Dynamis Devotional

[Oblio]

[c]Monday, December 22, 2003
Great Martyr Anastasia and the Martyr Chrysogonos

Epistle: 2 Timothy 2:20-26 Nativity Fast Gospel: St. Mark 9:42-10:1

[/c]

Servants of Honor I ~ Do Good Works: 2 Timothy 2:20-26, especially vs. 21: "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself...he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." The Apostle Paul's Second Letter to Timothy which we will be reading as we approach the Eve of the Nativity, should be seen as instructions to entry-level servants from a superior servant. The Apostolic writer and his readers alike were one and all servants of a single Master, the same Lord Whom we also serve. Therefore, let us approach these readings as the lower-level servants, which we are, that we may receive training from one of the Master's greatest servants and so become servants of honor. For surely we labor "in a great house" and have the blessed prospect of becoming "vessels for honor" ourselves (vs. 20).
First, St. Paul teaches us to cleanse ourselves (vs. 21), for until we determine to be purified we will be barely useful to the Master for any good works. Cleansing is the primary effort we must make in order to be "prepared for every good work" (vs. 21). It is the basic regimen for all entry-level servants. And how is it done? Observe: the Apostle directs us toward negative and positive labors which must be carried out simultaneously, fleeing from "youthful lusts" and pursuing "righteousness, faith, love, peace...out of a pure heart" (vs. 22).

To understand rightly what it means to "flee from youthful lusts," consider the key word "lust." The Fathers of our Orthodox Tradition learned from St. Paul and their own struggles to understand lust (or "epithymia") as strong desire arising from the soul. Gregory of Sinai wisely points out that God "...did not make it [the soul] have rage and animal lust; He endowed the soul only with the appetitive power and with the courage to be lovingly attracted." Only with sin did lust and anger develop within us. Common, modern usage of the word "lust" tends to narrow the term to sexual sins. But St. John of Damascus properly widens the portrait to include "gluttony, greed, drunkenness, unchastity, adultery, uncleanness, licentiousness, love of material things, and desire for glory, gold, wealth, and the pleasures of the flesh."

Fleeing from lusts means, therefore, to avoid all these sins which the Damascene lists. Few of us are free from every trace of such desires and sins; but where to begin? In prayer and fasting, we are led by the Holy Spirit to discover which of these are most troublesome for us. Then, it is with these that we must begin the task of fleeing. "Fleeing" is a most appropriate term, for it suggests running at the first sight or hint that a sinful desire is present.

The Apostle includes two other activities along with fleeing which make up "cleansing:" avoiding "foolish and ignorant disputes" so as not to quarrel (vss. 23,24), and seeking from God the gift of "repentance" (vs. 25). He places great emphasis on this latter and all important gift, for through change of heart alone may one "know the truth, and...come to [his] senses and escape the snare of the devil" (vss. 25,26).

As pointed out above, the Apostle couples cleansing and the negative ridding of sin with the positive pursuit of virtues (vs. 22). The two activities must be carried on together, which is why he interweaves them as he teaches. St. Thalassios says, "Strive to love every man equally, and you will simultaneously expel all the passions." Pursuing virtues, the Apostle suggests, is an active, purposeful acquisition of righteousness, faith, love, and peace. These are good works to be done. St. Paul mentions further positive activities that must be included in the overall pursuit of righteousness. As a teacher, one must be gentle to all, understanding, and patient (vs. 24), correcting in humility (vs. 25). Doing all such good works will make an honorable servant.

O Christ, keep me ever as a warrior invincible, and make me a victor even unto the end.


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Venerable Nahum of Ochrid, Enlightener of Bulgaria

Epistle: 2 Timothy 3:16-4:4 Nativity Fast Gospel: St. Mark 10:2-12

[/c]

Servants of Honor II ~ Serve the Truth: 2 Timothy 3:16-4:4, especially vss. 1, 2: "I charge you....Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season." Today, we read on in St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy that we may continue to receive instruction from one of our Master's greatest of servants. Perhaps, by so doing, like St. Timothy and St. Paul, we too may become servants of honor for the Lord (2 Tim. 2:20). In today's reading, the Apostle instructs us how to serve the truth:1) Truth must come only from true sources. 2) Truth must be shared with others only in true ways, and 3) always we must be watchful for resistance against the truth.
Isaiah the Prophet declares, "Behold, my God is my Savior; I will trust in Him and not be afraid: for the Lord is my glory and my praise, and is become my salvation. Draw ye therefore water with joy out of the wells of salvation" (Is. 12:2,3 LXX). What are these wells where we may joyfully find the true waters of salvation? St. Paul mentions two: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and....I charge you...before God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (vss. 3:16; 4:1). Holy Scripture is one major source of truth. Another primary source is the body of truths with which we have been charged by the Apostles. These constitute major building blocks in the Holy Tradition of Christian truth. Note that when St. Paul speaks here of Scripture, he is referring to the Old Testament. Notice also that he is not hesitant to place his Apostolic teaching alongside those Scriptures, for he knew that he had received ultimate truth directly from the Lord Jesus.

Because the Apostles, like St. Paul, were direct recipients of truth from Christ, their writings are now the leading books of Holy Scriptures, what we call the New Testament. Of additional importance, as St. Basil says, "Some things we have from written teaching, others we have received from the Apostolic Tradition handed down to us in a mystery, and both these things have the same force for piety." Bishop Kallistos Ware names and discusses these other sources of the true water of salvation: the definitions of the Ecumenical and other Church Councils, the writings of the Fathers, the Liturgy, Canon Law, and the Icons. And still St. Basil is correct. Even in these, not all is written down, yet truth is retained in the life of the Church by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is in the Church that we find the wells of which Isaiah speaks, and to draw truth, we need to do so within the Church where the true sources are to be found.

St. Paul not only teaches where we may find truth, but also he charges us to present truth to others in true ways. In the translation he says, "Preach the word!" (vs. 4:2). The verb he uses includes a wider range of meanings such as "impart, share, inculcate, proclaim, announce." The word carries an implication of 'public' declaration. For those who are charged 'in' the Church with the ministry of preaching, as was Timothy, the word 'preach' is the apt translation.

Still, the Apostle's word applies also to those of us who conduct our lives in the public arena - at work, in our neighborhoods and other associations outside the Church. Our lives, our actions, and our words should announce the truth of the Gospel in ways that are appropriate to our positions and opportunities, but by no means cast only in 'religious terms. But when we meet genuine interest in the Faith, or blatant falsehood, or guileless ignorance, let us, "Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching" (vs. 2), always in ways that are true.

Do you see how this means we must be 'watchful' in all things against self-serving resistance to the truth (vs. 5)? There may be in ourselves a lingering unwillingness to "endure sound doctrine" (vs. 3). This must be fought against, as well as the preference of men in the world to live "according to their own desires" (vs. 3). Let us watch to protect the truth we hold.

Help us, O Lord, to uphold truth by Thy truth, and to remain watchful against all error.



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Wed., December 24, 2003
Forefeast of the Nativity; Ven. Martyr Eugenia & Companions

Epistle: Hebrews 1:1-12 Strict Fast Gospel: St. Luke 2:1-20

[/c]


God Has Spoken: Hebrews 1:1-12, especially vss. 1, 2: "God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the Prophets, has in these last days, spoken to us by His Son Whom He has appointed Heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds." This is an age in which we are bombarded by people speaking to us - advertisers, politicians, government officials, health and social professionals, family members, neighbors, members of our churches, pastors, employers, and friends. But, please, notice the Apostle's comment: "God has spoken to us" (vs. 2). Among the deluge of messages pouring in now is the last, final word from the Holy and Almighty God Himself, "spoken to us by His Son" (vs. 2).
What better time could there be than the eve of the celebration of the Lord Jesus' Nativity for us to consider Him Who is the ultimate message from God? The Voice speaking is not just one more voice. The Apostle presses us not to reduce the value either of the message or of the Messenger. So now, for a moment, consider what it means to have a message from God, to have His ultimate Message, to have the Divine message addressed to us from God Himself, in Person.

Does God speak to the human race? That is what the Apostle Paul tells us. In the past, God spoke to the Fathers and the Prophets "at various times and in various ways" (vs. 1). There is not time to review all the occasions, messages, messengers, and means that God used. There were many, very many. However, the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament do review the principal occasions and methods God used to speak prior to the birth of the Lord Jesus. To study the Old Testament is to focus on the ways God spoke in the past, and is an illuminating introduction to the basics of Divine-human relations. One finds audible and visual experiences, visions, angelic appearances, interventions in the 'normal' sequence of events, prophecies and fulfillments, direct answers to prayer, confrontation with death and life, Divine strengthening in moments of human frailty, God's mercy and justice, and much, much more.

However, let us understand the Apostle exactly. God has spoken to "us" (vs. 2). In the Old Testament He spoke to someone else. Now He has spoken to "us." You ask, 'Who is the "us" about whom St. Paul speaks?' Christians, and by God's mercy that includes all who read this meditation. We should count ourselves as the primary recipients. As Christians, this message, through the Lord Jesus, is specifically for each of us. Perhaps you have thought of the Lord Jesus Christ as a man Who once lived on earth, and, perhaps, rightly, you also accept Him as God. Let us, therefore, speak to Him in prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!" But have you also considered Him as a message from God to you? Reframe the Apostle's words: "God has spoken to me by His Son." The issue is, "Am I listening?"

Next, notice the ultimacy which the Apostle places on this message. These are the "last days" (vs. 2). Plainly he means that there will not be a subsequent message. All that God wishes to communicate to us has now been communicated to us "by His Son, Whom He has appointed Heir of all things" (vs. 2). Receive the Word today, listen carefully, and put the Word into action. Why? The Messenger stands squarely before us for our consideration.

The Lord Jesus is our Creator (vs. 2). He owns us and the entire universe being "Heir" (vs. 2). He is God, "the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person" (vs. 3). Were He to stop "upholding" us, we would not exist (vs. 3). All the heavenly powers worship Him (vss. 4-12). How about it? Are you listening and worshiping? Let us use this celebration of His birth to face Him, our Lord, Who loves righteousness and hates lawlessness (vs. 9).

What shall we render to Thee, O Christ, for that Thou didst appear as a man for our sake?



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]+++ The Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ +++

Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7 Christ is born! Glorify Him! Gospel: St. Matthew 2:1-12
[/c]



The Gift: Galatians 4:4-7, especially vs. 7: "Thus you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." [tr. Paul Nadim Tarazi] The Son of God Himself entered the flow of history "when the fullness of the time had come" (vs. 4), and He remains to this day God's amazing and singular gift to mankind. We have reasons for being abundantly thankful: for our creation, our preservation in life, and for the multitude of blessings which He daily bestows upon us. Yet, nothing can compare with the Gift Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ - the Gift of Great Wonder, the ineffable, Personal, Self-giving God come from Above, "the Orient on High." Given and received, Christ, the Gift, changes each person who embraces Him as God and King. The change He makes is glorious, illuminating, perfecting, elevating, and life-giving in every respect. What more can be said? Let us be joyful and praise Him in His glory!
Through the Gift, we have been given grace to discern the bonds of insidious slavery that entwine our lives, alter our consciousness, inhibit us from realizing our God-intended purpose and potential, and mock our claims to be persons made in the image of God. Look well and see that our chattel slavery accomplishes these evils upon us, for we are sold and forced into a living death of subjugation. Being slaves takes away the inner core of our being as persons however we may fight against our oppressor, resist his encroachments, or rebel against his chains.

Do not flinch from beholding the slavery of which we speak. It is common to all. Death wreaks these things upon us. Death mocks us, laughs at our dignity, degrades our loves, our dreams, and our achievements. Worms reveal all the beautiful and lovely experiences as fleeting, transient, and terminal. What do the humanizing experiences of artistry and graciousness mean in face of the grave? They all will be taken away, even our tears and protest. St. Nikolai of Zica warns us: "Men remember many things, but there is one thing that they can never remember, however often it is repeated: that they enter this world with nothing, and leave it with nothing."

Do not despair, Beloved of the Lord. You and I have the Gift Who has once and for all altered the conditions of this living death. "The Son, born of the Father before the ages without change, hath been incarnate in these last days of the Virgin, without seed." He hath elevated the state of this mournful existence. Even though, by all appearances, we remain in slavery, the Son of the Virgin has raised us to the heights with Himself: "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into [our] hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!" (vs. 6). Today the Spirit indwells us, prays in us, enlightens our spirits, leads us into all truth, holds up the Gift before us and reveals Him to us. Now, in the midst of death's slavery, the Spirit of God our Savior has become our Life-Giver.

Today, through Christ, we are no longer slaves, but sons and heirs of eternal God. We have become His children, sharing in Christ's Sonship with the Father. God is our Father, a relationship received in the Mystery of our Baptism and renewed in the Holy Gifts of the Lord's own Body and Blood. Death's ownership over us is severed. "Death hath no more dominion over Him" (Rom. 6:9), nor over all who have received God's Precious and Holy Gift. We have the true freedom which only the undying and immortal God can give. Let us decide once again to whom we shall surrender ourselves. He has given us the power to say, 'No' to sin. "For sin shall not have dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14). Let us receive the Gift, the gracious Life-Giver Who humbled Himself and embraced our estate, and let us refuse the claims of the slave master.

Incline, O glorious Benefactor, to the praise of Thy servants, abolishing the boasting of the proud adversary. And help us who sing to Thee to overcome sin, and confirm us on the unshakeable foundation of faith.


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Friday, December 26, 2003
The Synaxis of the Theotokos

Epistle: Hebrews 2:11-18 Christ is born! Glorify Him! Gospel: St. Matthew 2:13-23

[/c]

Brethren of Christ: Hebrews 2:11-18, especially vs. 17: "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Great is the pleasure of gathering with the family at the Christmas season. Great also was the joy, love and sheltering warmth shared among St. Joseph the Betrothed, the Virgin Theotokos, and the Holy Child, Jesus. To these, let us add the blessing we have of joining with our brethren as the Church in the glad praises of our Heavenly Father Who sent the Lord into this world to call us His "brethren" (vss. 11,12).
The wonder of the Nativity is knowing that Christ our God deigned to be made like us, even in suffering and in temptation (vs. 18). Without hesitation or shame, He is pleased to call us brethren (vs. 11). How can we plumb the depths of the Incarnation? He calls us brethren. He is made like us. We have been made brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Consider: the Word of God, Who is God (Jn. 1:1), has forever united Himself to us in every respect, leaving aside no part of our humanity, embracing all that we are and making all that we are His own. "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same" (Heb. 2:14). He assumed our humanity from His Mother, the Ever-Virgin Mary, whose Synaxis or partnership in the Incarnation we celebrate today. She joined herself fully to God in His purpose, enabling Him to unite Himself to us through her flesh.

Did He set aside His Divine nature when He shared in ours? No, He did not. Rather, the Lord Jesus fully reveals the Divine nature in Himself (Jn. 14:9). Does this mean that His Divine and human natures were merged into one nature? No, they were not. The two natures remain separate but function together in harmony and unity. Likewise, He wishes us to unite ourselves to Himself. The cooperation between His Divine and human wills is a thing of beauty, revealing how to live as His brethren, how to will what He wills, to love as He loves, and do as He does.

God had a goal in uniting Himself to us: "that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14). Satan has poured out untold grief on mankind, applying the universal tragedy of death to all. However, Beloved, let us consider the death of the Lord Jesus in the flesh that we may appreciate the love of God, for in destroying "him who had the power of death," Christ our God "gave Himself up for the life of the world." Of His "own free will [He] endured the Cross" and the grave. He Who is without sin and is also deathless, embraced death in an act of pure love - and solely to restore us to Himself.

By His death and His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus our Savior made "propitiation for the sins of the people" (vs. 17), thereby releasing "those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (vs. 15). He did not accomplish this sanctifying work on behalf of the angels who fell into disobedience (vs. 16), but for men and for our salvation. Consider: it was in mankind that the Lord placed His Own image (Gen. 1:27 LXX), the miracle of Creation. Later, in time, as exemplified by the woman who lost one of her pieces of silver, God lit a candle to illuminate His world, swept His house, and sought diligently till He found us (Lk. 15:8).

As we plumb the depths of the Incarnation, let us behold One like ourselves, Who "Himself has suffered, being tempted [and is] able to aid those who are tempted" (Heb. 2:18). Today He is able, ready and willing to aid us when we are tempted. He has faced the full, bitter struggle with sin, so that we might share in the riches of His eternal Kingdom.

O Lord, Thou hast dwelt in a cave and hast lain in a manger; O Thou Whose throne is in heaven, Thou didst condescend to the shepherds in order to save our race. Glory to Thee!

This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Saturday, December 27, 2003
Proto-Martyr Stephen the Archdeacon

Apostle: Acts 6:8-15; 7:1-5, 47-60 Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Gospel: St. Matthew 21:33-42

[/c]

Christ's Martyrs: The Acts 6:8-7:8, 47-60, especially vs. 55: "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." In his early Church history, The Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke characterizes his Gospel as an account "of all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day in which He was taken up" (Acts 1:1,2). However, Acts is more than a simple historical or narrative sequel to St. Luke's Gospel, for, in itself, it is the account of all that the Lord Jesus 'continued' to do and teach through His Body, the Church, after He was taken up bodily into Heaven (Lk. 24:51 and Acts 1:9).
In the portrayal of Christ's Martyr Stephen - as one "full of grace and power" [RSV, vs. 6:8] as one who speaks with "wisdom and the Spirit" (vs. 6:10) - the Martyr directs our gaze into the heavens to behold "the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (vs. 7:55). Of course, it is the Lord Who is being revealed through the person of His Holy Martyr Stephen. Just as true icons always disclose the connection between their particular subjects and the Divine Incarnation, so likewise St. Luke's account of Christ's first Martyr, Stephen, manifests the Lord incarnate in His Church. Therefore, let the reader perceive, in the account of St. Stephen's witness, a faithful revelation of the Lord of grace and power, of wisdom and the Spirit, and of eternal Glory at the right hand of the Father. St. Stephen is the Proto-martyr not only in the sense of being the first martyr for the Lord, but also as the proto-type of Christ's martyrs, for all Christ's true martyrs reveal the Lord Jesus acting and teaching through His Body, the Church.

The Lord Jesus not only is "full of grace and truth" in Himself (Jn. 1:14), but He is the limitless source of "grace and truth"(Jn.1:17), for He continues to commit grace and truth to the Faithful by the power of His Holy Spirit. That Stephen was "full of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:55) simply explains how it was that he came to be "full of grace and power" (vs. 6:8).

The same fullness of Christ was evident in St. Paul. In fact, the Lord told him directly, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9), which caused him to relish his infirmities, that "the power of Christ" might rest upon him (2 Cor. 12:9). Infirm as we are, let us rejoice, for in Christ, His grace and power may truly fill us also.

Multitudes who encountered the Lord before "He was taken up" (Acts 1:2) were astonished at His wisdom and asked, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him?" (Mk. 6:2). St. Luke states that the Holy Spirit was "upon Him" and "filled Him" (Lk. 3:22; 4:1). Beloved, the same Blessed Spirit of God rests upon His Body filling us, His Holy Ones, " to be witnesses to [Him]...to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Realize that St. Stephen was a witness to the Lord Jesus before he shed his blood for Him. The meaning of the Greek, "martus," is "witness" and provides us with our word "martyr," which now, after centuries of faithful witnessing even to death, suggests a witness who dies for the Faith. Let us be faithful witnesses to Christ, to reveal His wisdom and to share in His Cross.

The Lord, the pre-eternal Word, took care to reveal His Divine glory following His Incarnation: to the Theotokos before His birth (Lk. 1:32), while an infant to Simeon (Lk. 2:30-32), to the Forerunner at His Baptism (Mt. 3:16-17), to St. Andrew and St. John the Evangelist (Jn. 1:36), to chosen witnesses on Mt. Tabor (Mk. 9:1-7), and supremely following His Resurrection to a host of His chosen witnesses (1 Cor. 15:5-8). He also opened the heavens to His first martyr Stephen (Acts 7:55-56) as He often has to others of His martyrs. Let us receive light from Christ the Light by Whose illumination His martyrs have revealed His eternal glory.

O Holy Martyrs of Christ, by your prayers may we also faithfully witness to His grace.


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Sun., Dec. 28, 2003
Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, James the Brother of the Lord

Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19 (Tone 3) Gospel: St. Matthew 2:13-23

[/c]

Facing the Lord: Galatians 1:11-19, especially vss. 15, 16: "...it pleased God...to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles...." St. John Chrysostom summarizes the Apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-8) thus: "he was richly endowed with the Spirit, the revelation had enlightened his whole soul, and he had Christ speaking within him." Combine St. John's observation with the Apostle's own words in today's reading, and God's impact on the man stands out clearly.
This pattern repeats itself throughout Scripture: the Holy, Consubstantial, and Undivided Trinity, One God, personally intervenes in human life and history. In St. Paul's case, all the Persons of the Tri-unity are disclosed, illumining the inner life of a man lost in the darkness of hatred and self-righteousness. God makes an Apostle of him. St. Paul had no catechumenate following his conversion. Rather, after receiving the Baptismal Mystery, he drew apart into Arabia, avoiding the centers of Christian activity and teaching. He had come face to face with the Lord Jesus by the will of God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. He needed time to assimilate what had transpired within him in a moment on the highway.

It is worthwhile to compare St. Paul's encounter with the Lord and the experiences of others who came face to face with Christ. Some approached the Lord; others Christ sought out. The records give little detail concerning the recruiting of each one of the Twelve. St. Mark states that He "called to Him those He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out..." (Mk. 3:13,14).

In this respect, St. Paul, although "as one born out of due time" (1 Cor. 15:8), still shared the common apostolic experience of being called and appointed by the Lord. It seems that none of the other Apostles experienced so cataclysmic an upheaval in life as did St. Paul. Yet for each of them, coming face to face with the Lord Jesus brought a whole new orientation to life.

What bearing does facing the Lord have for us? St. Paul's case is particularly important, because, like us, he faced the Lord in a different way than the other Apostles. St. John speaks for the Twelve: "That...which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - the life was manifested, and we have seen...." As we say, "They knew the Lord first hand." But is it possible to say that St. Paul did not know Christ first hand? And every true Christian knows Him "first hand.'

Notice what St. Paul's encounter with the Lord shows: God is not bound by our five senses. The Lord has fashioned us in such a manner that He may speak to us in our hearts. We pray for this inner knowledge: "Illumine our hearts, O Master. Open the eyes of our mind. Implant in us Thy blessed commandments. Come and dwell in us and cleanse us of every stain of sin." Even those who knew Christ "after the flesh" (2 Cor. 5:16) discovered, as they remained with Him over time, that their inner eyes saw much more than did their physical eyes. Remember what He said to St. Peter, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven" (Mt. 16:17). In both St. Peter's case just quoted and in St. Paul's conversion, God the Father "revealed" Christ (Gal. 1:12, 16).

When we consider the lives of those who came face to face with Christ, we admit freely that facing Him is life's greatest blessing. As St. Paul said, "He is not very far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27). Seek Him, cry out to Him, pray to Him, wait upon Him. Never forget: He took our flesh that we might come face to face with Him, call Him Lord, and receive salvation.

Great is the Mystery of Thine Incarnation, O Lord; Glory to Thee!


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Mon., Dec. 29, 2003
All Orthodox Who Died of Hunger, Thirst, the Sword, and Freezing

Epistle: Hebrews 3:5-11, 17-19 Christ is born! Glorify Him! Gospel: St. Mark 10:46-52
[/c]

The Household of God: Hebrews 3:5-11, 17-19, especially vss. 5, 6: "And while Moses was faithful in His whole household as a servant, to bear witness to things that would be spoken of later, Christ was faithful as a Son in charge of God's household. And we are that household, if we firmly maintain the confidence and pride in what we hope for." [NBV] Each year, near the celebration of the Lord's Nativity, the Church begins a course of readings through Hebrews. The next three days we will reflect on three passages from the Epistle's early chapters.
The three we shall consider make excellent meditations for the Great Feast of the Incarnation. The birth of the Son of God has great import for the Church, which we know well as the Household of God (today's passage). Of course, Christ is God's ultimate Promise to His Household (Tuesday's passage). Therefore, the Apostle urges us to continue our journey in faith that we may receive God's blessing (Wednesday's passage).

The Church reads the Old Testament as the early, formative history of God's dealings with His People. Likewise, She understands the New Testament as defining the present and transformed state of God's relationship with His People - a changed relationship caused by Christ's coming. The Apostle illuminates this contrast very vividly in today's reading. On the one hand, St. Paul points out that in early times the Prophet Moses was a key figure in God's Household, a man whom the Lord charged with responsibility for all the Israel of God, for His entire Household. Without question, Moses carried out his assigned task most faithfully (vs. 5).

Then, the Apostle reminds us, we must understand that the great Prophet was only a servant of God, even if His most outstanding servant. On the other hand, when we address the present state of God's Household we meet our Lord Jesus Christ, not a servant in the Household, but "a Son in charge of His Own Household" (vs. 6). The leap in status within the Household between Moses and Christ is qualitative and immense. The Household belongs to the Lord Jesus, even though He ministered to the members as a servant (Mk. 10:45; Jn. 13:14).

In addition, St. Paul points out that Moses laid the ground work for Christ, bearing "witness to things that would be spoken of later" (Heb. 3:5). What are those things? What particularly should the present members of the Household of God observe from the Mosaic era? The Apostle quotes the Prophet David, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the day of rebellion" - as against Moses in the wilderness (vss. 7,8) The ancient People of God paid dearly for straying in their hearts (vs. 10). They died in the wilderness, and the entire generation failed to enter the Promised Land, "because of unbelief" (vs. 19).

Now we, brethren, also "are that Household" through the blessing of our Baptism into Christ (vs. 6). We are the Household of God, but only under the condition that we do not disobey God through unbelief, only "if we firmly maintain the confidence and pride in what we hope for" (vs. 6). Let us not fall in the wilderness of this life (vs. 17) pining and yearning for the comforts and provisions we had as slaves of the Egypt of this present world. Christ our Passover, our Pascha, has led us from death and slavery into life and freedom. He has made us sons with Him in the Household of God. His rest awaits all who steadfastly hold fast their confidence in Him. What the early members of the Household lost in a temporal way, let us not lose eternally.

Lo, with Judah and Levi we magnify Moses the great, and Aaron the wonderful; and with David we celebrate the memory of Joshua and Samuel, inviting all with divine songs and divine praise to the preparation of the Nativity of Christ, praying to receive His goodness; for He it is that granteth the world the Great Mercy. Glory to Thee, O our God and our Hope!



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Tuesday, December 30, 2003
The Virgin Martyr Anysia of Thessalonika

Epistle: Hebrews 4:1-13 Christ is born! Glorify Him! Gospel: St. Mark 11:11-23

[/c]

The Great Promise of Rest: Hebrews 4:1-13, especially vs. 1: "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it." In Hebrews 3:6, St. Paul encouraged us to "hold fast" our confidence in Christ. Our predecessors in the Household of God, the children of Israel, lost the Promised Land through unbelief in the desert. The Apostle desires that we not lose our way amidst the distractions and confused thinking of the world and miss the eternal rest of God. Hence, in today's reading, the Apostle expands our understanding of God's "great promise of rest."
At the start, St. Paul reminds us that a promise of entering God's rest "remains" (vs. 1). Thereby he is emphasizing the fact that God's promised rest still is an available reality. But the 'rest' that is presented is not merely a reference to the historic, territorial rest of the Promised Land. The Land was the principal objective of ancient Israel during their sojourn in the wilderness, and almost all of them failed ever to enter the land. Still the Apostle prompts us about the rest which he has in mind - "fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it" (vs. 1).

What then is this rest to which St. Paul refers? Observe: he recognizes that the great promised rest is contained in "the gospel," which "was preached to us as well as to them" (vs. 2). The rest has to do with the Kingdom of God, that which will only be fully revealed at the end of the age, but may be known in anticipation now by faith. What is required is an act of trust in God - something ancient Israel failed to risk at Kadesh Barnea (see Num. 13:1-14:23).

St. Paul's major thrust in today's passage is encouragement. We should not lose heart. We are members of God's Household through faith, "For we who have believed do enter that rest" (vs. 3). He refers three times in the lesson to the prophecy of David (in Psalm 94:7-11, LXX - see Heb. 4:3,5,7). His point is that God would not have given this latter prophecy through David, were not the great promise of rest still in force.

Note especially that St. Paul underscores the on-going nature of the promise by referring to God's rest following the creation of the world. "For [God] has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way, 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works'" (cf., Heb. 4:4; Gen. 2:2). What he presents for us to consider are three related 'rests': the rest in the Promised Land, the archetype of rest in the Creation Sabbath, and the antitype, or the great promised rest, of the age to come. Since both the archetype and the antitype are God's rest, and because the Lord is eternal from before time and forever, they are one and the same.

The Apostle draws these various points about God's rest together with the remark that hearkens back to the beginning of the passage: "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God" (vs. 9). The concluding verses after this statement continue his encouragement. "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest" (vs. 11). Let us not ignore early Israel's failure to enter the rest, nor ignore their "example of disobedience" (vs. 11). Remember Him with Whom we deal. He is "a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (vs. 12), One Who sees all and knows all. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account" (vs. 13).

Orthodox worship offers the opportunity to experience by anticipation the great promised rest taught here. Sharing in the Orthodox Liturgy is to join the assembly of true and right belief, to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus our great High Priest (see vs. 14), to stand among the Saints "who have ceased from their works" (vs. 10), and to enjoy creation at rest with its Creator.

Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Wednesday, December 31, 2003
Melania of Rome; Venerable Theophylact of Ochrid

Epistle: Hebrews 5:11-6:8 Christ is born! Glorify Him! Gospel: St. Mark 11:23-26

[/c]

Useful Crops: Hebrews 5:11-6:8, especially vs. 6:7: "Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God." [NIV] As we celebrate the bright wonder of the Lord's Holy Nativity in the flesh, we do well to join with the Church and profess before our man-befriending God, "O Christ, true Light that lighteth and sanctifieth every man that cometh into the world, may the light of Thy countenance be impressed on our faces that we may see therewith the unapproachable Light [and] order our steps after Thy commandments."
We know in our hearts, Beloved of God, that it is not enough to soak up the joys and graces of this Feast in our souls and then produce no crop useful to the Lord for Whom our souls are farmed. How many hear the great hymnody of the Church over the media of radio and television only to bear "thorns and briers" fit only to be "rejected and...cursed, whose end is to be burned" (vs. 8). Let us not be among those whom the Apostle chides as he says, "we have much to say, and [it is] hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing" (vs. 5:11).

First, let us take the Apostle's message into our hearts, and there, on the secret altar of our prayers, offer up such petitions as the Church teaches us, begging God: "order our steps after Thy commandments," help us move forward in the life in Christ, which is our privilege. "O God, let us not stagnate in the Life of Him Whom Thy Holy Spirit has formed within us; but let the ineffable wonder of Thy Holy Son Jesus come forth from our flesh, from this day forward."

St. Paul is concerned about these tendencies in us to remain like babes in the Faith. Understand him: there is something inherently wrong when a Christian allows days and years to accumulate and still needs "someone to teach [him] again the first principles of the oracles of God; and [who has] come to need milk and not solid food" from God's hand (vs. 5:12). We ought to be growing in the skills of the faith, "in the word of righteousness" (vs. 13), so we may partake of the solid food which belongs to those who are mature (vs. 14).

Think for a moment how many times you have prayed "Give us this day our daily bread" (Mt. 6:11). For what do you pray? Yes, certainly we know that God provides the earthly good things we enjoy, but this prayer contains much more for us as Christians. As St. Maximos the Confessor has taught us, "Thus to understand this passage of the prayer in its clearest meaning we should say, 'Our bread,' which You prepared in the beginning for the immortality of nature, 'give us this day,' to us who belong to the mortal condition of the present life, so that nourishment by the Bread of Life and knowledge triumph over the death of sin."

St. Maximos points out that, "...the one who prays to receive this supersubstantial bread does not receive it altogether as this bread is in itself, but as he is able to receive it." The more we fall away, the less good the Holy Gifts do us. Let us not despair at our failures, but rather address our needs. Especially let us not misread the Apostle's words, that "it is impossible for those who were once enlightened...if they fall away, to renew themselves again to repentance" (vss. 6:4-6). He simply means that we may not receive the Baptismal cleansing again. Still, there are tears, repentance, confession, prayer, and almsgiving as means to restore God's grace. Hear St. John Chrysostom: "...to make men new is the work of the laver [Baptism] only...But it is the work of repentance, when those who have been made new, have afterwards become old through sins, to set them free from this old age, and to make them strong." Let the rain of the Christ Child's grace fall on us to make us new every morning and to lead us on to eternal life.

Come, ye that have put on Christ, let us behold a wonder that overtaketh all minds.



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Thursday, January 1, 2004
The Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ; Basil the Great

Kellia: Genesis 17:1-7, 9-12, 14 Epistle: Colossians 2:8-12 Gospel: St. Luke 2:20-21, 40-52


[/c]

Fulfillment: Genesis 17:1-7,9-12, 14 LXX, especially vs. 7, "And I will establish My covenant between thee and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be thy God, and the God of thy seed after thee." The Exaposteilarion of today's Feast declares: "Verily, the Creator of ages Who fulfilled the law is circumcised in the flesh as an eight-day old child, is wrapped in swaddling clothes like a man and is fed with milk, He Who is the All-Controller through His boundless might, since He is God, and the Maker of the law in flesh."
Observe the wording of declaration: "the Creator of the ages...fulfilled the law." The statements that follow concerning His circumcision, clothing as a man, and being fed milk, appear to specify ways in which He fulfills the law in concrete terms. How are we to understand these actions as fulfillment? What is filled full, put into effect, brought to an end, satisfied, converted into reality or brought to its potential?

The "laws" of the created order require infants to be fed and clothed for survival, yet the Lord Who is unbounded and is eternally free from any need for protection has chosen to take our flesh upon Himself, for He is God the Word assuming the limitations and demands of the natural law. Therefore, He was diapered and nursed. Observe that His satisfaction of the natural law is expressed in many of the icons of the Nativity for they regularly show Him being washed and cared for as well as being "wrapped...in swaddling cloths" (Lk. 2:7).

These most mundane, human actions direct us to the Apostle Paul's point: when the Lord was "found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself," lowered Himself in every respect (Phil. 2:7). In other words, He came into the world and joined Himself to us an actual man in order to address the terrible side of being human: separation from God and our wedding to death.

Note: for mankind's salvation, God requires a perfect man to reestablish our fallen race. There must be an actual flesh-and-blood man who also is sinless. In our history, we have had many flesh-and-blood men, but in our union with Adam our race lost the potential to produce a perfect man. So to speak, "we keep turning out sinners." None of us can respond to that which God asked of Abraham: "be well-pleasing before Me, and be blameless" (Gen. 17:1 LXX). Who is blameless?

However, we know that through the action of the Holy Spirit overshadowing a pure virgin, God did produce a Man, One Who lived perfectly and blamelessly , Who by death trampled down death, and as God bestows life upon all in the tombs and upon all who are destined for the tombs.

Continuing on, let us also note that the Lord's circumcision fulfills another level of "law," which the passage in Genesis 17 illumines. Observe: God told Abraham, "I will establish My covenant between Me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.... [therefore] thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham, for I have made thee a father of many nations" (vss. 2, 5). This covenant required that all males who were inheritors of these promises be circumcised on the eighth day after birth (vss. 9-12). Obviously, the Virgin Mary and Joseph fulfilled this requirement so that Jesus became an inheritor of the promises made to Abraham.

Abraham did become the father of several nations (see Gen. 25). In time, through a natural descendant of Abraham, the Lord Jesus, there came a Savior for all the peoples of the world. All nations, languages, and cultures may now choose to unite themselves to Christ, and through Him, to receive the blessing promised to Abraham. The Lord Jesus' circumcision permanently reminds us that God has fulfilled His promise to Abraham - all for our sake.

O Thou, Who art ever above the law, Thou hast submitted to it, granting us blessing from on high. Wherefore we extol Thee, praising Thy condescension of transcendent goodness!




This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Friday, January 2, 2004
Repose of Seraphim of Sarov

Kellia: Proverbs 8:22-30 Epistle: Hebrews 7:18-25 Gospel: St. Mark 12:1-12

[/c]

Eternal Wisdom: Proverbs 8:22-30 LXX, especially vss. 23-25, "He established Me before time was in the beginning, before He made the earth: even before He made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth; before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, He begets Me." The wisdom of God is the Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom all that was made, was brought into being. In time, the wisdom of God was heralded ultimately and clearly in Jesus Christ Himself. As St. Nikolai of Zica declares, "In His Person, the wisdom of God was proclaimed in the flesh and shown forth to men in its wonderful strength and beauty."
The miracle of Wisdom Incarnate, which the Church has proclaimed since Pentecost (see Acts 2:24-28), defends against all heresies. More important, He came so that "all who believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn 3:16). The passage from Proverbs illumines three facets of the miracle of the Incarnation: that the Lord Jesus, being the Wisdom of God, is the creative Word of God "by Whom all things were made," that He is "begotten not made,"as the Creed affirms, and that He is ever, as man and God, one will with God the Father (Jn. 5:30).

Today's passage serves as a commentary on the various scriptures that treat of God's creation out of nothing: "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1 LXX). "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, the world, and all that dwell therein. He hath founded it..." (Ps. 23:1, 2 LXX). "Who appointeth the clouds for His ascent, Who walketh upon the wings of the winds" ( Ps. 103:4 LXX). These passages harmonize with the language of Proverbs 8:26-30 LXX, but with one major omission: Wisdom "accompanied" God as He made the world and "when He prepared the heaven" (Pr. 8:27 LXX). For this one easily substitutes the words of St. John the Theologian: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (Jn. 1:1-3).

The preexistence of Wisdom is both assumed and taught in this passage: "He established Me before time was in the beginning, before He made the earth" (Pr. 8:23 LXX). The Arians, of course, sought to turn this phrase to prove their heresy that the Word was a created being Who assisted God in making the rest of creation. As is well known, St. Athanasios rightly rejected all such speculation as theirs, pointing out that the God the Son, as our Creator, placed His image in mankind so that the world of men might recognize Him in all His works and acknowledge Him, and through Him the Father.

Furthermore, to defend the truth of the preexistence of God the Word, the Creed speaks of the Lord Jesus as "begotten not made," using the same verb that appears in Pr. 8:25 LXX: "before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, He begets Me."

This passage also affirms the indissoluble unity of the will of God the Father and of God the Word, Incarnate Wisdom: "I was by Him, suiting Myself to Him, I was that wherein He took delight; and daily I rejoiced in His presence continually" (vs. 30). The accounts of the Crucifixion are used by the Holy Fathers frequently to underscore the unity of Christ's will with the Father. St. Hilary of Poitiers says, "Wherefore, as Man he prays for men tht the cup may pass away, but as God from God, His will is in unison with the Father's effectual will." He fulfills David's words, "I am come (in the heading of the book it is written concerning Me) to do Thy will, O my God, and Thy law is in the midst of My bowels" (Ps. 39:11 LXX).

The Master of all endureth humiliation for the iniquities of mankind; for He is good, and granteth salvation to the world. O Lord, Thou Wisdom from on High, Glory to Thee.


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Saturday, January 3, 2004
Genevieve of Paris

Kellia: Proverbs 10:31-11:12 Epistle: 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Gospel: St. Mark 3:1-11

[/c]

Wisdom Received: Proverbs 10:31-11:12 LXX, especially vs. 5, "Righteousness traces out blameless paths: but ungodliness encounters unjust dealing." An earlier passage in Proverbs (8:22-30) provides rich insight into the miracle of Wisdom's Incarnation and illumines the Lord Jesus as the eternal Wisdom of God. As the Divine, eternal Word, He upholds "all things by the word of His power," as the Apostle states (Heb. 1:3). His present and active power are of great importance to the Faithful, for, as we draw into union with Him, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the good will of the Father, He will keep us from every word and deed which can mar the soul, and will give us godly understanding and enlightenment. Wisdom, in giving Himself, imparts a wisdom far superior to the knowledge or so-called 'wisdom' of this world (1 Cor. 1:30). He transforms us into persons that today's reading calls righteous, just, and sensible. In fact, today's reading from Proverbs is a portrait of what those look like who strive to receive wisdom from Incarnate Wisdom. The reading is a string of contrasts which compare those blessed ones who receive wisdom from God with the ungodly, unjust, and senseless ones who seek wisdom from this world and through their own effort. These two sorts of people are polar opposites of each other in speech, business dealings, self-valuation, their estimation of others, in coping with troubles, before God, with respect to their public worth, and in terms of what they contribute to their nations' security.
We can expect the righteous who receive Wisdom into their lives to "drop wisdom and grace from their mouths" (Pr. 10:31, 32) and to be sensibly quiet when speaking to others (vs. 11:12). In the world today, what strikes one's vision on every side? Those who pervert language, abuse speech, and sneer at their fellow men. They are ubiquitous, numerous, and influential. The fashion of one-up-man-ship and quick, off-color comebacks prevails.

The reading reminds us that the difference between the godly and the perverse in business dealings will be clear and marked as well. Behind the abusive speech and sneering, are the crooked deals, shoddy workmanship covered with glitz and "false balances" (vs. 11:1). Let us thank God that there still are those doing business and providing services who are honest, fair, and eager to provide "a just weight" (vs. 11:1).

Centuries before Wisdom became Incarnate He taught the humble and meek the dangers of pride and arrogance (vs. 11:2). As the Prophet David said: "the sinner praiseth himself in the lusts of his soul....but the desire of the poor hast Thou heard, O Lord" (Ps. 9:23, 37 LXX).

In contrast with the humility which the godly holds of himself, he is held in high estimation by those around him who are open to the truth which Wisdom imparts. Therefore, "When a just man dies he leaves regret"(Pr. 11:3), being appreciated for his manner of living.

How different are the actions of the godly from the unjust as they face troubles and afflictions! Having received wisdom from the Lord, the righteous "man escapes from a snare" frequently because the Holy Spirit reveals truth and every right path to him, whereas "the ungodly man [often] is delivered" into the pitfalls of his own making (vs. 11:7).

In the public arena, the difference between the godly and the perverse is also evident. Even national prosperity and security are seriously threatened by those who "snare" their fellow men with clever words and proposals but lack godly wisdom. Blessed the nation which is led by wise and Spirit-filled leaders, for the people shall "prosper" (vs.11:10).

O Lord, our true Wisdom, open the eyes of our hearts to receive Thy wisdom as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths. (see Ps. 118:105 LXX)



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Sunday, January 4, 2004
(Tone 4) Sunday before Theophany

Kellia: Isaiah 35:1-10 Epistle: 2 Timothy 4:5-8 Gospel: St. Mark 1:1-8

[/c]

Saving Waters: Isaiah 35:1-10, especially vs. 4, "Comfort one another, you fainthearted; be strong, fear not; behold our God renders judgment, and He will render it; He will come and save us." St. Gregory of Nyssa instructs the children of the New Covenant to explore the riches of the words of the Old Covenant; for, he observes, "I find that not only do the Gospels, written after the crucifixion, proclaim the grace of Baptism, but even before the Incarnation of the Lord, the ancient Scripture everywhere prefigured the likeness of our regeneration; not clearly manifesting its form, but foreshowing, in dark saying, the love of God to man." Today's reading from the Prophet Isaiah surely and superbly illustrates St. Gregory's point.
The salvation which the Lord won in the flesh provides abundant reasons to comfort one another, for God has saved us by coming in the flesh. Each one, having passed through the waters of Holy Baptism, now has his feet upon "a pure way" that he might "not go astray" (vs. 8). As the redeemed of the Lord, the Christian is gathered to Him that he may "come to Zion with joy," that is, to the Church of Christ, where "joy shall take possession" of us (vs. 10).

This experience of joy in the Church contrasts sharply with the aridity which the child of God discerns in the fabric of this present life. In St. Gregory of Nyssa's words, all water now serves to refresh "the soul that is parched and unadorned," the soul that cries out with David: "My soul thirsteth after Thee like a waterless land" (Ps. 142:6 LXX). When water is blessed at Theophany, the Priest says, "Thou art our God Who didst cleave the rock in the wilderness, so that the waters gushed out and the valleys overflowed, thus satisfying Thy thirsty people."

How is this so? When the Lord entered the waters of Jordan, He sanctified every drop of water on the face of the whole earth. For the Faithful, water no longer is a mere object to be used or abused, as a lifeless thing. Rather, now, water is a sanctified medium for spiritual cleansing, for blessing, and for healing - because it has touched the sacred flesh of the Lord Christ.

In being baptized, the Lord Jesus not only gave us an example to follow - to be Baptized ourselves, but also prepared all the waters of the earth that they might be used of God to give us His thirst-quenching Holy Spirit Who "doth overflow with streams and passages of grace."

Today's reading also speaks to us in our weakness, infirmity, grief, and despair: "Be strong, fear not; behold our God renders judgment, and He will render it; He will come and save us" (Is. 35:4 LXX). God promised, and has acted through the Only Begotten. What did the Lord Jesus do when He came to save us? He opened the eyes of the physically blind, but greater than that, He opened eyes that were spiritually closed, and this He still does.

As one who was healed physically said, "Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing" (Jn. 9:32-33). All was desert before, now is a "fountain of water poured into the thirsty land" (Is. 35:6). God is saving us, opening our blind eyes, unstopping our deaf ears, strengthening our walk before Him, and putting praise on our stammering lips (see vss. 4-6).

Finally, let us note that we are taught a new and living Way which the Lord has established, the way of the Orthodox Church, of Zion, the Temple of the living God. The Lord disclosed to Isaiah that this Way would be holy and pure and unassailable by the devouring lion, Satan (1 Pet. 5:8), because for us Christ defeated the ancient enemy and his "evil beasts" (Is. 35:9) on the life-bearing Tree. Now we may walk on the Way, and we "shall not go astray" (vs. 8), but shall be gathered with the Lord, and everlasting joy shall be on our heads (see vs. 10).

Grant us O Lord to draw water in faith and receive thereby the grace of Thy Holy Spirit.



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Monday, January 5, 2004
Strict Fast Day
Eve of Theophany

Kellia: Isaiah 12:3-6 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 Gospel: St. Luke 3:1-18

[/c]

The Name of the Lord: Isaiah 12:3-6 LXX, especially vss. 4, 5, "Sing to the Lord, call aloud upon His Name, proclaim His glorious deeds among the Gentiles; make mention that His Name is exalted. Sing praise to the Name of the Lord." St. Peter of Damascus observes that "in both the Old and the New Testament, the names given are appropriate. Thus Adam was named from the four cardinal points; for the four letters of his name are the initial letters of the Greek words for East, West, North and South." Of course, in Hebrew, Adam simply means "man."
Often a name was changed when God gave one's life a new direction, as in the case of Jacob being renamed Israel. Born clutching the heel of his twin brother Esau, his parents named him Jacob, "he who clutches" (Gen. 25:26 LXX). However, after he wrestled with a 'man' at a ford of the river Jabbok, and prevailed, Jacob asked a blessing from his Opponent. The answer was: "Thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; for thou hast prevailed with God, and shalt be mighty with men" (Gen. 32:28 LXX).

Of course, the most significant Name in Scripture, "the Name above every name" (Phil. 2:9), is the Name of God the Lord. Moses, desiring support for his leadership from the people of Israel, asked God to tell him His Name, to which God answered, "I AM, the One Who Is." (Ex. 3:14). The form of this name in Hebrew follows the present tense, first and/or third person, singular of the verb "to be," forms not normally used in Hebrew, being understood: "The tree tall," for example, instead of "The tree is tall." In the Septuagint version of Ex. 3:14, the Name of God is "O ON," the One Who Is, which appears in icons of the Lord Jesus in the letters on the Cross within the halo behind His head. It is also heard in the blessing at the end of Vespers, "Christ our God, the Existing One, is blessed, always; now and ever and unto ages of ages."

St. Maximos reminds us that "the Father's Name is not something...He has acquired.... He does not have a beginning, so that at a certain moment He begins to be Father or King, but He is eternal and so is eternally Father and King." However, "the Name of God the Father exists in substantial form in the eternal, only-begotten Son," Who teaches us to call God, 'Our Father.'

Therefore, when the Prophet directs us to "call aloud upon His Name" (Is. 12:4 LXX), he shows us our dependency on God, our incapacity and inability to save ourselves. We are to call on Him Who saves, on Jesus our Lord, Whose Name means, "Savior" (Mt. 1:21). We do this pre-eminently in the Jesus Prayer as St. Theophan the Recluse says, "because it unites the soul with our Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus is the only door to union with God." And, after all, union with Him is the aim of the prayer and of its continual usage among Orthodox Christians.

Isaiah also tells us to "make mention that His Name is exalted" (Is. 12:4 LXX), and never to take the name of God in vain (Ex. 20:7). It should remain as prayer, worship, or confession of faith upon our lips: "thank God, God knows, leave it to God, God forbid, glory to God" and such. How blessed to "Sing praise to the Name of the Lord" (Is. 12:5 LXX), to worship and adore His Holy Name. It is no wonder that Orthodoxy has such a great musical tradition of 'a capella' singing, of lifting the voice in praise to our Creator and Savior. It is not important that any one of us be a great musician, but that singing remains honored among us - even for the tone deaf. St. Romanos the Melodist was illiterate, with no musical training, and was despised by certain educated clergy, but through the intercessions of the Theotokos he composed more than a thousand of our Kontakia as a Deacon of the Great Church in Constantinople.

Sing unto the Lord, bless His Name; proclaim from day to day the good tidings of His salvation. Declare among the nations His glory." (Ps. 95:2, 3 LXX)




This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Tuesday, January 6, 2004
The Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ

Kellia: Genesis 1:1-13 Epistle: Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 Gospel: St. Matthew 3:13-17

[/c]

Our Illumination: Genesis 1:1-13 LXX, especially vss. 3, 4, 5, "And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good, and God divided between the light and the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night...." Our Illumination is He Who doth illumine every man (Jn. 1:9), Christ our God. He is the Creator of the world "Who didst appear in the world, to lighten them that sit in darkness." He Who is Light began this existence by bringing forth light, dividing it from darkness, and calling these two creations "Day" and "Night." Thus, because of two acts, creation and His Divine Theophany in this created world, we know two kinds of light - uncreated, or Divine Light and created light which He made in many forms. Created light now serves our physical need to see but also provides a means for understanding uncreated Light as well as the other energies of God.
St. Nikolai of Zica identifies four revelations of God imbedded in the creation account, with which we may associate light: 1) God is a changeless Creator, a Light "with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (Jas. 1:17). 2) He is a God wise and most merciful, a Light to our paths (see Ps. 118:105 LXX) Who is guiding us towards our intended goal in Light. 3) He is a God Who created physical light and will therefore bring such light to an end along with the rest of His creation. 4) God is the Creator of "two worlds, the earthly and the heavenly, the material and the immaterial." Hence, in His "Light shall we see light" (see Ps. 35:10 LXX).

Mankind is a changeable creation, always in flux and mutating, which disrupts our ability to establish a renewing relationship with God. However, as Vladimir Lossky says, the "uncreated, eternal, divine, and deifying light is grace...[the] divine energies as they are given to us and accomplish the work of our deification....Being the light of the divinity, grace cannot remain hidden or unnoticed, acting in man, changing his nature, entering into a more and more intimate union with him...revealing to man the face of the living God, and....those who are worthy of it attain the sight of the 'kingdom of God come with power' in this life, as the three apostles saw it on Mount Tabor." While the Light of God does not change, His grace or energies change us, moving us toward illumination and stability in Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our task is to purify ourselves by faith through ascetic labors, as St. Makarios of Egypt says, "If through faith and effort we are enabled to become partakers of the Holy Spirit, then to a corresponding degree our bodies also will be glorified on the last day. For what is now treasured up within the soul will then be revealed outwardly in the body." As God guides us toward our intended goal in Light, it is His Light that He uses to guide us toward the Light.

The most difficult obstacle facing us in our efforts to become glorified through God's ineffable light is the allure of the immediate and distracting pleasures of the flesh and our inner instability and restlessness. God, however, reminds us repeatedly in Scripture that He has called us to be children of the Light and heirs of eternal good things and that at present we are 'on the Way.' However, in the words of the Baptismal service, we have to "prove ourselves as children of the Light." Let us not take our eyes off the end toward which we are striving.

The Theophany of our Lord is a gracious reminder from God that we are not merely material beings, but creatures also able to participate in the immaterial world all around us. The Saints teach us to open our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies to the uncreated Light, for as St. Gregory of Thessalonika says, He who participates in this Light "...is united to the Light and with the Light he sees in full consciousness all that remains hidden for those who have not this grace." Illumine us, O Master Who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge.



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Wednesday, January 7, 2003
Synaxis of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist, John

Kellia: 4 Kings 2:6-14 LXX Apostle: Acts 19:1-8 Gospel: St. John 1:29-34

[/c]

Crossing Jordan: 4 Kings 2:6-14 LXX (2 K 2:6-14 MT), especially vs. 6, "And Elijah said to him, Stay here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan...." Akin to the sentiment of Alfred Lord Tennyson's famous poetic line, "And may there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea," is the African-American Spiritual that sings of "Goin' over Jordan," both using similes of crossing water for dying. "Goin' over Jordan" also has a kinship with the subject of today's reading as well as the account of Israel's crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land (Jos. 3, 4). A similar crossing imagery is found in the Orthodox Funeral Service: "As I behold the sea of life surging high with the tempest of temptations, I set my course toward Thy tranquil haven and cry aloud to Thee: lead Thou my life forth from corruption, O Most Merciful One."
The association of death with passing through or across water to a better life has, of course, also attached itself to the waters of Holy Baptism, as when the Priest says, "But do Thou, Master of all, show this water to be the water of redemption, the water of sanctification, the purification of flesh and spirit, the loosing of bonds, the remission of sins, the illumination of the soul, the laver of regeneration, the renewal of the spirit, the gift of adoption to sonship, the garment of incorruption, the fountain of life."

As a type of Holy Baptism, the crossing the Jordan by the Prophets Elijah and Elisha at the time of Elijah's assumption, ought to awaken us to the experience of death and new life in our own Baptism. The Lord Jesus explicitly connected Baptism and death when He responded to the request of the mother of the disciples James and John, that her sons be granted the privilege of sitting, "one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom" (Mt. 20:21). On this occasion, the Lord challenged the ability of the sons of Zebedee to be "baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with" (Mt. 20:22). They, in innocence, not recalling what He had just said about His Passion (Mt. 20:17-19), assert, "We are able" (Mt. 20:22).

This reference by the Lord to His Passion as a Baptism reveals the intimate relationship between His Baptism and His Death. First, by receiving a Baptism of repentance from the Prophet John (Mt. 3), the Lord assumed the burden of mankind's sins. However, being Himself without sin, He was able to fulfill that which God had required of Israel, to be a light to the nations (Is. 42:6), for in His Passion, the sins which He assumed were nailed to the Tree and died with Him, the sins of all people through all time.

The naive request of James and John through their mother's request, even though the Lord Jesus just had mentioned His Passion, suggests that, when the Lord asked whether they could be baptized with His baptism, they were hearkening back in their minds to the Baptism of Forerunner John. Tradition holds that John the son of Zebedee was one of the two disciples (the other being Andrew) who first followed the Lord at the behest of the Holy Baptizer (Jn. 1:35-37).

Finally, let us note that the crossing of Elijah and Elisha participate in the pattern of all disciples - including James and John - a pattern that the Lord Jesus requires of all His followers. Even though Elisha was warned of Elijah's death, he asserted that he would not leave his master (see 4 K 2:3, 5). Similarly each true disciple of Christ follows the Lord even in bearing a cross (see Mt. 16:24). Elisha desired to share in Elijah's spirit (4 K 2:6), as each Christian desires to be united to Christ and to receive His gift of the Holy Spirit. Elijah's mantle fell upon Elisha (4 K 2:13), even as the ministry of Christ falls upon every member of the Church (Mt. 28:19-20).

O Maker of heaven and earth, Thou didst come to the Jordan in the flesh and seek baptism, though Thou art sinless, to purify the world and grant cleansing: Glory to Thee!

This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Thursday, January 8, 2004
The Venerable George the Chosebite

Kellia: 4 Kings 2:19-22 Epistle: Hebrews 10:35-11:7 Gospel: St. Mark 12:38-44

[/c]

Blessing of Water: 4 Kings 2:19-22 LXX (2 K 2:19-22 MT), especially vs. 21, "Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be any longer death thence or barren land." The Great Blessing of the Water is appointed twice at the Feast of Theophany. The first takes place on the paramon (the day of preparation for the Feast), and the other takes place on the day of the Feast itself. There is no difference between the two services. Where both Blessings are celebrated, some among the Faithful have adopted the pious custom of drinking the waters of the first blessing for health and spiritual refreshment (since the Fifth is a strict fast day), and then of sprinkling their homes with the water from the second blessing. However, the distinction between these blessed waters is purely customary and not a canonical requirement. The water from either service may just as well be used for both purposes.
The present Old Testament reading draws our hearts to a consideration of the Great Blessing of the Water and of its meaning, as do also the three Old Testament lessons appointed for reading at the blessing: Is. 35:1-10 (see Jan. 4), Is. 55:1-13 (see Jan. 20), and Is. 12:3-6 (see Jan. 5). The present passage focuses on the importance of water spiritually and physically, its place in hearts and souls and as a medium for God's cleansing, renewing, and healing work.

Much could be said about the general necessity of water for human communities and for all other living creatures who share the earth with us. When the Prophet Elisha cleansed the springs which served as Jericho's water supply, he pronounced the will of God: that all water should be health-giving and never the cause of any "death thence or barren land" (4K 2:21). This explicit declaration of the will of God surely remains as a motivation compelling us to cooperate with the goals of public legislation such as the United States Clean Water Act of 1972.

As stewards of the earth's rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, Orthodox Christians anywhere in the world have an obligation to bend our energies to assure the future of the world's water resources for drinking, fishing, and swimming. Yes, we are not free to turn on the water tap, mindless of our stake in all efforts to clean up pollution and to pass on a heritage of clean, potable, life-supporting water to the human generations and all the other life forms after us.

The men of Jericho approached the Prophet Elisha for his help with the city's springs, for they realized that their water supply problems were not merely an issue of physical contamination but were a difficulty having a spiritual dimension as well (vs. 19). There will be no instant solutions to the rapid degradation of the world's waters so long as human hearts and souls are not healed. Until we approach the basic elements of earth with reverence, we labor in vain to heal the springs of our cities and lands. The Great Blessing calls water "a gift of sanctification, a deliverance from sins unto healing of soul and body and unto every expedient purpose."

Let us realize our relationship with water as a fellow 'creature' upon which we depend both physically and spiritually. May God also open the eyes of our hearts to the sacramental role of water. In the great mystery of His infinite love, God cleansed the water of Jericho in a rite of blessing for life in that city and for the whole ecosystem within which it was situated. So let us also drink the Divinely blessed waters of Theophany and sprinkle them upon our homes, rejoicing as the Priests bless our homes. God, the Holy and Life-giving Trinity is among us giving "redemption, the blessing of Jordan," providing for the "remission of sins...protection against disease...destruction of demons" unto the cleansing of our hearts and souls.

Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy works and no words sufficeth to hymn Thy wonders. Glory to Thee O Lord. Glory to Thee.


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Friday, January 9, 2004
Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow

Kellia: 3 Kings 12:16-24 Epistle: Hebrews 11:8, 11-16 Gospel: St. Mark 13:1-8

[/c]

The Holy Prophet Shemaiah: 3 Kings 12:16-24 LXX (1 K 12:16-24 MT), especially vss. 22-24, "And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from Me...." God called forth His Prophet Shemaiah during a major crisis in the history of the ancient People of God. First, the Lord sent Shemaiah, as well as the Prophet Ahijah, to precipitate the separation of the twelve tribes into two nations, Judah and Israel. Then, after the ten northern tribes had separated from Judah and Benjamin, the Lord again sent His word to Shemaiah to stop a fratricidal war just as it was beginning - by a proclamation of restraint to the people of Judah.
Relations among the descendants of the twelve sons of the Patriarch Israel had a long, unsettled history. The present reading clearly reveals that the rebellion of the northern tribes from the Davidic monarchy was precipitated by the brash actions of Rehoboam, the newly crowned King over the twelve tribes (and see 3 K 12:1-15 LXX). The reading also reveals that the northern tribes were ready to rebel because of forced labor and taxation imposed by Rehoboam's father, King Solomon (3 K. 11:28; 12:3 LXX). But Scripture also show the true determining factor in the break up: the judgment of God against the idolatry instituted by King Solomon (3 K 11:9-13). God allows consequences to come when we sin against Him.

In this instance, it is important to note carefully why the Lord created a crisis among the tribes through two of His Prophets, Ahijah (3 K 11:29-39 LXX) and Shemaiah (only 3 K 12:24 LXX): because Solomon "turned away his heart from the Lord God of Israel" (3 K. 11:9). Also do not overlook the fact that God caused the break through His Prophets' words and actions.

Begin with the exclusive Septuagint (LXX) account of the first of Shemaiah's actions during the inter-tribal crisis: he prompted Jeroboam to rebel against the Davidic dynasty and to assume the throne of the northern tribes of Israel. "And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah son of Enlami, saying, Take to thyself a new garment which has not gone into the water, and rend it into twelve pieces; and thou shalt give some to Jeroboam, and shalt say to him, Thus saith the Lord, Take to thyself ten pieces to cover thee: and Jeroboam took them; and Shemaiah said, Thus saith the Lord concerning the ten tribes of Israel" (3 K12:24 LXX, paragraph 6).

Do you see a pattern in God's activity among His People? He uses a specific individual who speaks His word, but then, He causes His Prophet to dramatize His message, to clarify and assert His word fully. Recall the action of the Lord Jesus in withering the fig tree (Mt. 21:19-21), and you will see another instance of God dramatically reinforcing His verbal word with actions.

The second action of Shemaiah in the crisis between the two Kingdoms came after the actual split between the tribes (read 3 K 12:1-24 LXX). Rehoboam was fully determined to go to war with Jeroboam, break the coalition of northern tribes, and prevent the defection of Israel from his rule. First, he ineptly sends Adoram, the chief of conscription for forced labor, to gain the submission of the northern tribes. The people of the north, however, "stoned him with stones, and he died" (3 K.12:18 LXX). Therefore, King Rehoboam mustered an army to prevent the secession (3 K. 11:11 LXX). Finally, the Lord sent the Prophet Shemaiah to proclaim the will of the Lord against fratricide. The commandments of God abide for all people.

Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them peace which is the fruit of righteousness.


This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission

 

[Oblio]

[c]Saturday, January 10, 2004
Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa

Kellia: Exodus 14:15-29 Epistle: Ephesians 6:10-17 Gospel: St. Matthew 4:1-11

[/c]

Types of Baptism ~ The Red Sea: Exodus 14:15-29 LXX (Ex. 14:15-29 MT), especially vs. 25, "...and the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them...." The Feast of Theophany is the greatest of the Holy Days of the Church after Pascha and Pentecost. The Gospel read this day at the Divine Liturgy (Mt. 3:13-17) is the account of the first, undisguised, historical manifestation of the God the Holy Trinity: God the Son, the Incarnate Word, is baptized by the Forerunner in the waters of Jordan. God the Father audibly voices His infinite pleasure in His Beloved Son. The Holy Spirit confirms the Father's word in His descent upon the Lord Jesus in the form of a dove.
Anciently, in preparation for the Feast, the Church kept an all night Vigil. Holy Baptism was administered during this service. The Vigil began with the full assembly - Catechumens and the Faithful - sharing in a Solemn Catechesis of fifteen Lessons from the Old Testament, after which those to be Baptized were led to a separate building called a "Baptisterion" while the Faithful continued with Little Compline, Great Vespers, Litiya and Artoklasia. Finally, the newly Baptized came in procession and joined the Faithful for Orthros and the Divine Liturgy.

The ten Old Testament lessons which we begin reading today are from the Catechesis. They describe events that were foreshadowings or antitypes of the greater reality of Holy Baptism revealed in the Mystery of Christ. Like all antitypes, they actually participate in the eternal truths of the reality they herald. As each Christian partakes in the Lord's Baptism through his own Baptism, in a similar manner, each of these events, as antitype, conveys something of the Mystery of Christ's Baptism and ours: Israel's escape at the Red Sea, the entrance into the Holy Land at the Jordan, Isaiah's call to repentance, Jacob's experience at Mahanaim, Moses' rescue from the Nile, Gideon's fleece, Elijah's sacrifice on Mount Carmel, the sweetening of the bitter waters of Marah, Isaiah's vision of the great Day of Salvation, Naaman's cleansing from leprosy.

To be Baptized, therefore, is to proclaim our deliverance at the Red Sea: that the Lord fights for us, that God Himself delivers us from our enemy - the old slave master - and that the Lord Himself blesses us by the hand of His servants. We not only proclaim these truths as rational knowledge but also as an act of God that has transformed us because we share in the Mystery of Christ through Holy Baptism. The truth is we are defended, delivered, and blessed by the one God, for "A helper and protector [is God] unto me for salvation (Ex. 15:2 LXX).

Who has not tasted defeat by sin, the overwhelming, crushing power of sin to enslave and dehumanize us? Who could fail to assent with St. John of the Ladder in his struggle as one passion gives place to another and the "spirit of despair rejoices at the sight of increasing vice." Yet, as the Lord's own, we stand amazed as He takes up on our behalf our battle against sin, and the Holy Spirit, like a pillar of glory, stands between us and our sin and prevents its advance.

The Lord yokes Himself to us, and delivers us from our enemy the slave master, vanquishing in and through our flesh that which has held us. Death comes with chariot, spear, and sword, and we find no escape from his tyranny, yet we see Moses "trace the Cross, thus symbolizing that invincible weapon" as his hands are stretched over the sea.

When the Lord's Priest plunged us beneath the waters we knew the blessing of the Master Who "couldst not endure to behold mankind oppressed by the Devil" and "didst come and save us." The Priest's hands that baptized, lifted us up, and anointed us, were Christ's own hands.

We confess Thy grace. We proclaim Thy mercy. We conceal not Thy gracious acts. Thou hast delivered the generations of our mortal nature. All creation magnifieth Thee.



This meditation provided by DYNAMIS. For questions and subscription information contact a3dynamis@aol.com or DYNAMIS, St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 7515 E 13th St. N, Wichita KS 67206-1223 or go their website: www.trisagion.com/dynamis

Republished with permission