The Apostles Peter & Paul - The Greatest and Most Righteous Pillars of the Church

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

“During their earthly lives, all the saints are an incentive to virtue for those who hear and see them with understanding, for they are human icons of excellence, animated pillars of goodness, and living books, which teach us the way to better things.” (Homily on Saints Peter and Paul by St. Gregory Palamas)

 

Today we celebrate and commemorate the two great Apostles Peter and Paul. Their martyrdom in Rome is a very well-attested historical event, happening probably between the years 64-68 A.D. under the Roman emperor Nero. This is considered within the Church to be such a great Feast that it is preceded by a prescribed time of fasting, a practice only reserved otherwise for the great Feasts of the Lord (Nativity and Pascha) and the Mother of God (Dormition). This both stresses the historical greatness of these two apostles, the accomplishments of their respective ministries, their martyric ends, and the very ministry and role of an apostle in proclaiming the Gospel to the world in fulfillment of the Lord’s command to preach the Good News to “all nations.” (MATT. 28:16-20) Indeed, St. Clement of Rome in his First Epistle, referred to Sts. Peter and Paul as “the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the church].” On careful reflection, it is not simply pious rhetoric that informs some of the hymns chanted in their honor during this Feast:

What spiritual songs shall we sing for Peter and Paul? They have silenced the sharp tongues of the godless. They are awesome swords of the Spirit. They are the adornment of Rome; They have nourished the whole world with the Word of God. They are the living tablets of the New Testament written by the hand of God; Christ who has great mercy, has exalted them in Zion.(Great Vespers)

In the New Testament, fourteen of the Epistles are traditionally attributed to St. Paul and two are attributed to St. Peter. While the entire Acts of the Apostles is basically devoted to recording some of the major events in the history of these two apostles “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (ACTS. 1:8) It may not be wholly accurate to refer to Sts. Peter and Paul as the apostles, respectively, “to the circumcised” (the Jews) and the “uncircumcised” (the Gentiles) – for St. Peter preached to the Gentiles and St. Paul to the Jews) – but this is a way of capturing the fullness of their combined ministries so that Jews and Gentiles would be united in the one Body of Christ in fulfillment of God’s design.

At Great Vespers of this Feast, three New Testament readings are prescribed, all from St. Peter’s first Epistle. We hear from the magnificent opening of I Peter, and this passage profoundly presents the essence of the Gospel as proclaimed in the apostolic age of the Church’s foundation, by the “prince of the apostles.” For those who have not heard or read this passage recently, a good portion of it deserves to be recorded here so as “to make your day:”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious that gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.(I PET. 1:3-9)

In this passage, St. Peter reminds us that from the beginning the Gospel bestowed upon on Christians a “living hope” that was based on the fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. All New Testament writers establish Christian hope on the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. (In his first Epistle to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul did not want his early converts to be “without hope” like their pagan neighbors, thus attesting to how important hope is for the believing Christian). The Apostle Peter was not offering yet another philosophy, but proclaiming the activity of God – “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” – within the realm of human history; that is that God has acted decisively on our behalf by overcoming death itself through the resurrection of Jesus. He then describes our “inheritance” in heaven in strikingly powerful images, emphasizing the eternal and unassailable reality of heaven – “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” This is in sharp contrast to life as we now know it in this world, for all created things are perishable, subject to defilement and destined to fade away. The Apostle Paul confirms this also by saying that “the form of this world is fading away.” (I COR. 7:31) “Guarded by faith,” we await a salvation that will be “revealed in the last time,” meaning the Parousia and end of time.

Yet, the apostle knows that this gift cannot be lightly received and treated. It will only come after “various trials” that are inevitable in a fallen world. In this instance, St. Peter was most likely referring to persecution as this had already broken out against the earliest Christians. However, suffering comes in other forms. These trials will test the “genuineness”of our faith, purifying it if we emerge from these tribulations purged like gold “tested by fire.” All of this is true even though we have not seen nor “see” Jesus even now. This is true of all of Christ’s disciples through the ages, called by Jesus Himself “blessed” by believing though not actually having seen Him (JN. 20:29).

The strength of this experience is beautifully expressed by St. Peter when he confidently states that we “rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.” This is almost embarrassing when we admit dragging ourselves to church or praying as if constrained under a heavy obligation or a “religious duty” that takes us away from more “interesting” activities! A joyless Christianity is completely foreign to the New Testament. As is a “second place” (or “third” or fourth,” etc.) Christianity in the priorities of our lives. The intended “outcome” of all this is “the salvation of your souls.” Is this why every liturgical service that begins with the Great Litany has us praying to the Lord in the first full petition, for the “peace from above and for the salvation of our souls?” There is nothing “selfish” in seeking or accepting the “salvation of our souls.” This is the gift of God that is intended for all. In the assurance of this gift, we can work more steadfastly on behalf of others, and share what God has done on our behalf.

The Apostles Peter and Paul are truly “Rivers of wisdom and upholders of the Cross!” They exemplified the later teaching of St. Ignatius of Antioch of the mystery of Christ that conveys “life in death.” For they died as martyrs but are eternally alive in Christ. We can now read their epistles and their lives as “living books which teach us the way to better things” as St. Gregory Palamas said of them. We seek their prayers as we strive to be worthy of the title of “Christian.”

The Holy Spirit's Presence in the Church

Dear Parish Faithful,

I opened my homily yesterday, by pointing out the possibility of seeing the last three Sundays as forming something of a "thematic trilogy:" The Sunday of Pentecost; The Sunday of All Saints; and The Sunday of the North American Saints, are profoundly connected because it is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost that transforms human persons into vessels of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the glory of Pentecost can fade quickly as we enter into the month of July, wherein following the Feasts of the Apostles Peter & Paul, nothing that "special" seems to happen until August. To make the point yet again, perhaps that is why we number the Sundays from Pentecost onwards up to next year's Great Lent, as "after Pentecost."  

As is often the case, it is the Apostle Paul who articulates this truth to us in a passage of deep encouragement and comfort: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (ROM. 15:13) It is fitting that we dedicate a season of fasting in preparation for the Feast of the Apostles Peter & Paul, in that the two great apostles were clearly vessels of the Holy Spirit in their fruitful ministries to both the circumcised and uncircumcised, respectively. Here, I would simply like to share the insights from a fine passage from Fr. John Breck who wrote a summary paragraph of the role and work of the Holy Spirit in the divine economy, and in the life of Christian believers. This passage gives us a sense of the extraordinarily rich and varied aspects of the Spirit’s presence in the Church which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. I am breaking down Fr. John’s paragraph in a more systematic manner:

The Spirit …

+ Prays within us and on our behalf (ROM. 8:26).

+ He works out our sanctification (ROM. 15:16; I COR. 6:11; II THESS. 2:13; GAL. 5:16-18).

+ He pours out God’s love into the hearts of believers, enabling them to address the Father by the familiar and intimate name, “Abba” (ROM. 5:5; 8:15-16; GAL. 4:6).

+ He confirms out status as “children of God” through His indwelling presence and power (ROM. 8:16; GAL. 4:6).

+ He guides and preserves the faithful in their ascetic struggles against the passions (GAL. 5:16).

+ And He serves as the source and guarantor of our “freedom” from the constraints of the Law, a freedom which enables us to behold the glory of the Lord (II COR. 3:17-18).

+ The Holy Spirit "seals" the Sacraments of the Church with His transforming presence, so that the Sacraments are indeed the source of our personal and collective sanctification: "Send down Thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these Gifts ..."

Looking up these passages in the Bible may further prove to be helpful in gaining a sense of the ongoing and endless gifts that the Holy Spirit brings to the Church and to our personal lives.

_____

To add a little bit more to these “fragments,” I would like to include a passage from Veselin Kesich’s book The First Day of the New Creation. In his discussion about Pentecost, Prof. Kesich offers a good summary of the Orthodox position concerning the issue of the filioque. As Orthodox Christians, we continue to recite the Nicene Creed in its original form, without the interpolation of the filioque, the Latin term that means “and from the Son,” when proclaiming the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father. Prof. Kesich summarizes the Orthodox position based upon a careful reading of the Scriptures. The “filioque controversy” remains to this day a divisive point of contention between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches respectively – and those Western churches that also use the term. The point to be made is not about remaining entrenched in a polemical position, but to try to come to some understanding as to why the Orthodox have never embraced this later addition to the Nicene Creed. In the words of Prof. Kesich:

It is equally true that the Fathers sends the Spirit (JN. 14:16, 26). The Son sends the Spirit, but the source of the Spirit is the Father, for the Spirit proceeds from the Father (JN. 15:26). The verb “proceed” that is used in JN. 15:26 is ekporeuomai. When it is said that the Son “comes forth” from the Father the verb is exerchomai. St. John consistently uses the latter verb whenever he speaks of the Son coming forth from the Father (8:42: 13:3; 16:27f.; 16:30; 17:8). The Spirit and the Son have the same and only origin. They are two distinct persons. Their missions are not identical. Although the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified (JN. 7:39), yet it is nowhere stated in St. John’s Gospel that the Spirit “proceeds” from the Son as he proceeds from the Father. Therefore, there is no filioque here.

The entire book by Prof. Kesich - The First Day of the New Creation - is very much worth the time and effort!

 

Become What You Are!

 

 

Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

Come, O believers,
Let us celebrate in song today,
Glorifying the memory of all the saints:
Hail, O glorious apostles, prophets, martyrs, and bishops!
Hail, O company of all the just!
Hail, O ranks of holy women!
Pray that Christ will grant our souls great mercy! 

(Sunday of All Saints, Aposticha, Vespers)

 

The Sunday of All Saints fittingly follows the Sunday of Pentecost, for the saints of the Church are the “fruit” and manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s presence among us. They are the living icons that are transparent to the glory of God that shines in and through each of them as a gift of the Holy Spirit. The saints (literally, the “holy ones”) have “escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of passion and become partakers of the divine nature” (II PET 1:4). Created in the image of God, they “are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another” (II COR 3:18). In the Book of Revelation, St. John has recorded his incomparable vision of the saints in heaven:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all the tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!”  (REV. 7:9-10)

Since, in the one Church of Christ, the heavenly and earthly realms are united, the saints are “the great cloud of witnesses” that surround us and exhort us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith”(HEB. 12:1-2). At the most basic level, the saints are the true friends of God:  “But to me, exceedingly honorable are Thy friends, O Lord”(PS. 138:16, LXX). The saints put Christ above all else in the fulfillment of their Master’s words:

"He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it." (MATT. 10:37-39)

 

The words of the Scriptures are the seeds that nourish the life of sanctity which results in the slow transformation of a human being, made in God’s image, into the very likeness of God, so that this particular person becomes by grace what Christ is by nature. The saint is thus a scriptural man or a scriptural woman, inasmuch as he/she hears the Word of God and keeps it – meaning acting upon and living out what is heard. The saint has responded positively to the paradoxical admonition: “Become what you are!”

Now, as we like to say today: “No pain – no gain!” If we were “bought with a price” (I COR. 6:20), then we could say that the saints “bought” their sanctity at “a price,” abandoning security, comfort and safety which, we acknowledge, are so central to our own understanding of life. (It is rather easy, though it may go unnoticed, for Christians to be transformed in Epicureans over time: avoid pain and seek pleasure). Being “destitute, afflicted, and ill-treated” they “wandered over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” As such, God has revealed that “the world was not worthy” of them. (HEB. 11:37-38)

The “diversity” of the saints is remarkable: fathers (and mothers), patriarchs (and matriarchs), prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and every righteous spirit made perfect in faith,” culminating in “our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary” (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom).

On the Sunday of All Saints, we do not commemorate only the saints whose names have been included on our ecclesiastical calendars; those, in other words, who have been officially “glorified/canonized” by the Church and whom we remember and venerate by name. We remember all of the saints, that vast multitude, both known and unknown, (symbolically numbered at 144,000 in the Book of Revelation; a multiple of 12 that signifies an incalculable figure as well as wholeness and totality – much to the dismay, I would imagine, of the Jehovah’s Witnesses) “who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (REV. 21:27). Perhaps this will include our own ancestors who lived modest and humble Christian lives.

All of the saints, therefore, intercede before the throne of God on our behalf. They are with us and not cut off from us by death. Rather, they are now more alive than ever and being “in Christ” are present wherever Christ is present. The earthly lives of the saints become sources of inspiration and models of emulation for us, teaching by examples of faith, hope and love; of long-suffering, perseverance and patience; of lives steeped in prayer, almsgiving and fasting. They do not discourage us because they attained what may seem unattainable to us; but rather they encourage us to struggle to overcome our weaknesses as men and women who did precisely that in their own lives. They were not born saints or privileged from birth. They became saints by co-operating with the grace of God. We, in turn, simply need to become what we already are: saints of God through Baptism and Chrismation and membership in the Church!

Many of us are deeply impressed by the total dedication, perseverance, training, commitment and love of the sport exhibited by today’s athletes. (Possible envy of their great wealth and fame is a different subject). Many may shake their heads in disbelief or nod in admiration. Hardly anyone will call these athletes “fanatics.” But if someone is that single-minded and intent upon the life in God, that is a word that will inevitably ring out. But the saints are not fanatics – they simply have a passion for God and put the Gospel and the Kingdom of God above all else.

To be inducted into any particular Hall of Fame – from baseball to Rock ‘n Roll – is considered to be a great human achievement and a goal only an elite few could even aspire to. However, these Halls of Fame are the secular and rather pale – if not pitiful – reflections of an earlier age’s striving for the heavenly realm of the Kingdom of God. The saints looked beyond the fleeting and temporal “glory of men” to the unchanging and eternal “glory of God.” That seems to be the vocation of all Christians and the Lord’s desire for us.

The 'Immovable Bookends' of the Paschal Season

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

It strikes me that two of our significant Sunday Liturgies during the year are both immediately followed by a Vespers Service that most of the parish stays for. I am referring to the service of Forgiveness Vespers and the Vespers of Pentecost. 

The first of these two is on the eve of Great Lent and actually inaugurates the lenten season. In addition to the "lenten" tone of Forgiveness Vespers - with the all-important Rite of Forgiveness attached at the end - we also hear the chanting of the joyous paschal canon so that we are reminded of this long journey's destination. And the Vespers of Pentecost - though praising and glorifying the Holy Spirit through some truly inspired hymnography - highlights the Kneeling Prayers in which we beg God to forgive our many sins:

Thou art our God, but since our days have passed in vanity, we have been deprived of every defense. But emboldened by Thy compassions, we call out: Remember not the sins of our youth and our ignorance and cleanse Thou us of our secret sins, cast us not away in time of old age; when our strength fails, forsake us not.

There are seven weeks - or a "week of weeks" - from Forgiveness Vespers to Pascha; and then another seven weeks - or "week of weeks" - from Pascha to Pentecost. All together, a substantial portion of the liturgical year. Thus, these two unique Vespers services are like immovable "bookends" that hold our lives together in a kind of "holy stability" as we journey from Great Lent, through Holy Week and Pascha, to the "last day of the Feast" - Pentecost.

In the first stikhera for Pentecost, at Great Vespers, we sing "How noble and awesome is this great mystery!" Do we encounter anything in today's world that is "noble and awesome?" There is either misery and cynicism; or entertainment and escapism. We seem to be surrounded by a sea of lies emanating from politicians or con artists, and we seek refuge from this wherever we can find it. And that refuge may be found only in the bosom of our homes and families; or with the closest of friends. (There is a great deal that is "noble and awesome" in the natural world that surrounds us, but we may have to look up and around outside of our pressing interior thoughts to discover that God-created majesty). The overall effort, however, can be to reduce what is "noble and awesome" to a naive, even archaic phrase that no longer conforms to reality.

But not so in the Church. Pentecost is precisely a "noble and awesome and great mystery." It is the coming of the Holy Spirit, "the Comforter and Spirit of Truth." It may take a conscious effort "to lay aside all earthly cares" to discover it, but as an old saying has it: it is hidden within plain sight. We only need an open mind and heart and interior eyes that we can "see" with.

We have seen the true Light! We have received the Holy Spirit! We have found the true Faith! Worshiping the undivided Trinity, who has saved us.

 

The Sundays of Pentecost

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

The Sundays following the Feast of Pentecost are numbered as “after Pentecost.” This is a liturgical reminder of the Holy Spirit’s ever-abiding presence within the Church; and that everything we do within the Church – especially the celebration of the Sacraments – is sealed by the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, there are no “ordinary” Sundays – including those in the summer months! 

Our entire lives as Orthodox Christians – from cradle to grave – are an unceasing rhythm of progressing from one Lord’s Day celebration to the next. Our hope is that our earthly Liturgies will prepare us for our “passage” into eternal Liturgy of the Kingdom of God. There is no “summer vacation.” And that includes families with small children who are on “vacation” from Church School. 

It is a good thing if your children truly miss the Church School; but that is no reason to miss church and the Liturgy during the summer months. That may be the best “lesson” that you teach your children. I just received a very encouraging letter from a mother who shared with me that over time, and with patience and perseverance, her children are now much more focused on the Liturgy; and that they now always say the “Amen” when we consecrate our gifts of bread and wine as the Body and Blood of Christ, including the final triple “Amen” when we call down the Holy Spirit to seal, complete and perfect the consecration. That is the result of “sticking with it” Sunday after Sunday. 

Once again, if you are traveling, there is no reason why provisions to attend a local Orthodox parish cannot be made. Try and work your schedule around the Lord’s Day. If we want God to be with us on our vacations, then perhaps we should make the effort to be with God whenever possible. 

- Fr. Steven