The Spirituality of the Christian East — 20160306

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Ladder of Divine AccentThe fourteenth step on John’s Ladder, Gluttony, is particularly apropos for people during the Great Fast. Why? Because many times people spend fasting periods groaning about food. And not only this – some become so obsessive about observing the rules of the fact that they spend a great deal of time examining ingredients when they go shopping and are constantly thinking about what they can and     cannot eat. The result is that they end up being more concerned with food during the fasts than they are the rest of the time, which contradicts one of the purposes of fasting: to attach less significance to food, not more.

Also, fasters can sometimes find themselves concentrating more on what they will eat once the fast is over than on the meaning of the feast for which the fast prepares them. When the feast arrives, be it Pascha, the Nativity or another feast that has a fast preparing them for it, they consider gluttony to be perfectly acceptable. They stuff our faces with all the things they have spent many weeks fasting from.

This mentality can be recognized not only in the lengthier periods of fasting, but even on a weekly basis.

The fact of the matter is that fasting is meant to help us discipline ourselves so that we can focus on our spiritual development. It is not an end unto itself. It, by itself, does not bring about spiritual growth. Spiritual growth comes when we discipline ourselves to concentrate on our spiritual lives.

A gluttonous spirit craves food. It regards fasting as deprivation and therefore sees all other times as     opportunities to make up for that deprivation. We must remember that fasting is not the fine we pay for not living up to the Way of Jesus.

Learning Our Faith From the Greek Fathers of the Church — 20160306

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transfigurationIn the last issue of this article, I began sharing St. John Chrysostom’s thoughts about the supernatural Light of Tabor. His thoughts seem, however, to have an apparent inconsistency. In another passage, he states with equal clarity that the righteous at the Last Day will see Christ, not merely as His disciples had seen Him on Tabor, but “in the very glory of the Father.” For He will not came that way again. On Tabor, so as to spare His disciples, He disclosed only as much of His brightness as they were able to endure (we pray this in the Tropar of the feast); whereas later He shall come in the very glory of the Father, not   only with Moses and Elias, but also with the infinite angelic hosts, with archangels, with cherubim, with those infinite heavenly companies.

Thus, “the very glory of the Father”, which is here referred to as an even greater glory than that which was revealed at the Transfiguration, will be revealed only at the Last Day. There is a difference between the glory of Christ on Tabor and the glory of the Second Coming according to John.

Now this apparent inconsistency is resolved only when one looks more closely at the context in which this second passage appears. First, it is important simply to note that both passages come from the very same homily. What Chrysostom is actually saying here is that the revelation of Christ’s glory at the Last Day will not be on the humble scale of Tabor – where we have an intimate disclosure of Christ’s divine glory before two prophets and three disciples – but rather that it will be of such cosmic proportions that it will involve the infinite myriads of the heavenly Powers. Scholars believe that the underlying           presupposition here is that the greater the participation in Christ’s glory, the greater the     manifestation of that glory. Hence, Christ’s glory at the Last Day will be greater than that of Tabor because it will also reveal His glory to the heavenly hosts, suffused with and bearing witness to the divine glory of Christ. It is the manifestation of the full majesty of Christ’s heavenly status according to Chrysostom.

Why, you might ask, should any of this be important to us. I think it is important because it highlights one of the important marks of a true Christian person, namely the thinking about our faith in a very serious manner. Having God on our minds and wrestling with Who we think He is, draws us ever closer to Him and brings us into communion with Him.

Reflections on the Scriptural Readings for this Weekend — 20160228

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holycrossWe have reached the mid-point of the Great Fast. This week the Church calls us to venerate and reflect on the Cross of Christ. She directs us to place the Cross, decorated with flowers, in the very center of our worship space so that it will be foremost in our attention. We venerate the Cross and proclaim: We bow to Your Cross, O Master, and we praise Your third-day resurrection. This prayer is accompanied with prostrations wherein we bend our wills (backs) and minds (we touch our heads to the floor) declaring by our actions our willingness to freely embrace the plan that God, expressed through life, has for us. This is precisely what Jesus did when He embraced the Cross. He freely accepted the challenges that life delivered to Him so that what He taught about the meaning and purpose of life might be seen as true. He truly lived what he preached. He unconditionally loved and forgave His enemies. He demonstrated that if a person freely embraces the challenges life gives, then one gains the fullness of life, resulting in a deeper union with God – one truly becomes God’s child.

The Church accompanies these liturgical actions with a call to listen to a passage taken from Mark’s Gospel. It conveys an important message that Jesus gave to His followers and now gives to us: If a person wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and follow in my steps. His message directly tells us how to live this life. He says: What profit does a man show who gains the whole world and destroys himself in the process. Belief in the meaning and purpose of this earthly existence is critical.

The meaning of what the Church calls us to do, I believe, is quite clear. It is a clear reminder that if we desire the fullness of life we must, just like Jesus, freely embrace the challenges given to us by life. This is the only way that we can grow in the likeness of God as revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ. Life’s challenges are uniquely designed to provide us with the needed opportunities to learn how to unconditionally love and forgive others.

The Great Fast is our meant to be our self-crucifixion, our experience, limited as it is, of Christ’s revelation. But we cannot take up our cross – freely embrace the challenges of our lives – unless we voluntarily commit ourselves to try to live like Jesus. He revealed to us, by His Cross, the true meaning and purpose of life and how it should be lived to become God’s child.

 

Making the Great Fast Real

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theotokosThis week try to reduce the clutter in both your spiritual and physical lives. Each day go to a different room and organize and reduce clutter. Throw out the things you don’t need.

Each day during the week, take time out to think about your thinking and throw out the clutter which is there, or at least identify the mental clutter that may be standing in your way of spiritually growing.

As we impose more order in our physical lives, we gain the ability to also reduce the clutter in our mental/spiritual lives.

The Spirituality of the Christian East — 20160228

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Ladder of Divine AccentThe fourteenth step on St. John’s Ladder deals with GLUTTONY. What comes to mind when you hear the word gluttony? You probably think of someone overweight eating large quantities of food. One might even think that, outside the fasting periods, this is quite acceptable. After all, if a Christian observes all the fasts, he spends about half the year fasting. So perhaps you might think fasters are entitled to feast when it is permitted.

But as a passion, gluttony is a little more complicated than this. For passions are not mere actions, but conditions of soul and body that distort our relationship not only with our fellow human beings, but also with our natural environments and our own bodies.

It is interesting that St. John, on more than one occasion, uses the term “gluttonous soul” or “gluttonous spirit”. While I am speaking of what is commonly thought of as a physical sin, the distinction between physical and spiritual is an oversimplification. We cannot make such a sharp distinction between body and soul, since there is nothing human beings can do without both of these together. Thus physical sins have a spiritual   dimension.

The Ladder gives us a good example of how a gluttonous spirit distorts our approach not only to food, but also to the feasts and fasts of the Church. He writes

The gluttonous monk celebrates on Saturdays and Sundays. He counts the days to Easter, and for days in advance he gets the food ready. The slave of the belly ponders the menu with which to celebrate the feast.

It is important that we approach fasting with the right attitude. I will continue John’s thoughts about a “gluttonous spirit.”

CALLED TO HOLINESS — 20160228

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transfigurationAs I shared in the last issue, the call to holiness is a call to union with Jesus. This is the first goal of the Christian life. The problem that arises, however, is that past memories often get in the way of a person achieving such union with Christ. I shared that what must happen is the healing of memories.

Why is healing of memories so very important? Because our past makes up as much of us as our present does. So we must bring Christ not only into our present life but also into our past life – memories – so that He can heal any memories which cause us pain in the present or which govern our attitudes and/or behaviors in the present.

Psychodynamic therapy, by the way, attempts to help a person bring past experiences, which are now memories, into a person’s present consciousness and there heal those memories through a deeper and better understanding of those memories. Once past memories are present, we can then choose not to let them control our present lives.

Paul understood why we need Christ in our past. He said “you must put aside your old self”. Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth. We must remember that our past experiences are controlled, perhaps, not by thoughts that are influenced by the Gospel of Christ but by a gospel of our society. The values, attitudes and the events of our society are as much a part of our unconscious memories as anything else and are influential on our behavior. The process of engaging in spiritual growth is to put on the attitudes and behaviors of Christ. More frequent than not this process requires that we “give up” society’s attitudes and behaviors that are also very much a part of our unconscious. Up to the point in our lives at which we begin to take Jesus seriously, our minds are filled with society’s values.

The Divine Liturgy and Our Worship of God — 20160228

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The Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is the center of our worship. We often refer to ourselves as a “Eucharistic community” meaning that all believers gather in unity at the Lord’s Table. The Eucharist is more than just a ritual, it is a divine mystery. Our Church believes that the real presence of Christ is in the consecrated bread and wine.

To understand our perspective on Holy Communion, it is important to compare our views with those of other churches. For example, the Roman Catholic Church uses the term “transubstantiation” to describe its understanding of what happens to the bread and wine during the Eucharist. According to this view, the bread and the wine are literally changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. As for the bread, as bread, and the wine, as wine, nothing remains after the prayers of consecration, not even a morsel. It only looks like bread and wine. In reality it was the Body and Blood of Christ.

Our Church’s perspective is slightly different. We believe that the Eucharist is indeed a mystery and that the bread and wine are really transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. However, we do not attempt to explain exactly how this happens. Our Church doesn’t mind letting a mystery remain a mystery. We know that the Lord Jesus Himself commanded us to eat his body and drink his blood, and we know that by doing so we are nourished spiritually. We accept this by faith and don’t attempt to describe how this is accomplished other than to say that sometime during our prayers to the Father, Son and Spirit, the mystery becomes complete.

The word Eucharist literally means thanksgiving. It is a meal in which we call forth (anamnesis) the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In our Church Holy Communion is the climax of our worship. We pray to the Father to send down His Holy Spirit upon the bread and the wine (epiclesis), and also upon his people. When we enter into this sacred act, we are transformed by the Holy Spirit just as the bread and wine are changed. This beautiful mystery cannot be explained by words or theological precision. It is something which must be experienced by those who have joined their lives in Christ.

Mystical Supper

Mystical Supper

The Orthodox view of Holy Communion is often misunderstood by other Christians, particularly Protestants. Since the reformation, many Christians have reacted strongly against some of the medieval practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Holy Communion is often perceived as a “work” to attain righteousness. However, this has never been the view of the Orthodox Church. We understand the Eucharist to be a reaffirmation of Christ’s atoning work on the cross.

Another point of confusion is the term “sacrifice.” By using the word sacrifice, we do not mean that Jesus is sacrificed again and again as some understand. Orthodoxy agrees with scripture which declares that Jesus’ crucifixion was a sacrifice “once and for all.” Each time we celebrate the Eucharist (thanksgiving) we are The word “Eucharist” literally means thanksgiving. It is a meal in which we call forth (anamnesis) the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In our churches Holy Communion is the climax of our worship. We pray to the Father to send down His Holy Spirit upon the bread and the wine (epiclesis), and also upon his people. When we enter into this sacred act, we are transformed by the Holy Spirit just as the bread and wine are changed. This beautiful mystery cannon be explained by words or theological precision. It is something which must be experienced by those who have hidden their lives in Christ.

The Orthodox view of Holy Communion is often misunderstood by other Christians, particularly Protestants. Since the reformation, many Christians have reacted strongly against some of the medieval practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Holy Communion is often perceived as a “work” to attain righteousness. However, this has never been the view of the Orthodox Church. We understand the Eucharist to be a reaffirmation of Christ’s atoning work on the cross.

Another point of confusion is the term “sacrifice.” By using the word sacrifice, we do not mean that Jesus is sacrificed again and again as some understand. Orthodoxy agrees with scripture which declares that Jesus’ crucifixion was a sacrifice “once and for all.” Each time we celebrate the Eucharist (thanksgiving) we are offering back to the Father the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. It is truly a sacrifice of praise.

The Eucharist and the Orthodox Understanding of Time. We uphold the ancient teaching that at the Lord’s Table, we return to that very moment itself. Obviously our perspective is more than just a symbolic remembrance, but beyond this definition of mystery we cannot go. The Eucharist is called the “mystical supper,” and those who truly believe received the transforming power of the body and blood of Christ.

Understanding Our Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church — 20160228

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Picture1While the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is the preeminent liturgical service of our Church, the Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian is the preeminent personal, lenten prayer of our Church. Our Church encourages all members to say it each day.

Why does this prayer occupy such an important place in our Church during this time? Probably because it articulates the negative behaviors that we are called to eliminate in our lives and then sets forth the positive behaviors we are called embrace in our lives. This prayer clearly outlines the process of metanoia. It provides us a roadmap for our lenten efforts.

Ephrem’s prayer tells us to eliminate such things as slothfulness, discouragement, vain talk and, of course, ambition. This prayer then suggests that we develop: humility, patience and neighborly love. And finally the prayer asks God to help us become aware of our weaknesses, faults and, especially, our natural tendency to judge others.

When you think about the contents of this prayer you realize that it presents not only the characteristics that need to be eliminated but also the characteristics to be developed in order to truly be a follower of Jesus and, therefore, a child of God.

Permit me to say a few words about the negative characteristics that are to be eliminated. The first negative behavior is sloth. In our modern world we seldom hear about this attitude. It is an attitude that convinces us that we (1) do not need to change, (2) are unable to change, and (3) don’t have to change. Of course this plays into our disposition that says that change is difficult and therefore to be avoided.

This human attitude leads to faint-heartedness or despondency, causing a person to feel that it is virtually impossible to achieve anything good or positive. It results in what is known as pessimism.

Another attitude that we are encouraged to eradicate from our lives is ambition or lust of power. It usually finds it’s expression in a desire to control and dominate others and it supports, in particular, egotism and selfishness. When we are convinced that we don’t need to change, we become self-centered.

The final attitude we are called to eliminate is idle talk. This attitude uses one of humankind’s greatest abilities, that is the ability to talk, to hurt others. Recall what St. John Climacus said about idle talk. It       supports sloth, despondency and lust for power and distorts life!

Gaining a Deeper Understanding of the New Testament — 20160228

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the_four_evangelistsI have, in this article, been attempting to present the various ideas that biblical scholars have about the Synoptic problem. The problem is this: why are there similarities and, of course, differences between the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. I have presented two solutions so far, namely that Matthew is the source for Mark and Luke OR Mark is the source for Matthew and Luke. These theories postulate a literary interdependence. These theories, however, suppose that two of the Synoptics depend on the third, in other words on an existing Gospel. There is, however, other theories. The other theories depend on the reconstructed, hypothetical source that is no longer extant and not the same as any canonical Gospel. Sometimes these theories are thought to supplant previous explanations of the Synoptic Problem. At other times they are combined with one of the explanations already given with dependence on oral tradition or with dependence on Mark.

One of these theories is called the Single Document as basis for a three-fold tradition. They theory is known as the Primitive-Gospel Solution. It suggests that the Synoptics all drew their material from a primitive Aram Gospel that has been lost. This theory suggests that each Synoptic Gospel is quite independent of one another. They would all have drawn from a document that contained the entire life of Christ. This document was composed in Aram at an early date and subsequently translated into Greek and revised a number of times. The Synoptics would have made use of these revisions when composing their Gospels.

This theory, while simply and yet progressively more complex, has been unsuccessful and has been abandoned by scholars. There would certainly have been greater uniformity among the Gospels in content, arrangement and language if the theory were fact. There was a positive value to the theory. It paved the way for the recognition that our canonical Gospels represent the culmination of a literary process, and the supposition of a common source for Matthew and Luke was the first insight into the proposal of a “sayings” source or document. In more recent times the Gospel of Thomas was found and published which contains a collection of Jesus “sayings”.

There are two other theories in this category of a common source outside of the three Gospels known as the Synoptic Gospels. When this is all considered, I think it makes a very fundamentalist approach difficult!

Learning Our Faith From the Greek Fathers of the Church — 20160228

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john-chrysostomChurchman par excellence, St. John, Patriarch of Constantinople, is often regarded more as a moralist than a theologian. Such a view, however, which surely stems from the fact that Chrysostom’s greatest literary legacy is his homilies, apart from betraying a false distinction, also fails to take into account, and   ascribe proper weight to, the profound theological influence of homiletic tradition upon the formulation of Christian doctrine. Homilies, of course, imply church services – Liturgy. The Eastern Church has also stressed the real relationship between faith and worship. The almost 3,000 homilies on Holy Scripture ascribed to John and his sermons are widely acknowledged as the real foundation upon which the homiletic tradition of the Eastern Church is based.

Now it seems that this assertion is no less true in the case of our thoughts on the Transfiguration of Christ. One of John’s homilies is the main source of our understanding on this event. It is the first homily on the Transfiguration in the history of the Church. Equally significant are the references to this event in a number of John’s other writings. They all shed light on his understanding of the nature and     significance of the revelation on Tabor.

It seems that a number of other authors, such as Origen and Maximus the Confessor, helped shape John’s understanding of the Transfiguration Light. John, however, focuses on it in such a way as to signify considerably more than mere metaphor.

What is the nature and significance of the Light of Tabor as found in the writings of St. John? What does John have to say specifically about the Light of Tabor?

In a way which is highly reminiscent of Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, John’s appreciation of the Taborian revelation is fundamentally about our salvation and life as this earthly life. So as to prepare His disciples for the trials that they were about to endure in this life, Christ chose to give them a foretaste, concrete proof, of the heavenly blessings of which he had hitherto only spoken.

That which Christ had only spoken of, and which had not been revealed until the Transfiguration, was His coming again “in the glory of His Father”. The glory of the transfigured Christ, then, is a foreshowing of the Paternal glory in which Christ is to appear at the Last Day.

I shall continue to share some of the thoughts of John on the Light of Tabor.

They can give us insight into our faith!