Heedfulness and Our Mortality

Dear Parish Faithful,


"What does is mean that man is mortal? It is certainly not a compliment." (Woody Allen)

In addition to that piece of existential-comedic wit from Woody Allen, there is also another on the subject of death that I have heard from time to time that goes something like this: According to the latest research, the death rate is holding steady at 100%. Truly "there is nothing new under the sun." This absolute inevitability of our own mortality - and the various strategies that have been contrived over time to deal with this fact, from the grimly serious to the comic - is at the heart of the Parable of the Rich Fool heard as the Gospel reading at the Divine Liturgy yesterday. This parable may have been overlooked, as in our parish, because of the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple on November 21. However, since our spiritual tradition strongly encourages the "remembrance of death," perhaps what was overlooked yesterday can provide a worthy subject of meditation on a typical Monday morning. The parable is short enough to be presented in its entirety:

And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (LK. 12:16-21)

Not only is this parable short, but it is painfully direct. Yet, the obviousness and clarity of the parable's meaning; the timelessness and universality of its application; and the near impossibility of disagreeing with its over-all content, may ironically provide one more reason to really not "hear" this parable when it is proclaimed in the assembly of the eucharistic gathering. Since we are not hearing something "new," we can become complacent in our knowledge of this truth about life and death. In one ear, and out the other ... And yet, we continue to "build our barns" and plan our future with its eating and drinking and making merry, seemingly oblivious to our indistinguishable similarity to the rich man/fool! Perhaps this is why before delivering the parable, Christ first issued something of a warning: "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (LK. 16:15) Being heedful is counseled by the saints, as something of a careful awareness of our decisions, reflection into the consequences of our choices, and sobriety when assessing our actions. It also means to avoid the dispersion and dissipation of our thoughts amidst a variety of enticing and conflicting distractions. This heedfulness is meant to help us in directing our lives so that they do not spin out of control, and in a thoroughly confused state induced by losing sight of the God-given priorities found in the Gospel, we find ourselves not knowing whether we "are coming or going." Jesus clearly tells us that this can happen when we become "covetous," or obsessed with the "abundance of our possessions."

There is no reason to believe that the rich man of the parable was a particularly sinful person. He is "everyman" in his search for false security and comfort. His "sin" appears to be a lack of the heedfulness that Jesus taught us to embrace. Of course, he was self-reliant and self-absorbed in the way that narrows the mind and shrinks the heart of a person. St. John Chrysostom said that the "barns" he should have been intent on filling, were the empty stomachs of the poor. He planned according to his own will, forgetting what God had "planned" for him according to God's own foreknowledge. (As Tevya the dairyman said: "The more man plans, the harder God laughs"). In the final analysis God declared the rich man a fool in his heedlessness and self-absorption. Such a person cannot be "rich toward God." (A tremendous - and harrowing - artistic expression of the timeless truth found in this parable can be found in Tolstoy's well-known story "Master and Man").

Compounding his and our dilemma, there is the universal human tendency to "forget" about death; though no one actually forgets about it, because the reality of death drives so much of what we do both consciously and unconsciously. As a general principle of life in the fallen world, the Fathers teach that we sin because we die: "through fear of death," we "were subject to lifelong bondage." (HEB. 2:15) So, in our death-denying culture, we are caught in this schizophrenic position of both an awareness of death and a "lust for life" that desires to drive such thoughts from our mind by a "get it while you can" desperation. Filling our "barns" is our solace from the harsher realities of life. The saints teach the opposite by urging us to practice the "remembrance of death" as part of the spiritual life. This "remembrance of death" has nothing pessimistic, gloomy or morbid about it. On the contrary, there is nothing possibly more realistic and clear-sighted. It is a humble acknowledgment of reality; of an awareness of our own mortality. It is meant to bring us back to God, as we realize that we are literally "nothing" without God. The elder Joseph the Hesychast summed up a long tradition with these simple words:

But death is lurking somewhere, waiting for us, too. Some day or night will be the last one of our life. Wherefore, blessed is he who remembers his death day and night and prepares himself to meet it. For it has a habit of coming joyfully to those who wait for it, but it arrives unexpectedly, bitterly, and harshly for those who do not expect it. (Fifty-first Letter)

The only way to "joyfully" await death is through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ, for "through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage." (HEB. 2:14-15) This is that "good defense before the dread judgment seat of Christ" that we pray for over and over in our litanies. And it is our access to the Kingdom of God that reveals that life is stronger than death.

Fr. Steven

Preparing for the Entrance

Dear Parish Faithful,

This year, the third of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church year - The Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple - will fall on this coming Sunday, November 21. This gives us the opportunity to celebrate the Feast in a truly festal manner, with most of the parish present and participating. Yet this also means that the Great Vespers introducing the feast will be on this coming Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. The Great Vespers on the eve of a feast is even fuller, with the special hymnography and the blessing of the loaves and anointing with oil at the end. This liturgical cycle - though we don't serve the festal Matins - allows for a full expression of the Church's life as one "feast" that introduces us into the life of salvation, redemption and glorification. This is the gift of God's saving grace in Christ experienced in the Church.

I encourage everyone to make a point of experiencing our parish celebration of this Feast of the Mother of God in all of its fulness. Add to that fulness with your prayerful presence at Great Vespers. Come and receive the blessed bread and be anointed with the "oil of gladness." If it is simply a matter of other distractions or interests that may entice you away, put aside such temptation, and come to the church and worship with the angels and your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you are tired, recall the words of Christ: "Come to me, all who are tired and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (MATT. 11:28). As we just heard St. John Chrysostom preach: "The Church is the foundation of virtue and the school of spiritual life. Just cross its threshold at any time, and immediately you forget daily cares. Pass inside, and a spiritual ray will surround your soul."

Lately, we have had better attendance at the Saturday evening Great Vespers, so this feast can add to that momentum.

Fr. Steven

A Final Incentive

Dear Parish Faithful and Friends in Christ,

I would like to add a final bit of "incentive" for participating in our upcoming Fall Adult Education Class beginning next Monday evening (Nov 8). Here is a paragraph from Sister Nonna Harrison in which she describes the over-all structure and purpose of her book, God's Many-Splendored Image:

Throughout the book we will listen to the prophetic voices of the early and Eastern Christian traditions that proclaim the true value and dignity of every human person and call us back to our authentic identity and purpose. Each chapter of this book explores a different facet of the divine image and likeness and maps out a path that can lead toward wholeness and holiness. We will begin each chapter with one of my childhood questions about human identity and a story that illustrates the question and begins to point toward an answer. Then we will explore early Christian writers, ideas, and stories that flesh out the answer. Each chapter describes a set of gifts included in the divine image and likeness and shows how they can be used and developed rightly and how they can be misused. Each chapter includes practical suggestions about how we can learn to turn away from past mistakes, become as God really intends us to be, and participate in God's loving work in the world.

To "become as God really intends us to be" - now that sounds exciting!

Fr. Steven

God's Many Splendored Image 2

Dear Parish Faithful,


"The heart is deep." (Ps. 64:6)

I recently read the following from Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware): "As somebody said to me recently, 'If I died tomorrow, nobody would notice'." Before explaining some of the context behind this sad and troubling lament, allow me to simply point out for the moment that it is from the Foreword of the new book by Sister Nonna Harrison, "God's Many-Splendored Image." The entire Foreword is a ringing endorsement for Sister Nonna's book, and coming from a figure such as Metropolitan Kallistos, it makes one immediately interested in the book's content. (The other endorsements on the back cover are also quite impressive). As previously announced and promoted, this is the book that we will be reading, studying and discussing together in this year's Fall Adult Education Class, beginning on Monday evening, November 8, and continuing for the traditional six sessions. I just finished my first reading of the book, and I can say that it was one of the best theology books that I have read in recent years. More than just a "good read," this book is insightful, challenging and, ultimately, very inspiring. Sister Nonna is deeply concerned about the dehumanizing processes that lead many people to find life meaningless; or which leads others to oppress and exploit innocent human lives. The only response is to understand that we are created "in the image and likeness" of God, which Sister Nonna explores throughout the book in a masterly fashion. As Sister Nonna writes in her simple, but poignant dedication:

This book is dedicated to all those people whom other people have thrown away. It shows that God does not throw people away.

I am hoping that many of you have already purchased your personal copy of this book, and have already started reading it, or will so soon. The book is written in a clear accessible style that explains the various themes carefully and lovingly. I am also hoping that many of you will participate in this year's Fall Adult Education Class, where we will share our reading experience of Sister Nonna's book. If you need some further encouragement, or a "pastoral push," then hopefully this will be it! Yet allow me to say a few more words about this annual educational event "in the life of the parish."

I strongly maintain that the "three pillars" of a healthy parish are, and will remain: 1) liturgical worship; 2) education/catechism; and 3) charity. There are certainly many more things, but these are essential and radiate outward to touch other aspects of parish life. Knowing our Orthodox Faith as well as possible is not an option, but a God-directed responsibility: "Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you ... " (I PET. 3:15) Bible Studies, Education Classes and Retreats are the major ways in which we fulfill this responsibility. This is not one of those burdensome or boring responsibilities in life, but one that is exciting, illuminating and inspiring! For our present concern, once you commit to the class, then you commit to reading the assigned book and deepening your understanding of our Faith - with an eye toward "putting into practice" what has been read. In fact, in this instance, Sister Nonna's book has the phrase "Christian Formation" in the subtitle.

In addition, what I have learned over the years is that the fellowship experienced is as important as the content of the book that we read as a group. We are in this together: the whole process of struggling to be Christians in a secularized and dehumanizing society; of learning how to become better friends "in Christ," and supportive of one another; of being able to trust one another and to speak freely in front of each other of our concerns and even fears about the challenges of life and the world around us. So our "sessions" go way beyond a classroom setting of imparting knowledge or "getting the information right." The only "homework" is to read the assigned chapter for each session; and the only "test" is how well we can apply what we learn to our lives. (The "final" may just be the Last Judgment!). Again, a sense of fellowship develops that is inviting to just such a setting. This takes time, but it has happened over time in our parish, and I thank God for that.

But test what I am claiming for yourself, and join us this year! Take up the challenge of opening your minds and hearts to a book that may change some of your assumptions and convictions about living out the Christian life. Drink deeply of the accumulated Christian wisdom of the past and how that wisdom can be applied and actualized in today's challenging world. We will have a sure guide in Sister Nonna who will do her part in deepening our sense of being God's many-splendored image. As Metropolitan Kallistos wrote as the last sentence of his Foreword: "Here truly is a work that I can recommend with all my heart."

_____

Sister Nonna will quote and explain many of the insights of the Church Fathers in her book. I recently gave a homily about the Fathers, and then wrote a Meditation on how important it is for us as Orthodox Christians to familiarize ourselves with their lives and works. That Meditation is posted on our website, under the title "Learning the Fathers." I noticed that our Webservant provided links to Wikipedia for all of the Church Fathers listed in my Meditation. This fits in perfectly with my pastoral suggestion that you make a point of reading about the Fathers as much as you would do of a contemporary personality, from a politician to an entertainment figure. Just click on the name and you are immediately at the Wikipedia site with a good short biography on that particular Church Father. The proverbial "apple a day" supposed has good results. How about a "Church Father a day" - or even a week. Something good will assuredly come of it. The Church Fathers only a click away - they never would have guessed!

Fr. Steven

Lessons from Lazarus

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,


"Let us examine not the outer garments, but the conscience of each person."
~ St. John Chrysostom

It is true that Jesus told his disciples that "you always have the poor with you;" but He went on to say that "whenever you will, you can do good to them." (MK. 14:7) Though Jesus allowed and defended the "costly" pre-burial anointing He received from an anonymous woman as a recognition of the love behind it, and for its highly symbolic significance; He clearly taught repeatedly of our need to recognize the poor and needy in our midst. In this teaching, He was clearly upholding the teaching of the prophets that went before Him and prepared the way for Him. The Parable of the Last Judgement (MT. 25:31-46) and the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (proclaimed at last Sunday's Liturgy) bear this out with great power and authority. Being "realists," we understand that the world will always be the home of countless impoverished human beings, and that injustice, indifference and greed will remain as some of the reasons behind this sorry state of affairs, in addition to the other complex social and environmental factors that are appealed to. Though the early Church Fathers did not challenge the social structures of their own times (the world of late antiquity) in a systematic manner; they eloquently and passionately appealed to the moral conscience of their flocks and fellow Christians to alleviate the distress of the poor whenever possible.

This is certainly true of St. John Chrysostom who consistently interpreted the Gospel so as to inspire the moral and ethical sensibilities of his flock toward a Christ-like response to those in need. In a stirring series of six homilies on the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (available in English translation), St. John goes beneath the surface in order to disclose the true meaning of "theft" from the perspective of the Gospel:

I shall bring you testimony from the divine Scriptures, saying that not only the theft of others' goods but also the failure to share one's own good with others is theft and swindle and defraudation. What is this testimony? Accusing the Jews by the prophet, God says, 'The earth has brought forth her increase, and you have not brought forth our tithes; but the theft of the poor is in your houses.' (cf. MAL. 3:8-10) Since you have not given the accustomed offering, He says, you have stolen the goods of the poor. He says this to show the rich that they hold the goods of the poor even if they have inherited them from their fathers or no matter how they have gathered their wealth. And elsewhere the Scripture says, 'Deprive not the poor of his living.' (SIR. 4:1) To deprive is to take what belongs to another; for it is called deprivation when we take and keep what belongs to others. By this we are taught that when we do not show mercy, we will be punished just like those who steal. For our money is the Lord's, however we may have gathered it. If we provide for those in need, we shall obtain great plenty. This is why God has allowed you to have more: not for you to waste on prostitutes, drink, fancy food, expensive clothes, and all the other kinds of indulgence, but for you to distribute to those in need ... If you are affluent, but spend more than you need, you will give an account of the funds which were entrusted to you.... For you have obtained more than others have, and you have received it, not to spend it for yourself, but to become a good steward for others as well. (Homily II)

Listening to the voice of St. John, I may now have to confess to being a "thief" together with my many other sins! As often happens when listening to St. John as a thundering voice reaching forward from the recesses of the distant past into the present, and speaking on behalf of the Gospel, our "comfort zones" are assaulted as he drives home our responsibilities without allowing much room for self-righteous contentment. Yet, all this takes is a simple appeal to the Scriptures. Undermining conventional wisdom about the twin realities of "wealth" and "poverty," St. John reverses these categories also in the light of the Gospel ideal of freedom from acquisitiveness:

Let us learn from this man not to call the rich lucky nor the poor unfortunate. Rather, if we are to tell the truth, the rich man is not the one who has collected many possessions but the one who needs few possessions, and the poor man is not the one who has no possessions but the one who has many desires. We ought to consider this the definition of poverty and wealth. So if you see someone greedy for many things, you should consider him the poorest of all, even if he has acquired everyone's money. If, on the other hand, you see someone with few needs, you should count him the richest of all, even if he has acquired nothing. (Homily II)

Of course, this definition of the rich man as one "who needs few possessions" is much more meaningful if such an approach to "wealth" is freely assumed as a consciously-chosen lifestyle, and not one imposed by circumstances of birth and environment; yet St. John's rhetorical reversal of roles still stands as a challenge to us living in a materially-saturated and consumer-driven society. St. John's homilies are directed toward Christian believers, and not the unbelieving world outside of the Church. In fact, in today's world, it is difficult to distinguish between a "secular consumerism" and a "Christian consumerism." Everyone is more-or-less caught up in the frenzy to "get ahead," or to attain the "American dream," a good part of which is the accumulation of wealth and status. Yet, the labels of "wealth" and "poverty" do not reveal the real person underneath these roles. It may not be until death - that "great equalizer" - arrives, that our true nature is revealed. St. John offers a vivid description of this process based upon his knowledge of the theatre in his times:

Just as in the theater, when evening falls and the audience departs, and the kings and generals go outside to remove the costumes of their roles, they are revealed to everyone thereafter appearing to be exactly what they are; so also now when death arrives and the theater is dissolved, everyone puts off the masks of wealth or poverty and departs to the other world. When all are judged by their deeds alone, some are revealed truly wealthy, others poor, some of high class, others of no account. (Homily II)

As noted above, St. John Chrysostom does not offer a political or social program, as this would have been unrealistic in the world of late antiquity. What he does is to appeal to the conscience of his fellow Christians. He exhorts to deeds of philanthropy - a real love of fellow human beings based on the desire to alleviate the suffering of poverty on a personal level when one encounters the neighbor who is in need. The rich man is not condemned because he is wealthy, but because he is indifferent to others - even those at his very gate and in clear view. He would not share. That is his primary sin. If we are blessed by God with material prosperity, then we need to thank God for this. If Jesus taught us that we can do good to the poor according to our will, this would mean that we thank God through the deeds of sharing our own wealth with those in need. That is expected of those who accept the Gospel.

Fr. Steven