THE UNBELIEVING HEART IS LIKE AN INERT BLACK CHARCOAL

My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!

THE UNBELIEVING HEART IS LIKE AN
INERT BLACK CHARCOAL.

A common practice in the sacred services of the Orthodox Church is the use of incense, a symbol of prayer. As a censer and the burning of incense began to be given symbolic and mystical interpretations, censers were made of silver and gold and were highly ornamented with symbols and even engraved with sacred depictions. After the 10th century, the Orthodox censer assumed a greater meaning. The three chains from which it is suspended came to denote the Holy Trinity, and the four or twelve round bells attached on them signified the Four Evangelists or the Twelve Apostles. The sound of the bells stood for the clarity of the Evangelical and Apostolic preaching.

The incense that is burnt in the censer is a gum secreted by a tree which apart from other names was known by the Greek name ‘Livanon’ from which the current Green name for incense ‘livani’ derives. Originally only the Altar was incensed, but later on censing at other moments of the Euchrarist and other services became prevalent. And besides the altar and holy icons, persons were censed, such as the bishop, the king, and later the entire congregation.

As expected, incense has been interpreted in many ways. It seems that the most prevalent interpretation is that it represents THE PRAYER OF THE MIND AND HEART and is directed to heaven in the words of the Psalmist "LET MY PRAYER BE SET BEFORE YOU AS INCENSE" [Psalm 141:2] sung at the evening prayers or Vespers (Esperinos). As Revelation 5:8 teaches, incense is the visible sign of the prayers of all God’s people. Incense was brought to Christ as a gift at His Birth, and it has been used in the worship of the Orthodox Church from the very beginning.

However, it inorder to burn the incense one needs a burning charcoal. Charcoal by itself is inert. A strong ignition source like a spark, is needed to overcome the inertia of the charcoal. The charcoal can symbolize both the heart and the human soul which without God’s grace is inert but by the grace of the Holy Spirit is ignited with faith and love for God. The burning charcoal, often blown on to start the fire, is likened to God’s breath bringing life. Just as the charcoal needs the fire of the Holy Spirit to ignite , human beings need the fire of the Holy Spirit to bring them light and life. In the New Testament, Christ is likened to a burning ember, suggesting taht as the charcoal burns, so should our heart be alight with prayer.

We put grains of incense on burning charcoal in the censer with a prayer, "We offer thee incense, O Christ our God, for an odor of spiritual fragrance. Receive it upon your heavenly altar and send down UPON US, IN RETURN, THE GRACE OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT." The Orthodox Priest will sense the faithful in order to honor in them God’s "IMAGE AND LIKENESS" since man was created by Him in His "image and likeness." When you are sensed you should make the sign of the cross to remind yourself of your Holy Baptism and that you are indeed the Temple of the Holy Spirit, made in His image and likeness. Recognize and acknowledge that you are made in the image of God and that you are being restored to the image and likeness through Jesus Christ Who is at work in you through the Holy Spirit to become, like the Holy Apostle Peter writes: "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… you may be partakers of the divine nature" [2 Peter 1:3-4].

Theosis (Deification) means we are to BECOME MORE LIKE GOD THROUGH HIS GRACE OR DIVINE ENERGIES. In creation, humans were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) according to human nature. In other words, humanity by nature IS AN ICON OR IMAGE OF DEITY: The Divine image is IN ALL HUMANITY. Through sin, however, this image and likeness of God was marred, and we fell. When the Son of God assumed our humanity in the womb of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, THE PROCESS OF OUR BEING RENEWED IN GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS WAS BEGUN. Thus, those who are joined to Christ THROUGH FAITH IN Holy Baptism BEGIN A RE-CREATION PROCESS, BEING RENEWED IN GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS. We become as the Holy Apostle Peter writes, "PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE" (2 Peter 1:4).

Historically, THEOSIS (Deification) has often been illustrated by the "sword and fire" example. A steel sword is thrust into a hot fire until the sword takes on a red glow. The energy of the fire interpenetrates the sword. The sword NEVER BECOMES FIRE, BU IT PICKS UP THE PROPERTIES OF FIRE.

By application, the Divine energies interpenetrate the human nature of Christ. Being joined to Christ, OUR HUMANITY IS INTERPENETRATED WITH THE ENERGIES OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST’S GLORIFIED FLESH. Nourished by the Sacred Body and Precious Blood of Christ, WE PARTAKE OF THE GRACE OF GOD–HIS STRENGTH, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, HIS AGAPE–AND ARE ENABLED TO SERVE HIM AND GLORIFY HIM. THUS WE, BEING HUMAN, ARE BEING DEIFIED. [Resources: Orthodox Study Bible and A Dictionary of Greek Orthodoxy]

_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine, Glorious and Redeeming Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George