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) 

 _____

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."

 

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.

_____

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

An Unforeseen Lent - Reflections and Pastoral Guidance & Helps

Dear Parish Faithful,

"For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends his rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5:45)

"For God shows no partiality." (Rom. 2:11)

"O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine Inheritance!"

The Second Sunday of Great Lent -

We served the Liturgy of St. Basil yesterday morning and there were eight of us present. Felt something like a weekday Liturgy. Yet, it was very prayerful and peaceful. In the Liturgy of Preparation, I prayed for the entire parish; and the Liturgy was offered "on behalf of all."

Christ healing the Ten Lepers

An Unforeseen Lent -

It was only two weeks ago, that we embarked on our lenten journey together as a parish community and within our own homes. Looking back two weeks ago, I am fairly certain that no one envisioned the environment that we are now find ourselves in with the outbreak and continuing spread of the coronavirus. Two weeks ago, it was still "over there," but now it is "here," and that changes everything. 

Everyone, of course, may have his or her own level of anxiety and unease - perhaps even fear - but we are in uncharted territory in the overall scheme of things today. This is all new for us. And yet, we are apparently making the necessary adjustments from day-to-day, as our normal life routines have been put on indefinite hold. You may or may not be at work at the same level; and your children are now home for the foreseeable future. No picnic on that account! 

I am now awaiting further pastoral directives by tomorrow from His Grace, Bishop Paul, but I am rather certain that our liturgical cycle will continue to be disrupted at least for the immediate future. (I would say that it is "most unlikely" that we will serve the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gift this coming Wednesday evening).

My pastoral concern is that we allow this to overwhelm us to a such an extent that we also suspend our lenten efforts and put our Church life "on hold" until life is again normalized. I believe that this would be a costly mistake because it is precisely the lenten lifestyle that will keep us focused on Christ at at time when that is essential for our interior well-being as we face this crisis, both as unique persons, as a community of faithful Orthodox Christians, and as members of our local communities. 

Our "spiritual lives" are not just one more pious option that we embrace or ignore based upon the condition of our "comfort zones" or immediate emotional or psychological needs. We always need Christ - actually "the One thing needful" - and especially when we are "anxious" (see Matt. 6:25-34). Christ is our only true consolation. 

So, I strongly encourage everyone to continue with the lenten lifestyle that you decided upon just two weeks ago. We all know how to make the necessary adjustments when needed. But the discipline alone of the lenten effort will surely strengthen us all and maintain within us a sense of purpose, even more so at a time of disruptive events.

With that in mind, I would like to offer some pastoral guidelines that, even if obvious, may be actually helpful to bring these things to mind:

+ Continue your Rule of Prayer, for sure both in the morning and in the evening. I will assume that we all have an Orthodox Prayer Book. Some are more comprehensive than others, and if you look through them, you will find prayers that are written by the saints for precisely "times of trouble." You may find a Canon of Repentance, or perhaps an Akathist to Jesus Christ or the Theotokos, These are now most timely.

+ Continue using the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim at home, alone or with the family. It is a powerful prayer as it is, but by using it at home it keeps us connected with the life of the Church. Our home, as St.John Chrysostom teaches is a "small church."

+ Continue your scriptural reading as you planned for this Great Lent. I would suggest chanting/reading a few psalms each day. The great penitential psalms are: 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143. Our parish website has the daily readings all printed out, together with the lives of the saints on their day of commemoration. Avail yourselves of this excellent resource.

+ Continue with the lenten reading that you chose two weeks ago. At a time such as this, we need to be reminded of the "big picture" within which our lives unfold both in times of serenity and times of upheaval. Our Orthodox literature does that with great depth and insight.

+ Continue in the fasting practices that you chose to embrace two weeks ago to the extent to which that is possible. Outside of medical reasons or the unavailability of the fasting foods that we eat, I am not sure why we should abandon these practices. As I said above, the discipline of the fast in its own way gives us a sense of day-to-day continuity and purpose, and again, keeps us connected to the Church.

+ Keeping up with the Services of the Church. I rather doubt that many of you have a copy of The Triodion at home (!) to read the lenten services. Be that as it may, there are now many websites that provide streaming services that allow you "participate" to some extent in the liturgical services. Some have already told me how they watched the Liturgy at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery yesterday morning. I also sent out a copy of The Reader Service that is used when we cannot have the full Liturgy. Avail yourselves of these sources.

• Lenten Triodion Online
• Service of the Typika (Readers Service) 
• OCA Resources for the Coronavirus Outbreak

I would like to add, that we should all practice common sense and adhere to all of the helpful practical guidelines that are being given to us to help minimize the opportunities for the coronavirus to invade our lives. By now, we all know these thoroughly. By responsibly following these guidelines with care we can only help ourselves and our families - and our neighbors. It is "bad theology" to think that our "faith" will keep us safe. That really has nothing to do with it if you read the words of Christ quoted at the beginning of this letter. All are susceptible. For we all live in the same world with its manifold imperfections and brokenness. If we get sick, then it is our faith that carries us through that sickness together with medical care. No matter what happens we are always in the hands of God. That is our faith - the faith that has "overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33).

Further Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, and Pastoral Directives

Dear Parish Faithful,

3/14/2020, 4:00pm - UPDATE - SEE THIS NEW POST FOR INFO ON HOW WE ARE CONDUCTING THE SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY. Additional info, updates and links are also provided.

We are awaiting a pastoral letter from the Holy Synod of Bishops concerning the presence and spread of the coronavirus with practical measures to guide our parish communities in these "time of troubles."

In the interval, I would like to set forth some practical approaches that demonstrate that we are taking this very seriously, and that with prudence and care, we can make "adjustments" that reflect that care with everyone's well-being in mind. If there are specific instructions from the Holy Synod not reflected below, then I will make those further adjustments as I receive them.

As of today, we will serve the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. And that means that we will have Great Vespers on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m.  (Note: Fr Steven later decided to cancel Great Vespers this Saturday, March 14.)

We are canceling the Memorial Liturgy that was scheduled for Saturday morning. We may try and work that Liturgy in at a later date, and I will keep everyone informed. If you would like to send me a list of names of your loved ones to pray for, I will do that in the church tomorrow morning.

This evening at 7:00 p.m. we will chant the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, seeking her intercessions.

Pastoral Suggestions for Consideration:

• Those who are over 60 years old are most at risk as we have learned. If one also has a heart condition or respiratory condition/asthma; diabetes; or really any other condition that compromises one's health, than you have to seriously take that into consideration when decided about being in church with a larger group of people. 

• As to the Liturgy itself, I earlier this week sent out my own pastoral response concerning the reception of Holy Communion at a time such as this. I continue to stand by what I wrote there. However, if anyone feels any unease about receiving the Eucharist, then abstain without feeling any "pangs of conscience."

• For that matter, if you choose not to come to the Liturgy, I would also say that that is fully understandable. Again, if you make that decision, do so without any "pangs of conscience." The Lord understands our fears.

Directives to be Followed:

• There will be no bowl with blessed bread for after receiving the Eucharist. 

• Do not kiss the icons when offering your veneration. Simply cross yourself as usual and make a reverent bow before each of the holy icons.

• Do not kiss the Cross at the end of the Liturgy. I will bless you as you approach.

• Do not kiss my hand.

• Church School classes are cancelled until further notice.

• Fellowship Hour is cancelled until further notice. Coffee will be available if you would like to stay back for a cup before "departing in peace."

This is a time of great anxiety, for the simple fact that this is a very serious health threat to the whole nation and our community. We always pray that God will be merciful in our repeated petition of "Lord, have mercy!" That prayer now takes on an added urgency.

In Christ,

Fr. Steven

The Transfiguration: Cultivating the Image of Divine Beauty

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

We will reach the Leavetaking of the Transfiguration of Christ on Monday. Just a few more thoughts before we get there.

The mysterious presence of Beauty is revealed on Mt. Tabor in an overwhelming manner when Christ is transfigured there resplendent in divine glory. This is the beauty of the first-formed human creatures, created to reflect the beauty of the divine nature, for by grace they - and we - were created in the image and likeness of God.  And they were placed in a world that also reflected this divine beauty.  That is why God, after completing the creation process, declared that is was all "very good."

Yet, the presence of sin marred that beauty. This lost beauty was restored to humanity when the Son of God assumed our human nature, uniting it to His divine Person and revealing the glory of God in a human being. Thus, on Mt. Tabor, Christ reveals the beauty of His divine nature and the beauty of our created human nature. This is why the Transfiguration is often referred to as a Feast of Beauty.

The Russian novelist Dostoevsky (+1881) famously and somewhat enigmatically once said:  "Beauty will save the world." Yet, Dostoevsky also realized that in a world filled with sin, beauty can evoke responses that fall short of any saving value. In fact, beauty can even degenerate toward sin and sensuality, as one of Dostoevsky's greatest creations, Dmitri Karamazov, acknowledged with great anguish.

Therefore, for Dostoevsky beauty itself had to be "saved" and linked to Truth and Goodness. Thus, for the Russian novelist, beauty is not simply an aesthetic concept, but one that must have a moral, ethical and spiritual dimension for it to be rightly perceived and experienced. And for Dostoevsky as well as for not only great artists, but the great minds of the Church, beauty is not an abstract concept or Idea. Beauty is a Person, and this Person is Christ.  In Christ, Truth, Goodness and Beauty are harmoniously united.  This is why Dostoevesky also spoke of the "radiant image of Christ."  In another famous passage from his pen, found in a letter of his, Dostoevsky articulated his personal "creed:"

I have constructed for myself a symbol of faith in which everything is clear and holy for me.  The symbol is very clear, here it is:  to believe that there is nothing more beautiful, profounder, more sympathetic, more reasonable, more courageous and more perfect than Christ and not only is there nothing , but I tell myself with jealous love that never could there be.

It is these qualities that make Christ such an attractive figure that a well-disposed mind and heart not unduly influenced by the marks of a fallen world will almost naturally turn to as an "ideal," but again as a concrete living Person. There is a passage from Fr. Alexander Elchaninov (+1934), taken from his personal diary after his death, that captures that same intuition as found in Dostoevsky:

It is impossible not to love Christ. If we saw Him now, we should not be able to take our eyes off Him, we should "listen to him in rapture;" we should flock round Him as did the multitudes in the Gospels.  All that is required of us is not to resist. We have only to yield to Him, to the contemplation of His image - in the Gospels, in the saints, in the Church - and He will take possession of our hearts.

Here, again, there is an inherent moral, ethical and spiritual dimension from that beauty that flows outward from Christ. This is rendered in the form of very practical and concrete advice in the words of Vladimir Solovyov (+1900), for many the greatest Russian philosopher known to us:

Before any important decision, let us evoke in our soul the image of Christ. Let us concentrate our attention upon it and ask ourselves:  Would He Himself do this action? Or, in other words: Will He approve of it or not?

To all I propose this rule: it does not deceive. In every dubious case, as soon as the possibility of a choice is offered to you, remember Christ.  Picture to yourself His living Person, as it really is, and entrust Him with the burden of your doubts.

Let men of good will, as individuals, as social factors, as leaders of men and peoples, apply this criterion, and they will really be able, in the name of truth, to show to others the way toward God.

This concreteness is all the more interesting, for Solovyov was often a highly speculative thinker. That what he wrote just over a century ago is hardly a public ideal any longer is to our great loss.  It is our role to maintain and cultivate the image of divine beauty in our lives as seen in the face of the incarnate and transfigured Christ as a  sacred obligation.

Inexcusable Excuse-Making

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

In the Parable of the Great Supper (LK. 14:16-24), heard yesterday as the prescribed Gospel pericope for the Second Sunday Before Nativity, we were offered a revealing glimpse into humankind's inexhaustible propensity for making excuses. This unending flow of excuses is often cloaked as tightly-argued rationalizations, served up with an unassailable logic, and promoted with sincere conviction. Psychologically, excuse-making is not to be confused with lying - at least on the conscious level (though this distinction can get a bit murky, in that we can actually believe our own lies as we believe in our excuses). These excuses serve to free us from responsibility, disentangle us from awkward situations, or even undermine our own well-being due to blindness or some hidden perversity of character.

It seems as if we "inherited" this propensity for making excuses from Adam and Eve as the story of the Fall unfolds in the Book of Genesis. After disobeying the divine commandment by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve offer excuses as to why they both succumbed to the serpent's insinuations (GEN. 3). These excuses were blatant evasions of moral responsibility. They covered up a refusal to repent. They assigned blame elsewhere, but accepted none for themselves. And these excuses were made directly to God! How strong, therefore, is the human need to fabricate excuses to rationalize away our sins! We see the same pattern depressingly repeated by children, corporate executives, clergy of the Church, and by husbands and wives in our homes. The domestic "paradise" established potentially within the Mystery of Marriage is undermined by the same processes that destroyed the original Eden of the first man and woman: temptation, assent, sin, refusal to repent, feeble excuses to justify and avoid responsibility, and negative consequences to follow. The "image and likeness of God" is obscured by this "dark side" of the human condition.

Returning to the parable found in St. Luke's Gospel, we hear that Christ relates a story about "A certain man who gave a great supper and invited many" (14:16). This is clearly an image of our heavenly Father's gracious invitation to experience the joy of fellowship with God in the eschatological Kingdom. A supper/banquet implies fellowship, sharing, and the joy of communal celebration. It has thus been a constant image of sharing our life with God in the Age to come, culminating in the glorious "marriage supper of the Lamb" in the Book of Revelation (19:9). Even on an "earthly level" it is an invitation that is often readily accepted. Who wants to pass us a sumptuous meal? Nevertheless, with a realism that we can all relate to, the servant of the man who has prepared the supper is forced to hear a series of excuses that are meant to free the recipients of the invitation from the obligation to attend. But so as not to cause offense, they offer excuses that sound reasonable enough. As Christ says explicitly in the parable: "But they all with one accord began to make excuses" (14:18). What, then, does the servant of the parable hear? More or less, the usual:

The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' (14:18-20)

Taken from the daily routine of obligations and responsibilities, again we acknowledge the reasonableness of these excuses. (Interpreted allegorically by the Fathers, the excuses, according to a note in the Orthodox Study Bible, refer to "people devoted to earthly matters, to things pertaining to the five senses, and to all the pleasures of the flesh"). However, the "master of the house" was not impressed, for we hear that he became "angry" upon the return of his servant with the news that the supper would only be thinly attended. The master of the house further responds by ordering his servant to bring in other guests, including "the poor, and the maimed and the lame and the blind" (14:21). Discovering that "still there is room" (14:22), the servant is told to "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (14:23). The master's hospitality is so abundant, that he will invite and even compel "guests" that according to social etiquette would usually remain uninvited. In other words, those for whom the banquet should have been a natural culmination of an ongoing relationship - the elect of Israel in their chosenness by God - will find themselves on the outside; while wholly unexpected guests - the lawless Gentiles - will be given free and gracious access to the Kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world.

The excuses offered in the parable are easily translated into the one cliche that is ever-present in our daily vocabulary and repeated like a mantra when searching for a formula readily understood by one and all: "I am so busy!" In fact, everyone is not only "so busy," but actually "too busy." Just like the figures in the parable. Therefore, we believe that our level of responsibility is lightened, and expectations for our time and energy must be minimal to be fair. Our relationships may suffer, but that is unavoidable. That is how the world and our lives are structured. So we have the "perfect" excuse as to why we cannot prayer with any regularity; fast with any concentration; and practice charity with any concern. Committed Orthodox Christians are too busy to come to confession, read the Holy Scriptures, or come to non-Sunday liturgical services. Being too busy, we struggle to "fit" God into our busy schedules. If that fails, it cannot be helped - God will understand. Yet, other troubling questions seem to intrude themselves upon the safe haven of pleading the excuse of being busy. Although no claim is being made that the following are a "top ten" of such questions, I do believe that they are an "honest ten:"

1. Were the excuses of the parable enough to justify a broken relationship with God? 

2. What convinces me that the excuse of being busy should satisfy God's "demands" upon me? 

3. Can it be spiritually dangerous to be so busy? 

4. Am I free of any moral responsibility to change the ordering of my life so as to respond to God and neighbor without any excuses to relieve me from doing so?   

5. What are the implications of being "too busy" within the context of my relationship with God? 

6. Is it possible that I have become overly-dependent upon the excuse of always being busy? 

7. What does it mean when we come to the "supper" - the Liturgy - but fail in partaking of the "food" freely-offered - the Eucharist? 

8. What excuses do I offer for refusing the Master's hospitality? 

9. If the excuse is being unprepared, what am I doing to change that pattern? 

10. How do I understand the last words of the parable spoken by Christ: "For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper" (14:24)?

The Parable of the Great Supper becomes quite challenging when given some attention and thought. Although meant to reveal the foolishness of inexcusable excuse-making, it nevertheless reveals what God intends for those who respond to His gracious invitation: the unending joy of the Kingdom of God best characterized as a great and joyous supper where "all is now ready" (14:17). This hospitality is so great that no one is excluded, except through self-exclusion posed in the form of unconvincing excuses not to attend. There is always room. Having been invited, and having accepted this invitation, our task is to overcome the universal propensity of making excuses in order to preserve our self-autonomy and self-regard. We may then join the elect "where the voice of those who feast is unceasing, and the gladness of those who behold the goodness of Thy countenance is unending. For Thou art the true desire and the ineffable joy of those who love Thee, O Christ our God, and all creation sings Thy praise forever. Amen." (First Prayer of Thanksgiving After Communion)

'See God in People'

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

On another of my neighborhood walks, I came across some more "sidewalk graffiti" in front of the Williams Street Elementary school here in Norwood. Of the many new slogans scrawled in chalk beneath your feet as you walk along reading the words on the pavement, I encountered: "See Good in People." (It hasn't rained for awhile, so it has lasted for some time now).

This thought could probably be a bit grammatically-enhanced, but then again it has a real directness to it as it is. So what can we make of this "sidewalk semi-evangelism?" It is a positive message that is encouraging the students to look for the "good" in others, which would also lead them to respecting each other. It therefore presupposes that there is "good" to be found in everyone, a basically "upbeat" appraisal of human nature. We like to protect our children from early symptoms of cynicism.

The "good" is a pretty comprehensive word, that would include kindness, friendliness, honesty, sincerity, patience, tolerance, compassion, and a willingness to help, to mention some of the more meaningful descriptions of the "good." Basically, the "good" is about the pursuit of virtue. It further encourages the students to look past the outer and more superficial levels - looks, clothing, etc.

Yet, to "see" the good means that is there will be times when one must look beyond the "bad" that also appears from time-to-time in student relations. Young children can also be mean-spirited toward one another. Inappropriate words can be exchanged, even fights can break out. That is why rules of conduct exist in our schools. We need to be realistic about human nature also.

And that is why we, as Orthodox Christians, encourage our children to come to Confession by the age of seven. At that age they can distinguish within themselves what is "good" and what is "bad." And they need to recognize and admit what is "bad," or what we call sin. This is all very Orthodox! Which is why I referred to this slogan as "semi-evangelism."

To further "orthodoxize" this sidewalk slogan, one would simply have to eliminate one vowel from the word "good" - the second "o" - and then it would read "See God in People."

In our current cultural/social setting which is fiercely secular in any public forum, that would prove to be, of course, "too much." Which is fine. I am simply expanding upon my own train of thought when I first read "See Good in People" during an evening walk. My mind had something to focus on for the rest of the way home.

We can see God in other people because that is the express will of God: to see the "other" as created in God's "image and likeness" with an eternal destiny and the promise and potential of being a deified creature that will "shine like the sun" in the Kingdom of God. That is a very positive assessment of human nature! 

Every person we encounter has that potential destiny according to our understanding of God's revelation. We respect that and thank God for it. We need to "see" that and keep it firmly in mind, since we are frequently deeply disappointed with our actual daily encounters and in the world around us. (We should be even more disappointed in our own inability to manifest the light of God's image within us and confess that when it happens).

We thus maintain an over-all positive assessment of human nature together with a very realistic understanding of the distortions our human nature can undergo through life's journey and challenges. And those distortions can reach hideous proportions: Someone just shot over five hundred people in one of our American cities. That can only be understood - if we can possibly "understand" this at all - as a total capitulation to the "dark side." This is why Dostoevsky spoke of God and the devil battling for mastery of the human heart. (He actually derived that thought from St. Macarius the Great, an early desert father).

To "see God in people" can only help us overcome the manifold prejudices that inflict such a blight on our human relationships. Can we teach our children to "see good in people" if we do not, based on some prejudice we stubbornly cling to?

It is almost impossible to be totally prejudice-free or, on a somewhat different level, to be free of all cynicism. But that is what Christ expects of those of us who bear His name. As we continue to journey through life, I continue to believe that without succumbing to "romanticism," superficial idealism," or "sentimentality," we need to and can "See Go(o)d in People!"

Imitating God's 'Loving Faithfulness'

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,


"Your mercy is greater than the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (Ps 108:5)

 

In the fine article "God's Mercy and Faithfulness," the biblical scholar, Jerome Kodell, begins with quoting from the Prologue of St. John's Gospel, wherein we hear twice of God's "grace and truth" (Jn 1:14,17). In Greek these two terms are charis and aletheia. Yet, these two key Greek terms are rooted in the Old Testament and the Hebrew phrase hesed w' emeth. These deeply suggestive words can mean "love and truth," "mercy and  faithfulness," "kindness and fidelity." And it was only of the God of Israel, the God who revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush, that such terms could be attributed.

In summarizing this absolute difference between Israel's experience of God based on the concepts of hesed w' emeth, and that of the surrounding nations, Kodell writes the following:

When the two concepts are brought together in the tradition they describe the God of Israel as "faithful love" or "loving faithfulness," a stunning revelation. 

YHWH is not like the gods of other nations, fickle, moody, vindictive, focused on themselves and interested in their adherents only as servile pawns: in other words, mirror images of the weak humans who created them.

The God of Israel is not self-focused, but is turned toward God's sons and daughters and only wants to help them receive what is best for them. Love in biblical terms is not a feeling but a decision to seek what is best for the other. God not only loves but is love (I Jn 4:8). This is the message of hesed. 

True love always involves faithfulness, but that quality is reinforced by the combination with emeth: "Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, because of your mercy and faithfulness." No other god was ever loving or faithful toward his or her worshipers. In fact, this attitude is completely foreign to the idea of deity in the nations surrounding Israel.

Yet, as Kodell further writes, this concept and experience of God must transform human lives and human relationships. He then further writes:

To be a child of this God means living in loving fidelity and faithful love toward our brothers and sisters. There is never reason to withdraw our love from someone, no matter how they disappoint or mistreat us, or no matter how sinful we perceive them to be. God never withdraws love from us, no matter what we do. God is faithful love and loving faithfulness and calls us to imitate him as God's own dear children.

There is always a profound reciprocity between who God is and who we are meant to be!

Driven to Distraction, Called to Attentiveness

Dear Parish Faithful,

Did You Know?

"Beginning in 2009, the New York Times ran a series of articles called "Driven To Distraction," focusing on accidents and fatalities involving distracted drivers. (In 2012, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 570,000 accidents, and 3,328 fatalities, the latter marking a 9% increase from the previous year). The series expanded to include "Distracted Doctoring," reporting on the large number of surgeons who are placing personal calls during surgery; on medical technicians who are texting while running cardio-pulmonary bypass machines; and anesthesiologists who are shopping online for airline tickets."

"Distractions created by social media in the work place cost the American economy $650 billion per year, with social media interruptions occurring every ten minutes, and with workers spending 41% of their time on Facebook. In the US alone, over 12 billion collective hours are spent browsing on social networks every day. The average college student spends 3 hours a day checking social sites, but only 2 hours a day studying."

These two paragraphs have been taken from the article "Attentiveness and Digital Culture" by Archimandrite Maximos Constar, printed in the journal DOXA, a publication of the Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael (Canones, New Mexico). This is a somewhat abbreviated form of the paper that Archimandrite Maximos delivered at the International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care, Athens, 7-9 May, 2015. 

Copies of DOXA and Pt. I of this paper were distributed last week following the Liturgy. It is a challenging article for those who are nearing the "addictive state" when it comes to social media and our over-all digitally-driven culture.  

The opening sentence of the paper sounds an alarm with a sober assessment of this new culture:

"Having promised us a technological utopia, our ubiquitous and intrusive cyberculture has instead precipitated a spiritual crisis in which human experience has been systematically fragmented and the coherence of the self isolated and disconnected, preventing us from seeing and experiencing the wholeness of life."

Not exactly a compliment.

For those who may be interested to read further, I have a copy of the entire article - Pts. I & II - which also contains many fascinating footnotes and references.  Please let me know, and I will make you a copy. The positive side of the article is a very fine discussion of "spiritual attentiveness," a key concept in our Orthodox spiritual tradition.  As a Church Father would, Archimandrite Maximos will not only offer a powerful critique of an existing cultural and social norm, but also offer a theologically-based alternative that leads to a greater perception and experience of the "life in Christ." 

Glorified/Canonized

About ten days, I sent out some wonderful "Counsels" of the Elder Porphyrios (of Kavsokalivia). I recently discovered that the elder was officially glorified/canonized as a saint on November 13, 2013, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. His feast day on the calendar is December 2. The Orthodox Church has its "latter day saints!"

Homilies on Two Great Feasts

As we celebrate the great Feasts of the Transfiguration and Dormition at this time of year, you may want to read what the Church Fathers thought and taught concerning these events in the life of Christ and the Theotokos. Here are links to two remarkably full collections of patristic homilies:

Light on the Mountain: Greek Patristic and Byzantine Homilies on the Transfiguration of the Lord

On the Dormition of Mary: Early Patristic Homilies

Mammon, and the 'Either/Or' Choice of the Gospel

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

Embedded at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ teaches us:  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (MATT. 6:24).

In these words, Jesus confronts us with an "either/or" choice. The "either/or" dilemma usually means that we have two starkly different choices before us, and also that the stakes are quite high in making that choice. "Either" we choose the one, "or" we choose the other - and the consequences of this choice are far-reaching indeed. 

We could actually say that in this teaching of Christ, we encounter  an ultimate "either/or" choice, because on the one hand we have the choice of God - and for Jesus that is the living God revealed in the Scriptures and human experience - and on the other hand, we have the choice of mammon, an untranslated Semitic expression that means worldly wealth or property.  

Yet, we cannot treat mammon as a neutral term, for the connotation is that this wealth is gained by obsessive pursuit at the cost of a meaningful relationship with God. Jesus made this clear a bit earlier in the same general passage with these words: 

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves  do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (MATT. 6:19-21) 

To further illustrate the negative effects of the type of wealth associated with mammon, we can turn to St. John Chrysostom who, with his characteristically powerful rhetoric, reveals the dangers of  choosing mammon over God:

Now Jesus calls mammon here "a master," not because of its own nature but on account of the wretchedness of those who bow themselves beneath it. So also he calls the stomach a god, not from the dignity of such a mistress but from the wretchedness of those enslaved.

To have mammon for your master is already worse itself than any later punishment and enough retribution before the punishment for any one trapped in it. For what condemned criminals can be so wretched as those who, once having God for their Lord, do from that mild rule desert to this previous obsession with money? Even in this life  such idolatry trails immense harm in its path, with losses unspeakable. Think of the lawsuits! The harassment, the strife and toil and blinding of the soul!

More grievous, one falls away thereby from the highest blessing - to be God's servant. 

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 21.2.

We will gain no benefit from trying to soften the words of Christ. However, I believe that a careful reading of these words does not mean that Jesus is rejecting the ownership of what we like to call "things" or "possessions."  It would be simplistic to reduce this passage to an anti-materialistic diatribe, pure and simple. Certainly Jesus realizes that we are in great need of food and drink, as well as clothing (6:25-33). In fact, it is our responsibility to make sure that persons deprived of such basic needs are provided with them, to the point where our own judgement is at stake. (MATT. 25:31-46) I imagine that Jesus would also realize that we need a car to get to work and back with the earnings for our daily bread! 

Perhaps one important interpretive key in this teaching of Christ would be the use of the term "master," as pointed out for us in St. John's words above. "Master" in this context means that to which we are drawn to obsessively - wholeheartedly, we could say. Something that demands our allegiance and deepest levels of commitment; our undivided attention and zealous pursuit. Or, even more bluntly, if mammon is our master, then we are its servants/slaves. This would be the "treasure" to which are hearts are drawn. But mammon is a treasure unworthy of our hearts!  The effect would be debase our very humanity by such idolatry.

Yet, if God is our "master," then that very wholehearted commitment and zeal, the allegiance and commitment implied in such a relationship, would result in making us God's worthy servants.  And the word "servant" (Gk. doulos) can also mean "slave" - and here with a very positive meaning! So, when Christ uses the verb "serve" (Gk. douleuein) it really means something like "being a slave to." Once again, with God this is good - but with mammon it is not! 

We know that the Apostle Paul often referred to himself as a "servant/slave" of Christ: "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle ... " (ROM 1:1). Further, the apostle includes us in the good results of being a "slave" of God: 

"When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regards to righteousness ... But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life." (ROM 6:20, 22) 

This "either/or" choice, sharply delineated by the term "master," is further reinforced by how Christ will use the words "love" and "hate." 

We almost invariably understand these words to express powerful emotional feelings, as in "I love you," or "I hate you." But these are Semitic expressions that actually mean "allegiance" and "non-allegiance." Some would also remind us that the Semitic expression "to hate" really means "to love less."  

We find this use of hate as meaning to "love less" in the almost shocking words of Christ, when He says: 

"If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." (LK 14:26). 

Clearly, we are not to hear these words as referring to some sort of emotional abhorrence or disgust with our family members - and our own self! In following Christ, we are being challenged to sacrifice what we already love for an even greater love. These words, then, are about ultimate allegiance and the new direction that our lives must take if we are to be His disciples.

The Sermon on the Mount presents us with some of the most arresting and attractive moral, ethical and spiritual teachings ever uttered within the realm of human history. The Sermon reveals Christ as the Teacher. And as the Messiah, Jesus is expressing the very will of God. This is why He can categorically claim: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them" (MATT. 5:17). Jesus is thus giving us the most perfect interpretation of the Torah (Law). In the process, He is teaching us how to live according to the will of God. 

It is here that we face a challenge: If we are simply aware of the existence of the Sermon on the Mount that will not be enough. A vague awareness of the contents of the Sermon — for Orthodox Christians, the Beatitudes that we hear at every Liturgy may pretty much cover that — may lead us to romanticize or idealize the teachings of Christ found there. We may further be aware of the "lilies of the field" and "the birds of the air." This may sound wonderfully poetic, but the context of those words is about our many anxieties and worries that undermine our trust in God. In that idealized notion of the Sermon, we may put aside the teachings about anger, adultery, divorce, and loving our enemies. Or about striving to "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (MATT. 5:48).

In other words, as Christians we need to know the Sermon on the Mount thoroughly, and not just know about it. As a pastoral suggestion, I would say that a regular reading of the entire Sermon (MATT. 5-7) on a monthly or bi-monthly pattern would serve us well. The seeds of the Sermon will be able to grow in time within our minds and hearts. 

When Christ finished the Sermon, we are told that "... the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes" (MATT. 7:28-29). We are no longer simply "the crowds," but the People of God equally astonished by His teachings and serving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master. 

The Probing Question of Christ: 'Do You Want to be Healed?'

Dear Parish Faithful and Friends in Christ,


CHRIST IS RISEN!
INDEED HE IS RISEN!


When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” (JN 5:6)

In the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Saint John we find the account of the healing of the paralytic by the Pool of Bethesda near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem and the profound discourse that follows. Archeologists have fairly recently discovered this pool, demonstrating the accuracy of Saint John’s description. This passage, of course, is always read on the Fourth Sunday of Pascha.

The paralytic had taken his place among a human throng of chronic misery, described by the evangelist as “a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed” [verse 3].  Being there for 38 years and not being able to experience what were believed to be the healing capacities of the waters of the pool, the paralytic seemed resigned to his destiny.

Then Jesus appeared.  He saw the paralytic and He knew of his plight.  And then Jesus asked the paralytic a very pointed and even poignant question: “Do you want to be healed?” [verse 6].

Surprisingly, considering what must have been his own misery, the paralytic’s answer was less than direct and not exactly enthusiastic: “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me” [verse 7].

Nevertheless, and even though the paralytic does not commit himself to an act of faith in the healing power of Jesus, he receives the following directive from Jesus: “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.”  And then, in that somewhat laconic style of describing the healing power of Christ that characterizes the Gospel accounts, we read simply, “And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked” [verse 9].  The “sign” is that Christ can restore wholeness to those in need.

I believe that we need to concentrate on the question Jesus posed to the paralytic, “Do you want to be healed?”  (The King James version of the question is:  “Wilt thou be made whole?”)  For, if the various characters that Jesus encountered in the Gospels are also representatives or “types” of a particular human condition, dilemma, or state of being, then the question of Jesus remains alive in each generation and is thus posed to each of us today.

If sin is a sickness, then we are “paralyzed” by that sin to one degree or another of intensity.  But do we really want to be healed of the paralyzing effect of sin in our lives?

The answer seems obvious, even a “no-brainer,” but is that truly the case?  Or, are we more-or-less content with continuing as we are, satisfied that perhaps this is “as good as it gets” in terms of our relationship with God and our neighbors? 

Do we manage to politely deflect the probing question of Christ elsewhere, counter-posing a reasonable excuse as to what prevents us from exerting the necessary energy from our side?  Our teaching claims that we must also contribute to the synergistic process of divine grace and human freedom that works together harmoniously for our healing.

Perhaps it is easier and more comfortable to stay as we are – after all, it’s really not that bad - a position reflected in the non-committal response of the paralytic.  For to be further healed of sin will mean that we will have to make some changes in our life, in our interior attitudes and in our relationships.  It certainly means that we will have to confess our faith in Christ with a greater intensity, urgency and commitment.  Are we up to that challenge?

Actually, we could more accurately say that we have already been healed.  That happened when we were baptized into Christ.  (There are baptismal allusions in the healing of the paralytic by the pool of water).

Every human person is paralyzed by the consequences of sin, distorting the image of God in which we were initially created.  Baptism was meant to put to death the sin that is within us.  We were healed, in that baptism is the pledge to life everlasting, where death itself is swallowed up in the victory of Christ over death.  For we are baptized into the Death and Resurrection of Christ.

So, with a slight variation, the question of Christ could also imply: Do you rejoice in the fact that you have been healed, and does your way of life reflect the faith and joy that that great healing from sin and death has imparted to you?  Are you willing to continue in the struggle that is necessary to keep that healing “alive” within you?

Direct and simple questions can get complicated, often by the paralyzing effect of sin in our lives.  We can then get confused as to how to respond to such essential questions.  Every time we walk into the church we are being asked by Christ, “Do you want to be healed?”  Responding with a resounding “yes!” would be a “sign” of the faith, hope and love that are within us by the grace of God.

Baptism: 'When all is said and done…'

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

“The aim of the Christian life is to return to that perfect grace of the most holy and life-giving Spirit, which was originally conferred upon us through divine baptism.”

—Saint Ignatius Xanthopoulos and Saint Kallistos

Our recent celebration of the Great Feast of Theophany — the Baptism of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ — provides a fitting context in which to to reflect upon the great Mystery of Holy Baptism.  We can do this effectively by turning to some of the great saints and theologians of the Church, who consistently and brilliantly speak of the meaning of this Sacrament of Illumination.  

At times, what they have to say may seem to be “unrealistic”—as if their rhetorical skills in describing the effect of Baptism outstrip a realistic assessment of Baptism as experienced by the great majority of members of the Church. 

However, we should also keep in mind that the Fathers of the Church were “maximalists” when describing and delineating the full effect of the “life in Christ” as it presented itself before them as something to be lived and then shared with others through their example and their writing.  

The Fathers always presented us with the fullness of the Gospel so that we, in turn, would not be tempted to reduce that same Gospel to the level of an uninspiring moralism or conventional religious piety.

It is Saint Cyril of Alexandria (+444) who explains how the Lord’s Baptism establishes the “pattern” and sets an “example” for our own baptism.  And Saint Cyril links together baptism and “never-ceasing prayer": 

It was necessary, therefore, that the Word of the Father, when He humbled Himself unto emptiness, and deigned to assume our likeness, should become for our sakes the pattern and way of every good work. For it follows, that He Who in everything is first, in this also set the example. 

In order, therefore, that we may learn both the power itself of holy baptism, and how much we gain by approaching so great a grace, he commences the work Himself; and having been baptized, prays that you, my beloved, may learn that never-ceasing prayer is a thing most fitting for those who have once been counted worthy of holy baptism.

It is Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (4th c.) who explained the meaning of a Sacrament as a genuine participation in what we could call the reality of grace that lies hidden within—and is then conferred upon the participant—through the rite of the Sacrament.  Through “imitation” of the death and resurrection of Christ through the rite of Baptism, we sacramentally die and rise with Christ “in truth": 

O what a strange and inconceivable thing it is!  We did not really die, we were not really buried; we were not crucified and raised again; our imitation of Christ was but in figure, while our salvation is truth. Christ actually was crucified and buried, and truly rose again; and all these things have been transmitted to us, that we might by imitation participate in his suffering, and so gain salvation in truth.

A true Baptism must include the invocation of the Holy Trinity, as Christ taught His disciples [Matthew 28:16-20].  Father George Florovsky makes this point clearly: 

The Trinitarian invocation is required because outside the Trinitarian faith it is impossible to know Christ, to recognize in Jesus the Incarnate Lord, ‘One of the Holy Trinity'.  

A fine explanation of the meaning of the Trinitarian invocation and its effect upon the person being so baptized is found in a passage from Saint Nicholas Cabasilas (+14th c.):  

As the name of the Trinity is invoked, the candidate is immersed three times in the water and then three times rises up from the water once more; and immediately he enters into possession of all that he seeks.  He is born and created; he receives the good seal; he is granted all the happiness that he desires; darkness before, he now becomes light; non-existent before, he now receives existence.  God claims him for His own and adopts him as a child.  From prison and utter enslavement, he is led to a royal throne.

The water of baptism destroys one life and reveals another; it drowns the old man and raises up the new.  To be baptized is to be born according to Christ; it is to receive existence, to come into being out of nothing.  

And yet, a Sacrament is not some form of “holy magic,” as if conferring a kind of mechanically bestowed grace regardless of a person’s level of commitment to the life in Christ.  

The process of salvation—which we often refer to as theosis (deification)—is a synergistic process combining divine grace and human freedom. This also implies an ascetic struggle.  We must cooperate with God if we are to experience the transforming grace of Holy Baptism.  

Saint Gregory of Nyssa (+395) said this well in his Great Catechism:  

...If the life after initiation (baptism) is of the same quality as the uninitiated life (before baptism), then, though it may be a bold thing to say, I will say it without flinching; in the case of such people the water is merely water, for the gift of the Holy Spirit in no way shows itself in what takes place…. 

A child born to any one is entirely akin to his parent.  If then you have received God, and have become a child of God, display in the purpose of your life the God that is in you, display in yourself the Father that gave you birth.

A great saint of the more recent past—Seraphim of Sarov (+1833)—places Baptism in the context of one’s whole earthly existence.  This is part of God’s providential care for each of His “adopted” children.  If life is indeed a period of testing, then the grace of Baptism, which is nothing less than the gift of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon us in the Sacrament, gives us the strength to prevail in this “lifelong test of man on earth":  

And what in the world can be higher and more precious than the gift of the Holy Spirit sent down to us from on high in the Sacrament of Baptism?  This grace of Baptism is so great and indispensable, so vital for man, that it is not taken away even from a heretic until his death.  That is, it is not taken away from him until the end of the period of appointment on high by God’s providence as a lifelong test of man on earth—a test to see what a man can accomplish by means of the strength of grace given to him on high in the time allotted to him by God.

Within the life of the Church, all theology is ultimately best expressed through doxology—the living praise of the living God that brings joy and gladness to our spirits through the grace of the Holy Spirit. Doxology—the glorification of God—is a kind of prayerful/poeticized theology that allows us to approach the mystery of God in Christ with humility and praise. 

One of the many wonderful hymns of the Feast of Theophany summarizes its theological and spiritual content in a manner befitting the depth of its significance for us: 

The true Light has appeared, and grants enlightenment to all. Christ, Who is above all purity, is baptized with us; He sanctifies the water and it becomes a cleansing for our souls. The outward sign is earthly, the inward grace is higher than the heavens; Salvation comes through washing, and through water the Spirit: Descending into the water we ascend to God. Wonderful are Thy works, O Lord:  Glory to Thee!

And so, when all is said and done, in the end we approach God and sing “Glory to Thee!”