LENTEN MEDITATION - Day VIII

The Annunciation

"The incarnation of the Word was not only the work of the Father, Son and Spirit – the first consenting, the second descending, and the third overshadowing – but it was also the work of the will and faith of the Virgin. Without the three divine persons this design could not have been set in motion; but likewise the plan could not have been carried into effect without the consent and faith of the all-pure Virgin. Only after teaching and persuading her does God make her his Mother and receive from her the flesh which she consciously wills to offer him. Just as he was conceived by his own free choice, so in the same way she becomes his Mother voluntarily and with here free consent.”   (St. Nicholas Cabasilas - 14^th c.)

The text for meditation above is hardly "lenten." But neither is the Feast of the Annunciation that falls every year on March 25, and invariably during Great Lent. This feast, therefore, is an event that we can call a "festal interlude" during this season of fasting, and because it is a Great Feast, it is the only time during Great Lent that a full Liturgy is celebrated on a weekday.

Be that as it may, the passage above from St. Nicholas Cabasilas has become the classic text for how we, as Orthodox Christians, understand the relationship between divine initiative and human freedom. The Virgin Mary contributed her freedom and awareness of "choice" to the divine oikonomia (economy) of our salvation by her response to the archangel Gabriel. This process we call synergy - the harmony between divine grace and human freedom. The relationship between the two may be asymmetrical, but both are essential to the process of salvation.

For those who may be interested, here is a longer presentation on The Annunciation written a few years ago.

Lenten Meditations - The Third Week

GREAT LENT - Day Seventeen

"If a poor man comes to you asking for bread, there is no end of complaints and reproaches and charges of idleness; you upbraid him, insult him, jeer at him. You fail to realize that you too are idle and yet God grants you gifts. Now don't tell me that you actually work hard. If you call earning money, making business deals, and caring for your possessions 'work,' I say, 'No, that is not work. But alms, prayers, the protection of the injured and the like - these are genuine 'work.'

You charge the poor with idleness; I charge you with corrupt behavior."

- St. John Chrysostom


If we allow for St. John's use of rhetoric - he is called the "Golden-Mouth" as we know - he offered quite a twist on the meaning of "work." I highly doubt he is telling hard working people to stop working and supporting themselves and their families; but he is reminding us in his blunt way that there is other "work" to be done, and that work is consistent with the Gospel. And also that the prosperous are wrong in blaming the poor for their hardship and suffering. Our own rhetoric as to why the poor are among us can often enough be nothing but empty and cruel complaints, as St. John says.

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GREAT LENT - Day Eighteen

"Let us strive to enter by the narrow gate. Just as the trees, if they have not stood before the winter's storms cannot bear fruit, so it is with us; this present age is a storm and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven."  - Amma Theodora


Here is a note on Amma Theodora's life: "Lived in the desert of Egypt in the fourth century. Not much is known about her. She was a colleague of Archbishop Theophilos of Alexandria.Many monastics came to her for spiritual education on the monastic life. Her feast day is September 1."

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GREAT LENT - Day Nineteen

Saint Patrick, Bishop of Armagh, Enlightener of Ireland

I assume that we all know that St. Patrick of Ireland is a saint of the Orthodox Church. All of the glorified/canonized women and men of the "pre-Schism" Church (before the events of the 11th - 13th c. - both East and West - are canonically considered saints of the Church. For today's Lenten Meditation, we can read this summary of St. Patrick's Life and rejoice in his love of Christ and commitment to spreading the Gospel.

 

Amma Syncletica - Life as a Sea Voyage

Dear Parish Faithful,
 

GREAT LENT - Day Fifteen

"Here below we are not exempt from temptations. For Scripture says, 'May you who think that you stand take heed lest you fall' [I Cor. 10:12]. We sail on in darkness. The psalmist calls our life a sea and the sea is either full of rocks, or very rough, or else it is calm. We are like those who sail on a calm sea, and seculars are like those on a rough sea. We always set our course by the Sun of Righteousness, but it can often happen that the secular is saved in tempest and darkness, for he keeps watch as he ought, while we go to the bottom through negligence, although we are on a calm sea, because we have let go our the guidance of righteousness."

- Amma Syncletica
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We continue to hear the wise voice of Amma Syncletica, one of the most renowned of the Desert Mothers. Comparing life to a sea voyage was very prevalent in the world of late antiquity, and Christians used this image to describe the journey of life toward the Kingdom of God. The journey could be calm or stormy, depending upon both exterior and interior circumstances in life. During the Arian controversy of the fourth c., St. Basil famously described the Church as if engaged in a sea battle in the darkness of night, when one could barely distinguish between a friendly or enemy ship. The Church is meant to be the ark of salvation which can survive, by the grace of God, even in a catastrophic flood, as it remained intact after the "storm" of the Arian heresy had "battered" it mercilessly.

Amma Syncletica, in her words above, makes a rather typical comparison between those on a calm sea - either a believer or, more specifically, those who have withdrawn to the desert away from the tumultuous world; and those on a rough sea ("seculars") - either a non-believer or even a Christian caught in that same tumultuous world. However, the fine twist that Amma Syncletica offers is that "we/us" can be shipwrecked by a lack of vigilance; while the "secular" can maintain the necessary vigilance and care to complete the journey successfully. There is no room for complacency and self-righteousness (the publican and the pharisee). There are no guarantees and nothing is automatic. As the unknown author the Epistle to the Hebrews wrote: "How shall we escape, if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Heb. 2:3)

 

Lenten Meditations: The Second Week

Our apologies for not posting Fr Steven's meditations in a timely manner the second and third weeks of Lent. To catch up, we are providing his brief emails to the parish in two collections, and hope you enjoy these edifying reflections from both early and contemporary Orthodox fathers and mothers on our Life in Christ.

Note: Fr. Steven sometimes provides a brief comment after these "words" (shown here in italics), opening up the meaning for us a little more.

GREAT LENT - Day Eight

"So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness." - Proverbs 2:20

"It is clearly we, I say, who make rough the straight and smooth paths of the Lord with the wicked and hard rocks of our desires, who very foolishly abandon the royal road paved with apostolic and prophetic stones and made level by the footsteps of all the holy ones and of the Lord himself, and who pursue byways and brambly roads. Blinded by the seductions of present pleasures, we crawl along the dark and obstructed trails, our feet lacerated by the thorns of vice and our wedding garment in tatters, and we are not only pierced by the sharp needles of thorny bushes but also brought low by the stings of the poisonous serpents and the scorpions that lie in wait there..."

- St John Cassian

Three Fragments for our Life in Christ

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

I am presenting three seemingly disparate "fragments" for your meditation and deep reflection this Friday morning. These passages were written by authors many centuries apart from each other, but they all share a deep commitment to "the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3) That is the one of the glories of our Orthodox Faith, a oneness of mind all through the ages of our pilgrimage toward the Kingdom of God, and a capacity to recognize the Christ Who "is the same yesterday today and for ever" ( Heb. 13:8) when presented to us.

 

1. Origen on the Five Spiritual Senses

I am currently teaching a course at XU entitled "Christian Mysticism," which is essentially a course about Orthodox Christian spirituality. I let the students know that from day one. As we are now discussing the historical development of mysticism/spirituality, we covered the towering figure of Origen of Alexandria (+254), who profoundly shaped our spiritual tradition through his voluminous writings, primarily focused on scriptural commentaries. To be brief, Origen is the source of the doctrine of the five spiritual senses, a great influence on later Christian mysticism. If the body perceives reality through the five bodily senses, the soul has its own corresponding five spiritual senses:

 

"And perhaps as the Apostle says, for those who have their senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil, Christ becomes each of these things in turn, to suit the several senses of the soul. He is called the true sight therefore, that the soul’s eyes may have something to lighten them. He is the Word, so that her ears may have something to hear. Again, he is the Bread of Life so that the soul’s palate may have something to taste. And in the same way he is called spikenard or ointment, that the soul’s sense of smell may apprehend the fragrance of the Word. For the same reason he is also said to be able to be felt and handled, and is called the Word made flesh so that the hand of the interior soul may touch concerning the Word of Life. But all these things are the One, Same, Word of God, who adapts himself to the sundry tempers of prayer according to these several guises, and so leaves none of the soul’s faculties empty of grace." (Comm. On the Song of Songs II. 9: GCS, 167)

 

2.  St. Nicholas Cabasilas - "In This Union Christ is All-Sufficient"

This second "fragment" is a passage from a true "classic" - The Life in Christ, by St. Nicholas Cabasilas (14th c.). Calling a book a "classic" is admittedly over-used today, but this work fulfills that accolade as well as any book or treatise in our entire theological Tradition. Someone in the parish recently read through The Life in Christ and brought it to my attention. I began reading through it yet again and was, as before, amazed by the book's beauty and depth. St. Nicholas focuses on the three Mysteries/Sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation and the Eucharist. He has famously referred to the Eucharist as the "sacrament of sacraments." Any passage in the book is a "spiritual gem," so here is one that captures some of the inexhaustible fulness of the "life in Christ." This passage is under the subheading "In This Union Christ is All-Sufficient:"

 

"There is nothing of which the saints are in need which He is not Himself. He gives them birth, growth, and nourishment; He is life and breath. By means of Himself He forms an eye for them and, in addition, He is the one who feeds and is Himself the Food; it is He who provides the Bread of life and who is Himself what He provides. He is life for those who live, the sweet odour to those who breathe, the garment for those who would be clothed. Indeed, He is the One who enables us to walk; He Himself is the way (Jn. 14:6), and in addition, He is the lodging on the way and its destination. We are members, He is the head. When we must struggle He struggles on our side. For those who are champions in the contest He is the awarder of the prizes; when we are victors He is the crown of victory." (The Life in Christ, The First Book, 4)

 

3.  Fr. John Breck - "What is lacking in Christ's afflictions?"

The third and final "fragment" is very contemporary, and yet is consistent with the Church's Living Tradition. here is a very enigmatic verse in the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Colossians, that has always proved a reach challenge to Christian interpreters: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church ... " (Col. 1:24). Does this imply something lacking in the redemptive power of the Cross? Is the Cross, then, not "sufficient" for our salvation? My good friend, Fr. John Breck, has responded to this challenge with a remarkably profound insight into the meaning of this difficult passage. In so doing he brings a profound insight into the reality of human suffering, so difficult for us to bear and make sense of. This is found in his newest book, Beyond the Horizons - Quantum Theory and Christian Faith. This entire book is a real "eye-opener" about the relationship between Christian Faith and science. Not a simple treatise, the dialogue unfolds in the form of a simple novel. The main character is Robert Rives, a professor of physics. In a deep dialogue with his wife, he says this about the Apostle Paul's thought in Col. 1:24:

 

"I've always been struck by a verse early on in Paul's letter to the Colossians. He says something like, 'I rejoice in my sufferings, for through them I make up for what is lacking in Christ's afflictions - what he bears for the sake of his body, the Church.' I often asked myself what could possible be missing or lacking in the sufferings of this God-man who died a miserable death on a cross. And the answer to that, I think, is that the only thing lacking in Christ's afflictions is our participation in them. For some reason we may never understand, Christ's work of dragging this poor world out of the mire of sin and death can only be completed with our help, by our sharing in his ongoing suffering. This is the down side of what the Church calls synergy: our 'cooperation' with the crucified and risen Lord in his agonizing work of lifting us out of death and corruption, to set us on our own pilgrimage toward eternal life. Pascal was right: 'Christ is in agony until the end of the age.' The point of our life, its most basic meaning, I think, is to share totally in Jesus' own suffering in and for a broken world. And this, so that we and everyone else who really longs for it can also share eternally in his resurrection and glorification. That, as I understand it, is the Christian message, and it's about all that makes sense to me." (Beyond These Horizons - Quantum Theory and Christian Faith, p. 49-50) 

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I hope everyone find here "more than enough" to be further enlightened through our shared Orthodox Christian Faith! These "fragments" can bring spiritual nourishment into our daily lives as we work out our salvation "in fear and trembling."

 

Learning from the Three Holy Hierarchs

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

"The human person is an animal with the command to become like God." - St. Basil the Great

This last Saturday, January 30, we commemorated The Three Hierarchs - Sts. Basil the Great (+379), Gregory of Nazianzus (+390), and John Chrysostom (+407). Outside of the Scriptures, these 4th c. theologians/pastors are three of the great Founding Fathers of our Orthodox Christian theological legacy. They truly shaped it in a way that remains normative to this day. The link immediately below is to a short summary of how this feast developed in the late 11th - early 12th century.

https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/01/30/100350-synaxis-of-the-ecumenical-teachers-and-hierarchs-basil-the-great

In addition, I would like to encourage everyone to read one or more of their works. Their style is quite accessible. They are free of all academic jargon for the simple reason that they were not academics holding a chair in this or that university. They were bishops/pastors guiding their respective flocks in the late 4th and early 5th century Christian world. I have therefore put together a series of links to SVS Press and its editions from the Popular Patristic Series of some of the most prominent of the written works of these Fathers. (And they are relatively inexpensive). Some are treatises, others are collections of their homilies that spanned their lifetimes. All of it is very good.

As we are getting close to the pre-lenten season, perhaps here is a good book or two for Great Lent. As put aside our iPhones and TV sets during Great Lent to some extent, at least, here is a good way to "redeem the time" in reading solid Orthodox literature.

If anyone is actually interested, and would like a recommendation or guide in choosing one or more of these titles, please contact me.

St. Basil the Great - 

On Social Justice - Social justice with a clear and definite Gospel foundation.

On the Human Condition - Great essays on what it means to be human from a theological perspective.

On Fasting and Feasts -  Wonderful homilies on a variety of themes that still engage us within the Church today.

On The Holy Spirit -  An absolute classic that ranks with On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius. Biblical interpretation (exegesis) at its dazzling best.

On Christian Doctrine and Practice - A series of treatises covering a wide-range of theological and practical concerns.

On Christian Ethics - A great antidote to humanistic, autonomous ethics.

St. Gregory the Theologian

On God and Christ, The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius - Again, absolute classics that defend and describe the Holy Trinity. Unmatched.

On God and Man: The Theological Poetry of St. Gregory of Nazianzus - Poetic theology that is free of sentimentalism.

Festal Orations - Another great collection of homilies from one of the greatest Christian rhetoricians off all time.

 

St. John Chrysostom

On Wealth and Poverty (2nd Ed.) - A "must-read" collection of six homilies on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. Opens the mind and heart to Christian charity.

The Cult of the Saints - Great homilies on a theme that still perplexes some Christians.

On Marriage and Family Life - Although written in the 4th c., this still contains some real gems of insight to married Christians raising families.

- Fr. Steven

The Fathers & Theologians on The Lord's Prayer

Dear Parish Faithful,

At this past Sunday's Liturgy, the homily focused on the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, the name by which we call upon God, and that is "Our Father." (Often, the prayer is referred to as the "Our Father" based on those opening words of the prayer). 

My intention was to share some of the insights into the word "Father" for God as they have come down us from earlier saints; and from some of our more well-known theologians and teachers from recent times. Therefore, I primarily read a series of excerpts from these writings, which revealed a shared (Orthodox) understanding of the prayer; and various unique insights from each author, which only begin to further reveal the depth and riches found in the Lord's Prayer. Some of you who joined us through zoom or through Facebook told me that had a hard time hearing me clearly, for I delivered the homily from the doors of the sanctuary, as I have been struggling with a cough and thus thought it best to keep a distance between us. 

Be that as it may, I planned on sharing these excerpts with the parish and listing the various sources from which they come, in case you want to turn to them on your own. For I have only chosen key passages from much longer works that are all of the highest quality.

Through the centuries, various of the Church Fathers and other early ecclesiastical writers have written long commentaries on the Lord's Prayer. Most of these commentaries are now found in English translation. Here are the sources of those passages that are included in this attachment:   

The Fathers & Theologians on The Lord's Prayer (PDF)

The Lord's Prayer by St. Maximus the Confessor (+662). This absolutely brilliant and profound commentary can be found in Vol. II of The Philokalia. 

The Seven Mysteries of the Lord's Prayer by St. Makarios of Corinth (+1805 Newrome Press). This wonderful commentary is embedded in a longer work that was written in order to exhort the faithful to recover the practice of frequent communion. This early treatise is behind our own 20th c. "eucharistic revival." Quoting St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Makarios lists the seven mysteries as: 1) Theology; 2) Adoption; 3) Equality With Angels; 4) Enjoyment of Eternal Life; 5) Restitution of Human Nature; 6) Abolition of the Law of Sin; 7) Destruction of the Tyranny of the Devil. Written in a warm style that emanates from deep faith.

Three Prayers - The Lord's Prayer/O Heavenly King/Prayer of St. Ephraim by Olivier Clement (SVS Press). Very insightful commentaries by one of the most renowned French Orthodox theologian of recent years. I believe that Clement died early in the 21st. c. All-embracing in his use of sources and knowledge, he was something of a French version of Fr. Alexander Schmemann. 

Our Father by Fr. Alexander Schmemann (SVS Press). This commentary is based on a series of short broadcasts that Fr. Schmemann gave over Radio Liberty to people living in the former Soviet Union. There are many references, therefore., to agnostics, unbelievers and militant atheists. Whatever Fr. Schmemann spoke or wrote is worth listening to or reading. And that is quite true for this brilliant commentary.

PRAYER - Encounter with the Living God by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev (SVS Press). Met. Hilarion is now one of the most prolific and distinguished theologians in the entire Orthodox world. He is a former student of Archbishop Kallistos Ware at Oxford. This book is about the concept and practice of prayer. It is meant to be something of a "primer," and I believe that that makes it all the more effective. Met. Hilarion's commentary is embedded in this book and is only about 25 pages long. But when a genuine theologian writes briefly, you find that almost every line has a particular and valuable insight.

I will probably continue using these sources for two or three more weeks.

Orthodox Reflections on Race

Dear Parish Faithful,

I intend on sharing some of the many articles, essays and statements about the issue of racism that have been recently written, and which have come to my attention. Now that the issue has become one of a burning national concern (yet again) we, as Orthodox Christians, need to have a firm grasp of just what the Church teaches about "race," and how the Church condemns all forms of racism. The theological foundation of that condemnation adds a real sense of depth to our position. What we teach about race/racism may seem to be quite obvious, but to this day it does not seem to be that obvious to various sectors of our society.

As we continue to enlighten and educate ourselves as Orthodox Christians, we further our own ability to articulate our position with clarity and depth. The "solution" to the problem of racism is in the Church where all are one in Christ Jesus. Our vocation is to take that aspect of the "new creation" out into the world with us. In this incredible text from St. Maximus the Confessor (+662) we read of a vision of unity within the Church which is breathtaking in its scope and depth. There can be no divisions within the Church, but of course there is a legitmate "diversity" that respects human uniqueness and personhood in a way that we can only dream of even in the twenty-first century. In fact, a great deal of the wonder of this text is how it resonates for us living today, dealing with multiple levels of divisiveness. In this 7th c. text (!) we are given a vision of that "new creation" in Christ that we must try and embody within our lives and communities:

It is in this way that the holy Church will be shown to be active among us in the same way as God, as an image reflects its archetype. For many and of nearly boundless number are the men, women and children who are distinct from one another and vastly different by birth and appearance, by race and language, by way of life and age, by opinions and skills, by manners and customs, by pursuits and studies, and still again by reputation, fortune, characteristics and habits; all are born into the Church and through it are reborn and recreated in the Spirit. To all in equal measure it gives and bestows one divine form and designation: to be Christ's and to bear his name.

Essentially, St. Maximus is extending the "radical" teaching of St. Paul about the newly-established unity in Christ:

There is neither male nor female, neither Jew nor Greek, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, neither barbarian nor Scythian, neither slave nor free, but he is all and in all. (Col. 3:11)

Here is a fine essay by Abbot Tryphon of the All-Merciful Savior Monastery "somewhere" on the west coast. It is rather obvious in its message, but is a measured and positive message that also reminds us of some basic biblical principles on Orthodox anthropology. It also offers a helpful pastoral challenge toward the end.

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The Evil of Racism


Racism has no place in the life of a Christian.

It is important to understand that genetically, all humans are of but one race. Indians, Arabs, Jews, Caucasians, Africans, and Asians, are not different races, but rather, different ethnicities of the human race. God created all humans with the same physical characteristics, with only minor variations. Furthermore, He created all humans in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27), and has invited all of us to enter into communion with Him.

A black man is just as much my brother as a fellow Scotsman like myself. In the Book of Acts we read that with the coming of the Holy Spirit, diverse expressions of languages were being spoken. And in Revelation we see a glimpse of eternity with men and women from every tongue, tribe, and nation making up the choir of eternal praise (Rev. 7:9). That the writers of Scripture took notice of ethnicity, and saw diversity as good, makes it impossible for the Christian to hold to thoughts of racial superiority, or separation of the races.

How can we hold to racist ideologies when even the Apostle John hinted at prejudice concerning Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth (John 1:46)?” How can we dare hold to racist opinions when the Lord Jesus Christ presented parables which even offended the religious leaders of His time? The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) and the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) make it impossible for us to hold to ideas of ethnic superiority over different races. Even our Orthodox iconography intentionally reflects the full range of skin hues when painting a saint’s face in order to stress the interconnectedness and blessedness of all races of humanity.

All forms of racism, prejudice, and discrimination are affronts to the work of Christ on the cross. Jesus Christ died that all men might be saved, be they Jews, Africans, Spanish, Norwegians, Asians, or whatever. In Christ we are united as One Body, and as humans we are all of one race. Ethnicity should mean nothing for the Christian, and our parishes should demonstrate the truth of the ethnic diversity of the Kingdom of God. If we hold to racist beliefs we only demonstrate how far we have distanced ourselves from the teachings of Our Lord. Can a Christian be a racist? The answer is an emphatic NO!

So, how do we end racism in America? We do so by acknowledging the racism that resides in ourselves, and by making a concerted effort to root it out. Saint Seraphim of Sarov told us that change begins with me, and that when I acquire inner peace, thousands around me will be saved.

I am reminded of the time I was one of the speakers at a large rally in downtown Seattle, commemorating the Armenian Holocaust, the systematic mass murder and expulsion of 1.5 million ethnic Armenians carried out in Turkey and adjoining regions by the Ottoman government between 1914 and 1923. After parking my vehicle, I was walking toward Pacific Plaza for the rally when I came face to face with three young black men. Knowing they likely were thinking this old white man was wishing he was walking on the other side of the street, I proclaimed in a loud voice, "isn't this a beautiful day?"

They all smiled broadly, and one asked what I was, as he gestured toward my black robe. "Why, I'm a Seahawks fan", I proclaimed, at which they all burst into laughter and rushed forward to give me a hug. As I continued walking toward the rally, I had a great big smile on my face, for I felt like they were all three my grandchildren, and I felt a great deal of love for them.

Each of us are given so many opportunities to demonstrate our oneness with black people, and when we acknowledge they, as a race, are coming out of 500 years where they've experienced fear and racism emanating from we white people, we will know the importance of reaching out to them with love and respect. Change begins with me, and as a Christian, it is my duty, and certainly my calling, to love everyone I meet as Christ.

With love in Christ,

Abbot Tryphon
Source

The Fathers of the First Council and the 'Robe of Truth'

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

This meditation covers some of the theology that we discussed in our zoom class on June 4. Immediately below are links to the two handouts that we used as well. 

Fr. Steven

 

• The Nicene Creed of 325
• Arius and the Council of Nicea

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The Fathers of the First Council and the 'Robe of Truth'

Dear Parish Faithful,

"Let us look at the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the Catholic Church from the very beginning, which the Lord gave, the Apostles preached, and the Fathers preserved. Upon this the Church is founded."  ~ St. Athanasius the Great (+373)

Last Sunday, we found ourselves in between the two great Feasts of Ascension and Pentecost.  However, on that Seventh Sunday of Pascha, we also commemorated the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, held in Nicea in 325 A.D.  It is virtually impossible to over-exaggerate the importance of this Council in the life of the Church.

The Council had not only to reject the Arian heresy that claimed that the Son of God is a "creature" and thus subordinate  in essence to God the Father; but the Council had to find the right terminology to demonstrate that the Faith of the Church from the beginning believed and claimed that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God equal in essence to God the Father (as is the Holy Spirit). Arianism and Orthodox Christianity are essentially two different faiths which is why the Church was at a crossroads in the fourth century according to C. S. Lewis  either become just one more "synthetic/syncretistic religion" of the ancient world, or proclaim the uniqueness of Christ as the eternal Son of God and the Savior of the world. 

The dramatic story of the Council of Nicea has been told and retold throughout the centuries.  Not wanting to repeat that story here, I will simply include a link to a good summary found on the OCA website.

Yet, I would like to add a few words about the manner in which we honor the great Fathers of the Church in our liturgical tradition.  To do so, I would like to bring to mind the Kontakion of the Fathers that we sang on Sunday:

The apostles' preaching and the fathers' doctrines have established the one faith for the Church. Adorned with the robe of truth, woven from heavenly theology; great is the mystery of piety which it defines and glorifies.

This kontakion is very close in meaning to what we read from St. Athanasius the Great (+373) - one of the leading lights of Nicene Orthodoxy - as quoted above.  There is a direct continuity between what the Apostles "preached" and what the Fathers later formulated as doctrines.

This continuity is not simply chronological - it is theological. It was the same Gospel - the same "robe of truth" - without illegitimate subtractions or additions. The Fathers did not change the content of the Faith that they were expressing through their doctrine. They were developing and expanding upon the apostolic preaching for their own times. But the content of the "one faith for the Church" remained identical with itself in this ongoing transmission of the Tradition. (Tradition means that which is "handed down" or "handed over").

The Nicene Creed does not add anything new to what the apostles preached. It rather witnesses to what they preached so as to preserve the Truth in the face of its possible distortion. To do so they had to come up with new formulations of that unchanging Truth. Thus, their bold introduction of the term homoousios to describe how the Son is "consubstantial" with the Father was not something innovative or "creative." It was a necessary development to again preserve that which was proclaimed from the beginning: God became incarnate in order to save us for only God can save. 

In one of his classic articles "The Authority of the Ancient Councils," Fr. George Florovsky brilliantly described the relationship between the apostles and fathers and their respective roles in transmitting the Tradition:

Apostles and Fathers - these  two terms were generally and commonly coupled together in the argument from Tradition, as it was used in the Third and Fourth centuries. It was this double reference, both to the origin and to the unfailing and continuous preservation, that warranted the authenticity of belief. 

On the other hand, Scripture was formally acknowledged and recognized as the ground and foundation of faith, as the Word of God and the Writ of the Spirit. Yet, there was still the problem of right and adequate interpretation. Scripture and the Fathers were usually quoted together, that is, kerygma (proclamation) and exegesis  (interpretation).  

This is a "heavenly theology" because its ultimate Source is Christ Himself, Who reveals the will of the Father for the world and its salvation. And this is that "mystery of piety which it defines and glorifies," precisely as the apostles preached:

Great indeed is the mystery of our religion:
  He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels,
  preached among the nations,
believed on in the world, taken up in glory.  (I TIM. 3:16)

We venerate and honor the Fathers within the ongoing life of the Church.  To again turn to the same article of Fr. George Florovsky, he further writes:

"Fathers" were those who transmitted and propagated the right doctrine, the teaching of the Apostles, who were guides and masters of Christian instruction and catechesis... They were spokesmen for the Church, expositors of her faith, keepers of her Tradition, witnesses of truth and faith.  And in that was their "authority" grounded.

Most glorious art Thou, O Christ our God!
Thou hast established the Holy Fathers as
lights on the earth! Through them Thou hast
guided us to the true faith! O greatly 
Compassionate One, glory to Thee!
(Troparion of the Holy Fathers)

On St John Chrysostom and St Olympia

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

Throughout the Fall, I have been interspersing some homilies on the great Church Fathers into the Sunday Liturgy in a conscious campaign to "inspire" everyone to read at least one of their works before the end of the year. Thus, yesterday's homily was devoted to St. John Chrysostom (+407, commemorated on November 13) and his spiritual daughter/friend/confidant, St. Olympia (+408, commemorated on July 25). 

We know a great deal about one of the most beloved of all saints, St. John "the Golden Mouthed" (the meaning of Chrysostom), but many of the faithful are hardly aware of this extraordinary woman, St. Olympia. I would like to again share a passage from her anonymously written Life that I read in the church yesterday. It is a splendid passage of praise that enumerates the saint's tireless "active love" on behalf of others that serves as an outline of genuine Christian virtue:

She lived faultlessly (anendeos) in unmeasured tears day and night "submitting to every ordinance of man for the sake of the Lord" (I Pet. 2:13), full of every reverence, bowing before the saints, venerating the bishops, honoring the presbyters, respecting the priests, welcoming the ascetics, being anxious for the virgins, supplying the widows, raising the orphans, shielding the elderly, looking after the weak, having compassion on sinners, guiding the lost, having pity on all, attending with all her heart to the poor, catechizing many unbelieving women and making provision for all their material necessities of life.

Thus, she left a reputation for goodness throughout her whole life which is ever to be remembered. Having called from slavery to freedom her myriad household servants, she proclaimed them to be of equal honor (isotimon) as her own nobility.

The Life of Olympia, 15

In other words, a life very much worth living! St. Olympia was born around the year 362 into a very noble and wealthy pagan family, but with her eventual conversion to Christianity she was closely connected to many of the most distinguished bishops of her era, including St. Basil the Great and his younger brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa, In fact, St. Gregory dedicated his famous Commentary on The Song of Songs to her. 

In a letter to St. Olympia, in which St. Gregory accepted her prompting to write his commentary, he wrote the following:

I do not offer you anything that would benefit your conduct, for I am persuaded that your soul's eye is pure from every passionate, unclean thought, and that it looks without hindrance at God's grace by means of these divine words of the Song.

We also know that St. Olympia was ordained a deaconess by St. Nektarios, Archbishop of Constantinople. The deaconess had a prominent role in the fourth century Church, as summarized by the scholar Chyrsostomus Bauer:

For the service of women, ecclesiastical deaconesses were assigned. These were widows, or older single women, who were consecrated by the bishop, in a special ceremony involving the laying on of hands, and the donation of a stole or chalice for the liturgical service of the Church. It was their special duty to keep order among the women at divine service [i.e., at the Divine Liturgy]; they gave them the kiss of peace, and also had to admonish women who did not live as they should. They helped with the training of the women catechumens, anointed them at baptism, and also had the duty of bringing Holy Communion to sick women.

John Chrysostom and His Time, Vol. I, 155.

Order from SVS Press

St. Olympia remained fiercely loyal to St. John following his two exiles from the capital of Constantinople, once St. John ran foul of the Empress Eudoxia. As I mentioned and even read from yesterday, St. John composed seventeen letters to St. Olympia from various places of his exile. These are now collected and translated afresh in a fairly new publication Letters to St. Olympia (SVS Press, 2016). 

These letters are wonderful compositions of a saintly pastor continuing to minister to his spiritual daughter while he is suffering the physical and psychological hardships of exile. The letters are also filled with some profound scriptural commentary by St. John as he reflects upon divine providence. Overall, they offer an intimate portrait of a saint who bore his cross with courage and integrity, awaiting his heavenly reward from the divine Bridegroom of the Church. The Introduction to the Letters, by Dr. David Ford (also the translator of the Letters), offers an excellent summary of the relevant background that helps bring the letters to life for the reader. The passages above can be found in this Introduction with a great deal more.

Highly recommended!

Upholding the 'Fundamentals', versus being 'Fundamentalists'

Dear Parish Faithful,

"Scientism on the one hand and well-meaning but naive religious fundamentalism on the other have hardened in recent years so as to widen the gap that exists between the two domains."

- Fr. John Breck, Beyond These Horizons - Quantum Theory and Christian Faith

 

During the post-Liturgy discussion on Sunday, when presenting a brief description of Fr. John Breck's new book from which the quotation above is taken, I was emphatic in saying that we Orthodox are not fundamentalists. I hold that position very strongly. However, I would like to just briefly discuss the terminology that we use today so as to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding as to what I was trying to get at. And this confusion can arise when we use, rather interchangeably, such words as "fundamental," "fundamentalist," and "fundamentalism." 

 

The word "fundamentalism" refers to a strong reaction and rejection, usually in consistently black and white terms, of any contemporary movements that challenge a received tradition, or simply a long-standing understanding of a faith's core beliefs/doctrines. This strong reaction is against what is loosely called "modernism," which usually stands for a critique or challenge to traditional teaching. 

 

Protestant fundamentalism arose in the early 20th c. precisely against "modernist" trends - often based on new scientific evidence or new critical apparatus that challenged the veracity or claims of what was believed to be the correct interpretation of the Bible (as mainline Protestantism understood it).  Science and the the emerging popularization of the "theory of evolution" were clearly, but not exclusively, a part of this dispute, captured above in the words of Fr. John. What seemed to be at stake was the "literal" truth of biblical revelation.  Avoiding that difficult topic for the moment, I am simply pointing out that the movement we now call Protestant fundamentalism arose as a protest against modernism. In other words, these Protestants wanted to affirm the "fundamental" doctrines of the Bible which they were certain were being challenged, if not dismantled. However, this also led to what is now a more-or-less exclusively "literal" understanding of Scripture from "in the beginning" to the end.

As Orthodox Christians, no matter how we may differ from Protestant fundamentalists, we too affirm the basic or "fundamental" doctrines of the Christian revelation - the Holy Trinity, the divinity of Christ, God as Creator, the deifying energy of the Holy Spirit, the Mysteries/Sacraments of the Church, to name perhaps the most core doctrines. (The Church knew, taught and proclaimed these "fundamental"doctrines well before Protestantism began to exist!). So, we can certainly employ the term "fundamental(s)" on that level.  

 

However, as Orthodox, we do not have a "fundamentalist" mindset, characterized by an almost slavish commitment to the "literal" meaning of the Scriptures. That is far too narrow and lacking in insight and inspired creativity. Though the Fathers accepted the "literal" meaning of a given biblical text, their simultaneous use of biblical typology and allegory point way beyond the approach of "fundamentalism." With the ongoing discovery of new "facts," be it from the discipline of biblical scholarship or science, the literalist approach keeps being driven into a corner from which it cannot honestly emerge intact. This type of fundamentalism severely undermines the credibility of Christianity. 

 

Of course, regardless of any attacks on the "fundamental" doctrines of our Faith as listed above, we steadfastly defend those doctrines with all our intellectual and spiritual energy, often quite brilliantly. But we cannot do that if we escape into a literalist fantasy imposed upon the Bible that fears any new discoveries. I do believe that there is an element of fear that drives fundamentalism: If the biblical text is not "literally" true in just about any instance, then it simply loses it claim to reveal Truth.

Thus, when I emphatically insisted that we, as Orthodox, are not fundamentalists, I was referring to the spirit of the reactionary movement that we now call Protestant fundamentalism dating back to the early 20th c. If that type of fundamentalism enters into the Orthodox Church from outside it will undermine our credibility and stifle our longstanding and profound theological legacy. I do affirm that we uphold the "fundamental" doctrines of the Church "fearlessly," if I may put it that way. Perhaps clarifying such words as "fundamental," "fundamentalist," and "fundamentalism" can be helpful for our own self-understanding as Orthodox Christians.

Appendix

Fr. John and I have been corresponding about this issue. In a recent email he offered a fine summary of how we approach biblical exegesis, respecting the "literal" meaning - i.e. "history" - but also going beyond it.  He offers some important insights beyond which I wrote about above. I am therefore sharing what he wrote as an appendix to my own reflections:

Allegory and typology began with the "literal" sense of the Scriptures ("what the biblical author intended").  But those methodologies presupposed that there is a "higher" meaning than the literal.  The "symbolic" or "spiritual" aspect of biblical writings leads above and beyond the literal, as much as prayer leads us beyond self-centered "reflection."  A basic patristic hermeneutic principle states that "the spiritual sense flows forth from the literal sense."  We need to begin with the literal sense — i.e., with *history.  

 

* But history is merely a framework in which God works out the divine "economy" which by its very nature leads us beyond the empirical and draws us into the transcendent.  If this were not the case, Scripture would be nothing more than an outdated history book, and thus a dead letter.

I tried to deal with this in several places, the most accessible being, I suppose, the first section of the book Longing for God.  If any parishioners are really interested in the layers of meaning in the Bible, that might be a helpful place to begin.

 

 

 

Books to Deepen our Faith

Dear Parish Faithful,

At the Liturgy yesterday, the homily focused on one of the great Church Fathers, St, Ignatius of Antioch (+ c. 110). My purpose was to remind everyone of a homily preached back in July about the Church Fathers and my challenge then to everyone to choose the work of one of the Church Fathers and read it before the end of the year. I brought up St. Ignatius as one example among many together with his famous Seven Epistles. And during the post-liturgy discussion, I promoted the Popular Patristic Series from SVS Press. This series has now reached 50 volumes and counting. This is an outstanding resource that would give you an excellent collection to choose from. Therefore, I have provided a link to the Popular Patristic Series on the SVS Press website. 

https://svspress.com/categories/Popular-Patristics-Series/

I further promoted two more books, both dealing with the crucial and very contemporary issue of how science and religion can coexist and mutually support each other. Of course, there is a "dark side" to this relationship in which mutual and bitter conflict seem to be inescapable. Militant atheists have nothing but disdain for God and "religion" and they do not hesitate to "preach" this to a broad reading public ad nauseam. This is more scientism than science. On the other hand, defensive positions by "religious" people who do not trust the scientific community find strength in what is now being called "fundamentalism," a more-or-less literal interpretation of Scriptures. These both seem like close-minded systems of thought.

The two books I promoted present an open attitude to theology and science and understand them to be compatible within their spheres of competence and investigation. Their respective authors are Metropolitan Kallistos Ware and Fr. John Breck, two of the most prominent Orthodox theologians writing today.

I was surrounded by a large group of parishioners yesterday following the post-Liturgy discussion who were eager to get more information  of the two books I briefly presented. Many got out their phones are were taking pictures of the respective book covers  presumably in order to do some potential purchasing and reading. I further discovered this morning email requests from other parishioners for more information about these books.I have therefore provided two more links for your convenience. 

The first book is Met. Kallistos' Religion, Science & Technology - An Eastern Orthodox Perspective. The content of this short book is very accessible:

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

Fr. John Breck's book Beyond These Horizons - Quantum Theory and Christian Faith is quite challenging on the level of content. But a careful and patient reading (and perhaps multiple re-readings)  can be deeply enlightening and rewarding. If you want to find a "lay" introduction to Fermions and Quarks and how they can possibly relate to God, then this book will do precisely that:

http://www.sebastianpress.org/product-p/sp-bk-ca-2019-002.htm