We perceive God's actions as wrathful, because our wills are at variance with His (Allocution to the Legion of Mary)

 

Nisibis III

The city rejoices, the siege has been lifted. Nevertheless, Nisibis III is certainly a peculiar song of thanksgiving. In fact, it does not seem that that is what Ephrem set out to do. Instead, the hymn seems to be a search for meaning. It asks the great "why" questions in chronological order. Why did the siege have to happen in the first place? Why did God allow the city to come so close to destruction? Why did God permit the people to live in relative comfort during the siege for most of the time? Why did God ultimately decide to save the city? For many of these questions, Ephrem can find no suitable answer.

The hymn begins with the great theme that Ephrem wants the whole city to ponder anew: the ineffability of God. The refrain for the hymn is: "Praise to the One Being that is to us unsearchable!" He begins with what is a frequent theme in His works: a warning against prying into God's private business. He prays, "Fix thou our hearing, that it be not loosed and wander! For it is a-wandering if one enquires, Who He is and what He is like. For how can we avail to paint in us the likeness of that Being which is like to the mind? Naught is there in it that is limited. In all of it, He sees and hears; all of it as it were speaks; all of it is in all senses." If all of this seems cryptic and hard to understand, that is because it is. Ephrem means it to be so. He is saying the same thing that Saint Thomas says when he identifies God as "actus purus," pure act. There are no unrealized potentials in God. While we finite creatures alternate between potentiality and act, God is only ever acting. Potency does not and cannot exist in Him. In the following stanza, Ephrem is even more explicit. He says of God: "His aspect cannot be discerned, that it should be portrayed by our understanding: He hears without ears; He speaks without mouth; He works without hands, and He sees without eyes. Because our soul ceases not nor desists, in presence of Him Who is such; in His graciousness He put on the fashion of mankind and gathered us into His likeness." Finally, in the third stanza, Ephrem finally comes to the point: "Let us learn in what way that Being is spiritual and appeared as corporeal; and how it also is tranquil and appears as wrathful. These things were for our profit; that Being in our likeness was made like to us that we may be made like Him. One there is that is like Him, the Son, Who proceeded from Him, Who is stamped with His likeness."

Having given us this data regarding God, Ephrem next addresses the city. In addressing the city, he is addressing every one of us, because God calls all of us to be like fortified cities against the Enemy. In fact, He brings the enemy armies against us for our profit. Although He is always tranquil, a source of perfect peace, He seems wrathful to us, because our wills are so much at variance to His. [There is, in fact, a famous passage in Nisibis IX where Ephrem states that God's justice and His mercy are the same. It is in the disposition of our wills that we perceive a difference.] Ephrem explains this point further in the ninth stanza. He tells us there are three things that require chastisement: the Earth, the vine and the olive. The statement is a puzzling non sequitur. First, he tells us that there are three things that need chastisement, then he goes on to give a list of things, none of which is a moral agent. He explains: "When the olive is bruised, then its fruit smells sweet; when the vine is pruned, then its grapes are goodly; when the soil is ploughed its yield is goodly. When water is confined to channels, desert places drink of it; brass, silver and gold, when they are burnished, shine." In other words, the images are about the qualities of human beings, not inanimate objects. Ephrem is at pains to show by natural illustrations that God's "chastisements," the sufferings He makes each and every one of us endure, are meant to our profit from His goodness. They don't even necessarily have anything to do with sin. Certainly, if we have attachments to sin, we should turn away from them, but even in the absence of sin we may experience suffering for our profit.

Stanza 11, then, is an exhortation to the city to let the afflictions that God has sent be "books upon which we meditate." For Ephrem, it is critical for us to learn from what God sends us in the way of suffering. He says: "Let us be taught by that which has come, to escape that which is coming; let us remember that which is past, to avoid that which is future. Because we had forgotten the first stroke, the second fell on us; because we forgot the second, the third bore heavy on us. Who will yet again forget!"

It would be good for us to turn the eyes of our minds to the Mother of God and reflect a bit upon her life. She bore tremendous sufferings. None of that suffering had anything to do with sin, but it was all profitable for her. None of the Lord's gracious actions in her life were wasted. She learned from each one. Among the things that she learned, not the least would be the method of prayer Ephrem mentions in Stanza 11. She learned to reflect on her life experiences, pondering them in her heart.

Єдиний шлях до святості: кожен із нас покликаний бути святим The one path to holiness: Each of us is called to be a saint

 

Сьогодні ми вітаємо наших братів і сестер, дівчат і хлопців, які роблять такий великий крок у дозріванні своєї віри в Христа: першу сповідь і перше урочисте причастя. У цей день, який є неділею всіх святих, день, коли ми згадуємо всіх тих, хто догоджав Богові протягом віків, як відомих, так і невідомих, здається доречним роздумувати про наше власне покликання бути святими. Кожен з нас покликаний Богом бути святим, навіть великим святим. Христос у Своїй великій любові до нас прийшов з небес і врятував нас від влади наших ворогів, сатани та його демонів, які від самого початку планували наше знищення. Христос повністю примири́в нас із Богом і зробив можливим для кожного з нас прийняти Його пропозицію вічного життя в спілкуванні з Ним. Тоді всі ми маємо здатність стати такими, якими нас створив Бог. Ми усвідомлюємо цю силу, дотримуючись заповідей, які дав нам Христос, бо Він сказав: «Якщо любите Мене, зберігайте Мої заповіді». Основними серед Його заповідей є дві великі заповіді любові: люби Господа Бога твого всім серцем твоїм, усією душею твоєю і всією силою твоєю, і ближнього твого, як самого себе. Проте, брати і сестри, сьогоднішнє Євангельське читання відкриває нам незамінний, необхідний спосіб виконання Його заповідей: ми повинні взяти свій хрест і йти за Ним.

Today, we welcome our brothers and sisters who are taking such a great step in the maturation of their faith in Christ: making their first confession and receiving their first solemn communion. On this day, which happens to be the Sunday of All Saints, the day upon which we commemorate all those who have pleased God throughout the ages, both known and unknown, it seems appropriate to meditate on our own vocation to be a saint. Each of us is called by God to be a saint, even a great saint. Christ in His great love for us came from Heaven and rescued us from the power of our enemies, Satan and his demons, who from the beginning plotted our destruction. Christ fully reconciled us to God and made it possible for each and every one of us to accept His offer of everlasting life in communion with Him. We all then have the potency, the ability, to become what God created us to be. We realize that potency by obeying the commandments that Christ has given to us, for He said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Primary among His commandments are the two great commandments of love: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Nevertheless, brothers and sisters, the Gospel reading today reveals to us the irreplaceable, indispensable manner in which we must fulfill His commandments: we must take up our cross and follow Him.

Ми не можемо легковажити зобов’язання взяти свій хрест. На нас чекає розп’яття. Нам потрібно прийняти хрест, щоб успадкувати воскресіння Христа, нашого Спасителя, бо Христос завжди є для нас взірцем і парадигмою.

We cannot take lightly the obligation to take up our cross. We have a crucifixion that awaits us. We need to embrace the cross, in order to inherit the resurrection of Christ our Savior, because Christ is always the model and paradigm for us.

Саме в Літургії ми переживаємо життя Христа в містичний, але реальний спосіб. У Літургії ми сходимо до страждань і смерті з Христом і воскресаємо з Ним у Його воскресінні третього дня. Кульмінацією цієї участі є прийняття воскреслого Тіла нашого Господа у Святому Причасті, але його приготування відбувається набагато раніше. Як відомо, Великий Вхід Божественної Літургії є містичним зображенням похоронної процесії Господньої. Образ Мертвого Тіла Господнього, безживні, приготовані дари хліба і вина приносяться процесією до Святої Трапези, яка представляє Його гріб. Ця процесія є для нас моментом зобов’язання. Коли ми містичним чином бачимо, як Господа Ісуса кладуть у Його гробницю, нам потрібно взяти на себе зобов’язання взяти свій хрест і слідувати за Ним. Нам потрібно дати обітницю йти за Ним, коли Він піде на страждання та смерть заради нас. Нам ніколи не потрібно боятися, що ми не маємо сили йти за Ним, коли Він спускається до Своїх страждань і смерті, тому що Він наша сила. Він постачає все необхідне. Все, що нам потрібно зробити, це слабко погодитися з волею, бо Він прямо каже нам: «Без Мене ви нічого не можете зробити».

It is in the Liturgy that we experience the life of Christ in a mystical but real way. In the Liturgy, we go down to suffering and death with Christ and rise with Him in His third-day resurrection. The culmination of this participation comes with our receiving the Resurrected Body of our Lord in Holy Communion, but its preparation comes much earlier. As we know, the Great Entrance of the Divine Liturgy is the mystical representation of the burial procession of the Lord. The image of the Lord's dead Body, the lifeless, prepared gifts of bread and wine are brought in procession to the Holy Table, which represents His tomb. This procession is a moment of commitment for us. As we mystically see the Lord Jesus being placed in His tomb, we need to commit to take up our cross and follow after Him. We need to vow to follow Him as He goes down into suffering and death for our sake. We never need to fear that we do not have the strength to follow Him as He descends into His suffering and death, because He is our strength. He supplies everything that is necessary. All we have to do is make our feeble assent of the will, for He forthrightly tells us: "Apart from Me, you can do nothing."

Для кожного з нас пасхальне таїнство Господа Ісуса є великою справою нашого життя. Наша участь у стражданнях і смерті Господа Ісуса є долею, яку приготував нам Бог. Ми знаємо дорогу вперед, тому що її вказав Сам Ісус. З того дня, коли ми почали розділяти Його ідентичність як Сина Божого, коли ми охристилися в Його смерть, ми були на цьому єдиному шляху, який веде через страждання та смерть до воскресіння та нескінченного життя. Це єдиний шлях до святості. Господь Ісус знає, що ми часто відступаємо від цього; ми залишаємо шлях і потрапляємо в пастку любові до створених речей (не останньою з яких є любов до самих себе). Коли ми відступаємо, ми повинні примиритися з цією дорогою, бо Він є Шлях, як Він каже нам: «Я є Дорога, Істина і Життя». Коли ми зійдемо з дороги через гріх, ми примиримося з дорогою через Святу Сповідь. Але коли ми на цьому шляху, наша подорож підтримується товариством Самого Ісуса, Який годує нас і зміцнює Собою, роблячи нас ще сильнішими та ближчими в нашій тотожності з Ним.

For each of us, the Paschal Mystery of the Lord Jesus is the great work of our lives. Our participation in the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus is the destiny that has been prepared for us by God. We know the way ahead, because it is marked out by Jesus Himself. Since the day that we began to share His identity as Son of God, when we were baptized into His death, we have been on this one path, the only path, that leads through suffering and death to resurrection and unending life. It is the only path to holiness. The Lord Jesus knows that we frequently fall away from it; we leave the path and become trapped in a love for created things (not the least of which is a love for ourselves). When we fall away, we must be reconciled to that path, for He is the Path, as He tells us: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." When we fall away from the path through sin, we are reconciled to the path through Holy Confession. But as we are on the path, our journey is sustained by companionship of Jesus Himself, Who feeds us and strengthens us with Himself, making us even stronger and closer in our identity with Him.

Молімося за цих наших братів і сестер, хлопчиків і дівчаток, які сьогодні приступають до свого першого урочистого причастя після першого спові́дання своїх гріхів. Молімося, щоб вони витривали у своїй вірі в Христа і зростали в ній, бо Господь Ісус говорить нам: «Тільки ті, хто вистоять до кінця, будуть спасенні».

Let us pray for these our brothers and sisters, who today are making their first solemn communion after having confessed their sins for the first time. Let us pray that they persevere in their faith in Christ and that they grow in it, for the Lord Jesus tells us: "Only those who persevere to the end will be saved."

 

Complacency that results from comfort (An Allocution to the Legion of Mary)

Nisibis II

Because of his life experience, there is no interpreter of the spiritual life who equals St. Ephrem the Syrian. Last week, when we considered Nisibis I, we saw how Ephrem reacted to and reflected on the siege of his hometown, Nisibis during the Romano-Persian War. Ephrem compared the city's situation to that of Noah in the ark and translated the circumstances of the war into an allegory to the spiritual life of each human being. In Nisibis II, Ephrem continues that allegory. He continues to tell us the story of the siege of his hometown, but he shows us that that experience is the experience of each one of us.

The hymn begins where the preceding one left off. The city of Nisibis is ringed about by the armies of the foreign invaders. Behind their high walls, the Nisibenes have a certain sense of security. Despite the fact that the primary goal of the siege is the wear them down and kill the inhabitants of the city by starvation, the Nisibenes are confident that they have sufficient supplies to survive, even to live in a state of relative normalcy, until the Roman armies arrive to relieve the city and repel the invaders. In the meantime, the invading army tries repeatedly to shorten the siege by testing the city's defenses, seeking a place or places of weakness, where the defenses can be undermined, and the city taken by force.

This is the description of the situation when, in Ephrem's estimation, God intervenes to do the most merciful thing possible for the embattled people of the city. God allows the city's walls to be breached not just in one but in three places. Our first reaction to this news is to deeply question how this contingency could be a manifestation of the mercy of God. Nevertheless, Ephrem is explicit, and with the subtlety that we expect from the "Harp of the Holy Spirit," he explains the depth of God's merciful love shown in and through the city's trouble and trial. Ephrem's summation can be found early in the hymn, in the second stanza: "He has saved us without wall, and taught us that He is our wall; He has saved us without king and made us know that He is our king; He has saved us, in each and all, and showed us that He is All; He has saved us in His grace and again reveals, that freely He has mercy and quickens. From every boaster, He takes away his boasting, and gives it to His own grace."

As it turned out, the city's engineers were able to repair the walls relatively quickly and Ephrem gives thanks to God on this account: "Out of these breaches, Thou hast multiplied triumphs. Praise unto the Triune God goes up from the three breaches; for that He descended and repaired them, in His mercy which restrains wrath. He smote the enemy who understood not that He was teaching us. He taught those within, for in His justice He made the breaches; He taught those without, for in His goodness He repaired them." In the following stanza, Ephrem puts his thanksgiving in high, sharp relief, as he spells out the fate from which the city has been saved: "The old men have been rescued from captivity, the youths from torture, the sucklings from being dashed in pieces, the women from dishonor, and the Church from mockery."

But what was God's purpose in allowing the breaches? Why did this have to happen? Ephrem answers: "He punished us and we feared not; He rescued us, and we were not ashamed. He straitened us and our vows were multiplied; He enlarged us and our crimes were multiplied. When He constrained, there was a covenant, when He gave breathing space, there was straying. Though He knew us, He lowered Himself to establish us. In the evening, we exalted Him; in the morning, we rejected Him. When necessity left us, faithfulness left us." Ephrem goes on to recall the primary reason for the siege in the eyes of God: "He shut us in that we might gather together in His Temple. He shut us in, and we were quenched; He set us free, and we went astray. We are like wool, which takes on every color." Ephrem contrasts his city with the city of Nineveh in the time of the Prophet Jonah. Nineveh repented at the sound of a feeble voice. Nisibis required the dire threat of breaches in its very wall.

As a result of the breaches, the city has turned back to God. Ephrem extols God's great generosity in that He made very small acts of repentance equal enormous crimes. God made the accounts balance by putting His own infinite finger on the scale. Further, Ephrem goes on to contrast the great efforts of the city's enemies with the city's own paltry repentance: "Against us, they have raised mounds, but we have not even raised our voices... God has rejected the diligent, in order to reward the slothful; He has rejected the labor done outside, even though He was rejected by those within." The breaches in the city's walls became "like mirrors" into which each side could look and see the sort of men they really were. The city's enemies looked into the breach and saw the might of God. Obediently, they withdrew. The city's inhabitants, on the other hand, looked into the same breaches and saw God's help, but, in response, they yielded lukewarm thanks.

The lessons for us are manifold. God allows trouble, trial and temptation for us, in order to correct us and bring us closer to Him. Nevertheless, we should constantly recognize the weakness of our human nature. It is our constant tendency to take refuge in God in hard times, but then grow distant from Him again in good times, as comfort and resulting self-reliance take over. Immediately after 9/11, for example, the churches were full. Three weeks later, they were again deserted. In the Prayer for Faith, the final one in the Tessara, we pray for a faith "as firm and immovable as a rock, through which we shall rest tranquil and steadfast amid the crosses, toils and disappointments of life." Ephrem is reminding us that often the crosses, toils and disappointments of life are blessings from God. It is good times that pose the greater threat.

Святий Дух втамовує нашу спрагу і виправляє наше сприйняття The Holy Spirit quenches our thirst and corrects our perception

 

У сьогоднішньому читанні Євангелія Господь Ісус використовує образ води, щоб показати дію Святого Духа в серцях віруючих. Ми можемо ко́рисно поміркувати над питанням про те, наскільки Святий Дух, що перебуває в нас, подібний до води. Як ми побачили в Євангельських читаннях у неділі після Пасхи, життя Боже подібне до води всередині нас, бо оживляє нас подібно до того, як вода оживляє землю. У Євангелії про Самарянку, наприклад, вода Святого Духа втамовує нашу духовну спрагу, вливаючи в нас життєдайні чесноти віри, надії та любови. З іншого боку, в Євангелії про сліпонародженого ми бачили, що вода Святого Духа дає нам доступ до істини; вона відкриває наш розум до істинної природи реальності, щоб ми могли сприймати Сотворіння таким, яким воно є насправді.

In the Gospel reading today, the Lord Jesus uses the image of water to represent the action of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who believe. We can profitably meditate on the question of just how the Holy Spirit abiding in us is like water. As we saw in the Gospel readings in the Sundays after Pascha, the life of God is like water within us, because it gives us life in a similar way to the way that water gives life to the earth. In the Gospel of the Samaritan Woman, for example, the water of the Holy Spirit quenches our spiritual thirst by pouring into us the life-giving virtues of faith, hope and charity. In the other hand, in the Gospel of the Man Born Blind, we saw that the water of the Holy Spirit gives us access to truth; it opens our minds to the true nature of reality, so that we can perceive Creation as it truly is.

Дійсно, як Господь уже обіцяв самарянці, життя Боже вирує зсередини віруючих, щоб «втамувати спрагу». Але про яку спрагу говорить Господь, коли каже: «Нехай спраглі приходять до Мене й п’ють?» Нам потрібно зрозуміти, що це за спрага, щоб зрозуміти цінність «води», яку пропонує нам Господь. Що це за спрага і чому ми відчуваємо спрагу? Це найважливіші запитання, на які ми маємо зрозуміти відповіді.

Indeed, as the Lord already promised the Samaritan Woman, the life of God will well up from within those who believe, in order to "quench their thirst." But what kind of thirst is the Lord talking about when He says, "Let those who are thirsty come to Me and drink?" We need to understand what this thirst is, so that we understand the value of the "water" that the Lord is offering to us. What is this thirst and why are we thirsty? These are the most important questions for us to understand the answers to.

Універсальний людський стан — це безглуздість і безпідставність. Без Бога, наше життя засуджене бути безглуздим і порожнім. Тут слово «безглуздо» означає, що життя не має мети. Ми прямуємо в нікуди. З іншого боку, слово «безпідставний» означає, що наше життя не має кінцевого походження, а отже, й сенсу. Ми можемо вигадувати «сенси» для певних аспектів нашого життя, але вони не можуть нас задовольнити чи вразити будь-яким відчуттям правди, тому що ми їх створили. Ми можемо чіплятися за них на деякий час, але зрештою ми повинні їх відкинути. Водночас, однак, люди повсюдно незадоволені очевидною безглуздістю та безпідставністю життя. Правильно було б сказати, що ми спраглі, ми прагнемо, щоб наше життя мало сенс і мету. Істинний сенс і мета людського життя може походити лише від правдивого Бога, Творця. Щоб дати нам сенс і мету, Живий Бог через Таїнство Хрещення вливає в нас чесноти віри, надії та любові. Завдяки вірі ми можемо погоджуватися з усім, що відкрив Бог. Завдяки чесноті надії ми очікуємо отримати великі речі, які Він обіцяв, а завдяки чесноті любові ми починаємо любити Його задля Нього Самого та все створене в Ньому. Раптом завдяки життю віри наше життя має сенс і ціль – єдині істинні сенс і ціль, тому що їх визначив Творець.

The universal human condition is one of pointlessness and baselessness. Apart from God, our lives are condemned to be pointless and empty. Here the word "pointless" means that life has no goal. We are headed nowhere. The word "baseless," on the other hand, means that our life has no ultimate origin and therefore no meaning. We may invent "meanings" for certain aspects of our lives, but they cannot satisfy us or impress us with any sense of truth, because we made them. We might cling to them for a time, but ultimately, we must discard them. At the same time, however, human beings are universally dissatisfied with the apparent pointlessness and baselessness of life. It would be true to say that we "thirst" for our lives to have meaning and a goal. The true meaning and goal of human life can only come from the true God, the Creator. To give us meaning and a goal, the Living God pours into us the virtues of faith, hope and charity through the Mystery of Baptism. With the virtue of faith, we are able to assent to everything that God has revealed. With the virtue of hope, we expect to receive the great things He has promised, and with the virtue of charity, we come to love Him for Himself and all created things in Him. Suddenly, through the life of faith, our lives have a meaning and a goal-- the only true meaning and goal, because they were determined by the Creator.

Через те саме вливання чеснот, яке втамовує нашу спрагу, наше сприйняття самого Сотворіння виправляється і просвітлюється, щоб ми могли мати справжні пріоритети, як ми побачили в Євангельському читанні про Сліпонародженого. Ми здатні світлом Святого Духа розрізнити, що справді цінне, а що зайве для нашої мети. Це світло, яке просвітило мучеників, показуючи їм, що вони повинні знехтувати навіть своїм життям у цьому світі, щоб мати вічне життя у світі прийдешньому. Вони змогли побачити, що вони повинні відкинути тимчасове, щоб мати постійне. Ми повинні наслідувати їх, ставлячи собі основне питання: як це зробить мене кращим? Іншими словами, роблячи це, в якій чесноті я виросту? Ті дії, які не пропонують чітко́ї відповіді на це питання, ми повинні зневажати і відкидати як такі, що не мають цінності. Що б це не було, якщо воно не наближає нас до вічного життя в Царстві Небесному, воно нічого не варте.

By the same infusion of the virtues, which quenches our thirst, our perception of Creation itself is corrected and enlightened, so that we can have true priorities, just as we saw in the Gospel reading of the Man Born Blind. We are able to distinguish by the light of the Holy Spirit what is truly valuable and what is superfluous to our goal. This is the light that enlightened the martyrs, showing them that they should disdain even their lives in this world, in order to possess everlasting life in the world to come. They were able to see that they should cast off the temporary, in order to possess the permanent. We should emulate them by asking ourselves the basic question, how will doing this thing make me better? In other words, by doing this thing, what virtue will I grow in? Those actions that do not suggest a clear answer to this question we should disdain and discard as being of no value. Whatever it is, if it does not bring us closer to everlasting life in the Kingdom of Heaven, it is worthless.

Водночас, однак, наше оновлене сприйняття справжньої природи всесвіту, яке приходить до нас через вливання Святого Духа, також може допомогти нам робити багато з того самого, що ми робили завжди, але з вищою метою. Наприклад, щоб підтримувати тілесне життя в цьому світі, нам необхідно їсти, пити, заробляти на життя, займатися тренуванням тощо. Завдяки́ сприйняттю істини, яка приходить до нас через Святого Духа, ми здатні робити все це з вічних, а не просто тимчасових мотивів. Ми можемо виконувати наші різноманітні завдання та заняття з мотивом зростання до досконалості, яку Христос наказав: «Будьте досконалі, як досконалий Отець ваш Небесний», а не просто працювати за свою зарплату. Таким чином Христос звільняє нас від най́маного рабства, бо ми маємо мету, яка є вищою за роботу, якою б вона не була. Якою б неприємною і лакейською не була робота, вона облагороджується цією вищою метою. Зрештою, це допомагає нам на шляху до Царства Небесного.

At the same time, however, our renewed perception of the true nature of the universe that comes to us through the infusion of the Holy Spirit can also help us to do many of the same things that we always did, but for a higher purpose. For example, to sustain bodily life in this world it is necessary for us to do things like eat, drink, earn our livelihoods, exercise and more. With the perception of the truth that comes to us through the Holy Spirit, we are capable of doing all these things for eternal rather than merely temporal motives. We can do our various tasks and occupations with the motive of growing towards the perfection that Christ has commanded, "Be perfect as Your Heavenly Father is perfect," rather than merely laboring for our paychecks. In this way, Christ frees us from wage-slavery, because we have a purpose that is higher than the job, whatever it may be. No matter how unpleasant and menial the work may be, it becomes ennobled by this higher purpose. It is, after all, helping us on the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

The Spiritual Life in the Siege of a City (An Allocution to the Legion of Mary)

Nisibis I

In so many ways, the Fathers of the Church were the greatest psychologists, long before the foundation of the modern "science" of psychology. The greatness of the Fathers psychology rests upon their holistic approach, which treats of the human person as a whole, not denying any observable aspect of the person, but affirming each of those aspects within its own sphere.

All of this is especially true of our holy father Ephrem the Syrian, who lived his entire life in a very, very troubled and violent period. Throughout his entire life his homeland was a place of war and bloodshed. Twice, his hometown was besieged and twice it had to be completely evacuated, its inhabitants going into exile. After the last evacuation, Ephrem was never to see his home again. He died in a strange land and went to live forever in his true home country, the Kingdom of Heaven. Despite all this, Ephrem didn't collapse into despair and bitterness as a result of PTSD, but became a very subtle understander of the human spirit and the ways of God.

At some point during the second siege of his hometown, Nisibis, Ephrem began to write the Nisibene Hymns, a series of penitential songs to be sung in church by his ascetical community, the b'nai qyama (the Sons of the Covenant), asking God to lift the siege and save the city. Nisibis I begins with the figure of Noah, the only righteous man of his generation, who was tasked by God with saving a remnant from the world, when the entire world needed to be destroyed by the Deluge. Ephrem, appealing to God in prayer, begins to compare the city's position with that of Noah. Ephrem speaks in the name of the city, saying that God allowed Noah to be surrounded only by water, but "I am surrounded by a flood of weapons." It is soon very clear that Ephrem is not only talking about his besieged hometown. He is talking about the universal human condition. Our life in this world is a warfare. We are all besieged by enemy forces that launch attacks against us by means of temptation. Using the situation of the siege as a metaphor, Ephrem begins to lay out an accurate understanding of the science of God's chastening. The fifth stanza of the hymn begins: "The foulness of guilt Thy righteousness has seen, and Thy pure eyes abhor me. Thou hast gathered the waters by the hand of the unclean, that Thou mightest make for me purification of my guilt; not that in them Thou mightest baptize and purify me, but that in them Thou mightest chasten me with fear. For the waves will stir up to prayer, which will wash away my guilt. The sight of them, which is full of repentance, has been to me a baptism. The sea, O Lord, which should have drowned me, in it let Thy mercies drown my guilt."

Returning to the example of Noah and the Deluge, Ephrem describes the way that God fashioned "an earth from wood," so that He could pour the earth into it and then transfer its contents back again. Ephrem implores God to deal in a similar way with the besieged city. He reminds the Lord that three times the land had been emptied of inhabitants as all the people fled into the walled city. Now he asks the Lord to lift the siege and allow the imprisoned people to go forth from the city to resettle the countryside. So it is that in times of trial and temptation, the faithful soul needs to resort to concentration within the spiritual defense of prayer. From within that place of concentration, the soul, like a walled city, prays for the cessation of the hostilities raised against it.

Furthermore, Ephrem observes that even though the waves of weapons break mightily against the city, the walls do not collapse, because they have not been built upon the sand of false doctrines but upon Christ, Who alone has the power to save. Nevertheless, there is still danger, because there is a "fifth column" within the city that is working against the city. Drawing comparison between the city's situation and that of Noah in the ark, Ephrem depicts the holy patriarch standing between two threatening, life-destroying forces: the waves just outside the ark's relatively thin, wood membrane and the mouths of the wild beasts that are housed within the ark itself. Stanza 10 tells us: "Thou didst close the doors to save the righteous one; Thou didst open the floods to destroy the unclean. Noah stood between the terrible waves that were without, and the destroying mouths that were within: the waves tossed him and the mouths dismayed him. Thou madest peace for him with them that were within; Thou broughtest down before him them that were without: Thou didst speedily change his troubles, for light to Thee, O Lord, are hard things." Each of us has within him or her the "fifth column" of the passions, the disordered energies of our souls that are working against us as we seek to deal with the force of temptation that is coming from outside us.

Despite the fact that the situation seems so dire, Ephrem is confident in the help of the Lord. He asks the Lord to realize the victory that Ephrem already very clearly sees in typology. The enemy has directed against us "a threefold wrath," referring to the three sources of temptation: the world, the flesh and the devil. Nevertheless, Ephrem implores God: "May He of the three days show me threefold mercy," referring to the saving Life of God present to us in the three theological virtues, which spring up in us in their fullness from the third day Resurrection of Christ.

Thus, we see that the lessons contained for us in Nisibis I are threefold: 1) We need to realize that punishment does not really belong to this world. Instead, through trouble, trial and temptation, God is chastening us, that is, He is trying to correct us. Our troubles, trials and temptations are benefactions that come from God, so that we grow and become more perfect. Then, 2) in times of temptation, trouble and trial, we need to withdraw within to a stance of concentration in meditation and prayer. This is our defensive posture, behind our fortified walls in which we trust not in ourselves but in God. 3) We should always be vigilant against those forces within us, the passions, that are seeking to aid our Adversary and bring about our destruction. We should always seek to work against them through self-denial and the practice of the opposite virtues.

Царська молитва Господа нашого: три елементи дійсної молитви Our Lord’s Royal Prayer: Three elements of true prayer

Брати і сестри у Христі—

Сьогодні, у Євангелії Неділі Святих Отців Першого Вселенського Собору, молитва Господа нашого Ісуса Христа є моделлю всіх наших молитов.  Ця молитва має моделі у Старому Завіті: урочисті молитви помазаних царів Юдеї, предків Господа нашого—синів Давида.  Ці гарні молитви також показують нам аспекти нашого життя у молитві. 

Перше ми повинні роздумувати про молитву Святого Царя Давида, коли Господь Бог обіцяв йому вічне царство через слова пророка Святого Натана. Ці молитви мають подібний зразок. Спочатку, вони починаються від похвали того, що його Бог зробив в минулому. Цар Давид каже (2 Самуїл 7:23): «Чи ж є якийсь другий народ на світі, як твій народ Ізраїля, народ, єдиний на землі, до якого Бог приходив, щоб його визволити і викинути його для себе як народ, щоб дати йому ім’я, вчинити задля твоєї землі великі та страшні речі, прогнавши народи і богів з-перед твого народу, що його ти визволив з Єгипту?» І тоді, син Давида, Цар Соломон схвалює Бога подібним шляхом (1 Царі 8:23-4): «Господи, Боже Ізраїля! Нема Бога, що був ви тобі рівня, ні на небі вгорі, ні на землі внизу. Ти бережеш завіт і милість слугам твоїм, що ходять перед тобою усім серцем. Ти додержав слузі твоєму Давидові, моєму батькові, те, що обіцяв йому і що устами твоїми промовив, --ти сьогодні справдив рукою твоєю.» І накінець, Цар Єзекія молиться з подібною похвалою, коли асирійський цар Санхерив атакував Юдею. Молитва Святого Царя Єзекії з книги Пророка Ісаї (Ісая 37:16) показує нам найпростішу похвалу Господніх минулих діл: «Господи сил, Боже Ізраїля, що возсідаєш на херувимах! Ти єси Бог, ти один над усіма царствами земними. Ти сотворив  небо й землю.»

Today, in the Gospel reading of the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ is a model of all of our prayers.  This prayer itself has models in the Old Testament: the solemn prayers of the anointed kings of Judah, the ancestors of our Lord—the sons of David. These beautiful prayers also show to us certain aspects of our life in prayer.

First, we should consider the prayer of King David, when the Lord God promised him an everlasting kingdom through the words of the Prophet Nathan.  These prayers have a similar pattern. First, they begin with praise for what God has done in times past.  King David says (2 Samuel 7:23) : “What other nation on earth is there like your people Israel? What god has ever led a nation, redeeming it as his people and making a name by great and awesome deeds, as you drove out the nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt.” And then, the son of David, King Solomon praises God in a similar fashion (1Kings 8:23-4): “Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep covenant and love toward your servants who walk before you with their whole heart, the covenant that you kept toward your servant, David my father, what you promised him; your mouth has spoken and your hand has fulfilled this very day.” And finally, King Hezekiah prays with a similar praise, when the Assyrian king Sennacherib attacked Judah.  The prayer of the holy King Hezekiah from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 37:16) shows us simplest praise of the Lord’s former deeds: “Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubim! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. It is you who made the heavens and the earth.”

Подібним способом, як Цар Давид молився про Стару Пасху Юдейську від рабства у Єгипті до свободи у Обіцяній Землі, так Господь Ісус молиться про Нову Пасху від смерти до вічного життя у царстві Божому. Господь молиться (Йоан 17:1-4): «Отче, прийшла година! Прослав свого Сина, щоб Син твій тебе прославив, згідно з владою, що її ти дав йому над усяким тілом: дарувати життя вічне тим, яких ти передав йому. А вічне життя у тому, щоб вони спізнали тебе, єдиного, істинного Бога, і тобою посланого—Ісуса Христа.  А тебе на землі прославив, виконавши те діло, яке ти дав мені до виконання.» Він схвалює Його Отця, коли Він згадує Свої Діла, бо Він також Бог, єдиносущний з Отцем.  

In a similar way, as King David prayed concerning the Old Passover of the Jews from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land, so the Lord Jesus prays concerning the New Passover from death to eternal life in the Kingdom of God.  The Lord prays (John 17:1-4): “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that your Son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.” He praises His Father as He commemorates His own deeds, since He too is God, consubstantial with the Father.

Другий елемент цих урочистих, царських молитов є благанням. Ми найчастіше об’єднуємо цей елемент з молитвою. Благання Святого Царя Давида –за поповнювання обіцянки Бога до Давидової династії. Цар Соломон молиться за великий храм, що його він збудував, щоб Бог вислухав молитви народу, і Цар Єзекія молиться за визволення Ізраїля від рук ворогів.  Благання має центральне положення у молитві так, як Господь Ісус каже у Євангелії від Святого Луки. Він каже (Лука 11:9-10): «Отож кажу вам: Просіть, і вам дасться; шукайте, і знайдете; сту́кайте, і вам відчинять. Кожний бо, хто просить, одержує; той, хто шукає, знаходить, і тому, хто стукає, відчиняють.» У сьогоднішньому читанні, Господнє благання –за єднання Святої Церкви.

The second element of these solemn, royal prayers is petition. We most often associate this element with prayer. The petition of King David is for the fulfillment of God’s promise to the Davidic dynasty. King Solomon prays for the great temple that he has built, so that God will hear the prayers of the people, and King Hezekiah prays for the deliverance of Israel from hands of enemies. Petition has a central place in prayer, just as the Lord Jesus says in the Gospel of St. Luke. He says (Luke 11:9-10): “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” In today’s reading, the Lord’s petition is for the unity of the Holy Church.

Третій елемент цих гарних молитов є подякою.  Подяка є скінченням молитви, бо похвала про чудові діла, які Бог зробив у минулому, але подяка про дуже великі користі нині і в майбутньому.  Коли ми бажаємо рости у спорідненості з Богом через молитву, ми повинні включати всі ці три елементи у нашій молитві. Ми повинні дисциплінуватися, щоб починати наші молитви з похвали за Божі чудові діла, і тоді смиренно прощати Його за всі речі, що їх ми потребуємо, і накінець подякувати Йому за всі користі, що їх ми прийняли і будемо приймати. Наші молитви повинні наслідувати цей царський зразок, бо ми царський народ у Христі.  Всі ми беремо участь у помазаному королівстві Ісуса Христа, бо ми помазані Духом Святим, коли Церква помазала нас святим миром у таїнстві миропомазання. 

The third element of these beautiful prayers is thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the completion and end of prayer, since praise is concerning the wonderful deeds, which God did in the past, but thanksgiving is concerning His enormous benefits both now and in the future.  If we desire to grow in our relationship with God in prayer, we should incorporate all three of these elements into our prayer. We should discipline ourselves to begin our prayer with praise for God’s wonderful works, and then, humbly to ask Him for all those things that we need, and finally to thank Him for all the benefits, which we have received and will receive.  Our prayers should follow this royal pattern, since we are a royal people in Christ. We all take part in the anointed kingship of Jesus Christ, because we were anointed by the Holy Spirit, when the Church anointed us with Holy Myro in the Mystery of Chrismation.

Нотатки для додаткового читання: Естер 14:1-19, Юдита 9:1-14, Псалми 9-10

Як молитви цих святих жінок різняться від молитов царів і молитви Господа нашого?

Чи всі елементи присутні у цих псалмах, чи ні?

 

Suggestions for further reading: Esther 14:1-19, Judith 9:1-14, Psalms 9-10

How are the prayers of these holy women different from the prayers of the kings and the prayer of our Lord?

Are all the elements present in these psalms, or not?

  

ІСУС Є ПРАВДОЮ, І ЗНАННЯ ЙОГО Є ДОСКОНАЛОЮ НАУКОЮ JESUS IS THE TRUTH, AND KNOWLEDGE OF HIM IS THE PERFECT SCIENCE

 

Сьогодні, ми приходимо до останньої неділі перед святом Вознесіння. Ця неділя подібна до інших пасхальних неділь названа за темою євангельського читання. Отже, ми називаємо цю неділю «про сліпонародженного» тому що євангельське читання нам говорить про чоловіка, який був сліпим від його народження. Ніхто ніколи не зцілив людину цього сорту, і отож це зцілення було спеціальним показом божественної сили Господа Ісуса так, як воскресіння Лазаря потім показав навіть ясніше Його Божество.  Тут, знову, Євангеліє від Святого Йоана навчає важливости хрещення так, як розповідь минулої неділі говорить про те саме таїнство історією про зустріч Господа Ісуса й Самарянки. Розповіди є різними, але навчання є тим самим, бо обидві історії нам кажуть про те, що хрещення є початком життя благодаті, і життя благодаті є джерелом благословення для всіх, наших ближніх і всього світу, тому що благодать, яка приходить від таїнства хрещення несе нас до пізнання правди так, як Господь сказав юдеям, «ви будете знати правду, і правда звільнить вас.»

Today, we come to the last Sunday before the feast of the Ascension.  This Sunday is similar to the other paschal Sundays in being called after the theme of the Gospel reading.  Therefore, we call this Sunday, “of the Man Born Blind” because the Gospel reading tells us about a man, who was blind from birth. No one had ever cured a person of this sort, and thus, this healing was a special manifestation of the Divine Power of the Lord Jesus, just as the resurrection of Lazarus later showed His Divinity even more clearly.  Here again, the Gospel According to St. John teaches us the importance of Baptism, just as last Sunday’s narrative spoke about that same sacrament through the story of the Lord Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan Woman. The stories are different, but the teaching is the same, since both stories tell us that Baptism is the beginning of the life of grace, and the life of grace is the source of blessing for all, our neighbors and the whole world, because the grace, which comes from the sacrament of Baptism brings us to the knowledge of the Truth, just as the Lord told the Jews, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Що таке правда? Ми маємо тут не тільки інтелектуальну правду, або духовну правду, бо коли ми шукаємо учителя, щоб навчатися певної правди, ми залишаємося з ним аж допоки ми цілком приймаємо правду, яку він має нам подати, і тоді ми шукаємо іншого учителя, який може навчати чого-небудь, яке ми бажаємо пізнати. Однак, Господь Ісус промовляє, «Я—шлях, правда і життя.» Він не каже, «Я маю шлях, правду і життя,» але, «Я—шлях, правда і життя.» Ми можемо роздумувати над розказом через решту нашого життя, бо цей уривок є дуже багатим, повним значення.

What sort of truth? We have here not only an intellectual truth, or a spiritual truth, since when we seek a teacher to learn a certain truth, we remain with him until we completely receive the truth that he has to give us, and then we seek another teacher, who can teach us something else that we desire to understand. However, the Lord Jesus proclaims, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He does not say, “I have the way, the truth and the life,” but “I am the way, the truth and the life.” We can meditate on this saying for the rest of our lives, since this passage is very rich and full of meaning.

Трансформування від сліпоти до зору є символом зміни від невідання до знання правди, і отже, сьогодні, ми зосереджуємось на промовленні Господа Ісуса, «Я—правда.» Це дуже великий виклик для нас, тому що, знову, Він не каже те, що Він має правду, але тільки «Я—правда.» Правда є цілісністю безмежної Особи, воплоченої і показаної через досконалу людську природу. Тож, знання правди не є прийнятим через інтелектуальне вивчення, але через тихе роздумування, і свідоме і дбайливе імітування.

The transformation from blindness to sight is a symbol of the change from ignorance to the knowledge of the truth, and therefore, today, we focus on the pronouncement of the Lord Jesus, “I am the truth.” This is a very great challenge for us, because, again, He does not say that He has the truth, but only “I am the truth.” The truth is the totality of an infinite Person, incarnate and manifest through a perfect human nature. Thus, the knowledge of the truth is not received through intellectual study, but quiet meditation and conscious and careful imitation.

Тож, це стає нашою відповідальністю, тобто, щоб роздумувати над життям Господа нашого і дбайливо імітувати його у наших індивідуальних випадках. Природно, ми не боїмося, щоб загубити нашу індивідуальність, бо були бежмежними способами, щоб імітувати безмежну Особу. Христос не стає присутнім у нас згідно з буквальними випадками Його земного життя, але Він стає присутнім у нас згідно з Його чеснотами, які мають безмежні вирази, але вони є завжди тими самими. 

Thus, this becomes our responsibility, namely to meditate on the life of our Lord and to carefully imitate him in our individual circumstances. Naturally, we do not fear to lose our own individuality, since there are infinite ways to imitate an infinite Person. Christ does not become present in us according to the literal circumstances of His earthly life, but He becomes present in us according to His virtues, which have infinite expression, but are always the same. 

Тим способом, ми бачимо важливість читання Святого Письма у нашому шоденному житті, бо це є єдиним джерелом, з якого навчатися чесноти необхідні для спасіння, які Бог уливає у нас через церковні таїнства. Нам треба тримати важливу різницю у пам’яті. Бог нам дає чесноти у святих таїнствах як добровільний дарунок. Без цього дарунок, це не можливе, щоб робити добрі діла, які є з’єднаними з добрими ділами Господа Ісуса. Але, цей дарунок ми мусимо робити активним, і тож, у нас, уливані чесноти стануть активними чеснотами. 

In this way, we see the importance of reading Holy Scripture in our everyday life, since this is the only source, from which we can learn the virtues necessary for salvation, which God pours into us through the sacraments of the Church.  We have to hold an important distinction in mind. God gives us virtues in the holy sacraments as a free gift. Without this gift, it is not possible to perform good works that are joined to the good works of the Lord Jesus. Yet, we must make this gift active, and thus, in us, infused virtues will become active virtues. 

Ісус є правдою, і отже знання про Нього є досконалою наукою. Ми повинні вивчати цю науку через шоденне читання Святого Письма, особливо чотирьох євангелій, щоб імітувати чесноти, які ми знайдемо там.  Він хоче зцілити нашу сліпоту наших гріховних звичаїв, але, на нашій стороні, ми мусимо знати Його, щоб співпрацювати з Ним у роботі нашого спасіння.

Jesus is the truth, and therefore knowledge of Him is the perfect science.  We should study this science through daily reading of Holy Scripture, especially the four Gospels, in order to imitate the virtues that we find there.  He wants to cure the blindness of our sinful habits, but, on our part, we must know Him, in order to cooperate with Him in the work of our salvation.