The Man Blind from Birth

The Man Blind from Birth

+ Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

     (The five Sundays following Pascha (Easter) emphasize, through the appointed Scripture readings and hymns, (1.) the post-resurrection appearances of Christ;  (2.) the Church’s early life and missionary endeavors (epistle readings are taken from the Book of Acts); and  (3.) aspects of baptism, through which we ourselves have died and risen with the Lord to a new life in God (Gospel readings are taken from the most “sacramental” of the Gospel accounts, that of John the Theologian. Several focus on acts or conversations that take place near or around "water," reminding us of our own baptism into Christ). May 20th will be the last of the Sundays of the Paschal Season, that of the Blind Man.  The Gospel reading for that day is, John 9: 1-38.  The following is a sermon given by Metropolitan Anthony on that lesson).

     We heard today the story of the man born blind.  We do not know from experience what physical blindness is, but we can imagine how this man was walled in himself, how all the world around him existed only as a distant sound, something he could not picture, imagine.  He was a prisoner within his own body.  He could live by imaginations, he could invent a world around himself, he could by touch and by hearing approximate what really was around him;  but the total, full reality could only escape him.

     We are not physically blind, but how many of us are locked in themselves!  Who of us can say that he is so open that he can perceived all the world in its depth?  We meet people, and we see them with our eyes;  but seldom it happens that beyond the outer shape, features, clothes -- how often does it happen that we see something of the depth of the person?  How seldom it is that we look into a person's eyes and go deep in understanding!  We are surrounded by people and every person is unique to God, but are people unique to us?  Are not people that surround us just "people," who have names, surnames, nicknames, whom we can recognize by their outer looks but whom we do not know at any depth?

     This is our condition:  we are blind, we are deaf, we are insensitive to the outer world, and yet, we are called to read meanings.  When we meet a person, we should approach this person as a mystery, that is as something which we can discover only by a deep communion, by entering into a relationship, perhaps silent, perhaps in words, but so deep that we can know one another not quite as God knows us, but in the light of God that enlightens all and each of us.

     And more that this, we can do, each within his own power, within his own gifts, what Christ did:  He opened the eyes of this man. What did this man see?  The first thing he saw was the face of the Incarnate Son of God, in other words, he saw love incarnate.  When his eyes met the eyes of Christ, he met God's compassion, God's tenderness, God's earnest concern and understanding.  In the same way could so many people begin to see, if by meeting us they meet people in whose eyes, on whose face they could see the shining of earnest, sober love, of a love that is not sentimental but is seeing, a love that can see and understand.  And then, how much could we be to people around us a revelation of all the meanings that this world holds and contains through art, through beauty, through science, through all the means by which beauty is perceived and proclaimed among human beings.

     But are we doing this?  Is our concern to convey the width, and the depth, the beauty and the meaning of things to every person whom we meet?  Are we not rather concerned with receiving than with giving?  And yet, St. Paul who knew what it meant to receive and to give, said, "It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive."  And yet how much had he received!  He had received the knowledge of God in his own experience;  he had received teaching, and knowledge, and experience within the Old Testament, and then Christ revealed Himself to him:  what did he not receive!  And yet, he exulted more in giving than in receiving, because he did not want to be the owner of all the richness that had come his way;  he wanted to share it, to give it, to set aglow and afire other lives than his own.

     Let us reflect on how rich, how richly endowed we are, how much it was given us to see, and to hear.  And let us realize at the same time how tragically walled we are within ourselves, unless we break this wall in order to give, as generously, as richly, as abundantly as we were given.  And then indeed, our joy will be fulfilled according to Christ's promise.  And no one, nothing will ever be able to take it away from us.  Amen!    Christ is Risen!

The Paschal Season

The Paschal (Resurrection) Season

Fr. Basil Zebrun

     The week following Pascha is called Bright Week, by the Church.  As Holy Week was a final time of anticipation and intense preparation for “the Feast of Feasts,” so Bright Week is a period of unique Resurrection joy, manifested outwardly by the faithful in diverse ways.  For instance, during Bright Week there is no fasting at all from various types of food;  all liturgical hymns, ideally, are to be sung rather than read; and the Church remains highly decorated, with the royal doors and the deacon’s doors of the iconostasis left open as they were during the Midnight Service.  This latter practice visually emphasizes that the gates of God’s Kingdom have been open to man through the Cross, Tomb and Resurrection of Christ.  Services celebrated during Bright Week are done so in a particularly glorious manner, identical to that which was experienced during the Midnight Service and Resurrection Vespers on Pascha Sunday.  The traditional announcement, “Christ is Risen,” is sung repeatedly by the Church choir, and people greet one another with this same message of hope.While Bright Week is a time of profound and perhaps uncommon celebration, the Resurrection season is definitely not limited to one week.  For forty days after Pascha, until Ascension (this year May 24), the faithful recall in songs and greetings the joyous news that ‘Christ has trampled down death by death, bestowing life upon those in the tombs.’  Clergy and altar servers continue to wear their brightest vestments, and everyone stands (rather than kneels) in prayer, both at home and in Church.  The practice of standing in prayer during the Paschal Season serves to stress our belief that in Christ we are already resurrected beings, residents on earth yet citizens of Heaven. The faithful actually continue this practice until Pentecost (this year June 3), when after Liturgy for the first time since Holy Week we kneel in prayer during three special prayers that are read from the ambo by the clergy.The five Sundays following Pascha (Easter) emphasize, through the appointed Scripture readings and hymns, (1.) post-resurrection appearances of Christ; (2.) the Church’s early life and missionary endeavors (epistle readings are taken from the Book of Acts); and (3.) aspects of baptism, through which we ourselves have died and risen with the Lord to a new life in God (Gospel readings are taken from the most “sacramental” of the Gospel accounts, that of John the Theologian or Evangelist).  Fr. Thomas Hopko in his Orthodox Faith Handbook Series, Volume II, provides a summary of the meaning of the five Sundays of Pascha.  The following contains quotes and paraphrases from that summary.

Thomas  Sunday  (April 22):

     On the Sunday following Pascha, called in our liturgical books “the Second Sunday,” the stress is on the Apostle Thomas’ vision of Christ.  The significance of the day comes to us in the words of the Gospel:  “Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands;  and put out your hand, and place it in My side;  do not be faithless, but believing.”  Thomas answer Him, “My Lord and My God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”  (John 20:27-29)In this last statement Christ refers to all those who will come after the Apostles and become disciples through their words. This includes Christians of every century, including our own.  We have not seen Christ with our physical eyes, nor touched His risen body with our physical hands, yet in the Holy Spirit we have seen and touched and tasted the Word of Life (1 John 1:1-4), and so we believe.  In the early Church it was only on this day that those baptized at Pascha removed their (baptismal) robes and entered once again into the life of this world.

The  Myrrhbearing  Women  (April 29):

     The Third Sunday after Pascha is dedicated to the Myrrhbearing Women who cared for the body of the Savior at His death and who were the first witnesses of His Resurrection.  The three troparia of Holy Friday, (having to do with the Noble Joseph of Arimethea anointing and burying the Body of Jesus;  Christ’s descent into hell and its defeat;  and the angel’s proclamation to the myrrhbearing women of Christ’s resurrection) are sung once again and form the theme of the day:

The  Paralytic  (May 6):

     The Fourth Sunday is dedicated to Christ’s healing of the Paralytic (John 5).  The man is healed by Christ while waiting to be put down into the pool of water.  Through baptism in the church we too are healed and saved by Christ for eternal life.  Thus, in the church, we are told, together with the paralytic, to “sin no more that nothing worse befall you” (John 5:14).  Our Lord’s question to the man, “Do you want to be healed?” is directed to us as well, reminding us that the gift of life and illumination through the Resurrection brings with it responsibilities.  It must be nurtured and shared with others.

The  Feast  of  Mid-Pentecost:

     In the middle of the Fourth Week, there is a day which is called by the Church, the Feast of Mid-Pentecost (this year May 9).  On this day we recall that Christ, “in the middle of the feast” teaches men of His saving mission and offers to all “the waters of immortality” (John 7:14).  Again we are reminded of the Master’s presence and His saving promise:  “If anyone is thirsty let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37).

The  Samaritan  Woman  (May 13):

     The Fifth Sunday after Pascha deals with the Woman of Samaria with whom Christ spoke at Jacob’s Well (John 4).  Again the theme is the “living water” and the recognition of Jesus as God’s Messiah (John 4: 10-11; 25-26).  We are reminded of our new life in Him, of our own drinking of the “living water,” of our own true worship of God in the Christian Messianic Age “in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4: 23-24).  We see as well that salvation is offered to all:  Jews and Gentiles, men and women, saints and sinners.

The  Blind  Man  (May 20):

     Finally, the Sixth Sunday commemorates the healing of the man blind from birth (John 9).  We are identified with that man who came to see and to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.  The Lord has anointed our eyes with His own divine hands and washed them with the waters of baptism (John 9: 6-11).  In Christ we are given the power to see and confess Him as God’s only-begotten Son, and we are given the ability to comprehend clearly and with love, our own lives, the lives of others and the world around us.

Ascension, Pentecost and All Saints Sunday:

      The Paschal Season ends with the great feast of Ascension (again, this year May 24) on which believers celebrate the Lord’s ascent in order to be glorified with God the Father and to glorify us with Himself.  He goes in order to “prepare a place” for us, and to take us into the blessedness of God’s presence.  He goes to open the way for all flesh into the “heavenly sanctuary...the Holy Place not made by hands” (See Hebrews 8-10).  Furthermore, Christ ascends in order to send the Holy Spirit (an event celebrated on Pentecost) who proceeds from the Father, to bear witness to Him (Christ) and His Gospel in the world, by making Him (Christ) powerfully present in the lives of His disciples.On Pentecost the Church celebrates the final act of God’s self-revelation and self-donation to the world.  God’s plan of salvation – starting with and including the formation of His chosen people, Israel;  the sending of the prophets;  the birth of Christ; His teachings, miracles, sufferings, death, burial and resurrection – all of this culminates with the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and the birth of the New Israel, the Church of God, the life of which is the continued presence of the Spirit in our midst.The Sunday after Pentecost, that of All Saints  (June 10), reveals the power of the Holy Spirit in this world, the reason that He was given.  The Saints are those who, without a doubt, have been saved and transformed by the Spirit’s presence, a fate open to all who believe.

And then finally, on June 17, we commemorate All Saints of America, as a logical follow up to the previous Sunday.  This celebration affirms God’s presence and activity amongst His disciples in North America, placing before us local and contemporary examples of sanctity.

Thus a journey which began for us way back on January 29 with the Sunday of Zacchaeus will, in a sense, end on June 17.  But the journey was taken for a reason.  The seasons of fasting and celebration that we have experienced are to lead us to a deeper faith in Christ as Savior.  They are to instill within us a stronger commitment to our own mission, to be Christ’s witnesses “to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

(Some of the above information taken from Fr. Thomas Hopko’s, The Orthodox Faith, Volume 2, Worship, published by the O.C.A.’s Department of Christian Education.)

Holy Week: 2012

Fr. Basil Zebrun

      On Saturday, April 7, Orthodox Christians will begin observing the most solemn of Days leading up to the celebration of Pascha on April 15:  Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week.  These nine days are specifically set aside –  consecrated – by the Church to commemorate the final and decisive events in the Lord’s earthly life.  Traditionally, during this time, Christians make an effort to "lay aside all earthly cares," in order to devote themselves to contemplating the central Mysteries of our Faith:  the Cross, the Tomb and the Resurrection of Christ.  So significant is this period that some have stressed that during Holy Week "time seems to stand still or earthly life ceases for the faithful, as they go up with the Lord to Jerusalem" (Fr. Thomas Hopko).  May we all look upon the days ahead as sacred, dedicated to our Lord.

Lazarus  Saturday  &  Palm  Sunday  (April  7 & 8):  These two days form a double feast, anticipating the joy of Pascha.  At the grave of His friend Lazarus, Christ encounters "the last enemy," death (1 Cor. 15:26).  By raising Lazarus, Christ foreshadows His own decisive victory over death, and the universal resurrection granted to all mankind.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, "riding on the colt of an ass," in fulfillment of a prophecy from Zechariah (9:9).   On this occasion our Lord allows the people to greet Him as a Ruler, the only time during His earthly ministry when this occurs.  Christ is indeed the King of Israel, but He comes to reveal and open to mankind His Heavenly Kingdom.  We hold branches of palms and pussy willows of our own on Palm Sunday, greeting Christ as the Lord and Master of our lives.

Liturgical services for these two days will be celebrated on Saturday morning at 10:00 am, Saturday evening at 6:30 pm, and Sunday morning at 10:00 am.  Palms will be blessed on Saturday night, the eve of Palm Sunday.

Great  &  Holy  Monday,  Tuesday  &  Wednesday  (April  9-11):

     Having just experienced a foretaste of Pascha we now enter the darkness of Holy Week.  The first three days stress the End Times, the Judgment, and the continual need for vigilance.  They point to the fact that when the world condemned its Maker, it condemned itself, “Now is the judgment of this world” (John 12:31).  They remind us that the world’s rejection of Christ reflects our own rejection of Him, inasmuch as we sin and accept the worldview of those who shouted, “Away with Him, crucify Him!”  Central to the services for these days are the Gospel readings, and the hymns which comment on these lessons.  Among the chief hymns are the Exapostilarion, “Thy Bridal Chamber, I see adorned....,” and the following troparion sung during Matins as the Church is being censed:

“Behold!  The Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching:  and again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, lest you be given up to death, and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom.  But rouse yourself, crying: “Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, O our God.  Through the Theotokos, have mercy on us!”  (Troparion)

     Liturgical services for these three days will be celebrated at 7:00 pm.

Great  &  Holy  Thursday  (April  12):   During the Matins Service or the Service of the 12 Passion Gospels on Holy Thursday night we "accompany Christ, step by step, from the time of His last discourse with His disciples to His being laid in a new tomb by Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus.  Each of the 12 Gospel sections read during the evening service involves us in a new scene: the arrest of Jesus; His trial; the threefold denial of St. Peter; the scourging and the mockings by the soldiers; the carrying of the Cross; the Crucifixion; the opposing fates of the two thieves; the loving tenderness of the moment when Jesus commits His Mother to the care of His faithful disciple, John;  and the Lord’s final yielding up of the spirit and burial" (Fr. Paul Lazor). The liturgical hymnography for that night comments on the Gospel readings and gives the response of the Church to these events in the life of Christ.  During this service the faithful hold lit candles during the Gospel lessons while kneeling, and in large parishes Church bells are rung before each reading: once for the first reading, twice for the second, and so on.

     The Matins Service at St. Barbara’s on Holy Thursday will be at 7:00 pm.

Great  &  Holy  Friday  (April  13):  On the one hand, this is the most solemn of days, the day of Christ’s Passion, His Death and Burial.  On this day the Church invites us, as we kneel before the tomb of Christ, to realize the awful reality and power of sin and evil in "this world," and in our own lives as well.   It is this power that led ultimately to "the sin of all sins, the crime of all crimes" the total rejection and murder of God Himself (Fr. Alexander Schmemann).

On the other hand, the Church affirms that this day of evil is also the day of redemption.  "The death of Christ is revealed to us as a saving death, an offering of love" (Fr. Alexander Schmemann).  Holy Friday is the beginning of the Lord’s Pascha, for the One Who is raised, is the One Who is crucified for us and for our salvation.  "By death Christ tramples down death..."  Thus the tomb of Christ, placed in the center of the Church, is lavishly adorned with flowers, for from the tomb comes life.

Liturgical services for Holy Friday will take place at 2:00 pm and at 7:00 pm .  The afternoon service is often referred to as "Burial Vespers."  During its celebration the final events in the life of Christ are brought to mind through the scripture readings and the hymnography.  At the conclusion of Vespers the faithful kneel and the choir sings, in a very slow manner, the troparia for the day which speak of Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus burying the Body of Jesus;  and the angel’s announcement to the Myrrhbearing Women that, “Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption.”   As these words are heard the clergy and servers make a procession around the tomb with the “winding sheet” on which is an icon of the crucified Lord. This winding sheet is placed on top of the tomb and venerated by the faithful.

On Friday night a Matins service is celebrated during which the people sing hymns and lamentations in front of Christ’s tomb.  We hear about how, "hell trembles while Life lies in the tomb, giving life to those who lie dead in the tombs."  We also begin to hear announcements and foreshadowings of the Resurrection in both the scripture readings and hymns.  In fact, the Alleluia verses chanted after the Epistle reading are the same Resurrectional verses from Psalm 68 chanted by the clergy on Pascha night:  “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, let those who hate Him flee from before His face..” (etc.)

Great  &  Holy  Saturday  (April  14):   On the morning of this day, at 9:00 am, we will celebrate the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil.  This service "inaugurates the Paschal celebration... On ‘Lord I Call Upon Thee’ certain Sunday Resurrection hymns are sung, followed by special verses for Holy Saturday which stress the Death of Christ as the descent into Hades, the region of death, for its destruction.

     A pivotal point of the service occurs after the Entrance, when fifteen Old Testament lessons are read, all centered on the promise of the Resurrection, all glorifying the ultimate Victory of God...The epistle lesson is that which is read at Baptisms (Romans 6:3-11), referring to Christ’s Death and Resurrection as the source of the death in us of the "old man," and the resurrection of the new man, whose life is in the Risen Lord  (Here we must remember that Pascha has always been the most traditional time for Baptisms of catechumens).  During the verses immediately after the epistle reading the dark Lenten vestments and altar coverings are put aside and the clergy vest in their brightest robes.  An announcement of the Resurrection is then read from the last chapter of St. Matthew"s Gospel.   The Liturgy of St. Basil continues in this white and joyful light, revealing the Tomb of Christ as the Life-giving Tomb, introducing us into the ultimate reality of Christ’s Resurrection, communicating His life to us..."  (Fr. Schmemann).

Pascha  (April  15):  The Main Resurrection service will begin at 11:30 pm on Saturday night (We ask that everyone try to arrive at least 15 minutes early, those with food even earlier, so that we can begin the service promptly with all lights out in the Church).  This particular service is actually comprised of three services, celebrated together, one after another:  Nocturnes, Matins and the Divine Liturgy.  The entire service ends around 2:30 am on Sunday morning and is followed by the Agape Meal, at which we enjoy fellowship and partake of many non-lenten foods.

Special features of the Midnight Service include:  Nocturnes (11:30 pm to 12:00 midnight) celebrated in total darkness with only one light for the choir, followed by a triple procession around the outside of the Church, a Resurrection Gospel reading and the first announcement of, “Christ is Risen!”  The Paschal Matins then begins during which the Church is brightly lit and the faithful sing of Christ’s Resurrection in a very joyous manner. Near the end of Matins the Paschal Catechetical Sermon of St. John Chrysostom is read.  During the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom the Gospel from the Prologue of St. John’s Gospel is chanted in several languages, symbolic of the universal character of the Christian Faith.  Immediately after the service food for the Agape Meal is blessed, as well as Easter baskets full of non-fasting foods.

On Sunday afternoon, April 15, at 12:00 noon, we return to the Church to celebrate Resurrection Vespers during which we hear a Gospel reading and more hymns of Christ’s Resurrection.  A continuation of the Agape Meal will be enjoyed after Vespers.

Bright  Week  (April 16-21): The week immediately after Pascha is an extended celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection.  Although we enjoy a 40 day Paschal season, the services of Bright Week are uniquely joyous, reflecting the specific tone and spirit of Pascha night.  Divine Liturgies and Vespers celebrated during this time are very similar to those of April 15.  There is, as well, no fasting during Bright Week.  We look forward to celebrating Pascha with all of our Church members and friends.  Once again, we encourage everyone to set aside the days ahead as sacred, dedicated to our Lord.

Christ is Risen!   Indeed He is Risen!

Why the Great Fast?

Fr. Basil Zebrun

     The Great Fast begins Sunday, February 26 with Forgiveness Vespers.  It is traditionally an anticipated season for Orthodox Christians, a period of renewal, for rediscovering the basics of our faith. Lent -- as the Fast is often called -- has been described as a tithe of the year, forty days set aside to redirect personal energies toward God, praying that “lessons learned” will carry over and sanctify the remainder of the year.

     Furthermore, the Fast is a time of repentance, a time for profound change of heart, mind or will, in light of sins acknowledge and Truth revealed.  Fr. Alexander Schmemann, of blessed memory, wrote that Lent, “is indeed a school of repentance to which every Christian must go…in order to deepen his faith, to re-evaluate, and if possible, to change his life.  It is a wonderful pilgrimage to the very sources of the Orthodox faith, a rediscovery of the Orthodox way of life.”

     There is a quiet joy also associated with the upcoming season. It arises from recovering – as did the Prodigal – a sense of our identity as children of the Heavenly Father.  Joy stems, as well, from anticipating Pascha, “the Feast of Feasts.”  During Forgiveness Vespers we sing, “Let us begin the fast with joy! Let us prepare ourselves for spiritual efforts!...Let us rejoice in virtues of the Spirit and fulfill them in love, that we all may see the Passion of Christ our God, and rejoice in spirit at the holy Pascha!"

     And yet, with these thoughts in mind, it is probably true to say that for many people the Fast is experienced as more of an intrusion, rather than as something to which we look forward.  Are we not tempted to think early in the spring that, “My life has just returned to normal after Advent and the holidays.  I just got settled into my routine and now the Church is asking me once again to make changes for forty days.  Why?”  The question itself indicates the answer.  Implicit in this “why” is a comfortable acceptance of life as usual, a quiet, unconscious denial that there is anything about the old routine, our normal existence, that absolutely has to change, or more to the point, be redeemed.  This passivity – spiritually speaking – this consent, indeed surrender to the way things are, is a strong reason for why we have Lent, for why the Church consecrates a specific season for rediscovery and repentance.

     Life is occasionally referred to as a rat race, a fast track that drives us during the day:  school, work, family and social responsibilities, etc.  We enter the track but cannot seem to find the exit. Eventually we become accustomed to being pushed along by life’s momentum.  Its force affects our ideas about many issues, the capacity for clear thinking, and thus our ability to give ourselves completely to Christ.  It redirects and narrows our thoughts so that this world becomes the primary focus as we try to survive life's pace.  The Church, God's Kingdom on earth, is even asked on occasion to accommodate itself to our constricted vision. The net result:  life controls us, rather than we having any sort of grasp on life.  We become enslaved to the very thing that we cherish most, and life is cheapened because, going with its flow, we more often than not perceive the surface of things, rather than their true depth of meaning.  And what is worse, when the Church is asked to accommodate itself to human weakness, we deprive ourselves of that which is given to free us from the bonds of passions and a superficial life.

     This is where the Fast comes into the picture.  During the Fast we are invited, for forty plus days, to step off the track that everyone is on.  We are encouraged to make changes to our usual routine that will yield profound revelations if done in the correct spirit.  Over the course of Great Lent we gradually begin to see that life – real life – consists of more than mere existence and the grind of daily responsibilities.  In Christ an entirely new and abundant life shines from the grave; a life which does not negate, but fulfills and refashions the old.  It provides a fresh set of lenses through which we see -- actually see, maybe for the first time -- the people and world around us, even God Himself.  “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5)

     Lent opens our eyes to a new dimension of the old routine, to a depth of existence that makes life worthwhile and not merely a rat race.  We begin to appreciate family, friends, work, school – everything – in a new light, the light of Christ.  We better understand the words of the Psalmist who declared that the Creator Himself can be perceived in all that exists: “The heavens are telling the glory of God and the firmament proclaims His handiwork” (19:1).  As faith and insights grow, so also does our ability to discern priorities. Many things that seemed important prior to Lent, may appear quite superfluous after preparing for and experiencing Holy Week. We start to possess different priorities after feeling the power of the Paschal greeting, Christ is Risen!

     But to achieve this, the Fast and its requirements are essential.  Sacrifices must be made and for the right reasons, with proper goals in mind.  We have to make conscious efforts to change our patterns of behavior for the better so that at least momentarily we can break free from life’s momentum and refocus on Christ.  The Church, through her liturgical services provides us with an essential experience and framework for this to happen.  The rites, prayers and readings direct us towards repentance and offer a taste of God’s Kingdom already in our midst, to be revealed fully at the end of time.  I encourage everyone to enter the Fast with faith, love and determination.  Make the necessary efforts.  Let us learn from the One Who “ever awaits our conversion,” and “desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

The Sundays of Great Lent

     Each of the Sundays of Great Lent possesses special meaning for us as we journey through the Lenten season to Pascha, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through our awareness of these days and our participation in the liturgical services of the season, we are instructed and inspired to continue our journey with Christ to the Cross, and ultimately to victory over sin and death. The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great will be celebrated on Sundays during the Fast at 10:00 am.

Forgiveness Sunday  (February 26):

     Great Lent begins on a Monday.  The eve of this day is known as Forgiveness Sunday.  The way to resurrection and life, the path to Christ's eternal victory over death, begins with forgiveness. God will not forgive us our sins, and raise us from the dead to eternal life, unless we forgive the sins of others and work for their salvation as well as for our own.

     In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ clearly teaches us the importance of forgiveness:  "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6: 14-15).

Sunday of Orthodoxy  (March 4):

     On the First Sunday of Great Lent, we celebrate the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.  This is an historical feast commemorating the restoration of icons -- which had been banned for years from the Churches -- to their rightful liturgical use in the year 843 A.D.

      The major emphasis of this feast is the victory of the true faith, the victory which always ultimately triumphs.  Having completed the first week of our Lenten efforts, we are reminded that Christ, the perfect image (icon) of God the Father, calls us to personal victory by restoring within ourselves "the image and likeness of God" in which we were first created (Genesis 1:26).

     The icons of our Lord, the Theotokos (the Mother of God), and all the saints are images of true humanity, signs of our eternal calling and vocation.  They tell us that we are all called to be living icons and imitators of Christ, bearing the likeness of God as gracious vessels of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas  (March 11):

     The Second Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to St. Gregory Palamas (14th century).  He was a monk on Mt. Athos -- a spiritual bastion of Orthodox Christianity -- and later became the Archbishop of Thessalonica. Once again we are reassured, as we contemplate this man and reflect on his teachings, that we can indeed attain salvation and behold the "Light of Wisdom," by becoming "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).

     St. Gregory clearly teaches that by cooperating with the God who makes all things possible, we can attain eternal life.  Thus, our Lenten efforts are confirmed, our resolve is strengthened, and we are filled once more with the light of hope.  Historically, theologically, the support of Palamas' teachings is seen as a Second Triumph of Orthodoxy.

Sunday of the Cross  (March 18):

     On the Third Sunday of Great Lent we venerate the Life-creating Cross of our Lord.  The Kingdom of God comes only through the Cross.  Life follows death;  Resurrection follows Golgotha.

     St. Paul mentions that, in the worldly sense, the Cross is a sign of foolishness, signifying for many only death and sorrow.  The faithful, however, look in faith and hope beyond the suffering brought about by the Cross, discerning the loving victory which it truly proclaims.  At the Sunday Matins service we sing, "Behold! Through the Cross joy has come into all the world."  The Cross is a sign of victory and the landmark of paradise.  It is inseparable from the Resurrection.  For this reason we sing on this Sunday:  "Before Thy Cross we bow down and worship, O Master, and Thy Holy Resurrection we glorify."

      The Cross is not only a victory for Christ, "the captain of salvation made perfect through suffering" (Hebrews 2:10).  The Cross is a victory for us as well.  As we approach Pascha, it stands as a reminder for us to take up our crosses and worthily follow Christ in His suffering and, ultimately, in His eternal victory (Matthew 10:38).  On the Third Sunday of Lent the Cross is placed before us in the center of the Church, adorned with flowers, for inspiration and encouragement.

Sunday of St. John of the Ladder (March 25):

     On the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent we commemorate St. John of the Ladder (7th century), author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent and abbot of St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai.  In his spiritual classic St. John outlines the steps essential for attaining communion with God, steps which remind us that the way to the Kingdom constantly challenges us to engage in spiritual warfare.

     "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6: 10-13).

     St. John is also commemorated during Lent as a model of ascetic effort.

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (April 1):

     The Fifth Sunday  of Great Lent is dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt (4th & 5th centuries). St. Mary was a harlot who, having recognized her sinfulness, sought to bring about an essential change in her life.  She ran from her sinfulness and devoted the remainder of her life to placing God's will above her own.  In her person we recall Christ's words:  "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you" (Matthew 21:31).

     The end is drawing near, yet repentance is still possible, even for the greatest of sinners.  We see how the harlot repents and is forgiven.  There is no sin so great that God will not forgive it;  there is no amount of sinfulness which can condemn you if you are willing to repent and to merge your vision with that of our Lord.

     "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love...For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;  As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.  As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him"  (Psalm 103: 8, 11-13).

Palm Sunday (April 8):

     Great Lent ends on the Friday following the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt.  The next day is Lazarus Saturday which is followed by Palm Sunday.  These are days of festal interlude, leading us into Holy Week.  On Palm Sunday we greet Christ as King, anticipating the glory of Pascha (Easter).  We hold branches in our hands as we sing, "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!"  At the same time we look ahead to the road to Golgotha upon which Christ invites us to join Him.  While we sing praises with our lips, our lives must not cry out with the angry mob: "Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!"

     With this in our minds and in our hearts, we enter the days of the Passover of the Cross -- the great and holy Pascha of the Lord -- the Resurrection.

     (Much of the above was taken from a publication of the Orthodox Christian Publication Center of the Orthodox Church in America.)

The Meeting of our Lord

(Feasts and God's Kingdom in our Midst) + His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri

On February 2 the Church celebrates the great feast of The Meeting of our Lord in the Temple.  The Gospel lesson for that day relates how the mother of Jesus brought Him to the temple, as was the custom and requirement under the God-given Law of Moses, of Israel (Exodus 13: 2,12; Leviticus 12: 2-8).  When the righteous Simeon, who received Christ in his arms at the temple, saw the child, he knew immediately that this was the Redeemer promised by all of Israel's prophecies, for the elder was inspired by the Holy Spirit (Luke 2: 26-27).  Being inspired he himself uttered prophetic words which form the hymn sung or chanted at the end of every Vesper service:

"Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel" (Luke 2: 29-32).

This particular feast is part of the great celebration that began forty days prior, with the Nativity of Christ (December 25).  Eight days later (January 1) we remembered the Circumcision of Christ and then His Baptism (January 6).  The commemoration of these events in our Lord's earthly life basically form one feast, the feast of the Incarnation of God the Word.

God literally entered the world, into time and history.  He was physically present in the midst of His people, His creatures whom He loves.  Our Lord took on human nature in order to reconcile unto Himself, man who had strayed far from the Source of his life.

In taking on the "form of a servant," God at the same time, in the Person of Christ, fulfilled every requirement of the Law that He Himself had given to His people through Moses.  He demonstrated, thereby, that everything that had happened in Israel's history could not be described merely as a succession of unrelated events.  Rather this was a history with a definite goal:  the salvation of mankind.  He identified Himself as the Director of that history and fulfilled its expectation.

When the righteous Simeon took the child into His arms and declared that this indeed was Salvation Incarnate, the "Light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of Israel," a new era began:  the era of God's presence among His people.

To this day, all of the Church's celebrations, no matter what the event commemorated may be, whether in the life of Christ, of the Theotokos, or of the saints, all are celebrations of Christ and the establishment on earth of the Kingdom of His presence.  He initiated this Kingdom and promised its ultimate realization.  And now, just as the Old Israel had awaited the beginning of God's Kingdom, the New Israel (the Church) awaits the Second and Glorious Coming of Christ and the fullness of His Kingdom, revealed.

Although all of our celebrations are rooted in the knowledge that we have been called for complete communion with Christ and to live in function of His kingdom to which we already belong, we still live in a world that has for the most part rejected what Christ gave it, that is, authentic life "in abundance," life with real purpose and meaning.  We Christians, in spite of having accepted what God's intervention in human affairs gave us, slip repeatedly and fall into the great temptation to convert the things of this world into gods.  We are constantly attracted by ways of seeking happiness and fulfillment that exclude God.  This, of course, always proves to be vain and futile.  So our lives vacillate, back and forth, between the assurance of salvation and indifference, between moments of real joy because we know that God is with us, and moments of boredom because we cannot give ourselves totally over to Him.

Every Christian celebration reaches its climax in the Divine Liturgy for the feast.  In this sacred work, when God's people assemble in His name, we actually become participants in the Heavenly Kingdom to come.  We are as literally present with Christ in His future Kingdom as the Apostles were with Him at the Last Supper.  So the Kingdom is initiated among us and we enjoy it before our time, by anticipation.  This constitutes the meaning and experience of every Eucharist.  This is what our feasts and celebrations are all about, and that is why the Eucharist is the very center of them all.

I will emphasize again, however, that although what we have said is true, we continually orient our lives towards everyday pursuits, often living as though we had never experienced this divine reality.  That is why repentance and penitential seasons are in order.  That is why in approximately one month we will enter the Great Fast or Lent, during which time we are exhorted to repent of our sins.

Basically what is important for us Christians is that we have really "seen the True Light, received the Heavenly Spirit, found the true faith" in this experience of the Kingdom of God.  The question we must all ask ourselves sincerely however, is "what are we like when we return into this world after this Heavenly experience?" To Christ Who willed to be held in the arms of the righteous Simeon for our salvation be glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

(At St. Barbara's the festal celebration for The Meeting of our Lord, will begin on Wednesday evening, February 1, at 7 pm with Great Vespers, Old Testament Readings, Gospel and Litiya followed by Catechumen Class. The Liturgy will be celebrated the following Thursday morning, February 2, at 10 am.  We hope that everyone can join us for this great feast of the Church.)

The Incarnation and Peace Among Men

+ His Eminence Archbishop Dmitri

(Although written almost thirty years ago, the following article is still very relevant for Christians.)

"For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity..."  (Ephesians 2: 14-15)

The preceding Scriptural passage is read on the 24th Sunday after Pentecost:  (this year November 27).  St Paul is describing one of the most important meanings of the Incarnation.  The "enmity" between nations and people of differing races, taken for  granted as something natural and actually sanctioned by religion, was destroyed by the Incarnation, the entrance of God Himself into time, into human history.

The Incarnation is the great turning point of history.  Even the secular world marks its time "Before Christ" (BC.) and "Anno Domini (AD. -- the year of our Lord).  Time since Christ is the modern era.  Twentieth-century man likes to think of his century as the truly modern one, and of deep concerns for equality and justice as being products of his time.  Yet, all that is said now about these concepts was said many centuries ago by Jesus Christ Himself, and society is only beginning to catch up with His "advanced ideas."

Racial equality, brotherhood among nations and peoples, integration -- these are ideas that one hears expressed continually in our day, and many, even some Christians, regard them as foreign to the teachings of the Church.  The fact is that Christians themselves have obscured and distorted the fundamental characteristics of the new life that God Incarnate gave to the world.

Religion has been, historically, the sanctifier of national differences.  The "Faith" often has coincided with the boundaries of the nation, and unfortunately Christian communities have been strongholds of ethno-religiosity-national faith ideas.

One radical misunderstanding of Christians of their own faith is partially responsible for this attitude.  Christianity is often thought of as one of so many "religions," when the truth is that Christianity is not religion in the usual sense of the word.  It is above religion; Christ came to complete and crown religion.  It is the new life in Christ, the worship of God in spirit and in truth.

Unaided by direct revelation, man's relationship to God found its expression in "religion," yet when the fullness of time was come, and God entered into the world, the real nature of that relationship was revealed.  This revealed relationship, then, is "super-religion," above and beyond all pietistic systems devised by man, the end toward which all religion was directed.

However, throughout Christian history there have been those who would force Christianity into the mold of traditional religion and make of it one more competitor for men's loyalties.  Even in our own Church, by historical accident, the Faith had been identified with nationalities.  It is particularly sad that Christians have not taken the initiative and, being true to their nature, broken down the walls of partition.  It is tragic that Christians have identified themselves with the old idea of religion as the separator of men. Due in part to this misunderstanding, a large-scale abandonment of the Church was seen in years past, and is evident even to this day.

In reality, faith in Christ is the force of unification and could solve the world's problems; all those things which captivate men's minds in our day -- peace, brotherhood, equality, social justice -- have their origin in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Church has always prayed for the union of all men in the Liturgy, because she is convinced that God so wills it. Tragically, when men speak now of peace, brotherhood, equality and social justice, they offer humanism as the only basis for these things.

The unity and peace of which St. Paul spoke are unity and peace that only Christ can give, and this is exactly what faith in Christ will lead to.  Unity and peace on any other foundation can only lead to further chaos and wider gulfs of separation.

We Christians must re-examine ourselves and allow ourselves to be unified by Christ.  We can start by removing, with God's help, all enmity and ill-will that exists among ourselves; we must consciously make ours, the characteristic measures by which we can judge just how close we are to Christ -- "do unto others as we would have them do unto us," "forgive men their debts, just as our heavenly Father forgives us our debts."

No matter how chaotic the world may be, no matter how much hatred and bitterness exists among men, we know that when men take seriously Christ's command to "love our neighbor as ourselves," the influence and effect of that love is so great that it can overcome the world.

In Praise of National Councils: The 16th All-American

Fr. Basil Zebrun

(In light of the 16th All American Council held in Seattle, I would like to offer the following thoughts.  A presentation of proceedings was given at St. Barbara's on Sunday, November 6, during coffee hour. Further material, as well as podcasts of the council, may be accessed at OCA.org, the website for the Orthodox Church in America.)

     Councils have continually played a prominent role in the life of the Church.  The Church is not only hierarchical but conciliar in nature.  Councils are vehicles through which the Holy Spirit acts, a means by which divine truth, God's will, is discerned and expressed for the salvation of all. The Orthodox Church, in fact, has been referred to historically as, "The Church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils."

     In North America councils have nothing to do with defining sacred Truth for the whole of Orthodoxy, as did great councils of the past. They do, however, concern themselves with conveying such Truth on a local level, discerning a Godly path for the Church on this continent.  They help to shape and define elements of local tradition in a formal sense, as the Church seeks to express what can be termed an American Orthodoxy.

     Though at times, taken for granted -- viewed as routine business -- significant manifestations of this process already exist. Speaking specifically about the OCA, on both national and diocesan levels numerous topics have been addressed repeatedly by council delegates:  moral and spiritual issues, as well as those pertaining to evangelization and Church organization. In addition, methods for Church funding have been taken up often by the Holy Synod, the Metropolitan Council, dioceses and parishes. As the Orthodox Church in America develops, a shift of emphasis is gradually being felt nationally on two topics in particular, through the process of discernment:  proportionate giving, and defining responsibilities more appropriate to dioceses rather than centralized departments.  The above efforts reflect the OCA's sense of self-identity, an awareness of the need for periodic self-evaluation and changes in Church structure, but also an acceptance of Orthodoxy's sacred duty to be a conscience for North America.

     Recent convocations have responded additionally to cries for accountability and transparency at multiple levels of Church life. The laity in this country, while affirming the hierarchical nature of the Church, tend to be strongly aware of their responsibility to safeguard the teachings, as well as practices, of Orthodoxy.  Thus their desire, and that of clergy, that all members of the Body be held accountable for personal actions.

    The specific make-up of councils in America further reveals a local sense of identity through the open exchange of ideas by bishops, priests and deacons, as well as lay delegates.  St. Tikhon is pointed to as having espoused this comprehensive understanding of conciliarity. He thought it wise that our experience of "unity in diversity" include a broad cross-section of Church membership. This vision is not radically new, though locally the concept finds fertile ground.  St. Tikhon's approach is consistent with a Eucharistic-centered Church life, the notion of a "royal priesthood" of believers, and the belief that all Church members are responsible for the Faith imparted unto them.

     This latter aspect of councils - that of inclusion - I find particularly fascinating, especially at a national level.  I am encouraged by the fact that Orthodox Christians, clergy and laymen, from diverse regions of North America can gather together once every three years, listen to one another, address passionately at times specific issues, reach a common understanding of these issues (even if that means agreeing to disagree), vote on proposals, and then greet one another later as brothers and sisters in Christ. These are signs of maturity, signs that people are not focused on the sins of others, or primarily on defending personal opinions, but rather their attention is directed toward the work of the Church.

     The process of conciliar discernment is not always easy or pleasant.  Smoothing out rough edges through prayer and dialogue takes both commitment and patience.  In Seattle a delegate was overheard saying that, "No one is convinced by arguments from the council floor.  When it comes to voting on issues, people already have their minds made up as to what side of the political fence they stand."  Short term, that sentiment may indeed be true.  But in many respects the Church's life is like that of a Christian: the fruit of our Lord's work is revealed over time.  Before growth can occur, before progress can be made, seeds have to be planted in the hearts of council delegates.  This is accomplished in diverse ways: certainly through receiving the Word proclaimed at services and plenary sessions, as well as through the experience of Christ's presence, wherever two or three are gathered.  But seeds are sown as well through the hearing of differing opinions expressed by other delegates.  Once sown, people must strive to cooperate with the Truth revealed, to change their personal rationale when necessary, and open their hearts to the work of the Spirit.

     For Church growth to occur this latter experience, of listening to the reasoning of others, is difficult to overestimate. A person may truly believe that discussions at councils do little good, that minds are already made up, or worse, will never change. Personally, I do not accept this last notion.  The Faith, in a sense, is all about change: repentance in the light of truth and wisdom.  We cannot overlook what fruit may develop, over time, through people's exposure to different ways of thinking. In addition, it is hard to imagine -- for the life of the North American Church -- the unity, the common mind, being forged through personal contacts and public exchange, even if that process takes decades.

While recognizing the time, money, effort and sometimes headaches involved with convening  Church councils at a national level, I must also confirm the joys and inspiration that come through these gatherings.  In my opinion they are invaluable for our formation as an Autocephalous Body striving for administrative unity with other jurisdictions.  I must also express gratitude to those people who spent countless hours organizing the council in Seattle.  No doubt their efforts will lead to growth and meaningful changes for the life of the Orthodox Church in America.

The Season Ahead: Christ is Born!

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware

     (Orthodox Christians are currently in the midst of the forty day Nativity Fast, anticipating the Birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We pray that everyone has a fruitful Advent and a blessed Nativity.  The following contains edited excerpts from Metropolitan Ware's explanation of the days leading up to Christmas, and the central meaning of the feast.)

     "Before Christmas, as before Easter (Pascha), there is a lengthy and elaborate period of preparation.  Christmas is preceded by a fast corresponding to Great Lent and lasting for forty days.  On the Sundays immediately before December 25, there are special commemorations which emphasize the link between the Old Covenant and the New.  The second Sunday before Christmas - the Sunday of the Forefathers - calls to remembrance the ancestors of Christ. The Sunday that follows is broader in scope, commemorating all the righteous men and women who pleased God from the days of Adam, the first man, to Joseph, the betrothed of the Mother of God.  Approaching Christmas in this way, the worshipper is enabled to see the Incarnation, not as an abrupt and irrational intervention of the divine, but as the culmination of a long process extending over thousands of years.

     On Christmas Day itself the services commemorate not only the birth of Christ in Bethlehem and the adoration of the shepherds.  They also recall the arrival of the Magi with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The story of these Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12), which in the Roman and Anglican use is appointed for January 6, is read on the morning of December 25 in the Byzantine rite.

     The familiar and homely elements of the Nativity story - the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, the ox and the ass beside Him, the shepherds watching with their flocks by night - are by no means forgotten in the Orthodox hymns for this day.  But the main center of interest lies elsewhere:  not in these picturesque details, nor simply in the humanity of the child Jesus, but rather in the paradoxical union of that humanity with the divine.  "A young child, the pre-eternal God" (Kontakion):  this is the supreme and crucial meaning of Christmas. Without ceasing to be what He is from all eternity - true God - One of the Trinity, He became truly and entirely man, born as a baby from a human mother...

     It is to this theme, under varying forms, that the liturgical texts of the day continually revert,  to the contrast between the divine and the human in the one Person of the Incarnate Christ.  For example:

     "He who formed the world, now Himself 'takes form' as a creature; The Creator makes Himself to be created; He who holds the whole creation in the hollow of His hand today is born of the Virgin; Older than ancient Adam, He lies in His mother's arms;" and so on.

     Passages such as these are intended to make the members of the Church realize, in some small measure, how strange and amazing a thing it is that God should become man.  As the worshipper stands in spirit beside the crib, it is not enough for him to see, lying in the straw, "gentle Jesus, meek and mild;"  he must see more than this. He must behold the only begotten Son of God..."

     Metropolitan Kallistos' words indicate a challenge facing Christians that extends to our relationship with all of creation. As we are to see in the Child Jesus the face of the Incarnate Lord, we are to recognize in all men the image of this same God.  Likewise, we are to experience the Church not merely as a human organization, but as both a divine and human reality, the Body of Christ.  Furthermore, the world must be appreciated not as an end in itself, but as a reflection of the Creator, a means of divine knowledge.  "God is with us," the faithful sing at Christmas.  In Christ, God has taken up His abode among men.  He has united Himself to creation. He has filled that which is earthly with His divinity.  This is the meaning of Christmas. For this, man glorifies Christ throughout the ages.  Because of this, the Nativity/Theophany season remains one of the great lights on the Christian calendar.

Entrance of the Theotokos

Entrance of the Theotokos

Fr. Basil Zebrun

On Monday, November 21, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the Church's twelve major feasts:  The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple.  The historical events connected with this event form part of Sacred Tradition and are described in early non-Scriptural documents and in the hymns of the Church.

According to these sources, when Mary was three years old her parents, Sts. Joachim and Anna, the grandparents of Jesus, sent their daughter to the Temple in fulfillment of a promise made at the time of her conception, that she would be dedicated to the Lord.  Joachim did not want Mary's departure to be a sad occasion. He, therefore, gathered together young girls from the neighborhood, gave them lit candles or lanterns, and Mary intrigued by the bright lights happily followed them to her new home. She was met at the Temple by Zacharias, the future father of John the Baptist.  There she dwelt until her betrothal to Joseph.

The meaning of this feast can be derived from its title: Mary enters the Temple to become herself the Temple of God.  She enters the Holy Place to become a "living" Holy of Holies (Hopko, Fr. Thomas, The Winter Pascha).  In her womb the Fashioner of all creation will be fashioned.  He will take for Himself a complete humanity, our entire human substance, from Mary.  Everything we are He will become, and the years spent in the Lord's House prepare the Virgin for her role as Theotokos, the Birth-giver of God.  There she is nourished physically, mentally and spiritually, to become the flower of Old Testament piety. Indeed, Tradition relates that Mary was fed by messengers of God while in the Temple. Sometimes this pious belief is depicted artistically with Mary represented twice in the festal icon:  once in the center, escorted by Joachim, Anna and the young maidens as she enters the Temple; and once in the top, right corner, seated "near the door of the Holy of Holies, where an angel comes to assist her" (Leonid Ouspensky and Vladimir Lossky, The Meaning of Icons).

As the dwelling place of God, Mary typifies humanity.  Her entering the Temple and later her conception of the Messiah, signals an end to a strict identification of God's House with any man-made structure.  "Man" is now revealed as the true and proper dwelling place of the Almighty.  According to Christian Tradition, "we are all fashioned in God's image and likeness to be abodes of His presence" (Hopko, Ibid).

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.  For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

"...the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands..." (Acts 7:48)

The emphasis on man as the abode of God is applied not only to the individual but to the entire people of God.  The Church, for example, is spoken of by St. Paul as, "the fullness of Him Who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:23), the fullness of God's life, revealed and shared with His followers.  Mary's entrance into the Temple is thus an essential reminder and celebration of our own entrance into the Church, through baptism and chrismation, at which time we are offered to God, and reborn of "Water and the Spirit."

As far as services are concerned, it is significant that "the feast of the Entrance of Mary...marks the first specific liturgical announcement of the birth of Christ" (Hopko, Ibid).  On the eve of this holiday the Nativity canon is sung during Matins, at the Vigil service, and at each subsequent major Vigil until Christmas.  The troparion (main theme song) for the day exclaims why this is:  'Mary's appearance in the Temple is an anticipation of the Messiah's Advent.'  In Orthodoxy Mary is always contemplated in light of her role as Jesus' mother.  The liturgical art of the Church bears this out.  Icons of Mary almost always depict the Incarnate Word as well.  Even the most traditional name used for Mary, "Theotokos," identifies her directly with Christ.  There is no separate cult of Mary in Orthodoxy.  Instead, "Mariology is simply an extension of Christology" for Orthodox Christians (Bishop Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Church).  So it is, that as we celebrate the Entrance of the Theotokos during Advent we look forward already to the birth of her Son on December 25.

"Today is the prelude of the good will of God, of the preaching of the salvation of mankind.  The Virgin appears in the Temple of God, in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all.  Let us rejoice and sing to her:  Rejoice O Fulfillment, of the Creator's dispensation." (Troparion)

In closing we shall quote from Psalm 45, verses that are understood as prophetic utterances directly related to Mary.  They are used 'extensively in the services of this particular feast and have no doubt provided a great inspiration for the celebration of Mary's consecration to the service of God in the Temple' (Hopko, Fr. Thomas, The Orthodox Faith, Volume II).

"Hear, O Daughter, and consider and incline your ear;  forget your people and your father's house, and the King will desire your beauty.  Since He is your Lord, bow to Him...

"The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes, in many-colored robes she is led to her King, with her virgin companions, her escort, in her train...

"Instead of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.  I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations, therefore, the peoples will praise you forever and ever"  (Psalm 45: 10-17)