How Do I Turn From Sin?

As we enter the fast, we begin to take our spiritual inventory, and we begin to seek out the places in our hearts and souls where we know we fail in our walk towards the Lord.  And so we ask the title's question:  "How do I turn from my sin?"

The following is from St. Theophan the Recluse, and the book "Thoughts for Each Day of the Year."  The answer to the question is contained in the ending phrase;  "Be sober, watch and pray."  In our sobriety, let us root out the secret places in our hearts where sin hides.  In our watchfulness, let us carry our finding to the place of repentance.  And in our prayer, let us ask the Lord to lead us not into temptation, so that we may not again fail as we have before.

The devil approached the God-man with temptations.  Who then among men is free of them?

He who goes according to the will of the evil one does not experience attacks, but is simply turned more and more toward evil. 

As soon as one begins to come to himself and intends to begin a new life according to God’s will, immediately the entire satanic realm enters into action: they hasten to scatter good thoughts and the intentions of the repentant one in any way they can.

If they do not manage to turn him aside, they attempt to hinder his good repentance and confession; if they do not manage to do that, they contrive to sow tares amidst the fruits of repentance and disrupt his labors of cleansing the heart.

If they do not succeed in suggesting evil they attempt to distort the truth; if they are repulsed inwardly they attack outwardly, and so on until the end of one’s life. They do not even let one die in peace; even after death they pursue the soul, until it escapes the aerial space where they hover and congregate.

You ask, “What then should we do? It seems hopeless and terrifying!”

For a believer there is nothing terrifying here, because near a God-fearing person demons only busy themselves, but they do not have any power over him. A sober person of prayer shoots arrows against them, and they stay far away, not daring to approach, and fearing the defeat which they have already experienced.

If they succeed in something, it is due to our blundering. We slacken our attention, or allow ourselves to be distracted by their phantoms, and they immediately come and disturb us more boldly.

If you do not come to your senses in time they will whirl you about; but if a soul does come to its senses they again recoil and spy from afar to see whether it is possible to approach again somehow.

So be sober, watch, and pray—and the enemies will do nothing to you.

Blessing My Enemies

In the world around us, there is always a worldly attempt to define friend and enemy.  The political machinations that surround us seem to try to make one from another with such great regularity that we can't keep track any longer.

The following is wisdom from St. Nikolai Velimirovich (from "Prayers by the Lake") on praying for ones enemies.  It is profound, and we share it with you hoping it will move you as it has us!

     Enemies have driven me into Your embrace more than friends have.

     Friends have bound me to earth; enemies have loosed me from the earth and have demolished all my aspirations of the world.

     Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world. Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

     Bless my enemies, O Lord.  Even I bless them and do not curse them.  

     

     They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.

     They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.

     They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.

     They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself.

     They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.

     Bless my enemies, O Lord.  Even I bless them, and do not curse them.

     Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.

     Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.

     Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.

     Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.

     Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.

    Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.

    Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of Your garment.

     Bless my enemies, O Lord.  Even I bless them and do not curse them.

     Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly set against me,

          so that my fleeing to You may have no return,

          so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs,

          so that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul,

          so that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins, arrogance and anger,

          so that I might amass all my treasure in heaven,

       and, ah, so that I may for once be freed from self-deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.

     Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows - that a person has no enemies in the world except himself.

     One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.

     It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends, or enemies.

     Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and my enemies.

     A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand.  But a son blesses them, for he understands.  For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life.  

     Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.  

Sincere Thankfulness - And Fervent Prayer

This is written after penning an article for this week's bulletin, having read 'shallow' responses to on-the-street queries asking, "What are you thankful for?"

The balance of the bulletin was taken up by a plea from His Grace Bishop Daniil, asking for free-will, from the heart donations to be given to His Holiness, Patriarch John X as he comes to America to enthrone Metropolitan Joseph as Primate of the Antiochian Archdiocese.

All one need do is go to the Orthodox news pages on this very day to find how very lucky we remain here in our God-protected (for now) land.  Read the articles here:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/75473.htm

and here:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/72825.htm

and many others like them, and see what other Christians are enduring in the world around us.

And what has been our response as a people?  We can't speak for other parishes, but locally we've added petitions in the litanies to ask for our Lord's intervention to shelter those who are being persecuted for their faith in Iraq, in Syria, in Saudi Arabia, in Gaza, in Jerusalem, and even here in the US.  There are also those who are suffering from the ravages of war in Ukraine.  See the article here:

http://singac.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=326%3Amartyred-ukrainian-m-p-priest-vladimir-kreslyansky&catid=56&Itemid=288

of Archpriest Vladimir Kreslyansky, who died praying for God's deliverance of his people!

It is right and proper for us to give thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.  But it is even more right and proper for us to offer prayers of intercession for those who are not as fortunate as we are, whose very lives are hanging in the balance in a world seemingly gone mad.

And so this year, let us mingle our sincere thanksgiving to the Lord with an even more sincere plea for His mercy to be poured out in abundance, to stop the terrible attacks against Christians in general, but against Orthodox Christians who by choice or by necessity remain in regions where they live under the threat of warring factions who seek their removal or destruction.

May God have mercy on us all!

The History of the Trisagion

We all know the hymn:

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!

We sing it at every Divine Liturgy.  It is prayed in the context of every Orthodox service.  It serves as the petition to God for those who have fallen asleep in the Lord, for there we even say that "We said a Trisagion for your beloved one" to comfort those who have lost a loved one.

But how many know the origin of the prayer?

To find out, we need to go back to the year 447.  During the reign of Emperor Theophilus, the city of Constantinople was plagued by persistent earthquakes for nearly four months.  The Emperor, and then Patriarch Proclus, called the people together into procession to pray to God for their safety.  While they were so gathered, the shaking of the ground increased dramatically.  The crowds witnessed a young boy ascending into the air, and all cried out with one voice, "Lord, have mercy!"

When the boy descended again, he was taken to the Patriarch.  He told of hearing choirs of angels singing, "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!"  He told the Patriarch that a voice commanded him to tell the Patriarch that the people gathered should make supplication to God in this way.  And so the Patriarch instructed the people to begin to chant the hymn.

And, immediately the ground stopped its shaking.  And, the child died!

The Empress Pulcheria asked the Patriarch to include this hymn thereafter into the Divine Liturgy, and it is for this reason that we find it there today.

Oh - do not weep for the child.  His being called by God was a double blessing.  In the first, he was granted grace to see and hear the glories of heaven.  And, for his purity, his faithfulness, and his obedience, he was again given grace to dwell within those joys immediately!

The only instances in Church use when the prayer is omitted are on Feasts of the Cross, where the precedence of the Cross of Christ itself replaces the hymn with:

Before Your Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Your Holy Resurrection we glorify!

The use of the hymn within the Divine Liturgy is accompanied in some traditions by an exhortation from a deacon (when one is available to serve) that occurs after the "Glory... Now and ever" that separates the chanting of hymns three times from its chanting a final time.  That exhortation is a command:

Dynamis!

The Greek word "dynamis" translates to "power" or "force."  It is the root of the English word "dynamic."  In this context, those who are singing the hymn are encouraged to not just "sing" the hymn, but to mean it, to allow the words of the hymn to penetrate to the core, to the "nous" - and thereby to glorify God with these divine words, gifted to us by God!

When one serves the Divine Liturgy with our beloved Metropolitan Joseph, it is a special joy to approach this time in the Liturgy with him.  For it is here that he comes forth to bless the people with dikiri and trikiri.  But it is also the hymn itself which is the focus.  Our Metropolitan becomes not just the main celebrant, but he becomes "choir director of the gathered clergy," urging all who are at the altar to not just sing - but to shout this most excellent of prayers!

Today, we celebrate the prayer''s birthday.....

Seeking God's Will, and Acting in Faith

Those of us at St. Herman's held a Congregational Meeting this past Sunday.  We began the meeting as we do all such meetings, invoking the Holy Spirit to "Come and abide in us" and to thereby guide our hearts and our discussions to follow the will of God.

It was an important prayer, because there lay before us two (2) separate and very different opportunities that could provide for the growth of our little community, and both of which in their own way are answers to our now nearly ten years of prayer for a "permanent home" for our mission.

We need not go into detail about the opportunities, but as the spiritual father to this community, it is very edifying (we'll refrain from any use of words associated with 'pride') to watch between 15 and 20 members of our community honestly engaged in trying to discern God's will.  

As the Building Committee entered the meeting, there were three alternatives that we found present in these two opportunities.  We could make an offer to buy a particular existing building.  We could make an offer to lease that same building.  Or we could make an offer to buy a large plot of land for well under market value.

But as the meeting progressed, it became incredibly clear that we had ignored a fourth option - that of allowing the Lord to say to us, "Do none of these - be patient, and wait."

As the meeting progressed, I believe at the group's combined following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a decision was postponed.  "Let's re-convene next Sunday again, and give ourselves a week to pray about this."  That was the wisdom of 15 to 20 faithful gathered in a 625 square foot chapel inside the Hudson City cemetery.

And it was a Spirit-inspired decision!

Now, as we find ourselves within this next week, how do we in fact try to discern if any of these opportunities are in fact the will of God?  Or, is the Lord truly attempting to tell us, "Be patient!"?

Here are some things I found to attempt to help myself, as your spiritual father, to reach a point of assuring that my own focus is truly to seek His will, and not my own:

1)  A disciple of St. Joseph the Hesychast said: "We observed that the Elder never embarked on anything without first praying. We would ask him about something in the future or for the next day, and his reply was that he would tell us tomorrow. He would do this so that he could pray first. So, when you want to find out the will of God, abandon your own will completely, together with every other thought or plan, and with great humility ask for this knowledge in prayer. And whatever takes shape or carries weight in your heart, do it and it will be according to God's will.

2)  Saint Silouan of Mt. Athos said, "If you are distressed over anything, it means that you are not fully surrendered to God's will, although it may seem that you are living according to His will."

3) Psalm 55:22 - "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.  He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

4)  1Peter 5:6-7 - "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exult you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

5)  Mat 21:22 - "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

6) Saint Barsenuphius said, "Here is the luminous teaching of our Savior: 'Thy will be done!'  Whoever sincerely pronounces this prayer leaves his own will and puts all things in the will of God."

7) Abba Macarius was asked, 'How should we pray?'  The old man said, 'There is no need to make long discourses.  It is enough to stretch out the hands and say, 'Lord, as You will, and as You know, have mercy!'  And if the conflict grows fiercer, say, 'Lord, help!'  For He knows well what we need, and He shows us His mercy.'

8)  Saint John Climacus taught, 'All who ask and to not obtain their requests from God are denied for one of the following reasons:  they ask at the wrong time;  they ask in vanity or unworthily;  if they received they would become conceited;  or after obtaining their request, they would become negligent.

9)  Saint Nilus of Sinai said, 'How many times have I prayed for what seemed to be good for me, not leaving it to God to do as He knows best?  And how often, having received what I prayed for, I found myself in distress because I had not asked for it to be according to God's will.'

10) Abba Agathon said, 'In order to pray, we must struggle until our last breath.  If we do not find prayer difficult, perhaps it is because we have not yet truly started to pray.'

Making a Habit of Prayer

At little St. Herman's, we've spent the last several weeks looking at prayer.  We looked to the New Testament for examples, then to the Old.  We looked to the Holy Fathers.  This past Sunday, we looked to one who has been an inspiration on the topic of prayer to the priest at St. Herman's - Metropolitan Anthony.

In his several books one can learn innumerable lessons on the topic, and all of of great value.  But it is a writing that we found on-line at mitras.ru/eng/ that struck us for this past week's homily.  Here are the words of Metropolitan Anthony:

Life and prayer must be made one.  Get up in the morning, stand before God and say, 'Lord, bless me, and bless this day that is beginning.'  Then treat the whole day as a gift of God and consider yourself as God's envoy in this unknown which is the new day.  This simply means something very difficult:  that nothing which happens today will be alien to the will of God.  Everything without exception is a situation in which God will have placed you in order that you should be His presence, His love, His compassion, His creative intelligence, His courage...  And on the other hand, every time you encounter a situation, you will be the one whom God has put there to perform the office of a Christian, to be a particle of the Body of Christ and an action of God.  

If you do that, you will easily see that at every moment you will have to turn to God and say, 'Lord, clarify my intelligence, strengthen and direct my will, give me a heart of fire, help me!'  At other moments you may say, 'Thank you, Lord!'  And if you are wise and know how to be thankful, you will avoid the folly that is called vanity or pride, which consists of imagining that one has done something that could have been left undone.  It is god who has done it!  It is God who has given us this marvelous gift of having this to do.

And when, in the evening, you present yourself again before God, and make a quick examination of the day, you will be able to sing His praises, glorify Him, thank Him, weep over others and weep over yourself.  If you begin to connect your prayer to life in this way, the two will never again be separated, and life will be like a fuel which at every moment is feeding a fire that becomes richer and richer, more and more burning, and which little by little will transform you yourself into that burning bush that is told about in Scripture.

The above is only the close of the article titled, "Prayer Today."  There's much omitted for the sake of space in this blog posting.  But how often in prayer do we neglect to see ourselves as God's instruments for answering the prayer of others?  How often do we seek His will and mean it - whatever it means for effort or inconvenience in our day?  How often are we focused on His agenda for the day, and not our own?

Can we begin to pray, 'Lord, bless me, and bless this day that is beginning,' and then live up to whatever challenges He gives us, recognizing them not as troubles or trials, but as that which He has appointed to help me find my way to His salvation?  

The Joys of Managing Internet Media

We all use the tools, and we all have had both really wonderful experiences and really horrible ones associated with dealing on-line media and issues.

This past week, as we were searching for potential property for our parish, we found that our parish was not listed on Google Maps.  So, we went on-line searching for exactly HOW we get that listing to be included in their on-line tool.

There were a number of links, and we clicked several of them, only to find that we were repeatedly re-directed to a Google+ page that told us that our account was suspended.  Digging further, we found the following:
1) You need to log into Google+ using an established account to make a request like a change to Google Maps
2) Google+ has "naming conventions", and they apparently either accept you, or if they reject you it is the ether equivalent of having your birth certificate revoked

In our case, the "offensive name" that caused our account to be rejected as "Father Basil" - given as a "First Name" in the account.

Well, this seems like it'll be straightforward to fix.  Let's use Google+'s "standard appeal process".  Quick and painless!  Just provide a link or three that shows that the name you're defending is in fact your common name, and used by you elsewhere, and we'll get this all straightened out post haste.

That was last week.

Today, the good people at Google+ sent us the following (copied from their e-mail to us):

Hello,

After reviewing your appeal, we have determined that your name does not comply with the Google+ Names Policy.

We want users to be able to find each other using the name they already use with their friends, family, and coworkers. For most people this is their legal name, or some variant of it, but we recognize that this isn't always the case, and we allow for other common names in Google+ --- specifically, those that represent an individual with an established online identity with a meaningful following. If you haven't already done so, you can provide us with additional information regarding an established identity by re-submitting an appeal that includes references to where you are known by this name either in online or offline settings.

Note that if you're trying to set up a page for a business, band, group, or other organization, please sign up with your own name and then create a Google+ Page. If you're trying to add an alternate name (such as a nickname, maiden name or name in another script), please sign up with your full name; you can add this alternate name (which will appear alongside your full name) once you've signed up.

You may re-appeal with additional information, if you have not already done so. If you're already using Google+, your current name will continue to be used.

The Google+ team.

So, let us understand.  We're not allowed to be called "Father Basil" - is that what you're saying?

Not to be outdone by Google-'s humor, we offered the following to them, in return:

Dear Google- Team:

After reviewing your response to our appeal on rejected naming, we have determined that your policy does not comply with our faith’s historical means of addressing clergy, now used for roughly 2000 years.

We want parishioners and those searching for the Church to be able to find us using the names they already use to address us as clergy.  For most Orthodox Christians, this is our ecclesiastical name, and no variants are allowed.  But we recognize that some aren't so enlightened as to recognize this means of showing respect to the office ---  specifically those who may have never attended Divine Services.  Let us invite you when you’re in Hudson!  Come and see!  When you arrive, you’ll know who I am by calling out, “Hey, Father Basil!”  I’ll be the one who turns and says, “How can I help you, my child?”

The Church is technically not a business.  We do not use the Internet for non-Church related activities.  It is not a “social media tool” to us – it is a means of evangelizing.  Ergo we have no desire, tendency, need, or inclination to seek some kind of SECOND “personal page” to require us to keep TWO on-line entities managed.  The name we've selected is not an “alternate name” – it is who we are at the core of our being.

We found this on a blog (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/in-a-switch-google-plus-now-allows-pseudonyms/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0): “We want to build a product that is for humanity at large, and we recognize people have many notions around identity and ways to represent themselves,” said Bradley Horowitz, a vice president of product who works on Google Plus. “We want to be as inclusive as possible while still ensuring the integrity of the system and the community.”

Hmmm…..  Sounds counter to your appeal rejection, at least to the uninformed…..   Then there’s:

http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2013/01/im-sorry-your-google-plus-name-does-not.html

If you consider this a “re-appeal”, fine.  If not, know that we’ll not be using the massive might of Google+, Google-, Google^2 or GooglePlex to promote our activities.

Christ did it for 2000 years and He never touched a keyboard…..  I guess we just need to follow His example.

In Christ,

Father Basil Rusen

The Saint Herman of Alaska Eastern Orthodox Church “Team”

(and yes, the REAL church name IS Saint Herman of Alaska…..)

Was Christ Married?

This past week, news reports have been flooded with renewed information about a 'fragment' (text on papyrus the size of the palm of your hand) that says that Jesus was married.

And the world is all aflutter!

Why?  Because here lay yet another opportunity to defame the One whom the Church declares as God in the flesh, a chance to disprove divinity, a means by which people can transform the Holy into the unholy.

Is it coincidence that this occurs during Holy Week?  Not a chance!

In fact, those who are promoting the idea, and those who are reporting it with such joyous fervor are brethren with the Pharisees whom our Lord silenced first two thousand years ago, and who were re-silenced again last evening within the context of the service of Bridegroom Matins.

Yes, I said "Bridegroom".  In the news world, it's called "a teaser".  You'll have to read on, now, won't you?

In the encounter with the Pharisees, these men (like today's 'journalists') were certain that they had the Lord 'cornered' - "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" (Mat 22:17)  You can almost read their minds.  "Now we've got Him!  If He says, "Pay!", the people will turn on Him, for they hate the Romans.  And if He says, "Don't pay!", we'll turn Him over to the Romans for speaking against the government!!!  This is great!!!!

What they didn't see, what they couldn't understand, is that God can't be "boxed in" by human thought.  "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the coin.... Whose image is this?... Render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's!"

Whoa!  They didn't see that coming, did they?  Read Matthew 22.  It's better than the front page of any paper, or even the 'religious page'!!!

Those promoting today's news stories are certain that they have "cornered" Christians into a region from which they cannot extricate themselves.  "See - here's proof that Christ had a wife!!"  Proof that comes from a document that was written 6 to 8 centuries after Christ walked the earth, mind you - but PROOF!!  Ignore the fact that those who wrote it neither knew (in the first person) those being written of, NOR was the writing "Divinely inspired", as the Church holds for that which has been set aside as Holy Scripture.

But let's not denigrate the authors without giving ear to that which is written.  Perhaps, in fact, these were Holy men trying to share spiritual wisdom with their brethren.  And please, don't attack based on a sexist perspective with the statement.  It means only monks writing to other monks.

So, what could the words possibly mean, if they're NOT incorrect?  What were the words EXACTLY?  In one part of the fragment, it translates to, "And Jesus said to them, 'My wife,'"  And the text then ends and begins anew in the next segment of the fragment, saying, "She will be able to be My disciple."

Well, what could be more condemning to thinking that God the Son led a virginal life, than these fragmented words?

Let's go back to Bridegroom Matins.  The central theme of the service is this hymn:

Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight.  And blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching.  And again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless.  Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom, but rouse yourself, crying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O our God!' Through the prayers of the Theotokos, have mercy on us!

Christ is the Bridegroom.  Who is His bride?  His Church!  This is no strange "new" theology.  Go back to Saint Paul, and the people of Ephesus, in whose Epistle we find the lesson used at every Orthodox wedding, which reads:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the Church, and He is the Savior of the body.  Therefore, just as the Church is subject to Christ, so let wives be to their own husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church.  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. (Eph 5:22-32)

Was Christ married?  Absolutely!  To Mary Magdalene (whom the 'reporters' desire with all their hearts to prove)?  Not a chance!  Christ is the Bridegroom of the Church!  He is and every shall be!

Whoa!  They didn't see that coming, did they???

Asking Forgiveness From All!

As we come to the Sunday of Forgiveness, let me offer my request with deepest humility that you forgive me of any and all sins and offenses by which I have angered or offended any.  Know that we write this, having forgiven all!  May this season of the Great Fast fill each of you, and your families, friends, and homes, with the greatest of spiritual blessings, growing ever closer to that perfection to which our Lord calls us all.

To that end, let us offer here some words that may encourage all during this season of the Great Fast.

Wisdom of Sirach 17:20-27  Turn to the Lord and forsake your sins, and pray in His presence and reduce your offense.  Return to the Most High and turn away from wrongdoing, and hate an abomination exceedingly.  Who will praise the Most High in Hades, as do the living and those who give thanks?  Thanksgiving ceases from a dead man since he is no longer alive; only the living and the healthy will praise the Lord.  How great the mercy of the Lord is, and His atonement for those who turn to Him!

Wisdom of Sirach 28:1-7  He who seeks revenge will find it from the Lord, and He will surely punish his sins.  Forgive a wrong done by your neighbor; then your sins will be pardoned when you pray. Can a man preserve wrath against his neighbor and still seek healing from the Lord?  Can he show no mercy toward a man like himself and still beg God for mercy for himself?  If he being flesh keeps his anger continually, who will atone for his sins?  Remember the end of your life and cease from enmity; remember destruction and death and stand fast in the commandments.  Remember the commandments and do not vent your wrath against your neighbor; remember the covenant of the Most High and overlook faults.

From Saint Augustine:  The fact that your enemies have been created is God's doing.  The fact that they hate you and wish to ruin you is their own doing.  What should you then say about them in your mind?  Lord, be merciful to them.  Forgive them their sins.  Put the fear of God in them.  Change them.  Then, you are loving in them not what they are, but what you would have them become.

From Saint John Climacus:  Do not stop praying as long as, by God's grace, the fire and the water [i.e. fervor and tears] have not been exhausted, for it may happen that never again in your whole life will you have such a chance to ask for the forgiveness for your sins.

Saint Mark the Ascetic:  He who seeks forgiveness of his sins loves humility, but if he condemns another he seals his own wickedness.....  The sign of sincere love is to forgive wrongs done to us. It was with such love that the Lord loved the world.

Saint Maximos the Confessor:  A man who has been assiduous in acquiring the fruits of love will not cease loving even if he suffers a thousand calamities. Let Stephen, the disciple of Christ, and others like him persuade you of the truth of this (cf. Acts 7:60). Our Lord Himself prayed for His murderers and asked the Father to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing (cf. Luke 23:34).

Saint John Cassian:  If we remember that thief who, for a single confession, was taken into Paradise, we shall realize that it was not for the merit of the life he lived that he obtained so great blessedness, but that it was his by the gift of God, Who had mercy on him. Or let us think of David, the king, whose two such grievous and awful crimes were wiped away by one word of penitence. Neither here do we see that the merit of what he did was equal to obtaining pardon for such great offense, but the grace of God did the more abound when on the occasion of true penitence He did away with all that weight of sin for one single word of genuine confession.

Saint Nikolai Velimirovich:  Seven brothers were ill in one hospital. One recovered from his illness and got up and rushed to serve his other brothers with brotherly love, to speed their recovery. Be like this brother. Consider all men to be your brothers, and sick brothers at that. And if you come to feel that God has given you better health than others, know that it is given through mercy, so in health you may serve your frailer brothers.

A Prayer

By Alexander Solzhenitsyn

How easy it is to live with you, O Lord!

How easy it is to believe in You.

When my spirit sinks

Or scatters in confusion,

And the very smartest people

Cannot see further than this evening,

And do not know what to do tomorrow,

You send down clear certainty to me

that You exist and that You care

And will ensure that not all the paths of goodness will be blocked.

On the peak of earthly glory

I look back in surprise on the path I have taken

Which I would never have been able

to invent for myself,

An incredible path

Through hopelessness

From which I was yet able

To send humanity a reflection

of Your rays of light.

And for as long as it is necessary that I keep

Reflecting them,

You will let me do so.

And what I do not finish—

well, then,

You have assigned to others the task.

It's Time for Action!

As Orthodox Christians, we have had two of our Hierarchs kidnapped and held by insurgents since April 23, 2013 (as of this writing on 14Jan14, that is 266 days that these holy men have been held captive.  For what?  Recently 'demands' for their release were made by the Turkish sponsored "North Storm Brigade", which include demands by Chechen rebels to release two officials and 70 prisoners held in Russia, French demands to release twelve French people held in Syrian prisons, Turkish demands to release 25 officers held in Syria, and an unidentified state's demands to release twelve others held in Syria.

In addition to these horrors, on December 17th, twelve nuns from the Saint Thecla convent in Maaloula, Syria were also 'detained', 'kidnapped', taken from their monastery.  While conflicting stories about them have emerged (such as "they were removed to protect them from those who seek to attack the monastery), they are nonetheless held in a place unknown by persons unknown against their will.

In response to these atrocities, the US Government, with all of its power and authority, had done exactly nothing.

I am forwarding the message below to all of my elected representatives at the national level.  Let me urge you to pray about this, and then if the Spirit moves you to act as well, please do so.

For those who choose to act, you can find e-mail addresses for your elected senators and representatives here:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

When you click the link, you will be taken to a page permitting you to select US Senators or US Representatives (among the several choices).  You'll need to go to both if you choose to fully engage all of your elected representatives.  Once on the following page, simply click your state (for Senators) and their e-mail addresses will appear.

For congressmen, it's a little more complicated.  You can find your representatives here:

https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50872/getLocal.jsp

Once found, our "enlightened" representative system does not allow you to contact them with an e-mail address.  Seems too many e-mails would be generated by "non-constituents", and so they hide behind a federal page that forces you to enter your "ZIP PLUS 4" address.  If you don't know the last four digits of your nine digit ZIP code, you WILL NOT GET INTO THE SYSTEM!!  So, you can send snail mail, or you can find your 9 digit code here:

https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action

Now - to the message.  Copy it, and place your own name at the bottom before sending - if you are so moved.  And I pray that you will be!

-----------------------------------

Dear (Senator/Congressman/Congresswoman):

Glory to Jesus Christ!  Glory forever!

We greet you with this traditional Orthodox greeting that is offered to all who share in the recognition that our Lord is Sovereign, and we are all His servants.  We daily pray for all elected officials, like yourself, with prayers such as this:  "Be mindful, O Lord, of the President of our country, of all civil authorities, and of our armed forces everywhere, especially those serving in battle zones.  Be mindful of our country, of the city in which we dwell, and of every city and countryside.  Grant them all peaceful times, that we may lead calm and peaceful lives in all Godliness and sanctity."

That Godliness and sanctity has been broken by the actions of a few who seek only destruction through terrorism.

On April 23rd 2013, two Orthodox Bishops were kidnapped near Aleppo in the northwest of Syria.  Metropolitan Paul of the Antiochian Archdiocese of Aleppo, and Mar Gregorios Yohanna of the Syriac Archdiocese of Aleppo were taken in a gunfire attack on their car as they traveled in this district.  The deacon cleric who was their driver was shot and killed in that attack.  As of this writing, these two Orthodox hierarchs have been held hostage now for over 266 days!

Then, on December 3rd 2013, twelve nuns and perhaps a few others were kidnapped, or at least forceably removed, from their convent of Saint Thecla in Maaloula, Syria.  Amongst those in the group are said to be one nun who is over 90 years old, and the youngest is apparently in her "mid teens".  These women are being held by unknown people in an unknown location, and the only information to surface is that "they are safe."  From whom?

And in what is now nearly nine months of captivity for the bishops, and one month for the nuns, the total response from our own government has been a deafening silence.

We write to beg you to do anything and everything possible to assure the safety and well being of both groups, and to ultimately secure the release of these people.  In an encyclical from His Holiness Patriarch John of Antioch, we read these words:  "Our appeal to the international community:  Although we are grateful for all the feelings of solidarity, we no longer need denunciation, condemnations, or 'feelings of concern' about the assault on human dignity that is occurring, because all this is engraved in the conscience of every one of us.  Today, however, we need concrete actions, not words.  We do not want voices of condemnation from decision makers, whether regional or international, but rather efforts, pressure and action leading to the release of those whose only fault was their clinging to their monastery and refusing to leave it."

As Orthodox Christians, we find the actions of such people unconscionable.  And we find it equally unconscionable for a society built upon the principle of fighting oppression wherever it may exist to have gone nine months without taking any action whatsoever.

We call on you now, therefore, to act!  You, and all our federal representatives, to stand fearlessly and with one voice declare, "This is far enough!"  We call on you to do that which is right and just, and to secure the freedom of our brothers and sisters who are in such grave danger at the hands of mad men.  We call on you to restore Godliness and sanctity to the lives of these captives, and thereby to our own.

In Christ,

Father Basil Rusen
Pastor,
Saint Herman Eastern Orthodox Church
Hudson, Ohio  44236

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

A Nativity Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom

"I behold a new and wondrous mystery!
My ears resound to the shepherd's song,

piping no soft melody, but loudly chanting a heavenly hymn!
The angels sing!
The archangels blend their voices in harmony!
The cherubim resound their joyful praise!
The Seraphim exalt His glory!

All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead herein on earth and man in heaven. He who is above now, for our salvation, dwells here below; and we, who were lowly, are exalted by divine mercy!

Today Bethlehem resembles heaven, hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices and, in place of the sun, witnessing the rising of the Sun of Justice!

Ask not how this is accomplished, for where God wills, the order of nature is overturned. For He willed. He had the powers. He descended. He saved. All things move in obedience to God.

Today He Who Is, is born! And He Who Is becomes what He was not! For when He was God, He became man-while not relinquishing the Godhead that is His...

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him angels, nor archangels, nor thrones, nor dominions, nor powers, nor principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Yet He has not forsaken His angels, nor left them deprived of His care, nor because of His incarnation has He ceased being God.

And behold kings have come, that they might serve the Leader of the Hosts of Heaven; Women, that they might adore Him Who was born of a woman so that He might change the pains of childbirth into joy; Virgins, to the Son of the Virgin;  Infants, that they may adore Him who became a little child, so that out of the mouths of infants He might perfect praise;  Children, to the Child who raised up martyrs through the rage of Herod; Men, to Him who became man that He might heal the miseries of His servants;  Shepherds, to the Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for His sheep;  Priests, to Him who has become a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek;  Servants, to Him who took upon Himself the form of a servant, that He might bless our stewardship with the reward of freedom (Philippians 2:7);  Fishermen, to the Fisher of humanity;  Publicans, to Him who from among them named a chosen evangelist;  Sinful women, to Him who exposed His feet to the tears of the repentant woman;

And that I may embrace them all together, all sinners have come, that they may look upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

Since, therefore, all rejoice, I too desire to rejoice! I too wish to share the choral dance, to celebrate the festival! But I take my part, not plucking the harp nor with the music of the pipes nor holding a torch, but holding in my arms the cradle of Christ!

For this is all my hope!

This is my life!

This is my salvation!

This is my pipe, my harp!

And bearing it I come, and having from its power received the gift of speech, I too, with the angels and shepherds, sing:

"Glory to God in the Highest! and on earth peace to men of good will!"

The Forefeast of the Nativity of Our Lord

Today is the first day of the "Forefeast", a term which describes our own preparation for that which is to come within the Feast of our Lord's Nativity.

The Gospel of Saint Luke records, "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"   And so, Joseph and Mary would have made the journey to Bethlehem from Nazareth.  The distance traveled would have been about 80 miles, a journey that a normal person could make in about 4 days.  But the Virgin was ready to deliver her Child.  We do not know how long the journey took - perhaps a week.  What we do know is, on THIS day (5 days before the birth of our Lord), they were in the process of making a very rugged journey.

As were the Magi.

And even the heavens shared in the preparation, for the Star assumed its designated place to be a guide.  And the angels of heaven lay in wait to proclaim the glad tidings to those who were simple enough and vigilant enough to hear their message.

It seems as if the world was preparing for the coming of its Creator.  And within the hymnology of the Feast, and especially of the day, we hear exactly that concept:

"Bethlehem, be prepared, Eden is open to all.  Ephratha, be made ready, for in the cave the Tree of Life has blossomed forth from the Virgin.  For her womb has been shown to be a spiritual Paradise, in which is the Divine Plant, from which having eaten, we will live, and not die as did Adam.  Christ is born to raise the image that had fallen."

And from this preparation, what response did the world give?

The Magi offered that which was most precious to them.  The shepherds offered all that they could, which was worship of the One whose birth they heard the angels proclaim.  Again, within the hymns of the Church we find the wonder of creation and its own offerings to God in response to His coming in the flesh:

"What shall we present to You, O Christ, for Your coming to earth for us men?  Each of Your creatures brings You an offering of thanks.  The angels offer their singing.  The heavens offer a star.  The wise men offer their treasures.  The shepherds offer their worship.  The earth offers a cave, and the desert offers a manger.  But we offer You the Virgin mother.  O Eternal God, have mercy on us!"

Within these next four days, we have much to prepare.  Our homes will fill with loved ones.  Our kitchens will fill with the aromas of food we've not shared over a 40 day fast.  Our minds will fill with things too earthly, being concerned over assuring that all will "go according to plan."  These are not 'bad' things.

But let our hearts most especially fill with the best of things - the joy of knowing that we will be among those who offer praise and thanks to God for His gift of salvation to us.  And to make that preparation of our hearts, we need only a very few things.  We need true repentance, recognizing our need for God's forgiveness.  And we need the firm knowledge, from the depths of our being, that Christ the Lord is come, in His love for us.

Saint Herman

The life of Saint Herman of Alaska, our Patron, carries with it spiritual food for us all!  If we take to heart the example of Saint Herman, our lives, and the lives of many who surround us, can be changed, and we can be moved to repentance and love for the Lord.

We know him as Saint Herman.  But this is an Anglicized form of the Slavonic 'German' (hard G, as in 'go').  In his youth, Saint Herman accepted monastic tonsure at the Trinity-Sergius monastery, which is located near to the coast of Finland.  While still a novice there, he developed a severe illness, a swelling which could not be healed.  And at this young age, Herman resigned himself to the fact that he was dying.  In a dream, the Mother of God appeared to him, and after this, his condition simply vanished.  This event so moved the young man that it served as an inspiration for that which God would accomplish through him for the rest of his life.

From this monastery, Saint Herman moved to the monastery at Valaam.  He had a wonderful tenor voice that would fill the chapel during divine services.  Saint Herman and Saint Seraphim of Sarov were both disciples of the Igumen Nazarius at Valaam.  At this time, Patriarch Gabriel chose ten monks to make the journey to Alaska to be missionaries to the native people there, and Saint Herman was among that group.  

The islands of Alaska were even more bleak and conditions more severe than even in Siberia.  Here, Saint Herman and the group labored among the natives, teaching them the faith, building schools, churches, an orphanage.  Over the course of the forty years that Saint Herman lived here, the ten original missionaries dwindled through attrition, some returning to Russia, most dying in their labors, until only Saint Herman remained.

Who can number his spiritual gifts?  By his faith and prayers, a tidal wave was stopped before it could harm his beloved people.  A forest fire that threatened the same people was stopped by his labors and prayers.  When an epidemic struck, it was Saint Herman who labored to heal those who could be healed, and to comfort those whom the Lord would take to be with Him.  People would come to his cell for spiritual instruction, and Saint Herman would speak with such people until all hours of the night.  When invited to go to speak with people, he would not eat of their food.  If he had to remain overnight for some reason, the bed prepared for him by loving followers would not be slept in.  He took from no one, but gave all he had to all who had need.  Animals of the forest and even bears would eat from his hand.

Saint Herman never returned to his homeland, but died and was buried as he foretold and as he desired at his new home, which he named "New Valaam" in honor of the warm memories that he retained of his beginnings.

Blessed Father Herman of Alaska,

North-star of Christ's Holy Church,

The light of your holy life and great deeds

Guides those who follow the Orthodox way.

Together we lift high the holy Cross

You planted firmly in America.

Let all behold and glorify Jesus Christ,

Singing His holy Resurrection!

The prayer that we use to close the Akathist is a good place to honor our patron.

Most wondrous, favorite of God, our venerable Father Herman, as a good laborer you did your great spiritual work in a harsh climate in this land. In your service to God, you were faithful in the little things. And, as the Lord said: “You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much.” (Matt XXV, 24) Now, when this word has been fulfilled in you, the Lord has set you over our Holy Community as her heavenly protector. We call to you in fervent prayer: Entreat the Lord to keep our Holy Church steadfast in Orthodoxy, to reveal her to be an adornment of our community. May He protect her from all the dark powers of the enemy and drive out all adversaries. May He grant us purity of faith and beauty of soul.  Pray that He will grant us all the spirit of peace and love, the spirit of humility and meekness and drive out the sin of pride. Save us from self praise. Be our guard against false teachings. Give healing to the sick; to the sorrowful be a comfort.  To those who hunger for spiritual truth, give the heavenly food; that we may attain our true desire, and receive the reward of faithful servants at the final Judgment. With all the saints we will praise with song: the Life creating Trinity, the Ineffable Father, the True and Only-Begotten Son, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, for ever.  Amen!

The Conception of the Theotokos

The Orthodox Church has always held that the conception of the Mother of God, the Theotokos, was not "immaculate" in the way taught by the church in the west, but rather that the child Mary was an answer to prayer in exactly the same way as was Isaac to Abraham and Sarah.  The aged Joachim and Anna prayed fervently to God that He would release them from their bonds of barrenness, and that fervent prayer was answered in the way that all human births occur.  

Saint Joachim was the son of Barpathir, who was of the tribe of Judah, and was a descendant of David the King.  God had revealed to David that the Savior would be born from his progeny.  Anna was of the tribe of Aaron, a Levite.  And so the Theotokos was descended from royal blood through her father, and priestly blood through her mother.  Living in Nazareth, Joachim and Anna were childless well into their old age.  Joachim went one day to make an offering in the temple in Jerusalem.  There, the high priest Issachar refused Joachim's offering, saying, "It is not right to accept gifts from you as from a true Israelite, for you are barren, and not blessed by God."

Joachim accepted the message as a judgment against himself for sin, and so he withdrew to the wilderness, near to his cattle, where he spent 40 days begging God to forgive him, and to bless him and Anna with a child.

For her part, Anna heard of what had happened to Joachim.  She knew that others judged her for the guilt that resulted in the couple's barrenness.  And so she confined herself to her room, in fasting, tears and repentance, asking God to bless her and Joachim.

After this, Anna heard the voice of the Angel, who proclaimed to her that God had heard her prayer.  He foretold that she would give birth to a daughter before whom all knees will bend and bless her, and that through her the salvation of the world would be seen.  The Angel proclaimed the child's name - Mary.  Joachim also received a heavenly visit, giving the same message.  The two met at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem, and they later conceived, on this blessed day, the child who would come to be known as "more honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim."

In the Vespers for today's Feast, we sing the following in Tone 4:

The barren Anna leaped for joy when she conceived Mary the Virgin,

Who in turn will conceive in the flesh God the Word.

From the fullness of her joy, she cried out:

'Rejoice with me, all you tribes of Israel,

For I have conceived according to the will of God my Savior!

He has answered my prayer and ended my shame,

In fulfillment of His promise, He will heal the pains of my heart

Through the pains of child bearing.'

Saint Nicholas

Sometimes we must marvel at how far we allow the world to usurp our hold over that which is our own, and our treasure, and further, how we allow the world to drag the glorious and honorable into the depths of ... of...  well, perhaps depravity is the best word.

The mind is drawn to such thoughts as we ponder the beloved of Christ and the treasure of the Church, Saint Nicholas.  Let's compare and contrast the Church's view of this great Saint with the image of him painted by the world.

THE CHURCH:  Saint Nicholas was a model of abstinence, with legend holding that he refused to nurse at his mother's breast on Wednesdays and Fridays until after the time that his parents completed their evening prayers.                  
THE WORLD:  An obese man, prone to eat whatever things you might leave on a plate for him.  Especially fond of milk and cookies, regardless of what it means for health, let alone that he would be in a total fast on the one night they choose to engage him (Christmas Eve), because the Eucharist will be celebrated in the morning....

THE CHURCH:  A staunch defender of the faith against heresy, to the extent of "punching" the heretic Arius for his blasphemous portrayal of Christ as not both man and God, for which Saint Nicholas was temporarily defrocked by the council, until in a dream it was revealed that his actions were pleasing to God.  (Yes, there are times that it's OK to 'fight' for the faith, and Saint Nicholas showed this)
THE WORLD:  A man who is ever jubilant, jolly, always laughing at some one or some thing.  Never inclined to say a discouraging word or to give a disapproving glance (reference recent Mercedes Benz commercials showing this caricature's glance at a car spinning its wheels).

THE CHURCH:  A man first of faith, dedicating his life to Christ, first as a reader, then as priest, then as bishop and archbishop.  Never judging, he was always to be found in prayer, which was the means by which the Lord revealed Nicholas to be His choice for bishop by virtue of Nicholas' habit of being first to church every morning.
THE WORLD:  Faith has no place in the caricature.  There are no blessings, no words of hope or encouragement, only judgmentalism (were you 'naughty' or 'nice', and we must presume that these would have been assessed by Nicholas' own standards).

THE CHURCH:  Serving the church as a first priority, the bishop would be clothed in the black robes of a priest, long and flowing, with vestments being worn only for the purpose of accomplishing prayer in the church and performing the sacraments.
THE WORLD:  Clothed in an ostentatious red felt with white fur only, never to be seen in a church, but rather only in a 'workshop' - with elves whom he holds as slaves, albeit in some kind of nondescript benign patriarchy.

THE CHURCH:  He lived among the people of Asia Minor, in what is contemporary Turkey.  There he labored to give to those in need that which God made him able to provide, distributing first his own inheritance and wealth to the poor, and then laboring to provide as he could until his own death.                  
THE WORLD:  Lives at the North Pole, for some completely unknown reason, with the possible explanation to remain out of contact with people except for when and how he himself chooses.  He must have cash reserves to buy the raw materials he creates with his slave labor.  But it's used not to help any who are in true need, but every one equally.  Just ask - He'll give it to you!!!

The name "Nicholas" means "the people's victory."  To us, Saint Nicholas is our victorious haven to whom we run with all earthly needs.  In the Vespers for his Feast day (this coming Friday, 06Dec), we sing the following:

Nicholas, the servant of Christ,
You were shown as truly victorious to the faithful people,
Strong in temptation, and worthy of your name!
Called from all places, you are swift to come to those who turn with love to your protection.
Appearing by day and night to the faithful,
You save them from danger and temptation!

There is nothing in these words that remotely brings to mind any of the characteristics that the world paints of our holy Saint!  Not in the picture offered above, nor in any other picture or caricature they paint of him.

And so it remains to us, the faithful, to draw the beloved image of our saint from the mired image offered by the world.  In Hudson for many years, we offered a presentation at this time of year, revealing to the people "The REAL Saint Nicholas".  It was received with smiling faces who, after viewing an impassioned defense of the saint from the image the world has attempted to create of him, they left, and returned to "life as usual", many I'm sure thinking, "All that stuff is just made up legend," preferring to believe the "truth" of a fat man in red as compared to the 'legend' of a known bishop and wonderworker in the church!

For us, let us take to heart the words we sing in the hymn we offer to Saint Nicholas himself...

O who love Nicholas the saintly,
O who serve Nicholas the saintly,
Him will Nicholas receive,
And give help in time of need, 
Holy Father Nicholas!

And, as we honor his name within the Church, let us sing his praises to God.  His Troparion:

You appeared to your flock as a rule of faith,
An image of humility and a teacher of abstinence.
Because of your lowliness, heaven was opened to you.
Because of your poverty, riches were granted to you.
Holy Bishop Nicholas, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!

What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?

As promised, and because of lack of speaking voice, the following is the content of today's intended sermon, which is a "nearly verbatim" transcription of a sermon by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh on today's Gospel lesson from Luke 18:18-27.

It is not only awesome, but at times it is frightening to preach the Word of God, because the Lord said "By your words you shall be judged." Judged, because if you proclaim God's truth and remain idle and not the doer of what the Lord has commanded, and what you know well enough to proclaim to others — then, how shall you stand before the judgment of God? This does not apply only to the priest, but to every Christian who is called to be a witness, an apostle, one that brings God's word to the people who are in darkness or twilight, who need divine light, and truth and life.

To-day's Gospel challenges us all so sharply. It begins with words that may be interpreted in more than one way: "Good Master — what shall I do to have eternal life?" And the Lord answers, "Why do you call Me 'good'? Only God is Good". Jesus doesn’t say, "You are wrong". He does not deny His right to be called good as God is good; and thereby, to those who have ears to hear, those who have a heart capable of perceiving the surpassing goodness of the Lord, surpassing all human goodness, all human beauty and truth — it is a testimony: Yes, you are speaking to your God, and it is your God that will answer your question.

And then Christ gives us two indications. The one is: if you wish to have eternal life, keep the Commandments. The Commandments of God are not only rules of behavior (although, of course they are such), but as one of the Psalms puts it, should be in our innermost hearts. It should be from the depths of our heart that we accomplish the Commandments, not because we are commanded from outside, but because they have reached us with the ring of truth; not because God has spoken, but because with all our being we have answered "Amen!" This is truth, this is life, this is the way into eternal life.

When we hear Christ mentioning these Commandments — where are we? Who of us can say that he was faithful to every word of this short list that indicates that without which we cannot live? Where do we stand? I, who am preaching, you who are hearing, because it is as responsible to hear as it is to speak. How often do we think — as this young man, and with how little reason — that we want perfection. We want perfection without having first trod the road of the Commandments.

But Christ says to us quite clearly: "If you want perfection — give all you possess." It is not only material things which we can give: every one of us has treasures hoarded in his mind and heart, in his soul, things which are more important to him than anything material, that is his wealth. Each of us should turn inward and ask himself, "What is there which is my peculiar treasure? What are those things which I will not give away even for life eternal, for God?"

We do not put things in such a crude manner, but we hug those things which are precious to us, and still we hope that we will enter the Kingdom of God, we will reach perfection, we will become in all fullness what we are called to be, the kind of persons of whom God dreamed when He created us — and it is not true.

In the Book of Revelation there is a passage that says, "I have only one thing against you — you have forgotten your first love". This first love,  for each of us, is the Living God, Whom we call in so many ways: we call Him 'Life', we call Him 'Fulfilment’, we call Him 'Happiness', we call Him by all the names that mean that we should reach the fullness of our being. At times we know that only in God it is possible, at times we imagine that we can outgrow ourselves — all the same, this is our first love: to become as great as God has dreamed us, willed us.

And we do not follow the Commandments because we think that we can achieve it in a simpler manner; and we do not give away all we have, that is: the only thing we are not prepared to give away, in a hope that God will accept us, and our burden.

Let us reflect on this story. This is not even a parable, it is something that has happened to a young man. It happens to all of us when God says, "Have you been faithful to the way of life which I have described to you in terms of commandments, outlined in these terms as one can outline a road by milestones? Do you want to attain fullness — start at that point." And if you are aware of having been faithful in these things, then ask yourself the further question: what is the treasure which I will not give away, even for eternal life?

The young man heard the words of Christ, and went away sad. He had earthly possessions, but we have so many possessions which are not material and which are our burden, our fetters.

And yet, there is in this story one thing that can give us so much hope. Christ did not condemn this young man; Christ let him go without a word of reproach, because what He had said was like seed sown into the mind and heart of this young man. He let him go wounded at the heart, puzzled in his mind, called to be himself by an act of heroic will and surrender, let go of himself, as Christ said, give everything away and follow Him. Where to? Along the road of human life on one hand, on the other hand — into the fullness of life eternal.

When Christ says to us "Follow Me", He does not call us to walk a frightening, dark road; He says, "I have trodden this entire road, I know every turn and pitfall in it — you can safely follow! I am the Good Shepherd that walks in front of His sheep, meeting all dangers Himself, so that the sheep may be safe."

We all will go home like the young man, perhaps saddened, that neither are we keeping the Commandments, nor are we able to give away our most precious treasure: but remember — we will not go condemned, we will have been faced with an ultimate choice, and as long as we can struggle on earth — there is time.

But let us not be beguiled by the length of time: time flies, time goes — let it not be too late, let us turn to life, let us become all we are capable of being.

The answer to today's Gospel is evidently clear — "Who then can be saved?" — To man it is not possible by our own strength; but to God, all things are possible." That is our hope: God is with us, and nothing is too much for us, because nothing is impossible to Him.