A Word about Great Lent

Source: legacyicons.com

 A Word About the Great Fast

St. Theodore the Studite

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; expect that for you there is also a change of diet, multiplication of prostrations and increase of psalmody all in accord with the established tradition from 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 opening the door to the passions, 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 is noble, whatever is 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.

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A wonderful text from St. Theodore. If we recall that he was a rather severe and austere ascetic, his words are refreshing, as he captures a very holistic understanding to Great Lent which will bring meaning and depth to our fasting and prostrations. Ultimately, if we can learn to love God and neighbor during this season, then it will truly be a "lenten springtime."

Coffee With Sister Vassa: Don't Grow Weary of Doing Good

 

DON’T GROW WEARY OF DOING GOOD

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thess 3: 13-16)

It's hard not to grow weary of doing good, especially if we are new to it, as were the recently-converted Thessalonians and hence might expect good-doing to be easy or “rewarding” in this-worldly ways. It’s also hard for us, not to tire of doing the little or big good thing we are doing, especially because of our culture of instant gratification. We probably tend to have an even smaller capacity for endurance and patience with ourselves and others, than did the ancient Thessalonians, when certain people or institutions remain indifferent or even hostile to our good-doing. We might develop a sort of Unrequited Love Syndrome, toward the people and institutions of our world. 

But St. Paul was no stranger to failure in his own ministry, which fell on deaf ears among his own people, or worse, led him to being kicked out of more than one city, and even worse, led him ultimately to prison and getting beheaded by his state authorities. His little flock in Thessaloniki was also dealing with institutional persecutions, but in the passage above he calls them to level-headedness with the annoying people in their own community. He does call the Thessalonians to “not keep company” with such brethren, but not to count them as enemies and to admonish them. That’s a difficult balance to strike, but today let us take heart and “not grow weary of doing good.” St. Paul says, as he knew from experience, “the Lord of peace Himself” can and does give us peace through our patience with ourselves and others. “The Lord be with you all,” he says to all of us this post-election season. Thank you, dear St. Paul, and please pray to God for all of us.

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A timely message from Sister Vassa. The moral landscape in our country has changed considerably in just the last generation or so. NOT doing good is being rewarded now, in a way that would have been inconceivable just a generation ago. This does not bode well for future generations, who are already cut off from a Christian moral vision  of life. As Christians, we need not reward moral turpitude. It is difficult "not to keep company" with those who abandon all moral and ethical norms, but even so, we can maintain our own moral dignity without succumbing to the temptation of awarding what is NOT good in our society today. May the Lord sustain us and bless us as we go forward into a challenging moral landscape.