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.
"Let us Entrust Ourselves and One Another and Our Whole Life
to Christ Our God" [Divine Liturgy]
The Saints know from their own experience that ‘the soul which in faith has surrendered itself to God, once and for all time, and has liberally tasted of His help, will not take thought for itself again but falls silent in awe-struck wonder.’ ENTRUSTING OUR LIVES TOTALLY TO GOD, however, is not something that is achieved easily. It becomes a reality ‘WHEN OUR HEARTS DO NOT CENSURE US…WHEN WE DISDAIN OUR OWN CONCERNS SO AS TO CONCERN OURSELVES WITH THE THINGS OF CHRIST.’ For this reason we ask the help of the Lady Mother of God and all the Saints, and that is what is meant by the word "COMMEMORATING:" CALLING TO OUR AID, BESEECHING.’
There is also another reason why we beseech the Theotokos for her aid. The act of entrusting our lives to the Lord is something analogous to her own dedication to God. The Mother of God, at the age of three, was dedicated to the Lord in order to become His Living Throne, and in a similar way every believer is offered to the Lord IN ORDER TO BECOME HIS DWELLING-PLACE. On the day of her Entry into the Temple, the Ever-Virgin went ‘to be dedicated as a dwelling for the Ruler of All.’ At the Divine Liturgy, the celebrant priest or bishop exhorts us TO DEDICATE OURSELVES TO CHRIST, SO THAT THE MAY DWELL WITHIN US. HE EXHORTS US TO BECOME LIKE THE MOST PURE VIRGIN — ‘THE DWELLING-PLACE OF JESUS, BEAUTIFUL AND LOVELY.’
GOD’S LOVE FOR MANKIND BEYOND ALL TELLING
In the first prayer of the Divine Liturgy, the priest addresses God Himself. ‘Just as when you have boldness and a close friendship with some important person you are able to approach him and speak to him privately — that is how it is with a priest. Having boldness before Christ because of the grace and dignity of the priesthood, he approaches Him and tells Him all his secrets privately, that is, in a very careful, quiet and low voice. For that is how the preset says the prayers, and it demonstrates two things: first, the extreme Majesty of the Person with whom he is speaking, and secondly the pure love and great boldness that [the priest] has towards Him.’
As the priest says in the prayer, God’s LOVE FOR MANKIND AND HIS MERCY ARE BEYOND HUMAN MEASURE AND BEYOND HUMAN WORDS. The measure that does reveal God’s love for mankind IS THE EVENT OF THE INCARNATION: "On account of Your inexpressible and boundless love for mankind, You became man without change or alteration." ‘We human beings were the reason for the Incarnation of God the Logos/Word, and IT WAS FOR OUR SALVATION THAT HE SHOWED SUCH LOVE FOR MANKIND AS TO BE BORN AND MANIFEST HIMSELF IN A HUMAN BODY.’
God’s love IS UNBOUNDED IN MAGNITUDE AND NOBLE IN CHARACTER. From God we receive not merely a human sympathy, BUT THE LOVE OF A KING AND LEADER. ‘Just as His love for mankind is ineffable…so also the manner in which He approaches us and works for our good is wonderful, such as is fitting only to the God who does wondrous things. [Saint Nicholas Cabasilas]
GOD LOVES US IN AN EXCLUSIVE MANNER, AND WANTS US TO LOVE HIM IN THE SAME WAY. ‘From wherever we are He brings us back to Himself, and does not allow us to fix our intellect on anything else, nor to love any created thing…With a wondrous compulsion and authority full of love for mankind. He draws us toward Himself alone, and UNITED US TO HIMSELF ALONE. By this "force" he has gathered into the house and to the feast those He invited, saying to His servant: "COMPEL THEM TO COME IN, THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED" [Luke 14:23].
God prepares the Table of Life and invites man to seat himself at it. Yet His love for mankind has LIMITLESS ROOM. The pastors of the Church, who invite the guests, tell Him: Lord, what You commanded has been done, and "still there is room" [Luke 14:22]. It is the "room" of His noble love which remains empty as long as there are people who refuse to come into His House and sit down to His Supper. Until then, the mystery of love towards mankind will be at work: the Good Shepherd will be SEEKING THE LOST SHEEP; LOVE WILL BE SEARCHING FOR THE LOST COIN" [cf. Luke 15:4-10].
THE SOUL IS A CONSUMMATE MUSICIAN
PSALMODY OR SINGING is one of the three ways in which we address God: WE SING SACRED HYMNS, WE READ PRAYERS AND WE INTONE PETITIONS AND READINGS. Psalmody is especially helpful when we are struggling to communicate with Christ: ‘Nothing so exalts the soul…and aids it to live spiritually and not be concerned with everyday matters, as a harmonious melody and a rhythmical hymn to God…Great benefit and abundant sanctification are to be gained FROM SPIRITUAL PSALMODY, AND IT CAN BECOME THE FOUNDATION FOR THE WHOLE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE. For the words of the hymns purify the soul and the Holy Spirit enters immediately into the soul that sings them.’ ‘One who sings in a genuine manner [that is, attentively] RENEWS HIS SOUL AND BECOMES A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.’ (Saint John Chrysostom)
If the soul that sings is to draw t itself the grace of the Holy Spirit, it is not enough for the melody to accord with the rules of music; IT MUST ALSO BE CONSONANT WITH THE PRAISES SUNG BY THE ANGELS. In church psalmody, ‘if someone is aged, or very young, or has a poor voice, or is entirely ignorant of rhythm, HE CANNOT BE REPROACHED, FOR WHAT IS REQUIRED IS A VIGILANT SOUL, A WAKEFUL INTELLECT, A HEART FILLED WITH COMPUNCTION, A HEALTHY MIND AND CLEAR CONSCIENCE.’ "Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints," says the Prophet David [Psalm 29:5]. "Those who are able to sing to God are those who send forth their psalmody WITH A PURE HEART AND WHO ARE SAINTLY AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR IT IS THEY WHO FITTINGLY OBSERVE THE SPIRITUAL RHYTHMS.’ [Saint Basil the Great]
In the Orthodox Church, WE DO NOT USE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN WORSHIP. EVERY BELIEVER IS A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MADE BY GOD, AND AT THE SAME TIME A MUSICIAN. If the musician [THE SOUL] keeps the instrument (THE BODY) pure and uses it properly, the two together raise to the Creator a hymn of praise that is pleasing to God. For the hymns that are sacred ‘IS BORN FROM THE SOUL’S PIETY, NOURISHED BY A GOOD CONSCIENCE, AND ACCEPTED IN HEAVEN BY GOD.’ (Saint John Chrysostom) (Resources: The Divine Liturgy by Hieromonk Gregorios of the cell of Saint John the Theologian Koutloumousiou Monastery at the Holy Mountain).
(To be continued)
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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 