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.
EVANGELICAL MONASTICISM [Part IV c]
A New Life in Jesus Christ
THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST is a ‘god-spell’ or ‘good news’ because it brings to the world something which is not merely new teaching, but A NEW LIFE in contrast to the old. The old life is ruled by sin, passions, corruption and death, and is presided over by the devil. In spite of all its ‘natural’ pleasures it still leaves a bitter taste, because IT IS NOT TRUE LIFE, THE LIFE FOR WHICH MAN WAS MADE, BUT A CORRUPTED LIFE, DISEASED, CHARACTERIZED BY A SENSE OF THE IRRATIONAL, OF EMPTINESS, AND OF ANXIETY.
The NEW LIFE is offered to the world by the God-man Christ as a gift and possibility for all men. The BELIEVER IS UNITED WITH JESUS CHRIST, AND THUS PARTAKES OF HIS DIVINE AND IMMORTAL LIFE, THAT IS, OF EVERLASTING OR TRUE LIFE.
A LIFE OF REPENTANCE
In order for the believer to be joined to Christ and to be made alive, he must first DIE TO THE OLD MAN BY MEANS OF REPENTANCE. ONE MUST CRUCIFY AND BURY THE OLD MAN, (THAT IS, EGOISM,THE PASSIONS, AND THE SELFISH WILL) AT THE CROSS AND TOMB OF CHRIST, IN ORDER TO RISE WITH HIM AND WALK IN "NEWNESS OF LIFE" (Romans 6:4). This IS THE WORK OF REPENTANCE and the CARRYING OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST. Without repentance, the continual crucifying of the old man, the believer is incapable of believing evangelically. He CANNOT GIVE HIMSELF ENTIRELY TO GOD AND: "LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL HIS HEART, AND ALL HIS SOUL, AND ALL HIS MIND, AND ALL HIS STRENGTH" (Mark 12:30).
It is for this reason that the Lord Himself set forth as the foundation of His preaching, and as the basis of faith, REPENTANCE: "REPENT, AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL" (Mark 1:15). He did not hide the fact that the life of repentance IS A DIFFICULT AND UPHILL STRUGGLE: "NARROW IS THE GATE AND HARD IS THE WAY WHICH LEADS TO LIFE" (Matthew 7:14).
To walk this way MEANS TO LIFT UP THE CROSS OF REPENTANCE. The old man does not give way without violence, and the devil is not conquered WITHOUT HARD WARFARE.
The monk promises–throughout his life–TO FOLLOW THE NARROW AND HARD WAY OF REPENTANCE. He breaks away from the things of the world, in order to achieve the one thing which he desires. He DIES IN RELATION TO THE OLD LIFE, THAT HE MAY LIVE THE NEW ONE WHICH CHRIST OFFERS HIM IN THE CHURCH. The monk pursues PERFECT REPENTANCE BY MEANS OF CONTINUAL ASCETICISM: VIGILS; FASTING; PRAYER; THE CUTTING AWAY OF HIS WILL, AND UNQUESTIONING OBEDIENCE TO HIS ELDER (GERONDA). In the practice of these he forces himself to DENY HIS PRIVATE AND SELFISH WILL, AND TO LOVE GOD’S WILL. A monk is ‘a perpetual forcing of nature.’ The word of the Lord is thus fulfilled: "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS TAKEN BY VIOLENCE, AND THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE" (Matthew 11:12).
In the midst of the birth-pangs of repentance, the new man according to God IS SLOWLY BEGOTTEN. Belonging to the struggle of repentance is the effort of CONTINUALLY GUARDING ONE’S THOUGHTS. It is putting AWAY FROM ONE’S SELF ALL THE EVIL AND DEMONIC TEMPTATIONS THAT ACT TO SOL THE MIND, AND IT IS SUCH A HEART THAT REFLECTS GOD. In the words of our Lord: "BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD."
Victory over egoism and the passions makes the monk CALM, MEEK, AND HUMBLE, in a word — "POOR IN SPIRIT" — and A PARTICIPANT IN ALL VIRTUES OF THE BEATITUDES. It also makes him a "child," like that child which Jesus blessed and whom He called on all to imitate if they wished to enter His Kingdom. The whole life of the monk becomes A STUDY OF REPENTANCE, HIS WAY OF LIFE A WAY OF REPENTANCE. A monk is a scientist of repentance, one who is: "branded with the life of repentance," (Canon 43, 6th Ecumenical Council) for the whole Church. CONTRITION AND THE TEARS OF REPENTANCE ARE THE MOST ELOQUENT SERMON.
In addition, the monk’s whole manner of life, THE WAY OF SELF-MORTIFICATION, is a judgement of the world. Again, the world, which is silently judge by the monk, does not take part in his repentance. It rejects him, it hates him, it despises him, and it see him as a fool. Yet, with such men: "the foolish, the weak, the ignoble and rejected of the world," the wisdom of the ‘wise’ is put to shame by God (1 Corinthians 1:27).
For those who do not partake of his spirit, the monk’s hidden and secret life is a mystery sealed with seven seals. Those who do not (share in this) see him as no use either for society or for the missionary work of the Church. His life is hidden with Christ in God, though it hsall be revealed in glroy with the Coming of Christ (Colossians 3L4).
Only if the heart of a man is continually being purified of egoism, of selfishness, and of the passions, is it capable through repentance of truly loving God and man. Egotism and love ARE INCOMPATIBLE. The egotist may often think that he loves, but in fact his ‘love’ is merely A DISGUISED EGOTISM, HIDING (OFTEN EVEN FROM HIMSELF) HIS SELFISHNESS AND SELF INTEREST. The patient monk is aflame with divine desire. LOVE OF GOD POSSESSES HIS HEART. He can no longer live for himself, but ONLY FOR GOD. Like a bride, the monk’s soul longs continuously for the Bridegroom. It cannot rest until it is UNITED WITH HIM. The monk finds no peace in loving God as would a servant– from afar–nor as a hWired hand–for the sake of the reward of Paradise; he wants to love Him as a son, from a pure heart. "I no longer fear God, because I love Him," says Saint Anthony the Great.
The more the monk repents, the more his desire grows for the love of God. The more he loves God, the more deeply he repents. [Resources: The Eros of Repentance)
(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 