St Peter Chrysologus has a knack for tackling, with wonderful rhetorical flare, the tough textual questions in his homilies. The latest example I've found are from his series of sermons on the flight of Jesus into Egypt, and Herod's murder of the holy innocent boys. (Mt 2.13-18)
In sermon 151 (Fathers of the Church, 110.257-260), St Peter Chrysologus begins by declaring that the Gospel reading "has troubled our hearts, shaken us in the depths of our being, and has made us wonder if we were hearing correctly." Why? Because we heard that God fled when St Matthew records that the angel told Joseph, "Flee to Egypt!" "It would have been more reverent," says the sainted homilist, "to say: 'Make your way to Egypt,' so as to indicate a journey, not a flight..." However, flight is precisely what the text says, and what St Peter Chrysologus wants us to hear and consider. He urges us to ponder God running away from danger, God fleeing from the devil. And he wants us to consider how this matches with God's promise that He is our refuge and strength. "If the refuge flees, if the strength is afraid, if the protection goes away, what life, hope, security, or defense is there?"
St Peter designs his sermons to shake us. And having done so, how does he answer his own question? With the sweetest Gospel. St Peter Chrysologus boldly asserts the following: "Brothers, that Christ fled had to do with a mystery, not fear; it was the liberation of the creature, not a peril to the Creator; it was a matter of divine power, not human fraility; of concern was not the death of the Creator, but the life of the world." So what does Christ flee? For us men and for our salvation.
Yet how does Christ's flight prefigure our salvation, or preach comfort to us? In three ways. First, Christ flees so that willingly, deliberately, and on his own terms He may take up our fight against the Devil. So Christ flees so that He might fully and willingly suffer our sufferings, endure our death, and enter our grave. "Christ assumed us in himself in order to give himself to us; he endured our sufferings in order to remove our sufferings." So Christ's flees so that the Devil does not prematurely ruin His saving work.
Second, St Chrysologus states that Christ flees in order to have mercy on his persecutors--and, at the same time, to teach us how to have mercy. "When a martyr has been taken into custody he must hold steadfast, but when he has not been taken into custody he must flee the persecutor, in order to grant the persecutor an opportunity to come to his senses..." Oh, that many strong-willed Christians would learn this lesson! By defiantly throwing ourselves into the hands of those who seek to ridicule us, we are hastening their judgment and refusing them time for repentance and, in a sense, participating in their sin. Furthermore, we are giving the devil what he wants rather than loving others by helping them attain the kingdom of heaven. What we must rather consider is what Our Lord says ("If you are persecuted in one town, flee to another"; Mt 10.23) and the story of St Paul ("Brothers, if the martyrs had not fled from Saul, they would not have made Paul a martyr.") or the Innocent Martyrs ("If Christ had stood fast, the synagogues would have them as sons, and the Church would not have them as martyrs.")
As the excellent orator that he is, St Peter Chrysologus saves the best and "most gospelly" reason for last. "Christ fled...[so] that he who had made the human being fully equipped for life might refashion him for the fullness of life; and so that he might likewise hand over to heaven the one whom he had put on earth." In other words, Christ's flight is not ultimately about His fight against the devil, but about taking us--and all men--to Himself and with Himself.
Such sweeter Gospel can scarcely be preached!
28 December 2007
25 December 2007
Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
To all readers of this blog:
A merry and blessed Christ Mass to you and yours!
May these Twelve Days of the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord find you rejoicing in the grace, kindness and love of God who has appeared to all men in His incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. May you rejoice not only in thought and mind, but also in word and deed as you celebrate Our Lord’s feast by attending Mass (or the Divine Liturgy) often in the next two weeks, and receive Him who came in our flesh to restore our flesh.
As you receive various Christ Mass greetings, I encourage you to listen to the Christ Mass greetings given by the bishops of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Love Freely Given, Freely Received
The following is an excerpt from the sermon preached today at Holy Incarnation Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. Using the propers for Gregorian Use parishes in the Western Rite Vicariate, the sermon is based on the Gospel reading for the Third Mass at the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.
Let us believe and understand and know that Christ’s birth was not a necessity. Nothing obligated the Father to send His only-begotten Son into our flesh; nothing required the Son to do His Father’s bidding or to knit His divine nature to our human nature; and nothing compelled the Spirit to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would be the Mother of our God.
In the same way, no one requires any man to receive the Word and Grace of God when He came down from heaven. So no one and nothing forced the holy Virgin say, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” And no one makes those for whom Christ comes, and those to whom He came, welcome or embrace Him; or even believe in Him.
All of this then—God’s action and our reaction; the Spirit’s bestowal of the Son, and man’s reception of Him in faith; and the Son’s desire to be our Savior, and our desire to know Him as such—all of this is done in true freedom. None of it is forced or obligatory; all of it is unconstrained. Freely given and freely received; freely bestowed and freely embraced.
This is the way of love. For love never forces itself upon another, nor obligates another to accept what love gives. And love gives hopeful that the gift will be received and appreciated, but with no thought or expectation of getting something in return. So who, then, came into our world? Whose birth do we celebrate? Is it not the birth of Love incarnate, and the appearance of Him who not only loves but is Love Himself? St. Paul certainly thought so. For the holy Apostle said that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. And how did He appear? As love does: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, nor by obligating us to welcome Him, but according to his mercy he saved us.
Read more.
Let us believe and understand and know that Christ’s birth was not a necessity. Nothing obligated the Father to send His only-begotten Son into our flesh; nothing required the Son to do His Father’s bidding or to knit His divine nature to our human nature; and nothing compelled the Spirit to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would be the Mother of our God.
In the same way, no one requires any man to receive the Word and Grace of God when He came down from heaven. So no one and nothing forced the holy Virgin say, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” And no one makes those for whom Christ comes, and those to whom He came, welcome or embrace Him; or even believe in Him.
All of this then—God’s action and our reaction; the Spirit’s bestowal of the Son, and man’s reception of Him in faith; and the Son’s desire to be our Savior, and our desire to know Him as such—all of this is done in true freedom. None of it is forced or obligatory; all of it is unconstrained. Freely given and freely received; freely bestowed and freely embraced.
This is the way of love. For love never forces itself upon another, nor obligates another to accept what love gives. And love gives hopeful that the gift will be received and appreciated, but with no thought or expectation of getting something in return. So who, then, came into our world? Whose birth do we celebrate? Is it not the birth of Love incarnate, and the appearance of Him who not only loves but is Love Himself? St. Paul certainly thought so. For the holy Apostle said that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. And how did He appear? As love does: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, nor by obligating us to welcome Him, but according to his mercy he saved us.
Read more.
The Angelic Hymn
The following is an excerpt from the sermon preached today at Holy Incarnation Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. Using the propers for Gregorian Use parishes in the Western Rite Vicariate, the sermon is based on the Gospel reading for the First Mass at for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.
It is fitting that when Our Lord and Savior came to earth; when He determined to knit His divine nature unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably to our human nature; when He did not abhor the virgin’s womb, but deigned for us men and for our salvation to be born in our flesh—it is fitting that the angels gathered together and shouted for joy. For the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ declared that the union of God and man has been accomplished, that the divide between heaven and earth had been bridged, and that the reign of death in sin was ended. And so what recourse did the angels have, and how else should they have responded except to sing glorious praise to the Father who, by His Spirit, had gifted all men and the whole world with His incarnate Son?
So in splendid song, with glorious chant, and in magnificent hymn the angels praised God. But notice that their praise was not directed to God; rather, it was directed to men. The angels declared the greatness of God not by fawning over Him, but by proclaiming the wonders of His love to those He was determined to save. And they rejoiced and exalted His mercy not by remaining in heaven, but by seeking out men to whom they could sing their glad tidings.
Read more.
It is fitting that when Our Lord and Savior came to earth; when He determined to knit His divine nature unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably to our human nature; when He did not abhor the virgin’s womb, but deigned for us men and for our salvation to be born in our flesh—it is fitting that the angels gathered together and shouted for joy. For the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ declared that the union of God and man has been accomplished, that the divide between heaven and earth had been bridged, and that the reign of death in sin was ended. And so what recourse did the angels have, and how else should they have responded except to sing glorious praise to the Father who, by His Spirit, had gifted all men and the whole world with His incarnate Son?
So in splendid song, with glorious chant, and in magnificent hymn the angels praised God. But notice that their praise was not directed to God; rather, it was directed to men. The angels declared the greatness of God not by fawning over Him, but by proclaiming the wonders of His love to those He was determined to save. And they rejoiced and exalted His mercy not by remaining in heaven, but by seeking out men to whom they could sing their glad tidings.
Read more.
24 December 2007
The Peace of the Lord Stands in our Midst!
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Now that First Vespers for the Nativity of Our Lord has been sung, it is fitting to rejoice the acclamation of St Peter Chrysologus.Today, the Church is in peace, and the heretic is in anger.
Today, the ship of the Church is in port, and the fury of the heretics is tossed about on the waves.
Today, brethren, the pastors [and shepherds] of the Church are in security, and the heretics are in consternation.
Today, the sheep of the Lord are in a safe place, and the wolves rage in anger.
Today, the vineyard of the Lord has abundance, and the workers of iniquity are indigent.
Today, very dearly beloved, the people of Christ has been exalted, and the enemies of truth have been humbled.
Today, dearly beloved, Christ is in joy, and the Devil in grief.
Today, the angels are in exultation, and the demons in confusion.
Why should I say more? Today, Christ, who is the King of peace, has come forth with His peace and routed all discord, banished dissensions, and dissipated conflicts. As the brilliance of the sun lights up the sky, so He illumines the Church with the splendor of peace. 'For,' the text says, 'there has been born to you today a Savior of the world.' O how desirable is the very name of peace! How firm a foundation peace is for the Christian religion, and what a heavenly ornament for the altar of the Lord!
What can we utter worthy of peace? Peace is a name of Christ Himself, as even the Apostle says: "For Christ is our peace, He it is who has made both one." The two were at variance, not over conflicting opinions or faith, but because of the Devil's envy. But, just as the streets are cleansed when the king comes forth, and the whole city decked with myriad flowers and banners to keep out of sight anything less worthy of the king's countenance, so also now, when Christ the King of peace comes forth, let everything depressing be removed from our midst. While truth is shining, let falsehood be banished, and discord flee, and concord be resplendent. ... [For] at present, the Peace of the Lord standing in our midst, and with palpitating bosom joining both of us together, teaches separated persons to come to agreement in [the] Spirit by linking elbows. In all this is fulfilled, no doubt, the prophetical statement which says: "And the counsel of peace shall be between them both."
The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation. Saint Peter Chrysologus (Selected Sermons) and Saint Valerian (Homilies). Volume 17. (New York: The Fathers of the Church, Inc., 1953). pp. 252-253.
Images of the Antiochian Orthodox Church
A friend alerted me to this video. Using images a only a few words, it offers a collage of the Antiochian Orthodox Church (i.e., those churches under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch).
23 December 2007
The Voice Cries Out
The following is an excerpt from the sermon preached today at Holy Incarnation Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. Using the propers for Gregorian Use parishes in the Western Rite Vicariate, the sermon is based on the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
You would think that we should today hear something about the great Feast which we shall celebrate in two days. You would think that we should hear about the announcement by the archangel Gabriel or the Blessed Virgin Mary. And if we had been able, we would have heard of these things since they were the focus of Masses last Wednesday and Friday. And our Byzantine brothers and sisters are today hearing about the visit of St Gabriel to St Joseph, and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.
We, however, get to hear another prophecy from Isaiah. We hear not about a virgin, but about a voice; not about a barren virgin with child, but about a voice crying out in the barren wilderness. And we hear not the news about the birth of Emmanuel, but rather the exhortation to prepare the way of the Lord by repentance; which means by fasting from sin and by restraining and suppressing the desires of the flesh.
As we hear such a stern exhortation, as we hear the voice seemingly dampen our mood, we must remember why the voice cries out, why the prophet prophesies, why the Forerunner urges us to set our hearts and minds straight. The voice cries out not to scold but to refocus our soul, to reset our heart’s desire—all so that we might take comfort. For what does the prophet Isaiah say?
Read more.
You would think that we should today hear something about the great Feast which we shall celebrate in two days. You would think that we should hear about the announcement by the archangel Gabriel or the Blessed Virgin Mary. And if we had been able, we would have heard of these things since they were the focus of Masses last Wednesday and Friday. And our Byzantine brothers and sisters are today hearing about the visit of St Gabriel to St Joseph, and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.
We, however, get to hear another prophecy from Isaiah. We hear not about a virgin, but about a voice; not about a barren virgin with child, but about a voice crying out in the barren wilderness. And we hear not the news about the birth of Emmanuel, but rather the exhortation to prepare the way of the Lord by repentance; which means by fasting from sin and by restraining and suppressing the desires of the flesh.
As we hear such a stern exhortation, as we hear the voice seemingly dampen our mood, we must remember why the voice cries out, why the prophet prophesies, why the Forerunner urges us to set our hearts and minds straight. The voice cries out not to scold but to refocus our soul, to reset our heart’s desire—all so that we might take comfort. For what does the prophet Isaiah say?
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double [forgiveness] for all her sins.
Read more.
Reasons that are lacking
In response to my question, one of the readers of this blog has declared that he has completed his "little masterpiece on why no sane person should ever be(come) Orthodox."
The reasons give me pause because (a) "Orthodox" is confused with "Byzantine"; (b) the reasons depend upon a legalistic reading of canons (as if they are "canon law"); and (c) the reasons appear to be an argument against the discipline of the church.
Concerning (a), the confusion is quite common; nevertheless, it is a confusion. "Orthodox" is not synonymous with "Byzantine rite" anymore than it is synonymous with "Russian" or "Greek" or "Romanian." "Orthodox" applies to the life of faith in all places by those in communion with the canonical Orthodox bishops.
Concerning (b), the canons of the Orthodox Church are not a uniform legal code but pastoral applications of the Church's Faith in specific contexts.
Concerning (c), the Church's discipline is intended to focus the heart and mind in order to "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" and thereby desire "things above, not on things on the earth."
The reasons give me pause because (a) "Orthodox" is confused with "Byzantine"; (b) the reasons depend upon a legalistic reading of canons (as if they are "canon law"); and (c) the reasons appear to be an argument against the discipline of the church.
Concerning (a), the confusion is quite common; nevertheless, it is a confusion. "Orthodox" is not synonymous with "Byzantine rite" anymore than it is synonymous with "Russian" or "Greek" or "Romanian." "Orthodox" applies to the life of faith in all places by those in communion with the canonical Orthodox bishops.
Concerning (b), the canons of the Orthodox Church are not a uniform legal code but pastoral applications of the Church's Faith in specific contexts.
Concerning (c), the Church's discipline is intended to focus the heart and mind in order to "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" and thereby desire "things above, not on things on the earth."
22 December 2007
Christ Mass at Holy Incarnation
Holy Incarnation Orthodox Church
An Orthodox Parish in the Western tradition
Cordially invites you to the Christ Masses
which will be celebrated during the
Twelve Days of Christ Mass
An Orthodox Parish in the Western tradition
Cordially invites you to the Christ Masses
which will be celebrated during the
Twelve Days of Christ Mass
Patience - Only Three More Days
Like little children impatiently staring at the presents under a Christmass tree, we eagerly await the celebration of Our Lord’s Nativity. Yet our kind and loving Mother Church gently but firmly urges us not to celebrate too soon, but to remain patient. For those who begin the celebration too soon, do not celebrate with the fulsome joy of those who have patiently waited with fasting and prayer. And those who know no patience have set their hearts and stomachs on the worldly distraction which threaten to overtake the true spiritual benefits of Christ Mass. Therefore, patient preparation is the Church’s exhortation: “Not yet, but soon!” So let us force our fleshly desires and our impatience to submit to the Church’s wise counsel.
And as we submit, let us carefully attend to what the Church says. She teaches us to beg Our Lord God to come quickly. She advises us that He is found not in the excesses of this world, but in the sacred mysteries, the “hidden things of darkness” which shall soon be revealed. She reminds us that “the Lord is nigh” and so we should be ready to “give thanks to His holy name.” And she tells us to look not to the temptresses of this age, but to the holy, blessed, ever-Virgin Mary who bears Christ in her womb so that He might make His home in our hearts.
Patience, then, is the Church’s earnest counsel. For by patiently and diligently attending to the holy mysteries, our devotion is increased and we are brought to salvation. Hence St John the Baptizer’s plea to “prepare the way of the Lord” is a plea for us to continue patiently in repentance, fasting and prayer. And it should evoke in us an equally earnest prayer: that Our Lord come, mightily aid us, and speedily help and deliver us so that His “indulgent mercy may hasten what is delayed by our sins.”
And as we submit, let us carefully attend to what the Church says. She teaches us to beg Our Lord God to come quickly. She advises us that He is found not in the excesses of this world, but in the sacred mysteries, the “hidden things of darkness” which shall soon be revealed. She reminds us that “the Lord is nigh” and so we should be ready to “give thanks to His holy name.” And she tells us to look not to the temptresses of this age, but to the holy, blessed, ever-Virgin Mary who bears Christ in her womb so that He might make His home in our hearts.
Patience, then, is the Church’s earnest counsel. For by patiently and diligently attending to the holy mysteries, our devotion is increased and we are brought to salvation. Hence St John the Baptizer’s plea to “prepare the way of the Lord” is a plea for us to continue patiently in repentance, fasting and prayer. And it should evoke in us an equally earnest prayer: that Our Lord come, mightily aid us, and speedily help and deliver us so that His “indulgent mercy may hasten what is delayed by our sins.”
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