CONSECRATION FOR CATECHESIS: St. Chariton the Confessor

St. Chariton the Confessor is a good reminder to us that we are not wanderers, but pilgrims, that is, we are travelling to a specific destination for a religious purpose. As St. Paul reminds us, "here we have no lasting city, but we are seeking one that is to come, whose founder and sustainer is God." Chariton was afraid of becoming too settled anywhere in this world, thus, whenever he would become settled in a monastery of his founding, he would get up and flee to a desert place where a new monastery would spring up.

(CCC 2691) Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer "in Church."

Pilgrims, like all travelers are intent on the destination and try to cover as much ground as possible while the daylight lasts. This needs to be our attitude as well.

CONSECRATION FOR CATECHESIS: God has a tender care for us, especially in death

The Holy Martyrs Probus, Tarachus and Andronicus

When, after the suffering of the martyrs in the arena, three Christians arrived to take their bodies away for honorable burial, the night was very dark. The three Christians, Felix, Macarius and Berius could not discern the bodies of the saints from the others in the great tangle of dead bodies. Therefore, they prayed to God to help them identify the bodies of the saints. At once, three candles appeared that hovered over the bodies, so that they could be taken away.

The Lord tells us, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His holy ones." He has a tender care for us, especially in death. The frailty of human death is changed by the power of God into something mighty, as He makes the remains of the saints into мощі (the Old Slavonic word moshchi comes from the word могутній (mohutniy), which means "mighty, powerful"), wonder-working relics that pour forth healing for us who still sojourn on earth. (Christ our Pascha 617,8)

Reading the Spiritual Meadow: The Two Meanings of Hospitality-- Being Kind to Stranger, While Being a Stranger to the World

When we last reflected on the reading of the Spiritual Meadow by our father among the saints John Moschos, he was leading us through the Jordan valley, and teaching us all the stories and recollections that he heard and experienced in those holy places hallowed by the presence of St. John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

In the Lavra of Abba Peter, near the Jordan River, just a little distance north of the Dead Sea, John met an elderly man name Nicolas, who had come to live there from his previous monastery of Raithou in Sinai, after it was devastated by the Arabs. He told John that, once, when he was still dwelling at Raithou, he and two other monks were sent on a journey to Upper Egypt. During the journey, they lost their way in the desert and wandered for three days without water, before collapsing in the sand from weariness and thirst. Nicolas, as he and his companions baked under the desert sun, had a vision. There was a beautiful pool of clear water and two people were there, drawing the water with a wooden vessel. Nicolas begged them to give him some of the water. One of the people in the vision wanted to give him a drink, but the other said, “no, let us not give him anything to drink, for he is too easy-going. He does not look after his soul.” The other said, “yes, it is true that he is too pleasure-loving, but he has always been hospitable to strangers.” Then, they gave Nicolas a drink and they also gave water to his companions. Refreshed, they were able to finish their journey and arrive in safety in Upper Egypt.

The virtue that saved Nicolas from death of thirst was the virtue of hospitality. Hospitality is a child of the virtue of charity, a concrete expression of the Lord’s commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In the Gospel today, the Lord Jesus commands us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. This may seem like an impossible command, but it is reasoning is unassailable. In hospitality we are kind to strangers, because we recognize that we have been strangers. In the same way, in charity towards our enemies, we recognize that we have one and the same human nature—the image of God. The Lord Jesus tells us, “[God] sends His rain on the just and the unjust.” It is undeniable. Both we and our enemies are both the beneficiaries of the kindness of God. If God is kind to the unjust, to sinners, to His enemies, Who are we to act differently?

Love of strangers and enemies, hospitality and charity, both demand that we be strangers to the world and its ways. The Lord Jesus was profoundly a stranger to the world, and the world was at enmity with Him. On the night that He was betrayed, He prayed, “I pray for them [that is, the Apostles]. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me out of the world, for they are Yours.” Unless we are strangers to the world, we will not be able to fulfill His commands. We will not be able to show the kind of love towards strangers and enemies that He has modeled for us. The world teaches us the way of the passions. It teaches us anger, lust, gluttony, pride. Only if we are strangers to these through self-denial, can we be hospitable to Christ our God, Who desires to dwell among us, in us, as He says in the Apocalypse: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens to Me, I will enter and have supper with him, and he with Me.”

ЛИСТИ БОГА : ВАЖЛИВА ЧАСТИНА СВЯТОЇ ЛІТУРГІЇ, НЕБЕСНОЇ Й НАШОЇ LETTERS FROM GOD : AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE HOLY LITURGY, BOTH IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH

З я’вленням нашого Архиєрея, Господа Ісуса Христа, ми починали розуміти те, що Одкровення Святого Йоана Апостола є літургійною книгою, описуючи Божественну Літургію на небі. Раптом, ми також розуміємо те, що наша Божественна Літургія тут на землі є образом небесного богослужіння, як у дзеркалі. Ми пізнаємо те, навіть більше, коли ми думаємо про правдивий початок нашого богослужіння, бо дійсно теперішній початок нашої Літургії, який називається словом «енарксіс», є розділеною службою. Правдивий початок історичної Божественної Літургії є запрошенням і благословенням, «Будьмо уважні! Мир всім! Премудрість! Будьмо уважні!» Ми бачимо це дуже ясно у класичному коментарі на Божественну Літургію, який Святий Максим Ісповідник написав. Тим самим способом, у описі небесної Літургії, Святий Апостол Йоан нам каже про початок богослужіння, який складає привітання і благословення Архиєрея Господа Ісуса, стоячи між світильниками, які репрезентують святі Церкви́, що разом є частинами Вселенської Церкви, тобто Католицької Церкви.

With the appearance of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, we began to understand that the Apocalypse of St. John the Apostle is a liturgical book, describing the Divine Liturgy in Heaven. Immediately, we also understand that our Divine Liturgy here on earth is the image of the heavenly divine service, as in a mirror. We realize this even more, when we think about the true beginning of our divine service, since truly the current beginning of our Liturgy, which is called by the name “enarxis,” is a separate service. The true beginning of the historical Divine Liturgy is the invitation and blessing, “Let us be attentive! Peace be to all! Wisdom! Let us be attentive!” We can see this very clearly in the classic commentary on the Divine Liturgy, which Saint Maximus the Confessor wrote. In just the same way, in the description of the Heavenly Liturgy, the Holy Apostle John tells us about the beginning of the divine service, which consists of the greeting and blessing of the High Priest, the Lord Jesus, standing amidst the lampstands, which represent the holy Churches that together are parts of the Universal, that is, the Catholic Church.

Після цього привітання і благословення, які починали Божественну Небесну Літургію, Архиєрей раптом наказує Святому Апостолові, щоб написати листи до святих Церков так, як у нашій Божественній Літургії, ми читаємо листи Апостолів у цьому часі. Тут, ми бачимо ясно дзеркальний образ. У цьому описі небесної Літургії, сім листів, до сімох Церков Асії, і центральні навчання цих листів захоплюють теми єресі та етики. Особливо важливі є повторення вірша, «Хто має вухо, нехай слухає, що Дух говорить Церквам,» і уривками, які починаються «Переможному дам....»

After this greeting and blessing, which begin the Heavenly Divine Liturgy, the High Priest immediately commands the Holy Apostle to write letters to the holy Churches, just as, in our Divine Liturgy, we read the letters of the Apostles in this time. Here, we see clearly the mirror image. In this description of the Heavenly Liturgy, there are seven letters, to the seven Churches of Asia, and the central teachings of these letters embrace the themes of heresy and ethics. Especially important is the repeated verse, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches,” and the passages, which begin “To the one who conquers, I will give….”

Вірш «хто має вухо, нехай слухає, що Дух говорить Церквам» є есенціальним виказом Католицької віри. Тут, ми бачимо те, що Святий Дух говорить Церквам, а не нам індивідуально. Святий Дух безпомилково керує Католицькою Церквою, спілкуванням святих Церков, про яке Одкровення постійно каже. Святий Дух говорив би індивідуальній особі, але нема способу, щоб бути певним про правду такого промовлення, окрім того, коли Свята Церква судить його. Навіть коли Церква судить промовлення Святого Духа до індивідуальної особи добрим і побожним, це тільки означає те, що це промовлення є корисним для християнського життя. Але, воно не є потрібним і есенціальним до спасіння, бо тільки навчання Святої Церкви є потрібним до спасіння, і пізніше виявлення ніколи не буде змінювати його. Тож, надхнення Святого Духа є завжди залежним від авторитету Католицької Церкви, яка є єдиною безпомилково скерованою Святим Духом. Ми не можемо бути обманеними, коли ми слухаємо, що Дух говорить Церквам.

The verse “He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches” is an essential expression of Catholic belief. Here, we see that the Holy Spirit speaks to the Churches, and not to us individually. The Holy Spirit infallibly guides the Catholic Church, the communion of the Holy Churches, about which the Apocalypse ceaselessly speaks. The Holy Spirit might speak to an individual person, but there is no way to be certain concerning the truth of such a pronouncement, except when the Holy Church judges it.  Even if the Church judges a pronouncement of the Holy Spirit to an individual person to be good and pious, this only means that the pronouncement is useful for the Christian life. But, it is not necessary or essential to salvation, since only the teaching of the Church is necessary for salvation, and a later revelation will never alter it. So, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is always dependent on the authority of the Catholic Church, which alone is infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit. We cannot be deceived when we heed what the Spirit says to the Churches.

Уривки, які починалися «Переможному дам...» показують нам всеосяжний опис того, що Бог обіцяє у цьому житті і майбутньому. Ці викази заслуговують нашу дуже велику увагу, і ми детально оглянимо їх пізніше. Тепер, ми повинні тільки нотувати те, що всі викази мають образи раю, які ми знайдемо у інших місцях Святого Письма.  Ці важливі уривки мають бути чи́таними з тими іншими уривками твердо в розумінні.

The passages, which begin, “To the one who conquers I will give…” show us a comprehensive description of that, which God promises in this life and in the next.  These utterances deserve our very great attention, and we will examine them later in detail. Now, we should only note that all the utterances contain images of paradise, which we find in other places of Holy Scripture. These important passages have to be read with those other passages firmly in understanding.

Частина Одкровення, яка включає сім листів до святих Церков Асії, запрошує нас, щоб роздумувати над важливістю читання Апостола у нашій Божественній Літургії, дзеркальному образі небесної Літургії, яку Святий Йоан описує. Мабуть, ми маємо звичку, щоб оглядатися під час читання Апостола, але те, що ми читаємо у Одкровенні нагадує нам—ми потребуємо дати нашу увагу на цей аспект нашої Літургії, і приймати його особисто неначе слова Апостола є адресованими до кожного з нас, бо навчання, яке ми знаходимо у цьому читанні, є первісним церковним джерелом морального керування. Отже, нам треба формувати нову звичку щодо Апостола, тобто, ми потребуємо запитати про терміни Апостола. Чи ми живемо згідно його навчання, або ні?

The part of the Apocalypse, which includes the seven letters to the holy Churches of Asia, invites us to meditate on the importance of the reading of the Apostle in our own Divine Liturgy, the mirror image of the Heavenly Liturgy, which Saint John describes. Perhaps, we have the habit of becoming distracted during the reading of the Apostle, but that, which we read in the Apocalypse reminds us—we need to give our entire attention to this aspect of our Liturgy, and it accept it personally, as if the words of the Apostle are addressed to each one of us, since the teaching, which we find in this reading is the Church’s primary source of moral guidance.  Thus, we need to form a new habit regarding the Apostle, namely, we need to ask ourselves questions in terms of the Apostle. Do we live according to its teaching or not?