Dynamis Devotional

[Oblio]

[c]Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Lenten Fast
Tarasios, Archbishop of Constantinople

6th Hour: Isaiah 2:3-11 1st Vespers: Genesis 1:24-2:3 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 2:1-22


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To Walk in God's Light: Isaiah 2:3-11, especially vs. 5, "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." While today's reading is a prophecy for the ancient people of God and for Jerusalem, their capital, it also concerns the Church, as St. Nikolai of Zica has noted: "This prophecy refers to Christ's Church. Although it must have been shrouded in mystery for the Jews before Christ, it is limpidly clear for us today. The mountain, or heights, of the Lord's house is indeed established in the top of the mountains - in the heights of heaven - for the Church of Christ is primarily not of the earth but of heaven, and one part of the members of the Church (and that now the greater part) is in heaven, while the others are here on earth."
The prophecy divides into four parts: first, the Lord unveils our eyes to envision the completed, glorious Church which shall be in the age to come (vss. 2-4). Second, God makes His appeal - that we come to the House of God and learn from Him (vs. 3), bringing peace to all (vs. 4). The Church in this present world should not wait for the fulfillment history in a passive manner, but actively walk now in that Divine Light which shall be (vs. 5).

Third, God moves from appeal to warning (vss. 6-9). Ancient Israel chose not to heed the appeal "to walk in the light of the Lord," and, thereby, drew down upon herself terrible yet inevitable results: God forsook the majority of the ancient people, to form from an Apostolic remnant a new People from all nations. In His warning, God states why He rejected the majority: "because their land [was] filled with idols...what their own fingers...made" (vs. 8).

Fourth, the Lord warns the Church and all mankind: should any embrace such sins, those members had best "enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of His majesty" (vs. 10). Let all mankind take heed, including members of the Church, for "the haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled and the Lord alone will be exalted..." (vs. 11). Let us "walk in the light of the Lord."

How shall we understand this expression, "to walk in the light of God?" The Lord Jesus teaches us in words similar to those of the prophecy: "whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Mt. 23:12). As St. Nikolai of Zica said, "The new world, the new creation, the new man: all began with obedience and humility."

To exercise true obedience and genuine humility, as Theodoret said, we may "no longer...sit by the dim lamp-light of the Law, but fill [our] souls with the brilliant rays of the true Light," with Him Who is the Light. He invites us to walk His personal path, in the Way He defined with His own humanity by His Incarnate life: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant" (Phil. 2:5-7). We have His appeal to walk in Him as Light. Listen to the Paschal invitation: "Come take light from the Light which can never be overtaken by night. Come glorify Christ, risen from the dead."

By approaching this prophecy as a word for the Church - concerning the Church-as-She-shall-be (vss. 2-4) - the All-merciful encourages us, while we are in the midst of this world, in this "land ...filled with idols" (vs. 8), always to struggle toward what we know shall be at the end. St. John of Kronstadt captures the point: "that our union with God in the future world will indeed come about, and that it will be for us the source of light, peace, joy and bliss; this we partly recognize by experience even in the present life. During prayer, when our soul is wholly turned toward God...I would say, we experience an inexpressible well-being. It is good to be here."

O Thou Who didst cause Thy Light to shine on Thine Apostles, lighten our souls.



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

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[Oblio]

[c]Thursday, February 26, 2004
Lenten Fast
Photeini, the Samaritan Woman

6th Hour: Isaiah 2:11-22 1st Vespers: Genesis 2:4-19 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 3:1-18

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The Humbling of Man: Isaiah 2:11-22 (RSV), especially vs. 11, "The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day." In the past fifty years, God has corroborated the truth of this verse vividly and repeatedly on the open stage of history. Recall the "Gotterdammerung" of the Third Reich, the overnight collapse of the Berlin wall, the dissolution of the exhausted Soviet Union, and the swift reversal of Iraq's territorial claims over Kuwait. Over and over God has demonstrated that He "is king over the nations, God sitteth upon His holy throne" (Ps. 46:8 LXX).
Empires, impregnable walls of iron, human might, the threats and swagger of rulers, all have been exposed as nothing before God, "Who setteth aside the devices of the peoples, and [Who] bringeth to nought the plans of princes" (Ps. 32:10 LXX). It is notable that the Lord gave this prophecy through Isaiah to His ancient People during a time of great national stability, wealth, and power. Still, the Divine caution is applicable to every generation, "For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high" (Is. 2:12).

In the opening verses of today's reading, Isaiah reveals God's view of exaltation and low estate: "the pride of men shall be humbled....For the Lord of hosts has a day" (vss 11,12). From eternity to eternity, through all of history, God reveals what we men should confess: "Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God and Thy glory above all the earth" (Ps. 56:7 LXX).

However, because of the ubiquity of our human sin, few men have escaped the delusions of exaltation, superiority, and pride before God. But to say that "the Lord of hosts has a day" (vs. 12) declares the inevitable: "the haughtiness of man shall be humbled" (vs. 17). He Who is, He Who truly exists, Who was and is forever, God the Lord, shall prevail over all that He has made. All created beings shall be brought low before Him. That is the message of Isaiah the Prophet.

The Prophet carefully details how all that God has created, "all things visible and invisible," will be restored to their proper and humble estate before God (vss.13-21). This leveling shall occur in the visible, tangible order of nature and the physical world (vss. 13-14), to every civilization raised up by man, and to all of men's prized cultural artifacts (vss. 14-17).

The same humbling will take place in the invisible, spiritual order of ideas, concepts, religions, and philosophies (vss. 18). As the Scriptures witness: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent" (see Is. 29:14; 1 Cor. 1:19). Men's efforts to save those cultural idols which we exalt and serve by placing them in "caves of the rocks" to preserve them (vs. 19) are futile, for God shall arise, "to terrify the earth" (vs. 19).

In the Day of the Lord, He will expose the foolishness of men's sacred assumptions and ideologies. Then, when men fall from their presumed exaltation, they will "cast forth their idols of silver and the idols of gold...to the moles and to the bats" (vs. 20), and claw their way into the clefts, bunkers, and "caverns of the rocks" in futile last efforts at self-preservation.

The words of the Prophet Isaiah are a chilling reminder to every child of God who has "renounced Satan and all his service and all his pride." Therefore, let us read and mark well the Prophet's warning and humble ourselves now before our God, for as the Lord Jesus has taught us, "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Lk. 18:14). Beloved of God, let us humble ourselves "from before the terror of the Lord [and] turn away from man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" (Is. 2:21, 22).

Remember, O Lord our infirmity, and destroy us not for our transgressions, but be merciful to our humility, that we may flee from the darkness of sin and devoutly serve 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

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[Oblio]

[c]Monday, March 1, 2004
Lenten Fast
Venerable Martyr Eudokia of Heliopolis

6th Hour: Isaiah 4:2-5:7 1ST Vespers: Genesis 3:21-4:7 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 3:34-4:21

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The Exaltation of God's Remnant: Isaiah 4:2-5:7 RSV, especially vs. 4:2:"In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel." The writings of Isaiah concerning God's People frequently alternate between declarations of bitter judgment and assurances of Divine exaltation. Today's reading is a classic example of such a complete shift in mood. The initial portion of the reading (vss. 4:2-6) begins with a promise that "the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel" (vs. 4:2). The second portion (5:1-7 ) shifts to the counter-theme of Divine judgment: "And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down" (vs. 5:5).
The point to observe is the juxtaposing of mercy and judgment: first, God promises, that following times of bitter judgment, there will be an exaltation of a remnant of His People. For example, in the late seventh century and early sixth century BC, the majority of the population of the kingdom of Judah went into exile, and Jerusalem "fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her, the foe gloated over her, mocking her downfall" (Lam. 1:7). It was a time of harsh judgment, for "Jerusalem sinned grievously" (Lam. 1:8). Hence, "All her people groan as they search for bread; they trade their treasures for food to revive their strength" (Lam. 1:11).

Then, in 536 BC, a few of those who had been exiled in the seventh century, together with their descendants born in captivity, were able to return to Judah and Jerusalem from Babylon. These survivors understood that the Lord had "washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning" (Is. 4:4). They knew the pain of judgment, yet, in returning, they experienced the exaltation of being God's chosen remnant. This pattern has repeated many times in history.

The returning exiles who began the construction of the second Temple under Zerubbabel, also built homes, restored the wall around the city, reestablished the worship of God in the new Temple and sought to live righteously, knowing that they "were recorded for life in Jerusalem" (Is. 4:3). They determined to live in godly purity so that they might "...be called holy" (e.g., Neh. 9:1-3; Zech. 8:11), and that they might know the presence of God's glory over them as "a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain" (Is. 4:6).

Similarly, the Holy Fathers of the Church in the fourth century AD read Isaiah's prophecy of devastation and restoration in relation to the events of history following the time of the Lord's ministry in the flesh. Jerusalem had been ravaged by the pagan Roman armies under Titus, and the Jewish Temple had been destroyed; but the Church, united to the true Messiah, became "Mount Zion and over her assemblies [was] a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there [was] a canopy and a pavilion" (Is. 4:5).

The Christians who survived the years of Imperial Roman persecution saw the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the destruction of the Temple, and the decimation of the Jewish communities as the fulfillment of the predicted time of bitter judgment for the ancient People of God. Indeed, the Lord made "it a waste; it [was] not...pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns [grew] up" (vs. 5:6). Yet for themselves, through the Christian Mystery, they knew the fulfillment of Isaiah's words: God had washed away the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion (the Church) - through the Mystery of the Holy Laver and Anointing (Is. 4:4).

I was glad because of them that said unto me: Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet have stood in thy courts, O Jerusalem. (Ps. 121:1,2 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

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[Oblio]

[c]Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Lenten Fast
The Martyr Hesychios the Senator

6th Hour: Isaiah 5:7-16 1st Vespers: Genesis 4:8-15 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 5:1-15

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The Lord and His Vineyard: Isaiah 5:7-16 RSV, especially vs. 7: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry!" Before considering the reading for today, it is well to review the whole of the fifth chapter of Isaiah, which divides into four parts. First, the Lord sings a song concerning His vineyard, which was the second half of yesterday's reading (5:1-7), in which God complains against Judah and Jerusalem: "When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?" (vs. 4).
Second, the reading today advances into a lyric parable with a catalog of six woes, each specifying a sin of the people against which the Lord issues judgment. The subject of today's passage (vss. 8-16) is two of these woes. Third, the other four woes (vss.16-26) will be addressed tomorrow. Fourth, the final section of the chapter is not assigned. It describes the coming conquest of the nation by foreign armies as instruments of God's judgment (vss. 26-30).

In the today's reading, God pronounces His first woe against the covetous who are forcing their neighbors off their family property. Driven by the passion to "join house to house" and to "add field to field" (vs. 8), wealthy landowners squeezed their poorer neighbors from their hereditary lands, until "there [was] no more room...in the midst of the land" (vs. 8).

When one member of God's people takes another's land, he disenfranchises a brother from what God has given him. Such acquisitions could be accomplished by excessive debt and interest or by judicial force, as in the case of Ahab and Jezebel against their neighbor, Naboth (1 K 21:1-16). However, the removal of others from their lands was not only a violation of the tenth commandment (Ex. 20:17), but also a breach of fellowship and a rejection of communion.

In uttering the first woe, in addition to specifying the sin, the Lord also declares the sure judgment which will follow: desolation and depopulation (Is. 5:9), as well as crop failure (vs. 10). Historically, the sequence of greed, land appropriation, and depopulation have repeatedly led, all over the world, to rural poverty, starvation, and the hindering of food production. This happened during Isaiah's time in Judah, during the time of the Lord's ministry in Galilee and Judea because of Roman Imperial policies, and during collectivization under Soviet policies. It is a sin every people must actively prevent or else they will endure God's ordained consequences.

God then proclaims His second woe against those who are wasting their lives in drinking and carousing. "Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening till wine inflames them," enjoying "lyre and harp, timbrel and flute...at their feasts" (vss. 11,12). Observe that the indictment against "feasting" is coupled with a second charge of failure to "regard the deeds of the Lord," to "see the works of His hands" (vs. 12). Sinners, preoccupied with self-indulgence, do not see the hand of God at work in the affairs of their lives or communities. Then and now, such people are secularists, people we know well.

In the end, predictably, both for secular man and for godless societies, there will be captivity, death, hunger, and humiliation (vss.13-15). These same declarations of consequence appear in the Magnificat, the Song of the Theotokos: "He hath filled the empty with good things and the rich hath He sent empty away" (Lk. 1:53). In all generations, God opposes greed, aggrandizement, self-indulgence, and the spurning of His will for His people.

Spare us, O Lord, according to the multitude of Thy mercy, for our days have passed away in vanity. Wrest us out of the hand of the adversary and forgive us our sins that we may put off the old man and be clothed upon with the new man and may live unto Thee in all things.

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

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[Oblio]

[c]Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Lenten Fast
Hieromartyr Theodoretos

6th Hour: Isaiah 5:16-26 1st Vespers: Genesis 4:16-26 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 5:15-6:3

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Self Destruction: Isaiah 5:16-26 LXX, especially vss. 22, 24: "the mighty ones...shall be as chaff, and their flower shall go up as dust; for they rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and insulted the word of the Holy One of Israel." In Isaiah 5:7-16 one finds a scriptural pattern of Divine indictment for a specific sin followed by a Divine imposition of a sentence or punishment. The earlier passage contains two indictments and judgments. In the present verses from Isaiah, the pattern continues. Four woes are pronounced - against 1) disdaining God (vss. 18-19), 2) reprobate consciousness (vs. 20), 3) pride (vs. 21) and 4) self-serving (vss. 22-24).
Following the four woes, today's reading concludes with a decree of judgment against God's sinful people, which begins: "Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust" (vs. 24). Observe that Isaiah's understanding of sin and its consequences in this passage closely agrees with St. Paul's views concerning sin as expressed in Romans 1:18-23.

Disaster begins spiritually, within men's hearts, as we "draw iniquity with cords of falsehood" (Is. 5:18). We sin by asserting our own lusts. We put our hands to the rope of desire and pull, drawing the act of sin to ourselves. Isaiah highlights this truth by framing the common statement of every sinner's heart: "let [God] speed His work that we may see it"(vs. 19). By our inner agreement with our corrupted passions, we start the journey toward visible sins, and, in that interior moment, we effectively ignore the truth of God by questioning whether He acts in our lives. This affront adds to our sin, and so we are "without excuse" before God (Rom. 1:20).

We 'do ourselves in' by a disastrous inner consent in the heart, denying and destroying the image of God within us. In our sinful hearts, we dare God to write out visibly, as on a billboard, what already is written within each of us. The arrogance of sin manifests itself in the appalling demand of the creature for God to prove Himself, to meet our criteria for trusting Him.

From our sinful arrogance, there follows an inversion of truth. As Isaiah declares: men "call evil good and good evil...put darkness for light and light for darkness and...put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" The Prophet provides a portrait of what the Apostle Paul calls "the reprobate mind" (Rom 1:28). As we flaunt God and choose not to "glorify Him as God, nor [to be] thankful," it is we who become "futile" in our thoughts, whose foolish hearts are "darkened" (Rom. 1:21). Listen to all the arguments supporting abortion, homosexuality, same-sex 'marriages,' euthanasia, sexual indulgence apart from marriage, gang marauding, or the use of drugs. Arguments favoring these sins display a common darkness of heart; for in our spiritual centers, mirrors of God's image, we "...suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:18).

Isaiah pronounces God's "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes" (Is. 5:21). St. Paul echoes him in Romans, "Professing to be wise, they became fools" (Rom. 1:22). A "fool" in Holy Scripture is one who scoffs at the fear of the Lord and despises godly wisdom and instruction (Prov. 1:7). However, the root cause of such conceit is pride, a vaunted confidence in one's own ability to determine the truth of life's issues and purpose.

When "foolishness," or pride, is translated into visible behavior, the result is self-serving which inevitably perverts justice, as Isaiah says: acquitting "the guilty for a bribe" (Is. 5:23). Note that the end of all who persist in sins, who do not think to repent, "will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts" (vs. 24).

From my youth up many passions have warred against me. But do Thou help and save me, O my Savior, and quicken and exalt me in purity made resplendent by the Triune Unity.


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

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[Oblio]

[c]Thursday, March 4, 2004
Lenten Fast
Venerable Gerasimos of the Jordan

6th Hour: Isaiah 6:1-12 1st Vespers: Genesis 5:1-24 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 6:3-20

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Encounter with God: Isaiah 6:1-12 RSV, especially vs. 5: "And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'" St. John Chrysostom asks, "How then can Isaiah claim to have seen the Lord?" Is not this a contradiction of realities, that finite man should look upon the Infinite Himself? It is inconceivable! As Vladimir Lossky states, "One cannot fix God with a concept. Such is 'learned ignorance.' God therefore remains transcendent, radically transcendent by His nature....It is He about Whom we have no knowledge unless it be to know how we do not know Him." Similarly, St. John the Theologian declares, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." (Jn. 1:18). At Sinai, God told Moses explicitly, "for man shall not see Me, and live" (Ex. 33:20).
What then shall we make of Isaiah 'seeing' God? Here is St. John Chrysostom's answer to his own question about Isaiah's encounter with God: "the Prophet speaks of that which was possible for him to see...the vision was an act of condescension." God deigned to meet Isaiah, and, in the meeting, He disclosed as much of Himself as the man Isaiah was capable of knowing and seeing. We are left with Isaiah's 'report,' and what he tells us reveals six facets of God's character: God is indeed beyond human knowing, supremely holy, able to cleanse of all sin, desirous that we serve Him, the Overlord of all nations, and He Who watches over His people.

As Isaiah describes his vision of God, he observes that "above Him stood the seraphim," each with six wings, and that every one of them, by means of two of his wings "covered his face" (vs. 2). Not even those most pure, heavenly creatures who stand next to the presence of God, are able to behold the Lord in His essence. Let us also affirm the impossibility of 'seeing' God, uphold His utter unknowability, and humbly accept the Mystery of His Being as the starting point and continuing quality of our relationship with Him unto all ages.

Further, Isaiah reports that the seraphim who lead the heavenly worship of God, cry to one another in a thrice Holy anthem, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory" (vs. 3). Here we have the Thrice Holy Hymn which we offer up to the Lord our God in the Divine Liturgy. Let us assert that God is The Holiest, and that 'He alone is Holy.' Let us also note in wonder what the Fathers observed: Isaiah's triple acclamation foreshadowed the revelation of the Trinity only finally disclosed by the Incarnation of God the Word.

In addition, one of the seraphim healed Isaiah, touching his mouth with a flaming coal and saying, "your guilt is taken away" (vs. 7). St. Ambrose bids us notice that the seraph did not say, "I will take away, but that fire from the altar of God, that is, the grace of the Spirit. For what else can we piously understand to be on the altar of God but the grace of the Spirit?" God heals!

After his cleansing, the Prophet heard the voice of God calling him into service. An authentic encounter with God results in a summons to do His will. The Lord does not force anyone to Himself, but sets forward opportunity - "Whom shall I send?..." (vs. 8). Let us answer!

God gave Isaiah His message (vss. 9-13), a word of both judgment and restoration: the Prophet was to warn repeatedly that the People would not receive God's word, because "the heart of this people [is] fat, and their ears [are] heavy" (vss. 9-10). Therefore, the nation soon would go into exile to Babylon. Utter desolation would come (vs. 11)

Still, God watches over His People for renewal: "the holy seed is in the stump" (vs. 13).

Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; and teach me Thy statutes. Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise, O Lord, that I may praise Thy glory all the day long.


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

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[Oblio]

[c]Friday, March 5, 2004
Lenten Fast
The New Martyr John the Bulgarian

6th Hour: Isaiah 7:1-15 1st Vespers: Genesis 5:32-6:8 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 6:20-7:1

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Opposing God: Isaiah 7:1-15 RSV, especially vss. 10-12: "Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, "Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test." Who has not seen otherwise intelligent people 'fly in the face' of wise counsel and wreak havoc on themselves and others? Take a man dominated by alcohol: he refuses the pleas of his wife and children, scoffs at the warnings of his employer, argues with his Pastor and friends, and ignores the counsel of his physician. Then he gets his paycheck and heads off to the bar, opposing all the loving warnings he has been given.
Do not think that opposition to loving advice is a problem solely of alcoholics. Almost all of us, at one time or another, have 'flown in the face' of a 'mountain' of truly good advice. Only because of the lovingkindness of God, (usually) we have survived the results of our foolish choices, and often only 'a little the worse for the wear.' Later, we think back with regret at our obstinacy - a little older, sadder, and hopefully, wiser than before.

The worst type of refusing wisdom given in love is to reject the counsel of God and His Church. Today's reading is about such resistance, about opposition to God in the ranks of His ancient People. However, God provided a surprise ending in the example shared here by Isaiah.

Isaiah cautions us to beware whenever we feel pressure to hurry into a decision. Sales promotions rely on 'now or never' devices: 'You have just five days to respond to this amazing offer!' 'I can't guarantee you this price another time!' 'We have just two of these left!'

Observe how king Ahaz of Judah and his people were thunderstruck when they learned of the military coalition attacking them: "his heart and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind" (vs. 2). In panic, under pressure to decide, let us embrace the counsel of the Lord: "Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint" (vs. 4). May the Lord Who governs all things well, give us the grace to be attentive to this word.

Also in this passage, the Lord teaches us to be wary of easy, obvious, nice, and 'workable' solutions. Examine each element in an answer that immediately presents itself. Ask, 'Does it brush past the wisdom of Orthodox Tradition?' Consider, 'In what ways does the easy answer not square with the teachings of the Holy Fathers?' Isaiah warned the King against the plans of his opponents - the king of Syria and the king of Ephraim: they have "devised evil against you" (vs. 5), but far more important, "it shall not come to pass" (vs. 7). We know from the Second book of Kings that King Ahaz went against the godly counsel of Isaiah. He invited the king of the Assyrian Empire to come to his aid - a choice with terrible consequences both for the king and for his nation, Judah (2 Kngs. 16). Let us pray and listen carefully to the Lord.

Just before King Ahaz made his bitter choice, God sent Isaiah to him a second time (vss. 10-17). The Lord gave the king a fair opportunity to bolster his confidence in God's power to 'solve' his impossible problem: "Ask a sign of the Lord your God" (vs.11). Note well that the King refused. It is true that he couched his refusal in pious language, but he opposed God (vs. 12). Beware never to reject a clear commandment or offering of help from God. The outcome of King Ahaz' decision allowed the Assyrians to weaken the kingdom of Judah which set the stage for conquest by the Babylonians a little over a hundred years later.

Still, God loves His People. He had His surprise, a miracle for all nations: "a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." (vs. 14). O Son of God, save us!

Holding steadfastly the foresayings of the Prophet, let us shout with a loud voice with Isaiah, saying: Behold the Virgin shall conceive in the womb and give birth to a Son, Immanuel.


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

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[Oblio]

[c]Saturday, March 6, 2004
Lenten Fast
The Forty-two Martyrs of Amoria

Kellia: Genesis 28:10-17 Epistle: Hebrews 3:2-16 Gospel: St. Mark 1:35-44

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The Ladder: Genesis 28: 10-17LXX, especially vs. 12: "...behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it. And the Lord stood upon it...." At the Great Vespers of Annunciation (eve of March 25th), in the first sticheron intoned during the Psalm, "Lord I have cried..." (Ps. 140 LXX), the Church exclaims to the Theotokos: "Rejoice, O lofty ladder whom Jacob did behold!" Hereby, we learn to recognize the Mother of God in the type of the Ladder which Jacob saw; for in her birth-giving, she became the link between heaven and earth, by which God descended to our mortal, human existence. In a similar way, a Catechism of the Church points out that "elsewhere, she is called the 'Gate of heaven,' for it is through her that God makes His entrance among men in the person of Jesus."
Earlier, this same Catechism observes that the identification of the Virgin as the "Ladder of Jacob" and the "Gate of heaven" is "the first manifestation of Jacob's dream." Indeed, the great Manifestation of the Patriarch's vision descended from heaven through her, and before men. He manifestly has united our race to God. He Himself declares to us: "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" (Jn. 1:51). Hence, the Theotokos is the antitype of Jesus, Who is the Archetype of the Ladder, the One by Whom the Lord has fixed upon earth the Way leading "to the Holy of Holies, [making] manifest the God of love."

See what we learn from Jacob's vision: "behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven" (Gen. 28:12 LXX). The Catechism reminds us that "When God becomes Incarnate, taking human flesh, heaven and earth become reunited." In Christ, the gate to Paradise which was shut against Adam and Eve now is reopened for all men and women. God provides us with a means of ascent - the Archetypal Ladder. The conjunction of God and Man lead St. Andrew of Crete to prompt us: "You know, my soul, of the Ladder shown to Jacob reaching from earth to Heaven. Why have you not clung to the sure step of piety?"

In his dream, Jacob saw "the angels of God" ascending and descending on the Ladder (vs. 12). Christ Jesus is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" by His own testimony (Jn. 14:6). God has fashioned an eternal means of communication between the finite world and Himself, giving us knowledge of the Unknowable, allowing us to handle the Word of Life (1 Jn. 1:1). Again, St. Andrew of Crete prompts us: "the great Patriarch...mystically set up for you my soul, a ladder of active ascent." St. John of the Ladder adds: "Let him who has mounted it not turn back."

God promised to give the land on which Jacob lay and the ladder was "fixed" to his "seed" (Gen. 28:13 LXX). From the Apostle Paul we learn that this "seed" which God mentions "is Christ" (Gal. 3:16). Through this Seed which is Christ, multitudes of people who live on earth will receive strength to struggle up the Ladder to "reach the ineffable beauty of that Countenance." Hence "shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 28:14).

Jacob's response to the dream is to awake in awe before a new potential for eternity in this life. He continued his life-journey with hope and great expectation, because he knew the Ladder existed, and so may we! On the one hand, Metropolitan Philaret reminds us: "not [to] forget that, unless we employ our efforts in correcting ourselves and our lives, we shall cease our ascent, and, most assuredly, we shall begin to fall." Conversely, St. Andrew of Crete encourages us: "The ladder...my soul is a model of mounting by action and ascent by knowledge."

O Word of the Father, through Thine exceeding compassion Thou didst descend to us who fall here below, putting on our humility: help us to ascend by the true Way to eternal Life.



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

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[Oblio]

[c]Monday, March 8, 2004
Lenten Fast
Theophylaktos, Bishop of Nicomedia

6th Hour: Isaiah 8:13-9:7 1st Vespers: Genesis 6:9-22 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 8:1-21

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The Light for the Nations: Isaiah 8:13-9:7 LXX, especially vs. 2: "O people walking in darkness, behold a great light: you that dwell in the region and shadow of death, a light shall shine upon you." The old holy man, Simeon, took the child in his arms and gazed upon Him. Then the Holy Spirit confirmed in his heart that he was, indeed, holding and looking upon the Salvation of the world, just as God had promised him. Of course Simeon cried: "a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy People Israel" (Lk. 2:32). He knew Isaiah's revelation, that a great Prince, a Light for all nations, would be born, "the Consolation of Israel" (Lk. 2:25). Today's reading is that initial revelation to Isaiah, but is also very much a word for us.
At first, God admonished Isaiah "not to walk in the way of this people" (Is. 8:11) - meaning the ancient People of God and their fear and dread of the ever expanding Assyrian Empire. Rather, the Prophet was to regard the holiness of the Lord of hosts and "let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread" (Is. 8:13). Wise advice for God's People in all ages!

The whole of the revelation has two facets, one directed to Isaiah and the Faithful gathered around him, the other spoken against the ancient, apostate people of Israel. For Isaiah and the others who feared God, the Lord would become a "sanctuary"(vs. 14) - through His testimony and teaching "among My disciples" (vs. 16.). The godly Isaiah affirms that which the Faithful always have said: "I will wait for the Lord...and I will hope in Him" (vs. 17). Their witness to "the teaching and to the testimony" of the Lord served as negative "signs and portents" (vs.18), a vivid contrast to the apostasy of the majority.

Both "houses of Israel" (vs. 14), the northern and the southern kingdoms, were not finally destined to know God as a sanctuary but as "a stone of offense, and a rock of stumbling...a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (vs. 14), upon which the majority "[should] stumble...fall and be broken" (vs. 15). Thus, they would be snared and taken because they were urging one another to, "Consult the mediums and the wizards....and...consult the dead on behalf of the living" (vs. 19). In doing this, they were relying upon the occult, the demonic - the evil powers behind such practices. The consequences of such behavior would assure inevitably that they would "pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry" (vs. 21), and that they would "be thrust into thick darkness" (vs. 22). The irony of the prophecy becomes explicit when one considers "the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali," the northern and eastern most tribal lands of the ancient People of Israel, for God already had brought these territories "into contempt" for apostasy (vs. 1). The peoples of the region had been deported by the Assyrians and that territory "beyond Jordan," also known as Galilee, had been repopulated with Gentile pagans. But for that benighted land, whose people had "walked in darkness...and dwelt in a land of deep darkness" (vs. 2), there "will be no gloom" (vs. 1). Instead, they "have seen a great light...on them has light shined" (vs. 2).

Beloved of the Lord, we know the Light of Whom Isaiah was given foresight. Like Simeon, "we have seen the true Light...we have found the true faith...for He hath saved us!" "For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government [is] upon His shoulder, and His Name [is] 'Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end....The zeal of the Lord of hosts [has done] this" (vss. 6,7), beginning in Galilee, the land of contempt that He made "glorious" (vs.1).

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath given rise to the light of knowledge in the world, for they that worshiped the stars did learn therefrom to worship Thee, O Sun of justice!

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

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[Oblio]

[c]Tuesday, March 9, 2004
Lenten Fast
The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

6th Hour: Isaiah 9:9-10:4 1st Vespers: Genesis 7:1-5 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 8:32-9:11

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Grace and Peace: Isaiah 9:9-10:4 RSV, especially vss. 12, 17, 21, and 4: "For all this His anger is not turned away and His hand is stretched out still." A reality which we accept as Orthodox Christians is God's reign over life and death, a truth that will be manifest to us unmistakably when we "stand before the dread Judgment Seat of Christ." A prophetic reminder of this universal destiny is repeated four times in today's reading, each time concluding a description of sin among the People of God: 1) arrogance of heart, 2) godless evil doing, 3) cruelty, and 4) exploitation. St. Nikolai of Zica says bluntly, "If men, unto seventy times seven, refuse the salvation of God, then He will not save them." St. Nikolai's point in this assertion is that God does not desire the death of sinners, but seeks our repentance that He may save us.
Recall the thrust of the Lord Jesus' teaching found in the Beatitudes: God shall bestow blessing upon those who forswear their sins in favor of poverty of spirit, mourning for their sins, and seeking righteousness in all their living. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 5:3). Still, let us make no mistake: God will not turn His anger away unless we follow the path of the Beatitudes: first, to plead for mercy from Him and then immediately to say, "Remember us, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom."

However, when any of the People of God "say in pride and arrogance of heart" (Is. 9:9) that they will overcome their adversities rather than saying, "I know, O Lord, that I justly deserve any punishment Thou mayest inflict upon me for I have so often offended Thee and sinned against Thee in thought, word, and deed," we may be certain that the Lord's hand "is stretched out still" (vs.12) against such persons. A modest prayer, offered honestly, more nearly reflects poverty of spirit and mourning for sin. Such, the Lord says, will lead to the Kingdom of Heaven and to comfort from God. All around us we are encouraged in godless self-reliance rather than in meek dependence on God. How much better to say: "The bricks have fallen" (vs. 10), and by the grace and forgiveness of God we shall endeavor to rebuild as the Lord directs us.

The spirit of contemporary culture, which too many Christians foolishly adopt, is "not to turn to Him Who smote them, not to seek the Lord of hosts" (vs.13). What better definition will we find for "godlessness"? And the nicest people are guilty of this, elders and honored men as well as those who teach lies (vs.15), but they "lead this people...astray" (vs.16), even those whom the Lord normally defends, the "fatherless and the widows; for every one is godless and an evildoer" (vs.17). This is why "The Lord of all taught us by a parable to run away from the haughtiness of the Pharisees," promising instead that "the pure in heart...shall see God" (Mt. 5:8).

The godless failure to "seek the Lord of hosts" (vs.13) is bound to manifest itself in a wickedness which "kindles the thickets of the forest....and the people are like fuel for the fire; no man spares his brother. They snatch on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied" (vss. 18,19,20). Such is not God's way. He offers us the Beatitudes instead: "Blessed are the merciful" (Mt. 5:7) and "Blessed are the peace makers" (Mt. 5:9).

Those who suffer most when godless wickedness is the norm in society are the "needy," the "poor of My people," the "widows" and the "fatherless" who are turned into the prey of the social predators. "For all this His anger is not turned away" (Is. 10:4). Better, Beloved of the Lord, that we "hunger and thirst for righteousness sake" (Mt. 5:6) now in all our ways than find the Lord's hand stretched out against us for eternity when we shall appear before Him.

O Christ our God, Who didst compassionately ordain for us forgiveness with kingly authority; forsake us not in our danger of estrangement from Thee, but arise and save us!


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

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[Oblio]

[c]Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Lenten Fast
Anastasia, Patrician of Alexandria

6th Hour: Isaiah 10:12-20 1st Vespers: Genesis 7:6-9 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 9:12-18

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Prophecy as Forth-telling: Isaiah 10:12-20 RSV, especially vs. 12: "When the Lord has finished all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride." The Old Testament Prophets, guided by the Holy Spirit, described vividly and accurately the immediate social and political world around them. By the same Spirit, they received knowledge of the future, of events beyond their time. Of course, these visions were colored by the Prophets' own cultural and historical experiences.
For the next three days, we will meditate on three different aspects of prophecy as written by Isaiah, the master-craftsman of prophetic writing: 1) "forth-telling," speaking the word of God concerning current events; 2) "foretelling," predicting the inevitable consequences resulting from current circumstances and actions; and 3) "foreseeing," looking far forward in time to describe how God's hand will shape the great sweep of all human history.

Today's reading is an example of Isaiah's capacity to "forth-tell," to speak of God's judgment concerning current events. The contemporary politics which Isaiah addressed were dominated by the expansionist empire of Assyria (in the area now called Iraq). In 732 BC, in a series of swift military campaigns, Assyria captured Damascus in Syria and forced Israel, the northern kingdom of God's People, into vassalage. How did God view these menacing events?

Isaiah declared: God "will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride," but not until the Lord had "finished all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem" (vs.12). That "work" was to carry out God's proclamation of "woe" against His People for their pride and their arrogance, a pronouncement we read yesterday (Is. 9:9-10:4). That long passage is very direct in "forth-telling" why God's "anger is not turned away and His hand is stretched out still" (Is.10:4). Recall the condemnation of godlessness and evil doing (Is. 9:17) and of the People's insistence to "keep writing oppression" (Is.10:1).

Lest the People should imagine that the invasions by Assyria and their ruthless subjugation of the neighboring kingdom of Israel were accidental and that God would save them, the Lord declared through Isaiah that Assyria is "the rod of My anger, the staff of My fury against a godless nation" (Is.10:5,6). Invincible Assyria was merely a tool in God's hands: "I send him, and against the people of My wrath I command him" (Is.10:6). However, God also found serious wickedness in Assyria's king. The greedy Assyrian monarch was not satisfied merely to carry out God's limited objectives; he believed he should have more. Hence, in today's reading, the Lord declares, I "will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria" (Is.10:12).

Observe Isaiah's "forth-telling." He makes a penetrating analysis of the psyche of the conquering Assyrian monarch (vss.13,14). The king had unquestioning confidence in his human power: "I have done it" (vs.13), and in his personal wisdom: "I have understanding" (vs.13). He saw no reason to restrain his greed and his theft of the products and wealth of others (vss.13,14). God's view was quite opposite. He saw this monarch as a puny mortal, subject to Divine will. Tools, such as axes, saws, rods, and staffs, do the bidding of the Master Who wields them. Therefore this king would soon discover his vulnerability. Plague crippled his army when a wasting disease took the lives of 180,000 of his soldiers during a siege of Jerusalem (2 K.18,19). Shortly thereafter, the Assyrian king was assassinated by his own sons (2 K. 19:37). Then God, "the light of Israel [became] a fire," and He burned the kingdom of Assyria (Is. 10:17,18).

O Christ, our King and our God, guide the nations of the world into Thy justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which cometh from Thee and 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

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[Oblio]

[c]Thursday, March 11, 2004
Lenten Fast
Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem

6th Hour: Isaiah 11:10-12:2 1st Vespers: Genesis 7:11-8:3 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 10:1-22

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Prophecy as Foretelling: Isaiah 11:10-12:2 RSV, especially vs. 12:2: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation." Since the day of Pentecost, the Church has proclaimed the Lord Jesus as the "root of Jesse" foretold by Isaiah (Is. 11:10): "In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; Him shall the nations seek, and His dwellings shall be glorious."
In the phrase, "the root of Jesse," the Holy Fathers perceived Christ's Incarnation. St. John of Damascus, in explaining Is. 11:1, a verse employing imagery similar to 11:10, says: "the holy and much-lauded ever-virgin one, Mary, the Mother of God,...being pre-ordained by the eternal, prescient counsel of God and imaged forth and proclaimed in diverse images and discourses of the prophets through the Holy Spirit, sprang from the root of David, according to the promises that were made to him. 'For the Lord has sworn, He says in truth to David, He will not turn from it: of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne' "(Ps. 131:11 LXX).

From Mary, then, came the Lord Jesus Himself. St. Nikolai of Zica asks, "Who else is this rod from the stem of Jesse but the Lord Christ?" Since Jesse was the father of King David, it follows that the Lord Jesus, from the root of Jesse, was also from the House of David through the lineage of His Mother, even to the extent of being born in the city of David, Bethlehem.

In the Septuagint, the next two phrases of the Is.11:10 read, "He that shall arise to rule over the Gentiles," and "His rest shall be glorious." In these, the Church perceives the Lord's Resurrection and enthronement at the right hand of God the Father. St. Eusebios assigned the first phrase to the Resurrection, applying "His rest" to Christ's regal and heavenly session, from which He rules over the nations. St. Jerome, however, understood the imagery of "His rest" to refer to the Holy Sepulcher: "As often as we enter it we see the Savior in His grave clothes, and if we linger we see again the angel sitting at His feet, and the napkin folded at His head." Long before the Sepulcher was hewn out, St. Jerome says, "Isaiah foretold its glory: 'His rest shall be glorious,' meaning that the place of the Lord's burial should be held in universal honor."

In addition, Isaiah's prophecy foretold the ever-expanding reign of Christ over all the nations of earth begun at Pentecost (vs. 11). The language foreshadows the Christian description of those who gathered on Pentecost: "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the part of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." (Acts 2:9,10,11).

Notice also, the Apostolic message included the proclamation of the Cross of Christ, "...to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor.1:24). Theodoret of Cyrus, speaking of verse 12 of Isaiah, says: "To what other standard could this relate, except the symbol of the cross?"

In verses 13-16, Isaiah received a glimpse of the Lord's final, great reign. He foretold the end of ancient jealousies such as existed between the ten northern tribes who called themselves Israel, and the two southern tribes, known as Judah (vs. 13). And how much more jealousy there is around the world! The Fathers noted how the Gospel already had spread in their times into all the lands named in verses 14-15. Finally, concluding in Chapter 12, Isaiah foretold how, in His mercy, God would turn aside His wrath and become our Savior (vss.1,2).

Thy Prophet Isaiah foretold the way of salvation, O Savior, by the grace of Thy Spirit. Grant that we too may follow in the way which Thou hast shown us. 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

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[Oblio]

[c]Friday, March 12, 2004
Lenten Fast
Gregory the Dialogist. Pope of Rome

6th Hour: Isaiah 13:2-13 1st Vespers: Genesis 8:3-21 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 10:31-11:12

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Prophecy as Foreseeing: Isaiah 13:2-13 LXX, especially vs. 5: "To come from a land afar off, from the utmost foundation of heaven; the Lord and His warriors are coming to destroy all the world." In Hiroshima, on the ground near the epicenter of the infamous atomic blast, there remains, burned into a portion of the former sidewalk, the shadow of a man who was walking there at the time of the detonation. He was evaporated, but his shadow, a lasting memorial of an unknown man seared into the surface of the cement, still reminds us of his presence on earth.
Today's reading is a prophetic vision of the future which Isaiah foresaw long ago, of a grim Day akin to that day which burned the shadow of a hapless man into concrete. However, the Day which Isaiah foresaw will shatter the entire world. Isaiah's vision spurs us to "wail" from the heart (vs. 6) and consider the terrible destruction that is coming on the Day of the Lord.

On the Day of the Lord, God will send noble warriors, angelic beings (not as in the RSV, "mighty men") to execute His "wrath and fierce anger" (vss. 3,9). These apostles of Divine wrath will "destroy the whole earth" (vs. 5) "exulting" as they mete out the justice of God (vs. 3). All nations will know tumult (vs. 4), indignation (vs. 5), impotence and fear (vs. 7), dismay (vs. 8), agony and horror (vs. 8), and the shock will flame up on every face (vs. 8). All who formerly were proud and honored will be utterly laid low for their iniquity and ruthlessness (vs. 11).

Even to speak of such things disturbs the mind and heart. The images evoke a realization of an aspect of God's nature and of human sordidness which disturbs us. We tend to avoid thinking and speaking of such final, dread times. It is for this reason that the Lord specifically says, "On a bare hill raise a signal, cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them...." Better each man should look honestly at this reality now and cry out like the thief on the cross while, by the grace of God, the possibility remains to us of mercy and deliverance from such judgment.

Consider the implication of Isaiah's vision: the Day of the Lord will engulf the entire universe - the stars of heaven, "the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light." (vs. 10). Beloved, the Lord warns us through His Prophets, and He sent His Apostles to save all men from the coming dread universal judgment (Mt. 28:19). Yet, the borders of many lands still are closed to the Gospel by ignorance, fear, and darkness. In some places even to speak of the Faith is a capital crime. Nonetheless, all nations will be judged for their acceptance or rejection of salvation. Most all kings and the majority of earth's people will face the pain and degradation of the dread Day of the Lord (vss. 2,3,7,11). We hear in these verses the same message which St. Paul delivered with all urgency at the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17:31).

Finally, we learn the reason for this universal judgment: human rebellion against God and His righteous law. God is not capricious, nor is He cruel, only just and righteous. His hand has long been stayed and withheld from such judgment, despite immeasurable and terrible atrocities across the face of the earth. The last century especially saw much that was depraved and sinful, leading God to say, "I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless." (vs. 11). The pride of haughty transgressors will be stilled as God Himself corrects Earth's wrongs (vs. 11).

Isaiah's vision of desolation is relieved by the smallest word of hope: there will be a few left, "men more rare than fine gold" (vs. 12), for God is just and righteous, not cruel. He "desires all men to be saved" (1 Tim. 2:4), and some men and women do heed His pleas. These are counted by God as "the gold of Ophir" (vs. 12) - precious and of great value.

O Immortal King and God, our Savior, grant us the mercies of Thine eternal kingdom!



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

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[Oblio]

[c]Saturday, March 13, 2004
Lenten Fast
Consecration of Raphael of Brooklyn

Kellia: Isaiah 43:9-14 Epistle: Hebrews 10:32-38 Gospel: St. Mark 2:14-17

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The Church: Isaiah 43:9-14 LXX, especially vs. 9: "All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them; who will declare these things? or who will declare to you things from the beginning? let them bring forth their witnesses, and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth." Theodoret of Cyrus understood that this prophecy of Isaiah applies to the Church and speaks to her mission and destiny within the economy of God: "all the Gentiles have recognized their true God, one Church has gathered all the nations together...." Hereby, we perceive the miracle of the Church brought about in the Mystery of Christ. Our God and Savior came into a world that is held in the grip of dark principalities, powers, sin, and death. Now He is breaking down the barriers which these spiritual tyrants constantly erect between men and nations, divisions which potently separate peoples and even families. In foreseeing the Mystery of Christ, Isaiah also saw our fragmentation reversed: "the nations are gathered together" (vs. 9).
All that which defeats mankind's efforts to achieve unity is shown as overcome in God's vision to Isaiah. While negotiations, warfare, alliances, weapon systems, technology, and ideologies fail, God is bringing together a great gathering. Consider the scope and realization of this wondrous promise. And, we have, in the Church, both a foretaste of this miracle and the sure and certain hope of it. Let us raise our eyes and look again at the Mystery of Christ in Whom we "are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:21).

Through Isaiah, God teaches us to be confident of the fulfillment of the vision despite any apparent reverses we may encounter and notwithstanding our puny capacity to realize what God reveals to us. The Prophet asserts that the Lord is the Author of all wonders that will be. Hence the vision will succeed. Isaiah asks, Who has been here, "from the beginning" of history (Is. 43:9 LXX)? What man can declare these things (vs. 9)? The Prophet's questions penetrate us: the peoples of the earth have no witnesses who can assure outcomes except in the Church: "Ye are My witnesses and I Am the Lord God" (vs. 12). It is God Who promises, "that you may know and believe and understand" (vs. 10). Thus, the Church may confirm Isaiah's vision and draw the defeated peoples of this benighted planet into herself to "hear, and declare the truth" (vs. 9).

Over and over God reiterates His personal determination to see this promise through to conclusion: "'I, I Am the Lord, and beside Me there is no Savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,' says the Lord. 'I Am God, and also henceforth I Am He; there is none who can deliver from My hand; I work and who can hinder it?'" (vss. 11-13). God is our great Source of confidence.

Therefore, God calls all members of the Church to testify to the truth of the vision, to declare it, to live for it, to labor for it, and even to die for it - if need be. For God's sake, let us not look to created beings nor to man-made things to save us from division and barriers, for our "Redeemer [is] the Holy One of Israel" (vs. 14). We are not in the Church at this moment in history, because we chose our Faith or because it is nice to be a Christian. Isaiah's vision puts us under obligation to witness confidently to the Lord and to speak up boldly in support of what He is accomplishing. He expects our cooperation in His world-wide project, "and who can hinder it?" (vs. 13). As the Lord Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (Jn. 15:16).

Let us therefore take up the Lord's task with gladness. For our sake, He will send to the Babylons of this world "and break down all the bars" (vs. 14), for we shall be one in Christ Jesus.

Be mindful of Thy Orthodox Catholic Church, O Lord, and preserve it unconquerable.


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

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[Oblio]

[c]Thursday, March 18, 2004
Lenten Fast
Nikolai, Bishop of Zica in Serbia

6th Hour: Isaiah 28:14-22 1st Vespers: Genesis 10:32-11:9 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 13:19-14:6

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The Cornerstone: Isaiah 28:14-22 RSV, especially vs. 16: "Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not be in haste.'" In the present passage from Isaiah is the fourth image in a series of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Being written in prophetic words rather than with an iconographer's palette and brush, the lesson reveals our God and Savior as a Cornerstone - the precious foundation stone of the Church. As St. Nikolai of Zica declares: "This wonderful stone, my brothers, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. For if the Prophet had thought it an ordinary stone, he would not have spoken of belief in it...." Therefore, in this verse is another instance of the Holy Spirit providing to the People of God, through His Holy Prophet, a glimpse forward in time to that eternal legacy which has now been revealed to us fully in Christ Jesus (Col. 1:26).
In this instance, Isaiah places his prophecy vividly against a background of scathing reproof against His own People. Observe: the Lord makes a dual declaration - 1) of a work of bitterness and wrath (Is. 28:21), and 2) of a work of laying a precious foundation stone (vs. 16). The contrastive effect highlights the significance of Him Who is the precious Cornerstone.

In reading this prophecy, we can appreciate the immediate historical conditions which prompted Isaiah to rebuke the men and princes of his day (vs. 14): during Isaiah's time, the tiny kingdom of Judah lay between two powerful empires, Assyria to the north, and Egypt to the south. In his youth, Isaiah and all of Judah had watched as their sister state, Israel, was overrun, plundered, deported, and enslaved by the Assyrians. In an earlier passage (Is. 10:5-14), Isaiah reports how Judah itself was pauperized by heavy payments of tribute to the Assyrians. Still, in a manifestly Divine intervention, the nation was spared ultimate destruction (see 2 Kings 17).

Today's prophecy was written much later in Isaiah's life, following a period of national resurgence. During this later period, Assyria was having problems at home and so left Judah to her own devices. But then the Assyrian threat loomed again under new Imperial leadership. In response, the leaders of Judah were attracted by the proposal to join in a protective alliance with Egypt, what Isaiah called "a covenant with death, and with Sheol" (Is. 28:15). God immediately revealed that this plan was a false hope against the "overwhelming scourge" of Assyria (vs. 15).

The Lord of history consistently warns His People against reliance upon human power and empires. His Kingdom is not of this world (Jn. 18:36). The Church is to trust in Him alone for hope and salvation. God is very direct about this - under both the Old and the New Covenants. In the present prophecy of Isaiah, the Lord says, "it will be sheer terror to understand the message" of dependency on human power (Is. 28:19). Along with His plea against alliances, He also clearly warned: "I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter. Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand" (vss. 17,18).

What God offered, and continues to offer, in place of all human alliances, is a "tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation" (vs.16) that, clearly, may now be seen by the light of revelation, to be Christ Jesus our Savior. He is the impregnable, true foundation of Zion - the Church, God's People. Christ our God, at His first coming, asked: "Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone?" (Mt. 21:42). The Church, illumined by the Holy Spirit, continues to declare that Jesus Christ is still the true Corner-stone, "and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded" (1 Pet. 2:6).

Be Thou our sure foundation to keep us safe from the man-destroying enemy, O Lord!


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Republished with permission