Set A Part for the Faith: A Refresher Course in Sainthood

 

The Sunday of All Saints was a few days ago, and while I had meant to write this blog sooner, I have not had a chance. I am not going away, as that would be an easy way out from all the controversy I have started with my previous post on Father Ephraim.  I understand that it is a very confrontational topic. I understand that many people still believe he conned an entire monastery for the past several decades, but his soul has been rendered up to God and God is his only judge. Yes, I believe that it is sad that the family of the victim never forgave him. Because they did not seek the peace that forgiveness brings to people. However, I would like today to go in another direction, a direction that reminds us, why men and women of the faith, who have been recognized as saints by the Church are important. Father Ephraim has not been declared a saint, and if he ever will be it will be decades before the Church has enough time to determine that.  However a refresher course on sainthood and saints is very important I believe. So today I think we need to look at Saints in the Orthodox Church and why they are so important to the Church and the history of Christianity.

            Sainthood in the Orthodox Church, as the early church fathers and the early Christians understood it does not mean perfect. Far from it. In fact, I would denote that Sainthood as a concept truly means that one has taken all their faults and shed them off to become holy. Holy means to be set a part, it does not mean perfect. When I refer to something as Holy, I mean that it is set a part for a specific purpose, a liturgical purpose. We have holy icons, holy water, and our holy fathers among the saints. All of these denote that something has changed in them. It means that despite the failings of the flesh, they overcame it through the grace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. St. Moses the Black was a murderer and thief, St. Olga committed genocide. Despite all that, they found solace in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the Universe and now dwell with him in heaven. St. Theodore the Commander was a warrior, so was St. George. If we look at purely these actions, one will see that these were regular people with regular dispositions.  St. Xenia of St. Petersburg, was a widow who lost her husband and became a fool for Christ. Elder Ephraim of Arizona left his home to seek Christ in the deserts of America, and in many ways is already a saint in all but title. The world around us, says that saints are people who have extraordinary gifts and personalities that led them to God more strongly than others. I disagree. I believe that these are people, who just like you and me, fought tooth and nail to overcome their passions. They realized that everything in this life was fleeting and unimportant. They sought forgiveness from their sins and forgiveness from others. Nothing stopped them from seeking forgiveness. They knew that forgiveness was the greatest gift of all. Something in them changed…through Jesus Christ.  The workings of Jesus Christ in their lives took precedence over sports, movies, television, video games, and other things people fill their lives with today. They did not care for the food of this world, they fasted and prayed. Longing for a home they had never seen, these men and women of the faith sojourned in a country that was foreign to them, yet had lived their since birth.  They abandoned the cares of the world and simple pleasures to obtain something greater than themselves. They did not let sin overcome them.

            However, that does not mean the Church knows all the saints. That does not mean the little old yiayia from down the street who has been going to church since she was baptized as a baby is not a saint. Again, far from it. She has as much potential as becoming a saint as we all do. Therefore, the Sunday of All Saints was established. It is recognized that the Church does not have the capacity to record every saint that has ever lived. We cannot commemorate every name, because that would be an inexhaustible list of people who have achieved perfection in Christ. The Sunday of All Saints was established to commemorate even the ones we do not know, to allow the church to recognize all the saints as we say in every liturgy.  The Sunday of All Saints reminds us that we too must continue our struggles.  We may not have a day set a part for us on the church liturgical calendar to be commemorated. We may not even been seen as a saint in our lifetime.  The Sunday of All Saints though reminds us that no matter the circumstances of life, we have been called to the exact same purpose that even the great men and women of the faith have been called to. We are their equal on that footing. We have been called to Sainthood.

            We all have the capacity to become saints. Every single one of us, through the grace of Jesus Christ can obtain the ability to perfect our shortcomings and enter into heaven. Those of us who choose not to accept the free divine grace that Jesus gives through his Church have rejected this capacity and instead are overcome by the demons of the world and transformed into mini devils. Those who persevere and forsake the glory of this world for the sake of the glory of heaven instead become Holy. We enter the mystical divine working essence of Christ and thus allow Christ to work through us and with us to achieve sanctification in the world. We become set a part from all the evils that have been allowed to enter into the earthly, mortal realm and can fulfill the divine plan of God, that is to bring order to everything as Adam once did, and was supposed to do. The only requirement for this is that we allow God to enter us. God is not an overbearing overlord who forces himself upon us. Rather he waits patiently until we are ready to be used by Him to begin his work in us.  He waits for us to be willing to become his children and accept the beauty of divine grace. Our call today as every day is to heed the same call that the saints of old did…to bring the Light of Christ to all people.

 

Amen.

Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen: Father Ephraim Atwood

 

The Orthodox Church throughout its existence has been home to many, many people the world would consider undesirable, even corrupt. From St. Moses the Black to St. Mary of Egypt, the church is filled with great men and women of faith who have been changed by the nature of Jesus Christ. They have found solace in the Eucharist, the divine services of the church, and lived out their days repenting of the sins they have committed on earth. None more so than that of the man formerly known as Anthony Atwood, recently tonsured Father Ephraim (Atwood) of Arizona.

Father Ephraim Atwood was born Frank Atwood, and was a notorious child murderer who was convicted of the killing and kidnapping of an eight-year-old girl. Father Ephraim Atwood was accompanied to his execution this morning June 8, 2022, by his spiritual father Elder Paisios of Arizona, an elder at the St. Anthony’s Monastery established by Elder Ephraim of Arizona. Father Ephraim Atwood was sixty six years old at the time of his pronouncement of death at 10:16am local time.

So while this is not going to be a very in depth look at the life of Father Ephraim, as I cannot find much, I would like to offer a few words on the nature of this. According to sources, this was the most peaceful execution in the history of Arizona, and one that was marred in various religious aspects. Father Ephraim was converted to Orthodoxy through the prison ministry if I am not mistaken. Father Paisios, his spiritual father said that he had witnessed a complete transformation in the man that can only be described as Jesus Christ transforming Father Ephraim through the Holy Spirit.

A lot of times people like to write off those who have been convicted of serious crimes as unable to be brought back to the light of Christ because of their heinous actions. The Church does not teach that some are elected, and some are chosen to burn. The Church rather teaches that all are called to salvation, and that few will truly answer the call. Father Ephraim is one of the men who answered the call of Christ to be transformed by His power. We see that he willingly accepted his death, fasting the night before his execution and refusing at first to take his last meal. While reports cannot confirm or deny that he ate his last meal, his resolve to fast before his execution indicates to me that he was in a state of constant prayer, asking the Lord Jesus to forgive all his offenses. From reading some of the published correspondence that he wrote, I gather a man who had great love and respect for the Jesus Prayer, as well as for the Service of the Hours. He was completely at peace with execution.

But what does this mean for us? Well, lets look at the whole situation with Father Ephraim. Being a child murderer, you expect someone who is full of rage and hate. Someone who has spent years in death row stewing and brooding over the conviction that led him to prison. Instead, you find someone completely at peace with themselves. Christ forgives all offenses if we ask. He only asks that we allow him to enter our lives and let him live through us. While in prison, Father Ephraim was introduced to the Orthodox Church and found the peace that had been lacking in his life before his conviction. If it had not been for his entrance into the prison system, Father Ephraim might never have found Christ and been brought to salvation. We see that preaching the gospel no matter the consequences is important in our own lives because we know that we do not know the reach and impact our words might have. Father Ephraim confessed he was the most hated prisoner in Arizona, and I can imagine that is in no small part because he was outspoken about the transformation that Christ had brought about in his life. Being able to live the life of a hermit in many ways away from the world, he was able to focus on Christ in his prison cell and cultivate a spiritual renewal that changed his life for the better. We also see that our past offenses don’t always allow us to receive a positive outcome. Though he maintained his innocence throughout the trial and the various appeals that were made by his legal team, the state of Arizona upheld his conviction and upheld their sentence of death. Accepting those things, we cannot control is a vital part of our acceptance that everything that is placed in our path is for our salvation, even those things that will lead us to the physical death. I cannot confirm or deny the changes in Father Ephraim’s life. I trust the monks and nuns who spoke on his behalf telling of the great miracles that Christ had done through Father Ephraim’s life. I trust their counsel and their words. I trust that those present for the tonsuring ceremony, yesterday were of sound mind and heart when they determined Father Ephraim was worthy of the great schema.

We also see a difference in the lives of those who were his victims. While I cannot imagine what it is like to lose a child, I see hurt and anger in the hearts of the victims. I see their pain and I pray for them. I see that there was never a chance for them to forgive Father Ephraim for what he did to the young lady, and that pains me. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves, as much as we give the person who wronged us. Wishing for someone to die because they wronged you is no way to act. Christ did not condemn those who executed him, rather he forgave them for what they did to Him. We see that in Father Ephraim’s final hours he simply went to his death willingly, much as Christ did. We see that the family was excited that “justice” had been done and that Father Ephraim could not hurt anyone any longer. While there is a time and place for justice, the more Christlike response would be to forgive and to pray for those who have harmed us. The taking of a life is not an easy decision. Brooding in your own hatred, while the person who has wronged you is also in a state of hatred of themselves, causes spiritual harm to both souls.  It causes a rift between brothers. Christ says that if we have an issue with someone we should go to them and ask them to forgive us for having issues with them. The family of the victim never asked Father Ephraim to forgive them for their hatred of Him. Often times, this is because of the pain that they are suffering, and I totally understand. Still, asking for forgiveness is a requirement for all of us who have accepted Christ. We must learn to let those who have wronged us go, in the sense that yes they have caused us harm, but this harm is only temporary. Eternity is not something that we should throw away simply because we have a grudge against someone. However now the time for reconciliation is gone for Father Ephraim and the family of his victim. The only hope we have now is to pray for the victim’s family and pray that Christ will transform their lives in the same way that Christ transformed Father Ephraim’s.

I ask today, that you would join me over the next 40 days to pray for the soul of Father Ephraim, as he has entered the tollhouses. May God forgive all his offenses, and forgive all those who have committed atrocities against their brothers. Today we see that the harvest is heavy, but the laborers are few. Father Ephraim answered the call to be a laborer…will you?

Amen.

The Holy Fathers of The 1st Ecumenical Council

 

Well folks, the Sunday of the First Ecumenical Council has once again come and gone for the year, and that means that we are once again discussing the vast amount of wealth that was preserved by the Fathers of the 1^ST Ecumenical Council. All Three Hundred and Eighteen of them, to be exact. These Church Fathers helped pave the way for the faith that was preserved by the Church for the past two thousand years and without their immense faith and courage, the Church would not have remained the way it was. In fact, the church might have agreed to heresy with the Arian controversy and other issues had these brave fathers not met at Nicaea and dealt with the issues at hand. Now today I am not going to discuss Arianism, rather I am going to discuss the 1^st Ecumenical Council and what exactly transpired…and oh yes, St. Nicholas.

Outside of the obvious Arius issue, the 1^st Ecumenical Council had to deal with the Meletian schism, and the formation of the Nicene Creed. You can check out the explanation of the Creed in an earlier article. While the Arian controversy was the focal point of the discussion, we got the formation of twenty canons of the church out of this, and as I am currently going through the canons and explaining a few, it was interesting to note that some of them were written here, especially the organization of the church. So when those who are non-episcopal tell you that the church never had bishops or priests and that each church could decide for themselves, you can direct them to the 1^st Council, where the church formation was solidified, not established, as it was just formality of what the Church already practiced. The Church also determined the date for Pascha, and as was stated in the previous article, that it was not to be celebrated with the Jews.  The formula was established and kept by the Church for centuries until Rome came along and decided they were superior to everyone else. We were given the instructions on reentering the lapsed, the heretics, and the schismatics, and why rebaptism and other practices were put in place.

The Meletian schism was of particular importance outside of the Arian controversy.  . Melitius advocated for the open practice of Christianity in a time of persecution, which seems harmless enough. Peter I of Alexandria, laid down terms for those who were lapsed or had committed sins that would warrant them being labeled heretics and schismatics to return the church. In spectacular “I know better than you” fashion Melitius decided that these terms were too lax for him, and rebelled…which is why a priest should never speak ill of another bishop, nor another bishop speak ill of a fellow bishop. Melitius was then excommunicated and cast out from the Church. He like the protestant reformers who didn’t get their way in 1517, founded his own church because he believed that he had found the true knowledge of the scriptures and was teaching the proper way.  By the time the 1^ST Ecumenical Council rolled around, there were enough issues that the discussion to bring them back into the fold was addressed. The Council of Nicaea agreed that the issues surrounding the schism between the twenty eight Meletian bishops and the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church were not so different as to warrant them any major changes in their theology to be accepted by the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. And while Melitius was accepted back into the fold, as a bishop without a see, he only lasted three more years and died. Thus, the schism was reinstated and was not truly healed.

Of course, though you came for the violence right? We all woke up this morning and chose violence, eh? No of course not, I woke up and chose Christ. And so did St. Nicholas. While I have chosen to leave out the Arian controversy from the gist of this article, because there were certainly other issues at this council besides Arius, I would be amiss if I did not briefly discuss Nicholas and Arius, because it well was the talk of the entire council. Outside of Pacquiao vs Mayweather, or McGregor vs Mayweather, Nicholas vs Arius might be the boxing match of the millennium. Obviously with Arius’ lack of respect for the divinity of Christ and his clear lack of mental fortitude, Nicholas decided that he had heard enough of the ramblings of the heretic. Walking across the floor with three hundred and sixteen other bishops, surrounding him, Nicholas completely and utterly knocked Arius the heck out. While it was illegal to strike another person in the presence of the Emperor, Constantine gave control of the punishment over to the bishops of the Church. The bishops stripped Nicholas of his rights as a bishop and expelled him from the council, and decided that once the council had finished they would finalize his punishment.  In a miracle that only be described as awesome, Nicholas who was locked away from the rest of the world as punishment for his crime of assaulting Arius, was visited by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Theotokos.  After giving Nicholas the gospel book, and revesting him with his vestments, the Bishops came to look for Nicholas. Astonished, the bishops told Constantine of this development, and Nicholas was reinstated to the Bishopric of Myra. Nicholas of course is one of Greece’s most beloved saints, and no Greek home is complete without an icon of St. Nicholas.

The Orthodox Church along with most protestant churches and the Latins recognize the 1^ST Ecumenical Council. Though issues have arisen between the three over the past 2000 years, it is nice to not argue against either for a change. The 1^ST Ecumenical Council determined what the Church had already practiced for the first hundred years of its founding. Placing it right before the Feast of Pentecost reminds us that the Church is Universal, and that it is everlasting. The gates of hell cannot overcome it, as Jesus quotes in Matthew. We pray that these Fathers of the 1^ST Council would intercede on our behalf and that the bishops of today would see the wisdom of coming together and discussing issues when the need arises.  I pray that our leaders will be as wise and courageous as the 1^st Ecumenical Council.

Amen.

Father Peter Heers: The Orthodox Ethos

 

I have probably sat down to write this particular article several times, however current events, and other topics within the church have led me to write about other things. Today, that all changes. Today we are going to highlight one of my favorite orthodox priests (outside of my own, Father Simon Thomas is a great man).

I am of course talking about Father Peter Heers. Father Peter is the head of the Orthodox Ethos, and someone I admire and strive to imitate. From his podcasts and lectures we discover the true Orthodox Ethos, how to obtain and it, and how to apply it to our lives. Father Peter’s insight into everyday life and church knowledge is informative and inspirational as well as educational. If you’ve never listened to him I highly recommend finding him on YouTube or Instagram and delving into the vast amounts of content he has produced over the past few years. For those who don’t know much about Father Peter, let’s discuss him and his life and see what we can gain from an understanding of the man behind some of the most important Orthodox content on the internet.

Father Peter Heers, like most of the west was raised outside of the Orthodox Church. However, he discovered Orthodoxy and of course the rest is history…no wait there’s more. Father Peter was raised Anglican, the son of an Anglican priest. Thus he was associated at birth with the Church of England in at least some capacity, seeing as Anglicans are the Church of England. His father and the parish in which his father served converted to Orthodoxy in 1992, so the year I was born.  Father Peter according to sources, then traveled to Mount Athos in 1996 and again in 1998 when he began seminary. Father Peter was ordained and received a bachelors, masters, and doctorate in theology. He has been very active in the Orthodox Church over the last two decades or so, being a parish priest in Greece for a time, and if my sources are correct now is in Arizona. Father Peter has been a lecturer at Jordanville, a very important place for American Orthodox Christians, and has written or translated several titles. As someone who is also interested in Church History, his knowledge of Church History and his fascination with maintaining the spirit of the Ecumenical Councils is something that has drawn me in.  He has five children and if they are half the person that he is, they will be pillars of orthodoxy. 

Father Peter’s lectures on YouTube is what really led me to discovering his knowledge.  From his Orthodox Survival Course which was written by Father Seraphim Rose, as well as his discussion on the New Russian Martyrs are all things I could watch again and again to glean information I missed the first few times of watching. The Orthodox Ecclesiology series is also a wonderful tool for both those inquiring into Orthodoxy and those who have converted like myself. He also sits down and explains modern problems within the church, as well as things that western people might believe are beneficial to them, only to explain why they go against the Orthodox Faith…see his comments on Yoga for that one. He doesn’t even use his own thoughts on topics, always referring to the Saints of the church to back up any claim that he makes. This therefore gives us the ability to see that without the Saints, we as a church would be nothing but filled with people’s opinions rather than the truth.

Father Peter may have his detractors, and those who disagree with him, but they are few. Every person I have ever came across has applauded Father Peter for standing for the truth in a world that is constantly trying to replace the truth with fallacy. Father Peter has defended the church and tried to maintain that we as Orthodox Christians must not falter in our beliefs. Changing the faith for the sake of change or going against thousands of years of tradition has only led to destruction and heresies. We see his love for orthodoxy in every lecture he gives, and his call for those outside the church to change their ways and return to orthodoxy.  Though he will never reach everyone, he has changed my life.  Just as Father Seraphim Rose’s book Orthodoxy and Religion of the Future gave me a perspective that I was never going to consider without having read the book, Father Peter’s way of approaching Orthodoxy was not something I was considering either. I have stated before that I was comfortable in my own little bubble within Orthodoxy and was not particularly concerned with the outside world or how to approach living in the world as an Orthodox Christian. From his lectures and his podcasts, I have changed once again and carry myself with a knowledge that I must proclaim Orthodoxy to the world as the only truth that matters. Pilate once asked, “What is truth?” I can safely answer that question. Truth is Jesus Christ, and Truth is founded in Orthodoxy.

Amen.

Violating the Canons- Why the Orthodox do not celebrate Pascha with the Jews

 

Okay, so after a chance to revise and look at all the data, this article has changed in its original form. We as Orthodox Christians along with all the Christian world, celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We celebrated Pascha this year on April 24^th, a week after the Western world celebrated Easter. The English-speaking world has completely abandoned the term Pascha for the celebration of the Holy Resurrection of Jesus Christ, instead referring to it by the name Easter. While this is not a bash towards the name, we as Greeks, still call it Pascha and I refuse to call it by any other name. However, we are here to discuss Canon 7 of the Church. Celebrating Pascha with the Jews. We as Orthodox Christians know that we are independent of the jews, and thus should not look to their calendar to celebrate Pascha.

First, we must understand that the calculation of Pascha has been established since ancient times, and that by Ecumenical Council decisions has been written down as a formula since 325AD. The Apostles and their successors the bishops had understood that Pascha had taken place after the vernal equinox, the spring equinox. It had also occurred on the first day of the week, called the Lord’s Day, or Sunday as we know it. Thus, Pascha should always be established after the spring equinox and on a Sunday. This date, the spring equinox changes from year to year, as the sun does not pass the same way through the sky from year to year, so a set date could not be determined.. Celebrating Pascha before the equinox, according to my sources, does not divide the calendar year into two halves, thus we would celebrate the Resurrection twice, which is against church teaching. More on this in a bit in relation to the Papists. We the Orthodox Church, the true church of Jesus Christ are announcing to the world that Jesus died once and for all, not twice. If we announce that Jesus died twice, then we are corrupting scripture, and in turn saying the Son of God has died multiple times. Because of this, the formula is simple…after legal Passover, and after the equinox. Any bishop, priest or deacon who changes this is to be deposed from office, simply because they are not professing the correct faith. It is the same for sects and heretics that refuse to celebrate Pascha at all. While in the West, Pascha has changed in its celebration with bunnies, and colorful clothing, and secular aspects, the East has maintained that it is to be a spiritual celebration. Those who refuse to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ are in turn also admitting that the scriptures are wrong, and that Jesus did not rise from the dead. They may offer lip service to the belief that Christ rose, but those that refuse to celebrate are not professing their faith by their actions. See the Book of James for more information regarding your actions as a profession of faith.

This now leads me to my next point of contention. I am about to ruffle a few feathers, but that comes with the territory when you speak truth. We know that the Julian Calendar was the calendar used by the people during the life of Christ. The Julian Calendar however was replaced as we know by the Gregorian Calendar, especially in the West. While Pope Gregory XIII was right to establish a calendar that was closer to the tropical calendar, he inadvertently changed the calculation of Pascha. So much so, that now the date in the West is skewed from the original date that is still calculated in the East. This causes the problem that I mentioned earlier, being before or right after the legal Passover of the Jews, thus breaking this Canon. Because legal Passover of the Jews can sometimes fall on a Sunday, due to the Jews celebrating on the 15^th day of the month regardless of the day of the week, the calendar Pope Gregory established violated the canons of the church. Not that it mattered to the Latins, as they had become schismatics and heretics some five hundred years earlier and were set on their path away from the faith of the Apostles. Thus, Western Easter and Orthodox Pascha now happen on separate dates of the year, though rarely they occur on the same day, this does not happen very often. Again, violating the celebration of the resurrection twice. Christ died once and for all, not twice, not thrice, but once. Therefore, the schismatic Latins caused division and a rift within the church again by their actions. This is not a discussion of the Great Schism, but the calendar is one issue I would love to see repented of if the Latins are to return to the Church and the Pentarchy restored as it was before 1054AD.

So what about the Canon? Well…look the Orthodox world celebrates Pascha on the same day across the board regardless if it’s the Revised Julian Calendar or the Standard Julian Calendar that the local church uses. The Orthodox Church of Finland is required by law to celebrate Pascha on the same day as every other church in the country, so an exception is made there as they will celebrate the Resurrection with the West. Our Bishops rarely if ever have violated this Canon, though I’m sure they have and have been reprimanded and deposed as they should be. With the pandemic changing the way the celebration of Pascha was conducted in both 2020 and 2021, many bishops did not have a choice in the matter and could have refused to celebrate as mandated by their governments. However, this would have caused strife and friction within these countries and was generally not worth the effort, even I personally believe that they should have. Celebrating the Resurrection according to the same formula that was established by the Church at its inception ensures continuity with the Apostles and with the Orthodox Faith. Deviating from this is schismatic and heterodox. We see this with the Latins and we see this with the Protestant Churches. Now, I will not bash the Prots as I have in the past, because on this particular issue its not their fault. They have celebrated it according to how they were raised and the traditions of their families for years. They were not the ones who established the difference, and certainly did not play a part in the formation of the Gregorian Calendar. That was the Latins. They had the same history for the first thousand years of the church and knew better. They knew that what they were doing violated church law, and rightfully are still out of communion with us. For their bishops to repent and turn back to the faith a renunciation of the calculation of Pascha based on the Gregorian Calendar would need to be made as well as conscience effort to not celebrate with the legal Passover of the Jews. An independent calculation based on the vernal equinox as established at Nicaea is the only viable way to celebrate Pascha because it proclaims one, holy catholic and apostolic church, as well as one death, burial and resurrection for the whole world.

I am not a priest, or a scholar. However I hope you have learned something from this dissertation on the 7^th canon of the Orthodox Church. Pascha as I have repeated (I do this to drive home the point) must be celebrated after the vernal equinox, after the legal Passover of the Jews, and on a Sunday as prescribed in the Bible. May God have mercy on us.

Amen.

The Church and its Canon: Introduction to the Canon Law of the Church and Canons 1-3

 

Welcome to the newest set of posts on the Tsar’s Corner. We will be looking at the Rudder, which outlines Church doctrine and canons of the church.  This will give us an insight into the inner workings of the Church and why obeying the canons is important for us as Orthodox Christians. The Rudder was written by Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain and I will attempt to convey as clear a picture as I can to church law and why the Orthodox Church is governed in this manner.

First, a little background on St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain.  Born Nicholas on the Isle of Naxos in Greece, the future St. Nicodemus, like many of the saints before and after grew in stature before the Lord at an early age. This future saint was extremely knowledgeable in all areas of the church life and fostered a sense of intellect that was found in few others. He eventually became the best friend of Marcarius of Corinth, who the church venerates on April 17^TH.  Besides compiling the Rudder and the explanation of the Canon Laws of the church, the Philokalia was also composed by St. Nicodemus and St. Marcarius to show the beauty of the Jesus Prayer of which we have discussed before on this particular venue but will probably do so again at some point.  Constantly persecuted by the Turks for his beliefs as an Orthodox Christian, St. Nicodemus decided to enter the monastic life to see the salvation of his soul and to produce the fruit of the spirit. He is a part of the Koliva Fathers and a well-respected member of the church having as stated been declared a saint by the Orthodox Church.

With that said, we will now look at the 85 canons of the church. This exercise will be undertaken for the benefit of us all. I am sure that there are Orthodox Christians who do not know the 85 canons and what they entail for us as Christians. Bear in mind I am not a priest, nor a member of the monastic community. While I will try to stay faithful to the mindset that St. Nicodemus laid out for us in his own explanations of the canons, I will also do my best to see the canons in my own light, and how we as Orthodox Christians can apply them. These canons are the life-bed of the church. They define the operational parameters that the church is governed under and in doing so, they must be adhered to not just when they were written but by the Church of today.

Canon #1- A bishop must be ordained by two or three other Bishops.

This is a straightforward Canon, as most are. From what we can glean from this canon is much actually. First, we understand that Jesus Christ is the ultimate bishop, the overseer, and head of the church. Jesus as our head has given the responsibility of the church to the college of bishops regardless of the jurisdiction of the church. The Church therefore explicitly gives charge the local bishops of an area to come together and ordain a new bishop when he is elected and called to the episcopacy.  It is a show of unity among brother bishops that this man (not a woman like some Protestant denominations) has been called by God to join their fellowship and to help guide the church. Because of the great honor that has been bestowed upon him, it is expected that as many bishops as can attend the service must do so. Yes, this is very important for us as Orthodox Christians because we are called to be the one, true church. By showing our unity as a church we can show the world that we are brothers in Christ. If only one, or none were to show up to ordain a bishop, then it calls into question the legitimacy of the bishop elected, and it also raises the question as to whether the Bishop was rightfully elected and rightfully chosen. Of course, as with anything there may be exceptions to this, especially in areas of persecution, where the ability to ordain a bishop is scarce. All in all, the church provides for our unity as well as our salvation, because we are called to be one in Christ. This also raises the point that it is Apostolic Succession that is taking place. The Bishops are the successors to the first Bishops, the apostles. Just as president is succeeded by the next man elected, or a king is succeeded by his son, the bishop is taking up the mantle of the apostles. While the apostles are interceding and leading the church from heavenly glory, the bishop is leading the church from earth and has been given the same calling that Jesus gave the Twelve. The canon provides for both unity of the church and for apostolic succession to take place, as the Church with over 2000 years of apostolic succession we must continue the traditions of the Church to select and ordain men who have been found worthy of this position and when two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name he will be there. This canon is simply following the scriptures.

Canon #2- A Presbyter must be ordained by a single Bishop, and so must a Deacon and other Clergymen.

            As such, along the same vein of the bishop, the Presbyter, or priest, must be ordained by a single bishop. Because of apostolic succession and the continuation of the church, anyone that has not been ordained by a priest has not received the blessing to be performing the sacraments and is uncanonical. Because ordination is reserved only for males, women cannot become priests, deacons, or any form of the clergy. The priest as the representative of the bishop in a parish, must have his blessing to perform the services. So to deacons must have the blessing of a bishop and readers, and so on. Priests are given the responsibility of guiding the flock. Deacons are called to assist the priest as they would have done in the days of the apostles, and the other clergy perform various roles within the church during the services, such as reading the epistle.

Canon #3- If any Bishop or Presbyter, contrary to the Lord's ordinance relating to sacrifice, offers anything else at the sacrificial altar, whether it he honey, or milk, or artificial liquor instead of wine, chickens, or any kind of animals, or vegetables, contrary to the ordinance, let him be deposed from office: except ears of new wheat or bunches of grapes, in due season. Let it not be permissible to bring anything else to the sacrificial altar but oil for the lamp, and incense at the time of the holy oblation.

            Our last one for this first look at the ordinances may see strange to the non-orthodox reader. As there does not seem to be anything wrong with the items in question. However, Jesus gave strict orders to the apostles in their task to perform the sacraments of the church. The Holy Eucharist as the epitome of brotherly love and unity in Christ is a sacred tradition and sacred entity in the Orthodox Church. So much that partially the reason why the Catholic Church is now in heresy is that they began to offer unleavened bread on their altars instead of leavened bread. Not only this, but as a bloodless sacrifice the offering of animals and other living creatures on the altar of an Orthodox Church refutes the pagan practices that many participated in during the era before paganism was eradicated. While I will not go into much detail here, the 4^th canon does discuss the offering of first fruits that is practiced by the faithful and those even are not to be brought into the altar, but rather a bishop’s home. Oil of course is used at every divine service when the lamps are lit, and incense is used at every service as well. (If I may say so, smoking in church is quite okay as long as its incense) The Orthodox Church maintains that the altar is reserved for the sacrifice of the Eucharist and anyone wishing to defile the altar of a church must be deposed. Breaking sacred tradition is not something that cannot be forgiven, as all sins are forgivable, but the one who breaks the tradition is clearly not reverent enough to be in the altar and to be ordained. Now from my reading of this particular canon, I can say that it is likely the person will be tried in a church court and a decision will be made as to whether or not they may remain in their post, but it is a foolish and dumb decision to even contemplate the idea of defiling the church.

            Now that we have concluded the first three canons, we have eighty-two to go. Some will be short explanations as these were, and others will be long and examples of how they were broken in the past and the present will be given. Church law is important because it gives us the structure by which the church must adhere to as I previously stated. Allowing just anyone to perform the services, or for that matter to defile the church is a grievous error on the part of everyone. God is not mocked. Even those who unintentionally touched the Ark of the Covenant with their hands were struck down. While I do not believe that God has done that recently, it is not to say that those who’s hearts are in a state of opposition to God would not receive his wrath. We must be vigilant in our practices and when they are not in communion with the spirit of God, then they are outside the Church. May God bless all of you. Christos Anesti.

Amen.

The Holy Fire-Mystery and Miracle

 

Okay, by now you have probably seen at least if you’re in Orthodox circles, the news that Facebook has been refuting the Holy Fire of Jerusalem and taking down and practically banning anyone who claims the Holy Fire to be a miracle. For those of us who have been around the miracle for years or decades now, we know that the Holy Fire is one of the most sacred and important miracles in the Orthodox world and one that we do not take kindly to those who try and refute the 2,000-year history of this tradition. I had plans to write this earlier in the week, but like all things I took my time in trying to decide how and best to approach a miracle that both Muslims and Jews have witnessed and confirmed that God is at work. For me, as a historian at heart the best way to talk about the Holy Fire is to tell its history, to tell the story and to put to bed those sadistic fact checkers over at Menlo Park.

                First, we understand that the Holy Fire is a miracle, that has been attested to for over a thousand years and most likely longer than that. While documented examples of the Holy Fire can only be traced to 1106 A.D., there have been references to it well before that. The Holy Fire itself is easy to explain, in that it is a flame. Yes, an actual fire. If you want, there are numerous YouTube videos showing the flame and even the current 2022 flame was broadcast on the airways of YouTube. The flame descends every Holy Saturday, shortly before the Paschal Vigil later that night. The Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the Holy Sepulchre every year to the crowd chanting Kyrie Eleison. As he enters the church, he is stripped of his garments and searched for any sort of material that might be used to light a flame within the Tomb of Jesus Christ. He is allowed a candle to receive the flame, but that’s it. An unlit Candle. Now if memory serves, it was once conducted by the Muslim authorities, who at the time were the rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Now it is performed by the Jewish community, and since the Holy Sepulchre is governed by a Muslim family, I am sure that they are present as well. Once the Patriarch has been given all clear by the non-Christian authorities, he enters the Tomb of Jesus Christ, where the body of Christ lay. From the there he is sealed in until he receives the Holy Fire. From what I understand, he says a set of certain prayers that are asking for the blessing. At this point different occurrences have happened. The flame either descends in the form of an actual flame, or in the form of a blue light. For us Orthodox Christians, blue is the color of the seraphim, so it is always nice to know that the heavenly powers are watching over us and are also worshipping with us. Once the flame has been collected by the Patriarch, the flame is then announced to the world with bells and fanfare. The Patriarch exits the tomb and the candle that is now lit is used to light the candles of the nearby pilgrims. The fire itself does not burn. Let me repeat…the fire itself does not burn. While YouTube and Facebook videos have been taken down to discredit this, there is enough evidence from those present, including the non-Christians, to tell us otherwise. People have tried to set their beards, hats, cassocks, and other vestments on fire once receiving it. For at least the first 33 minutes, representing the years Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was physically present on earth, it will not burn anything. After this, it becomes a normal flame. But for 33 minutes, it is exactly like the one ring from Lord of the Rings…cool to the touch. Again, I preface that Non-Christians are in the building while this occurs. They too are witness to the miracle.

                Now, I could sit here and drone on and on. But I would be here all day. There are plenty of videos, that have not been taken down, and there are plenty of witnesses you can find. I will not try to convince you. But let me tell you of some other incidents in which the powers that be, thought they could discredit Orthodoxy. First the Crusaders, who invaded during multiple crusades, have tried time and again to enter the Sepulchre and obtain the Holy Fire. Unfortunately, they did not receive it, and thus the Catholic population rioted because they believed that they were the superior church. Furthermore, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem also attempted to receive the fire. Now, he was more successful than the Catholics, but just barely. In fact, the Armenian, prayed and prayed for the fire. When the fire did come it came in the form of a lightning strike. This lightning strike struck a nearby pillar which can still be seen to this day, and a crack formed. The fire however did not light the Armenian patriarch’s candle. Instead, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem was standing nearby with a candle and God saw fit to light his candle instead. Of course, you know that was both humiliating and infuriating for the Armenian, and I’m sure he was utterly upset. Finally, I must say this. As an Orthodox Christian, who firmly believes in the oneness of the Church and thus believes it to be the established Church of Jesus Christ, it saddens me to know that when the Holy Fire does not descend and God has withdrawn his blessing from the world, we can expect the Second Coming to be near. I pray that the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem continues to receive the Holy Fire for many years to come. I pray that I might experience this miracle in due course, if the Lord allows. I pray that all men would put aside their hatred for each other, and those who have a hatred for religion would put down their hate for us Christians and open their hearts to Jesus Christ. The Holy Fire is a gift from God that is given to us to show his authority and his power. No fire-making materials have ever explained the science behind the Holy Fire. No trick, no scam, no person has ever discredited it. They have tried, they have failed. Facebook, YouTube, Google, the works have attempted to cause division and strife in the Orthodox community and have tried to shy people away from the truth. They will receive their just reward at the Awesome Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ. Woe to them. I pray for us all, and ask, that as we have entered the celebration of Pascha, that you pray for me. May God have mercy on us all.

                Amen.

The Architecture of Faith

 

Christos Anesti! Welcome to the first post Pascha article, and welcome to a new Bright Week. As we begin our 40-day celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, here on the Tsar’s Corner, we will be looking at the distinct parts of the Orthodox Church and its architecture as we grow deeper in our faith. I am still currently going through the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem so that will take some time before I begin to start that series. While that series will be posted soon, Lord willing, I will be looking at various aspects of the Church. Starting with the architecture of the Orthodox Church in general this article will clarify the traditions and the reasons behind why the Church is built the way it is and why the Orthodox place so much emphasis on certain items within the church. So today we will just dive right in and explain the architecture.

            Most Orthodox Churches come in the form of a cross, while they can be round, star shaped or elongated. Of course, the Cross form of the church is easy enough to explain, with it being the symbol of the Cross of Jesus Christ. The elongated form of the church is also amazingly easy to explain as the church in its elongated form represents the ark of Noah and the Church as the ship that guides the faithful into the harbour of salvation. The star shape is one I was unable to find any information on, but I can speculate that I has something to do with the Star of Bethlehem and the light of the world. The church proper is divided into three main parts, all with its own unique features. The first part is the entrance to the church, called the Narthex. The Narthex separates the temple from the rest of the church and is where those who are not baptized into the Orthodox Church traditionally would stand. Since there are no pews in a traditional Orthodox Church, the faithful would be allowed to stand in the Nave (Temple) and the non-Orthodox in the Narthex. It also reminds us that we are leaving the outside world and entering into the spiritual world of which we are all called. This is where the candles are lit by the faithful and prayers are said before entering the Temple. The second part, which I shall refer to as the Temple, is the main body of the Church. The faithful in most Orthodox countries will stand and say their prayers in this portion of the church, while in America pews have been added due to cultural differences. During the services, the people will stand before the altar and unite with the Priest and the others celebrating the services here and there are icons and candelabras for the faithful as well. The chandeliers within the Temple are covered in icons, as are the walls and ceilings. In traditional churches a dome with an icon of the Pantokrator will be at the top of the church. The chandeliers in Greek tradition are designed to swing during important services of the Church to symbolize the angels flying in Heaven and that the bodiless powers are worshipping with us during all the services.  Finally, the third portion of the church is that of the Iconostasis/Altar area. The Altar is the most important piece of the church where the divine services are celebrated, and the Eucharist is performed. As I stated it is separated from the rest of the Temple proper by the Iconostasis which is a series of Icons which shield the Altar from view. The Royal Doors in the middle of the Iconostasis are left open for most services as it is a reminder that Jesus Christ himself enters through these doors during them. If one looks on the right of the church as viewed from the Temple, there will be an Icon of the Lord Jesus Christ, an icon of the Forerunner and Prophet, John the Baptist, and of course at least in my church, an Icon of St. Gabriel. To the left of the Royal Doors, is the Theotokos, and the Icon of the saint/patron of the Church. On our Iconostasis there is another angel, I believe again to be St. Gabriel next to the Annunciation Icon. Inside the Altar is the High Table, another area dedicated to keeping the vestments that are worn during the services, and traditionally a place for the Bishop, although ours is located outside the Iconostasis near the Temple, and is elevated so that everyone can see the Bishop when he is visiting the church. In our particular church there is also a place outside the iconostasis for the Chanters. Within the Altar there is placed relics of the saints as we as Orthodox are reminded that all those who have reposed in the Lord still celebrate with us, whether they are physically present on Earth or celebrating the Heavenly Divine Liturgy. In the back of the Altar is a tabernacle where the Eucharist is stored for the sick and the Gospel is placed directly in front of it. There are two cloths the eiliton and the antimension of which both are unfolded before the gifts are celebrated. The antimension has relics sown into it and there are also fans, representing the Seraphim and a golden processional cross within the Altar. Traditionally no animal products are allowed into the Altar and no one without the blessing of the priest may serve within the altar. Personal jewelry is not allowed as well. Seven stick candelabras are also within the Altar to recall the Temple in Jerusalem and the scriptures as well.

            The church is still ornately decorated within the Altar with many icons of the hierarchs and teachers of the church covering the walls behind the Altar. The Icon of Christ is also there traditionally only being hung on the wooden cross outside of the 50 days following Pascha. There also may be a furnace to burn holy things within the Altar as well, and a place to receive holy water which will be added to the Blood of Christ during the Divine Liturgy. The Altar is covered with a linen sheet, just like Christ was covered in linen at his burial and is considered the Baptismal Garment of the Altar. Altar cloths will change during the year as the various liturgical colors of the celebrations of Orthodoxy will change, but the linen altar cloth is never removed. Also the Table of Oblation where the gifts are prepared is inside the Altar. This prothesis represents the cave of Bethlehem and the anointing stone that the body of Christ was laid upon to prepare for his burial.

            Now, while I do have much more to say, I wanted to give a quick overview of what is within the Orthodox Church. There are many other aspects I wish to cover in future articles, so please keep that in mind. The antimension for example warrants its own special article because of how important it is to the service, regardless of whether the altar table has been consecrated for service. The icons, though I spoke on them previously also need to be revisited as the meaning behind why the icons in the nave are chosen is important. Overall the beauty of the Church cannot be accurately described in just a few words, rather it is impossible to describe the beauty. Experiencing an Orthodox Church, especially for the first time, is an experience in which many people become overwhelmed. For our protestant brothers and sisters, they are missing out on the remembrance of all those who have came before us, without the use of icons. We are also spoiled today, especially in western countries where the bible is readily available. For those who are illiterate or those who do not have access to the scriptures except through the readings done by the priest, these icons can help us tell the story of salvation through the images we see. May we always remember that God gives to us that which will help us towards salvation and the Church is the icon by which we can remember all the wonder and splendor of heaven before we reach the harbour safely.

 

            Amen.

Ladder of Divine Ascent: Rung 28

 

In my blog so far we have had two different articles on prayer, and will probably have many more as the journey continues on the path of salvation and orthodoxy. While I have not reached the safe harbour of heaven just yet I pray and continue to pray that my efforts will not be in vain. As we are reaching the top of the ladder, we can now look on all the previous rungs that we have overcome to reach this height. There is still more to go, but we are nearly there. In the 28^th chapter of the Ladder, St. John discusses prayer and what it means for us as Christians. It is not a typical answer one might receive here in the West, with its protestant base and Catholic majority. But one that everyone needs to hear. This is the ancient philosophy of prayer, the early church’s purest and most devout practice. With it, we will ascend to even higher heights than anyone can imagine. St. John says, “Prayer by reason of its nature is the converse and union of man with God, and by reason of its action upholds the world and brings about reconciliation with God; it is the mother and also the daughter of tears, the propitiation for sins, a bridge over temptations, a wall against afflictions, a crushing of conflicts, work of angels, food of all the spiritual beings, future gladness, boundless activity, the spring of virtues, the source of graces, invisible progress, food of the soul, the enlightening of the mind, an axe for despair, a demonstration of hope, the annulling of sorrow, the wealth of monks, the treasure of solitaries, the reduction of anger, the mirror of progress, the realization of success, a proof of one’s condition, a revelation of the future, a sign of glory. For him who truly prays, prayer is the court, the judgment hall and the tribunal of the Lord before the judgment to come.”

Let’s take that first part, being a bridge over temptations, as well as elaborating on the food of all spiritual beings, and expand our thought process a little more as we gather the gist of what St. John of the Ladder is trying to say. First, we understand that prayer is our communion with God. Not in the same way that partaking of the Eucharist is, but rather our conversation and our uniting of minds with God. I personally am the world’s worst at prayer, I tend to only get up saying the Jesus Prayer and will find myself more often than not ignoring the hours and praying simply the Jesus Prayer throughout the day. However what I have noticed through the practice of prayer is that by doing so I am not as easily overcome by the temptations of the devil as I would when I neglect prayer entirely. I also have noticed my anxiety has decreased and that God fills me like a cup as I pray. I also have been more cautious in my thoughts and actions after I pray than before I pray, mainly because I know that I have just entered the courts of God and have directly met with him face to face. I find myself more eager to spend time with God the more often I pray. In doing so, my relationship with God and Christ grows and warms my heart. It becomes for me a kindling of the all-consuming fire in my life so that I am able to ward off anything that is impure and destructive for my soul. Secondly, as the food of spiritual beings, meaning us as humans, it feeds my soul and nourishes my mind in that I can think clearer and harder on things than without prayer. Discernment comes through prayer and prayer through discernment. In doing so, the prayer of the heart is cultivated and the cold dark abyss of the soul is lit with the fire of God and brings about the repentance of the person praying.

Prayer is affected by how you pray. In doing so, you cultivate different aspects of prayer that are available through God to those who seek him. St. John says, “The attitude of prayer is one and the same for all, but there are many kinds of prayer and many different prayers. Some converse with God as with a friend and master, interceding with praise and petition not for themselves but for others. Some strive for more (spiritual) riches and glory and for confidence in prayer. Others ask for complete deliverance from their adversary. Some beg to receive some kind of rank; others for complete forgiveness of debts. Some ask to be released from prison; others for remission of accusations” We see that St. John says that the attitude of prayer is the same, that being humility. Without humility we do not have prayer but rather endless babel that the Lord will ignore. However as we pray there are many things that we can ask for from God. Using my own experience from prayer, I see that I pray most often for the mercy of God to come upon me. That is all I want. I do not seek earthly things or wealth, or titles or confidence in prayer. I know that all those things God dishes out to those who need it more than I do, and I only want to be an outcast in the house of God. I would rather sit and receive mercy for everything I have ever committed than to be famous or to have power. I want the love of God to permeate me and to give me the strength to carry on in this world, not just for the sake of my salvation, but also that I might spend some time helping cultivate others. Prayer is our way of exacting our feelings into words or sometimes inaudible words so that we can stand before the Almighty God with a clear conscience and pure heart. I do not seek to win crowns or glory, only that Christ will say I was a faithful servant on the day of judgement.

Once again I am called back to writing on the Jesus Prayer. In the West, many will drone on and on without really saying anything. We hear people pray for this thing and that thing and may try to flatter God with lavish titles and wording. In the Orthodox Church we do not and have not tried to do that. For that would be heresy. Rather, we speak direct and plain without the need for flattery and wordy prayers. St. John hearkens that belief when he writes, “If you constantly train your mind never to wander, then it will be near you during meals too. But if it wanders unrestrained, then it will never stay beside you. A great practiser of high and perfect prayer says: ‘I would rather speak five words with my understanding,’  and so on. But such prayer is foreign to infant souls. Therefore, imperfect as we are, we need not only quality but a considerable time for our prayer, because the latter paves the way for the former. For it is said: ‘Giving pure prayer to him who prays resolutely, even though sordidly and laboriously.” The quality and time that we spend with God is more important than the words we use. As I have said, the Jesus prayer has become my lifeline to God, and I use it as often as I can for the things that I have on my heart. In that entire statement that I repeat over and over again, I say everything that I need for the Lord to hear me. I do not need to tell God a story and explain every aspect to Him in my prayer. He already knows. What he is looking for is the humility and humbleness of my soul that will lead me out of the dark and despair into the future joys that I will have sitting at his footstool in Heaven. By simple prayer the heart becomes united with the divine and the powers of heaven come to our aid.

St. John says, “Soiled prayer is one thing, its disappearance is another, robbery another, and defection another. Prayer is soiled when we stand before God and picture to ourselves irrelevant and inopportune thoughts. Prayer is lost when we are captured by useless cares. Prayer is stolen from us when our thoughts wander before we realize it. Prayer is spoilt by any kind of attack or interruption that comes to us at the time of prayer.” Prayer is something that must be pure, we cannot force ourselves to pray and to do things that we have no intention of meaning. There have been many times in my own personal struggle that I have seen myself throwaway prayer for the sake of vainglorious things. I have wasted my time and effort on the cares of this world. That is why I am adamant that I should not ask things for myself rather I should simply pray that God who knows everything will give it to me in the time in which he believes best. Wandering minds and thoughts do us no good, for we must be resolute in our prayer and steadfast in our intent. Otherwise we become like the pagans babbling on for hours with no clear conviction.

I have spoken at length about this particular portion of the Ladder, one that is difficult and very easy to misuse if not calibrated correctly. In doing so, St. John has given us a wealth of treasure that is his writings on the subject. I do not believe that even this particular article will do it justice. Only rather I have seen what I have written for the benefit of my own soul and pray also for the benefit of your own. May God continue to guide us and protect us as we enter into Holy Week and celebrate the Glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Ladder of Divine Ascent: Rung 27

 

Solitude. In today’s world the people do not know the meaning of this word. That is for certain. We have fast food, fast cars, television, YouTube and various other social media platforms that keep us up twenty hours, seven days a week. This causes us to lose the ability to have solitude in body and soul. We have entered the last trials. The five final rungs, and have passed the rung of discernment and entered the rung of solitude. This does not require just physical solitude, but also a spiritual. We must quiet the passions in order to live a virtuous life. St. John of the Ladder writes, “The beginning of solitude is to throw off all noise as disturbing for the depth (of the soul). And the end of it is not to fear disturbances and to remain insusceptible to them. Though going out, yet without a word, he is kind and wholly a house of love. He is not easily moved to speech, nor is he moved to anger. The opposite of this is obvious.”

As we approach Holy Week, we are recalled to the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry and his glorious resurrection on Pascha. Now is the time to recall our commitment to God and to focus on solitude. The Church offers services every day of the week during Holy Week so that we can participate in the solitude of the Church. In doing so, even if just for a moment we are able to throw off the yoke of this world and to remain completely silent as we are transported to Jerusalem and the moments that are the greatest of importance within our faith. Christ provides us with the clearest example of solitude within the soul during this time. Being completely human and completely divine, Christ taught us how to not fear the disturbances of our souls and the world around us as we progress our journey towards salvation. The clearest example I can think of during this time, is that of the Garden. In the Garden, Christ was distressed by the coming trials and his crucifixion and sweated blood. But his constant prayer was that whatever the will of God is he would do it. He would fulfill his purpose and the purpose of God. So too when we obtain solitude of our souls we are able to discern the will of God and proceed despite the consequences that will befall us. We live our lives according to the will of God, not man. When we become distracted by the thoughts of this world, we leave the divine grace of God and he will not dwell within us. It is at this point one should repent and strive to continue living in solitude. When he does St John says, “The celestial powers unite in worship with him whose soul is quiet, and dwell lovingly with him. And the opposite to this is obvious.”  That means the angels and the saints and the Holy Spirit of God will worship within us the Triune God. We become the vessels of divine grace and are able to pour out this grace in the world by shining our light for Christ. Not all of us will be granted visions like the saints, but we can rest assured that by allowing solitude within our souls that the angels and all other celestial powers of heaven are surrounding us.

St. John also says, “He who has attained to solitude has penetrated to the very depth of the mysteries, but he would never have descended into the deep unless he had first seen and heard the noise of the waves and the evil spirits, and perhaps even been splashed by these waves. The great Apostle Paul confirms what we have said. If he had not been caught up into Paradise, as into solitude, he could never have heard the unspeakable words.1 The ear of the solitary will receive from God amazing words. That is why in the book of Job that all-wise man said: ‘Will not my ear receive amazing things from Him?” The noise around us is great today, whether it be physical or spiritual. I mentioned all the forms of social media that keep us constantly seeking noise, but so too do the demons have their own form of social media that they try to manipulate the people with. They give us the noise to drown out the voice of God. The voice of God is constantly calling us back to the fold, like the shepherd in search of his lost sheep. The voice of the demons is shouting as loud as it can trying to muffle out God and lead us away from the calming of the storm. In quieting our minds and souls we are able to hear clearly. Thus we become like St. Paul who was brought up into the heavens and heard the words of God Himself.  It is the calling of all Christians, not just monks and clergy to hear the voice of God. We are called to worship at his footstool and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. But without the voice of the demons we cannot discern the voice of God. God’s voice nourishes us, it calms us, it brings peace and hope to the soul. The voice of the demons brings torment and destruction. By using the rung of discernment we are able to clear the path for God.

Finally the most important part of solitude is faith. Without faith, we can achieve nothing. It is not a once in a lifetime prayer or something that magically appears when we accept Christ. That must come in time. We must grow as all things do. We do not magically receive salvation the moment we pray a prayer or walk an aisle. For faith is something that is entirely based on the daily life of the person. One moment you can have all the faith in the world, and the next because of unseen circumstance, you lose it. That is why we must keep treading along the straight and narrow path of salvation brothers and sisters. St. John writes, “Faith is the wing of prayer; without it, my prayer will return again to my bosom. Faith is the unshaken firmness of the soul, unmoved by any adversity. A believer is not one who thinks that God can do everything, but one who believes that he will obtain all things. Faith paves the way for what seems impossible; and the thief proved this for himself. The mother of faith is hardship and an honest heart; the latter makes faith constant, and the former builds it up. Faith is the mother of the solitary; for if he does not believe, how can he practise solitude?”  As I have said many times, there will be trials and tribulations. But with faith, we overcome these obstacles because we know that all things allowed by God for our salvation. Without hardship we see that there is no need for God. We believe that we are not in need of salvation because God has provided all things to us in this life. However, these things will pass away, they will perish when the world is renewed. God will not ask of us how much money or fame we had on earth, rather how much faith we had. Will we say that we had little, and be given little in return? We will we say we had much faith and be given much in return? Or heaven forbid, that we say we had no faith and be cast into the fires of Gehenna? The choice is clear that with solitude comes faith, and with faith comes solitude. We therefore should strive to at the judgement day boldly stand before Christ and say that we have tried to live a Godly life and that we know we have failed, but that our faith was unwavering. For many of us, we will hang our heads in shame because we never did this. I wish to not be one of those, but I know in my heart that I will be. Pray for me brothers and sisters, as I pray for you.

Amen.

Ladder of Divine Ascent: Rung 26

 

We have reached the final ascent of the Ladder. Thirty rungs are difficult to overcome, and if I am being totally honest, then I have to admit that I’ve taken a break preparing myself for the final five rungs of the ladder. Rungs 26-30 are some of the more difficult rungs to overcome as we have been battling our way up the ladder and are now being assaulted head on with the full force of the demons. However, if we are to overcome the last rungs, we must prepare ourselves with the Sword of the Spirit, aka our prayer ropes. We must continue on and pray diligently that God will allow us to be perfected in faith and to reach our final destination (not the movie) …heaven. We have now reached discernment, which is a very difficult thing to obtain, and one that I’m afraid the world is seriously lacking in today. In fact, I would assume with all the transgender and gender fluid movements out there today that people have never even attempted discernment. However, we must obtain true knowledge ourselves and in doing so we will progress up the Ladder. In reading the Ladder I came across this quote by St. John that sets the basis for our discussion today. He writes, “Discernment in beginners is true knowledge of themselves; in intermediate souls it is a spiritual sense that faultlessly distinguishes what is truly good from what is of nature and opposed to it; and in the perfect it is the knowledge which they possess by divine illumination, and which can enlighten with its lamp what is dark in others. Or perhaps, generally speaking, discernment is, and is recognized as, the assured understanding of the divine will on all occasions, in every place and in all matters; and it is only found in those who are pure in heart, and in body and in mouth.”

So once again let us delve into the heart of St. John in this matter. I will once again state, that he is writing to monks, but there is something to be gleaned from this for all Christians. First, we see that discernment is true knowledge of oneself. This allows a person to accept that they are sinners, in need of the divine grace of God, through prayer and repentance. In our metanoia, we can turn away from those things that are displeasing to God and are harmful to the soul. We also come to the conclusion that God has called us to a higher purpose, one that is fully vested in God and not of this world. The hopes and cares of this world will pass away, but our immortal souls will not. Whether they end up in eternal paradise among the righteous, or eternal torment with the souls of the damned, only God can decide. Our hope and prayer is that by discerning those things that are evil from those that are good, we can live a righteous path and obtain the Holy Spirit with which will dwell in us and guide us on the straight and narrow path. There is often talk among the Orthodox that we are the middle path. We do not turn to the right or to the left, but rather stay our course no matter the circumstances. In doing so we are able to see both sides of an issue and come to the conclusion that God has for us. Today we do not have this, rather we have people being either left or right. In some cases we have ultra-left and ultra-right people who have strayed even farther from the path on which God has set for us. So too in the spiritual world do we see this. The demons will either turn us to the left in a spiritual sense, being fully demonic and evil that we are unable to come to grips with salvation and reject in entirely, or to the right, being full righteous and believing ourselves in no need of salvation from God. The second leads us to a path of self-righteousness and pride that destroys our souls even more so than that of the first. In this pattern that I have laid out, I would suggest that St. John sums it up best. He says, “In all our actions in which we try to please God the demons dig three pits for us. In the first, they endeavour to prevent any good at all from being done. In the second, after their first defeat, they try to secure that it should not be done according to the will of God. But when these rogues fail in this too, then, standing quietly before our soul, they praise us for living a thoroughly godly life. The first is to be opposed by zeal and fear of death, the second by obedience and humiliation, and the third by unceasing self-condemnation. We shall be faced by toil of this kind until the divine fire enters into our sanctuary. And then the force of bad habit will no longer exist in us. Our God is a fire consuming all fever (of lust) and movement (of passion), every inclination rooted in us and all blindness and darkness within and without, both visible and spiritual.”

God being an all-consuming fire is an icon present in Orthodoxy and one that speaks to me more than most. For the righteous this fire consumes us and leads us to righteousness in God and His Church, and for the damned, it is a fire that torments and burns their souls with agony. When we allow the all-consuming fire to sweep us and cleanse us of every stain that we have brought onto ourselves we are able to worship and practice our faith with humility and love. It is like the forest that is burned but not consumed when park rangers and foresters set ablaze the trees and grass that otherwise would suffocate and die under the thick tall weeds that have grown around it. It is like the trees that without this fire could not produce their seeds and would not carry-on living. Without God our lives wither and die and suffer not just the first death, but the second as well. For those who are damned, the fire consumes them and suffocates them like a wildfire set in the summers of places like California and Colorado. God wants to grow us, not harm us. And using discernment, we are able to achieve this. Christ says for us not to place our light under a basket, and when the divine fire enters our sanctuary, we are able to shine brightly on this world and enlighten the even the darkest of places. I am reminded here of St. Nicholas of Japan, who leaving Russia for a foreign country, brought the light of Orthodoxy to Japan, in a time where Japan was and still is a pagan nation. His discernment and life by yielding himself to the divine fire of God led a large portion of the nation to Christ and His Church though he had his trials and tribulations. But the divine grace of God saw him through. So too when we reach a difficult point in our lives must discern the truth from God. In his own timing he will reveal what is to be done for His Kingdom and Glory. St. John writes, “Let no one plead his incapacity to fulfil the commandments of the Gospel, for there are souls who have gone even beyond the commandments. And you will certainly be convinced of what has been said by him who loved his neighbour more than himself and laid down his life for him, although he had not received this commandment from the Lord.”  So if the saints, who normal as they were with their own faults like St. Moses the Black, or the penitent thief, called Rakh in Russian were able to receive the divine grace you can too. The moral of this is that you must allow God to work in your life and present yourself as a willing servant of God. Only then will discernment come and will you be able to climb the ladder even further.

We have only scratched the surface of discernment here, in that it comes from God to those who are pure of heart and willing to accept the cross. Times will be difficult, and times will come when you will need to discern things whether they are demonic or from the Lord. We have seen this in the charismatic movement which was led astray by the speaking in tongues. We see this today in the transgender movement and all forms of the LGTBQ+. However the true Christian will seek the will of God and only what he wants for us. There will be no turning away from the faith for those who persevere. May God bless you and keep you forever.

Amen.

Ladder of Divine Ascent: Rung 24

 

            “The morning light precedes the sun, and the precursor of all humility is meekness. Therefore let us hear in what order the Light arranges these virtues, for He says: Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble in heart.4 So then before looking at the sun, which is humility, we must be illumined by the light, which is meekness, and then we can look with a clear gaze at the sun. For it is impossible, absolutely impossible, to gaze upon the sun before we have experienced that light, as we have learnt from the order in which the Lord has put these virtues.”  That’s how St. John of the Ladder begins this rung of the Ladder as we are now well into our journey and climbing the ladder in earnest. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the epitome of humility and love. His example is a witness to us all that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit and the love that passes all understanding. In doing so, we must learn how to control ourselves and our pride if we are to make it any further up the Ladder. Let’s look at few statements made by St. John and expand further on how to become a humble person.

            First St. John says, “Meekness is the buttress of patience, the door, or rather, the mother of love, and the foundations of discernment, for it is said: The Lord will teach the meek His way. It prepares us for the forgiveness of sins; it is boldness in prayer, an abode of the Holy Spirit. But to whom shall I look? Even to him that is meek and quiet.”  I would like to point out something regarding the above statement. St. John calls this boldness in prayer. The reason today we do not have the things that we ask for, is not because God does not love us. It is also not because we are not worthy of them. It is because we are not bold enough in our prayer. Being bold in our prayer doesn’t mean we ask for fancy things, or special blessings, but rather that we hold God at his word. That everything and anything we ask in His name will be given to us. Especially because it benefits our salvation and our walk on the straight and narrow path. By being bold in prayer, and learning to be humble and meek, we prepare an abode within our hearts for the Holy Spirit to dwell and rest. The Day of Pentecost comes alive for us again as we enter into the fullness of faith and love. God allows us to work with Him in contemplating our salvation and the acceptance of the gifts, or the rejection. Every day we must make a conscience effort to restore ourselves in the grace of God. Doing so only comes with boldness in prayer.

            The second statement from St. John that I would like to expand on is this, “Meekness is the fellow-worker of obedience, the guide of the brotherhood, a curb for the furious, a check to the irritable, a minister of joy, the imitation of Christ, something proper to angels, shackles for demons, a shield against peevishness.” In our ascent up the ladder, we have discussed a great deal about obedience and imitating Christ. As Christians we are to be mini-Christs we are to unite ourselves with the Holy Spirit in that the mortal can become the divine. Our humility and our meekness is the only way in which one is able to achieve this. As we have seen through the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, and the fall of Satan and his legions of angels, pride is the cause of the fall of all things. We have been granted so much from God that we become greedy and want more. Instead of allowing God to work in our lives, we allow the enemy to protrude our thoughts and to seep his lies into hearts. We want to take from the tree of good and evil, and we want to become greater than the Creator. In doing so we lose this meekness that God wants to see from us. He wants to us to be a minister of joy, rather than ministers of death. St. John of the Ladder says, “God is called love, and also justice. That is why the wise man4 in the Song of Songs says to the pure heart: Justice has loved thee. Also the father of the wise man says: Good and just is the Lord. And of those who are His namesakes He says that they are saved: Who saves the upright of heart; and again: His countenance sees and visits those who are honest and just.” We must constantly remember that we are the namesake of Jesus Christ, the light of light, true God of true God. If we refuse that moniker, then Christ will refuse us. He will say to us that he never knew us. Many will call on his name but only those who live in Christ, i.e., the faithful of the Orthodox Church, will be able to truly grasp the fullness of meekness and live according to the will of Christ. Those of us who have left father and brother and mother and sister to be joined with the Church forsaking all others will be greatly rewarded if we keep on the path. We will not just call on the name of God, but live with God in both spirit and truth.

            Being humble is a difficult calling. We constantly see people wanting credit for the work they’ve accomplished and for the things they’ve achieved. Rather than seeking the glory from men on social media, it is better to receive the glory from God in secret. I have been writing for almost two months now trying to decipher the meaning of the Orthodox Church and how to practically embrace it in everyday life. I have discovered that it is best to be experienced and not read. Though there is nothing wrong with books. Through these articles, I have experienced the faith in such a way that has had a profound impact on me. As we climb the ladder towards its final destination, I see that we have yet to come to a realization that humility and meekness in all things are the root of a solid relationship with Christ. Pray for me dear brothers and sisters as I pray for you, hoping that I can rightly teach the words of Jesus Christ for the benefit of all people.

Amen.