- Jan 4, 2022
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Above the Royal Doors in my humble church, the words "Christ is Risen" prominently resounds for all to see and ponder. During Divine Liturgy, on one particular Sunday, these words captivated my attention and I began to meditate upon its meaning. The focus of my inquiry soon led me to to the word "is" and what precisely is meant by that. What follows, then, are the meagre insights derived from that need to better understand the phrase "Christ is Risen" that I took home with me and carried throughout the week.
Since "is" expresses mode of Being, I began to wonder about the nature of his resurrected existence but soon realized that was way above my capabilities and so settled on the impact for humanity this risen existence allows. For it must be the case that the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has restored our authentic mode of Being, enjoyed and lost by Adam & Eve, such that we now have access to it once again if only we would "deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
I cannot speak for anyone else, but I know exactly where the path of Christ is for my life; it is no esoteric mystery. However, being a chief sinner among sinners, I am constantly oscillating between "the way and the truth and the life" and the impropriety of a selfish way of life. And so this remarkable message "Christ is Risen" serves, for me at this time, the function as a reminder that there is another way provided by our risen Lord that is available and to remain vigilant and keep it in mind.
For memory, especially Sacred Memory, holds an extremely important role in the Church, Liturgy and our Theosis back towards unity with God.
In scripture, Sacred Memory is everywhere:
-Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. – (Is 43:26)
-You shall remember the Lord your God; (Deut 8:18)
-While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. (Jonah 2:7)
-The wicked will return to Sheol, All the nations who forget God. (Ps 9:17)
-I remembered God and rejoiced (cf. Ps. 77:3. LXX).
- I will remember the works of the LORD: surely, I will remember thy wonders of old. (Ps 77:11)
-Zechariah means “remembrance of God”
- "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" (Luke 23:42 )
- “Do this in remembrance of me…” (Lk 22:19 and 1 Cor 11:24-25)
Likewise, the importance of the Memory of God (Mneme Theou) is found abundantly in the Philokalia:
-The blessed remembrance of God-which is the very presence of Jesus
(St Philotheos of Sinai -Forty Texts on Watchfulness #22)
-Without remembrance of God, there can be no true knowledge but only that which is false
(St. Mark the Ascetic -On the Spiritual Law Two Hundred Texts)
-It follows, therefore, that we can know with certainty when we are in the proper state to speak about God, if during the hours when we do not speak we maintain a fervent remembrance of God in untroubled silence.
(St Diadochos of Photiki -On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination)
-Where humility is combined with the remembrance of God that is established through watchfulness and attention, and also with recurrent prayer inflexible in its resistance to the enemy, there is the place of God, the heaven of the heart in which because of God's presence no demonic army dares to make a stand. (St Philotheos of Sinai Forty Texts on Watchfulness)
- So, too, a man who merely practices the remembrance of God from time to time loses through lack of continuity what he hopes to gain through his prayer.
(St Diadochos of Photiki “On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination One Hundred Texts”)
To conclude then, the simple phrase "Christ is Risen" serves, for me, to bring to the forefront of my practice and attention a mode of Being, provide by Christ, that must be occupied in order to live the life that God intended of me during creation-that is our authentic identity. Κύριε ελέησον!
Since "is" expresses mode of Being, I began to wonder about the nature of his resurrected existence but soon realized that was way above my capabilities and so settled on the impact for humanity this risen existence allows. For it must be the case that the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has restored our authentic mode of Being, enjoyed and lost by Adam & Eve, such that we now have access to it once again if only we would "deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
I cannot speak for anyone else, but I know exactly where the path of Christ is for my life; it is no esoteric mystery. However, being a chief sinner among sinners, I am constantly oscillating between "the way and the truth and the life" and the impropriety of a selfish way of life. And so this remarkable message "Christ is Risen" serves, for me at this time, the function as a reminder that there is another way provided by our risen Lord that is available and to remain vigilant and keep it in mind.
For memory, especially Sacred Memory, holds an extremely important role in the Church, Liturgy and our Theosis back towards unity with God.
In scripture, Sacred Memory is everywhere:
-Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. – (Is 43:26)
-You shall remember the Lord your God; (Deut 8:18)
-While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. (Jonah 2:7)
-The wicked will return to Sheol, All the nations who forget God. (Ps 9:17)
-I remembered God and rejoiced (cf. Ps. 77:3. LXX).
- I will remember the works of the LORD: surely, I will remember thy wonders of old. (Ps 77:11)
-Zechariah means “remembrance of God”
- "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" (Luke 23:42 )
- “Do this in remembrance of me…” (Lk 22:19 and 1 Cor 11:24-25)
Likewise, the importance of the Memory of God (Mneme Theou) is found abundantly in the Philokalia:
-The blessed remembrance of God-which is the very presence of Jesus
(St Philotheos of Sinai -Forty Texts on Watchfulness #22)
-Without remembrance of God, there can be no true knowledge but only that which is false
(St. Mark the Ascetic -On the Spiritual Law Two Hundred Texts)
-It follows, therefore, that we can know with certainty when we are in the proper state to speak about God, if during the hours when we do not speak we maintain a fervent remembrance of God in untroubled silence.
(St Diadochos of Photiki -On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination)
-Where humility is combined with the remembrance of God that is established through watchfulness and attention, and also with recurrent prayer inflexible in its resistance to the enemy, there is the place of God, the heaven of the heart in which because of God's presence no demonic army dares to make a stand. (St Philotheos of Sinai Forty Texts on Watchfulness)
- So, too, a man who merely practices the remembrance of God from time to time loses through lack of continuity what he hopes to gain through his prayer.
(St Diadochos of Photiki “On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination One Hundred Texts”)
To conclude then, the simple phrase "Christ is Risen" serves, for me, to bring to the forefront of my practice and attention a mode of Being, provide by Christ, that must be occupied in order to live the life that God intended of me during creation-that is our authentic identity. Κύριε ελέησον!
