Resources

Many informative articles were published in our parish newsletters in the years prior to Covid. Email to the friends and faithful of Holy Cross has replaced our newsletters, but many of the articles are collected here. Use the indexes below to find the topic or author you’re interested in. (Once you click on a topic or author, scroll to the bottom of the page to see the search results.)

Also, have a look at the Recommended Readings on the OCA (Orthodox Church in America) website for a list of books covering a wide range of topics. Essential Orthodox Christian Beliefs: A Manual for Adult Instruction is also available for free download on the OCA’s website.

(Speaking of our parent jurisdiction, the OCA traces its origins to the arrival in Kodiak, Alaska in 1794 of eight Orthodox missionaries from the Valaamo Monastery in the northern Karelia region of Russia. Today, the OCA includes some 700 parishes, missions, communities, monasteries, and institutions throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.)

We hope you’ll find these suggested readings to be both edifying and encouraging!

Fr Michael Plekon 10/22/25 Fr Michael Plekon 10/22/25

Mother Maria: the Nun Whose Monastery was the World

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Michael Plekon

"We like it when the "churching" of life is discussed, but few people understand what it means. Indeed, must we attend all the church services in order to "church" our life? Or hang an icon in every room and burn an icon-lamp in front of it? No, the "churching of life" is the realization of the whole world as one great church, adorned with icons— persons who should be venerated, honored, and loved, because these icons are true images of God that have the holiness of the Living God within them.

We cannot see the Church as a sort of aesthetic perfection and limit ourselves to aesthetic swooning. Our God-given freedom calls us to activity and struggle. And it would be a great lie to tell searching souls: "Go to church, because there you will find peace." The opposite is true. She tells those who are at peace and asleep: "Go to church, because there you will feel real anguish for your sins, for your perdition, for the world's sins and perdition. There you will feel an unappeasable hunger for Christ's truth. There, instead of becoming lukewarm, you will be set on fire; instead of pacified, you will become alarmed; instead of learning the wisdom of this world you will become fools for Christ." 2

Mother Maria, born Elizaveta Pilenko in 1891 in Riga, Latvia was a precocious child, a favorite of the lay overseer of the Russian Orthodox Church Pobedonostsev. She was gifted in drawing, painting, poetry among other fields, and was among the first women allowed to study theology at the St. Petersburg Academy. Her literary talents drew her into the circles of the great writers Alexander Blok and Vyacheslav Ivanov. She was the first woman mayor of her family's country home-town, Anapa, on the Black Sea. Politically engaged, her loyalties shifted in the turbulent first decades of the twentieth century. She was put on trial by the retreating White Army and came close to execution by the Bolsheviks as a counterrevolutionary. Only a feigned connection to Lenin's wife saved her in the latter case. An early marriage ended in divorce, as did a second with the White Army officer, Daniel Skobtsov, who tried her for revolutionary crimes. Three children, Gaiana, Nastia and Iura, came from these marriages, and of these she would lose Nastia as a child to meningitis, Gaiana dying as a young adult back in Russia and her only son, Iura, packed off to a Nazi work camp and premature death there.

A Bohemian, artistic, nonconformist character, she was remembered by several, (including Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Sophie Koloumzine and Elisabeth Behr-Sigel) with mixed feelings of admiration, affection and sadness. Drawn to assist the poor and suffering in the Russian émigré settlements of France, she received monastic tonsure and habit from Metropolitan Evlogy after the end of her second marriage. He said that the world and its suffering people would now become her monastery. She would put into practice "Orthodox Action," the name of the group of which she was a founder. In hostels, first in villa de Saxe, then in Rue de Lourmel and with a nursing home further out in Noisy-le-Grand, she created houses of hospitality, where meals, shelter, fellowship and counsel were available to any in need. In every one of these hostels the chapel, the altar, the Eucharist were the the heart of the work of service of the neighbor. Mother Maria spent much time cooking for her people. She also made beautiful vestments and icons for the chapel. She was always a participant in the Divine Liturgy, but would leave other services early or miss them entirely to assure there was food on the table. She put no opposition between Mary and Martha. She could make no distinction between the love of God and of the neighbor. The two great gospel commandments were for her in reality just one invitation to love:

Christ gave us two commandments: to love God and to love our fellow man. Everything else, even the commandments contained in the Beatitudes, is merely an elaboration of these two commandments, which contain within themselves the totality of Christ's "Good News." Furthermore, Christ's earthly life is nothing other than the revelation of the mystery of love of God and love of the neighbor. These are, in sum, not only the true but the only measure of all things. And it is remarkable that their truth is found only in the way they are linked together. Love for man alone leads us into the blind alley of an anti-Christian humanism, out of which the only exit is, at times, the rejection of the individual human being and love toward him in the name of all mankind. Love for God without love for man, however, is condemned: "You hypocrite, how can you love God whom you have not seen, if you hate your brother whom you have seen" (1 Jn 4.20). Their linkage is not simply a combination of two great truths taken from two spiritual worlds. Their linkage is the union of two parts of a single whole.
These two commandments are two aspects of a single truth. Destroy either one of them and you destroy truth as a whole. In fact, if you take away love for man then you destroy man (because by not loving him you reject him, you reduce him to non-being) and no longer have a path toward the knowledge of God. God then becomes truly apophatic, having only negative attributes, and even these can be expressed only in the human language that you have rejected. God becomes inaccessible to your human soul because, in rejecting man, you have also rejected humanity, you have also rejected what is human in your own soul, though your humanity was the image of God within you and your only way to see the Prototype as well. This is to say nothing of the fact that a human being taught you in his own human language, describing in human words God's truth, nor of the fact that God reveals himself through human concepts. By not loving, by not having contact with humanity we condemn ourselves to a kind of a deaf-mute blindness with respect to the divine as well. 3

The outlines of her life are becoming better known from Fr Sergei Hackel's biography, Pearl of Great Price, as well as Laurence Varaut's recent life, 4 and essays by Hélène Arjakovsky-Klepinine, Elisabeth Behr-Sigel, Jim Forest among others. 5 Her monastic day consisted of prayer in church but more so the works of lovingkindness for the suffering and forgotten: scavenging for food at bakeries and markets, cooking, listening to her residents' troubles, trying to find them jobs and lodging, and forays in the evenings to cafes in search of the homeless and desperate. Many of the essays from which selections are taken here stem, as Antoine Arjakovsky points out, from an ongoing conflict about what shape the Christian life should take, a debate in which she engaged in print with Fr Sergius Chetverikov, chaplain of the Russian Christians Student Movement. Then as today, her ideas are incendiary. Over against the classical spirituality Fr Chetverikov championed, very traditional in its emphasis on personal prayer rules, asceticism, liturgical services and in particular, the linkage of church, faith and Russian identity, Mother Maria's rebuttal is radical, fearless and with challenging theological arguments. In an essay, "A Justification of Pharisaism," she rejects the subservience of the Church to any political authority, any ethnic or cultural context. 6 She thus condemns the subordination of the Russian Church under not only Peter the Great but all other rulers and governments, the Soviet included. She criticizes the myth of "holy Russia," while at the same time revering the great lights of the Russian tradition. She bases her radical love for the neighbor in the first place, on the Gospels but then on the prophetic example of Nilus of Sora, Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, on the evangelical poverty of Joseph of Volokholamsk's ideal of "non-possession," of the monasteries serving the poor and suffering. She is polemical about the monastic life of her time: isolation from the world, a comfortable life while many nearly starve, an individualistic pursuit of holiness, obsession with rules and details of tradition, characteristics of Orthodox piety more generally that she examine at length in "Types of religious Lives." 7

Yet she has many constructive contributions, all of them rooted in her vision of the Incarnation as God embracing humanity, with the invitation to us to do the same This affirmative view is to be found in essays such as "The Second Gospel Commandment, "Love without Limits," and very powerfully in her essay "On the Imitation of the Mother of God." 8 The Incarnation, God's becoming human through the Virgin Mary, was her dogmatic foundation. The Incarnation must then be lived out, put into practice by those who bear the name of Christ. In so doing they continue Christ's work. They "Christify," bring all creation into Christ. 9

If a person is not only the image of God but also the image of the Mother of God, then he should also be able to see the image of God and the image of the Mother of God in every other person. In our Godmaternal soul not only is the birth of the Son of God announced and Christ born, but there also develops the keen perception of Christ's image in other souls. And in this sense, the God-maternal part of the human soul begins to see other people as its children; it adopts them for itself... insofar as we must strive to follow her path, and as her image is the image of our human soul, so we must also perceive God and the Son in every person. God, because each person is the image and likeness of God; the Son, because as it gives birth to Christ within itself, the human soul thereby adopts the whole Body of Christ for itself, the whole of Godmanhood, and every person individually. 10

In July, 1942, almost 7,000 Jewish citizens, over 4,000 of these children, were rounded up by the Vichy government as part of the Reich's infamous "solution" of the "Jewish problem." They were held in summer heat at the Velodrome d'Hiver, a cycling stadium in Paris without food and limited water and facilities. Mother Maria was there day and night, bringing food, consoling, according to reports, smuggling out some very young children in garbage pails. One of her chaplains, Fr Cyprian Kern, found her personality and way of life very much at odds with ecclesial tradition, while another, Fr Lev Gillet, recognized in it the very work of Christ and joined her activity. The same was true for her last chaplain, Fr Dimitri Klepinine. And when the Gestapo came to arrest her for hiding Jews in her hostels, they took Fr Dimitri off as well, for he had completed baptismal certificates to protect them and defied the interrogating officer by pointing out Jesus' Jewishness. Both Mother Maria and Fr Dimitri (as well as Iura, her son) died in Nazi camps, the men from dysentery and pneumonia and slave labor, she volunteering to take the place of another woman being sent to the gas chambers on 31 March 1945, Western Holy Saturday, just weeks before Ravensbrück's liberation by the Allies. In 2004 the four were made saints by their church, the archdiocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in Western Europe.

While Mother Maria's urgent sense of the gospel command to love and serve the neighbor might appear to have dominated her activity, this is not accurate. She continued her primary craft of writing, and the YMCA Press in Paris has published volumes of her essays, poems, plays and other pieces. A website has collected photos of Mother Maria as well as of the icons and vestments she embroidered and painted. 11 Her rambunctious personality, nonconformist life and radical dedication to serving the poor seem to be the stuff of which heroes are made. It was not necessarily viewed as such in her own time and milieu. Several of her colleagues who were quite sympathetic and supportive of her efforts at best had mixed feelings about her and her work. To still others she was a scandal, with her explosive demeanor and ragamuffin crew. The nuns who joined her eventually left for a more traditional monastic setting. Few came to her defense when arrested by the Gestapo. Today her writings still evoke criticism and not everyone is able to recognize her as a saint. Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh has written that in his youth and pride, he was embarrassed by her life and work. Yet, he had the courage to recognize both her idiosyncrasies and her witness, calling her a "saint of our day and for our day."

Footnotes:

1 Maria Skobtsova, "The Mysticism of Human Communion," in Mother Maria Skobtsova: Essential Writings [= MMS:EW] (Maryknoll NY: Orbis, 2002), 78-9.

2 "Under the Sign of Our Time," MMS:EW, 113.

3 "Types of Religious Lives," MMS:EW, 173-174.

4 Mère Marie (Paris : Perrin, 2000)

5 Hélène Arjakovsky-Klepinine, "Le joie du don," in Le sacrement du frère (Paris: Cerf, 2001, 15-69); Elisabeth Behr-Sigel "Mother Maria Skobtsova 1891- 1945," in Discerning the Signs of the Times (Crestwood NY: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2001), 41-54; J. Forest, "Mother Maria of Paris," in MMS:EW, 13-42.

6 MMS:EW, 114-120.

7 "Toward a New Monasticism I & II," in MMS:EW, 88- 101.

8 MMS:EW, 43-58, 94-101, 59-72.

9 "Types of Religious Lives," in MMS:EW, 181-184.

10 "On Imitating the Mother of God," in MMS:EW, 68- 69.

11 Cf. http://incommunion.org/?page_id=868. Also http://www.ikons.info/

Fr Richard Rene 10/22/25 Fr Richard Rene 10/22/25

Irreconcilable Differences

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Richard Rene

2010

The title phrase is probably the most often cited reason for modern cases of divorce. It refers to a situation in which two married people discover at some point along the road that they are "not compatible," which means, they don't get along emotionally, spiritually, physically, most of the time.

Let's get something straight to begin with. The Eastern Orthodox Church does permit divorce under circumstances of adultery, abuse, and abandonment. However, divorce on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" is generally not admissible in marriages between Orthodox Christians.

Why not? I believe it has something to do with the Church's rejection of the underlying secular assumption behind divorce due to "irreconcilable differences." Our culture tends to think of a successful marriage as one in which husband and wife are actually twin souls in different biological clothing. Your "one true love" is that special person who matches you perfectly, who completes you, fulfills you, perfects you, is actually your "other half" and so on.

The Christian understanding of marriage takes a very different view. In chapter five of his Epistle to the Ephesians, St. Paul uses a marital image to speak of the mystery of the Incarnation. The wife's feminine role represents the human nature of Christ, which continues to manifest itself in the Church. (Ephesians 5:22-23) The husband's masculine role, on the other hand, represents the divine nature of Christ the Son and Word of God, who is the head of the Church through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:25-26) The union of the two genders in one relationship speaks of the one Person of Christ in whom two natures are united. And this union, St. Paul says, is a "great mystery" (Ephesians 5:32) precisely because those natures—the divine and the human—are so completely exclusive and irreconcilable!

What we have here is more than just a theological conundrum. It has real and profound implications for those of who are married and follow the Christian teaching. For one thing, St. Paul tells us that marriage naturally and necessarily exists within a framework of irreconcilable differences. By using husband and wife as an analogy of divine and human, St. Paul in fact shows that far from being twin souls or complementary beings, the genders in marriage are exclusively different.

This fundamental difference is more than just an unfortunate condition of life in a fallen world. It is the very basis of God's providential love for us. The Gospel definition of love is that God gave Himself for that which is completely 'other' than Himself— humanity. And since we are made in the image and likeness of God, our definition of love is expressed in the same way: love is the giving of oneself to and for someone who is utterly different from us.

Inevitably, couples living the secular myth of the 'twin souls' or the 'one true love' finally discover that they really are two different people. When this happens, the result may well be divorce because they can't or won't reconcile the dissimilarities. For couples operating on the assumptions of the Gospel teaching, however, irreconcilable differences in a relationship are not the end, but the very beginning of their calling to show forth the mystery of Christ in their marriage.

When I strive to serve my wife in the absence of personal comfort, convenience, or emotional fulfillment, that act is nothing less than the enactment of the love of Christ "who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8)

When I seek the good and the life of another when there is nothing in it for me—no completion, no needs met, no emotional climax given—then my love is truly selfless, and as such, truly divine. And the greater the differences between myself and my wife, the brighter Christ shines when we continue to love one another anyway.

Are there any circumstances in which irreconcilable differences can genuinely be cited as the basis for a divorce? Possibly, but I believe that truly irreconcilable relationships are much rarer than we suppose. In a narcissistic, self-gratifying culture, we too easily flee from conflict with others. We try to smooth them over, rationalize them away, ignore them, or simply flee from them. Instead, we should see such disparities for what they really are: the canvas upon which we can illustrate the life-giving marriage between us and our Creator, which was consummated in the first century A.D. on a hill outside Jerusalem, and will be lived out in eternity.

Fr. Richard is the priest-in-charge at St. Aidan of Lindisfarne Orthodox Church in Cranbrook, BC.

Fr Stephen Freeman 10/22/25 Fr Stephen Freeman 10/22/25

Glory to God in the Diocese of the South: Back to the Future

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Stephen Freeman

2009

Almost the first statement from Metropolitan Jonah to the diocese at this year’s assembly was, "The Diocese of the South is the future of the Orthodox Church in America." I took that as one of the most hopeful things I've heard in the last number of years. It is an affirmation of what we are doing now - but also an affirmation of a "future" that was established in the very beginnings of our Diocese.

Three things come most to mind when I hear the stories of our diocese' founding - stories that I have heard fondly recalled particularly by Vladyka Dmitri.

The first is the missionary vision of an indigenous Orthodox Church. Vladyka Dmitri, himself an "adult" convert to the faith, has always expressed a great warmth and enthusiasm for the Church's outreach to the people around us. "I have always gone wherever I was invited," he once told me, and advised me to do the same. It has been a cornerstone of my own missionary work as an Orthodox priest. Our diocese was once unusual for its large number of "converts" to the faith. Today, only one or two members of the Holy Synod can claim to have be born into an Orthodox family while converts make up the largest percentage of our clergy. In this regard - the Diocese of the South has become the present and not just the future of the OCA.

A second thing is a lively commitment to the faith. Orthodoxy is not a "religious option" in a consumerdriven culture: it is the fullness of the faith as given to us in Christ. Were Orthodoxy simply an option from a range of choices - our task would be to provide advertising and consumer information. However, because it is a gift from God and not the creation of man, it is a life to be embraced and lived. The first task of our life as Orthodox Christians has always been to become Orthodox Christians, and to continue becoming. Vladyka Jonah's words to the assembly in Atlanta were precisely a call to that deep life of the faith. He urged us to become "sober" (neptic). In a world driven by the passions, Orthodox Christians must learn to be driven by Christ and Christ alone.

The third thing is a matter which goes to the very founding of the diocese itself. From the beginning it was decided that the Diocese would teach and practice the tithe: returning to God a tenth of what God has given us. For years the diocese stood alone in this commitment and was often seen as unduly "protestant" in its handling of money. (Never-mind the fact that the tithe and the principle of tithing is the only form of stewardship actually taught in the Scriptures.) For a time the diocese also asked for the national assessment (often referred to as the "head tax"). This year the diocese approved a 2010 budget that asks only the tithe - the original commitment of the Churches in the diocese - back to the future.

I pray that the Metropolitan's words are prophetic. For the practice of such biblical principles as the tithe has resulted in the Diocese of the South, despite its lesser membership, having one of the largest incomes of any diocese in the OCA. It is from such abundance that the Diocese can continue to commit 25 percent of its budget to mission and parish development. The parish's stewardship to the diocese is clearly an investment in the lives of parishes within the diocese. The sense of trust and family that is a hallmark of the diocese are deeply related to how we handle money. How we handle money - like every other aspect of the diocese - is deeply related to the Gospel of Christ - as it should be.

The Diocese of the South, by God's grace, may indeed become the future of the OCA. Such a gift will mean that we are remaining faithful to the Godly vision that was given to us in our founding. By God's grace it will mean that the gift God gave to us in our founding was always meant for the whole Church. May God grant us all such a good future and grant many years to all of our diocesan family!

Fr George Morelli 10/22/25 Fr George Morelli 10/22/25

Smart Marriage & the Dangers of Entitlement

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. George Morelli

Christian marriage is an exalted vocation. Marriage, as the Apostle Paul taught, replicates the relationship between Christ and the Church where Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church the Bride. Bridegrooms are called to love and care for their bride with selfless commitment. "Husbands love your wives," St. Paul wrote, "as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:21).

Love is relational, and the icon of pure and undefiled love is the relationship between the Persons of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). We catch glimpses of the nature of this love because it overflows to mankind, particularly in the self-sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. St. Paul described this love as kenotic (self-emptying), particularly when Christ forsook the prerogatives of divinity to assume human nature in order to save mankind. The love was so certain, so sure, and so complete, that it led to His death on our behalf.

In Christian marriage, authentic and true love seeks to replicate the type of self-sacrifice Christ revealed to us when He became man and dwelt among us (and which is still expressed today in Christ's faithfulness to His Church). Self-sacrificial love conforms to the Great Commandment to love our neighbor more highly than ourselves in so doing we also love and honor God (Matthew 25:36- 40, 1 John 4:19-21). This kind of love between husband and wife, even if imperfectly practiced and not always realized, constitutes what St. John Chrysostom called the "small church" and as such ensures the health and stability of the family in raising children (Chrysostom, Homily XX).

These lessons are affirmed in the Orthodox wedding service. In one part of the ceremony the Holy Spirit is invoked to: "Unite them in one mind and one flesh, and grant unto them fair children for education in thy faith and fear ... " The spiritual goal of marriage is never divorced from the parental vocation. Love, when properly understood, is always directed toward the neighbor, first to the spouse and then to the children.

The Evil One relentlessly seeks to corrupt the love of Christ. Marriage and family, because of the complexity and immediacy of the social relationship, is a fertile field for such corruption. In case we think the potential for spiritual corruption is overstated, consider that it can happen between Christ and His Church as well. St. Paul reminded the Corinthian church: "I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (1 Corinthians 11: 2-3). If the Church can defile its communion with Christ, we certainly can defile our communion with one another.

One subtle corruption is the feeling of entitlement (Morelli, 2006a). Entitlement is when the spouse or parent feels they deserve love, companionship, happiness, honesty, obedience, etc. Entitlement works hand in hand with expectations. When an event occurs in which one family member does not feel that others lived up to what was expected of them, feelings of anger and being used result.

From the outset, it should be noted that some events fulfill expectations that are desirable and often good. The problem occurs when the events themselves become a test of whether or not expectations are met. In clinical terms desirable preferences have transformed into demanding expectations where the failure to meet the preferences results in emotions (usually anger) that impairs the ability to attain desirable goals. Often the resolution to this conflict is to change the goals. In fact, what is really needed is a shift in perception from demanding expectations back to desirable goals.

A few examples may help us understand entitlement. A mother feels entitled to love and respect from her daughter: "After all I am her mother." A father feels his son should listen and take his advice: "I am the father; he should listen and do what I tell him." The same is true of a husband and wife: "I am his wife; he should ... " or "I am her husband; she should ... " When family members do not meet our expectations we may feel the right to be angry. Alternatively, we may feel that we are unworthy because our expectations are not met and respond by feeling angry, depressed, etc. Either way, any one consumed by these emotions will not be very good at bringing about the outcomes they would like (Morelli, 2006d).

The key here to understanding entitlement is to see the word "title" imbedded in the larger word. Whenever we make a demand based on our title (eg: father, mother, husband, wife, etc.) we operate from an entitlement perspective. The solution is to realize that a title is no guarantee of specific behaviors.

The antidote to demanding expectations is to develop preferences for and about our family members based on love, that is, preferring the good and welfare of spouse and child, i.e, preferring rather than demanding that children honor their father and mother, or preferring the mutuality of love and respect between spouses. Instead of conceptualizing our expectations in terms of an entitlement, we can frame them as invitation that others may accept in order to help themselves.

Our Lord never forced anyone by using His title. Instead, He recognized that obedience and respect are freely given. In the same way the recognition that all people freely offer obedience and cooperation lifts preferences above a battle of the wills because the demanding expectation is diminished. People often "dig in" when they feel coerced into particular behaviors because they feel they need to save face and protect their selfidentity.

How can spouses and parents forego demanding expectations and still bring about desirable behavior among family members? First of all, spouses and parents are more likely to be effective in bringing about the desirable preferences they seek if they are not consumed by anger and depression. (Morelli, 2005c, 2006c,d). Second, the most effective way of bringing about appropriate family goals is to state the desires clearly and the consequences if the desires are not met (Morelli, 2005b, 2006b). Although Jesus did not use His title to coerce certain behaviors, He was clear about the consequences of heeding or not heeding His words.

Take the example of a child speaking disrespectfully to his father to understand how the lesson of this parable could be applied. In the framework of demanding expectations, the parent could be expected to respond to the disrespect in emotional terms, probably anger perhaps even a tirade because his title of father is not acknowledged properly.

A more measured and ultimately more constructive approach is to step aside from the entitlement and the demanding expectation it engenders and state the problem in terms of desirable expectations. The father could say, "We do not talk like that to one another, you were told before if you said that disrespectful word, you would not be able to watch TV tonight, so tonight there will be no television, tomorrow you can try again." Consequences, not emotional outbursts that result from disappointed entitlements, bring about desirable behavior changes and strengthen family life.

The Orthodox Christian marriage and family vocation is to be a spouse and parent in the imitation of Christ. Entitlement is the subtle work of the Evil One and undermines and may even destroy the unity necessary to meet the goals of this divine vocation. Direct, teach, and most importantly love your spouse and family with intelligence, mercy, forgiveness, in the same way that Christ loves His Church.

Metropolitan Jonah 10/22/25 Metropolitan Jonah 10/22/25

Do Not Resent, Do Not React, Keep Inner Stillness

It all begins with an idea.

by Archimandrite (now Metropolitan) Jonah

When I was in seminary I had the great blessing of becoming the spiritual son of a Greek bishop, Bishop Kallistos of Xelon. He ended his life as the bishop of Denver of the Greek Archdiocese. It was he who taught me the Jesus Prayer. The whole spiritual vision of Bishop Kallistos had three very simple points.

Do not resent. Do not react. Keep inner stillness.

These three spiritual principles, or disciplines, are really a summation of the Philokalia, the collection of Orthodox Christian spiritual wisdom. And they are disciplines every single one of us can practice, no matter where we are in life – whether we’re in the monastery or in school; whether we’re housewives or retired; whether we’ve got a job or we’ve got little kids to run after. If we can hold on to and exercise these three principles, we will be able to go deeper and deeper in our spiritual life.

Do Not Resent

When we look at all the inner clutter that is in our lives, hearts and souls, what do we find? We find resentments. We find remembrance of wrongs. We find self-justifications. We find these in ourselves because of pride. It is pride that makes us hold on to our justifications for our continued anger against other people. And it is hurt pride, or vainglory, which feeds our envy and jealousy. Envy and jealousy lead to resentment.

Resentfulness leads to a host of problems. The more resentful we are of other people, the more depressed we become. And the more we are consumed with the desire to have what they have, which is avarice. Often we’ll then engage in the addictive use of the substance of the material world – whether it’s food or alcohol or drugs or sex or some other thing – to medicate ourselves into forgetfulness and to distract ourselves from our resentments.

One of the most valuable and important things that we can thus do is look at all of the resentments that we have. And one of the best ways of accomplishing this is to make a life confession. And not just once, before we’re baptized or chrismated. In the course of our spiritual life we may make several, in order to really dig in to our past and look at these resentments that we bear against other people. This will enable us to do the difficult work that it takes to overcome these resentments through forgiveness.

What does forgiveness mean? Forgiveness does not mean excusing or justifying the actions of somebody. For example, saying “Oh, he abused me but that’s O.K., that’s just his nature,” or “I deserved it.” No, if somebody abused you that was a sin against you. But when we hold resentments, when we hold anger and bitterness within ourselves against those who have abused us in some way, we take their abuse and we continue it against ourselves. We have to stop that cycle. Most likely that person has long gone and long forgotten us, forgotten that we even existed. But maybe not. Maybe it was a parent or someone else close, which makes the resentment all the more bitter. But for the sake of our own soul and for the sake of our own peace, we need to forgive. We should not justify the action, but we should overlook the action and see that there’s a person there who is struggling with sin. We should see that the person we have resented, the person we need to forgive, is no different than we are, that they sin just like we do and we sin just like they do.

Of course, it helps if the person whom we resent, the person who offended us or abused us in some way, asks forgiveness of us. But we can’t wait for this. And we can’t hold on to our resentments even after outwardly saying we’ve forgiven. Think of the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” If we don’t forgive, we can’t even pray the Lord’s Prayer without condemning ourselves. It’s not that God condemns us. We condemn ourselves by refusing to forgive. We will never have peace if we don’t forgive, only resentment. It is one of the hardest things to do, and our culture does not understand it. It is to look at the person we need to forgive, and to love them – despite how they may have sinned against us. Their sin is their sin, and they have to deal with it themselves. But we sin is in our reaction against their sin.

Do Not React

So this first spiritual principle – do not resent – leads to the second. We must learn to not react. This is just a corollary of “turn the other cheek.” When somebody says something hurtful, or somebody does something hurtful, what is it that’s being hurt? It’s our ego. Nobody can truly hurt us. They might cause some physical pain, or emotional pain. They might even kill our body. But nobody can hurt our true selves. We have to take responsibility for our own reactions. Then we can control our reactions.

There are a number of different levels to this principle. On the most blatant level, if someone hits you don’t hit them back. Turn the other cheek – that’s the Lord’s teaching. Now, this is hard enough. But there is a deeper level still. Because if somebody hits you, and you don’t hit them back – but you resent them, and you bear anger and hatred and bitterness against them, you’ve still lost. You have still sinned. You have still broken your relationship with God, because you bear that anger in your heart.

One of the things which is so difficult to come to terms with is the reality that when we bear anger and resentment and bitterness in our hearts, we erect barriers to God’s grace within ourselves. It’s not that God stops giving us His grace. It’s that we say, “No. I don’t want it.” What is His grace? It is His love, His mercy, His compassion, His activity in our lives. The holy Fathers tell us that each and every human person who has ever been born on this earth bears the image of God undistorted within themselves. In our Tradition there is no such thing as fallen nature. There are fallen persons, but not fallen nature. The implication of this truth is that we have no excuses for our sins. We are responsible for our sins, for the choices we make. We are responsible for our actions, and our reactions. “The devil made me do it” is no excuse, because the devil has no more power over us than we give him. This is hard to accept, because it is really convenient to blame the devil. It is also really convenient to blame the other person, or our past. But, it is also a lie. Our choices are our own.

On an even deeper level, this spiritual principle – do not react – teaches us that we need to learn to not react to thoughts. One of the fundamental aspects of this is inner watchfulness. This might seem like a daunting task, considering how many thoughts we have. However, our watchfulness does not need to be focused on our thoughts. Our watchfulness needs to be focused on God. We need to maintain the conscious awareness of God’s presence. If we can maintain the conscious awareness of His presence, our thoughts will have no power over us. We can, to paraphrase St. Benedict, dash our thoughts against the presence of God. This is a very ancient patristic teaching. We focus our attention on the remembrance of God. If we can do that, we will begin to control our troubling thoughts. Our reactions are about our thoughts. After all, if someone says something nasty to us, how are we reacting? We react first through our thinking, our thoughts. Perhaps we’re habitually accustomed to just lashing out after taking offense with some kind of nasty response of our own. But keeping watch over our minds so that we maintain that living communion with God leaves no room for distracting thoughts. It leaves plenty of room if we decide we need to think something through intentionally in the presence of God. But as soon as we engage in something hateful, we close God out. And the converse is true – as long as we maintain our connection to God, we won’t be capable of engaging in something hateful. We won’t react.

Keep Inner Stillness

The second principle, the second essential foundation of our spiritual life – do not react – leads to the third. This third principle is the practice of inner stillness. The use of the Jesus Prayer is an extremely valuable tool for this. But the Jesus Prayer is a means, not an end. It is a means for entering into deeper and deeper conscious communion. It’s a means for us to acquire and maintain the awareness of the presence of God. The prayer developed within the tradition of hesychasm, in the desert and on the Holy Mountain. But hesychasm is not only about the Jesus Prayer. It is about inner stillness and silence.

Inner stillness is not merely emptiness. It is a focus on the awareness of the presence of God in the depths of our heart. One of the essential things we have to constantly remember is that God is not out there someplace. He’s not just in the box on the altar. It may be the dwelling place of His glory. But God is everywhere. And God dwells in the depths of our hearts. When we can come to that awareness of God dwelling in the depths of our hearts, and keep our attention focused in that core, thoughts vanish.

How do we do this? In order to enter in to deep stillness, we have to have a lot of our issues resolved. We have to have a lot of our anger and bitterness and resentments resolved. We have to forgive. If we don’t we’re not going to get into stillness, because the moment we try our inner turmoil is going to come vomiting out. This is good – painful, but good. Because when we try to enter into stillness and we begin to see the darkness that is lurking in our souls, we can then begin to deal with it. It distracts us from trying to be quiet, from trying to say the Jesus Prayer, but that’s just part of the process. And it takes time.

The Fathers talk about three levels of prayer. The first level is oral prayer, where we’re saying the prayer with our lips. We may use a prayer rope, saying “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” or whatever form we use. The next level is mental prayer, where we’re saying the prayer in our mind. Prayer of the mind – with the Jesus Prayer, with prayer book prayers, with liturgical prayers –keeps our minds focused and helps to integrate us, so that our lips and our mind are in the same place and doing the same thing. We all know that we can be standing in church, or standing at prayer, and we may be mouthing the words with our lips but our mind is thinking about the grocery list. The second level of prayer overcomes this problem, but it is not the final level. The final level of prayer is prayer of the heart, or spiritual prayer. It is here where we encounter God, in the depths of our soul. Here we open the eye of our attention, with the intention of being present to God who is present within us. This is the key and the core of the whole process of spiritual growth and transformation.

The Prayer of Stillness

The foundation of the spiritual process is learning to keep inner silence, the prayer of stillness. On the basis of this, we gain insight into how to stop resenting and to stop reacting. Then the process goes deeper and deeper, rooting out our deeply buried resentments and passions, memories of hurt and sin, so that the silence penetrates our whole being. Then we can begin to think clearly, and to attain towards purity of heart.

Before beginning this process, it is important to have an established relationship with a spiritual guide, a father confessor or spiritual mother, to help you. Confession is a central part of the spiritual life, and things that come up in prayer, as well as resolving resentments and other issues, are part of that. It is also valuable to expose obsessive or sinful thoughts to your confessor. Simply exposing them deprives them of their power. We always need to be accompanied on the journey within. Prayer is always a corporate action, leading to the transcendence of our individual isolation into a state of communion with God and the Other.

The Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,” or some form of it, can be used as a vehicle to help us bring our attention into a prayerful state. The Jesus Prayer states the intention of our prayer, and we use it first verbally and then mentally until it goes beyond word and thought and becomes pure intention in deep silence.

A prayer rope is very helpful to get started, not so much as to count prayers, but to keep the physical level of attention. We say one prayer on each knot, going round and round the rope, until our attention is focused in prayer. Then we can stop moving around the rope, and be still. The rope is not important in and of itself; one can pray just as well without it. It is an aid. Another aid is to follow your breath. What is important is not to get caught up in technique, but to pray.

The Prayer can be said standing, kneeling or sitting. If one is ill, lying down is acceptable; but it is hard to preserve focused attention while lying down. Prayer is not relaxation. It may relax you, but that is not the point. Posture is important to help keep your attention focused. If you’re sitting, it helps to keep your back straight and your shoulders back. One can also be prostrate on the ground, but it takes practice to let go of the physical distractions.

In beginning to pray, remember that God is “everywhere present and filling all things.” In prayer, you make yourself present to God. Open your mind and heart, your awareness of God, so that the sense of God’s Presence fills your consciousness. At first, we may not have a sense of God’s Presence. But the more disciplined our practice of prayer, the more that conscious awareness of God will fill our mind and heart. This is not an image, a thought “that” God is present (though this is a place to start), or a feeling or physical sensation. It is simply an awareness. This is the beginning of spiritual consciousness, where our awareness moves from the head to the heart, and from God as an object to a sense of being rapt in God’s Presence.

How to Enter the Prayer of Stillness

In short, sit down and collect yourself, and remember that God is present. Say the Trisagion Prayers if you wish. Breathe in slowly and deeply a couple of times, following your breath to the center of your chest. Begin to say the Jesus Prayer quietly, slowly, until you have a sense of God’s Presence. Then let the Jesus Prayer trail off, and go into silence. Thoughts will come, but simply let them go by. Don’t let them grab your attention. But if they do, gently dismiss them and bring your focus back to God’s Presence, perhaps using the Jesus Prayer to reestablish your intention to pray. Go deeper within yourself, below the thoughts, into the deeper stillness and awareness of Presence, and simply abide there.

The period of prayer should start out with a few minutes, and may entirely be occupied at first with the Jesus Prayer. Eventually, over a period of weeks or months, as you begin to master keeping your attention focused and dismissing thoughts, let it expand up to twenty or thirty minutes. Two periods of prayer, early in the morning and early in the evening are an excellent discipline.

Surrender and Detachment

The Prayer of Stillness is a process of inner surrender to the Presence and activity of God within yourself. Surrender your thoughts, feelings, emotions, ideas, agendas, plans, images and submit them to the Divine Presence. This is surrender of the ego, and the enkindling of our spiritual awareness. We stop our ego and its thoughts from distracting our attention, and permit God’s energy to work within to heal our souls. This is a kind of active and willful passivity, so that God becomes the active partner in prayer.

It becomes obvious that we cannot hold any kind of rancor or resentment, lust or passion, in our minds while trying to enter into silence. In fact, all our attachments to things, people, concepts and ideas have to be surrendered during silent prayer, and thus, they are brought into perspective. The more we connect with God in prayer, the more detached we become. It is a necessity if we are going to progress in prayer and in communion with God. All things that are obstacles to our living communion fall away, if we let them. The key, of course, is to surrender them and let them go.

The Emptying of the Subconscious

One critically important process that occurs is the emptying of the subconscious. After we have gotten to a point of stillness, over a period of days or weeks, we will be flooded by memories of past hurts, sins, resentments, images and sensations, and wrongs done to us. At first, we feel like we make progress in the prayer, and it is nice and peaceful. Then, with the flood of memories, we feel like we are going backwards. This is progress! It is the beginning of the process of the purification of our soul. It is extremely unpleasant, at times, but the key is to not allow ourselves to react. These memories have been suppressed, and are now coming to awareness so that they can be dealt with. This purification is already the action of grace illumining your soul.

During prayer, make a mental note of the memory or sin, and then take it to confession. Sometimes these memories and the feelings connected with them can be overwhelming. This is why accompaniment on the spiritual journey is so important. You need someone who can encourage and reassure you, as well as help you resolve the issues that come to awareness, and forgive your sins. It is extremely distressing when suppressed memories of abuse and violent emotions come up. It can not only be confusing, but it can dominate our consciousness. We have to deal with these issues, as they come up, in order to be purified and open ourselves to God. This means working through forgiveness, accepting forgiveness, and forgiving ourselves and God.

The Imagination

Another thing that comes up is images, which play on our mind and imagination. There are two main levels here: first, the memory images we have seen that are connected with our passions; the second, images from our imagination. All the images we have ever seen are stored in our brain. They range from the face of our mother from our infancy, and other joyful images, to pornographic and violent images or those who have hurt us. These images are especially powerful if they are attached to some kind of passionate act, of lust or anger. They can be a strong distraction from awareness of God. What is important is to remember that these are just thoughts, memories, and we can dismiss them. They have no power over us that we do not give them. The task is to get beneath them, and let them go, and eventually take them to confession.

The second level of images is what is produced by the imagination. We quiet down, and start to pray, and go into all sorts of imaginal realms, populated by angels, demons, and any and everything else. Many people take this as spiritual vision. But it is not. It is the realm of delusion, and there is nothing spiritual about it. This is especially dangerous if one has a past with hallucinogens and other psychotropic drugs. The task is, first, to stay with the Jesus Prayer. Then, after much practice, go into silence and be absolutely resolute to allow no images, even of Jesus or the saints, into one’s mind during prayer. The imagination is still part of the mind, not the spirit (nous). Even icons are not to be contemplated in an objective sense, bringing the image into the mind. As St John Chrysostom wrote, somewhere, “When you pray before your icons, light a candle and then close your eyes!” The icon is a sacrament of the Presence.

Spiritual work is very serious business. If we do not work through the issues that arise in a healthy way, they can literally drive us crazy.

It takes a deep commitment to the spiritual process, so as not to be distracted by the emptying of our subconscious, and led into despondency or despair. The task is to persevere, and let the process take its course. This means confessing our thoughts and resolving our resentments, and receiving absolution of our sins. Eventually, it works itself through, though it may take months or years to do so. As Metropolitan Anthony Bloom said, somewhere, when it gets too heavy, sit back and have a cup of tea! God is going to be there; it is we who have to work through our issues so we can be present to Him.

Dealing with Resentments

Resentment and reaction are deeply interrelated. Resentment is an impassioned reaction, based on a judgment of a person (or the self), where our passions are ignited. Resentment is a reaction which we hold within ourselves, and allow ourselves to nurture. It comes from and feeds off our passions, from judgment of others. Resentment is judgment and objectification of a person according to his actions which have offended us.

The real key to resolving resentment is to realize that it is not the other person who is causing it, but that it is our own reaction. The actions of the other person may have precipitated the reaction, his words or deeds, his sin; but the reaction to those sins, words or deeds is purely our own.

We can only control what belongs to us; we cannot control another person. It is our decision to allow ourselves to be possessed by our passions and reactions, or to take control over our own lives. It is our decision to take responsibility for our own reactions, or to allow ourselves to be caught in the vicious cycle of blaming the other person, in resentment and selfrighteousness.

Blame and resentment lead nowhere, except to bitterness and unhappiness. They make us into helpless victims, which in turn robs us of the power to take responsibility for ourselves.

Resentment comes when we refuse to forgive someone, justifying ourselves by our self-righteous indignation at being hurt. Some of these hurts can be very deep: abuse, abandonment, betrayal, rejection. Sometimes they can be very petty. We keep turning the hurt over and over in our minds, and refuse let it go by justifying our anger. Then we feel justified in hating or despising the person who hurt us. Doing this, we continue to beat ourselves up with someone else’s sin, and compound the other person’s sin by our own resentfulness. We blind ourselves to our own sin, and focus only on the sin of the other, and in so doing, we lose all perspective.

We have to put things into perspective, and realize that the other person’s actions are only part of the equation, and that our own reaction is entirely our own sin. To do this, we have to move towards forgiveness.

To forgive does not mean to justify the other person’s sin. It does not mean that we absolve the other person— not hold them responsible for their sin. Rather, we acknowledge that they have sinned and that it hurt us. But what do we do with that hurt? If we resent, we turn it against ourselves. But if we forgive, we accept the person for who he is, not according to his actions; we drop our judgment of the person. We realize that he is a sinner just like me. If I am aware of my own sins, I can never judge anyone. We can begin to love him as we love ourselves, and excuse his falling short as we forgive ourselves. It helps when the person who hurt us asks for forgiveness, but it is not necessary. We must always forgive: not only because God forgave us; but also because we hurt ourselves by refusing to forgive.

Our resentments can also be extremely petty. Sometimes we resent because we cannot control or manipulate someone to behave according to our expectations. We become resentful of our own frustration, where the other really had nothing to do with it. All our expectations of other people are projections of our own self-centeredness. If we can let other people simply be who they are, and rejoice in that, then we will have tremendous peace!

We have to be watchful over ourselves, so that we do not allow ourselves to project our expectations on others, or allow resentment to grow within us. This kind of awareness, watchfulness, is nurtured by the practice of cutting off our thoughts and practicing inner stillness. By this, we practice cutting off our reactions, which all start with thoughts. We can come to see what is our own reaction, and what belongs to the other.

Eventually, we see that our judgment of the other is really about ourselves, our own actions, words, attitudes and temptations, which we see reflected in the other person. To face this means to face our own hypocrisy, and to change. If we judge and condemn someone for the same sins, thoughts, words and deeds that we have ourselves, then we are hypocrites. We must repent from our hypocrisy. This is real repentance: to recognize and acknowledge our own sin, and turn away from it towards God and towards our neighbor.

We have to see how our sins distract us from loving our neighbor, and from loving God. Our love of our brother is the criterion of our love of God. St John tells us, How can we love God whom we have not seen, if we can’t love our neighbor whom we can? If you say that you love God and hate your brother, you are a liar. If we love God, then we will forgive our neighbor, as God has also forgiven us.

The conscious awareness of our own reactions and judgments, of our attachment to our passions of anger and our own will, is the first level of spiritual awareness and watchfulness. We have to move beyond self-centeredness (oblivious to others), to becoming self-aware, aware of our own inner processes through watching our thoughts and reactions.

Repentance and Confession

Awareness of our sins and hypocrisy, our short comings and falls, leads us to repentance and the transformation of our life. Repentance, conversion, the transformation of our mind and our life, is the core of the Christian life. Repentance does not mean to beat ourselves up for our sins, or to dwell in a state of guilt and morose selfcondemnation. Rather, it means to confront our sins, and reject and renounce them, and confess them, trying not to do them again.

What this does is, that to the extent we renounce and confess our sins, they no longer generate thoughts, which accuse us or spur passionate reactions. Sometimes we have to confess things several times, because we only repent of, or are even conscious of, aspects of the sin. Things that make us feel guilty, provoke our conscience, or that we know are acts of disobedience all should be confessed. We have to train our conscience, not by memorizing lists of sins, but by becoming aware of what breaks our relationship with God and other people. We need to be conscious of God’s presence, and realize what distracts us from it. These things are sins. Of course, we are experts at deluding ourselves, when we really want to do something, and we know that it is not blessable.

Confession is not only Christ’s first gift to the Church, the authority to forgive sins in His Name; but is one of the most important means of healing our souls. Sins are not sins because they are listed in a book somewhere. They are sins because they break our relationship with God, other people, and distort our true self. Sins are sins because they hurt us and other people. We need to heal that hurt, and revealing the act or thought or attitude takes away the shame that keeps it concealed, and prevents healing. We need to confess the things that we are the most ashamed of, the secret sins which we know are betrayals of our true self. If we don’t confess them, they fester and generate all sorts of despondency, depression and guilt, shame and despair. The result of that is that we identify ourselves with our sins. For example, same-sex attraction becomes gay identity. Failure in some area becomes a general self-identification with being a failure.

What is critically important is that we are not our sins, thoughts or actions. These things happen, we sin, have bad thoughts and do wicked and evil things. But we are not our thoughts or actions. Repentance means to stop and renounce not only the actions, but to renounce the identity that goes with it. Thoughts are going to come. But we can learn, through practicing inner stillness, to let our thoughts go. They will still be there, but we can learn to not react to them, and eventually, simply to ignore them.

The process of purifying our self is hard and painful, at first; but becomes the source of great joy. The more we confess, honestly and nakedly, the more we open ourselves to God’s grace, and the lighter we feel. Truly the angels in heaven (and the priest standing before you bearing witness to the confession) rejoice immensely when a person truly repents and confesses their sins, no matter how dark and heinous. There is no sin so grievous that it cannot be forgiven. NOTHING! The only sin not forgiven is thinking that God cannot forgive our sin. He forgives. We have to forgive our self, and accept His forgiveness.

Preparing for confession is an important process. It means to take stock of our life, and to recognize where we have fallen, and that we need to repent. The following should help to prepare for confession, but it is not a laundry list. Rather, it should help to spur our memory, so that we can bring things to consciousness that we have forgotten. It is more of an examination of conscience.

The Passions: Gluttony, lust, avarice; anger, envy, despondency; vainglory, pride. The Commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.

Loving God

Do I love God? Do I really believe in God, or just go through the motions?

Do I pray, and when I do, do I connect, or is it just mechanical? Do I rush through prayers, Scripture readings, and spiritual literature? Do I seek the will of God in all things? Do I rebel against what I know to be God’s will, and the Christian life? Do I try to be obedient, and constantly surrender my life to God?

Do I go to church, go to confession and communion regularly, keep the fasts?

Do I try to be conscious of God’s Presence, or not?

Do I try to sanctify my life? Or do I give in to temptation easily? Thoughtlessly?

Loving our Neighbor

How do I treat the people around me? Do I allow myself to judge, criticize, gossip about or condemn my neighbor? Do I put people down? Do I look for their faults? Do I condescend and talk down to others?

Do I treat others with kindness, gentleness, patience? Or am I mean, rough and nasty?

Do I try to control others, manipulate others?

Do I regard others with love and compassion?

Do I bear anger or resentments against others? Hatred, bitterness, scorn?

Do I use and objectify others for my own pleasure or advantage? For sex, for profit, or for anything else which de-personalizes him/her?

Do I envy and bear jealousy towards my neighbor? Do I take pleasure in his misfortunes?

Do I act thoughtlessly, oblivious to the feelings or conscience of the other? Do I lead my neighbor into temptation intentionally? Do I mock him or make fun of him?

Do I honor the commitments I have made? Marriage vows? Monastic vows? Do I honor my parents? Am I faithful in my relationships? Do I have stability in my commitments? Am I conscious of how my words and actions affect others?

Have I stolen anything, abused or hurt anyone? Have I committed adultery? Have I injured or killed someone?

Do I covet other people’s things? Do I lust after possessions or money? Does my life revolve around making money and buying things?

Loving Our Selves

How am I self-centered, egotistical, self-referenced?

Do I take care of myself, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually? Am I obsessed about my self, my image, my appearance, my desires and agenda?

Do I indulge in laziness? Do I get despondent, depressed, despairing?

Do I beat myself up, indulge in self-hatred or self-pity? Do I injure myself? Do I have low self-esteem, or think myself worthless?

Do I blame other people for my reactions? Do I feel myself a victim? Do I take responsibility for my own reactions and behaviors?

Do I engage in addictive behaviors, abusing alcohol, food, drugs, sex, pornography, masturbation? How do I try to console myself when I’m feeling down?

Do I have anger and resentment, rage, and other strong emotions and passions suppressed within me? Do I act out on them? How do they affect my behavior? Can I control them or do I abuse other people?

Am I conscious of how my words affect people?

How am I a hypocrite? Can I face my own hypocrisy? Am I lying to and deluding myself?

Do I have a realistic idea of myself? Am I honest with myself and others? What kind of façade do I put up?

Have I done things which I don’t want to or am too ashamed to admit? Abuse of others or animals, incest, homosexual acts, perverse actions? Have I abused drugs, sex or other things which I don’t want to acknowledge? Am I afraid that I am those things—an alcoholic, drug addict, gay, child abuser? Am I afraid to confess them? Can I forgive myself for these things? What do I feel guilty about? Does guilt control my life? Am I being faithful to myself, to God, to others? Does my life have integrity?

Fr Christopher Foley 10/22/25 Fr Christopher Foley 10/22/25

What Would Jesus Do?

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Christopher Foley

There was a time not to long ago when there were bracelets, t-shirts and various marketed products with the letters "WWJD?" I don't see them as much now, but I am sure you can still find them. WWJD stands for "What would Jesus do?" This campaign was a way to remind all of us that in any given situation it is important to stop and think about what Jesus might do if He were in the same circumstances. This is something that could be practical and, at the very least, build a discipline of pause and hesitation before one simply reacts, or gives into temptation. I think that, while this is helpful, it doesn't really go far enough or puts the focus on mere externals or imitation and doesn't quite get to the heart of the matter. This is not an attempt to totally discredit this, but I think as Orthodox Christians, we take this much more seriously.

From an Orthodox Christian perspective, salvation is the full renewal of mankind into the image and likeness of God. Because of Christ's incarnation, passion, resurrection and glorification we have the possibility of partaking of the divine nature. We become "by grace all that God is by nature," to quote the fathers. This means that we very literally die to the old man and "put on Christ" in our baptism. We actualize this by our continual daily martyrdom where we take up our cross and follow Christ. This means that we do not only imitate Christ, but we are called to be transformed into His image and likeness. It is not something merely external, but a transformation and recreation of the old Adam into a new and glorious "christified" humanity. We are meant to be participants in Christ. We are transformed from within and are past the point of simply asking "what would Jesus do?" but more "what would Jesus be?" (WWJB?) or more correctly "who is He?" This echoes Christ’s own question he asked the disciples in the Gospels, “who do you say that I am?” The focus, you see, is more about being rather than doing. It is here that we can echo St. Paul and say that, as Christians, the more that we become like Christ in our very being and "become like Him in His death" the more that we participate and "attain the resurrection from the dead." He then goes on to say, "Not that I have already attained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus has taken hold of me.”

Is this not the whole basis for our approach to the mysteries, or sacraments of the Church? Life in the Church has been called "life in Christ." It is in the Church that we fully participate in the life of Christ. Fr. John Meyendorff reminds us that "Christ's humanity, (by virtue of the incarnation), is penetrated with divine 'energy.' It is, therefore, a deified humanity, which, however, does not in any way lose its human characteristics. Quite the contrary. These characteristics become even more real and authentic by contact with the divine model according to which they were created. In this deified humanity of Christ's, man is called to participate, and to share in its deification. This is the meaning of sacramental life and the basis of Christian spirituality. The Christian is called not to an 'imitation' of Jesus - a purely extrinsic and moral act - but, as Nicholas Cabasilas puts it, to 'life in Christ' through baptism, chrismation, and the Eucharist." All of our worship - hymns, icons, incense, candles, kissing, bowing, etc - become a real participation in this life in Christ. The sacraments of the Church provide an immediate participation in Christ Himself through partaking of His most precious Body and Blood. We die and rise with Him in our baptism. We receive the Holy Spirit at our chrismation. We are healed in body and soul through the anointing of oil. We are blessed through drinking Holy Water. These are all a means of participation in life in the Kingdom of God made present within the Body of Christ - the Church. It is through this participation that we become transformed and changed and can then go out into this world and be a light in the darkness and bring Christ to every place and situation that we find ourselves in. This is why it is so vital to our spiritual life to participate in the sacramental life of the Church. When we commemorate the Great Feasts of the Church Year we enter into the reality of the events and become participants in them. St. Leo the Great said, "Our task now is not to earn this new life but to live it, to enter into the riches of Christ's redemptive work and to allow the paschal mystery of his death and resurrection to enter into our daily lives; for when the Lord Jesus took His seat at the right hand of the Father, He poured out His Spirit on His Church, the Spirit whose mission it is to make available to all believers the salvation Christ has won for us."

So let us ask ourselves not "what would Jesus do?" but "who is He and how can I participate in Him." It is here that we realize that we have been given so much within the life of the Church as consolation and joy. We are given the wonderful and joyous opportunity to share in Christ's life through participation in the Holy Mysteries of the Church. "WWJB?"

Fr John Breck 10/22/25 Fr John Breck 10/22/25

Bible & Liturgy

It all begins with an idea.

Very Rev. John Breck

A defining characteristic of Orthodox Christianity is the intimate and inseparable relationship it preserves between Bible and Liturgy, between divine revelation as the canonical or normative source of our faith, and celebration of that faith in the worship of the Church. Faith, grounded in Scripture, determines the content of our worship; worship gives expression to our faith.

This principle, once again, is expressed most succinctly in the Latin phrase lex orandi lex est credendi; our rule of worship is nothing other than our rule of belief. Our prayer is shaped by and expresses our theology, just as our theology is illumined and deepened by our prayer.

In our liturgical services we praise, bless and adore the God from whom we receive saving grace and the gift of eternal life. Accordingly, our eucharistic Divine Liturgy concludes with a "Prayer before the ambon" -- in the midst of the people -- which begins, "O Lord, who blessest those who bless Thee, and sanctifiest those who place their trust in Thee: Save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Preserve the fullness of Thy Church...."

The deeper meaning of "faith" (pistis) is "trust," total and unwavering confidence in God's utter faithfulness towards us. In response to our trust, expressed through the worship by which we "bless" Him, God bestows upon us still further blessings. Our relationship with Him involves a reciprocal movement. Through worship we offer ourselves to Him, yet through that same worship He offers Himself to us. We "bless" Him by our thanksgiving, our adoration and our praise; and we are blessed by Him through the continual outpouring of His divine grace.

This mutual gesture of self-giving reaches its apex in the Divine Liturgy, when we offer to God the fruit of the earth that He has already bestowed upon us, "Thine own of Thine own...." In return we receive nourishment from His hand in the form of "communion," which enables us actually to participate in His life through partaking of the Body and Blood of His risen and glorified Son. In the eucharistic service, we experience the reality and fullness of the Gospel. There above all, we are made aware of the vital link, the virtual unity, that exists between Bible and Liturgy, between the written, canonical source of our faith, and the actualization of that faith in the prayer of the Church.

This intimate relation between Bible and Liturgy is evident in the Holy Scriptures themselves. The Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament, is filled with liturgical hymns, the most familiar of which are the Psalms. The intertestamental period gave rise to an abundant hymnography, incorporated into canonical and non-canonical writings, including the Song of Azariah and the three young men (Dan 3 in the Septuagint version), the Prayer of Manasseh, the Hodayot or Hymn Scroll and the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice from Qumran, and the first century Psalms of Solomon.

In the New Testament we find fragments or portions of text that were adapted from early Christian hymns, such as the songs of Mary, Zachariah and Simeon in St Luke's narratives of Jesus' birth and infancy (Lk 1-2). St Paul refers to "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs," difficult to identify but which clearly denote liturgical elements familiar to early Christians. Hymnic fragments seem present as well in passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, Ephesians 5:14, Hebrews 1:1-4, 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 2:22-24, and throughout the book of Revelation.

Confessional or creedal hymns very likely appear in the well-known passages Philippians 2:5-11 and Colossians 2:15-19(20). And some reputable biblical scholars hold that the Prologue to St John's Gospel (1:1-18) was adapted from an early Christian hymn. However, since these are structured according to the literary pattern known as "chiasmus," it is difficult to say whether their rhythm is actually "hymnic," meaning that their original form was sung in liturgical services (many scholars hold that Phil 2, for example, was sung antiphonally in the worship of certain Pauline communities), or whether that rhythm derives from the poetic balance resulting from concentric parallelism. In either case, lying behind these biblical passages are very likely elements of the early Church's communal worship, some sung, others recited as confessions of faith.

It is essential for us to recognize and preserve this close relationship that exists between the Church's canon and its liturgical tradition. What we confess with our lips in the form of creedal statements, what we sing in the form of antiphons and prokeimena (derived from the Psalter), stichera (e.g., verses from the Octoechos on the Lucernarium ["Lord I Call"] and Aposticha of Vespers), and similar liturgical elements, all express the deepest convictions of the heart. And those convictions derive directly from God's self-revelation in Holy Scripture.

If other Christian confessions today often find themselves in a state of crisis, it is largely due to the fact that in their historical tradition this vital link between Bible and Liturgy has been severed. When this occurs, the inevitable result is to produce biblical studies that are little more than exercises in text criticism or literary analysis, and worship services that are practically devoid of authentic spiritual content. The logical outcome of this break between the Church's Scriptures and its worship is phenomena such as the Jesus Seminar on the one hand and the jazz mass on the other. A hermeneutic that is not grounded in worship will inevitably limit its field of interest to the "literal sense" of biblical passages; just as worship that does not proclaim the Gospel will inevitably degenerate into pious noise, void of serious content, or simply aim to provide a psychological "uplift," equally devoid of spiritual depth and transcendent purpose.

It would be easy to fault Protestant and Catholic Christians for allowing this separation to develop over the years within their respective traditions. That would be to overlook the fact, however, that the intimate and reciprocal relationship between Bible and Liturgy, faith and worship, has been preserved in Orthodoxy not by our own doing but as a gift of sheer grace -- without which the Orthodox Church itself would have long ago disappeared under pressures of persecution and martyrdom. If "Orthodoxy" is truly "right worship" and "right belief," it is because it has been sustained as such through the ages by the Holy Spirit.

Our task as Orthodox Christians is not to criticize and condemn those who have lost a sense for the vital unity that should exist between the Gospel and worship. It is rather to celebrate, with joy and humble gratitude, the gift of the God who blesses and sanctifies those who place their trust in Him. It is to acknowledge in the words of the apostle James, also taken up in the Prayer before the ambon, that "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights," including faith born of the Gospel. Our task, then, is to express this biblical faith through the liturgy of the Church, and thereby to "ascribe glory, thanksgiving and worship: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages."

Fr Christopher Foley 10/22/25 Fr Christopher Foley 10/22/25

Sin, Sickness, & Holy Unction

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Christopher Foley

We thank Thee, O Lord our God, who art good and lovest mankind, the Physician of our souls and bodies, who painlessly hast borne our infirmities, by whose stripes we have all been healed, Thou good Shepherd, who didst come to seek the wandering sheep; who givest consolation to the faint-hearted, and life unto those who are broken of heart...who takest away the sins of the world, and wast nailed to the cross; we beseech Thee, and entreat Thee, in Thy goodness loose, remit, forgive, O God, the errors of Thy servant, N., and his iniquities whether voluntary or involuntary, whether of knowledge or ignorance, whether of excess or of disobedience...
- From the Service of Holy Unction

Christianity is first and foremost a confession about Jesus Christ. This Christ is the crucified Word of God who took flesh from the virgin Mary. This Christ voluntarily endured the cross for our salvation. It is on this cross that His full divinity was made manifest, for it was here that He most profoundly displayed His power. As we sing on Great and Holy Friday, "When Thou wast crucified, O Christ, the tormentor was overcome, the power of the enemy was shattered; for neither Angel nor man, but the Lord Himself hath saved us: Glory to Thee." Christ came to establish His Kingdom on earth. Healing of sickness is part of this kingdom. When Christ sent out the seventy He commanded them to heal and preach the kingdom. "And he called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity...And preach as you go saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons" (Mt. 10:1,7-8). If we are to understand the Christian view of sickness and sin, we must first come to terms with Jesus Christ.

The introductory quote gives us insight into Christ as the suffering servant from Isaiah 53. Christ has "borne our griefs and carried our sorrows," He was "wounded for our transgressions," and it is "by His stripes that we are healed" (Is. 53:45). The most profound part of Christ's suffering is that He did it voluntarily and without complaint. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth" (Is. 53:7). Christ, in the garden of Gethsemani before his passion said, "Father if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but Thine be done" (Lk. 22:42). Clearly, Christ, in facing his suffering, transforms it into victory over death and sin.

As Christians, how are we to understand sickness and the suffering that comes from prolonged illness? How also are we to understand sin in relation to this? The service for the anointing of the sick, Holy Unction, provides a pedagogical tool for understanding the meaning of our suffering. At this point we should remember that all the sacraments of the church are a real participation in the life of the Kingdom here and now. Holy Unction is a transformation of sickness into the victory of the cross. When someone is sick, they experience tremendous loss and disconnection. They become subject to their body's frailty. This can lead to a crisis of faith and a break in relationships. So what does the church do? She refers all of it to Christ in order for it to be transformed in the light of the cross. The oil that is used in the anointing is referred to as a light that illumines. "With the lamp of light divine, in thy mercy make bright, through this Unction, O Christ, him who now, in faith, maketh haste to Thy mercy."

Sickness is the weakness of the body as a result of the sin of the world. Sickness is not the punishment from God of personal sinful behavior, per se. We all share in the consequences of sin in this world. There is a definite connection between the two. Death is the result of sin (Ro. 6:23), and sickness is the body slowly wearing down to its eventual physical death. The seven prayers from the Holy Unction service suggest this connection. "Look down and hear us, Thine unworthy servants, and wheresoever in Thy great name we shall bring this oil, send down the gift of healing, and remission of sins: and heal him, in the multitude of Thy mercies." We also find this connection in scripture. In the first of the seven epistle readings we hear, "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and them them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects" (Js. 5:14-16). We also hear Christ say to the lame man, "Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven," then, "Rise, take up your bed and go home" (Mt. 9:2,6).

If we remember that Christ came to establish His Kingdom we realize that true healing is the forgiveness of sins. As Christians we have already died and risen with Christ in our baptism. Death has been vanquished and trampled underfoot by Christ. The anointing of the sick always coincides with confession of sin. The second prayer from the unction service says,

Do Thou, O tender-hearted master, look down from the height of Thy sanctuary, overshadowing us sinners, who are also Thine unworthy servants, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, at this hour, and take up Thine abode in thy servant, N., who acknowledgeth his iniquities, and draweth near to Thee in faith; accepting him because of Thy love towards mankind, for giving him whatsoever he hath done amiss, whether by word, or deed, or thought, forgive him, cleanse him, make him pure from every sin; and abiding ever present with him, preserve him all the remaining years of his life; that, walking ever in Thy statutes, he may in no wise again become an object of malignant joy to the devil; and Thy holy name may be glorified in him.

The church recognizes this connection and prays in this way in order to refer all things back to the cross.

The service of Holy Unction reintegrates the sick one back into the church community through the confession of sin and anointing with oil for healing. Healing is primarily for spiritual healing. Physical healing is only temporary, for everyone who is physically healed eventually dies. For the Christian true death is not physical death, but spiritual death. This healing service of the church is for true spiritual healing. The meaning of suffering is changed in Christ. The healing that Christ offers is victory over this world and the devil. One of the prayers even mentions physical death as part of the spiritual healing, "that they who shall be anointed with this oil of regeneration may be terrible unto their adversaries, and may shine in the radiance of thy Saints, having neither spot or wrinkle; and that they may attain unto thy rest everlasting, and receive the prize of their high calling." And in the seventh prayer, "Because thou hast not created man for destruction, but for the keeping of thy commandments, and for inheritance of life incorruptible."

When someone is sick they can either lose their faith or find salvation through their suffering. The healing ministry that the Church offers is guiding the sick one to the cross in order to find victory. We all will face death. The question is, will it be a victory or not. Healing is not necessarily taking away the suffering, but it is through the suffering, through the cross that Christ’s power is made manifest. As St. Paul says to the Phillipian church, "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that, if possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Ph. 3:10-11). The anointing is a passage from this world into the Kingdom of God where death and suffering no longer win. The suffering is joined to the cross and becomes a martyrdom. The Christian who suffers well is the most profound witness of the church to the world. God can and does heal people physically, but what a greater testimony of Christ's victory than the martyrdom of redemptive suffering. We all must face the cross in this life, will it be a victory or the loss of salvation? St. Paul writes to the Corinthians about his own suffering, "Why, we felt that we had received the sentence of death; but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead; He delivered us from so deadly a peril, and He will deliver us; on Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again" (II Cor. 1: 9-10).

During the feast of the Elevation of the Cross the Church sings hymns to the cross that remind us of the healing power of Christ's death and resurrection:

Hail thou, guide of the blind, of the infirm the physician, the resurrection of all the departed, thou hast raised us up fallen into corruption, O honoured cross, whereby the curse hath been destroyed and the incorruption hath blossomed forth,we the earthly ones have become deified, and devil was hurled down altogether. Seeing thee today elevated by Bishop's hands, we exault Him that was elevated in thy midst, and we adore thee, richly deriving great mercy.

And in another hymn from the feast, "Today the cross of Christ doth issue forth and the faithful receive it with longing and obtain healings of both soul and body and deliverance from every malady." Also on the Sunday of the Cross in mid-Lent we hear, "Thy Cross, O Lord, is holy, and brings healing to those who are in sickness through their sins." Clearly the cross is a victory over sin, sickness, and death.

The Sacrament of Holy Unction itself shows the connection between sickness and sin. Towards the end of the rite, the open Gospel is placed over the head of the one anointed and a prayer is recited that is very similar to a prayer from the the Rite of Confession:

I beseech and entreat Thy merciful compassion and love of mankind. O God our Savior, who by the hand of the prophet Nathan didst give remission of his sins unto penitent David, and didst accept Manasses' prayer of contrition: do Thou, the same Lord, receive also with Thy wont and tender love towards mankind, this Thy servant, N., who repenteth him of his transgressions, regarding not all his trespasses.

Clearly, the sacrament itself is connected to the confession of sin. Holy Unction presupposes confession of sins. Here the church keeps the mystery of sin and sickness intact. It is through participation in this rite that the sick one can be truly healed and referred back to the Church's joyous embrace, the sacrament of the Kingdom of God. Man is restored into his true condition which is in the image and likeness of God. It is truly through the might of the precious and life-giving Cross that the suffering one is transformed and healed in Christ. “Through the Cross, joy has come into all the world!”

St Innocent of Alaska 10/22/25 St Innocent of Alaska 10/22/25

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Christ

It all begins with an idea.

St. Innocent of Alaska

The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny oneself. To deny oneself means: to give up one’s bad habits, to root out of the heart all that ties us to the world . . . to be dead to sin and the world, but alive to God.

A Christian’s second duty is to take up one’s cross. The word “cross” means sufferings, sorrows and adversities. To “take up one’s cross” means to accept without complaint everything unpleasant, painful, sad, difficult and oppressive that may happen to us in life. In other words, to bear all laughter, scorn, weariness, sorrow and annoyance from others; to bear all poverty, misfortune, illness, without regarding yourself as offended. And if, when you are bearing your cross according to the will of God, a proud thought suggests to you that you are not weak like others, but that you are firm, pious and better, root out such thoughts as far as you can, for they ruin all your virtues.

Now there are “external” crosses and “interior” crosses. All the above mentioned “crosses” are external and the Lord will not let the man perish who struggles to bear them wisely. The Holy Spirit will strengthen and guide him and lead him further. But in order to become holy and be like Jesus Christ, merely external crosses are not enough. Outward crosses without interior ones are of no more use than exterior prayer without interior prayer. Outward crosses are borne not only by Christians, but by everyone! There is not a man on earth who hasn’t suffered is some way or another. But whoever wants to follow Jesus must bear interior crosses as well.

Interior crosses can be found at all times, and more easily than exterior ones. Direct your attention to yourself with a sense of penitence, and a thousand interior crosses will spring up! For instance, consider: How did you come to be in this world? Do you live as you ought to? Ask yourself these questions sincerely and you will see that you are the creation and work of God and that you exist solely in order to glorify Him with all your acts, your life, your whole being. But not only do you not glorify Him, but you anger and dishonor Him by your sinful life! Then consider: What awaits you on the other side of your grave? On which side will you stand at the time of Christ’s judgement, on the left or the right? Have you even thought of the eternal separation from God that is Hell? Have you scarcely given one thought to Paradise which the Lord has prepared for you? Have you ever thought that you are depriving yourself of its eternal blessings through carelessness and stupidity? If you begin to reflect in this way, you will undoubtedly begin to be alarmed and disquieted. Don’t try to drive away such thoughts through empty worldly diversions and entertainments for the are profitable for you. In fact, you will find still more crosses!

We can never see the state of our souls in all its nakedness without the special help and grace of God because the interior of our souls is always hidden from us by our own self-love, passions, worldly cares, delusions. What little we see is only superficial and no more that what reason and conscience can show us. The enemy, Satan, tries to keep us blind to ourselves so that we will be prevented from running to God and seeking salvation. But if he cannot discourage us from seeking God, the devil tries another trick. He tries to show us our soul in all its weakness and sin in order to tempt us to despair, for he knows that few of us would stand firm if we saw the really extremely dangerous condition of our souls.

Now when the Lord leads us to knowledge of ourselves, we will certainly be filled with fear and sorrow because we have for so long stubbornly closed our ears to His gentle voice calling us to the Kingdom of God. But the Lord will not tempt us with despair, for any sin can be erased through repentance. But as the Lord reveals to us the state of our souls, what interior crosses we must bear! Just as not all people have the same virtues and the same sins, so interior crosses are not the same for all. For some they are more oppressive, and for others less: for some they come in one way, and for others quite differently. Everything depends on the person’s state of soul, just as the length and method of curing a physical illness depends on the patient’s condition. It is not a doctor’s fault if he must sometimes use very powerful medicine for a prolonged period to cure an illness which the patient himself may have irritated and increased! Whoever wants to be well will consent to bear everything!

Such interior crosses sometimes seem so heavy that no consolation can be found anywhere. Should you find yourself in such a state, or whatever sufferings of the soul you may feel, do not despair or think that the Lord has abandoned you. No! He will always be with you and strengthen you even when it seems to you that you are on the very brink of perdition. He will never allow you to be tempted more than He sees fit. Don’t be afraid, but with full submission surrender to Him, have patience and pray. For He is always our Father, and a very loving Father. And if He leads a person into sufferings or lays crosses upon him, it is in order to make him realize his own weakness and to teach him never to trust in himself and that no one can do anything good without God. It is only to heal his soul, to make him like Jesus Christ, to purify his heart, so that it will be a fit dwelling for the Holy Spirit.

Blessed, a hundred times blessed, is the person whom the Lord grants to bear interior crosses because they are the true healing of soul, a special favor of God, and they show His care for our salvation. Blessed is that man, for he has attained a state of grace impossible to attain without God’s assistance, and which we, to our harm, do not even consider necessary! If you bear your sufferings with submission and surrender to the will of God, He will not abandon you and will not leave you without consolation. And if the Lord grants you such peace and consolation, allowing to experience the sweetness of His grace, do not think this is given because you have attained sanctity. Such thoughts come from pride and can make their appearance even when a person has the power to work miracles! These consolations are the mercy and grace of God alone, Who grants you to taste what He has prepared for those who love Him, so that you will be strengthened for fresh troubles and sufferings and so that you will seek Him with greater zeal.

The third duty of a disciple of Christ is to follow Him. To follow Jesus means to act and live as He did upon the earth.

Jesus always gave thanks and praise to God, His Father, and prayed to Him. We, too, must praise Him and love Him both openly and privately.

Jesus honored Him immaculate Mother and His foster-father. In the same way we should honor and obey our parents and teachers, not irritating them or grieving them by our behavior.

Jesus loved everyone and was kind to all. So too, we should love our neighbor and endeavor, as far as possible, to be on good terms with all (without compromising our faith) and do good to them by word, deed, or thought.

Jesus willingly surrendered Himself to suffering and death. So too, we should not avoid the sufferings of life, or allow them to drive us to despondency, but we should bear them with humility and surrender to God.

Jesus forgave His enemies all that they did to Him. He did them every kind of good and prayed for their salvation. By bearing wrongs without complaint, without revenge and with love you will act as a true Christian (Mt. 5:44)

Being humble in heart, Jesus never sought or desired praise from others. And we should never pride ourselves on anything at all. For example, if you do good to others, give alms, if you are more pious than others, more intelligent, wealthier, etc., this has absolutely nothing to do with you, but has come as a gift of God – only sins and weaknesses are your own, and all the rest is God’s.

To follow Jesus means to obey the word of Jesus Christ. We must listen to, believe and practice what we hear in the Gospel without pretense and in simplicity of heart. Only if we listen intently to His word and struggle to carry its directives in our lives will we become true disciples of Jesus Christ.

And so this is what it means to deny oneself, to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus Christ. This is the true straight way into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the way by which Jesus Himself went while He lived on earth, and by which we Christians must go. There never was and never will be another way.

Certainly this way is rough, narrow and thorny, and seems especially so at the beginning. But on the other hand, it leads straight to Paradise, to the Heavenly Kingdom, to God Who is the Source of all true life. Sorrowful in this way, yet for every step we take along it thousands of spiritual rewards lie ahead, of which the world knows nothing. The sufferings on this way are not eternal, and one can say that they are even no more than momentary, whereas the rewards for them are unending and eternal, like God Himself. The suffering will become less and lighter from day to day, while grace will increase from hour to hour, throughout infinite eternity.

And so, do not be afraid to follow Jesus Christ. Follow Him, hasten and do not delay! Go while the doors of the heavenly Kingdom remain open to you. And even while you are still a long way off our heavenly Father will come to meet you on the way, will kiss you, will put on you the best garment, and will lead you into His Bridal Chamber where He Himself dwells with all the holy Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and all the Saints, where you will rejoice with true and eternal joy. Amen!

This article originally appeared at http://www.stsymeon.com/stinnoc.html

Fr John Breck 9/20/25 Fr John Breck 9/20/25

From the Depths of Hell

It all begins with an idea.

Very Rev. John Breck

The final Old Testament reading for Holy Saturday vespers -- Daniel 3:1-57, the story of the three young men in the fiery furnace in Babylon -- is composite, drawing upon both Aramaic and Greek (Septuagint) traditions. The latter modifies and amplifies a detail the Church's patristic witnesses consider essential. That small detail is a typological image that announces the primary theme of Orthodox Pascha or Easter: the descent of Christ into the depths of hell, to liberate humanity from the powers of sin, death and corruption.

According to the Aramaic version, King Nebuchadnezzar -- for unspecified reasons (the Greek declares it was because he heard the three young men singing from the midst of the flames) -- asks his advisors, "Did we not cast three bound men into the furnace?" Then he adds, "Yet I see four men, unbound, walking in the midst of the fire -- and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!" That descriptive phrase, "like a son of the gods," is a Semitism, signifying an angelic being. The Septuagint replaces it with the assertion, "An angel of the Lord came down into the furnace… and drove out the fiery flame."

In the view of the Church Fathers and Orthodox tradition generally, the angelic being who appears in the midst of the flames is a prophetic image of both the means and the meaning of our salvation. That powerful image points forward to and is fulfilled by the crucifixion, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

One of the most significant differences between Western (Latin) and Eastern (Orthodox) theology concerns the means by which we are redeemed from the consequences of sin -- our rebellion against the person and will of God -- and granted access to the blessed, transfigured existence termed by Scripture "eternal life." The Latin view -- focusing on the "original sin" of the first man Adam, transmitted to successive generations like a genetic flaw -- stresses the payment or obligation we have to offer to God, whether of Christ's sacrifice (Anselm's theory of "satisfaction") or of our good deeds (the notion of accumulated "merits"). These medieval themes have been significantly modified by modern Western theologians, but they continue to shape Catholic popular piety, and even that of certain Protestant confessions (the Lutheran "theologia crucis," for example: a "theology of the cross" that places primary emphasis on Christ's crucifixion, while not neglecting the resurrection). An indirect consequence of this accent is the paschal image of the risen Christ in Western tradition. There the Saviour, bearing the marks of crucifixion, is usually depicted rising victorious from his tomb or sepulchre, while the guards are asleep at his feet.

In Orthodox tradition, that saving victory over death is depicted much differently. Here the themes of incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and exaltation merge in the motif of Christ's "Descent into Hell," more properly termed his "Descent into Sheol," the realm of the departed righteous who await the Saviour's coming.

If the eternal Son of God, second Person of the Holy Trinity, deigned to become a man, a human being of flesh and blood, it was not in the first instance to assume the consequences of Adam's guilt through a vicarious sacrificial self-offering. He "took flesh," rather, to assume our fallen, sin-scarred "nature" -- what makes us essentially human -- in order to redeem and glorify that nature. This he accomplished by his sinless life and innocent death, fulfilled by his rising from the dead and his ascension or exaltation into heaven, the fullness of the presence of God. In that movement of glorification, he remained the "God-man," bearing in himself both his eternal divinity and his human nature, restored and renewed to its original perfection and beauty. If the Son of God became (a) man, patristic tradition declares, it was to offer to us the possibility of theôsis or "deification," meaning a full participation in God's very life and a sharing with him in a communion of boundless, inexhaustible love.

In this perspective, it is not we who strive to reconcile ourselves to God by appeasing his righteous wrath. It is God who seeks to reconcile himself us to through the gift of his Son, the righteous innocent one, who breaks down the wall of our sin and unrighteousness, in order to unite us through himself to the Father. "God was in Christ," the apostle Paul declares, "reconciling the world to himself."

This is the theme so beautifully and poignantly depicted in iconography of the Resurrection or Descent into Sheol. The Crucified One, lying in the tomb on the day that will become known and celebrated as Holy Saturday, "descends" into the lower reaches of the created world, into the realm of the dead. Here he reaches out to meet and seize the outstretched hands of Adam and Eve, representatives of all humanity. The flow of Christ's robes and the position of his body make it appear that he is both descending and ascending. Enveloped in a resplendent aureole, he stands victoriously above the pit of hell, a dark hole in which Satan and Hades, symbols of sin and death, are bound fast. Death is overcome, and for those who long for eternal communion with God, salvation is at hand. It is enough to reach out and seize the hand that's offered.

As the angel descended into the fiery furnace to protect and save the three young men, so Christ descends into the farthest reaches of hell, to bring reconciliation and life to all those who seek them. In the same way, he descends into our own realm of torment and death, to enfold us in the mantle of his boundless compassion and love. We may provoke our own alienation from ultimate truth and value. We may reject the gift of life and fashion our own hell, a place of living death. Or that hell may take the form of unrelieved suffering, within ourselves or in the lives of those closest to us. Still, the metaphor holds. Into that place of darkness and pain, even into the fiery furnace of our tortured imagination, Christ descends again and again. He comes not only to release us from our suffering; he comes to bear that suffering with us and for us. He comes as Light into our darkness and as Life into our sickness and death. He comes, as he came to the three young men and to the righteous departed of the paschal icon, with outstretched hands, to embrace us, to raise us up, and to exalt us with himself into a place, into a communion, of ineffable glory and joy.

This sacred image of Christ's paschal victory reveals the mystery, the sacramental blessing, of our salvation. And in that mystery lies our most fervent hope, and with it, the object of our deepest longing.

Fr Christopher Foley 9/20/25 Fr Christopher Foley 9/20/25

Some Thoughts on Prayer

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Christopher Foley

2007

As Great Lent is approaching let us take some time to dwell on prayer. Lent is usually a time of greater concentration on our spiritual lives and a time of renewal and thoughtful reflection on where we need continued repentance in our lives. This should include more intensified prayer. We should make an effort to keep our prayer “rule” more consistent and to make more space to listen to God as he speaks to us through silence and the “Jesus prayer.” Prayer is so vital to our lives as Christians, and we hear much talk of prayer. There are many books written on the subject and many people ready to tell us the “secrets” of prayer. The one thing we don’t do that often is ask ourselves “what is prayer anyway?” What do we mean when we say “prayer?” This word gets thrown around so much that it can be confusing to understand what it is. There are many different ways to define prayer and theologically discuss it. All of these definitions are wonderful and articles could be written detailing all of these wonderful meanings of prayer. For the sake of focusing some thoughts on the subject, I think the best definition that I have found of prayer is the following: prayer is the remembrance of God in all things. We could also say that this is really the goal of all prayer.

The Fathers of the Church speak a lot about prayer and all seem to come back to this one point - that prayer helps us become mindful of God in the midst of every area of our lives. This includes not only intentional prayer at specific times throughout the day, but also in the midst of one’s tasks and responsibilities at work and home. St. Paul’s injunction to “pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17) is certainly a possibility with this expanded definition of prayer. Origen once said, “He prays unceasingly who combines prayer with necessary duties and duties with prayer. Only in this way can we find it practicable to fulfill the commandment to pray always. It consists in regarding the whole of Christian existence as a single great prayer. What we are accustomed to call prayer is only part of it.” Thus prayer can encompass our whole lives. Our whole life then can become an extension of unceasing prayer. St. John Cassian once said, “For whoever is in the habit of praying only at the hour when the knees are bent prays very little. But whoever is distracted by any sort of wandering of heart, even on bended knee, never prays. And therefore we have to be outside the hour of prayer what we want to be when we are praying.” Our lives become the “amen” and activity to our prayer. We become a living prayer always offering up ourselves to God in all things. In this way, whatever we are doing, we are continually praying. By doing our God-given tasks and fulfilling our responsibilities as unto the Lord we continue in our prayer.

It is this type of prayer that is less about words and more about action. The Monks of New Skete comment on this in speaking of unceasing prayer. They say, “We can only be faithful to the mandate to unceasing [prayer] when we seek it qualitatively, by reverently listening and discerning the presence of God in every situation in life; by conforming our hearts and minds and behavior with the words and attitudes we articulate in prayer; and by embracing our whole life and presenting it as a gift to God.” This is not to diminish personal prayer time or our corporate prayers in the liturgical life of the Church. Rather, it should encourage us to think of the totality of our life as a continual prayer being offered up as one who “hears the Word of God and keeps it.” We encounter Christ within prayer and we love Him and strive to keep His commandments in every area of our life. St. Maria Skobtsova calls this the “churching of our life.” This is where we become outside of our prayer what we are when we are praying.

The goal of prayer is the remembrance of God in all things. We do this not only through intentional prayer, but also through embracing what we may call “the sacrament of the present moment.” It is our ability to see the presence of God all around us. Christ Himself is present in all our tasks throughout the day. Paul Evdokimov says, “It is not enough to say prayers, one must become, be prayer, prayer incarnate. It is not enough to have moments of praise. All of life, every act, every gesture, even the smile on the human face, must become a hymn of adoration, an offering, a prayer. One should not offer what one has, but what one is.”

May God help us to see the totality of our life as one ceaseless prayer especially as we enter the Great Fast. Let us be open to seeing the presence of God in all things. Let it be so, Lord, have mercy.

St John Chrysostom 9/20/25 St John Chrysostom 9/20/25

Discourse on Theophany - St. John Chrysostom

It all begins with an idea.

St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

We shall now say something about the present feast. Many celebrate the feastdays and know their designations, but the cause for which they were established they know not. Thus concerning this, that the present feast is called Theophany -- everyone knows; but what this is -- Theophany, and whether it be one thing or another, they know not. And this is shameful -- every year to celebrate the feastday and not know its reason.

First of all therefore, it is necessary to say that there is not one Theophany, but two: the one actual, which already has occurred, and the second in future, which will happen with glory at the end of the world. About this one and about the other you will hear today from Paul, who in conversing with Titus, speaks thus about the present: "The grace of God hath revealed itself, having saved all mankind, decreeing, that we reject iniquity and worldly desires, and dwell in the present age in prudence and in righteousness and piety" -- and about the future: "awaiting the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (Tit 2:11-13). And a prophet speaks thus about this latter: "the sun shalt turn to darkness, and the moon to blood at first, then shalt come the great and illuminating Day of the Lord" (Joel 2:31). Why is not that day, on which the Lord was born, considered Theophany -- but rather this day on which He was baptised? This present day it is, on which He was baptised and sanctified the nature of water. Because on this day all, having obtained the waters, do carry it home and keep it all year, since today the waters are sanctified; and an obvious phenomenon occurs: these waters in their essence do not spoil with the passage of time, but obtained today, for one whole year and often for two or three years, they remain unharmed and fresh, and afterwards for a long time do not stop being water, just as that obtained from the fountains.

Why then is this day called Theophany? Because Christ made Himself known to all -- not then when He was born -- but then when He was baptised. Until this time He was not known to the people. And that the people did not know Him, Who He was, listen about this to John the Baptist, who says: "Amidst you standeth, Him Whom ye know not of" (Jn.1:26). And is it surprising that others did not know Him, when even the Baptist did not know Him until that day? "And I -- said he -- knew Him not: but He that did send me to baptise with water, about This One did tell unto me: over Him that shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding upon Him, This One it is Who baptiseth in the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 1:33). Thus from this it is evident, that -- there are two Theophanies, and why Christ comes at baptism and on whichever baptism He comes, about this it is necessary to say: it is therefore necessary to know both the one and equally the other. And first it is necessary to speak your love about the latter, so that we might learn about the former. There was a Jewish baptism, which cleansed from bodily impurities, but not to remove sins. Thus, whoever committed adultery, or decided on thievery, or who did some other kind of misdeed, it did not free him from guilt. But whoever touched the bones of the dead, whoever tasted food forbidden by the law, whoever approached from contamination, whoever consorted with lepers -- that one washed, and until evening was impure, and then cleansed. "Let one wash his body in pure water -- it says in the Scriptures, -- and he will be unclean until evening, and then he will be clean" (Lev 15:5, 22:4). This was not truly of sins or impurities, but since the Jews lacked perfection, then God, accomplishing it by means of this greater piety, prepared them by their beginnings for a precise observance of important things.

Thus, Jewish cleansings did not free from sins, but only from bodily impurities. Not so with ours: it is far more sublime and it manifests a great grace, whereby it sets free from sin, it cleanses the spirit and bestows the gifts of the Spirit. And the baptism of John was far more sublime than the Jewish, but less so than ours: it was like a bridge between both baptisms, leading across itself from the first to the last. Wherefore John did not give guidance for observance of bodily purifications, but together with them he exhorted and advised to be converted from vice to good deeds and to trust in the hope of salvation and the accomplishing of good deeds, rather than in different washings and purifications by water. John did not say: wash your clothes, wash your body, and ye will be pure, but what? -- "bear ye fruits worthy of repentance" (Mt 3:8). Since it was more than of the Jews, but less than ours: the baptism of John did not impart the Holy Spirit and it did not grant forgiveness by grace: it gave the commandment to repent, but it was powerless to absolve sins. Wherefore John did also say: "I baptise you with water...That One however will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Mt 3:11). Obviously, he did not baptise with the Spirit. But what does this mean: "with the Holy Spirit and with fire?" Call to mind that day, on which for the Apostles "there appeared disparate tongues like fire, and sat over each one of them" (Acts 2:3). And that the baptism of John did not impart the Spirit and remission of sins is evident from the following: Paul "found certain disciples, and said to them: received ye the Holy Spirit since ye have believed? They said to him: but furthermore whether it be of the Holy Spirit, we shall hear. He said to them: into what were ye baptised? They answered: into the baptism of John. Paul then said: John indeed baptised with the baptism of repentance," -- repentance, but not remission of sins; for whom did he baptise? "Having proclaimed to the people, that they should believe in the One coming after him, namely, Christ Jesus. Having heard this, they were baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus: and Paul laying his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them" (Acts 19:1-6). Do you see, how incomplete was the baptism of John? If the one were not incomplete, would then Paul have baptised them again, and placed his hands on them; having performed also the second, he shew the superiority of the apostolic Baptism and that the baptism of John was far less than his. Thus, from this we recognise the difference of the baptisms.

Now it is necessary to say, for whom was Christ baptised and by which baptism? Neither the former the Jewish, nor the last -- ours. Whence hath He need for remission of sins, how is this possible for Him, Who hath not any sins? "Of sin, -- it says in the Scriptures, -- worked He not, nor was there deceit found in His mouth" (1 Pet 2:22); and further, "who of you convicteth Me of Sin?" (Jn 8:46). And His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit; how might this be possible, when it in the beginning was fashioned by the Holy Spirit? And so, if His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit, and He was not subject to sins, then for whom was He baptised? But first of all it is necessary for us to recognise, by which baptism He was baptised, and then it will be clear for us. By which baptism indeed was He baptised? -- Not the Jewish, nor ours, nor John's. For whom, since thou from thine own aspect of baptism dost perceive, that He was baptised not by reason of sin and not having need of the gift of the Spirit; therefore, as we have demonstrated, this baptism was alien to the one and to the other. Hence it is evident, that He came to Jordan not for the forgiveness of sins and not for receiving the gifts of the Spirit. But so that some from those present then should not think, that He came for repentance like others, listen to how John precluded this. What he then spoke to the others then was: "Bear ye fruits worthy of repentance"; but listen what he said to Him: "I have need to be baptised of Thee, and Thou art come to me?" (Mt 3:8, 14). With these words he demonstrated, that Christ came to him not through that need with which people came, and that He was so far from the need to be baptised for this reason -- so much more sublime and perfectly purer than Baptism itself. For whom was He baptised, if this was done not for repentance, nor for the remission of sins, nor for receiving the gifts of the Spirit? Through the other two reasons, of which about the one the disciple speaks, and about the other He Himself spoke to John. Which reason of this baptism did John declare? Namely, that Christ should become known to the people, as Paul also mentions: "John therefore baptised with the baptism of repentance, so that through him they should believe on Him that cometh" (Acts 19:4); this was the consequence of the baptism. If John had gone to the home of each and, standing at the door, had spoken out for Christ and said: "He is the Son of God," such a testimony would have been suspicious, and this deed would have been extremely perplexing. So too, if he in advocating Christ had gone into the synagogues and witnessed to Him, this testimony of his might be suspiciously fabricated. But when all the people thronged out from all the cities to Jordan and remained on the banks of the river, and when He Himself came to be baptised and received the testimony of the Father by a voice from above and by the coming-upon of the Spirit in the form of a dove, then the testimony of John about Him was made beyond all questioning. And since he said: "and I knew Him not" (Jn 1:31), his testimony put forth is trustworthy. They were kindred after the flesh between themselves "wherefore Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, hath also conceived a son" -- said the Angel to Mary about the mother of John (Lk. 1: 36); if however the mothers were relatives, then obviously so also were the children. Thus, since they were kinsmen -- in order that it should not seem that John would testify concerning Christ because of kinship, the grace of the Spirit organised it such, that John spent all his early years in the wilderness, so that it should not seem that John had declared his testimony out of friendship or some similar reason. But John, as he was instructed of God, thus also announced about Him, wherein also he did say: "and I knew Him not." From whence didst thou find out? "He having sent me that sayeth to baptise with water, That One did tell me" What did He tell thee? "Over Him thou shalt see the Spirit descending, like to a dove, and abiding over Him, That One is baptised by the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:32-33). Dost thou see, that the Holy Spirit did not descend as in a first time then coming down upon Him, but in order to point out that preached by His inspiration -- as though by a finger, it pointed Him out to all. For this reason He came to baptism.

And there is a second reason, about which He Himself spoke -- what exactly is it? When John said: "I have need to be baptised of Thee, and Thou art come to me?" -- He answered thus: "stay now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill every righteousness" (Mt 3:14-15). Dost thou see the meekness of the servant? Dost thou see the humility of the Master? What does He mean: "to fulfill every righteousness?" By righteousness is meant the fulfillment of all the commandments, as is said: "both were righteous, walking faultlessly in the commandments of the Lord" (Lk 1:6). Since fulfilling this righteousness was necessary for all people -- but no one of them kept it or fulfilled it -- Christ came then and fulfilled this righteousness.

And what righteousness is there, someone will say, in being baptised? Obedience for a prophet was righteous. As Christ was circumcised, offered sacrifice, kept the sabbath and observed the Jewish feasts, so also He added this remaining thing, that He was obedient to having been baptised by a prophet. It was the will of God then, that all should be baptised -- about which listen, as John speaks: "He having sent me to baptise with water" (Jn 1:33); so also Christ: "the publicans and the people do justify God, having been baptised with the baptism of John; the pharisees and the lawyers reject the counsel of God concerning themselves, not having been baptised by him" (Lk 7:29-30). Thus, if obedience to God constitutes righteousness, and God sent John to baptise the nation, then Christ has also fulfilled this along with all the other commandments.

Consider, that the commandments of the law is the main point of the two denarii: this -- debt, which our race has needed to pay; but we did not pay it, and we, falling under such an accusation, are embraced by death. Christ came, and finding us afflicted by it -- He paid the debt, fulfilled the necessary and seized from it those, who were not able to pay. Wherefore He does not say: "it is necessary for us to do this or that," but rather "to fulfill every righteousness." "It is for Me, being the Master, -- says He, -- proper to make payment for the needy." Such was the reason for His baptism -- wherefore they should see, that He had fulfilled all the law -- both this reason and also that, about which was spoken of before. Wherefore also the Spirit did descend as a dove: because where there is reconciliation with God -- there also is the dove. So also in the ark of Noah the dove did bring the branch of olive -- a sign of God's love of mankind and of the cessation of the flood. And now in the form of a dove, and not in a body -- this particularly deserves to be noted -- the Spirit descended, announcing the universal mercy of God and showing with it, that the spiritual man needs to be gentle, simple and innocent, as Christ also says: "Except ye be converted and become as children, ye shalt not enter into the Heavenly Kingdom" (Mt 18:3). But that ark, after the cessation of the flood, remained upon the earth; this ark, after the cessation of wrath, is taken to heaven, and now this Immaculate and Imperishable Body is situated at the right hand of the Father.

Having made mention about the Body of the Lord, I shall also say a little about this, and then the conclusion of the talk. Many now will approach the Holy Table on the occasion of the feast. But some approach not with trembling, but shoving, hitting others, blazing with anger, shouting, cursing, roughing it up with their fellows with great confusion. What, tell me, art thou troubled by, my fellow? What disturbeth thee? Do urgent affairs, for certain, summon thee? At this hour art thou particularly aware, that these affairs of thine that thou particularly rememberest, that thou art situated upon the earth, and dost thou think to mix about with people? But is it not with a soul of stone naturally to think, that in such a time thou stand upon the earth, and not exult with the Angels with whom to raise up victorious song to God? For this Christ also did describe us with eagles, saying: "where the corpse is, there are the eagles gathered" (Mt 24:28) -- so that we might have risen to heaven and soared to the heights, having ascended on the wings of the spirit; but we, like snakes, crawl upon the earth and eat dirt. Having been invited to supper, thou, although satiated before others, would not dare to leave before others while others are still reclining. But here, when the sacred doings are going on, thou at the very middle would pass by everything and leave? Is it for a worthy excuse? What excuse might it be? Judas, having communed that last evening on that final night, left hastily then as all the others were still reclining.

Here these also are in imitation of him, who leave before the final blessing! If he had not gone, then he would not have made the betrayal; if he did not leave his co-disciples, then he would not have perished; if he had not removed himself from the flock, then the wolf would not have seized and devoured him alone; if he had separated himself from the Pastor, then he would not have made himself the prey of wild beasts. Wherefore he (Judas) was with the Jews, and those (the apostles) went out with the Lord. Dost thou see, by what manner the final prayer after the offering of the sacrifice is accomplished? We should, beloved, stand forth for this, we should ponder this, fearful of the coming Di for this. We should approach the Holy Sacrifice with great decorum, with proper piety, so as to merit us more of God's benevolence, to cleanse one's soul and to receive eternal blessings, of which may we all be worthy by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to with Whom the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, and worship now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Fr John Breck 9/20/25 Fr John Breck 9/20/25

Archbishop Anastasios on Prayer

It all begins with an idea.

Very Rev. John Breck

2007

(from “Life in Christ” March 2004)

His Eminence Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) arrived in Albania in 1991, to assume archpastoral duties in this impoverished country, which during the Communist period had been militantly atheistic. Since that date, under his guidance and through his prayer, the Orthodox Church in Albania has experienced what has rightly been proclaimed a "Resurrection" (Anastasis!).

Jim Forest, a well-known Orthodox journalist and head of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship (OPF), visited the Church in Albania a few years ago and met with the Archbishop and many other people there who are involved in various kinds of mission work. The fruit of that visit was a remarkable little book, published by the World Council of Churches in 2002, entitled The Resurrection of the Church in Albania: Voices of Orthodox Christians. Jim has kindly given permission to quote from that book a portion of Archbishop Anastasios’ thoughts on prayer (pages 123f). They are vibrant words that issue from a living experience of the God of love, who is present and acting in the midst of the world’s turmoil and suffering. Yet their simplicity and depth is such that they offer direction to anyone who seeks, in the midst of everyday activities, to commune with the life-giving Trinity.

Prayer summarizes a longing. The problem is that so often we become ego-centered, lacking humility. Thus it is good to pray, ‘Oh Lord, deliver me from myself and give me to Yourself!’ – a cry of the heart. It is similar to the prayer, ‘Lord, I believe, please help my unbelief.’ Often it is necessary to pray for forgiveness.
Many times in my life, there has been no opportunity for long prayers, only time to go quickly into what I call the ‘hut of prayer’ – very short prayers that I know by heart or to make a very simple request: ‘Show me how to love!’ Or, when you have to make a decision, ‘Lord, help me make the right estimation and come to the right judgment, to make the right action.’ Then there is the very simple prayer, ‘Your will be done.’ I have also learned, in Albania, what it means to be a foreigner, to come from a country many regard with suspicion. This, however, can help one become more humble. It helps one pray with more intensity, ‘Use me according to Your will.’ Often I pray, ‘Lord, illumine me so that I know Your will, give me the humility to accept your will and the strength to do your will.’ I go back to these simple prayers again and again.
“Many times, the psalms are my refuge. You realize that in the spontaneous arising of certain phrases from the psalms you are hearing God speak to you. Perhaps you are reciting the psalm, ‘My soul, why are you so downcast…’ And then another phrase from the psalms arises which is a response. It is an ancient Christian tradition that a bishop should know many psalms by heart. The psalms provide a spiritual refuge. In each situation there is a psalm that can help you, in those critical moments when you have no place of retreat.
Perhaps you remember the words, ‘Unless the Lord guards the house, they who guard it labour in vain.’ You are reminded that your own efforts are not decisive. You also come to understand that your own suffering is a sharing in God’s suffering. It is a theme St. Paul sometimes writes about. You come to understand that the resurrection is not after the cross but in the cross.

Fr John Ealy 9/6/25 Fr John Ealy 9/6/25

On Standing in Church

It all begins with an idea.

The Very Rev. John Ealy

One of the first things that surprises a newcomer to a traditional Orthodox Church is the absence of pews or rows of chairs. The nave seems so empty. What do people do? They stand! How odd!

Did you know that all Orthodox Christians, east and west, always stood until the 16th century Protestant Reformation? Protestantism replaced the altar as the focus of sacramental life, with the pulpit as a focus of intellectual life. Instead of the offering of bread and wine, there was the offering of a lecture, a sermon. The congregation listens and, for the first time in history of Christianity, they sat down. The Church was transformed into a classroom, a lecture hall, with benches and lecterns. This radical change in architecture manifested a deeper shift in Western Christianity's idea of God and how we worship Him.

In Orthodox terms, worship has always been a liturgical invocation of personal, Trinitarian presence. In Christ through the Holy Spirit we enter the life of the Trinity. God is accessible to the whole man, body, mind and spirit. On the other hand Western worship has become an academic and intellectual discussion, largely dependent on a moral exhortation. In this situation worship becomes an affair of the mind or the intellect. This is not worship because it deals only with the mind.

Western churches that do have liturgy followed the general Protestant example of having pews. In these cases liturgy became not only an intellectual activity of the mind but also a spectator activity of the church goer. Active participation in worship becomes impossible as people become confined to rigid and limited space. Liturgy with all its rites becomes about God and is no longer of God. When this happens Liturgy, according a prominent Western Roman Catholic Liturgical theologian, "shifts toward being some form of education done in a doxological context for ideological ends, then significant mutations begin to occur. Concepts become more precise, the assembly more passive, ministries more learned, sermons more erudite, and pews fixed." (On Liturgical Theology, by Aidan Kavanagh)

Orthodox Liturgy is called divine because it is of God and not about Him. It is the experience of God with us, giving Himself to us through word, hymn, action, rite, etc. All of which are of God because they are inspired by the Holy Spirit. In order for us to participate in this divine action, Orthodox do not merely stand in church. There is a continuing dynamism, and movement on the part of the congregation. This is often quite distracting to westerners because liturgy or going to church for them has become an educative process that excludes movement. In Orthodox divine services the believer, the total person, worships using all their senses. In other words the total person is involved not only their mind. Orthodox worship is natural, spontaneous, and genuine. There is movement about the temple before and during the Liturgy. People do deep bows and prostrations. At certain points the entire congregation moves forward. during a censing of the temple the people move to the center of the church. During the entrances the priest moves among the people. There is no rigidity here, no confinement, no sterility, only the freedom to involve our whole person in worship. Of course all this can become an idol and done for the incorrect reasons.

Here in America, Orthodox Christians had an inferiority complex and had to imitate and fit in with their Protestant and Roman neighbors. We appeared foreign and tried to imitate their worship patterns. As a result pews became fixed, organs, choir robes etc. appeared on the Orthodox scene. There are definite reasons why they did not exist in Orthodox Worship, just as they did not exist in Biblical worship of the Old Testament. Biblical worship, Old and New Testament of God and not about Him. It is God given.

The real issue is not sitting and sanding. Orthodox Churches always provided places for the elderly, the sick, the infirm and pregnant and nursing mothers a place to sit. At times the congregation is directed to sit outside of non- Eucharistic services for psalmody, scripture readings, and for the sermon. For the reading of the Gospel one always stands. For the healthy standing was always the norm.

Standing is the norm because Orthodox Worship is liturgy. Liturgy means a common work of a group of people gathered together for a common purpose. One when one is involved in a specific work, or even a game such as baseball or basketball, it is impossible to be involved to work at the game and be sitting or even confined to a certain area. One needs the freedom to move around. In worship, if it is really liturgical and done liturgically, one needs this freedom to work or to liturgize. It is hard work and sitting in rigidly fixed pew that confine and do not permit one to work at Liturgy. Our common goal involves work and in this work we ascend to the Father in Christ through the power of the Spirit. Our Liturgy is literally heaven on earth. Christ is truly in our midst and where He is there is His Father. This is not an endeavor of relaxation.

This is true of all Orthodox worship, not only the Eucharistic Liturgy. All Liturgy is work. It is God's work done in His Church.. We enter into His presence and when we are there we stand in awe and respect of His presence in our midst.

Fr Christopher Foley 9/6/25 Fr Christopher Foley 9/6/25

Show Us Also Thy Glorious Resurrection!

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Christopher Foley

“From the very outset, the coming of Christ represents the fulfillment of hope. From the very beginning the Gospel story means victory arising out of catastrophe. Disappointment, defeat , despair, confusion - and all of a sudden, an unexpected display of the miraculous power of God.” - Fr. Alexander Men

Towards the end of Great Lent we begin to understand what Christ means by taking up our cross daily. Both through our ascetic discipline during the fast and through our negligence we have come to understand our own personal fallenness. We have begun to see ourselves as sinners in need of repentance. We realize that we are the bride who has no wedding garment to wear for the bridegroom. We have many crosses in our lives that we must take up in order to be co-crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20). It can be easy to get discouraged at this point. We may begin to feel that there is no hope or possibility of finding the joy of Christ in the midst of these troubling revelations about ourselves.

Then we come to Great and Holy Friday where we mourn and lament the death of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. We begin to understand the depths of His love for mankind. We hear the words of the hymns, “Today He who hung the Earth upon the waters is hung upon the tree. The King of Angels is decked with a crown of thorns. He who wraps the heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple robe of mockery. He who freed Adam in the Jordan is slapped on the face. The bridegroom of the Church is affixed to the cross with nails. The Son of the virgin is pierced with a spear. We worship Thy passion, O Christ. We worship Thy passion, O Christ. We worship Thy passion, O Christ. Show us also Thy glorious resurrection.” The devastating event begins to sink in. Christ our Lord is being killed. We begin to feel as if the whole world is fading into the darkness of sin and death. It is at this very moment that we utter this last line, “show us also Thy glorious resurrection!” Just when the night is at its darkest depths, light begins to dawn.

While Christ is still in the tomb on the matins of Holy Saturday, we begin to sing of His coming resurrection, “O Life, how canst Thou die? How canst Thou dwell in a tomb? Yet by Thy death Thou hast destroyed the reign of death, and raised all the dead from hell. O , how great the joy, how full the gladness, that Thou hast brought to Hades’ prisoners, like lightning flashing in its gloomy depths.” The tomb becomes the life-giving tomb. We realize that Life had to enter death in order to be raised in glory freeing all of those held captive to sin and death. Here is the victory arising out of catastrophe. It is here that we begin to see the full meaning of the Cross - death is swallowed up in victory and Christ bursts forth from the tomb proclaiming, “Let creation rejoice! Let all born on earth be glad! For hateful hell has been despoiled. Let the women with myrrh come to meet me; for I am redeeming Adam and Eve and all their descendants, and on the third day shall I arise!”

Christ Himself tries to console even the sorrow of His mother while she laments the death of her son. “Do not lament me, O Mother, seeing me in the tomb, the Son conceived in the womb without seed. For I shall arise and be glorified with eternal glory as God. I shall exalt all who magnify you in faith and in love.” Thus in the darkness of the Paschal midnight we begin to sing the hymns of Christ’s resurrection. We sense this building joy springing up within us as we anticipate the light dawning from the east. Even before the rising of the sun we already begin to joyfully proclaim “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life.” All of life is brought to this one moment of resurrection, everything becomes clear in this light of glory. We are filled with a joy inexpressible and full of glory.

Fr. Alexander Men, a 20th century Russian priest and martyr wrote of the centrality of the joy of Pascha for the life of a Christian. He says, “If you want to find something real in Christianity, then search for it only through the risen Christ. Secondly, the Resurrection means victory. It means that God entered our human struggle, the great struggle of spirit against darkness, evil, oppression. He who was rejected, condemned, killed, humiliated, somehow focused all the misfortunes of the world in Himself and triumphed over all of them.” We die with Christ in order to be raised with Him. This event brings meaning and comfort to the world. This is the essence of the Gospel, or the “good news” that we confess and proclaim. Fr. Alexander continues, “This means that the Resurrection is not something that occurred once upon a time proving Christ’s victory to the disciples, something which had its place two thousand years ago. The Encounters continued to happen, they always happened... Here lies the meaning of the Resurrection, today’s meaning, for this time, not for history, not for the past, but for this day... He acts today regardless of human weaknesses. He will triumph always: and He has only begun His work, only begun, because His aim is the Transfiguration of the world, the Kingdom of God. We need only to anticipate this, to feel its coming.” This is the giddy and intoxicating joy that we sense at Pascha. This is the joy that we are take into the world and proclaim in and through our lives. Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!

Fr Stephen Freeman 9/1/25 Fr Stephen Freeman 9/1/25

The Nativity Fast - Why We Fast

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Stephen Freeman

[November 15th marks the beginning of the Nativity Fast (40 days before Christmas). The following article offers some thoughts on the purpose of fasting. - Fr. Christopher]

Fasting is not very alive or well in the Christian world. Much of that world has long lost any living connection with the historical memory of Christian fasting. Without the guidance of Tradition, many modern Christians either do not fast, or constantly seek to re-invent the practice, sometimes with unintended consequences.

There are other segments of Christendom who have tiny remnants of the traditional Christian fast, but in the face of a modern world have reduced the tradition to relatively trivial acts of self-denial.

I read recently (though I cannot remember where) that the rejection of Hesychasm was the source of all heresy. In less technical terms we can say that knowing God in truth, participating in His life, union with Him through humility, prayer, love of enemy and repentance before all and for everything, is the purpose of the Christian life. Hesychasm (Greek hesychia = silence) is the name applied to the Orthodox tradition of ceaseless prayer and inner stillness. But ceaseless prayer and inner stillness are incorrectly understood if they are separated from knowledge of God and participation in His life, union with Him through humility, prayer, love of enemy and repentance before all and for everything.

And it is this same path of inner knowledge of God (with all its components) that is the proper context of fasting. If we fast but do not forgive our enemies – our fasting is of no use. If we fast and do not find it drawing us into humility – our fasting is of no use. If our fasting does not make us yet more keenly aware of the fact that we are sinful before all and responsible to all, then it is of no benefit. If our fasting does not unite us with the life of God – which is meek and lowly – then it is again of no benefit.

Fasting is not dieting. Fasting is not about keeping a Christian version of kosher. Fasting is about hunger and humility (which is increased as we allow ourselves to become weak). Fasting is about allowing our heart to break.

I have seen greater good accomplished in souls through their failure in the fasting season than in the souls of those who “fasted well.” Publicans enter the kingdom of God before Pharisees pretty much every time.

Why do we fast? Perhaps the more germane question is “why do we eat?” Christ quoted Scripture to the evil one and said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We eat as though our life depended on it, and it does not. We fast because our life depends on the word of God.

I worked for a couple of years as a hospice chaplain. During that time, daily sitting at the side of the beds of dying patients – I learned a little about how we die. It is a medical fact that many people become “anorexic” before death – that is – they cease to want food. Many times family and even doctors become concerned and force food on a patient who will not survive. Interestingly, it was found that patients who became anorexic had less pain than those who, having become anorexic, were forced to take food. (None of this is about the psychological anorexia that afflicts many of our youth. That is a tragedy)

It is as though at death our bodies have a wisdom we have lacked for most of our lives. It knows that what it needs is not food – but something deeper. The soul seeks and hungers for the living God. The body and its pain become a distraction. And thus in God’s mercy the distraction is reduced.

Christianity as a religion – as a theoretical system of explanations regarding heaven and hell, reward and punishment – is simply Christianity that has been distorted from its true form. Either we know the living God or we have nothing. Either we eat His flesh and drink His blood or we have no life in us. The rejection of Hesychasm is the source of all heresy.

Why do we fast? We fast so that we may live like a dying man – and that in dying we can be born to eternal life.

[From http://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/2011/11/12/the-nativity-fast-why-we-fast-2/]

Fr Thomas Hopko 9/1/25 Fr Thomas Hopko 9/1/25

55 Maxims of the Christian Life

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Thomas Hopko

(Below is a series of short phrases, or maxims, that I have found to be very practical and helpful. We can often times think that the spiritual life is very complicated and and hard to live. Fr. Thomas was asked to come up with a simple and concise list of the essence of our Life in Christ as we struggle on the path towards salvation. He came up with these 55 maxims. I would encourage you to post them somewhere where you can see them often. - Fr. Christopher)

Be always with Christ and trust God in everything.
Pray as you can, not as you think you must.
Have a keepable rule of prayer done by discipline.
Say the Lord's Prayer several times each day.
Repeat a short prayer when your mind is not occupied.
Make some prostrations when you pray.
Eat good foods in moderation and fast on fasting days.
Practice silence, inner and outer.
Sit in silence 20 to 30 minutes each day.
Do acts of mercy in secret.
Go to liturgical services regularly.
Go to confession and holy communion regularly.
Do not engage intrusive thoughts and feelings.
Reveal all your thoughts and feelings to a trusted person regularly.
Read the scriptures regularly.
Read good books, a little at a time.
Cultivate communion with the saints.
Be an ordinary person, one of the human race.
Be polite with everyone, first of all family members.
Maintain cleanliness and order in your home.
Have a healthy, wholesome hobby.
Exercise regularly.
Live a day, even a part of a day, at a time.
Be totally honest, first of all with yourself.
Be faithful in little things.
Do your work, then forget it.
Do the most difficult and painful things first.
Face reality.
Be grateful.
Be cheerful.
Be simple, hidden, quiet and small.
Never bring attention to yourself.
Listen when people talk to you.
Be awake and attentive, fully present where you are.
Think and talk about things no more than necessary.
Speak simply, clearly, firmly, directly.
Flee imagination, fantasy, analysis, figuring things out.
Flee carnal, sexual things at their first appearance.
Don't complain, grumble, murmur or whine.
Don't seek or expect pity or praise.
Don't compare yourself with anyone.
Don't judge anyone for anything.
Don't try to convince anyone of anything.
Don't defend or justify yourself.
Be defined and bound by God, not people.
Accept criticism gracefully and test it carefully.
Give advice only when asked or when it is your duty.
Do nothing for people that they can and should do for themselves.
Have a daily schedule of activities, avoiding whim and caprice.
Be merciful with yourself and others.
Have no expectations except to be fiercely tempted to your last breath.
Focus exclusively on God and light, and never on darkness, temptation and sin.
Endure the trial of yourself and your faults serenely, under God's mercy.
When you fall, get up immediately and start over.
Get help when you need it, without fear or shame.

Fr Apostolos Hill 9/1/25 Fr Apostolos Hill 9/1/25

Establishing a Daily Rule of Prayer

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Apostolos Hill

Prayer has been called the breath of the soul. In the same way that the body needs proper daily nourishment and exercise to maintain a healthy state, and the mind needs productive stimulation to learn and develop, the soul needs prayer to grow and thrive. Prayer keeps the soul properly oriented towards God in the same way that a compass keeps a ship at sea oriented toward its destination. When a vessel leaves port and heads out into the open seas it is not sufficient for the captain to set his course heading only once. Constant course corrections are required to counteract the effect of the waves, winds, and currents that nudge it constantly off course. Likewise, prayer helps us maintain a constant heading when the distractions of life, temptations, and apathy blow us off course.

Prayer also serves to give our lives a spiritual context. A story can illustrate this point. A young executive boards a subway train one evening to begin his daily journey home. He is consumed with the demands of his stressful job and the briefcase full of work he carries with him. As he settles into his seat and opens his laptop he becomes aware of a well-dressed man across the aisle from him and the two small children accompanying him. The children are restless and noisy and soon begin to tax the patience of the young executive. Exasperated after several miles of fruitless attempts to concentrate on his work, he looks up at the well-dressed man and, making no effort to conceal his annoyance, asks him to keep his children quiet. The welldressed man replies as if from a distance and relates to the young executive that he and his children are returning from the funeral service of his wife and their mother and that he is somewhat out of sorts, nevertheless promising to keep his children quieter.

Greatly chagrined, the young executive undergoes a radical paradigm shift. The context of his ride home that evening changes dramatically. No longer concerned about his workload, his attention is immediately focused on how he can assist the grieving father and his children.

As we move throughout the events of our days, it is easy for us to get side-tracked from the context that God intends to keep always before us, that of our abiding in His love and allowing Him to make us instruments of His love to those around us. Daily prayer helps us to restore that proper context.

Historically, Christians have been encouraged to pray at least three times a day, morning, noonday, and evening. Specific prayers have been developed around these times as they relate to our own passage through time. So, for example, upon waking in the morning we remember the prayer of St. Basil that begins: "As I rise from sleep I thank you O Holy Trinity..."

We also remember the savings events of our Lord's life-giving Passion in time when, for example, we pray at mid-day" "O Lord Who at this hour stretched forth Your hands for suffering..."

Other appropriate times to pray during the day can be before meals, during breaks at work, while driving in our cars — something we do so frequently that it affords abundant daily prayer time — and whenever else the need arises. As we work on creating a context of prayer throughout our day, we will find more and more occasions for prayer.

When the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray, He responded by teaching them the Lord's Prayer. This prayer has become the cornerstone and model of Christian prayer since that time. It contains all the essential elements of a healthy prayer life; praise and adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving. The ancient Jewish prayer practice encouraged prayer to God seven times a day, and the early Church taught that the Lord's Prayer should be said at least three times daily.

Praying the Lord's Prayer morning, noon, and evening constitutes a good beginning towards establishing a daily rule of prayer. This can be expanded to include the Trisagion prayers, the most basic element of liturgical prayer. This set of prayers begins with the prayer to the Holy Spirit: "O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who are in all places and filling all things, treasury of blessings and the Giver of Life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One."

The Trisagion prayer continues: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us" (three times), and ends with the Lords Prayer.

Daily prayers can be further augmented with the inclusion of the Nicene Creed, Psalm 51, David's beautiful prayer of confession, and prayers appropriate to the time of day. There are general petitions which help us frame our petitions to God. They include prayers for the Church, our spiritual and temporal leaders, armed forces and civil authorities, our city, family members, godchildren, friends, the poor, homeless, aged, those under persecution, ourselves, and our departed loved ones. This general petition gives shape and constancy to our daily prayers by reminding us of our connectedness to the Church, our family, and society. It also helps keep our petitions from degenerating into a laundry-list of rather petty concerns. It is also vital to our spiritual health to include time to thank God for the specific blessings He has brought about in our lives. These thanksgivings can be spontaneous when our hearts swell with joy at some unexpected blessing. They also serve to remind us of God's presence in our lives over the years when things seem bleak to us.

St. Theophan the Recluse, a nineteenth century Russian saint, wrote that prayer is standing with the mind in the heart before God. Ultimately, prayer is not about words, whether formal or extemporaneous. Rather, it is the state of being in God's presence. The Patristic tradition of the Church teaches us that prayer can eventually become infused prayer, wherein we learn to "pray without ceasing," as St. Paul enjoins us.

The end of spoken prayer is silence. Silence is an unwelcome phenomenon in modern life and we have effectively eradicated it from society. Television, radio, media, 24-hour news channels, Muzak, cell-phones, pagers, wireless internet; all of these modern contrivances ensure that we need never face silence. However, Christians are encouraged to include as part of their daily prayer life a Rule of Silence. This helps us to maintain a disciplined mind and gives us time to hear God speak to us in the ordinary dayto- day activities of our lives.

In summary, a daily rule of prayer is essential for the health of our soul. A rule of prayer helps to keep us oriented toward the Kingdom of God and creates a Christian context to our lives. The tradition of the Church in terms of a minimum standard is three times a day: morning, noon, and evening. A rule of prayer can include but is not limited to; the Trisagion prayers, prayers appropriate to the day, the Nicene Creed, Ps. 51 as a daily confession, and a general petition to which should be added our own specific needs. Consider beginning with the Morning and Evening prayers offered in this section, and eventually adding either First Hour or Third Hour (the Noon Office). A rule of prayer should also include a time of silence. And a fruitful relationship with one's pastor and spiritual guidance is essential in the development of a rule of prayer.

Prayer is the bedrock of our spiritual life. Without it, the soul languishes and withers. With it, the soul can breathe and flourish. "Prayer is the living water, by means of which the soul quenches its thirst."

[I encourage those who do not have an Orthodox prayer book to pick one up in our “bookstore”. This is a great place to start. - Fr. Christopher)

Fr Michael Oleksa 9/1/25 Fr Michael Oleksa 9/1/25

Evangelism and Culture

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Michael J. Oleksa

[This is a portion of an article that deals with the issues of inculturation and evangelism as Orthodoxy finds itself in new lands and the struggle of allowing the “seed” to be planted in a new “soil.” Father Michael is an Orthodox priest in Alaska and has written extensively on missions and documenting the Russian monks who brought the Orthodox faith into Alaska as a model for Orthodox mission. - Fr. Christopher]

The most obvious gospel paradigm for the theme evangelism and culture is the parable of the sower. The seed is the Word of God. But as St. Maximos the Confessor wrote in the seventh century, the Word of God is constantly revealing himself, becoming “embodied.” The Word establishes the created universe, the heavens tell his glory, the firmament his handiwork, for it is by the Word that everything that was made came into existence and is sustained in being. The Word is embodied first of all in the entire cosmos. The Word in the Cosmos has been misunderstood, after all. It was as if the Message revealed by the Word was written, as C.S. Lewis once said, in letters too large for us to read clearly. In the pre- Christian societies, he was wrongly identified with Neptune, Zeus, Adonus, Apollo, or in the modern world with the forces of the natural world, with the “laws” of chemistry, physiology, genetics.

So in the second embodiment the Word became easier to decipher. The Word of God is also embodied in the Holy Scriptures, in some ways in amore focused and understandable form. Even there, the possibility of misinterpretation arose, and the Scribes and Pharisees were constantly criticized for missing the intended meaning of the Law and the Prophets.

So ultimately, at the fullness of time, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He is called “Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” He is called “the Messiah.” “the Christ,” the Way, the Truth and the Life.” He calls himself “the Living Bread,” “the Son of Man,” “Living Water,” “the Good Shepherd.”

All of this is the Word of God, the seed in the parable of sower- and more. The gospel is also the Church, the mystical body of Christ, and the scattered seed can refer to the evangelical establishment of the church as the faith spreads geographically throughout the world. And fullness of the gospel, of the Christian faith, is Orthodoxy. The seed then means all these-the Word of God in all embodiments, the Gospel of Repentance, of the Kingdom, the sacramental and iconographic presence of Christ, the Truth of the Orthodox faith. And none of these existed in a vacuum. The seed always requires a specific place, some oil, in which to grow.

The Word of God as scripture must be expressed in human language, and language is culture. The gospel of the kingdom must be preached in human words, and words are culture. The presence of Christ must convey, manifested with signs, symbols, art, music, liturgical action, sacrament, and all this is culture. The Truth, like the seed, needs soil in which to grow, and the soil is culture.

The seed in the parable is scattered and some grows, some does not. But even the seed that reaches maturity produces different harvests, some thirty or sixty or a hundredfold. The same truth, the same gospel, the same Christ, when introduced into specific cultural context produces a unique harvest, for different soils have different levels of fertility. Climactic conditions vary from time to time and place to place. The reception of the Word of God varies accordingly, not only as individuals hear the gospel, understand the Truth, confront Christ, enter the church, but as cultures do as well.

No one plants without expecting a harvest. The results the church anticipates and for which it prepares, the goal of all that it says and does, is revealed in the gospel passage read on more Sundays during church year than any other: John ch. 17. It is no accident that the church presents our Lord’s prayer for unity to us more often than any other, for this is the ultimate goal of his life and mission, the fulfillment of the gospel. In the end, the scriptures tell us, Christ will be “all in all.” He will hold us, all people of all races, nationalities, ethnic groups, political parties, religious sects and creeds, and with all others, our friends, neighbors, and the enemies Jesus Christ commanded us to forgive, to bless, to love. For those who have loved and served him- and the neighbour the have abused, despised, rejected, exploited, hated- will be their sorrow, humiliation, their torment, their hell. Heaven and hell are not places we “go to,” but spiritual conditions we are already in.

We must become one, the way our Lord prayed to his heavenly Father, as the Holy Trinity is one, in total humility and love, each of us fulfilling the will of the Father as the son and the Holy Spirit perfectly and eternally do. This is the end toward which the church labours and strives. The church plants the seed in order to reap this harvest. No one can be the image of the Holy Trinity alone, as isolated individual. While only human beings, by an act of faith and commitment, can be saved, no one is saved alone. There is no such thing as an individual salvation, for salvation is to enter into the community of interpersonal love, love of God, fulfilling his will in all things, and the love of one’s neighbour, the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

This is the goal, the harvest the church expects, awaits, and in which it invites all humanity to participate. The church’s vision, her soteriology and eschatology, while focused on Christ, is not exclusively Christocentric but Trinitarian. And the essence of his interpersonal unity-in-love, the possibly for many persons to be one, is revealed in divine love, tri-personal Agape, which, which makes the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, the three equally divine persons, one. We must always keep the thirteenth chapter of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in mind in all the evangelists think, say and do. There is no place for coercion, persecution, intolerance or violence in planting the seed, in announcing the good news to the nations, for these tactics would render the ultimate goal, total Agape, unattainable. The church scatters the seed, offering the gospel to all, and in so doing, discovers the new harvest dimensions of the faith it had not consciously known, noticed or appreciated fully before.

Evangelism enriches the church. Inculturation blesses the church. Our Greek patristic legacy is the historic evidence of the creative process. The seed always needs soil in which to grow-the gospel always needs a culture in which to be planted, and the Holy Spirit produces various harvests in each culture and in each of us.

Fr Christopher Foley 9/1/25 Fr Christopher Foley 9/1/25

On Keeping Vigil

It all begins with an idea.

Fr. Christopher Foley

“Christian Liturgy publicly feasts the mystery of our salvation already accomplished in Christ, thanking and glorifying God for it so that it might be intensified in us and communicated to others for the building up of the Church, to perpetual glory of God's Holy Name.”
- Robert Taft

What is unique about our worship? Why is it so important for us to participate in the liturgical life of the Church? If Robert Taft is correct, then there is something that happens when we enter into the feasts of the Church. There is something that we enter into and are changed as a result. This “something” is an experience of Christ Himself. As we are about to celebrate our patronal feast, it is important for us to be reminded about why our participation is so vital to our spiritual lives.

One of the distinguishing characteristics about Orthodox liturgical worship is its preparation and fulfillment. Every feast has a prefeast, or a time leading up to the feast. Then we have the feast itself, and then the leave-taking , or the conclusion of the feast. This is seen most poignantly in the Vigil of the feast and the feast day Divine Liturgy itself. In the Orthodox Church every Eucharistic liturgy, strictly speaking, should be preceded by vigil and prayer. A vigil consists in our "keeping watch" as the disciples did in the upper room awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Early Christians spent the whole night in preparation awaiting the coming of the risen Lord. This was a unique phenomenon in Christianity. Fr. John Ealy expresses this important component in Orthodox Christian worship: "The word vigil itself comes to us from the Latin military term it means a state of alarm and of mobilization. It became connected with the night. It became a negation of that which the natural world did. The world slept but the Christian did not do what others naturally did. The Christian was awake and waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom who comes in the middle of the night (See Matthew 25:1-13). While all go to sleep the Church gathers and watches and waits for the coming of the Bridegroom, Christ. All this at night because night is spent in expectation, while others are asleep and weak. The Christian becomes a partaker of a life not dependent upon this world and death.

“The life of a Christian is the new life of Christ, the Bridegroom, the life that will be experienced in the Eucharist. Christians spend that time which precedes the Eucharist in prayer and expectation. What the Christian does in vigil points to the future. It points to the coming of Christ in the Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy, but it also points to the time of the future when Christ will come again in all His glory, in His second coming. This is already experienced here and now in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the experience now of that which is to come. Our vigil of expectation is fulfilled in the Eucharist. That fulfillment is always Christ, being with Him at the table in His Kingdom in the Divine Liturgy. There can be no vigil without the Eucharist and no Eucharist without a vigil."

Clearly our personal preparation encompasses a part of this vigil-keeping, but in our liturgical tradition, there is always a Vigil service on the eve of any major feast as well as on Saturday evenings. In many places the Vigil has been reduced to Great Vespers, or fallen into disuse entirely.

The Vigil, or sometimes called the All-Night Vigil, consists of the combination of Vespers and Matins into one service. The combination of these two services brings us from the night into the day. It is the Light of Christ that begins to dawn in our hearts as the darkness dissipates. It is at this service that the "meat" of the feast is heard in the hymns. This is where we begin to participate in the Life-giving events of our salvation. This is exactly where we, as the body of Christ, come together to prepare to meet Christ Himself in the feast. It is our preparation together, or vigil, that the experience of the feast becomes more intensified and communicated to us in a deeper way. We don't come to Church to fulfill an obligation, or to say "we went to church today." It is much more than that. We come to Church to participate in Christ Himself, who is our Life. It is our secularism that somehow manages to convince us that these are optional if it "fits into my schedule." It is secularism that makes us think that even by going to Church we have fulfilled our religious obligation. We cannot accept this premise as Orthodox Christians. All these things are given to us for our salvation. Legalism should never be the issue when it comes to Church attendance and participation in the services. Christ desires that we be "true worshipers" who "worship Him in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).

We will be celebrating the Vigil of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating Cross of our Lord on September 13. I would encourage everyone who can to come so that together we may enter into the feast. This is our patronal feast. Our Bishop has given us this feast as our name. This means that we will always in some way draw our identity from it. The feast is a wonderful one. We celebrate the Cross of our Lord. We feast Christ Himself and the salvation won for us on that cross. And because of this, our own “crosses,” our daily trials, now have the potential to bring us to Christ who is our Life. The hymns are full of joy and exuberance over the Cross as a “token of victory,” a “weapon of peace.” By spending some time with the texts from this service before attending, our ears and hearts will be better attuned to the message of the feast. You can find them at: http://oca.org/Mdtexts.asp?SID=13.

Scroll down to September 14th to download the texts and try to incorporate them into your own prayers and meditation this month.

Here are a few selections from the Vigil service:

Let all the trees of the wood rejoice, for their nature is sanctified by Christ. He planted them in the beginning, and on a tree was outstretched. At its exaltation on this day, we worship Him and magnify you.

The cross is raised up as a sacred horn of strength to all God's people, whose foreheads are marked with it. By this, all the horns of the spiritual powers of wickedness are crushed. At its exaltation on this day, we worship Him and magnify you.

Not allowing the deadly bitterness of the tree to remain, Thou didst utterly destroy it with the cross, as of old the wood once destroyed the bitterness of the waters of Marah, prefiguring the strength of the cross which all the powers of heaven magnify.

Today Thou hast raised us up again through the cross, O Lord. For we were plunged forever into the gloom of our forefather, unrestrained greed thrust our nature down into delusion: but now we have been restored to our full inheritance by the light of Thy cross which we faithful magnify.

Today the death that came to mankind through eating of the tree, is made of no effect through the cross. For the curse of our mother Eve that fell on mankind is destroyed by the fruit of the pure Mother of God whom all the powers of heaven magnify.

The Cross is the guardian of the whole earth; the Cross is the beauty of the Church. The Cross is the strength of kings; the Cross is the support of the faithful. The Cross is the glory of angels, and the wonder of demons.

The degree to which we are able to spend time personally preparing for the feast will be the degree to which we will be able to experience the joy of the feast. It all takes work, but it is important to remember that the word liturgy itself has a connotation of a corporate work done together for a purpose, and what greater purpose than the glorification of God. We can even attend the services, but never really come to Liturgy because we are not Liturgizing, we are not working to offer a sacrifice of praise. Let us remember how important it is to have a vision of why we do what we do, and work hard to make this a reality in our lives. We come to Vigil, and Great Vespers, in order to prepare ourselves for the Eucharist, for Christ as the "coming one" will rise in our hearts as we partake of Him in the Eucharist. We are then filled with the joy of the Kingdom and bring Him into this world to share with others the joy of the feast. “Rejoice, O Life-bearing cross!”

Today the Cross is exalted and the world is sanctified. For Thou who art enthroned with the Father and the Holy Spirit, hast spread Thine arms upon it and drawn the world to knowledge of Thee, O Christ. Make worthy of divine glory those who have put their trust in Thee.