fail to mention him! He comes from a background different than the "big four," but he was a decisive figure in bringing Orthodox literature to the non-Orthodox Christian world.

The Orthodox Church - Still the best one-volume introduction to the Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox Way - a great supplement to The Orthodox Church focusing on what we call Orthodox spirituality. A real favorite!

Sacraments of Healing -  Just published and a further supplement to the two other books by Met. Kallistos. To be read together in this year's upcoming Fall Adult Education Class.

The Inner Kingdom - A collection of endlessly fascinating essays by Met. Kallistos, covering his conversion to Orthodoxy to profound insights into the last judgement - and beyond.

 

Other contemporary authors that are excellent and who have been writing for some time now, are: John Behr (Becoming Human), Andrew Louth (Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology), Metropolitan Ilarion (The Orthodox Faith), Peter Bouteneff (How To Be a Sinner), Nona Verna Harrison (The Many-Splendored Image of God). Metropolitan Anthony Bloom (God and Man; Beginning to Pray);  Metropolitan John Zizioulas (Being and Communion), and, of course, Fr. Thomas Hopko (The Orthodox Faith in four volumes), are writers who have rather recently "fallen asleep in the Lord." 

I fully realize that I could be "preaching to the choir," and I apologize if it sounds as if I am implying that you have not read any/some/many of the books above. You may know this literature very well, indeed! And, I do not want to sound patronizing. But, I have been around and reading since the early 1970's(!), so I thought to share some of my own experience with Orthodox literature with those of you who have not been Orthodox for as long. Please accept my advice in that spirit. If anyone would like to pursue this further, a group of us could have a zoom session on this or a related theme.

In Christ,

Fr. Steven

Guest Meditation: 'Notes on An Evening with Archbishop Kallistos Ware'

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

Following our "Evening With Archbishop Kallistos" on Sunday, one of our participants - Jenny Harkins - expanded her impression of Archbishop Kallistos's words - words of authority, insight and wisdom - with the following reflection. Jenny here has expanded the words of the talk from our personal lives into the very structure and flow of the Liturgy. I would like to share this with the parish, as it deserves a careful reading and reflection.

Also related to Archbishop Kallistos Ware:

Remembering Archbishop Kallistos - For those who would be interested, on Monday, October 3 at 5:00pm EDT, St. Vladimir's Seminary will be livestreaming a memorial service for Archbishop Kallistos, followed by personal remembrances of him shared by Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, His Eminence, Archbishop Alexander (Golitzin), and Dr Peter Bouteneff.

 

Registration is required. Follow this link for full info and to register for the livestream.  

- Fr Steven

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I'll try to solidify my thoughts on Met. Ware's three phases of prayer as they seem to relate to the progression of the Divine Liturgy. Met. Kallistos said, "Prayer begins with prayer of the lips or prayer with words. But then it grows more inward and becomes prayer of the mind or intellect. Then there is a further stage where it becomes prayer of the heart or more exactly prayer of the mind in the heart. Heart signifies not just the affections and emotions but the deep self, the inner shrine, the spiritual center of the total human person. The heart is the place where we encounter Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us." 

It struck me that as we first come together to worship on Sunday mornings, quieting ourselves from the bustle of getting the family ready, the commute, and settling into our places amidst friendly greetings, our first phase of prayer as "the Body" gathered is this "prayer of the lips" in our several litanies and answering antiphons. Then as our thoughts align with our words and focus-in on the Lord and his presence with us, we are warmed and ready, so to speak, to enter into the next phase of prayer- "prayer of the mind (nous)." As you pray the words, "Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings," our intellect is attentive and receptive to the very Word of God; fertile soil being fed and fertilized as the Gospel takes root and grows spiritual fruit, our distractions and anxieties from the week being uprooted as grace and truth till deeper still. (God's promise in Is 55:10-11 comes to mind- "For as the rain and the snow come down from Heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.") 

And now, with our minds refreshed and purified, we enter into Met. Kallistos' third phase of prayer, "prayer of the heart- or the mind in the heart (kardia)." From the Great Entrance as the gifts are offered and blessed and we prayerfully examine our innermost being in preparation for the Divine union, it seems that we are opening into this deepest level of prayer, when we receive and miraculously commune with the Lord in the reception of his precious Body and Blood. There is no space left here. Our "inner shrine" is completely aflame in the refining love of God (whether or not our minds can comprehend it or our words express it).

As We Draw Near To The Fast . . .

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

 

Let us keep the Fast not only by refraining from food, but by becoming strangers to all the bodily passions.

- Forgiveness Sunday Vespers

 
As we draw near to the Fast, I would like to share a few passages from two of our recent or contemporary Orthodox thinkers/writers on Great Lent: Fr. Alexander Schmemann and Archbishop Kallistos Ware. They both understood the importance of Great Lent within the Tradition of the Church as it leads us toward the paschal mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, and the joyful cry that "Christ is Risen!"

__________

 

To take Lent seriously 

means then that we will consider it first of all on the deepest possible level - as a spiritual challenge which requires a response, a decision, a plan, a continuous effort.

We can say without any exaggeration that although Lent is still "observed," it has lost much of its impact on our lives, has ceased to be that bath of repentance and renewal which it is meant to e in the liturgical and spiritual teaching of the Church. But then, can we rediscover it; make it again a spiritual power in the daily reality of our existence? The answer to this question depends primarily, and I would say almost exclusively, on whether or not we are willing to take Lent seriously.

And indeed, it is the truth and the glory of Orthodoxy that it does not "adjust" itself to and compromise with the lower standards, that it does not make Christianity "easy." It is the glory of Orthodoxy but certainly not the glory of us Orthodox people.

So much in our churches is explained symbolically as interesting, colorful, and amusing customs and traditions, as something which connects us not so much with God and a new life in Him but with the past and the customs of our forefathers, that it becomes increasingly difficult to discern behind this religious folklore the utter seriousness of religion ... what survived was that which on the one hand is most colorful and on the other hand the least difficult. The spiritual danger here is that little by little one begins to understand religion itself as a system of symbols and customs rather than to understand the latter as a challenge to spiritual renewal and effort."

From Great Lent - Journey to Pascha 

by Fr. Alexander Schmemann

__________ 

 

The human person is a unity of body and soul,

'a living creature fashioned from natures visible and invisible,' in the words of the Triodion, and our ascetic fasting should therefore involve both these natures at once. The tendency to over-emphasize external rules about food in a legalistic way, and the opposite tendency to scorn these rules as outdated and unnecessary, are both alike to be deplored as a betrayal of true Orthodoxy. In both cases the proper balance between the outward and the inward has been impaired.

Even if the fast proves debilitating at first, afterwards we find that it enables us to sleep less, to think more clearly, and to work more decisively. As many doctors acknowledge, periodic fasts contribute to body hygiene. While involving genuine self-denial, fasting does not seek to do violence to our body but rather to restore equilibrium. Most of us in the Western world habitually eat more than we need. Fasting liberates our body from the burden of excessive weight and makes it a willing partner in the task of prayer, alert and responsive to the voice of the Spirit.

If it is important not to overlook the physical requirements of fasting, it is even more important not to overlook its inward significance. Fasting is to be converted  in heart and will; it is to return to God, to come home like the Prodigal to our Father's house. In the words of St. John Chrysostom, it means 'abstinence not only from food but from sin.' 'The fast,' he insists, 'should be kept not by the mouth alone but also by the eye, the ear, the feet, the hands and all the members of the body: 'the eye must abstain from impure sights, the ear from malicious gossip, the hands from acts of injustice. It is useless to fast from food, protests St. Basil, and yet to indulge in cruel criticism and slander: 'You do not eat meat but you devour your brother'."

From "The Meaning of the Great Fast"

by Archbishop Kallistos Ware

---

 

Religion, Science & Technology: An Eastern Orthodox Perspective

Dear Parish Faithful,

"You may love your computer, but your computer does not love you." 

- Metropolitan Kallistos Ware

I more-or-less accidentally found a new book by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware while searching/surfing the internet(!). The book is entitled, Religion, Science & Technology - An Eastern Orthodox Perspective. 

Actually, at 36 pages, it is hardly a book, but rather something of a booklet. Yet, in such a slim volume a writer and thinker such as Metropolitan Kallistos can say a great deal.

So, this "book" is arranged in the form of 20 interview questions coming from M.G. Michael and Katina Michael. The credentials of this married couple, listed at the end of the book, are quite extensive and impressive. Briefly, M.G. Michael holds a PHD in theology, and Katina in information and communication technology. 

The 20 questions that they pose to Metropolitan Kallistos are arranged under these various headings: 

• Religion, Science and Technology,
• Creation, Innovation and Technological Progress,
• Morality and Technology, and
• Mortality and Technology.

In other words, pressing and unavoidable issues for the Church in the 21st century.

Each response is quite compact, and not one is over a page long. But, as I said, Met. Kallistos always has something of significance to bring to the discussion. Significantly, the book begins by citing the story of the Tower of Babel from GEN. 11:1-6. By no means does this mean that Metropolitan is "anti-technological," but it provides a cautionary call to vigilance about the potential dangers and distortions about the careless use of technology.

It was Question #18, that the quotation above brought to an end Met. Kallistos' response. I will here reproduce the entire question and answer found on p. 26:

Q. What is so unique about our spirit which we cannot imbue or suggest into future humanoid machines?

A. The uniqueness of the human person for me is closely linked with our possession of a sense of awe and wonder; a sense of the sacred, a sense of the divine presence. As human beings we have an impulse within us that leads to pray. Indeed, prayer is our true nature as humans. Only in prayer do we become fully ourselves.

And to the qualities that I just mentioned, awe, wonder, a sense of the sacred, I would add a sense of love. Through loving other humans, through loving the animals, and loving God, we become ourselves, we become truly human. Without love we are not human.

Now, a machine however subtle does not feel love, does not pray, does not have a sense of the sacred, a sense of awe and wonder. To me these are human qualities that no machine, however elaborate, would be able to reproduce. You may love your computer but your computer does not love you. (emphasis added)

I will periodically share more of the wisdom of Metropolitan Kallistos from this thoughtful little book. For those who prefer their own copy:

https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Science-Technology-Orthodox-Perspective/dp/1741282632

The Great Canon - Leading us towards Repentance, Nourishing us through the Scriptures

Dear Parish Faithful,

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware wrote the following about the role of the Holy Scriptures in the life of an Orthodox Christian:

We are to see Scripture as a personal letter addressed specifically to each one of us by God.We are each of us to see Scripture reading as a direct, individual dialogue between Christ and ourselves.

In writing this, he may perhaps have had in mind an image used by St. Tikhon of Zadonsk (an eighteenth c. Russian Orthodox bishop), who wrote the following:

If an earthly king, our emperor, wrote you a letter, would you not read it with joy? Certainly, with great rejoicing and careful attention. You have been sent a letter, not by any earthly emperor, but by the King of Heaven. And yet you almost despise such a gift, so priceless a treasure.

During Great Lent we seek to intensify our prayer life, almsgiving and fasting. Usually, in order to recover or rediscover the purpose and meaning of these essential Christian practices, since we may have neglected them in the course of the year. And we also intensify our reading of the Holy Scriptures.

During the weekdays of Great Lent - non-Eucharistic days - the Books of Genesis (historical writing), Proverbs (Wisdom literature), and Isaiah (prophetic writing) are prescribed. These will change to Exodus, Job and Ezekiel during Holy Week. On Saturdays and Sundays - Eucharistic days - we turn to the New Testament and read the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Gospel According to St. Mark. And during Great Lent The Psalter is prescribed to be read through twice each week. We therefore return to the Scriptural roots of the Church so as to hear and read the living Word of God with attentiveness and the awareness of how this Word "judges" us: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12).

In addition to the prescribed readings which are appointed in all liturgical services, it is fascinating to hear how the various texts and hymns of the liturgical services are thoroughly imbued with passages - directly quoted or paraphrased - from the Scriptures. If I recall correctly, it was Met. Kallistos who once wrote that a careful study of the Divine Liturgy will reveal that there are one hundred such direct passages and paraphrases each from both the Old and New Testaments. The Liturgy is thus a mosaic of Scriptural truths that come alive, so to speak, through prayer and glorification directed to God. The long anaphora prayers of St. Basil's Liturgy that we will begin on Sunday, bear this out with great depth and beauty. 

In other words, the more we know and understand the Holy Scriptures, the more alive the Liturgy is for us.

Another astonishing example of how the Holy Scriptures will be masterfully woven into the texts of our liturgical services is found in the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. In the First Week of Great Lent, the Canon is divided into four parts and chanted on the first four evenings of the week. It is then chanted in its entirety on Thursday of the Fifth Week of Great Lent. 

We have so far gone through the first three parts of the Canon during this First Week of Great Lent, and the fourth and final part is scheduled for this evening. In this heartfelt plea of repentance to the merciful Lord, St. Andrew constantly alludes to the Scriptures, even explicitly telling us that he has presented images of both the righteous and unrighteous before our gaze in some of the troparia - examples either to emulate or avoid. But any attentive concentration to the Canon amazes us with the uninterrupted flow of both the Old and New Testament images that inform so many of these inspiring troparia.

To make this point statistically, I will point out those biblical books that appear the most throughout the Canon. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but one that will hopefully reveal the "scriptural mind" of one of the Fathers of the Church. In fact, it has been said - very perceptively, in my opinion - that in all the great writings of the Church Fathers, what we have before us as a feast for the mind and heart, are profound commentaries on the Holy Scriptures.

Following are the Books I have chosen to highlight, with the number of direct or indirect quotations taken from that respective Book:

Old Testament

Genesis - 44(!)
Numbers - 5
Deuteronomy - 3
The Psalms - 12
Exodus - 14
I Samuel - 2
II Samuel - 7
I Kings - 6
II Kings - 8
Isaiah - 4


New Testament (the Gospels)

Matthew - 31
Mark - 2
Luke - 28
John - 8

That is 174 scriptural passages and, again, that list is not exhaustive. The purpose of the Great Canon of St. Andrew is to lead us toward the desire and intention to truly repent of our sins and thus receive the saving grace of God. Yet, we are simultaneously nourished by the Holy Scriptures that reveal the "mind of the Church."

This evening, we will chant the fourth and final part of the Canon beginning at 7:00 p.m.

The Real 'Stairway to Heaven'

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

A pop-culture awareness that has staying power over about a forty-five year period is an immediate recognition of the song titled "Stairway to Heaven."

Even for those born well after the date of the song's initial appearance (1972) know that it was written by the now-legendary rock group Led Zeppelin.  I, for one, will openly "confess" to seeing and hearing this song performed live more than once!  I even recall reading an article that somehow managed to calculate that - up to a certain date, at least - it was the most-played song in rock radio history. Yet, I further recall hearing once that the members of Led Zeppelin were "sick and tired" of their famous song!

If not quite arresting, the title is at least attractive. Perhaps it awakens a vague longing deep within our soul: Is there a "stairway to heaven?"  Some sort of path to another reality that lifts us above the mundane and everyday cares of life?  Was there some formula hidden within the song's lyrics that pointed to that alluring path?

Admittedly, I always found the lyrics rather opaque and esoteric. (Certain members of Led Zeppelin were clearly taken by the esoteric and fantastic, obvious from some of their other songs).  Perhaps that simply added to the song's charm as devotees spent inordinate amounts of time and energy trying to decipher or unpack the tantalizing meaning of the song just beyond our grasp. A lot of pseudo-serious literature was actually generated - and passionately argued about - back then offering various interpretations of "Stairway to Heaven's" meaning. And the song did have a compelling energy behind it as its slow beginning moved toward a crescendo of a driving and now classic rock guitar solo.

Yet, the famous "Stairway to Heaven" is so contextualized in a moment of long ago pop culture history, that you can only wonder what the heady commotion was really all about. After forty-five years, it is now just another very recognizable "rock classic;" or, to say that in a slightly more deflating manner, just another "oldie."  For some, it may serve to awaken a certain nostalgia for the past. Or, for others, to a past that they would like to forget!

Certainly no one is drawn to analyzing  those opaque lyrics which really had nothing much behind them in the first place. Obscurity is often mistaken for depth. However, this is not the place to come down on Led Zeppelin and their famous song from the past.  Everyone, including the members of the group, have certainly "moved on."

These brief comments on the song "Stairway to Heaven" were prompted by the fact that on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent we commemorate St. John Climacus, austere author of the famous treatise The Ladder of Divine Ascent. 

I refer to St. John's spiritual classic as the real "stairway to heaven," because after many centuries it is read to this day with great seriousness and pious devotion by Christians as precisely a sure guide to the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, St. John offers a fine definition as to what it means to be a Christian:

A Christian is an imitator of Christ in thought, word and deed, as far as this is humanly possible, and he believes rightly and blamelessly in the Holy Trinity. (STEP 1)

St. John was writing for monks, but to the married Christian he had this to say:

Do whatever good you may. Speak evil of no one. Rob no one. Tell no lie. Despise no one and carry no hate. Do not separate yourselves from the church assemblies. (STEP 1)

More specifically, the abiding popularity of his famous treatise is all the more apparent for Orthodox Christians, for as Archbishop Kallistos Ware writes:

With the exception of the Bible and the service books, there is no work in Eastern Christendom that has been studied, copied and translated more often than The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus. 

Every Lent in Orthodox monasteries it is appointed to be read aloud in church or in the refectory, so that the monks will have listened to it as much as fifty or sixty tines in the course of their life.  

Outside the monasteries it has also been the favorite reading of countless lay people in Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia, and throughout the Orthodox world.  The popularity of The Ladder in the East equals that of The Imitation of Christ in the West, although the two books are altogether different in character.  

(Introduction to The Ladder of Divine Ascent, p. 1)

The great abbot of Mt. Sinai (+c. 650) writes with clarity and depth about the interior "withdrawal" from worldliness; the struggle with the passions; the acquisition of the virtues; and the final ascent of the soul into the realm where faith, hope and love are the final stages of that ascent that prepares the believer for the incomprehensible glory yet to be experienced when God will be "all in all:"

   

Love, by its nature, is a resemblance of God, insofar as this is humanly possible. In its activity it is inebriation of the soul. Its distinctive character is to be a fountain of faith, an abyss of patience, a sea of humility ...    Love grants prophecy, miracles. It is an abyss of illumination, a fountain of fire, bubbling up to inflame the thirsty soul. It is the condition of angels, and the progress of eternity. (STEP 30)

St. John's work clearly betrays the monastic milieu from which it emerged, but since those very passions that plague us remain unchanging; and since the very virtues we struggle to acquire also remain unchanging; and since our goal is the Kingdom of Heaven, then his writings more importantly have a timeless and eternal quality to them. Such a text is never really "dated." It does not belong to a particular movement or fad. The Ladder is an enduring monument of spiritual depth that flows from the Gospel. Thus, its singular characteristic and popularity as an enduring classic.

Now, St. John himself was inspired by the vision of the Patriarch Jacob of a ladder stretching from earth to heaven "and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!" (GEN. 28) Christ refers to this same vision in JN. 1.  St. John will develop this image with greater detail and this is a very effective teaching tool, for again to refer to the words of Archbishop Kallistos:

His ladder has thirty rungs or steps, one for each year in the hidden life of Christ before His baptism. John's ingenious use of the ladder-image soon became part of the spiritual imagination of the Christian East, and is frequently represented in panel icons, refrectory frescoes and illuminated manuscripts.  (Introduction, p. 11)

I cannot in the brief space of a meditation offer a detailed outline of The Ladder. I believe the best version available in English translation to be that which belongs to The Classics of Western Spirituality series:  John Climacus - The Ladder of Divine Ascent, translated by Colm Luibheld and Norman Russell, Introduction by Kallistos Ware, Paulist Press, 1982.  

I further believe that this would be an invaluable acquisition for one's library, and it could be read slowly and prayerfully over an extended period of time. 

Some of the book's content may appear foreign, but there will be so much that will resonate deeply and stay with the serious reader that what is foreign will seem unimportant.  

However, there is an extraordinary passage in Step One that so beautifully captures the meaning of the Gospel, and of God's love of his creation and creatures, that I would like to share at least this much.  This passage takes on an even greater meaning when we recall that St. John was fiercely ascetical and at times impatient with false teaching. But here he is truly expansive and he embraces all of humankind:

God is the life of all free beings. He is the salvation of believers and unbelievers, of the just or the unjust ... of monks or those living in the world, of the educated or the illiterate, of the healthy or the sick, of the young or the very old.  He is like the outpouring of light, the glimpse of the sun, or the changes of the weather, which are the same for everyone without exception. "For God is no respecter of persons." (Rom. 2:11)

Although employing what is essentially identical images, I believe that we can say with real assurance that The Ladder of Divine Ascent is on much, much firmer ground and has greater staying power than whatever is quite the endpoint of "Stairway to Heaven."  In fact, I may be reproached for even making the comparison! Yet, the association of images, and further reflection on the surrounding "culture" that produced each work - and which is embodied within each work - came to mind as we move into the Fourth Week of Great Lent.  

In an age of post-modernism and shifting narratives that compete for our attention, there is nothing quite like the "rock" on which the Gospel is firmly planted and not to be moved; while other enticements built on the shifting sands of impermanence are swept away by time (MATT. 7:24-27). 

St. John built his house on the Gospel and thus continues to nourish us to this day with his wise counsel:

Baptized in the thirtieth year of His earthly age, Christ attained the thirtieth step on the spiritual ladder, for God indeed is love, and to Him be praise, dominion, power.  In Him is the cause, past, present, and future, of all that is good forever and ever. Amen. (Concluding "Brief Summary and Exhortation)

Sanctifying Time

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

In the Service of Prayer for the New Year, we offer the following prayerful petitions to God:

“That He will mercifully accept this present thanksgiving and supplication of us, His unworthy servants, on His most-heavenly Altar, and compassionately have mercy on us, let us pray to the Lord.

“That He will bless the beginning and continuance of this year with the grace of His love for mankind, and will grant unto us peaceful times, favorable weather and a sinless life in health and abundance, let us pray to the Lord.

“That He will drive away from us all soul-corrupting passions and corrupting habits,  and that He will plant in our hearts His divine fear, unto the fulfillment of His statutes, let us pray to the Lord.”

By the grace of God, may it be so!  

These petitions from the Great Litany of this service should at least move us to a deeper level of reflection (and prayer) than that offered in the rather vapid “Happy New Year!”  The New Year, with its unavoidable theme of time, prompted me to go back over an excellent essay by Archbishop Kallistos Ware, titled 'Time:  Prison or Path to Freedom?' (This essay can be found in Vol. 1 of Archbishop Ware’s Collected Works—The Inner Kingdom—published by SVS Press).  This is a rich essay indeed, in which Archbishop Kallistos asks questions and offers insights that are universal in their application.  

“Our experience of time… is deeply ambivalent,” he writes.  “How are we to regard time:  an enemy or friend, as our prison or our path to freedom?  Which aspect do we find predominant in its double-edged impact upon us:  anguish or healing, terror or hope, decay or growth, separation or relationship?” [p. 183].

In other words, is time simply “eating away” at the successive and finite number of moments that comprise our lives, sweeping us along toward death and oblivion, or is there purpose and a transcendent “destination” in this movement?  Anguish or hope do seem to be very honest responses to such polarized possibilities.  And as Archbishop Kallistos suggests, we should use the “time” to think hard on just which direction we are inclined toward with these two poles.

As a Christian and a bishop who combines theological brilliance with a fine pastoral sense, Archbishop Kallistos fills us with a sense of hope as He affirms our faith that Christ is the “Alpha and Omega” of time, as well as the mid-point.  In addition to this fundamental assertion, he has a wonderful section in this essay under the heading “Time as the Freedom to Love.”  I hope that this excerpt of two passages from this section, will convey something of his wonderful insights about the nature of time and our freedom to love.

“It is in the context of freedom and love that the meaning of time can best be appreciated.  Time is part of the “distancing” or ‘contraction’ on God’s side which makes it possible for us humans freely to love.  It is, as it were, the interspace which enables us to move towards God unconstrained and by our voluntary choice.  ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock,’ says Christ; ‘if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me’ [Revelation 3:20].... 

"Time is the interval between God’s appeal and our answer.  We humans need this interval of time so as freely to love God and one another; without the interval we cannot engage in the dialogue of love….  Time is thus an all-important dimension of our created personhood, the setting that makes it possible for us to choose love.  It is time that allows us to respond to God by our own free content, that enables our love to mature, that permits us to grow in love” [pp. 188-189].

In the fallen world that we occupy, time has become inextricably linked to mortality and death, but it still remains a gift, as do all aspects of God’s creative will, now redeemed by the advent of Christ.  Often, we hear—and may even use—the dreadful phrase “to kill time,” either out of boredom or in waiting for something “important” to happen.  Yet our Christian vocation is to “sanctify time” as our movement toward the Kingdom which has no end.  Every moment counts, because every moment is a gift from God.

Is there a meaningful and worthwhile New Year’s resolution to commit oneself to somewhere in all of this?

What is this struggle?

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

St Theodore the Studite (Nov. 11)

I have attached Mother Paula's excellent summary of Archbishop Ware's classic article on "The Meaning of the Great Fast."  You will find a wide-ranging approach to Great Lent that is truly "holistic" and takes us way beyond the fasting discipline that teaches us restraint in our food and drink.  Please read this carefully when you are able to give it your attention.

I would also like to include a short, but truly excellent exhortation from St. Theodore the Studite (+826). Although a rather severe ascetic himself as a monastic from the Byzantine era of the Church, you will also notice his comprehensive and "holistic" approach to Great Lent as he emphasizes the lenten struggle as no less than aimed at "purity of heart," only achieved by a wide-ranging practice of the virtues.

What is this struggle?  Not to walk according to one's own will. This is better than the other works of zeal and is a crown of martyrdom; except that for you there is also change of diet, multiplication of prostrations and increase in psalmody are in accord with the established tradition of old. 

And so I ask, let us welcome gladly the gift of the fast, not making ourselves miserable, as we are taught, but let us advance with cheerfulness of heart, innocent, not slandering, not angry, not evil, not envying; rather peaceable toward each other, and loving, fair, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits; breathing in seasonable stillness, since hubbub is damaging in a community; speaking suitable words, since too unreasonable stillness is profitless; yet above all vigilantly keeping watch over our thoughts, not giving place to the devil. 

We are lords of ourselves; let us not open our door to the devil; rather let us keep guard over our soul as a bride of Christ, unwounded by the arrows of the thoughts; for thus we are able to become a dwelling of God in Spirit.  Thus we may be made worthy to hear, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 

Quite simply, whatever is true, whatever noble, whatever just, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever of good report, if there is anything virtuous, if there is anything praiseworthy, to speak like the Apostle*, do it; and the God of peace will be with you all.

* cf. Philippians 4:8.