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.
APPROACH: "WITH THE FEAR OF GOD, FAITH, AND LOVE" [Divine Liturgy]
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk says, "Without living faith and the fear of God it is impossible to live in a godly way… The fear of God will guard you and correct you everywhere and in all things, and will turn you away from every evil deed, and confirm you in every good deed. Thus day by day you will become better." And Saint John Chrysostom writes: "Let us then, rouse ourselves up and be filled with awe… that we may not, by approaching thoughtlessly and carelessly heap fire upon our heads… For this table is the sinews of our soul, the bond of our mind, the foundation of our confidence, our hope, our salvation, our light, our life."
The Divine Scripture says, "Fear God, and keep His commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" [Ecclesiastes 12:13-14] The Holy Apostle Peter is clear and direct, "Fear God" [1 Peter 2:17]. And our Lord Jesus Christ Himself warned us, "I tell you my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear Him" [Luke 12:4-5].
"With the fear of God, with faith, and love, draw near" the officiating priest calls the faithful to consume the Holy Body and Precious Blood of our Lord, God and Savior, at the Divine Liturgy. The Orthodox Christian believes that partaking of the Holy Body and Precious Blood of the Lord unites us not only with Christ but unites us with each other. Our "communion of the Blood of Christ [and] of the Body of Christ" [1 Corinthians 10:16] unites us all. "Because there is one Bread , we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one Bread" [1 Corinthians 10:17].
For the Orthodox Christian there is no other way to approach the Holy Eucharist. However, for anyone who is seeking God in his or her life and does not know how to approach God either in prayer or worship, the above mentioned approach is very appropriate, "with the fear of God, with faith, and love." There are some Christians who wish to get near to God but who are reluctant because of the fear that they may offend Him with the use of the wrong approach. The true believer comes forward with the fear of God, the faith and the love, which constitute "the mode" or "manner" with which to communicate." At a minimum we should approach with humility, a pure heart, obedience, and as His unworthy servant. None of us are even worthy to be near Him or raise our eyes toward Him just as the Publican in the Gospel who prayed saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner" [Luke 18:13]. It was, therefore, the tax collector who is justified because of his humility. Psalm 51 reminds us, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart–These, O God, You will not despise" [Psalm 51:17].
We approach and pray to God believing always that He is our Heavenly Father and we are all His children. Our "Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" [Matthew 6:8) says our Lord Jesus Christ. He knows who we really are, and He knows our motives, as well as our deeds. He is not impressed with what other people think of us, or even with our own opinion of ourselves. The true spirit of prayer involves an intimate, personal relationship with God and leads to the vision of His glory [1 Corinthians 2:9]. Furthermore, when we pray, we do not lecture God or make demands, but we are humble. And remember it is not repetition per se, but VAIN repetition which Jesus condemns. Our greatest example of how we should pray of course, is the Lord’s Prayer for there is no greater model for prayer.
People at times are foolish to believe that we humans are somehow a mystery to God. Our Almighty God is Omniscient. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Himi" [Hebrews 4:13]. There are no mysteries for God, including us humans. Therefore we must be open, honest and truthful in our prayers and not to attempt to misrepresent ourselves to Him or to ‘hide’ who we are and our failure to abide by His commandments. Any real and lasting relationship is based on honesty otherwise it will inevitably die. God gives us, His creatures, as many good things as each of us can receive according to our nature and condition. "God is like a mother bird who, having seen her baby fall out of the nest, flies down herself to raise it up, and when she sees it in danger of being devoured by a serpent, with a pitiful cry she flies around it and all the other baby birds, not capable of being indifferent to the loss of a single one of them" (Saint Clement of Alexandria). "God loves us more than a father or a mother or a friend, or anyone else can love, and even more than we can love ourselves, because He is concerned more for our salvation than even for His own glory. A testimony of this is the fact that He sent into the world for suffering and death (in human flesh) His Only-begotten Son, solely in order to reveal to us the path of salvation and eternal life" (Saint John Chrysostom).
If man often does NOT understand the whole power of God’s Goodness, this occurs because man concentrates his thoughts and desires too much on his earthly well-being. But God’s Providence unites the giving to us of temporal, earthly goods together with the call to acquire for oneself, for one’s soul and eternal good things. [Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]
Let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie Eleison
+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O spotless, immaculate, chaste, undefiled,
O pure Virgin, our Lady and Bride of God,
You have united God the Logos with mankind
Through your wondrous conception,
And the outcast nature of our race
You have joined to heaven.
You are the only hope of the hopeless,
The help of those in trouble,
The ever ready assistance to those who turn to you,
And the refuge of all pious Christians.
Abhor me not, the sinner, the accursed,
Who, through sinful thoughts, and words, and acts,
Have altogether turned myself into an unworthy servant –
But as the Mother of God Who loves mankind,
Have compassion on me the sinner and prodigal,
And accept my supplication being offered toyou with unclean lips.
Using your boldness as a mother,
Entreat your Son, our Lord and Master,
That He may open even to me the compassion of His loving kindness,
And, overlooking my innumerable faults,
May return me to repentance,
And make me into an approved doer of His commandments.
Stand by me always as one who is merciful, compassionate
and a lover of the good,
Be for me, in this life, a fervent protectress and a helper,
To defend me from the assaults of adversaries
And to guide me toward salvation.
And, at the time of my departure from this life,
Take care of my wretched soul
And drive far away from it the dark countenance of evil demons.
And at the fearful day of judgment
Deliver me from the eternal torment (of being separated from God)
And lead me froth as an heir of the ineffable glory
Of your Son and our God.
May this indeed be my fate, O my Lady, Most Holy Theotokos,
Through your mediation and your protection,
And by the grace and love for mankind of your Only-begotten Son,
To Whom is due all glory, honor, and worship,
Together with His Father Who is without beginning,
And His All-Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit,
Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
_______
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 