Icon of the Last Judgment from an Orthodox Monastery in Kosovo
Monday, January 31, 2022
Monday, January 24, 2022
Monday, January 17, 2022
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Revealed to the World
The Feast that we continue today to celebrate is called in Holy Orthodoxy Theophany. In the west, it is referred to as Epiphany. Neither word is one used often in the English language, although epiphany is perhaps used more broadly.
We say Theophany because—well, words have meaning. The word Theophany comes from the Greek theophania, which means “the appearance of God.”
We all know that our Lord didn’t begin His ministry until He was roughly 30 years old. And we know that He was ‘revealed’ at His birth in Bethlehem. The wise men knew of Him. The shepherds were taught by the angels of Him. Herod had His birth proclaimed to him. So why the focus on “appearing” and “revealing”?
At our Lord’s Nativity, the Son of God was revealed to the world. And His presence in the world was not heralded broadly. We’ve already discussed those who knew of His coming. And we know nothing more about His being revealed for the next 30 years, except for His presence in the Temple when He was 12, as He spoke with the Pharisees (Lk 2:40-52).
It is not until today’s Gospel (the Sunday After Theophany, Matthew 4:12-17) that we learn more. In the verses that precede today’s Gospel we find Jesus in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan. Beginning with today’s Gospel, we find our Lord hearing that John the Forerunner had been imprisoned. Note that God the Son obeys His own appointing of His Forerunner, whose “job” was not finished until he was removed from the world. From prison, John will ‘minister’ only to Herod, convicting him of adultery, and ultimately giving his life for the Truth!
St. Matthew then proceeds to teach from the Prophet Isaiah. In today's reference (Isa 9:1-2) he sheds this light upon the Savior:
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
When our Lord came to John in the Jordan, it was not Christ Who was revealed, it was God in Trinity Who was revealed for the first time in all of scripture. We capture this revelation in the Troparion for the Feast:
When You, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to You, and called You His beloved Son. And the Spirit, in the form of a Dove, confirmed the truthfulness of His word. O Christ, our God, Who has revealed Yourself, and had enlightened the world, glory to You!
The final Who has revealed Yourself points not to the Son, but rather to Christ as One of the Holy Trinity!
St. Matthew records from this point: From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’
These are the very same words that St. Matthew records for the Forerunner:
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ (Mat 3:1-2)
Let us heed the words of the Forerunner, and obey the command of our Savior, and repent. The Kingdom of Heaven is here!
Monday, January 3, 2022
On our Lord's Theophany
[The following is a homily written by St. Proclus, a disciple of St. John Chrysostom. It is offered in this week of our Lord's Theophany for the edification of all. FrB]
Christ appeared in the world, and, bringing beauty out of disarray, gave it luster and joy. He bore the world’s sins and crushed the world’s enemy. He sanctified the fountains of waters and enlightened the minds of men. Into the fabric of miracles he interwove ever greater miracles.
For on this day land and sea share between them the grace of the Savior, and the whole world is filled with joy.
Today’s feast of the Theophany manifests even more wonders than the feast of Christmas.
On the feast of the Savior’s birth, the earth rejoiced because it bore the Lord in a manger; but on today’s feast of the Theophany it is the sea that is glad and leaps for joy; the sea is glad because it receives the blessing of holiness in the river Jordan.
At Christmas we saw a weak baby, giving proof of our weakness.
In today’s feast, we see a perfect man, hinting at the perfect Son who proceeds from the all-perfect Father.
At Christmas the King puts on the royal robe of his body; at Theophany the very source enfolds and, as it were, clothes the river.
Come then and see new and astounding miracles: the Sun of righteousness washing in the Jordan, fire immersed in water, God sanctified by the ministry of man.
Today every creature shouts in resounding song:
Blessed is he who comes in every age, for this is not his first coming. And who is he? Tell us more clearly, I beg you, blessed David:Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
The Lord is God and has shone upon us. (Ps 118:27)
David is not alone in prophesying this; the apostle Paul adds his own witness, saying:
The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all men, and instructing us. (Titus 2:11)
Not for some men, but for all. To Jews and Greeks alike God bestows salvation through baptism, offering baptism as a common grace for all.
Come, consider this new and wonderful deluge, greater and more important than the flood of Noah’s day. Then the water of the flood destroyed the human race, but now the water of Baptism has recalled the dead to life by the power of the one who baptized.
In the days of the flood the dove with an olive branch in its beak foreshadowed the fragrance of the good odor of Christ the Lord; now the Holy Spirit, coming in the likeness of a dove reveals the Lord of mercy.
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Monday, December 20, 2021
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Monday, November 22, 2021
Friday, November 19, 2021
Monday, November 8, 2021
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Coming Clean
Scripture contains many references to the issue of "cleanliness." Interestingly, the expression, "Cleanliness is next to godliness" is NOT to be found in Scripture. The issue of being "clean" in Scripture carries varied meanings. Certainly bodily cleanliness is at issue at times. But there are other meanings.
In Acts Chapter 10, Peter is confronted with the issue (in a dream) of the cleanliness and uncleanliness of food. The Lord sends to Peter a message in a dream by showing him a "great sheet, bound at the four corners," and it was filled with animals which the Jews would declare to be ritually unclean. Peter was told to eat, and he refused. In response, he heard a voice saying, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." (Acts 10:9-16)
In today's Gospel reading (Luke 11:34-41) we find the following:
37And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you."
Hear what our Lord is explaining to the "teachers" of Israel - as well as to us! It is not that bodily cleanliness is unimportant. It is rather that "cleanliness" has a higher (a spiritual) meaning! In the Gospel of St. Matthew (15:11), Jesus says, "Hear and understand. Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
In other words, "wash" or "make clean" what we say, what we do, what we think. These are the things which define what is pleasing in God's sight. And He has the ability to "make clean" our offerings, even though we are steeped in sin. He does this when our labors, our offerings are the defining issue, when we seek to do His will. In the above verse from Luke 11:41, the word "alms" is used. This is the Greek word ἐλεημοσύνη, which means beneficence, being a benefactor to another. Our personal "spiritual hygene" is effected by our benevolence to others! He has blessed us to "make clean" that which we've soiled by our sinfulness if only we are faithful to care for others to the extent that He has given us resources and abilities to do so.
"Coming clean" is not so much a matter of soap and water as it is a matter of serving the least of His brethren!
Monday, October 25, 2021
"Accept This With Faith and Uphold It....."
[Luke 10:22-24] All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”
About today's Gospel, St. Theophan the Recluse says this:
The Son was on earth and revealed everything necessary for us Himself and through the Holy Spirit, Who acted in the Apostles. Consequently, what you find in the Gospels and the apostolic writings is all you will and can know about the Father and Divine things. Do not seek more than this, and do not think to find the truth about God and God's plans anywhere else aside from this. What a great treasure we possess! Everything has already been said. Do not rack your brains, just accept with faith what has been revealed.
It has been revealed that God is One in Essence and Triune in Persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Accept this with faith and uphold it.
It has been revealed that the Tri-hypostatic God created all through the Word and preserves all in His right hand, in His providence over all things. Accept this with faith and uphold it.
It has been revealed that we were in a blessed state and fell, and that for our restoration and redemption the Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, was incarnate, suffered, died on the Cross, resurrected and ascended into heaven. Accept this with faith and uphold it.
It has been revealed that he who desires to be saved must believe in the Lord and, receiving Divine grace in the Holy Mysteries, must live, with its help, according to the Lord's commandments, struggling against the passions and lusts by means of spiritual endeavors that correspond to them. Accept this with faith and do it.
It has been revealed that whoever lives according to God's direction will enter after his death into radient dwelling places, the foretaste of eternal bliss. But whoever does not live this way will, upon death, begin to experience the torments of hell. Accept this with faith and thus teach yourself and inspire yourself to do good and to perform spiritual endeavors. Accept all this with faith and keep it faithfully.
There is no need to rack your brains over your own invented things. Do not listen to those who show off their intelligence, for they do not know where they are going.
(Thoughts for Each Day of the Year, St. Theophan the Recluse, Pgs 236-237)
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Gaining the Whole World
The expression itself is abundantly apparent folly. How can one "gain the whole world"? And yet, isn't this the pursuit all too many of us set ourselves out upon?
In today's Gospel (Luke 9:23-27, Tuesday of the week of 4th Luke) Jesus says these words clearly, unmistakeably. "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?" (Luke 9:25)
And so our Lord encourages us to take up our own crosses, and to the best of our ability carry them as He demonstrated to us His own willingness to carry the Cross. Saving this life - what meaning does this have? It is filled with as much folly as is that first expression of gaining the whole world. Who can save their life? And we mean by this, who can preserve this life so that it never ends? It is impossible!
Our only hope, then, is to pursue a life that cannot see an end. And in all of history, only One Hope for this has ever appeared. He is the One who gave us the above instruction. He is the One who loves mankind to such an extent that He willed to give up His own life for the salvation (granting an eternal life) to every human who seeks with all their heart to do His will, to follow His commandments, to repent of their sins, and to care for the least of His brethren.
You won't find these concepts "in the world". The world preaches gaining ever more, and more, and yet more - not for the sake of doing good with the gains, but simply for the sake of having more.
St. John Cassian teaches this: "When the Apostle said, 'Make no provision to fulfill the desires of the flesh' (Rom 13:14), he was not forbidding us to provide for the needs of life; he was warning us against self-indulgence. Moreover, by itself abstinence from food does not contribute to perfect purity of soul unless other virtues are active as well. Humility, for example, practiced through obedience in our work and through bodily hardship, is a great help." (On the Eight Vices)
'Gaining the world' is taking more than one needs. Gaining the Kingdom is receiving all of one's needs. In serving oneself, we are bombarded with temptations - "Eat this," "Take that," "Look here," "Go there," "Get angry," "Be vengeful," "Seek pleasure," and how many others? We are pulled is every different direction by the temptations that flow toward us. But there is only one direction we should pursue, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..." (Mat 6:33) Jesus taught, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mat 7:13-14) Many are the temptations leading to that broad gate.
Let us become a people who seek that narrow gate, regardless of how difficult it may be to parse our world so that we may find it, and enter by it!
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
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