OVERVIEW OF THE BOOKS OF THE HOLY BIBLE: OLD TESTAMENT Part II

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.

Overview of the Books of the Holy Bible: Old Testament (Part II)
By The Right Reverend BASIL, Bishop of the Diocese of Wichita,
and MId-America.

The Books of Prophecy

The FOURTH and FINAL SECTION of the 70 Old Testament includes the books of Prophecy, which appear in an order different from the Hebrew and Vulgate collections.

HOSEA gives a message of God’s own redeeming love for His chosen people, even when they spurn Him and prostitute themselves to false gods. AMOS is the simple shepherd called by God to denounce a self-satisfied nation for its grave social injustice, abhorrent immorality and its shallow and meaningless piety. MICAH foretells the day when nations shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning hooks. He speaks of peace reigning over all who do justice, who love kindness, and who walk humbly with God. JONAH unwillingly accepts God’s command to preach His mercy and forgiveness to a foreign nation.

NAHUM prophesied the defeat of the powerful Assyrian enemy. HABAKKUK deals with the perennial question, "How long, O Lord, shall I cry out to You, and You will not hear me?" (Hab. 1:2). ZEPHANIAH prophesied the dark days of Judah’s destruction but promises comfort and conciliation to those who wait patiently for the Lord and serve Him. HAGGAI, follows the return of the exiles, exhorts them to rebuild the destroyed Temple in order to unify their disrupted religious life and more importantly, to prepare for the coming of the long-awaited Messiah.

ZECHARIAH prophesied the image of the messianic Prince of Peace, the Good Shepherd Who would lay down His life for the flock. MALACHI exhorts God’s people to faithfulness and asserts the FATHERHOOD OF GOD over all nations. He foretells that God will appoint A FORERUNNER, similar to the ancient Prophet Elijah (or Elias) who will appear before the Messiah and prepare the world for the Coming Day of the Lord.

ISAIAH exhorts the people of God to place their confidence in the Lord, and to lead private and public lives which manifest this reliance. From Isaiah, we hear the prophecies of a Son to be born of a virgin, and of the Suffering Servant–the Messiah–Who would be led AS AN INNOCENT SHEEP TO THE SLAUGHTER, AND BY WHOSE STRIPES WE WOULD BE HEALED. JERAMIAH severely criticized God’s people FOR ABANDONING THE ONE TRUE GOD AND TURNING INSTEAD TO THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS. BARUCH was appointed to be read on feast days as a confession of sins. In LAMENTATIONS, the author Jeremiah mourns the destruction of the holy city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The EPISTLE OF JEREMIAH is addressed to those about to be carried off into exile in Babylon.

EZEKIEL, the Prophet of the exiles, assures his hearers of the abiding presence of God amongst them, even in exile and servitude. Finally, DANIEL writes an apocalyptic or mystical end times prophecy which is filled with difficult and often obscure signs and symbols. In the Greek Septuagint, DANIE, begins with the heroic story of Susanna and ends with the fascinating account of Bel and the Serpent.

These FORTY-NINE GOD INSPIRED Old Testament books divided into FOUR SECTIONS–books of the Law, of History, of Wisdom, and of Prophecy–which serve AS AN INTRODUCTION TO JOHN BAPTIST’S PREPARATION OF THE WORLD FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, WHO IS ISAIAH’S SUFFERING SERVANT, ZECHARIAH’S PRINCE OF PEACE, AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD WHO LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE FLOCK.

OVERVIEW OF THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Four Gospels

MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN recall the events in the life of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, the first three are called THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS, in that they set forth a "COMMON VIEWPOINT" of the chronology of events and the message of Christ in His life and Ministry. MATTHEW addresses his gospel primarily to fellow Jews. MARK is likely the first gospel to be written and speaks of Christ as servant of all (Mark 10:45). LUKE, himself a physician, reveals the Incarnate Christ and His earthly ancestry. This Son of Man saves and heals the fallen race.

JOHN, the last of the Four Gospels to be written, emphasizes the DIVINITY OF CHRIST, the Eternal Son and Logos/Word of God, Who became Man. John’s gospel further reveals SEVEN MIRACLES OF CHRIST, not all of them in chronological order.

ACTS

Written by Saint Luke, these are the Acts (or accomplishments) OF THE APOSTLES, but mainly of Peter (chapters 1-12) and Paul (chapters 13-28). Acts chronicles the earliest history of the Church from Pentecost through approximately 65 A.D.

The Letters (or Epistles) of Saint Paul

The FIRST NINE OF SAINT PAUL’S LETTERS are written to Churches. ROMANS, which begins this section, was the only Letter of Saint Paul wrote to a community he had not previously visited. Thus, the implication is that much of what he wrote to the Church of Rome he preached in other places.

Most prominent of the cities of first century Greece was Corinth, a center of commerce, immorality, and false religion. Predictably, this fledgling Church would have to deal with these same matters. FIRST CORINTHIANS is therefore a correcting epistle calling FOR UNITY, VIRTUE, FORBEARANCE, EUCHARISTIC ORDER AND PROPER USE OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. In contrast SECOND CORINTHIANS recognizes the repentance within the Church on the part of many, and Saint Paul defends his Apostolic authority.

In GALATIANS, Saint Paul addresses several Churches in Asia Minor, defending his Apostleship and calling the faithful to live their lives in the strength of the Holy Spirit instead of in submission to the laws of the Old Covenant. EPHESIANS is a marvelous discourse on how the Church should conduct itself. This community is rich in dedication to Christ. Yet just a few decades later the Lord tells them, "YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE" (Revelation 2:4). (Source: The Orthodox Study Bible)

(To be continued)

_______
"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 OLD TESTAMENT ACCORDING TO THE HOLY ORTHODOX TRADITION

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.

THE OLD TESTAMENT ACCORDING TO THE HOLY ORTHODOX
TRADITION.

This is a brief description of each of the FORTY-NINE BOOKS of the Old Testament. It’s helpful to keep in mind that, like the earliest Christian community, the Orthodox Church of today continues using the Greek version of the Old Testament KNOWN AS THE SEPTUAGINT (70). The Septuagint–referencing the SEVENTY FINEST JEWISH SCHOLARS, from all TWELVE JEWISH TRIBES, who made the translation from the Hebrew into Greek–became the UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED VERSION OF THE Old Testament since the time of its appearance some three centuries before the birth of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ, together with His Apostles and Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and also Peter and Paul, USED THE GREEK VERSION WHEN QUOTING THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THEIR GOSPELS AND EPISTLES (LETTERS). These inspired Old Testament books tell THE STORY OF GOD’S DEALINGS WITH ANCIENT ISRAEL, from approximately 2000 B.C. until the time of Jesus.

A study of the Old Testament in the light of the AUTHENTIC APOSTOLIC TRADITION will lead the reader to Him Who FULFILLED THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS AS HE PROMISED: Our Lord and God and Savior, JESUS CHRIST. This collection of FORTY-NINE BOOKS is traditionally SUBDIVIDED INTO FOUR SECTIONS 1) THE FIVE BOOKS OF THE LAW; 2) THE BOOKS OF HISTORY; 3) THE BOOKS OF WISDOM AND; 4) THE BOOKS OF PROPHECY.

THE FIVE BOOKS OF THE LAW

First there are the books of the Law: GENESIS, meaning "beginning," since it recounts the beginning of God’s creation; EXODUS, which means "exit" or "departure," referring to the journey of the Hebrews from out of slavery in Egypt; LEVITICUS, a book detailing worship as led by the priests ordained from the Tribe of Levi; NUMBERS, whose title is derived from the book’s opening account of the census or numbering of the people of Israel; DEUTERONOMY, meaning "second law, " since it gives a detailed listing of the additional laws given by God through Moses.

These first FIVE BOOKS of the Old Testament, known as the PENTATEUCH (PENTA means "five" in Greek) describe GOD’S CREATION OF THE WORLD, the rebellion of Adam and Eve and the fall of man, and the history of God’s people from the days of Abraham, about 2000 B.C. , through the days of Moses, dated by many scholars at approximately 1250 B.C.

THE BOOKS OF HISTORY

The Second Section of the Old Testament is known as the HISTORICAL BOOKS. This group begins with the books of JOSHUA, the leader of the children of Israel following the death of Moses, who brings God’s people into THE PROMISED LAND after their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. JUDGES relate to the traditions of the various Hebrew Tribes and the exploits of their own particular heroes, the Judges of whom the title speaks, who ruled the nation. The book of RUTH is the charming and heroic account of a Gentile woman who placed herself under the protection of the One True God, and in the process became an ancestor of King David, and of his descended, Jesus Christ the Messiah of Israel.

FIRST AND SECOND KINGDOMS (First and Second Samuel), whose principle characters are Samuel the faithful Prophet, Saul the first king to rule over God’s people, and David, Saul’s successor and the first king of Judah in the south of Palestine. and Israel to the north. The books of THIRD AND FOURTH KINGDOMS (First and Second Kings) opens with the enthronement of David’s son Solomon and ends with the fall of the Kingdom, including the destruction of its capital city of Jerusalem, and the exile of God’s people from Palestine to Babylon.

FIRST AND SECOND CHRONICLES (First and Second Paraleipomenon) expand on the history recorded in Third and Fourth Kingdoms. The word Paraleipomenon is translated from the Greek and means "that which is omitted" in the two preceding books. The books of First and Second Ezra and Nehemiah continue this chronicle of divine history, focusing on the Jewish religious community after its return to Jerrusalem from exile in Babylon.

The final books in the Historical Section of the Old Testament reveal the stories of people who lived heroic and God-directed lives under foreign domination and during the exile: TOBIT, who was taken into captivity by the Assyrians; JUDITH, the pious and beautiful widow who saved her people from massacre by the invading Assyrian general, ESTHER, the Jewish Queen of Persia who achieved the revocation of Haman’s decree that would have allowed the persecution and mass murder of God’s people; and MACCABEES, the family of the Hasmoneans and their followers, the faithful people who began the revolt and fought the wars of independence against foreign armies occupying their land.

THE BOOKS OF WISDOM

The THIRD SECTION of the Old Testament is known as the books of WISDOM. The magnificent PSALMS is the HYMNAL OF BOTH ANCIENT ISRAEL AND OF THE CHURCH. The books of JOB, which in the canonical Greek LXX comes between PSALMS and PROVERBS, probes the depths of a man’s unshakable faith in the face of tragedy and innocent suffering. PROVERBS is a collection of MORAL and RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION taught to young people after their return from exile in Babylon. ECCLESIASTES tells of the preacher who philosophically seeks to understand the meaning of human existence that the good man can find in this life. The moving SONG OF SONGS by Solomon is a collection of LYRIC POEMS, written in the language of human love and courtship, which also speaks prophetically of God’s love for His beloved Bride, His Church. The WISDOM OF SOLOMON promises reward and immortality to the righteous, praises wisdom and condemns the folly of idolatry. The WISDOM OF SIRACH consists of lectures to young people on ETHICAL and RELIGIOUS THEMES.

These SEVEN BOOKS of WISDOM LITERATURE– The PSALMS, JOB, PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, THE SONG OF SONGS, THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON, AND THE WISDOM OF SIRACH–Proclaim that HAPPINESS (or "BLESSEDNESS," in the language of the Bible) is possible ONLY THROUGH FAITH and OBEDIENCE TO THE ONE TRUE GOD. (Source: The Orthodox Study Bible)

(To be continued)

___________
"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


“IN PEACE LET US PRAY TO THE LORD” The Great Litany

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.

"In Peace Let us Pray to the Lord" [The Great Litany]

"PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE I GIVE YOU" [John 14:27].

God’s peace, proclaimed by the Prophets of the Old Testament (see Isaiah 52:7), revealed as A FRUIT OF THE Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), is to this day given to the people the Word of Christ, "Peace be to all, spoken by His priests in the Divine Liturgy. "Peace" was the customary Jewish word of both greeting and farewell. Perfect peace is brought by the Messiah, Who carries out the work of salvation and reconciles humanity with the Almighty and Merciful God. Together with "grace," peace is part of the traditional greeting of Christians to each other (see Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3). Today it remains as "Peace be to all" in every Divine Liturgy.

"Grace to you and PEACE FROM GOD our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:7).

The Great Litany following the exclamation of the officiating priest: "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen," is referred to as the "Litany of Peace." Throughout the Divine Liturgy the priest blessed the faithful by saying, "Peace be to all." Also, the priest Petions our God, "That the whole day may be perfect, holy, PEACEFUL, and sinless.", "And Angel of PEACE, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies…". Just before the reading of the Holy Gospel the priest once again blesses, "Peace be unto all." The message given with the blessing of the priest is that the faithful must be at peace to hear the Gospel of Peace. Even following the reading of the appointed Gospel lesson by the deacon, if one is serving, the priest blesses him, "Peace be unto you, who have proclaimed the Gospel."

"Therefore, be eager for many frequent gatherings for thanksgiving to God and for His glory. For when you meet frequently, the forces of Satan are annulled, and his destructive power is cancelled in the concord of our faith. There is nothing better THAN PEACE, IN WHICH HOSTILITY IS ABOLISHED WHETHER IT COMES FROM THE POWERS OF HEAVEN OR THE POWERS OF EARTH" (Saint Ignatius the God-bearer). The Orthodox Christian worship is one of peace! Not only outward peace but inner peace. No one is able to worship if he/she experiences inner or outward turmoil and anxiety. This includes the priest conducting the Divine Liturgy or other divine services of the Church. The priest must be emersed, mind, body, and soul, in the Liturgy. and nothing but nothing must interfere or distract him from it. There is absolutely no reason for unnecessary movement and a cacophony of voices during worship. Especially, during the Descent of the Holy Spirit and the consecration of the holy Gifts. During the Anaphora the priest or Deacon says, "Let us stand aright! Let us stand with fear! Let us attend, THAT WE MAY OFFER THE Holy Oblation IN PEACE."

With the opening words of the Divine Liturgy, we already enter God’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of love and peace. Although we are on earth we already participate in the heavenly worship. By saying, "Blessed is the Kingdom… we praise and glorify the Kingdom of God. All the faithful Orthodox Christians, the people of God, gather to bless His Kingdom, an Everlasting Kingdom prepared for them by Christ. We gather to seek His Kingdom–a Kingdom He promised He would give to us, a Kingdom which is "at hand" (Mark 1:15), and already within us (Luke 17:21), In a way, the One Who reveals God’s Kingdom to us is Himself the Kingdom: "For God’s Kingdom is Christ Himself" (Saint Symeon of Thessaloniki). But why is the Orthodox Christian at the Divine Liturgy? Is it because of the priest’s melodic voice, his beautiful vestments, his good looks, his humor, or his inspiring sermon? No! of course not! The priest reveals the true purpose of why the Orthodox believer is at the Divine Liturgy. He says, "That they may be to those who partake of the PURIFICATION OF SOUL, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, FOR THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, FOR BOLDNESS TOWARDS THEE, AND NOT FOR JUDGMENT OR CONDEMNATION." But most important of all, the reception of the Precious and Most Holy Body and Precious and Most Holy Blood of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ for the REMISSION OF SINS AND UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. What more could one ask for? When the Orthodox Christian leaves the divine worship, he or she should feel TRANSFORMED AND SAVED.

Many non-Orthodox, erroneously interpreting the Sacred Scripture, believe in the reestablishment of a temporal kingdom by Christ on earth, although the Lord Himself clearly said, "My Kingdom is NOT of this world" (John 18:36). The Kingdom of God is the manifestation of God’s glory to those who are prepared to receive it. "The entire Divine Liturgy is AN EPIPHANY or MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S KINGDOM ON EARTH." It starts from this life and it ends in heaven. "The Liturgy is a journey, and the words "Blessed is the Kingdom…" are the announcement of our destination.

God’s Kingdom is our ultimate destination! We, as faithful Orthodox Christians, must be on board the Ark of Salvation, the Church. Somehow, there are still some who are totally confused or uninformed why they are at the Divine Liturgy. They are convinced that they are spectators of some theatrical performance, or some unique and ancient religious ritual. Their understanding is shallow and superficial. There is no substance or depth to what they know or understand. Perhaps this is the reason why they arrive late for the divine service. Every effort must be made to be in church on time, when the Divine Liturgy commences with the awesome words: "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…

Let us proclaim that we live the Kingdom of the Triune God in our hearts and let us demonstrate with our life that we are people of the Kingdom, citizens not of this world, but of the Kingdom of God, "Living in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life" (Luke 1:75).

The Litany of Peace indicates to the faithful that when we pray that we pray in peace. We cannot pray sincerely to God unless we are in peace. In fact, praying is impossible when we are NOT at peace. Saint Nicholas Cavasilas states: "For because of the very nature of agitation the troubled mind is quite powerless to approach God…therefore he who is NOT at peace cannot pray aright." This is why the first petition of the Divine Liturgy is for peace. Thus, we direct our petitions to the Lord our God with peace of mind and soul, being at peace with God, with ourselves and with others.

I pray that all of you understand now why the church environment must always be peaceful, cerine, and reverent. It takes all the faithful to cooperate with each other to accomplish this. Our Orthodox Christian understanding of the divine worship is that everything that occurs in it is real and that indeed it is the Mystical Supper of Christ our God. There is nothing fake or symbolic! What we witness at the Divine Liturgy is a great miracle. Only the faithful remain, and they remain for one purpose only to offer the Eucharistic Offering and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Only those who can and intend to participate in the bloodless Sacrifice may remain. Our Savior Christ s the Sacrificial Victim, the One offered Who Himself on the Cross is the same One Who is offered in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Should we not all be on our knees shedding tears of repentance and asking forgiveness?

How sad it is that some people walk inside the church empty-handed and due to their lack of faith, leave the church empty-handed. And this, because they disbelieve and are there only out of curiosity and nothing more. There is no understanding, there is no faith, there is no conviction, and there is no commitment. There are those who look for "instant gratification" and for the so called "feel good gospel." There is lack of discernment of knowing what is genuine and true, and what is fake and fraudulent. Tragically there are many who simply wonder from one church to another not knowing where they belong and what they believe. If they only understood that the Holy Orthodox Church is the authentic Church of Christ and what was taught by our Savior and His Holy Apostles two thousand years ago is exactly what is taught and lived by the Orthodox Christians today. I pray that by the grace of God those who chose to enter the True Church of Christ will be accounted worthy among the holy people of God.

_________
"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

“CATECHUMENS DEPART!”

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.

"CATECHUMENS DEPART!"

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century) wrote down for those being "ILLUMINED" –that is, those who were already coming to Baptism–and also those present who were baptized, he gives the following warning: "This instruction for those who are being illumined is offered to be read by those who are coming to Baptism and by the faithful who have already received Baptism; but by no means give it either to the catechumens or to anyone else who has not yet become a Christian, otherwise you will have to give an answer to the Lord.

This strictness with regard to the REVELATION of the Christian Mysteries (Sacraments) is no longer preserved to such a degree in the Orthodox Church. The exclamation "Catechumens depart!" before the Liturgy of the Faithful is still proclaimed, it is true, but hardly anywhere in the Orthodox world are catechumens or the non-Orthodox actually told to leave the church at this time. (In some churches they are only asked to stand in the back part of the church , the Narthex, but can still observe the service.) The full point of such an action has been lost in our times, when all the "secrets" of the Christian Mysteries (Sacraments) are readily available to anyone who can read, and the text of Saint Cyril’s Catechetical Lectures has been published in many languages and editions. However, the great reverence which the ancient Church showed for the Christian Mysteries (Sacraments)–carefully preserving them from the gaze of those who WERE MERELY CURIOUS OR WHO, BEING OUTSIDE THE CHURCH AND UNCOMMITTED TO CHRISTIANITY, MIGHT EASILY MISUNDERSTAND OR DISTRUST THEM–it still kept by Orthodox Christians today who are serious about their faith. Even today we are not to "CAST OUR PEARLS BEFORE WINE" –to speak much of the Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Orthodox Faith to those who are merely curious about them but do not seek to join themselves to the Church.

In the ancient Church, the catechumens, in other words, those under instruction, lasted for as much as three years and included not only participation in the divine services but also catechesis (formal religious instruction) from a teacher, often the bishop or appointed catechist. A catechumen (Gk. κατήχουμενος) is one who is preparing for Baptism in the Church. In contemporary usage, catechumen can also refer to one who is preparing to enter the Church through the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Chrismation from a heterodox Christian communion. Catechetical instruction in Orthodoxy in the US does not typically last the three years as was in the ancient Church. It may, however, be as long as a year or more.

Much of the instruction in ancient times dealt with "moral instruction" in other words, with instruction on how to conduct oneself. Instruction on the fundamental tenets of the faith were offered following their baptism. The intent of this was that catechumens needed spiritual formation before they were ready to receive doctrinal instruction. There was, however, more than catechesis offered to the new convert. Above all else, it is the practice of the faith. the faith in Christ. Simultaneously with the faith is life in Christ.

The Orthodox Christian, however, continues learning and growing in Christ as long as he lives. It is God the Holy Spirit Who becomes our Catechist, our Divine Inspirer, and Who guides all of us toward theosis (deification). The One Who leads us to salvation and His heavenly Kingdom. Orthodox Christians, as servants of Christ and fellow man, always strive for union with Him and with one another. "It is Christ we serve in the person of those who need our help in this world. Our Lord Christ has identified himself with them." "Life and death come to us from our neighbor for if we win our brothers we win God, and contrariwise, if we destroy our brother we sin against Christ."

Saint Symeon the New Theologian goes on to says, "The man who treats his neighbor as himself is not content to have more than his neighbor. But if he does have more and does not give with abundance so that he himself becomes poor and so resembles his neighbors, that man has not fulfilled the Master’s command." Obviously, we need not interpret Saint Symeon as pleading for a universal equality in poverty…"All must come to the realization that they are poor in themselves, which is to say that each man (person) needs the help of the others in order to live and grow in their unity with God." Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mid. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself" [Matthew 22:37-39].

For all those under instruction, the catechumens, there is only one True Teacher, the Christ. "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you, AN EXAMPLE, THAT YOU SHOULD DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU" [John 13:13-15).  A good teacher teaches his pupils by example not just in theory.  Jesus teaches and explains to His disciples that He performed this supreme act of humility so that they would imitate Him and do the same to others.  As one can clearly see and understand that since the Lord is the Teacher, then His disciples were the first catechumens because they were His pupils, His students, [Gk. μαθηταί] and therefore under His instruction.

The foot-washing is an act of agape (love) and humble service. That Jesus is God in the flesh renders His humility all the more profound. A hymn on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee emphasizes this event: "The Savior and Master, ever leading us to divine exaltation, in His actions revealed to us THE HUMILITY THAT RAISES US ON HIGH. FOR WITH HIS OWN HANDS, HE WASHED THE FEET OF THE DISCIPLES."

Prayers for the
Catechumens
[St. John Chrysostom, Divine Liturgy]

Letu us, the faithful, pray for the
catechumens.

That the Lord will have mercy on them.
That He will teach the word of
truth.
That He will reveal to them the gospel
of righteousness.
That He will unite them to His holy
catholic, and apostolic Church.
Save them, have mercy on them, help
them, and protect them, O God, by Thy
grace.

Lord our God, Who dwells on high and watches over
the humble, Thou sent forth Thine Only-begotten Son
and God, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of
the human race. Look down upon Thy servants, the
catechumens, who have inclined their necks to Thee,
and grant them at a proper time the baptism of rebirth,
the remission of sins, and the garment of incorruption.
Unite them to Thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church,
and number them among Thy chosen flock.

So that with us they also may glorify Thy most Honorable.
and Majestic Name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
Amen.

“…MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL” Genesis 2:7

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.

"And God formed man of the dust of the earth, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL"
[Genesis 2:7).


   Saint John Damascene notes:  "The body and the soul were formed at the same time–not one before the other afterwards.  According to the description of the Book of Genesis, God created the body of man from already existing earthly elements and He created it in very special fashion: not by His command or word alone, as was done in the creation of the other creatures, but by His own direct action.  This shows that man, even in his bodily beginning organization, is a being surpassing all other creatures from the very beginning of his existence.  Further, it is said that God BREATHED INTO HIS FACE THE BREATH OF LIFE and the man BECAME A LIVING SOUL.  As one who has received the breath of life, in this figurative expression, from the mouth of God Himself, man is thus a living organic union OF THE EARTHLY and THE HEAVENLY , the MATERIAL and the SPIRITUAL.

   From this follows the exalted view of the significance of the human BODY as is set forth generally in the Sacred Scripture.  The body must serve as the companion, organ, and even fellow laborer of the soul.  It depends on the soul itself whether to lower itself to such an extent that it becomes the slave of the body, or, being guided by an enlightened spirit, to make the body its obedient executor and fellow laborer.  Depending upon the soul, THE BODY CAN BE  A VESSEL OF SINFUL IMPURITY AND FOULNESS, OR IT CAN BECOME A TEMPLE OF GOD, PARTICIPATING WITH THE SOUL IN THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD.  This is taught in Holy Scripture [Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 9:27; Jude, vv. 7-9; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:20]. Even with the death of the body, THE BOND OF THE SOUL WITH THE BODY IS NOT CUT OFF FOREVER. The time will come when the bodies of men will arise in a renewed form and will again be united forever with their souls, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A PART IN ETERNAL BLESSEDNESS OR TORMENT, CORRESPONDING TO THE GOOD OR EVIL DEEDS PERFORMED BY MEN WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE BODY IN THE COURSE OF EARTHLY LIFE [2 Corinthians 5:10].

An even more exalted view is instilled in us by the word of God regarding the nature of THE SOUL. At the creation of the soul, God took nothing of it from the earth, but IMPARTED IT TO MAN SOLELY BY HIS CREATIVE INBREATHING. This clearly shows that, in the conception of the word of God, THE HUMAN SOUL IS AN ESSENCE COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE BODY AND FROM EVERYTHING MATERIAL AND COMPOSED OF ELEMENTS, HAVING A NATURE NOT EARTHLY, BUT ABOVE THE WORLD, HEAVENLY. The HIGH PREEMINENCE OF MAN’S SOUL compared to everything earthly was expressed by the Lord Jesus Christ in the words: "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? O what shall a man GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?" (Matthew 16:26). The Lord instructed His disciples: "Fear not them which kill the body, BUT ARE NOT ABLE TO KILL THE SOUL" (Matthewd 10:28).

Concerning the exalted dignity of the soul, Saint Gregory the Theologian expresses himself thus: "The SOUL IS THE BREATH OF GOD, AND WHILE BEING HEAVENLY, IT ENDURES BEING MIXED WITH WHAT IS OF THE DUST. It IS LIGHT ENCLOSED IN A CAVE, BUT STILL IT IS DIVINE AND INEXTINGUISHABLE… The Word/Logos spoke, and having taken a part of the newly created earth, with His immortal hands formed MY IMAGE AND IMPARTED TO IT HIS LIFE; BECAUSE HE SENT INTO IT THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS A RAY OF THE INVISIBLE DIVINITY" (Homily 7, "On the Soul").

The Lord Jesus Christ often pointed to the immortality of the soul as the foundation of pious life., and He accused the Sadducees, who denied immortality. In His farewell conversation with His disciples the Lord told them that He was going to prepare a place for them so that they might be where He Himself would be {John 14:2-30. And to the thief He said: "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).

In the New Testament, generally speaking, the truth of the immortality of the soul is the object of a more complete revelation, making up one of the fundamental parts of Christian faith itself. This truth inspires a Christian, filling his soul with the joyful hope of Eternal Life in the Kingdom of the Son of God. Saint Paul writes: "For to me… to die is gain… having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ" (Philippians 1:21, 23). "For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the beavens. For in this we groan, earnestly to be clothed upon with our house which from heaven" [2 Corinthians 5:1-2).

It goes without saying that the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Church have unanimously preached the immortality of the soul, with this distinction only, that some acknowledge the soul as being immortal by nature–while others–the majority–say that it is immortal by the Grace of God. "God wishes that the soul might live" (Saint Justin Martyr); "the soul is immortal by the Grace of God Who makes it immortal" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem and others. The Holy Fathers by this emphasize the difference between the immortality of man and the immortality of God. Who is immortal by the very Essence of His nature and therefore WHO ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY, according to the Holy Scripture (1 Timothy 6:16).

One may rightly say that in the Orthodox Eastern Church the acknowledgment of the immortality of the soul occupies a fitting central place in the system of teaching and in the life of the Church. The spirit of the Church typicon, the content of the Divine services and separate prayers, all support and animate in the faithful this awareness, this belief in a life beyond the grave for the souls of our loved ones who have died, as well as belief in our own personal immortality. The belief sheds a bright ray on the whole life’s work of an Orthodox Christian.

The spirit is to be understood not as a substance that is separate and independent from the soul, but only AS THE INWARD AND MOST HIDDEN SIDE OF THE SOUL. Here the relation of soul and spirit is made parallel to the relationship between the members of the body and the brain; and just as the brain is the inward part of the same bodily nature–or is a content as compared to its container–so also THE SPIRIT IS EVIDENTLY CONSIDERED BY THE APOSTLE AS THE HIDDEN PART OF THE SOUL OF A MAN.

In this sense, "SPIRIT" corresponds to the Greek word NOUS, which is THE HIGHEST PART OF THE HUMAN SOUL, and THE FACULTY BY WHICH MAN KNOWS GOD AND ENTER INTO COMMUNION WITH Him. In the words of Saint John Damascene, "THE SOUL DOES NOT HAVE THE NOUS AS SOMETHING DISTINCT FROM ITSELF, BUT AS ITS PUREST PART, FOR AS THE EYE IS TO THE BODY, SO IS THE NOUS TO THE SOUL"

The Patristic consensus on this subject is that man IS COMPOSED OF BODY AND SOUL, and the spirit (nous) is the highest part of the soul. The spirit (nous) of man is created, and must never be confused with the Holy Spirit, Who is Uncreated. At Baptism, however, the Uncreated Grace of God, which man lost at the Fall, is once again united with the NOUS. Thus, Saint Diodochus of Photike writes: "The Grace of God dwells in the very depth of the soul–THAT IS TO SAY, IN THE NOUS" (Philolia, vol. 1, p. 280). (Source: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)

_____________
"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

Αταξία (ataxia), Disorderly behavior during the Divine Church Services…

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.

Αταξία (Ataxia), Disorderly behavior during the Divine Church Services.

The knowledgeable and practicing Orthodox Christian is aware that his/her parish church is a holy space dedicated and consecrated to the glory of God. Upon the consecration of the church building, by the local hierarch, the interior of the church is anointed by him and cannot ever be used for any other purpose other than to worship and conduct the sacraments God the Holy Trinity. The Orthodox faithful believers when they gather together for the purpose of praying and worshiping the Lord in the church that our Almighty God is present. Jesus affirms that when He says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I AM THERE IN THE MIDST OF THEM” (Matthew 18:20). He is indeed with us. He has a special presence in heaven and in every church as well, through the Mysteries (Sacraments). How then can anyone be irreverent and be disorderly in His presence? It is therefore the responsibility of every worshiper to enter with the utmost respect this sacred place with dignity, piety and solemnity.

When the Orthodox Christian and his or her family dressed appropriately and with modesty we enter the NAOS (Temple), the Orthodox church building, we are entering the Kingdom of God on earth. We are expected to honor it by attending the divine service on time and with the proper attitude and of course orderly. This includes our children. We have the opportunity, unworthy as we are, to reflect the image of Christ our Lord within us by our behavior and devoutness. The holy Apostle Peter instructs “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). Αταξία (Ataxia) or disorderly behavior is not only wrong and unacceptable but an offence against God Himself. It cannot ever be tolerated or justified.

In the True Temple there is One Offerer, one Priest, Who, again, IS CHRIST. In Holy Baptism we all are anointed with grace as priests in the Kingdom of God, for the spiritual Kingdom is also the spiritual priesthood. In addition, as the body of Christ, we have a priestly diakonia (ministry) to the world, fulfilling the very priesthood and intercession of the Lord Himself, so that to the whole universe we “may proclaim the praise of Him” Who called us “out of darkness into His Marvelous Light. Present at the Divine Liturgy of course are the Holy Angels of God. Proof of this Angelic presence is the priest who just before the Little Entrance says, “O Master, Lord our God, Who hast appointed in heaven orders and hosts of Angels and Archangels for the service of Thy Glory: Grant THAT WITH OUR ENTRANCE THERE MAY BE AN ENTRANCE OF HOLY ANGELS, SERVING WITH US AND GLORIFYING THY GOODNESS…”. Also, wherever God is present His Most Holy Mother, the Theotokos, Saints and “the cloud of witnesses” are present as well. We are indeed in the presence of Holy and awesome company worshipping the One True God in unison.

Orthodox Christian parents are directly responsible to teach their children all of the above and with love and firmness to insist that the necessary respect be given at all times while in God’s Kingdom, the Church. If a child is disturbing the congregation by being unruly in church the parent must immediately take the child out of the church so that the worship is not compromised in any way and the faithful are able to pray and worship in peace. The people attend the church to pray and worship above all else, and that should be the only focus, without any disturbance or distraction. The proper etiquette should be applied to all of the Divine Services and Sacraments of the Church.

PREPARATION THE EVENING BEFORE THE LORD’S DAY

On Saturday evening and every evening before the next day’s Divine Liturgy, Great Vespers is celebrated in the church. This is an evening prayer service which aids to prepare spiritually our minds and hearts to that which we will be doing the following morning. It contains many wonderful and meaningful prayers to direct our attention to the feasts or saints that we will be commemorating at the Divine Liturgy. It also helps one to think seriously and with conviction of the awesome mystery that we will be participating in, especially if we resolve to receive Holy Communion on Sunday morning.

As Orthodox Christians we continue our spiritual preparation for Holy Communion by fasting from all food and drink from the night before. If a physical or illness prevents such preparation, then we fast as best we can within our physical limitations. We must also examine our own conscience to be sure if free from serious sin. the Church offers another Mystery (Sacrament) that should be practiced before receiving Holy Communion, the Sacrament of Repentance/Confession through which the believer receives forgiveness of sins by Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our preparation for attending the Divine Liturgy continues the following morning. After rising from sleep and wash up we offer our prayers to God and ask our parents for forgiveness. Selecting the proper clothing to wear for church we should remember that we dress modestly and with reverence. The clothes must reflect what is in our hearts as Christians. Knowing that God is present we wear our best clothes but not necessarily the most elaborate and expensive clothes. It is not a fashion show that we are going to attend. Ladies and men should not wear clothes that may scandalize their fellow worshipers. Needless to say, it is of the utmost importance that we are in church and in our places on time, and that means before the priest declares, “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…”

Recently I have noticed that fewer and fewer of our faithful are venerating the holy icons at the Narthex and lighting candles. Lighting candles is an important tradition in Orthodox Worship and should be practiced by everyone. By lighting a candle we are reminded that Christ is the Light of the world and that we are called to be light the darkness. Customarily, candles are lit upon entering the church, followed by our veneration of the holy icons. Veneration of the holy icons and the holy persons depicted on them is an expression of love. When we visit a relative or friend’s home, the relative or friend that opens the door to his home to us, greets us by embracing and kissing us. We are welcomed into their home with joy and love. The holy icons in the Narthex are the holy icons of our Lord Christ, the Mother of God, the icons of the saint or feast of that day, and the holy icon of the patron saint of the church.

Conclusion of the Divine Liturgy

At the end of the Divine Liturgy and after we have received the Antidoron (literally translated, “instead of the gifts”) making sure that we do not allow the crumbs to fall on the ground since this is blessed bread. Parents should assist their children for the same reason. We then leave the church respectfully and quietly. The hand of smaller children should be held by one of the parents so that there is no running out of the church. As the Orthodox Christian leaves the church it is proper to turn, face the holy Alar and bless yourself by making the sign of the cross and offering silently thanksgiving for all the blessings one received from God during the divine service.

There are many other pious acts that an Orthodox Christian ought to know and appreciate but I will leave that for another time.

___________
“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

On the 15th of September, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates the Holy Martyr NICETAS the Goth

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.

On the 15th of September, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates the
Holy Martyr NICETAS the Goth.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn of the Holy Martyr. Fourth Tone

THY Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received as
the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal
God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants
and wholly destroyed the demons’ strengthless presumption,
O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art Merciful.
+

Saint Nicetas, bearing the name of one who conquers, was a valiant soldier of Christ. The handsome and wondrous man of God was born of notable and wondrous parents of the race of the Goths. The Goths at that time were generally reputed to be barbarous and harsh people who lived by the Istros River, known by the local inhabitants as the Danube. It is a marvel that though Nicetas was born and raised amid such surroundings, he never adulterated the inborn nobility of his soul. Nicetas did not take on any of their harshness and their fierce way of life, nor their religion. Though he lived among them, his pure and good judgment conquered the hardness and cruelty with which he was surrounded.

From Nicetas’ tender years until his youth, he was inspired by the teachings of Theophilos, the hierarch of the Goths. Our Saint Nicetas helped advance the work of Christ by both the example of his godliness and his God-inspired words to convey to the Goths the words of life in their own tongue. Having been baptized into the proper confession of the Holy Trinity by the former Bishop Theophilos, Saint Nicetas never wavered in his Orthodoxy.

Athanaric, a profane and inhuman leader and an implacable enemy of Christians, heard reports of Nicetas’ fearlessness and great boldness in preaching piety. Many, on account of his teaching, came to believe in Christ. Indignant toward Christ’s witness among the Goths, they gnashed their teeth. They threatened Nicetas that they would kill him without pity unless he left off his teaching and attracting everyone to the Faith of the Christ. These threats of the unbelievers i no wise scared the holy man; much rather, they had the opposite effect, for with even more fearlessness and outspokenness he increased his preaching among the Goths.

Unable to further endure the saint’s freedom of speech, the impious, who were more beasts than men, revealed their long-standing anger and rage which festered within them. They suddenly came up to the place where Christ’s athlete was speaking the word of Truth. By force, they seized him and brought him to the governor of their district, Athanaric. They used every effort to make him forsake the Faith of the Christians, or else expect death. He raised his voice, proclaiming with boldness, "A Christian I am, and I prefer many deaths rather than deny the most sweet name of my Savior Christ, Whom I confess before all of you as True God. To Him do I offer all my reverence. I am ready to spill all of my blood for the love of Him…" Being unable to endure the martyr’s frankness, with one accord, those who drove away the truth rushed headlong at Nicetas. Some took up rocks, and others, clutched at pieces of wood, that they might shatter the martyr’s bodily members. According to the historian and Saint Theophanes the Confessor (760-817 A.D.), Nicetas’ flesh was scattered and his limbs were cut off. Saint Theophanes goes on to describe how, on account of Saint Nicetas’ unchecked desire for the Christ, he was cut down, scourged, and subjected to diverse methods of bodily destruction. The pagans then lit a huge bonfire and cast Saint Nicetas into the flames. In the midst of that furnace, the Saint, as a whole-burnt offering, chanted hymns to God that He might preserve him to the end with a pure and unadulterated confession of the Faith. Saint Nicetas surrendered his blessed soul into the hands of God in 375 A.D. and was bestowd the crown of the contest and membership in the ranks of the holy Martyrs.

At that time, in the land of the Martyr, there sas a pious Cilician Christian form Mopsuestia, name Marianos. He was a close friend of the holy Martyr. When the wondrous Nicetas suffered martyrdom for Christ, Marianos, unable to come to peace regarding the treatment of his beloved friend’s holy relics, kept on thinking how and in what manner he might be able to take up the honorable holy relics of Saint Nicetas: firstly, for his own sanctification, and, secondly, the pious Christians. However, the ruthless Athanaric forbade anyone to collect the holy relics of the Saint. This was not enough to dissuade Mariano’s from going to that place where the precious relics were cast. It was dark, however, and Marianos was wondering how he might find his greatly beloved Nicetas. While he was still pondering the matter–behold! –above hm a heavenly power and bodiless being took the form of a star and went on before him, guiding him in the dark through that field. At length, the star stood above the martyric body. Marianos recognized the body of the Martyr, which was intact. There was not the least destruction from the fire–only certain small traces which revealed that he was cast into the flames. Divine power dispensed that it should be so, for further proof of the miracle.

Marianos took up the holy relics and placed them in a chest which he had readied beforehand. Then, without losing any time, he left for his own country and with the help of Saint Nicetas, and without encountering and danger, arrived home in Cilicia. He, thereupon , stowed away the reliquary chest in his house with befitting honor. Marianos’ home became a fountain of innumerable healings.

Soon afterward, on account of the concourse of may people to Marianos’ dwelling place, the Mopsuestians built a holy church to the Martyr. They transferred his precious relics from the house of Mairanos to the church. Yearly, on the 15th of September, at the Church of Saint Nicetas, the martyr’s memory is celebrated with great reverence and joy, to the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to Whom is due glory, honor, and veneration to the boundless ages of unending 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

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE TO AVOID ANXIETY

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.

Simplify Your Life To Avoid Anxiety
By Saint Paisios the Athonite

The more people distance themselves from natural simple life and embrace luxury, the more they suffer from anxiety. And as they distance themselves from God, they naturally cannot find rest in anything they do. This is why they go around restless; they even "spin around the moon" since earth cannot contain all their restlessness.

Worldly stress is the result of worldly happiness, of worldly pleasures and self-indulgence. Educated externally and being full of anxiety hundreds of people (even young children) are driven to psychoanalysis and psychiatrists. New psychiatric hospitals are being built and young psychiatrists go on for post-graduate studies. Many of them do not even believe in God or accept the existence of the soul. How can these people help the human soul, when they themselves are full of anxiety? How can one feel truly comforted, IF HE DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GOD AND IN THE TRUE ETERNAL LIFE AFTER DEATH? When man grasps the deeper meaning of this true life, STRESS GOES AWAY, DIVINE CONSOLATION COMES AND HE IS HEALED. If someone went to psychiatric hospitals and read the Abba (Father) Isaac to the patients, those who believe in God WOULD GET WELL, BECAUSE THEY WOULD COME TO UNDERSTAND THE DEEPER MEANING OF LIFE.

People try to calm themselves with tranquilisers or with the theories of yoga, and they neglect altogether THE TRUE SERENITY THAT COMES WHEN THE SOUL IS HUMBLE AND GOD FILLS IT WITH DIVINE CONSOLATION.

When we see a person who has everything stressed, anxious and sad, we must know that God IS MISSING FROM HIS LIFE. In the end, even wealth will make people suffer, becauseTHE MATERIAL GOODS CANNOT REALLY SATISFY THEM. Theirs is a double affliction, I know wealthy people who have everything and are miserable. They do not even have children but they are still miserable. They are too lazy to lie down or take a walk. "Fine." I told someone, "since you have some free time, do something spiritual: read one of the Hours of prayer, read a passage from the Gospel." "I cannot," he said. "Then," I told him, "try doing something good; go to a hospital to visit some sick person." Why should I go all the way there," he says, "what will become of it?" "Go help some poor person in your neighborhood." "No," he says, "that does not please me either."

Can you believe that this person is miserable despite the fact that he has everything: free time, numerous houses and so on? Do you know how many people like this are in society? And these people suffer to the point that they lose their mind. What a dreadful thing! And if they happen to be independently wealthy and do not work, then they are the most miserable of all. If they at least had a job they would feel somewhat better. [Source: Orthodox Heritage]

____________
"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

HOMILY on the Precious and Life-Giving Cross from the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church

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.

Homily on the Precious and Life-Giving Cross from
the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church

Introduction

"Our Lord was trampled on by Death," writes Saint Ephraim the Syrian (306-383 A.D.), "And in His turn trod out a way over Death… Our Lord bare His Cross and went forth according to the will of Death: but he cried upon the Cross [Matthew 27:50-52] and brought forth the dead from within Sheol against the will of Death. For in that very thing by which Death had slain Him, that is, the body, in that as armor He bore off the victory over Death. But the Divinity concealed itself in the manhood and fought against Death. Death slew and was slain. Death slew the natural life; and the supernatural Life slew him. And because Death was not able to devour Him without the body, nor Sheol to swallow Him up without the flesh, He came unto the Virgin, that from therence He might obtain that which should bear Him to Sheol…With the body that was from the Virgin He entered Sheol…

"This is the Son of the carpenter, who skillfully made His Cross a bridge over Sheol that swallows up all, and brought over mankind into the dwelling of Life. And because it was through the tree that mankind had fallen into Sheol, so upon the Tree they passed over into the dwelling of Life. Through the tree then wherein bitterness was tasted, through it also sweetness was tasted, that we might learn of Him that amongst the creatures nothing resists Him. Glory be to Thee. Who didst lay Thy Cross AS A BRIDGE OVER DEATH, THAT SOULS MIGHT PASS OVER UPON IT FROM THE DWELLING OF THE DEAD TO THE DWELLING OF LIFE!"

For the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, Saint Kosmas the Melodist, Bishop of Maiuma (7th Century) chants, "O thrice-blessed Tree, on which Christ the King and Lord was stretched! Through thee the beguiler fell, who tempted mankind with a tree. He was caught in the trap set by God, Who was crucified upon thee in the flesh."

At the Feast of the Cross, we chant, "The four ends of the earth are sanctified today by the exaltation of Thy Cross with its four arms." Saint Gregory of Nyssa speaks of the symbolic implications of the physical attributes of the Cross, saying, "This is the very thing we learn from the figure of the Cross: that He Who was stretched upon it binds together all things unto Himself, and by Himself brings to one harmonious agreement the diverse natures of actual existences." Saint Paul prays that Christ might dwell in our hearts through the Faith, which has been rooted and founded in love, in order that we might be able to apprehend with all the saints what tis the breadth and length and depth and height" [Ephesians 3:17-18]. Saint Gregory of Nyssa says the Apostle "is describing by the figure of the Cross the power that controls and holds together the universe, when he expresses a desire that they may be exalted to know the exceeding glory of this power, calling it height, and depth, and breadth, and length… It manifests a great mystery: that both things in heaven, and things under the earth, and all the furthest bounds of the things that are, are ruled and sustained by Him Who gave an example of this unspeakable and mighty power in the figure of the Cross.

The Tree of Life

Saint Irenaeus (130-236 A.D.), Bishop of Lyons writes: "The sin that was wrought through the tree was undone by the obedience of the Tree, obedience to God whereby the Son of Man wa nailed to the Tree, destroying the knowledge of evil, and bringing n and conferring the knowledge of good…So by the obedience, whereby He obeyed unto death, hanging on the tree. He UNDID THE OLD DISOBEDIENCE WROUGHT IN THE TREE. And because He is universally in the whole world, and encompasses both its length and depth–for by God’s Logos/Word everything is disposed and administered–the Son of God was also Crucified in these, imprinted in the form of a cross on the universe; for He had necessarily, in becoming visible, to bring to light the universality of His Cross, in order to show openly through His visible form that activity of His: that it is He Who makes bright the height, that is, what is in heaven, and holds the deep, which is in the bowels of the earth, and stretches forth and extends the length from east to west, navigating alos the northern parts and the breadth of the south, and calling in all the dispersed from all sides to the knowledge of the Father."

The Cross, the Tree of Life, was planted in the Place of the Skull [Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17], and upon it the Eternal King WORKED SALVATION IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH [Psalm 73:13]. IT SANCTIFIES THE ENDS OF THE WORLD, AND BOTH ANGELS AND MEN REJOICE. Saint Theodore the Studite [759-826 A.D.] chantsm "The Church has been revealed as a Second Paradise, having within it, like the First Paradise of old, a Tree of Life, Thy Cross, O Lord. By touching it, we share iIN IMMORTALITY." Saint Joseph the Hymnographer [810-886 A.D.] writes: "Christ stretched out His hands upon the Cross, and so destroyed the sin of our forefather who stretched out his hands in greed. By the Tree He healed the curse of the tree" [Deuteronomy 21:23].

Salvation and Reconciliation Through the Cross

Saint Athanasius the Great attests, "He was crucified before the sun and all creation as witnesses, and before those who put Him to death; and, by His death, has salvation come to all; and all creation has been ransomed. He is the Life of all, and He it is that as a sheep yielded His body to death as a substitute, FOR THE SALVATION OF ALL, even though the Jews believe it not." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a tree" [Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23]. I reality," says Saint John Chrysostom, "the people were subject to another curse, which says, ‘Cursed is everyone who continueth not in all the words of this law to do them" (Deut. 27:26) …For Christ took upon Himself not the curse of transgression, but the other curse, in order to remove that of others." ‘For He did not sin, neither was guile found in His mouth" (Isaiah 53:9; 1 Peter 2:22). And as by dying He RESCUED FROM DEATH THOSE WHO WERE DYING, SO BY TAKING UPON HIMSELF THE CURSE, HE DELIVERED THEM FROM IT."

In Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians, he writes: "For it pleased the Father to have all the fullness dwell in Him; and through Him to reconcile all things to Him, having made peace THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS, THROUGH HIM, WHETHER THE THINGS ON THE EARTH OR THE THINGS IN THE HEAVENS" (Col. 1:20). Saint John Chrysostom aks, "What is then, ‘the heavens’? …Angels were enemies to mankind, through seeing the Lord insulted… Yet God Himself reconciled you with them."

Saint Kosmas of Alexandria [378-444 A.D.) counsels us, "LET US NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST, BUT THOUGH ANOTHER HIDE IT, DO THOU OPENLY SEAL IT UPON THY FOREHEAD, THAT THE DEVIL MAY BEHOLD THE ROYAL SIGN AND FLEE, TREMBLING, FAR AWAY.  MAKE THIS SIGN AT EATING AND DRINKING, AT SITTIN, AT LYING DOWN, AT RISING UP, AT SPEAKING, AT WALKING, IN A WORD, AT EVERY ACT."


   Saint John Chrysostom expounds on signing ourselves with the Cross, saying, "One ought NOT merely by the fingers to engrave it, but BEFORE THIS TO HAVE MUCH FAITH IN THE HEART.  And if in this way thou markest it upon thy face, none of the unclean spirits will be able to stand near thee, seeing the blade whereby the devil received his wound, seeing the sword which gave him his mortal stroke.  For if we, on seeing the places in which the criminals are beheaded, shudder, think what the devil must endure, seeing the weapon whereby Christ put an end to all his power, and cut off the head of the dragon.

   "This therefore, do thou engrave upon thy mind, and embrace the salvation of our souls.  For this Cross saved and converted the world, drove away error, brought back truth, made earth heaven, fashioned men into Angels.  Because of this, the devils are no longer terrible, but contemptible; neither is death death, but a sleep, because of this, all that wars against us is cast to the ground and trodden underfoot…"

   Saint Paul says, "The word, that of the Cross, to those who are perishing is foolishness, but to us are being saved, IT IS THE POWER OF GOD" [1 Corinthians 1:18]. And "May it not be for me to boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" [Galatians 6:14]. Saint John Chrysostom says, "…The Cross is our glory, and the sun of all our blessings, and our confidence, and all our crown. I would that, also with Paul, I were able to say, ‘But may it not be for me to boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom the world hath been crucified to me, and I to the world" [Galatians 6:14]. [Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church]

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Cross,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

THE EXALTATION OF THE VENERABLE AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (Part II)

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.

THE EXALTATION OF THE VENERABLE AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS
OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. (Part II)

The wood of Thy Cross was merely planted, O Christ,
and the foundations of death were shaken, O Lord.
Hades had swallowed Thee eagerly, but with trembling
it disgorged Thee. Thou have shown us Thy salvation,
O Holy One, and we glorify Thee, Son of God.
Have mercy on us. [Matins.  Kathisma II]

O Cross of Christ, the hope of Christians, the guide of
the wayward, the haven of the storm-tossed, the victory
in wartime, the security of the civilized world, for the
sick a Physician, for the dead resurrection, have mercy
on us. (Matins. Idiomelon)

Thou Who were lifted on the Cross, O Christ our God,
bestow Thy tender compassion upon Thy new
community to which Thou gave Thy name. Cause
our faithful emperors to be glad in Thy power, granting
them victories against their adversaries. And for an
ally, Lord, may they have Thee. peace as their armor,
and the trophy invincible. (Matins. Kontakion)
+

The Holy Cross was placed in worthy surroundings by the foundation of a basilica on the site of the Passion. The basilica, named “New Jerusalem” by the Augusta, Saint Helen, gleamed with gilded ceilings and rich golden altars, and preserved the Holy Cross, which is placed in a hidden sanctuary. Every year during the Lord’s Pascha the bishop of that city brings it out to be Venerated by the people. He leads them in the show of respect. Only on the day when we celebrate the mystery of the Cross itself is that source of mysteries brought out to mark the holy and solemn occasion…Saint Paulinus closes his account with these interesting facts: “Indeed the Holy Cross of inanimate wood has LIVING POWER, and ever since its discovery it has lent its wood to the countless, almost daily, prayers of the people. Yet is suffers no diminution…Saint Kyril of Jerusalem, Patriarch from 349, informs us that only twenty-five years later “THE WHOLE WORLD HAS SINCE BEEN FILLED WITH PIECES OF THE WOOD OF THE CROSS.”

Saint Helen brought a holy relic of the Cross to Byzantium as a gift for her son. According to Saint Ambrose, she sought the nails with which the Lord was Crucified, and found them. “From one nail,” says he, “she ordered a bridle to be made; from the other she wove a diadem. She turned the one to an ornamental, the other to a devotional, use. So she sent to her son Emperor Constantine a Diadem adorned with jewels interwoven with the iron of the Cross, which also enclosed the more precious jewel of divine redemption. Constantine, thus, used both and transmitted his faith to later kings. And so the beginning of the faith of the emperors is the holy relic which is upon the bridle, in accordance with the prophecy of Zacharias: “In that day there shall be upon the bridle of every horse holiness to the Lord Almighty” (Zacharias 14:20). Therefrom came the faith whereby persecution ended and devotion to God took its place.

The Augusta Saint Helen visited many cities of the East, she bestowed befitting gifts on the churches of every town, embraced those individuals who had been deprived of their possessions, supplied the necessities to the poor, and restored their freedom to those who had been long imprisoned or condemned to exile or the mines. But especially noteworthy were the gifts bestowed on the naked and unprotected poor. To some she gave money, to others an ample supply of clothing…She was also far from neglecting personal piety toward God. This admirable woman was to be seen in simple and modest attire, mingling with the crowd of worshipers. Saint Helen was loved across the empire.

Upon returning home she was exhausted from her labors, and met with grief and mourning her slain grandson Crispus. Saint Helen reposed in the arms of her son Saint Constantine at Nikomedia in 327. She is commemorated by our Holy Church, AS EQUAL-TO-THE-APOSTLES, on the 21st of May. The Crusaders took her precious relics to Rome.

Emperor Herakleios Recovers the Holy Cross

The Veneration of the Holy Cross was further intensified by the Byzantine Emperor Herakleios (575-641) and his recovery of the True Cross and its restoration to Jerusalem in 629. In the Life of Saint Athanasius the Persian, commemorated by the Holy Church on the 22nd of January, we read: “In 614, when the Persians had taken and plundered Jerusalem, the wood of the Cross of Christ, together with many other holy and precious vessels, was taken as spoil into Persia.”

On the 14th of September, 628, Herakleios finally entered his Capital of Constantinople. It had been six years since his return, and his son Constantine, Patriarch Sergios (610-638), the clergy, the senate and the people received hi on the coast of Asia Minor with olive branches and lighted candles, with hymns and acclamations of joy. Before him went the Holy Cross, and behind, four elephants. These were the first seen in Constantinople. The emperor, though only in his mid-fifties, appeared old, worn out, and ill. But by the grace of God, through his efforts, the victorious Byzantine Empire dealt the death blow to its constant enemy, leaving the Persian army prostrate.

During the service of thanksgiving, the True Cross of Christ was slowly raised up by Patriarch Sergios, until it stood, vertically, before the altar. It was a deeply moving episode in the history of the Church. Also, when Herakleios defeated the Persians, he also rescued Patriarch Zacharias from captivity and had him restored in Jerusalem.

Now the Holy Cross had to be returned to Jerusalem. On the 21st of March, 629, Herakleios left with his wife Martina and his eldest son Constantine for Jerusalem. Upon their entrance into the Holy City, there was much joy: sounds of weeping, and signs, the burning of flaming hearts, the exaltation of the emperors, the princes, soldiers and inhabitants. The Emperor himself carried the Holy Cross to the rebuilt Church of the Holy Sepulcher, or, as it is also known, as the Church of the Holy Resurrection (Anastasis), where the Patriarch was waiting to receive it. As the Cross reached the Church, hardly anyone could chant due to great emotion. Together with Patriarch Zacharias, the Emperor then restored the Holy Cross, to the joy of all Christendom, to its place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Herakleios then returned all the church objects, each to its place. There was great rejoicing by the faithful, and again they pressed forward to VENERATE THE WOOD OF THE CROSS. Once more it was ELEVATED BY THE HOLY SUFFERER PATRIARCH ZACHARIAS, on the 14 of September, 629 A.D. After the days of the recovery, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross received new emphasis in the Orthodox Church.

This Great Event of the recovery of the Holy Cross was linked with the Feast Day of the “Finding of the Cross and Nails” by Saint Helen, which took place on the 6th of March. And together with that occasion on the 14th of September, we celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. We also celebrate and Venerate the Cross especially on the Third Sunday of the Great Fast (Lent).

Later, when the Holy Fathers realized the dangers of invading infidels in the Holy Land, IT WAS RESOLVED TO CUT THE CROSS INTO PIECES AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO THE GREAT SPIRITUAL CENTERS. Many portions were taken to Constantinople, Mount Athos, Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch. [Source:  The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church]

(To be continued)

___________
“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