My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
"Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the light is with
you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you;
HE WHO WALKS IN DARKNESS DOES NOT KNOW WHERE HE
IS GOING. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you
may become sons of light" [John 12:35-26].
In the Orthodox Confession of faith (Nicene Creed) which we recite in every Divine Liturgy we confess, "And in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all Ages. Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten not made, One in essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made."
The people who live in darkness want to know the identity of the Son of Man. But Jesus challenges them to come to the Light while there is still time to become children of Light. Christ is "LIGHT OF LIGHT". In UNION WITH HIM, WE PARTAKE OF HIS LIGHT, BECOMING CHILDREN OF LIGHT. Again, He says, "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORD. HE WHO FOLLOWS ME SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKESS BUT HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE" [John 8:12]. The followers and believers of Jesus, the Christians, are the light and shine as lights in the world. The Holy Apostle John reminds us, "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declares to you, that GOD IS LIGHT AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS"[1 John 1:5]. The Holy Apostle John believes, "light" is Divine energy manifested as (1) truth (orthodox doctrine0, (2) virtue and holiness (true believers), and (3) COMMUNION WITH GOD IN THE HOLY CHURCH (true spirituality). The strongest of all weapons AGAINST "DARKNESS" [evil] is our love for God, a strong, vibrant relationship with Him. In these and other references in Saint John, God IS THE SOURCE OF THIS UNCREATED LIFE-GIVING LIGHT
The Holy Apostle Paul exhorts all believers, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of crooked and perverse generation, among WHOM YOU SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain" [Philippians 2:14-16]. Furthermore, Saint John reinforces our understanding of God when he says, "in Him was life, and the life was the light of men" [John 1:4]. By seeing and participating in Christ’s "LIFE" believers become LIGHT AND CHILDREN OF LIGHT" [12:36]. Prophet Moses saw this Light IN THE BURNING BUSH [Exodos 3:2]. Prophet Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision [Isaiah 6:1-5], and the Holy Apostles Peter, John and John saw it on the Mount of Transfiguration [Matthew 17:2]. In the Divine Liturgy at All- Holy Pascha. light breaks forth from the night at the proclamation of the Anastasis (Resurrection): "COME, TAKE LIGHT FROM THE LIGHT THAT IS NEVER OVERTAKEN BY NIGHT. COME, GLORIFY CHRIST, RISEN FROM THE DEAD."
"DARKNES": the satanic wickedness which actively opposes the Light. Though the world has embraced darkness [3:19], the Logos/Word freely offers light to all. Darkness (evil) will oppose the Light, yet CANNOT DEFEAT THE LIGHT. The True "Light", Jesus Christ enlightens EVERY PERSON, but "the world" REFUSES TO RECEIVE AND LIVE IN THIS LIGHT, AND DOES NOT "KNOW Him." The Holy Orthodox Church chants, in the hymn after Holy Communion, "We have seen the True Light…worshipping the Undivided Trinity."
As faithful Orthodox Christians receive Christ and are given His power, His grace, to "become children of God" –no longer servants but friends of Christ [15:15]. The Jews were children of God by descent from Abraham, the father of the people of God. But now DIVINE SONSHIP IS A GIFT OF GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. Whether we are of a privileged race or not, WE ARE BORN INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD AND SAVED NOT BY "the faith of our fathers", BUT BY OUR OWN FAITH IN CHRIST. "His name" : His identity, the Logos/Word, the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior, Who in His HUMANITY IS CALLED JESUS. To "believe" MEANS TO TRUST ONESELF COMPLETELY TO Him: WHO HE IS, WHAT HE DSOES, WHAT HE TEACHES.
"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and THE WORLD DID NOT KNOW HIM. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave THE RIGHTS to become children of God, to know who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, BUT OF GOD" [John1:10-13]. "Who were born": This spiritual truth from God is a mystery of the Holy Spirit [3:8] which is closely integrated with the Sacrament of Holy Baptism [3;5; Titus 3:5]. For since God became man, and we are UNITED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM, we experience His Incarnation in our lives.
Our personal challenge is not to be overtaken by darkness, evil. Every day is a new battle against evil for those who remain united to Christ. As Orthodox Christians we believe and confess that as God and man in one Person, Christ accomplishes a redemption that fully heals and saves fallen humanity. He "dwells among us": "We" are the disciples, the people of God, pilgrims in this transient world. In union with Christ’s deified humanity, we participate in the fullness of grace by nature. Darkness means death and Light means Life. Darkness is Satan and Light is Christ. The believer seeks the Light, Jesus Christ. He who follows the Light will never stumble, will not sin. Stumbling is to blunder morally or to commit a grievous sin. Jesus says, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the NIGHT (DARKNESS), he stumbles, because the light is NOT IN HIM" [John 11:9-10].
"Glory to Thee Who has shown us the light" [Orthros]. The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Divine and unwaning Light. The kingdom of the evil one is the kingdom of eternal suffering, wailing, and "gnashing of teeth". We witness daily how very important to our lives is the sun light which we take very for granted. Much more necessary to our lives and salvation is the Light of Christ. We are promised that in the Kingdom of heaven we shall see God face to face. We will look on His countenance, "In Thy light shall we see light" Let us not forget that "the eye is of the lamb of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but it your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of DARKNESS" [Matthew 6:22]. Our Lord refers to things within the reach of the senses so that we might more easily grasp His teaching. We all understand the value of light in our lives. As the eye is the "lamp of the body," so the mind [Greek NOUS] IS THE SPIRITUAL EEYE OF THE SOUL: IT ILLUMINATES THE WHOLE INNER PESON. Keeping OUR SPIRITUAL EYES "GOOD," THAT I, WHOLESOME AND PURE, IS FUNDAMENTAL TO A CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Kyrie eleison
O Lord Jesus Christ, Word of God, O God the Logos, Thou are
the Light that created the perceptible light. Thou are the way and the
Truth and the Life. In Thee are indeed the Light, and apart from Thee
there is spiritual darkness. Thou are the way of Truth and virtue, and
without Thee mankind wanders in error. Thou are the Truth, without
which there is only vanity. Thou are the Life and without Thee there
is death. Amen. [Saint Augustine]
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 